Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. On average, 600,000 tons are consumed each year! It is predominantly enjoyed in China, Japan, and surrounding countries where many cups are poured throughout the day. Pretty remarkable for one plant, right?
In the western world, it is common to see green tea listed on a menu, but rarely do we specify the type of tea or where it’s from. These factors play a huge role in its flavor and aroma yet are often left out of the description. Similar to wines, there is a wide array of flavor profiles found in green tea—imagine if everywhere you went wines were only listed as white or red; how would you know what to choose? And if you enjoyed it, how could you find it again? In this blog, I’m going to talk about some different types of green tea and what makes them so unique.
So let’s first describe what makes green tea green. Green tea is from the plant Camellia sinensis. This is the same species responsible for black, white, oolong, and other tea families. What sets each of these teas apart is the specific variety of plant used, the terroir, and the harvest and processing methods.
There are three main varieties of Camellia sinensis which are naturally occurring, and thousands of cultivars that have been intentionally hybridized for various favorable genetic characteristics. Because cultivars do not exist naturally, they need to be propagated via cuttings to retain the genetics of the parent plant. Cultivars with delicate leaves are typically chosen for green tea due to their strong aromatics.
The term ‘terroir’ is used to describe the soil, climate, altitude, and longitude in which the tea is grown. These four factors greatly influence how certain plants grow which changes the flavor of the tea. In China, the location the plant is grown often dictates the naming of the tea, much like how champagne must be from the Champagne region of France. Japan uses a different naming system in which the teas are named based on their flavor and aroma despite where they are grown.
The harvesting process varies greatly between tea families, but it can also vary within the category of green tea. The first step is the harvesting itself; this process is more aptly called plucking and is largely done by hand. Some green teas only allow the top bud and one leaf to be picked, others will allow the top two leaves, and some include these leaves plus the stems between them. This part of the process is very labor intensive; it takes about five pounds of fresh leaf to make one pound of tea, which equates to 6,000 leaves per pound! The season and number of times a harvest is allowed per year are also considered when plucking. Spring and fall harvests often produce the most flavorful teas, but the highest-end teas are often only harvested once in spring.
Once the tea leaves are plucked, they are spread out on bamboo racks for a process called withering. Withering is done to decrease the water content of the leaves and takes one to three hours to complete. If the weather isn’t favorable, fans are used to speed up the process, and shade cloths can be used to slow it down. Losing moisture too quickly can damage the structure of the leaves and not losing it fast enough can result in other quality issues, so this is a delicate balance.
The defining process of a green tea is that the leaves are prevented from oxidizing. This keeps them green, increases the tannin content, and gives them the fresh vegetal flavor associated with green teas. Oxidation is a process that occurs naturally when the cells of a leaf are ruptured; they release an enzyme called oxidase that reacts with oxygen and causes the leaves to brown. There are two main methods used to prevent this from happening, both of which require a small amount of heat to be applied. In China the tea leaves are gently warmed through a process called panning in which a small amount of leaf is added to a heated pan and stirred for a few minutes; this creates a slightly toasted note in Chinese teas and is considered the traditional method. In Japan it is done via steaming which stops oxidization, brings out the green colors, and increases the vegetal grassiness of the tea. Some people develop a preference for Japanese or Chinese teas based on this alone. Next time you enjoy a cup, keep this in mind and see if you can taste the difference!
Once the leaves are safe from oxidization, they go through a process called rolling. This can be done by hand or machine and is very defining for the type of green tea the leaves are destined to be. Not only will this give the leaves their intended appearance, but it also breaks down the structure of the cells and releases aromatic oils. Classic rolled shapes include twisted, curly, needle, flat, or beaded.
Next, the leaves need to be properly dried to prevent microbial growth while in transport and to lock in the aromatic oil compounds that were released in the previous step. Once properly dried they go through a variety of sifting screens to remove broken leaves, stems, or other undesirable materials.
As you can see, there are many places throughout processing in which slight variations can be made. From the number of leaves allowed in the heat of the pan to the shape of the leaf, there are many ways to capture and create unique flavors in the world of green teas. And although they may look the same once finished, the subtle variations in flavor are sure to surprise you.
Listed below are the green teas offered at Mountain Rose Herbs along with a short description of what sets them apart. I hope you find something new to try!
For those who are visually impaired,
the text-only PDF of this graph can be found here.
You may also enjoy:
Topics: Specialty Ingredients, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Georgina works as the Product Coordinator at Mountain Rose Herbs, she really enjoys thinking about various products our customers might like and different ways to meet their needs. After graduating with a degree in Marine Biology from Humboldt State University she found herself drawn to plants and herbal healing. She’s taken an herbal remedies course through her local apothecary, continued her education as self-taught, and has been practicing herbal medicine ever since. When she’s not at work you might find her out hiking and playing ball with her German Australian shepherd Ruth, or training for her semi-professional ultimate frisbee team, Portland Onyx.
