Yuzu Sencha Available Now - Thank you for your help! - Survey Results and What Happened

Update 2026: Yuzu Sencha was a limited-release product and has since been discontinued. The story of how it came to be — written when it launched — is preserved below. For our current Sencha selection, see the Sencha Lover Gift Set.

Thank you very much for helping us create this new product, Yuzu Sencha.

After all the work (see below) and excitement, the product is finally ready for you.

Click here to be the first to try this Yuzu Sencha.

(It is only available on Amazon for now.)

I want to express my sincere gratitude for your unwavering support in bringing this new product to fruition. Your assistance throughout the four-month process has been invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Please see below all the results of the votes you cast and the journey to making this a reality.

Thank you very much!

Where We Started

February 2023

The holiday season was over, and we wanted to create a new product.

Rather than coming up with an idea as usual, we wanted to create something with our Green Tea Club community.

We decided to ask everyone what kind of product they should consider.

We put out our first survey to ask you what kind of products you want us to make.

We were overwhelmed by everyone's response (thank you!), and here is the result of this.

Round 2 - What Flavor?

March 2023

It appears that the majority of individuals prefer unsweetened tea. After reviewing numerous comments, we have compiled a list of potential non-sweetened tea options that we can develop.

We also requested suggestions for new flavor ideas.

Here is the result of the second survey (thank you again!).

The winner was Yuzu Sencha.

The second winner was Sakura Sencha.
When we were doing this, the cherry blossoms were blooming and beautiful, so it is too bad that Sakura didn't win.
 
The loser was Grape Sencha ... did someone say that was my idea? (oh boy)

Round 3 - Package Design

April 2023

The next step for the new product was to create a package design.

You have helped us design packages many times in the past.

Here are the past design contests you helped us with.

• Gokuzyo Aracha Design Contest (January 2022)
• Issaku Design Contest (November 2021)
• Nozomi Design Contest (July 2021)
• Gyokuro Design Contest (February 2021)
• Matcha Design Contest (April 2019)

As I am writing this, I am realizing that the stunning package designs that have become familiar to us are all thanks to your support and assistance. I appreciate how much you always have our backs.

Thank you so much for all your support and help all the time. 

Here are the results of the contest:

The left one - White Background with Large Yuzu won. The other two were almost tied. 

Round 4 - Production

April - May 2023

Back in April, during the package design phase, we began sourcing the product. Fortunately, we managed to acquire all-natural dried yuzu peel from Gokasemachi in Miyazaki (宮崎県 五ヶ瀬町), which we then blended with Kamairi cha.

Miyazaki Prefecture, located in the Kyushu region of Japan, is well-known for the quality of its citrus fruits, including yuzu. Here are a few reasons why Miyazaki Yuzu is considered exceptional:

1. Climate and Environment: Miyazaki has a warm, subtropical climate with abundant rainfall, making it an ideal environment for growing citrus fruits. The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures is believed to help enhance the sweetness of the fruit.

2. Tradition and Expertise: Japanese farmers in regions like Miyazaki have been cultivating yuzu for generations. They've refined their growing and harvesting techniques over the years, resulting in a high-quality product.

3. Flavor and Aroma: Yuzu from Miyazaki is known for its distinctively strong aroma and flavor profile that is both tart and slightly sweet, making it a favorite in Japanese cuisine. Yuzu is often used in sauces, teas, desserts, and alcoholic beverages.

4. Health Benefits: Like other citrus fruits, yuzu is rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which can help boost the immune system and improve skin health.

5. Unique Usage: Yuzu's unique aroma is not only used in food but also in baths (yuzu-buro) on the winter solstice. This is a Japanese custom believed to ward off colds and flu.

We learned that Kamairi cha, a roasted tea, traditionally matched well with yuzu peel, so we decided to use Kamairi cha. (You can learn a bit more about Kamairicha here.)

Result - It is available for you now!

As we finally come to the end of this remarkable journey, I want to pause to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed to this process. Your creativity, insights, and unwavering enthusiasm have been the driving force behind the creation of our newest product, the Yuzu Sencha.

From the beginning, you all stepped up, offering your unique perspectives and preferences in our surveys, contributing to a shared vision of a brand-new tea experience. From the flavor selection to the package design, your involvement was integral to shaping the final product. Your commitment to quality and your passion for exceptional tea have resulted in a Yuzu Sencha we can all be proud of.

This journey has reminded us all of the extraordinary power of community. The Green Tea Club is not just a gathering of tea lovers, but a family that contributes to the growth and innovation of our beloved products. I am deeply grateful for your continual support and am excited for you all to finally taste the fruits of our collective labor.

And so, without further ado, we're thrilled to invite you to be the first to savor this exciting new flavor. You can Buy Yuzu Sencha now exclusively on Amazon.

We trust that you will find the Yuzu Sencha as extraordinary as the journey we embarked on to create it. Your feedback and reviews will be welcomed and highly appreciated, as they will not only guide others but also shape the future of our next product developments.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and involvement. Here's to many more exciting journeys together and a future steeped in delicious tea discoveries.

