Tea is grown throughout Japan but the most well=known areas are Shizuoka, Kagashima and Uji. Japan produces about 20 different kinds of Green Tea. Sencha has a delicate sweetness and a mild astringency. Sencha refers to the first picking of the bush which takes place from late February to the end of May. The later pickings, which have a greather astringency are known as Bancha. The glossy leaves of the bush are fairly uniform in size and on infusion yield a refreshing fragrance. Bancha – these later pickings are more astringent and less fragrant than Sencha, ideal to sip after a heavy meal. Kukicha – made from stem and stalks discarded in the production of Sencha, Gyokuro and Matcha teas. The tea has a clean taste and light fragrance. Very popular in Japan, Gyokuro – rich green Gyokuro is a top grade tea with a mild sweet flavour. The leaves are shielded with reed screens 2/3 weeks before picking, resulting in dark green leaves when dried. Hojicha – is produced by roasting Bancha or Sencha over a high heat, resulting in brownish leaves that have a savoury fragrance. Genmaicha – is Bancha or medium grade Sencha blended with well-roasted brown rice. The rice adds a nutty taste, and its mild flavour makes it ideal as an after meal tea. Matcha - is the powdered tea used in Japan's formal tea ceremony. Top-grade matcha is a bright shade of green. As a rule, the lighter green varieties are sweeter and the darker ones more astringent. When the new shoots on the tea bush have two or three leaves, they are shaded from sunlight with straw, reed, or cloth screens for two or three weeks.