Theis steaming process was invented by a tea merchant in Kyoto, Soen Nagatani, during the 18th century. Before then, tea leaves were “roasted” over a heated pan, which is the traditional Chinese method to stop the oxidation process of leaf. That heating process adds a distinctive toasted aroma and brownish color to the leaves. On the other hand, the invention of “steaming method” made green tea with bright green color and fresh aroma. Nagatani also introduced a new kneading step into the tea making process. This new method was named “Sencha method.” Since then, this method has been used to make most of the Japanese green teas, including Gyokuro and Matcha. Modern science discovered this steaming method retains vital antioxidants in the leaf better than traditional Chinese method. sencha= steamed.