Various Types of Green Tea
Discovering the various types of Green Tea is not only a fabulous and rewarding journey, but also so much fun! But first … we need to master the basics.
Mastering the Basics
Welcome to Green Tea boot camp, or is it more a Web Camp?
Tea can be broken down into four main types.
- Black Tea (Including Chai Tea)
- Green Tea
- Oolong Tea (Sometimes Called Wu Long Tea)
- White Tea
- Blooming Tea
As you already know, these teas come from the same green tea plant, but differ only in the way that they have been processed after being harvested.
A quick rundown of these different types of Green Tea …
Black Tea
Black Tea is fully fermented, followed by a good solid roasting. Although this method increases the flavour and unlocks the aroma, it also unfortunately reduces the amount of really cool health benefits.
Black Tea produces a golden brown liquor which darkens as the liquor gets stronger.
Chai Tea
Chai Tea is made by brewing a strong Black Tea with milk, sugar and various spices. Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves are among the most common spices used.
Traditionally, Chai Teas are brewed sweet to unlock the full flavor of the spices, while the milk adds a richness and facilitates a feeling a well being.
White Tea
White Tea is the most subtle of all the types of Tea.
Only the best of the young unopened leaves and buds from the tea plant are used. The silky white hairs still cover the young leaves at the time of picking, which gives the tea a white finish.
White Tea leaves go through a low heat process, relying more on the leaves withering to preserve the goodness and stop oxidation.
White Tea leaves are not rolled or compressed.
The idea is that White Tea matures with as little oxidation as possible.
Blooming Teas
Also known as Floral Teas, Display Teas or Florescent Teas.
Blooming Teas are my personal favourite of all the types of Green Tea. This Tea does the most amazing things while steeping in hot water.
Some really talented people handcraft loose tea leaves and various health promoting flowers and blooms into a small bulb. Once this bulb is steeped, the Green Tea leaves expand and open up to reveal the hidden floral arrangement. The flowers open up, infusing the brew with their unique flavour and specific qualities.
Not only do these tea balls taste great, they also make an elegant decoration that's lasts for a few days.
Green Teas
The various types of Green Tea are the main focus of this website, as well as the most healthy and interesting. A few of the more common variations of Green Tea are mentioned here.
Loose Leaf Green Tea is just that; loose, whole leaves that have been processed to avoid oxidation and either compressed or rolled individually. Loose leaves offer the most flavor, and retain most of Green Tea's health promoting properties, besides Matcha, a powdered Green Tea.
Loose leaves expand while steeping, which allows the full surface area of the Green Tea leaf to be exposed in the water, facilitating that the maximum flavor is extracted.
Gunpowder Green Tea
The loose tea leaves are rolled and compressed into little balls. These balls resemble the gunpowder granules that were used in cannons on ships in the days gone by.
These are full lose leaves that expand in hot water.
Gunpowder is the common way of storing and packaging Oolong Tea.
Sencha Tea
Sencha
Tea is the most common of the Japanese Green Teas. Almost 80% of all the tea consumed in Japan is some type of Sencha.
Sencha has many quality grades, depending on the area where it was grown, the time of harvest, and the process that was used on the tea.
- Sincha - The leaves picked with in the first few weeks of spring. This is also the first flush, these young leaves are highly prized in Japanese culture
- Normal Sencha is picked and produced through out the picking season
- Bancha - A low quality Sencha picked at the end of the season
Usually, Sencha leaves are steamed to lock in the goodness, and rolled.
Kukicha
Kukicha has the lowest caffeine content of the types of green tea. Kukicha uses the stalks of the green tea plant, rather than the leaves. But although the caffeine content is low, this type of green tea contains powerful antioxidants.
The leaves and twigs are steamed and then dried.
Gyokuro
Almost the most expensive of Top Quality Japanese teas. Similar to Sencha with the difference being in the last few weeks before harvesting time.
Gyokuro is covered with a bamboo shade that blocks out most of the sun 2 weeks before picking. This has the effect of concentrating the properties in the leaves.
The leaves are then picked, steamed and rolled.
This tea has a unique brewing method, designed for maximum flavour.
Matcha
Very often confused as Green Tea powder. The top of the food chain when it comes to Japanese Tea.
Matcha is ceremonial grade tea powder, used in the Japanese Tea ceremony.
Various lower grades of Matcha are available and can be used for cooking.
Matcha follows almost the same production method as Gyokuro, differing in the compressing stage. Matcha is de-stemmed and finely ground.
Tencha
The leaves just before they are crushed and ground into Matcha. A high quality Green Tea.
Decaf Green Tea.
A truly caffeine free green tea does not exist. But processes are available that can reduce the amount of caffeine in tea. Unfortunately, these processes also rob the tea of most of the natural beneficial components that Green Tea is so well known for.
Oolong Tea
Also known as
Wu Long Tea. This type of Green Tea is different because it has been partially fermented. The leaves are then rolled into long curled loose leaves, or the more common gunpowder form.
Oolong is meant to be brewed strong. A bitter tea, that has a sweet aftertaste.
Pu-erh Tea.
Slightly fermented, compressed and allowed to age. Aging this
Pu-erh tea makes the tea liquor smoother and richer. Some rare bricks of Pu-erh can date back 40 years.
Related Articles
- Chai Tea
- Loose Leaf Green Tea
- Oolong Tea (Also Known as Wu Long Tea)
- Pu-erh Tea
- Sencha Tea
- Matcha
- Caffeine Free Green Tea
- Blooming Tea
- Organic Green Tea