A Beginner’s Guide to Green Tea: Popular Types and Brewing Tips

You’re new to green tea and don’t know where to begin? We’ve put together a green tea guide for beginners!

Key Takeaways

What is green tea?

Green tea, like most other true teas (black, white, and oolong tea), is made from the Camellia sinensis plant’s leaves.

Many people who are new to tea are surprised to learn that green, black, oolong, and white tea all come from the same plant species – Camellia sinensis.

There are two main varieties of the Camellia sinensis tea plant from which we get our tea.

Camellia sinensis var. sinensis: This is a smaller-leafed variety native to China that is typically used to make green and white teas. It evolved as a shrub that grew in sunny areas with drier, cooler climates. It is cold tolerant and thrives in mountainous areas.

Camellia sinensis var. assamica: A larger leafed variety that was discovered in India’s Assam district and is traditionally used to make strong black teas. Its leaves grow large in warm, moist climates, and it is abundant in subtropical forests.

Hundreds of Camellia sinensis cultivars and hybrid plants have evolved from these plant varieties over time. However, any Camellia sinensis plant’s leaves can be used to make any type of true tea.

How green tea is made?

Growing the plant, harvesting the leaf, and processing the harvest into a finished tea are the three steps in the production of green tea, as with all teas.

Harvesting

The leaves used to make green tea are typically the tea bush’s terminal bud and the first one or two leaves below it. After the tea leaves are plucked they must be dried to prevent fermentation, which stops any enzyme activity that causes oxidation.

Steaming/Roasting

Tea leaves, like avocados and bananas, turn brown as they oxidize, which in the case of tea begins the moment you pluck a leaf from the bush.

Allow this process to continue indefinitely, and you’ll get perfectly oxidized black tea with a dark, malty flavor and rounded astringency from enzymatic activity.

To make green tea, the oxidation process must be stopped as soon as possible by oven-roasting, pan-frying, or steaming the leaves. This changes the flavor of the tea to something more on the fresh, grassy, and herbal side of the spectrum.

The method of heating – dry vs. hot – effectively divides the world of green teas in two. Wet heat produces a briny, oceanic, vegetal tea with astringent depth and body, whereas dry heat produces more floral, nutty, and sweet greens.

Dry heat is the most commonly used method around the world, and it uses hotter heat. The style, also known as roasting or pan-firing, was developed by Chinese tea makers.

The other method of applying heat is to use wet heat, which is typically done with steam at temperatures close to 100 °C. The Japanese perfected this method, and the steam is used for a brief burst of a few minutes.

Rolling and shaping the leaf

Green teas are frequently rolled after the initial heat to break open the cells and coat the outside of the leaf with the essential oils that give green tea its strength and vegetal flavor.

The next step in the process is shaping, which is used if the tea maker wants to layer the tea with flavor and create an appealing visual.

There are a variety of tools that can result in different shapes, such as flattening the leaf or tossing the rolled leaf in heated pans.

When using heated pans, the leaves shrink and curl when they come into contact with the hot metal, then briefly expand when exposed to cool air. After two to three hours of being tossed in the air, the tea emerges as tightly packed balls of flavor.

Drying and sorting

To complete the tea and prevent any additional chemical changes, it is passed through a dryer.

The final step in the preparation of green tea is to separate the finished tea by size. High-end green teas require very little sorting because just one size is produced: the whole leaf!

In other cases, green tea comes out of the dryer with a variety of leaf particle sizes, which is often the consequence of a heavy roll to break open the more dense leaf in order to extract more flavor. This is the type of tea that ends up in tea bags.

The best green tea types all beginners should try

A list of 10 green teas that all beginners should try:

1. Sencha
2. Long Jing
3. Hojicha
4. Genmaicha
5. Gyokuro
6. Bi Luo Chun
7. Mao Feng
8. Jasmine Green Tea
9. Mint Green Tea
10. Matcha

Here are the characteristics of each of these green tea varieties!

