Dragonwell vs sencha is the classic showdown between Japan’s most popular green tea and China’s most famous green tea.
In this guide, we break down the key differences and similarities between dragonwell and sencha, comparing how they are produced, how they taste, how they are brewed, and how they differ in caffeine and texture.
By the end, you will have a clear understanding of how these two iconic green teas compare and which one may be better suited to your preferences.
Let’s get brewing 🍵
Dragonwell vs Sencha at a Glance
Before comparing dragonwell vs sencha, it helps to define what each tea actually is.
Both dragonwell and sencha are green teas, meaning they are unoxidized. However, they are produced using very different methods, and this difference in processing dramatically changes the leaf shape, flavor profile, and brewing behavior.
Sencha
Sencha is the most widely consumed green tea in Japan and also one of the most diverse categories of Japanese tea.
Sencha is made from young tea leaves that are steamed, rolled, and dried shortly after harvest. The steaming process deactivates the enzymes responsible for oxidation, preventing the leaves from turning into black tea and preserving their vibrant green color.
If you want to become an expert on all things sencha, you can read our article here 👉 Everything You Need to Know About Sencha.
Dragonwell aka Longjing Tea
Dragonwell, also known as Longjing tea, is the most famous Chinese green tea. It is produced primarily in a small region around Hangzhou in China.
Like sencha, dragonwell is made from young tea leaves, but instead of steaming, the leaves are pan-fired in large woks with minimal moisture. This firing technique flattens the leaves and gives dragonwell its signature shape and warm, nutty flavor profile.
The Flavor of Dragonwell vs Sencha
So what do these two teas taste like? Contrary to popular belief, not all green tea tastes the same, and small changes in the picking and processing can lead to enormous differences in flavor.
For those who enjoy bold umami and deep green character, Sencha Henta delivers an especially rich and satisfying cup.
Dragonwell taste profile
The drier roasting technique used to produce dragonwell imparts much warmer and nuttier notes onto the tea leaves.
A well-brewed, high-quality Longjing should have a roasted bean or chestnut flavor, which is a hallmark of this tea. It should have a smooth, creamy flavor, delicate florals and a gentle umami without any bitterness.
Instead of grassy or vegetal notes, you’ll experience a mature, nutty profile created by careful wok firing.
Sencha taste profile
If you cook often, you’ll know that vegetables take on a completely different flavor when they’re steamed compared to when they're heated in a pan with a small amount of oil. The steaming technique used to produce sencha really accentuates these vegetable notes and enhances the umami qualities.
This is why sencha gives you notes of seaweed salad, baby spinach and edamame. There isn’t as much nuttiness in sencha as you would find in dragonwell, but instead you’ll get a much more powerful dose of these steamed vegetables.
If you want a deeper understanding of sencha’s flavor complexity, including its umami, vegetal, and marine notes, explore our complete breakdown 👉 What Does Sencha Tea Taste Like?
How Are Dragonwell and Sencha Made?
Now that we’ve done a brief overview of Dragonwell vs. Sencha, let’s talk about how each of these teas is made. We’ll also highlight the differences between these two teas when it comes to the cultivation, picking, and processing.
Cultivation and cultivars
Both sencha and dragonwell come from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, but the plants are bred slightly differently.
Sencha is primarily made from the Yabukita cultivar, but as it is produced so widely throughout the country, it can also be made from other cultivars like Yutakamidori, Okumidori, Saemidori, and Asatsuyu.
Dragonwell will likely come from either the Qunti Zhong (which grows in clumps of bushes) or Longjing #43 (which grows in neat rows like sencha).
These tea plants will not be shaded, whereas sencha can sometimes be covered in shade leading up to the harvest.
Picking
In China, handpicking is far more common, while in Japan it is a rare phenomenon reserved for premium teas. For sencha, they will likely use a type of hand harvester, that offers some of the precision of handpicking but with the speed of a machine.
They are still looking for the same leaves in both dragonwell and sencha - a bud and one to two leaves. These youngest leaves are considered to be the richest in nutrients and sweetest in flavor.
