MatchaWhat

Kabusecha

Partially shaded Japanese green tea — between sencha and gyokuro.

Kabusecha ("covered tea") is shaded for about a week before harvest — less time than gyokuro (2–3 weeks) and far less than tencha (the leaf used for matcha, also 2–3+ weeks). The result is a green tea that splits the difference: more umami and sweetness than sencha, less than gyokuro, easier to brew at standard temperatures, and notably more affordable than gyokuro. Often called the "daily gyokuro" by Japanese tea drinkers.