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Green Tea

Wikipedia: Green_tea | Teaviews: green-tea 
Last Updated: Mar. 9, 2015 

About Green Tea

Loose-leaf green tea with dark green, flat leaves, slightly broken, and a few stemsLoose-leaf Sencha, Japanese Green Tea, Crop of Photo by André Helbig, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Green tea is a type of tea that has been processed to stop oxidization (contrasting with black and oolong teas). The oxidation is halted by heating, usually by steaming, pan-firing or baking, which destroys the enzymes that lead to oxidation, thus preserving the green color of the tea leaf.

White tea is less processed than green tea, but tends to be more oxidized, and can have a darker leaf color. This same process also preserves the vitamin C content of the tea leaf, making green tea the only type of tea with appreciable vitamin C levels.

Green tea is widely consumed in East Asia, especially in China, and in Japan, where nearly all tea consumed is green tea. China and Japan are the origins of most varieties of green tea. With a few exceptions, the rest of the world consumed little green tea until recently. Interest in green tea is surging due both to its purported health benefits and increasing interest in loose-leaf artisan teas.

Chinese vs. Japanese green teas

Green tea is produced in many different regions, but the main two traditions of green tea production are Chinese and Japanese.

Bright green tea in ceramic cup, on wooded table with slatsCup of Sencha, Japanese Green Tea by Christian, Public Domain.
China tends to produce pan-fired green teas, whereas Japan tends to produce steamed varieties, although there are exceptions to both these rules, like kamairicha. Virtually every region that produces tea produces some green tea, although outside of southeast Asia, green tea constitutes only a small but increasing portion of total production.

Flavor and aroma

Because of its diversity, the flavor and aroma of green teas are difficult to describe in general terms. Many green teas have a more vegetal aroma, with grassy or herbaceous tones. Some of the pan-fired green teas have a smoky aroma, and some steamed teas have an aroma suggestive of seaweed.

Brewing green tea: water temperature

In contrast to black tea, which usually tastes best when brewed with boiling water, many green teas taste best when brewed with water substantially below the boiling point, ranging from 160-180F (71-82C). Our pages about brewing temperature for tea and brewing tea go into more depth on this topic.

Caffeine content of green tea

Many websites and other sources claim that green tea has less caffeine than black tea. This is not necessarily true; the caffeine content of teas varies widely both between different types of green tea and between different types of black tea. Both green and black tea can be higher or lower in caffeine.

Other green "tea", herbal teas processed similarly to green tea

The processes involved in the production of green tea have also recently been extended to herbal teas--teas made out of plants other than the tea plant. Examples are green rooibos and honeybush. Green yerba maté, however, is not produced similarly to green tea--that term refers simply to the unroasted form.

Further Reading:

1. U. Maryland's Reference on Uses of Green Tea in Complementary Medicine - Well-referenced with numerous citations to recent scientific studies.

Recent Green Tea Reviews — RSS rss icon

79 / 100
Picture of Mao Feng Green Tea

Mao Feng Green Tea from Teapigs

Style: Mao Feng Green Tea – Region: Anhui, China
Feb. 6th, 2024

I've only chugged one other green tea of the Mao Feng type (a Tazo bagged offering), and enjoyed that, so I figured I'd try a bigger-leaf, sacheted version. This is one of the best green teas I've had, lots of personality, and mostly worth the slight premium one pays when shoveling a stack of bills across the counter ...

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90 / 100
Picture of Bi Luo Chun

Bi Luo Chun from Teasenz

Style: Bi Luo Chun – Region: Jiangsu, China
Jun. 24th, 2023

Lovely seaweedy and nutty flavour. The tea leaves are very delicate and when steeped they show a nice vibrant green colour. Due to the small leaves the flavour releases quickly. I steeped 5 grams of this tea in a gaiwan for 10 seconds for the first 3 steeps and afterwards I increased it gradually. Could enjoy around 12...

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95 / 100
Picture of Nanjing Yu Hua Cha

Nanjing Yu Hua Cha from Teasenz

Style: Green Tea – Region: Jiangsu, China
Jun. 24th, 2023

Steeped 5 gram of this green tea at 85ºC for 10 seconds in a gaiwan for the first 3 steeps, and afterwards, I gradually increased the steeping time by 5 seconds per steep. Unlike like green teas such as maofeng and anjibai, this green tea is savoury and robust with sweet, nutty, and vegetal notes. Excellent value for ...

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88 / 100
Picture of Premium Green Decaf Tea

Premium Green Decaf Tea from Stash Tea

Style: Green Tea – Region: China
Apr. 14th, 2023

Solid decaf bagged green tea. Though I like caffeination, I have found I actually often like decaf teas for their flavor.

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70 / 100
Picture of Matcha Hagoromo

Matcha Hagoromo from Ujinotsuyu

Style: Matcha – Region: Japan
Feb. 27th, 2023

I picked up a little can of this inexpensive matcha at a Chinese food shop, and was pleasantly surprised. It is smooth and drinkable, with a bit of fresh grain and rice in the flavor. I have had some low-cost matchas that are bitter and cheap tasting, but this is not bad at all.

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Most-Rated Green Tea

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Green Tea - Classic

Brand:Bigelow Tea
Style:Green Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
7
13 Ratings
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Gunpowder Green Tea - Temple of Heaven

Brand:Numi Organic Tea
Style:Gunpowder Green Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
70
11 Ratings
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Tamayokucha

Brand:Two Leaves and a Bud
Style:Tamaryokucha (Guricha)
Region:China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Sachet
10
8 Ratings
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Emperor's Clouds and Mist Green Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Clouds & Mist (Yun Wu)
Region:China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
76
8 Ratings
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Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Gyokuro
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
95
7 Ratings

Top-Rated Green Tea

Picture of Wild Snow Sprout Tea

Wild Snow Sprout Tea

Brand:Wild Tea Qi
Style:Green Tea
Region:Yunnan, China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
98
3 Ratings
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Bi Luo Chun Green Tea (Pi Lo Chun)

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Bi Luo Chun
Region:Jiangsu, China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
97
5 Ratings
Picture of Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea

Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Mao Feng Green Tea
Region:Huangshan, Anhui, China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
96
5 Ratings
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Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Gyokuro
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
95
7 Ratings
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Liu An Gua Pian Green Tea

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Lu An Melon Seed
Region:Xiuning, Anhui, China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
95
4 Ratings

Varieties, Kinds, or Types of Green Tea

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