Shincha:

• Fresh tea from the first spring harvest.
• Ideal for a refreshing spring drink.
• Tastes best within 3 months of harvest.
• Ironically, later-harvested shincha can be of higher quality.

Sencha:

• Lasts longer than shincha.
• Can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a year or more.
• Taste remains consistent over time.

Gyokuro:

• Fresh gyokuro is pleasant, but properly aged gyokuro is significantly better.
• Ideally consumed a year after harvest.
• Can be aged even longer.

Matcha:

• Similar to gyokuro, matcha also matures and improves with age.
• This applies to organic matcha, but may not hold true for regular matcha.

Other Teas:

• For teas like Hojicha and Genmaicha, the difference in taste between fresh and aged tea is less noticeable.
• These teas are often blended with leaves from various harvests to maintain a consistent flavor.

Key Takeaways:

• Freshness is important for tea, but not always the deciding factor.
• Storage method significantly impacts tea quality.
• For some tea types like gyokuro and matcha, the flavor matures and improves over time.

Conclusion:

This video explores how freshness affects the taste of tea. Shincha is perfect for a spring refreshment, but sencha and gyokuro benefit from aging and can become tastier over time. For everyday teas like Hojicha and Genmaicha, the difference in taste between fresh and aged is less pronounced. Proper storage plays a crucial role in maintaining tea quality.