Sencha

Sencha is Japan’s most popular green tea, accounting for over 80% of Japanese green tea production.

The literal translation in English is “tea infused in water.”

Japanese sencha is steamed green tea with a refreshing flavor that can be described as vegetal, green, seaweedy, or grassy. Flavors differ depending on the type of sencha and how it is brewed.

Chinese Sencha is also available. Although they share a name, the flavors of these two teas will be vastly different. Because the flavor blends so well with other components, Chinese sencha is most usually used to make flavored tea.

In Japan, sencha green tea is commonly consumed hot and at all hours of the day. It can provide a nice boost with moderate to low caffeine levels while not keeping you awake at night.

To brew sencha green tea properly, use a 1 teaspoon tea to 1 cup pure freshwater ratio. Sencha teas from Japan prefer a lower brewing temperature of around 170 °F ( 76 °C ) or water that has just begun to simmer. Sencha, on the other hand, requires less time to brew.

The brewing time will vary depending on the type of tea, the temperature of the water, and the amount of tea used. Some sencha tea prefers a steep of 20-45 seconds, while others can withstand steeps of up to 2 minutes.

Always follow the brewing instructions on the package. Infusing sencha tea for too long or at too high temperature can result in a bitter flavor that overpowers its refreshing qualities.

There are several varieties of sencha green tea. Most are classified according to their mushi, or how long they have been steamed.

Here are some examples:

• Shincha – Sweeter, more nuanced, and sometimes richer in flavor than other sencha types.
• Asamushi – A type of sencha that has been lightly steamed. Lighter steaming yields lighter, cleaner tea that is more delicate.
• Fukamushi – Steamed for at least 1 minute, if not longer. Has a strong oceanic flavor with little nuance and a dark, rich green color.
• Powdered – It is similar to matcha, but unlike matcha, it is not shade-grown. It has a vegetal flavor that is pleasant in the springtime and works well in baking.

Long Jing (Dragonwell) green tea

Dragon Well tea is China’s best-known green tea. The Chinese name for this green flat-leaf tea is Long Jing or Lung Ching. Longjing tea (Dragon Well) is the most widely consumed Chinese green tea in the United States.

This type of green tea is roasted soon after it is picked, which, like most other green tea varieties, stops the oxidation process.

While the very best Dragon Well green tea commands exorbitant prices, excellent Dragon Well green tea can still be found at reasonable prices.

If you don’t like green tea, you haven’t tried Dragon Well tea. It will change your perception of green tea.

It has a mellow, sweet, nutty flavor that contrasts nicely with its vegetal undertones and full body. As you sip Dragon Well tea, you may notice hints of chestnut. It is light yellow in color, as opposed to the yellow-green of most other similar teas.

When making this special tea, use water that is just below boiling, around 167-176 °F (75-80 °C ), and infuse it for no more than 1 to 3 minutes.

There are various types of this tea, including:

• Shi Feng – These leaves are yellowish-green and the tea has a very strong aroma and flavor.
• Xi Hu – This tea is well-known for its concentrated potency and ability to be used in a variety of infusions.
• Mei Jia Wu – This tea is easily identified by its unusual jade-green color.

Hojicha

Unlike other traditional Japanese sencha green teas, which are only steamed after harvesting, Hojicha green tea leaves are roasted at high temperatures.

Roasting affects the color of the leaves and tea liquor, as well as the scent, flavor aroma, and chemical composition of tea.

That is one of the reasons why Hojicha may have less caffeine than other green teas and is an excellent choice for late afternoon tea.

If you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, Hojicha may be the ideal solution for you. Because it is brewed with parts of the green tea plant that have lower amounts of caffeine, you get the boost you need without the jittery feeling or anxiety that caffeine can cause.

Expect about 20-50% less caffeine than in a cup of sencha.

Hojicha has a very aromatic flavor and aroma that is roasted, nutty, slightly sweet, and woody. The tea leaves are a reddish-brown color, and the liquor is a reddish-orange color. The darker the tea leaves, the more intense the roasted flavor.

