Green Tea (Japanese)
Tea is the second most consumed liquid after water around the world. And in Japan, tea is a very important aspect in life. They even have a ceremony made just for making tea. THose of you who have been to a tea ceremony would see that the ceremony is a very special and spiritual thing.
There are many types of green teas;Chinese and Japanese. Today, we’re going to focus on the different types of Japanese green tea. Japanese green tea is called ocha or something called nihoncha. There are 9 different types of green teas in the Japanese culture. The tea used in tea ceremonies are called Matcha one of the higher quality teas and pricier too!
Here are the different types of teas that you might have encountered:
玉露 Gyokuro, (Jade Dew)
Selected from a grade of green tea known as Ten-cha (天茶), Gyokuro’s name refers to the pale green color of the infusion. The leaves are grown in the shade before harvest, which alters their flavor.抹茶 Matcha (rubbed tea)
A high-quality powdered green tea used primarily in the tea ceremony. Matcha is also a popular flavour of ice cream and other sweets in Japan.煎茶 Sencha (broiled tea)
A common green tea in Japan made from leaves that are exposed directly to sunlight.玄米茶 Genmaicha (Popped-Rice tea)
bancha and genmai (roasted rice grain) blend.冠茶 Kabusecha (covered tea)
kabusecha is sencha tea, the leaves of which have grown in the shade prior to harvest, although not for as long as Gyokuru. It has a more delicate flavor than Sencha.番茶 Bancha (common tea)
Sencha harvested as a second-flush tea between summer and autumn. The leaves are larger than Sencha and the flavour is less full.焙じ茶 Hōjicha (pan fried tea)
A roasted green tea茎茶 Kukicha (stalk tea)
A tea made from stalks produced by harvesting one bud and three leaves.玉緑茶 Tamaryokucha
A tea that has a tangy, berry-like taste, with a long almondy aftertaste and a deep aroma with tones of citrus, grass, and berries.
Teas are very healthy for you too – studies have shown that green tea contains antioxidants that can fight cancer. I’ve been a green tea drinker for years now… I find that having a cup of hot tea every morning, makes me feel refreshed and ready to start a new day.
Fancy a cuppa green tea, anyone? :)
Source: wikipedia
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