Green Tea ~ The True TeaGreen tea is sometimes called the “true tea”, because it is made solely with the leaf and has undergone minimal oxidation during its processing. It is associated with many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, but has recently become popular in the West, as well. Green tea can differ substantially due to the various climates and condition under which it is grown, harvested and processed.
Dragonwell is the most well-known of Chinese teas. Its Chinese name is Longjing and it comes from Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province. It is pan-fried. The leaves are long and flat. Much of the dragonwell on the market is counterfeit. In other words, it is not authentic Longjing and much of it is produced in the Sichuan Province.
Gunpowder is another popular green tea called zhucha. It originally grew in Zhejiang but is now grown in other parts of China. It’s called gunpowder because the leaf is rolled into small round pellets that look like gunpowder used for cannons. Gunpowder tea dates back to the Tang Dynasty.
Gyokuro is the highest grade Japanese green tea. The name refers to it’s pale green color. It’s grown in the shade before harvest. It has a high caffeine content and also is high in L-theanine, which counteracts the caffeine effects.
Matcha is cultivated similar to Gyokuro. It is the finely ground ten-cha used primarily in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It’s also used as a flavoring for ice cream and other sweets in Japan. Sencha is the first and second flush of green tea. Its leaves are exposed to direct sunlight. Genmaicha is a combination of bancha or sencha and roasted brown rice. Some call it popcorn tea because of its aroma.
Bancha is the third or fourth flush of sencha. It is sometimes mixed with the twigs as well as the leaves of the tea plant.
Hoji Cha is a strong roasted green tea. It’s flavor tastes a bit smoky.
Kukicha is tea made from the stalks produced by harvesting one bud and three leaves.
Green teas from Sri Lanka tend to have a darker color and richer flavor than those from China and Japan. That is because the tea plant is from the Assamese stock.
To brew a good cup of green tea, water should not be over 180 degrees, otherwise the tannins in the tea are released quickly and the tea will be bitter. Brewing time is between 2 and 3 minutes. Some green teas are brewed no longer than 30 seconds in temperatures of 140 degrees. Generally the lower quality green teas are steeper longer and hotter. Higher quality teas, cooler and shorter. High quality teas can usually be steeped multiple times.
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