Green Tea
Green tea is grown mostly in China and Japan and they grow well due to the misty, damp climate and hot sunshine that hovers over Asia. There is usually 4 crops harvested per year from the tea plantations which starts in the late autumn through to the spring months.
Green tea grown in Japan is similar to green tea grown in China, in that they both are green, however the flavor and color is much different. Tea is always the color “green” as it is growing on the tea bushes. Green tea grown in Japan is considered to have a much sweeter taste and is much lighter in color once steeped. Most of the green tea grown in Japan is on hillsides that are close to rivers, streams and lakes and the humidity and limited sunshine is what produces the fresh green tea leaves. Japan ‘s green tea is very fragile due to the small sized leaves and it produces a higher concentration of chlorophyl. The most common types of green tea grown in Japan are: Matcha, Sencha, Gyokuru, Bancha, Houjicha and GenMaiCha. Japan’s green tea is sipped without adding milk or sugar as it very sensitive with it’s premium taste and you certainly would not want to loose that special taste and aroma.
Green tea grown in China is usually named after a prominent person, place or thing, they do this out of respect so that the legacy lives on. China produces green tea and black tea, which depends on where it is grown. The most common tea grown in China is Dragon Well, Lapsang Souchong and Puerh tea. China produces some of the finest green teas and their tea is harvested by plucking the tea leaves from the bushes by hand. Green tea is one of the best drinks to increase one’s health as it contains ECGC which is the strongest antioxidants available in a natural state.
My favorite green tea is GenMaiCha because I love savoring the mild, yet sweet green tea from China, with the natural rice grains blended so carefully. I like drinking this tea in the afternoon hours and it makes me feel very “Zenish”.
