The Most Amazing Info You'll Love About Green Tea

The fresh and crisp flavor of the best green tea can transform your day into something spectacular and delightful. Not only does green tea taste incredible, but it is full of numerous health benefits. 

The way green tea is made is an art form in itself. And with over 1500 varieties of green tea to choose from, your palate will always find new flavorful sensations to get excited about. 

In this article, you’ll learn where green tea comes from and where it’s most popular in the world. You’ll also learn about choosing quality tea, how it’s made, the difference between matcha and green tea, and green tea’s numerous and incredible health benefits. Finally, you’ll learn how to make green tea and discover some of the best green tea you can add to your collection today.

Where Does Green Tea Come From?

In the Western world, black teas are prized for their bold and dark characteristics. Fruity, sweet summer iced teas splash across America while afternoon tea time in Britain is embraced with a scone served on the side. Chai is one of the central points of celebration and daily life in India. 

But in the Eastern world, the best green tea is ingrained in culture with much ceremony and respect. Green tea is entwined in every home and within every person. 

China is where tea was first invented, and today it’s the capital of green tea. It’s estimated that over 80% of the world’s green tea is grown and produced in China. After bringing green tea from China, Japan also invented its own practices for growing and harvesting it, which resulted in varieties like matcha, hojicha, tencha, and sencha. 

Green teas develop distinguished and complex flavors based on their treatment from harvesting to processing. The best green tea is complex, and its flavors and aromas can range from fruity and delicate to earthy and bold. 

Why Choosing Quality Tea Matters

You’ll run into a plethora of different green teas on the market, but not all of them are created equal. Most green teas you’ll run into are mass-produced tea bags packed with “tea dust” that lack the complexity of whole-leaf varieties. 

Did you know that most tea bags in the grocery stores are made with materials that may cause harm to you and the environment?

If you enjoy the convenience of tea bags but want the nutrients and quality of loose-leaf tea, stick with these tea sachets. They are 100% compostable and break down into the earth. Tea sachets contain whole leaf, quality tea with full-bodied flavor. 

Sticking with loose-leaf teas is the best way to go when it comes to quality — plus you spare the tea sachet entirely. The best green tea is made with whole, unbroken leaves and has a fresh and complex aroma. There are no artificial flavorings — only organic and natural flavors and ingredients. 

Keep an eye out for transparency when it comes to origin and harvesting practices. The best green tea is hand-plucked and made in small batches for higher quality control.

An In-Depth Review: How is the Best Green Tea Created?

The techniques and art of making green teas are abundant and beautiful. The floral sweetness of jasmine pearl green teas differs so much from the umami characteristics of an earthy sencha tea. 

Not only do they taste incredibly different, but they look completely different as well. And yet, every single type of tea comes from the same plant — Camellia sinensis. 

Every type of black, green, oolong, and white tea comes from the same plant. There are two varieties of this plant. The Camellia sinensis assamica has slightly larger leaves and is grown in warmer, hotter climates like India. This is the tea leaf that is primarily used to create full-bodied bold, strong black teas. 

The Camellia sinensis sinensis is grown in cooler and mountainous areas in China. The climate creates some of the best green tea with smaller leaves that have a sweeter, more delicate flavor. 

This same variety of tea is also grown in shady regions of Japan. As a result, these leaves can produce savory and umami-like flavors. When tea leaves are grown under the shade, they also form higher levels of an amino acid called L-theanine — which is known for reducing stress and increasing calming effects. 

While wine and coffee are made from different kinds of grapes and coffee beans, tea is much simpler. Tea is made from one plant. 

The best green tea is plucked by hand. These tea leaves must be treated within 24 hours of harvesting — which is very quick compared to black and oolong teas. Here is the step-by-step process for creating green tea.

1. Withering the Tea Leaves is Optional

The bud and two small leaves are plucked by hand from the top of each long tea stalk. These fresh tea leaves might undergo an optional first step called withering. It’s a step that is crucial to creating black and oolong teas. 

For most green teas, this step does not occur. But when it does, the tea leaves are allowed to wither and wilt. Allowing air circulation and humidity to flow in between the leaves brings out specific flavors within these kinds of green teas. 