With love and gratitude, 

Kei Nishida and the team from Japanese Green Tea Co. 

FAQs about Yuzu Sencha and Yuzu in Tea

Why does yuzu pair so well with green tea when other citrus often doesn't? Is yuzu sencha just regular sencha with yuzu added, or something more elaborate? Where does yuzu actually come from and why isn't it more common in the West? What's the cultural significance of yuzu in Japan? How can I add yuzu to my home tea practice without buying yuzu sencha specifically?

Why does yuzu pair so well with green tea when other citrus often doesn't?

Yuzu's specific flavor profile is unusually compatible with green tea. The acidity is more aromatic than puckering — the citric acid is lower than in lemon or grapefruit, while the volatile aromatic compounds (terpenes especially) are higher. The result is bright citrus character without the catechin-destroying acid impact that wrecks other citrus pairings with green tea.

Lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice break down green tea catechins on contact, producing bitter brown tea. Yuzu doesn't trigger the same chemical reaction at typical use levels — the aromatic compounds dominate over the acid impact. This is unique to yuzu among citrus in any meaningful sense.

Practical: yuzu can be added to green tea (peel, juice, or yuzu-flavored sencha) without ruining the tea. Lemon, lime, and orange shouldn't be unless you specifically want the broken-down-citrus profile (which is rarely desirable).

Is yuzu sencha just regular sencha with yuzu added, or something more elaborate?

Quality yuzu sencha is real sencha tea blended with yuzu peel pieces, sometimes with yuzu essential oil. The blending is done at the producer level, with the yuzu added before packaging so the aromatic oils have time to integrate with the leaf surface during storage.

Cheap "yuzu green tea" products at supermarket level are often artificial yuzu flavoring sprayed onto generic tea — the result is fine but doesn't deliver the same authentic experience. Reading the ingredient list helps: real yuzu sencha lists yuzu peel or yuzu essential oil; artificial versions list "natural flavor" without specificity.

Brewing real yuzu sencha is the same protocol as brewing standard sencha — 175°F water, 60-90 second steep. The yuzu aromatic compounds release with the tea infusion, producing a brewed cup with brightyuzu aroma alongside the standard sencha umami.

Where does yuzu actually come from and why isn't it more common in the West?

Yuzu (柚子) is native to East Asia, primarily grown in Japan, Korea, and parts of China. It's been cultivated in Japan for over 1,000 years and is deeply embedded in Japanese culinary and bathing traditions. Until recently, fresh yuzu was nearly impossible to find outside Asia due to USDA import restrictions.

California has started growing yuzu commercially in the past decade, which has finally made fresh yuzu available in some U.S. specialty markets. Japanese-American specialty grocery stores (Mitsuwa, Nijiya) sometimes stock fresh yuzu in season (October-December typically). Yuzu juice and yuzu-flavored products are more widely available year-round.

If you can't source fresh yuzu, the bottled yuzu juice (sold at specialty Japanese groceries or online) works for most culinary applications. The fresh peel has more aromatic complexity, but the juice covers the basic flavor function adequately.

What's the cultural significance of yuzu in Japan?

Two main traditions. First, the winter solstice yuzu bath (yuzu-yu, 柚子湯) — Japanese households add whole yuzu fruits to the bath on the winter solstice, the steam carrying the aromatic oils. The tradition supposedly wards off colds for the coming winter; the citrus aroma in the warm bath is genuinely lovely regardless of folk-medicine claims.

Second, yuzu's culinary role in winter cuisine. Yuzu peel garnishes simmered dishes (yudofu, oden, miso soups). Yuzu juice replaces lemon in dressings and marinades. Yuzu kosho (a fermented yuzu-chili paste) is a major Japanese condiment used in modern cuisine. The fruit's seasonal peak (late autumn through early winter) coincides with traditional Japanese winter dishes.

Yuzu in tea is a more modern application — yuzu sencha as a packaged product really emerged in the past 20-30 years. The cultural-tradition framework around yuzu is centuries old; the tea-blending application is comparatively new.

How can I add yuzu to my home tea practice without buying yuzu sencha specifically?

Three approaches. First, fresh yuzu peel (when available) — grate a small amount of zest and add to brewed sencha after steeping. The zest aromatic oils release immediately into the warm tea. Second, yuzu juice — a few drops added to brewed cool sencha makes an iced yuzu-tea drink without acid issues at the diluted level.

Third, yuzu marmalade or honey — add a small spoonful to brewed tea for a sweet-citrus drink, particularly during cold-and-flu season. The honey provides additional throat-soothing function while the yuzu adds aroma. This is the closest home-equivalent to traditional Japanese cold remedies.

If you want yuzu sencha specifically without buying a flavored blend, JPCo and other specialty Japanese tea retailers carry yuzu-blended teas seasonally. Worth experimenting with once to see if you prefer it to plain sencha + DIY yuzu addition. The standard sencha gift set plus a small bottle of yuzu juice covers most home applications without buying multiple specialty teas.

The Sencha Lover Gift Set - Premium Japanese Green Tea Set Package $179.00 $159.99 /

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