Use at least 2 grams of tea per cup of water to properly brew Hojicha green tea. Bring fresh water to a boil and then allow it to cool to 190 °F (90 °C ). Hojicha can usually withstand higher temperatures.

Pour hot water over the tea leaves and steep for at least 45 seconds, but no more than a minute and a half. Loose-leaf Hojicha is ideal for cold brewing as well as making milk tea.

Genmaicha

Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea that has been blended with toasted brown rice. Genmaicha translates as “brown rice tea.”

The green tea in Genmaicha is typically Sencha, Bancha, or Gyokuro, which are all Japanese green teas.

Because some of the rice kernels pop while roasting, the drink is also known as popcorn tea.

The roasted rice kernels add a nutty and aromatic fragrance and balance out the astringency of the green tea.

Though Genmaicha lacks the soft sweetness and viscous body of high-grade sencha, it is heartier, more robust flavor makes it an excellent alternative to coffee, and it’s a great stomach-settling post-meal digestive.

Use hotter water for a stronger rice flavor (just below boiling). Use cooler water for a more nuanced tea-and-rice flavor ( around 170 °F ). Steep time is around 3 minutes.

Gyokuro green tea

Gyokuro green tea, also known as “shade-grown green tea” is a premium and rare green tea.

For at least 20 days prior to harvest, the tea leaves are shaded from direct sunlight.

This distinct harvesting method yields a sweeter, less astringent tea with a higher nutrient concentration.

Gyokuro has a mellow, sweet umami flavor and a light aroma. It is also said to have a “marine” flavor, resembling a hint of seaweed.

This tea requires a much lower steeping temperature than most green teas. Brew it for two to three minutes, or until the leaves unfurl, in water that is 122-140 °F (50-60 °C ).

Bi Luo Chun

Bi Luo Chun, also known as “Pi Lo Chun” or “Snail Spring” green tea, is one of the 10 most famous Chinese green teas. Its name literally translates to “Green Snail Spring,” referring to the tightly rolled leaves that resemble snail meat and the fact that it is harvested in the spring.

It has a delicate appearance with distinct white hairs. It has a fruity flavor and a floral aroma.

Cooler water should be used to steep Bi Luo Chun green tea. A temperature of 176°F (80°C) is a good starting point.

Make sure the temperature is not too high or the leaves will burn. If this occurs, the liquid will be yellow and bitter with an acidic taste.

Mao Feng

Mao Feng is a well-known Chinese green tea with a history dating back over 200 years. It has new, unopened tea buds that are mostly covered in white hair, as well as a first and second leaf.

The best ones are always harvested in early spring and grown at medium to high altitudes.

Water temperature should be between 167°F and 176°F (75°C and 80°C) to make the best cup of mao feng tea. Steep the leaves for approximately 1 minute.

Jasmine green tea

This Chinese loose leaf green tea has been delicately infused with natural jasmine flowers and whole jasmine buds.

The tea leaves are meticulously layered with freshly bloomed jasmine flowers and infused for several hours. The moisture is then removed from the jasmine green tea by gently baking it in an oven. This process is repeated up to seven times to ensure that the tea leaves develop a strong fragrance.

Chinese people prefer to scent their teas rather than flavor them, and jasmine flowers are a popular choice.

Jasmine green tea has a light flavor with an intense jasmine note that is delicious both hot and cold. To avoid a bitter flavor, brew it with hot water rather than boiling water.

Jasmine green tea should be brewed with water that is between 160 °F to 180 °F. Steep jasmine green tea for 2 to 3 minutes.

Mint green tea

This is a type of flavored green tea. It uses chopped mint to enhance the fragrance and underlying qualities of the tea leaves.

Mint green tea is a refreshing beverage with a sweet flavor and aroma.

This is one of the most delicious summer teas, especially when served with ice. The brewing temperature should be around 170°F ( 76 °C ). Time to steep: 2-3 minutes.