2. Heating the Tea Leaves

The heating step is what separates the best green tea from black tea. Black tea must be rolled and allowed to oxidize after the leaves have been bruised and their oils released. For green tea, the whole tea leaves must stay as unbruised and unblemished as possible. 

These perfect tea leaves are heated in order to stop the oxidation process and preserve the green hue of the tea leaves. 

There are two main ways to heat tea leaves, and each of them creates a completely different flavor. 

In China, green tea is heated using a dry heating process — traditionally done in a wok over high heat. This is the most common kind of heating practice for tea creation. 

Another way to heat tea leaves is over wet heat. This technique is used in Japan and is done at a much lower temperature than the dry heat method. 

3. Rolling the Tea Leaves

Once the oxidation process is halted using the dry or wet heating method, the tea leaves are rolled. In this step, the tea leaves are handled so that their cell walls break open and the leaves are coated with natural essential oils. It’s these oils that give each kind of green tea leaf its unique earthy flavors. 

Many tea producers take great care to handle the best green tea leaves in a much gentler way than black tea leaves. 

4. Shaping the Tea Leaves is Optional

When the leaves have been rolled, they might go through an additional step called shaping. The best green tea is prized for its visual appeal. Tea leaves can be shaped with different kinds of hand tools to create long, straight needles and flattened leaves. 

Tight pearl teas are created using special heating pans that encourage the leaves to shrink and curl around themselves. This creates an intoxicating and pungent tea that unwraps and unfurls within the hot water. 

5. Drying the Tea Leaves

At this point, locking in the flavors of the tea is crucial. Drying the leaves is important for green tea in particular because it not only stops the flavors from changing, but it also adds a toasted flavor to the final product. 

Green teas can be overroasted. The green tea leaves must be carefully kept track of so they don’t burn or become too toasty. 

6. Sorting the Tea Leaves

The final step in the green tea process is sorting through the finished tea leaves. The best green tea leaves are sorted by size. 

Some green teas do not need to be sorted because they are created using whole green tea leaves. Other teas result in different-sized leaves being created because of the drying process. Smaller tea leaves and particles are used to make teabags.

Green Tea vs. Matcha: What’s the Difference?

Both matcha and traditional green tea come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but their processing and preparation sets them apart drastically. Here are some of the biggest differences between green tea leaves and matcha powder:

Green tea leaves are steeped and strained to create a light green, clear broth. You can re-steep many varieties of the best green tea and experience a range of nuanced flavors within the same leaves. Matcha, on the other hand, is traditionally made from whole, ground tea leaves that are whisked with warm water to create a dense, foamy drink.

Matcha is harvested from shade-grown tea leaves and stone ground into a very fine powder. It was originally a drink reserved for monks and royalty. Today, matcha is mainstream and served iced, hot, and even as an ingredient in different foods and desserts. 

It’s theorized that because you consume the entire matcha tea leaf, you receive more nutrients and even higher levels of caffeine. A popular trend right now is switching your morning coffee for a cup of matcha to experience a more stable caffeine boost without the crash. 

Matcha is rich, bold, and slightly bitter with an earthy taste. The best green tea is light, delicate, and often has a grassy, toasted, or floral essence.

What Are the Health Benefits of Green Tea?

The best green tea has long been praised for its health and wellness benefits. Drinking green tea regularly may help provide you with a range of health advantages. Here are some notable contenders. 

Rich in Antioxidants

Green tea is naturally rich in antioxidants. It’s especially noted in many studies for its EGCG levels, which might have anti-cancer properties. 

Lowers Cholesterol

If you’re concerned about heart health, green tea may be a great addition to your routine. This unassuming leaf may help lower your LDL cholesterol and improve circulation and blood flow. 

Aids with Weight Loss

When enjoyed without sweeteners and sugar, the best green tea may help burn fat and aid in weight management. Drinking green tea before a workout can help boost your metabolism and energy, leading to an increase in burned calories and overall weight loss. 

Oral Protective

Green tea helps regulate the bacterial balance within your mouth. This can lead to a boost in overall oral wellness. It may also help prevent cavities.

Diabetic-Friendly

If you must watch your blood sugar levels, green tea might be able to help you. Unsweetened green tea has been studied for its ability to not only stabilize blood sugar levels but also lower them. Adding plain green tea to your diet can help regulate your blood sugar. 

