Konacha

Made by collecting the fine, powder-like fragments sifted out while finishing sencha or gyokuro. Because the particles are so small, more surface area touches the water, letting color, aroma, and umami come out fast. Konacha made from gyokuro is said to carry an especially concentrated umami, and it's often the tea used as the agari served at Edo-style sushi counters. Because the particles are so fine, the liquor tends to come out strong, with umami more prominent than astringency, and a finish said to fade quickly.

While finishing raw tea, leaf is passed through sieves in several stages to sort it by size, and the finest, powder-like fragments are collected together. Because the particles are fine, extraction is fast, so a shorter steep and somewhat cooler water than ordinary sencha is said to suit it. Its quick color and flavor have made it valued at restaurants that need to serve many customers fast. Brewing with water around 70°C as a guide, poured quickly, is said to suit it best, since sitting too long tends to bring out bitterness.

Konacha is said to have emerged as a way to make use of the powder that's inevitably produced during finishing, rather than discard it. Its quick, strong extraction matched the needs of sushi counters with fast customer turnover, and it's said to have settled in as the standard agari. Sushi counters with fast customer turnover are said to have especially valued konacha's ability to brew strong and fast, with even the heat of the cup said to serve as a cue in service.