Green Tea, Benefits of Green Tea, Japanese Green Tea, Chinese Green Tea
There is no other food or drink on the planet that is reported to have as many health benefits as green tea.
The Chinese have been using green tea since Day 1 and have used green tea to treat everything from headaches to cancer. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the West is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea.
Twent four years ago ( 1994 ) the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. More recently University of Purdue researchers concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
It has been also noted that drinking green tea lowers dad (LDL) cholesterol levels, as well.
Drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful in reducing and curing certain medical conditions including:
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
weight loss
cariovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function
Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing.
Green tea originally came from China and over the last few centuries has been grown and cultivated in Japan and the rest of Asia.
During the last thirty years green tea has been drunk more widespread in the West ( Europe and the Americas) where the benefits of green tea have received great publicity
During this period more countries in the West and Africa have started to grow green tea, but the tastes, colour and health benefits can differ greatly due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.
Therefore the two most popular countries to source and drink green tea are from China and Japan.
We will take a look at all the different green teas from both countries, listing their name and a description
Firstly starting with Chinese green teas and followed by Japanese green teas.
Chinese Green tea
Zhejiang Province
Zhejiang is home to the most famous of all teas, Xi Hu Longjing, as well as many other high-quality green teas.
Longjing
The most well-known of famous Chinese teas from Hangzhou, its name in Chinese means dragon well. It is pan-fried and has a distinctive flat appearance. Falsification of Longjing is very common, and most of the tea on the market is in fact produced in Sichuan Province[citation needed] and hence not authentic Longjing.
Hui Ming
Named after a temple in Zhejiang.
Long Ding
A tea from Kaihua County known as Dragon Mountain.
Hua Ding
A tea from Tiantai County and named after a peak in the Tiantai mountain range.
Qing Ding
A tea from Tian Mu, also known as Green Top.
Gunpowder
A popular tea also known as zhuchá. It originated in Zhejiang but is now grown elsewhere in China.
Jiangsu Province
Bi Luo Chun
A Chinese famous tea also known as Green Snail Spring, from Dong Ting. As with Longjing, falsification is common and most of the tea marketed under this name may, in fact, be grown in Sichuan.
Rain Flower
A tea from Nanjing.
Hubei Province
Yu Lu
A steamed tea known as Gyokuro (Jade Dew) made in the Japanese style.
Henan Province
An example of a slightly higher grade of Chinese green tea, called Mao Jian.
Xin Yang Mao Jian
A Chinese famous tea also known as Green Tip, or Tippy Green.
Jiangxi Province
Chun Mee
Name means "precious eyebrows"; from Jiangxi, it is now grown elsewhere.
Gou Gu Nao
A well-known tea within China and recipient of numerous national awards.
Yun Wu
A tea also known as Cloud and Mist.
Anhui Province
Anhui Province is home to several varieties of tea, including three Chinese famous teas. These are:
Da Fang
A tea from Mount Huangshan also known as Big Square.
Huangshan Maofeng
A Chinese famous tea from Mount Huang.
Lu'An Guapian
A Chinese famous tea also known as Melon Seed.
Hou Kui
A Chinese famous tea also known as Monkey tea.
Tun Lu
A tea from Tunxi District.
Huo Qing
A tea from Jing County, also known as Fire Green.
Hyson
A medium-quality tea from many provinces, an early-harvested tea.
Japanese Green Tea
Genmaicha green tea is so ubiquitous in Japan that it is more commonly known simply as "tea" and even as "Japanese tea"
Types of tea are commonly graded depending on the quality and the parts of the plant used as well as how they are processed.
There are large variations in both price and quality within these broad categories, and there are many specialty green teas that fall outside this spectrum. The best Japanese green tea is said to be that from the Yame region of Fukuoka Prefecture and the Uji region of Kyoto.
Bancha (common tea)
Sencha harvested as a third or fourth flush tea between summer and autumn. Aki-Bancha (autumn Bancha) is not made from entire leaves, but from the trimmed unnecessary twigs of the tea plant.
Genmaicha (brown-rice tea)
Bancha (sometimes Sencha) and roasted genmai (brown rice) blend. It is often mixed with a small amount of Matcha to make the color better.
Gyokuro (Jade Dew)
The highest grade Japanese green tea cultivated in special way. 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. Gyokuro has a high caffeine content (Generally 0.16% in infusion [2]), but the significant L-Theanine content of Gyokuro slows down and counteracts the caffeine assimilation, and also the amount ingested is very small (Generally 10ml - 60ml).
Hojicha (roasted tea)
A green tea roasted over charcoal.
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 Gyokuro. It has a more delicate flavor than Sencha.
Kamairicha tea (pan-fried tea)
Kamairicha is a pan fried green tea that does not undergo the usual steam treatments of Japanese tea and does not have the characteristic bitter taste of most Japanese tea.
Kukicha (stalk tea)
A tea made from stalks produced by harvesting one bud and three leaves.
Matcha (rubbed tea)
A fine ground tea (Ten-cha). It has a very similar cultivation process as Gyokuro. It is used primarily in the tea ceremony. Matcha is also a popular flavor of ice cream and other sweets in Japan.
Mecha tea (buds and tips tea)
Mecha is green tea derived from a collection of leaf buds and tips of the early crops. Mecha is harvested in spring and made as rolled leaf teas that are graded somewhere between Gyokuro and Sencha in quality.
Mugicha (roasted barley tea)
Mugicha is a roasted barley tea. It is generally regarded as a cooling summer beverage in Japan.
Sencha (broiled tea)
The first and second flush of green tea, which is the most common green tea in Japan made from leaves that are exposed directly to sunlight. The first flush is also called shincha (??: a new tea).
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.
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