{"id":104647,"date":"2021-11-09T09:24:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T09:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onesipoftea.com\/?p=193"},"modified":"2024-01-12T06:10:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T11:10:26","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-green-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dessertmenus.com\/a-beginners-guide-to-green-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner’s Guide to Green Tea: Popular Types and Brewing Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You’re new to green tea and don’t know where to begin? We’ve put together a green tea guide for beginners!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis<\/em> plant.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most popular green tea types are Sencha, Gyokuro, Longjing, Genmaicha, Mao Feng, and Jasmine Green Tea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When brewing green tea, never use boiling water because the tea will be bitter.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is green tea?<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Green tea, like most other true teas (black, white, and oolong tea), is made from the Camellia sinensis<\/em> plant’s leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two main varieties of the Camellia sinensis tea plant from which we get our tea.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camellia sinensis <\/strong>var.<\/em> sinensis:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camellia sinensis <\/span><\/strong>var. <\/em><\/span>assamica:<\/span><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\"Freshly
Freshly collected green tea leaves<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How green tea is made?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steaming\/Roasting<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other method of applying heat is to use wet heat, which is typically done with steam at temperatures close to 100 \u00b0C. The Japanese perfected this method, and the steam is used for a brief burst of a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling and shaping the leaf<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drying and sorting<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To complete the tea and prevent any additional chemical changes, it is passed through a dryer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best green tea types all beginners should try<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A list of 10 green teas that all beginners should try:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Sencha<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Long Jing<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Hojicha<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Genmaicha<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Gyokuro<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Bi Luo Chun<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Mao Feng<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Jasmine Green Tea<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Mint Green Tea<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Matcha<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the characteristics of each of these green tea varieties!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sencha<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Sencha is Japan’s most popular green tea, accounting for over 80% of Japanese green tea production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The literal translation in English is “tea infused in water.”<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To brew sencha green tea properly<\/span><\/strong>, use a 1 teaspoon tea to 1 cup pure freshwater ratio. Sencha teas from Japan prefer a lower brewing temperature of around 170 \u00b0F ( 76 \u00b0C ) or water that has just begun to simmer. Sencha, on the other hand, requires less time to brew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    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.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    There are several varieties of sencha green tea. Most are classified according to their mushi<\/em>, or how long they have been steamed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n