First Harvest Teas 2025: Shincha from Japan and First Flush from Darjeeling

Welcome to the most anticipated season for green tea lovers! Every year, Japan celebrates the arrival of first-harvest teas, also known as Shincha (literally "new tea"). A true cultural event, comparable to Beaujolais Nouveau in France, Shincha represents the very first harvest of the year.

What is Shincha tea?

Shincha comes from the young spring shoots that have spent the entire winter absorbing minerals and nutrients. Unlike later harvests, Shincha is distinguished by:

• Unparalleled freshness: The leaves retain a higher moisture content (around 5%), giving them a bright, vegetal flavor.
• Seasonal rarity: This tea is only available for a few weeks between April and July.
• "Super Premium" quality: To preserve its properties, it is often shipped by air directly from Japanese plantations.
  
  

Why choose first-harvest tea? (Benefits and Flavors)

Enjoying Shincha is like giving yourself a true boost of vitality to shake off winter fatigue.

• Nutritional richness: It is particularly rich in amino acids, notably L-theanine, which provides its unique sweetness and Umami flavor.
• Antioxidants: It contains high levels of catechins, which are beneficial for health.
• Perfect balance: More intense and complex than a classic Sencha, it is also more harmonious on the palate and better tolerated by the body.
  
  

Umami: The secret to the deliciousness of first-flush teas

Beyond sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, there is a fifth fundamental taste: Umami. This Japanese term, which can be translated as "savory" or "delicious taste," is at the heart of the Shincha tasting experience.

• A wealth of amino acids: Shincha is naturally rich in glutamate. Combined with L-theanine (an amino acid that adds sweetness), it creates that sensation of fullness and depth on the palate, characteristic of high-quality green teas like Gyokuro or spring Sencha.
• A perfect balance: While later-harvested teas (like Bancha or Houjicha) lose a large portion of these amino acids, early-harvested teas retain maximum concentration, offering a smooth and balanced brew that prolongs the pleasure of tasting long after the last sip.

Why choose a first-flush tea from LUPICIA?

Choosing a first-flush tea from LUPICIA guarantees access to the finest harvests from around the world, with an absolute commitment to freshness.

• An expert selection: Every year, our buyers travel to the gardens of Japan and Darjeeling to select the most exceptional batches, favoring the leaves that best express the unique character of the 2025 vintage.
• Direct from the garden to your cup: Thanks to our state-of-the-art logistics, our first-flush teas are shipped by air as soon as the manufacturing process is complete. This ultra-fast transport ensures that you receive a tea with its aromas intact, as if you were enjoying it right there in the garden.
• Respect for the product: We take special care in packaging our teas, preserving the fragility of the young Shincha shoots and the delicate flavor of the First Flush. By choosing LUPICIA, you discover the authentic taste of spring, enhanced by world-renowned Japanese expertise.
  
  

Harvest Calendar

The harvest traditionally begins in the South, on the islands of Kyushu (Kagoshima), before moving north towards Shizuoka and Uji.

• Hashiri Shincha (Late March/April): The "first to arrive," from subtropical climates. It is the rarest and earliest.
• Hachiju Hachiya (Early May): Harvested precisely 88 days after the start of spring, it is considered in Japan to be a symbol of good fortune and health.
  
  

How to prepare your Shincha to reveal its aromas?

To preserve the delicate flavor of the young shoots, we recommend careful preparation:

• Quantity: 2 teaspoons per 0.2-0.3 liters of water.
• Temperature: Soft water between 50°C and 65°C (lower than for a classic Sencha).
• Brewing time: Approximately 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Multiple infusions: Its richness allows you to re-infuse the leaves several times to discover different flavor profiles.
  
  

The Prestige of Darjeeling: The 2025 First Flush

While Japan celebrates its green teas, India unveils its treasures with Darjeeling's First Flush. In India and Nepal, each period of growth following winter dormancy is called a "Flush."

• The Champagne of Teas: First-flush Darjeeling teas are the most sought-after in the world for their finesse and their floral, spring-like aromatic profile.
• An Exceptional Terroir: Just like Japanese Shincha, Darjeeling's first shoots benefit from the nutrient reserves accumulated during the winter, resulting in superior quality in subsequent harvests.
• A Seasonal Rarity: This ephemeral tea captures the very essence of the Himalayan mountains as winter ends, offering a clear liquor and notes of muscatel and wildflowers.