How to Make Green Tea

If you want to enjoy the full-bodied complexity of green tea, you must prepare it properly. Green tea is not oxidized nearly as much as oolong, white, or black teas. Because of this, the leaf is very green and also very delicate. 

The best green tea leaves must be handled with care and steeped in water that is not too hot but not too cool. Steeping your tea in water that is too hot might release bitter tannins into the broth. Steeping your tea in water that is too cold will not release enough nutrients or flavor from the tea leaves, resulting in a watered-down flavor.

Always use fresh, filtered water that hasn’t been boiled and cooled down previously — you can read why that’s so important in this article about water for your tea. The best green teas have a wide variation of flavors and characteristics, so it’s important to always read the package for specific steeping instructions for your tea. 

In general, aim to heat your water between 160°F to 180°F (70°C to 80°C). Use about 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every eight ounces of water you use. This measurement is an average, but you might want fewer or more tea leaves depending on the size of the leaves and your personal preference for tea strength. 

Steep your tea for about three minutes, drain, and remove the tea leaves. Oversteeping your tea can also cause bitter flavors to release into the broth. If you like stronger tea, use more tea leaves.

Green teas are also delightful when prepared as iced teas or ice teas — yes there is a difference! To explore every preparation method for green tea, you can learn how to make green tea here.

When prepared properly, the best green tea should reveal layers of flavor that can range from grassy and nutty to slightly sweet and floral.

Premium Green Teas You Can Try

With all this talk about the best green tea, you’re eager to get your hands on some quality varieties. Here are some of our favorites.

Green Sweet Jasmine

Green Sweet Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea - $16.95

This is a beautifully fragrant blend grown alongside delicate jasmine blossoms. This batch is grown and harvested using only ancient techniques passed down through generations. Every batch is hand-plucked, sorted, and packaged in small batches for increased quality control.

Sencha Medley

Sencha Medley Loose-Leaf Tea - $16.95

This Japanese blend is made with floral petals for a spin on a traditional, earthy flavor. Sencha is grassy, sweet, and one of the most popular types of green tea in Japan.

Jasmine Pearls

Jasmine Pearls Loose-Leaf Tea - $29.95

These delightful little beads are scented with jasmine leaves and rolled into little pearls. When steeped, the pearls unfurl and release a magnificent bouquet of aroma and flavor. This highly sought-after tea is one of the best green tea flavors in the world, and you can also get a tea sachet version here.

Blooming Tea Flowers

Blooming Tea Flowers Sampler - $24.95

Each individual tea ball gently unfurls when it’s hit by warm water to reveal a spectacular flowering tea show. These blooming tea flowers are meticulously hand-tied by master tea artisans and incorporate green tea leaves mixed with different flowers and flavors. For the best experience, use borosilicate glass teapots or tea mugs so you can watch the show from start to finish.

The Best Green Teas and Healthy Teaware

Few tea suppliers are trying to make a healthy and positive impact on your tea routine. Teabloom is on a mission to change the tea industry for the better. If you want to enjoy the best and healthiest teas and teaware, they are your one-stop shop for all your needs. 

Their fantastic green teas are made with natural ingredients, and many are USDA Certified Organic and Kosher. 

Their tea sachets are made of plant-based materials and are 100% compostable — which is much better than biodegradable. And their innovative pyramid tea sachets are made with the finest quality whole leaf teas — not tea dust like what you get from most tea brands. You will enjoy the convenience of an earth-friendly tea sachet without sacrificing the quality of the best green tea.

Did you know that your favorite teacup and teaware may be releasing harmful toxins into your tea? Teabloom is changing the tea narrative and encouraging an environmentally friendly alternative to porcelain and metallic teapots. 

Borosilicate glass teaware is the healthy new wave of the teaware industry. This long-lasting and strong material is easy to care for and makes your tea taste better than it ever has before. 

Are you ready to add some of the best green tea to your regular routine? Explore Teabloom’s teas and teaware for an elevated everyday tea experience. 

www.Teabloom.com

*The information provided in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention. If you or someone you know has a medical concern, you should consult with your professional healthcare provider or seek other professional medical treatment.