To understand how timing and picking methods shape tea flavor and quality, read our in-depth guide 👉 Tea Harvesting Explained: How and When Tea Is Picked
Processing
As we mentioned before, the main difference between dragonwell vs sencha is the processing of the tea leaves. Both teas need to be heated soon after harvest so they don’t oxidize.
Sencha leaves will be steamed for between 30-120 seconds, with the shorter steaming time producing Asamushi sencha and the longer steaming times producing super green and flavorful Fukamushi sencha.
Appearance: Dragonwell vs Sencha
So how do these two teas end up looking when they are finished? You’ll notice a difference right away in not only the appearance of the leaves but also the color of the brewed tea itself.
To experience sencha at its freshest and most vibrant, explore our seasonal collection of shincha green teas harvested at peak freshness.
Looking at the leaves
You’ll notice the leaves of dragonwell vs sencha are very different. Dragonwell takes on this flat shape which comes from the producer pressing the leaves into the hot pan. The leaves usually have an olive or camo green color with small inconsistencies that can be due to the imperfect firing.
Sencha, on the other hand, takes on these tightly rolled needle shapes which is the result of a more mechanized rolling process. This rolling locks in the flavor tightly within the leaves so it is only released during infusion. Sencha can have a much darker color, which is a result of the steaming and shading processes (if the tea is shaded).
Looking at the liquid
The color of a cup of dragonwell is more yellow, which is typical of a green tea.
The liquid is usually translucent, although it can be slightly cloudy.
Sencha on the other hand, can either be a yellowish green or a straight-up dark green, as is the case with fukamushi sencha.
This is a green tea that really lives up to its name, producing a much greener and cloudier color than a typical Chinese green tea.
Caffeine and Energy
Both dragonwell and sencha are moderately high in caffeine. A serving of dragonwell can contain around 48mg of caffeine per serving, whereas sencha contains about 62mg of caffeine per serving.
This caffeine content can trend even higher when you consider the shaded varieties of sencha like kabusecha. So if you’re looking for more of an energy jolt, you should go for sencha over dragonwell!
If you are curious how sencha compares to an even more umami-rich Japanese green tea, explore our detailed comparison 👉 Gyokuro vs Sencha: Key Differences Explained
Calm alert focus
What makes tea different from coffee is the presence of l-theanine, an amino acid that is believed to buffer some of the negative side effects of caffeine. This is why tea drinkers report having this longer-lasting “calm alert” feeling throughout the day.
But there is a difference in the l-theanine content of dragonwell vs sencha. Sencha contains higher levels of l-theanine, because the steaming method better preserves amino acids compared to the direct pan-firing method used with dragonwell.
If you are exploring other plant-based drinks for energy and focus, we break it down clearly in our guide 👉 Moringa vs Matcha: Which One Delivers Better Energy?
Brewing Dragonwell vs Sencha
There is a big difference in the brewing of dragonwell vs sencha, and we’ll show you how to prepare each tea like a pro.
As these are both green teas, we will want to keep the brewing temperature low so we don’t extract too much bitterness.
1st brew
|
Tea |
Leaves |
Water |
Temp |
Time |
|
Sencha |
5 g |
150 ml |
70°C / 160°F |
1 min (45 sec Fukamushi) |
|
Dragonwell |
3.5 g |
100 ml |
80°C / 175°F |
2 min |
2nd and 3rd brew
|
Tea |
Leaves |
Water |
Temp |
Time |
|
Sencha |
same leaves |
150 ml |
75°C / 170°F |
20–30 sec |
|
Dragonwell |
same leaves |
100 ml |
85°C / 185°F |
30–45 sec |
If you want to try a sencha that showcases classic steamed vegetable notes and balanced umami, Sencha Golden Kasugaen is a great place to start.
The Final Verdict
Both of these teas have a rich tradition and offer a diverse range of flavor profiles; it would be unfair to pick a winner.
If you are looking to splurge on a high-end Chinese green tea, you can grab yourself some longjing and see if you can pick up on this trademark roasted bean or chestnut flavor.
If you want to try the best pesticide-free sencha teas we’ve found during our travels around Japan, you can browse our selection. With so many different kinds, there is a perfect cup of tea for everybody!
