Green Tea

What is green tea?

There are six types of tea: black, green, white, oolong, yellow, and Pu-erh.

All six types come from the Camellia sinensis plant, and it is the dried and processed leaves of this plant which creates the different categories of tea.

Whereas black tea is left to oxidize, green tea is not oxidised. The leaves are exposed to high temperatures using methods such as steaming or pan-frying which halts oxidation. This means the leaves keep their green colour.

How does green tea taste?

Generally green tea is fresh, grassy, and vegetal but its specific taste will depend on the type of green tea. For example, Gunpowder is a strong green tea with smoky, nutty notes, Chinese sencha is light, mild and slightly sweet. 

What are the different types of green tea?

Most green tea comes from either China or Japan, but you can also get green tea from other parts of the world. As well stocking many green teas from China and Japan, we stock green tea from Nepal, Vietnam, and South Korea.

Some popular green teas from Japan are Sencha, Matcha, and Genmaicha.

Sencha, a steamed green tea is fresh, grassy and vegetal with hints of seaweed.

Matcha is a green powdered tea known for its high concentration of antioxidants and is popular for its health benefits. It is unique because unlike other green teas, which are infused in water, it is whisked directly into the water.

Genmaicha is a green tea blended with roasted rice. Genmaicha means 'brown rice tea' and it was originally drunk by the poor who added rice to the tea to make it go further. The liquor is bright and golden with a nutty, toasty, savoury character.

Some popular green teas from China are Gunpowder, Long Jing, and Bi Luo Chun.

Gunpowder tea, from Anhui Province is rich and earthy with a slightly smoky, nutty character. The leaves are rolled into pellets of various sizes and dried out. They resemble gunpowder pellets, hence the name.

Long Jing, also known as ‘Dragon well’, from Zhejiang province, is sweet, fresh, and grassy with notes of toasted nuts.

Bi Luo Chun, translates as ‘green snail spring’ which relates to the leaf shape, snail (Luo), and the time of harvest in early spring (Chun). It comes from Fujian Province. This tea is mild and refreshing and floral with buttery notes.

 What is flavoured or scented green tea?

Green tea can be scented, flavoured or blended with other ingredients such as herbs, spices, flowers or fruit.  There are many different types of these teas. Moroccan Mint, Jasmine green, and Rose green are some examples.

Chinese Sencha tea, because of its delicate nature, is often used for flavoured teas as its lightness does not overpower the aromas of the added ingredients, flavours or scents.

Gunpowder green tea blended with mint produces the well-known Moroccan Mint tea.

What are the health benefits of green tea?

All tea contains polyphenols (catechins) which act has antioxidants in the body and help to fight free radicals. Free radicals cause cell damage and can lead to disease.

Catechins in tea include Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)

EGCG is believed to protect against some forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke, as well other diseases.

The content of EGCG is higher in green tea.

Tea is a natural product. It contains caffeine, which is a stimulant, but also L-theanine, an amino acid which is thought to reduce stress and increase alertness. L-theanine is thought to slow down the absorption of caffeine in tea, which can produce a state of calm alertness rather than experiencing the ‘caffeine hit’ associated with coffee.

Tea also contains manganese, folic acid, potassium and fluoride.

How do you brew green tea?

Green tea should be brewed at a temperature of about 80 degrees and for around 2-3 minutes. Japanese greens can be brewed at 60 degrees for 1-2 minutes.  If the temperature of the water is too hot, it will make green tea taste bitter and it will ruin its taste profile.

Green tea should be served without milk.

Does green tea contain caffeine?

Yes, all tea, from the Camellia sinensis plant contains caffeine. However, it is the brewing process which determines the amount of caffeine in the cup. Water temperature and brewing times are key.  Hotter water temperatures and longer steeping times will draw out more caffeine.  Green tea should be brewed at a lower temperature and for a shorter time than black tea. Ideally, green tea should be brewed with water at around 80 degrees and for a period of 2-3 minutes.

Can you get decaffeinated green tea? 

Yes, we stock a green Sencha decaf tea, from China. The tea has been decaffeinated using the CO2 process, this method removes the caffeine but leaves the flavours of the tea intact.