What Is Green Tea?

Green tea is a refreshingly light tea, long popular in Asia, that has recently begun to make inroads in the West. It is made from the leaves of the same tree used in many other Chinese teas, commonly called tea tree. Green tea is actually made from the same plant as black tea; however, the leaves used in green tea are only allowed to oxidize to a small degree, unlike black tea. Because of this low oxidation, green tea has a milder flavor than many other teas.

Health Benefits

Just as its name would imply, green tea has a green color. Although green tea is caffeinated, it possesses less caffeine than most black teas. In addition to caffeine, green tea includes a number of potentially beneficial compounds, called polyphenols. Emerging science has indicated that regular consumption of green tea may be associated with a number of health benefits as highlighted in this clinical study.

History

Green tea has truly ancient roots: it was being drunk in China as early as 4000 years ago. Although green tea originated in China, it has enjoyed popularity in many Asian nations for many hundreds of years. Green tea is particularly popular in Japan, where it is so common that it is simply called tea. Green tea was first brought to Japan by a Buddhist priest, and has since been adopted by the country. Although Europeans discovered tea long ago, green tea did not make its way over to the West until relatively recently. However, with its light taste and reported health benefits, green tea has made quite a splash among Americans and others in the West.

Varieties

Though all green teas are made from “green” leaves of the tea tree, all teas are not made equally. There are hundreds of varieties of green tea, with different types being grown in practically every province in China and Japan. The Zhejiang province, which borders Shanghai, produces some of the most well-known Chinese green teas, including the variety known as gunpowder. In Japan, there is a similarly large variety of green teas. Different varieties of green tea are produced by using different breeds of tea tree, harvesting times, leaf treatments, and by using different parts of the tree.

Though all green teas are green in color, they do not all taste the same. As with any other tea variety, green tea comes from many locations and can be made to many different levels of quality.