Steep it overnight for iced tea.

Matcha

This is a powdered Japanese green tea made from finely ground dried tea leaves.

Matcha is grown by farmers who cover their tea plants 20-30 days before harvest to avoid direct sunlight. This boosts chlorophyll production, and the amino acid content, and gives the plant a darker green color.

After harvesting the tea leaves, the stems and veins are removed, and the leaves are ground into a fine powder known as matcha.

A bamboo whisk known as a Chasen is used in traditional matcha preparation. If you don’t have a Chasen, a kitchen whisk will work just fine.

Begin by whisking slowly from the bottom to break up clumps of matcha, then quickly whisk the top half with “W” shaped strokes. When you see foam, it’s time to drink!

The water temperature for making matcha green tea should be around 175 °F (79.5 °C ).

In a wide-brimmed bowl, whisk together a teaspoon of powder and 3-5 ounces of water until well-blended with a foamy upper layer.

Because matcha is powdered, it is simple to incorporate into drink recipes such as tea smoothies and other powdered tea recipes.

Matcha tea has a bittersweet flavor. In general, higher-quality matcha is sweeter, while lower-quality matcha is bitterer.

Tips for brewing green tea properly

If you’re going to spend money on premium green tea, it’s worth the effort to brew it properly. There is no single recipe for brewing every green tea or even every batch of a single tea style.

Quality has a big impact on flavor, but it’s the brewing method that determines whether your tea is tasty or bitter.

Good to know: green tea contains caffeine. So, before making your green tea, check out this article about the caffeine content in green tea especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine.

Here are some important things to remember as a beginner when brewing green tea:

• Water

If you wouldn’t drink tap water straight, don’t use it for tea. For the best-tasting cup of tea, use filtered or bottled water.

• Water temperature

Green tea is delicate and generally requires a little more care when it comes to water temperature.

Japanese green teas thrive at temperatures ranging from 140 to 185 °F, bringing out just a hint of bitterness to compliment the tea’s sweeteners.

Chinese greens are more adaptable, and hotter water can be used for a fuller-bodied brew.

You know, there is a big difference between Chinese and Japanese green tea – more about that here.

Always check your green tea package for the proper water temperature to brew your tea.

• Never use less than 2-3 grams of tea

2-3 grams equals one teaspoon of loose tea – rounded for smaller broken types and heaped for larger unbroken leaves. Using less than 2-3 grams per cup of water will not extract the best flavor.

• Don’t over-brew your green tea

Some teas can withstand longer steeping times, but every over-brewed green tea will turn yellowish-brown, bitter, and unpleasant to drink.

Green tea should steep for 30 to 60 seconds for early harvest, 2 to 3 minutes for regular harvest, and more robust teas.

The vast majority of high-quality loose-leaf teas can be steeped multiple times.

Important: Always double-check the steep time on your green tea package.

• Extra tip

Tea is best when it’s fresh, so only buy enough to last you about 2-3 months. It is not a tea to be purchased in large quantities.

Green tea should also be stored in a cool, dark place, away from light, oxygen, moisture, and fragrant pantry companions such as coffee or spices.

After making your cup of green tea, it’s good to know what the best time is to drink it. So, here is a detailed article about the best and worst times to drink green tea.

Final thoughts on the best types of green tea for beginners

If you are new to drinking green tea and unsure about which type to choose, try drinking one tea per day for a week. Don’t drink any other tea than the one you’ve chosen for that week.

Using this method, you should be able to taste and recognize that tea at a later date.

Choose another green tea to drink for the next week at the end of the week. You should try a few different green teas to get a sense of the differences.

Whatever type of green tea you choose, make sure to read the packaging instructions for water temperature and steeping time. This is a critical step because you do not want to over-brew your tea or have too hot water. As a result, the taste may be bitter and unpleasant.

Finally, brew your perfect cup of green tea and enjoy!