shincha

First harvest is known to be the best of the best tea to offer for the year, this year is in 1st of May. When the new buds sprout in spring, these compounds and nutrients are concentrated in each of the new tea leaf buds. Only the plant bud and two young leaves are used for the processing the tea. Normally is picked during sunny period 9am and 2pm. This is also why the first harvest tea leaves contain increased levels of beneficial amino acids like L-theanine, lesser caffeine level.

The L-theanine amino acid is responsible for the umami flavour in shaded teas. It's said to help ease anxiety and stress. With the first harvest tea or matcha containing the most L-theanine, it makes the tastiest tea or matcha tea as compared to tea plants harvested later in the year. You can will found first harvest tea leaves to have a better amino acid, better colour and an overall sweeter taste that is very low in bitterness or non and great umami flavour.  

The first harvest green tea leaves made into sencha is called Shincha 新茶 (shin 新 = new cha 茶=tea, and people drink it in Japan for good luck. 

There are several definitions of what is considered "shincha 新茶". The widest definition refers to any leaf in the first two months or so after harvest (when the leaves are still "new"). General use of the term refers more specifically to the spring harvest, and the first two months or so afterwards. This means the same spring tea called shincha in May is no longer called shincha in August because it is no longer new.  

However, many farmers will harvest extra early for particularly young, tender leaves creating LIMITED EDITION tea products. These have several names: hashiri - "run", as "in run to the fields now to harvest the leaves", hatsutsumi - "first picking" or the farmer's very first harvest of the spring season, hachijyu hachiya - "88th night" referring to the 88th day of spring in the old lunar calendar, tea picked on this day is said to be the best and brings good fortune for the year (this year it is 1st May).  Only the first top 3 leafs (core and two leafs) are picked and use for the 1st Harvest premium tea, baby leaves are soft, tender and less caffeine and content more health benefits.

The period during which shincha is available is short for most vendors, but since we are aggregating producers from throughout Japan, the harvest of tea leaves occur from the beginning of April all the way until July.