.jpg?width=1080&name=2023%20(1).jpg "Mountain Rose Herbs 2023 Impact Report")
Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. On average, 600,000 tons are consumed each year! It is predominantly enjoyed in China, Japan, and surrounding countries where many cups are poured throughout the day. Pretty remarkable for one plant, right?
In the western world, it is common to see green tea listed on a menu, but rarely do we specify the type of tea or where it’s from. These factors play a huge role in its flavor and aroma yet are often left out of the description. Similar to wines, there is a wide array of flavor profiles found in green tea—imagine if everywhere you went wines were only listed as white or red; how would you know what to choose? And if you enjoyed it, how could you find it again? In this blog, I’m going to talk about some different types of green tea and what makes them so unique.
So let’s first describe what makes green tea green. Green tea is from the plant Camellia sinensis. This is the same species responsible for black, white, oolong, and other tea families. What sets each of these teas apart is the specific variety of plant used, the terroir, and the harvest and processing methods.
There are three main varieties of Camellia sinensis which are naturally occurring, and thousands of cultivars that have been intentionally hybridized for various favorable genetic characteristics. Because cultivars do not exist naturally, they need to be propagated via cuttings to retain the genetics of the parent plant. Cultivars with delicate leaves are typically chosen for green tea due to their strong aromatics.
The term ‘terroir’ is used to describe the soil, climate, altitude, and longitude in which the tea is grown. These four factors greatly influence how certain plants grow which changes the flavor of the tea. In China, the location the plant is grown often dictates the naming of the tea, much like how champagne must be from the Champagne region of France. Japan uses a different naming system in which the teas are named based on their flavor and aroma despite where they are grown.
The harvesting process varies greatly between tea families, but it can also vary within the category of green tea. The first step is the harvesting itself; this process is more aptly called plucking and is largely done by hand. Some green teas only allow the top bud and one leaf to be picked, others will allow the top two leaves, and some include these leaves plus the stems between them. This part of the process is very labor intensive; it takes about five pounds of fresh leaf to make one pound of tea, which equates to 6,000 leaves per pound! The season and number of times a harvest is allowed per year are also considered when plucking. Spring and fall harvests often produce the most flavorful teas, but the highest-end teas are often only harvested once in spring.
Once the tea leaves are plucked, they are spread out on bamboo racks for a process called withering. Withering is done to decrease the water content of the leaves and takes one to three hours to complete. If the weather isn’t favorable, fans are used to speed up the process, and shade cloths can be used to slow it down. Losing moisture too quickly can damage the structure of the leaves and not losing it fast enough can result in other quality issues, so this is a delicate balance.
The defining process of a green tea is that the leaves are prevented from oxidizing. This keeps them green, increases the tannin content, and gives them the fresh vegetal flavor associated with green teas. Oxidation is a process that occurs naturally when the cells of a leaf are ruptured; they release an enzyme called oxidase that reacts with oxygen and causes the leaves to brown. There are two main methods used to prevent this from happening, both of which require a small amount of heat to be applied. In China the tea leaves are gently warmed through a process called panning in which a small amount of leaf is added to a heated pan and stirred for a few minutes; this creates a slightly toasted note in Chinese teas and is considered the traditional method. In Japan it is done via steaming which stops oxidization, brings out the green colors, and increases the vegetal grassiness of the tea. Some people develop a preference for Japanese or Chinese teas based on this alone. Next time you enjoy a cup, keep this in mind and see if you can taste the difference!
Once the leaves are safe from oxidization, they go through a process called rolling. This can be done by hand or machine and is very defining for the type of green tea the leaves are destined to be. Not only will this give the leaves their intended appearance, but it also breaks down the structure of the cells and releases aromatic oils. Classic rolled shapes include twisted, curly, needle, flat, or beaded.
Next, the leaves need to be properly dried to prevent microbial growth while in transport and to lock in the aromatic oil compounds that were released in the previous step. Once properly dried they go through a variety of sifting screens to remove broken leaves, stems, or other undesirable materials.
As you can see, there are many places throughout processing in which slight variations can be made. From the number of leaves allowed in the heat of the pan to the shape of the leaf, there are many ways to capture and create unique flavors in the world of green teas. And although they may look the same once finished, the subtle variations in flavor are sure to surprise you.
Listed below are the green teas offered at Mountain Rose Herbs along with a short description of what sets them apart. I hope you find something new to try!
For those who are visually impaired,
the text-only PDF of this graph can be found here.
You may also enjoy:
Topics: Specialty Ingredients, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Georgina works as the Product Coordinator at Mountain Rose Herbs, she really enjoys thinking about various products our customers might like and different ways to meet their needs. After graduating with a degree in Marine Biology from Humboldt State University she found herself drawn to plants and herbal healing. She’s taken an herbal remedies course through her local apothecary, continued her education as self-taught, and has been practicing herbal medicine ever since. When she’s not at work you might find her out hiking and playing ball with her German Australian shepherd Ruth, or training for her semi-professional ultimate frisbee team, Portland Onyx.
