How it is made?
Table of contents for our green tea post
To make green tea a early spring fresh buds and young leaves are picked, which were barely oxidized during processing (0-5%), and kept their green color.
You can find our range of green tea here.
An important criterion for bright green teas, in the case of Chinese teas, is a very slightly yellowish-green color, which also indicates their freshness. If your tea has a brownish tint, it is probably old or not stored properly.
A fresh shoots after picking, heat treatment stops the browning and oxidation of the leaves.
We can find prepared green tea in countless, varied forms (rolled, flattened, etc.).
The method of preparation and the design of the shape depend on the specific tea-growing region and local traditions. In China, it is also very important that the shape of the finished tea leaves is beautiful and attractive.
Let's go back a bit to oxidation, which is one of the main differences between tea types.
Oxidation by enzymes (browning of leaves) can be stopped in two ways: by baking or steaming.
Depending on the type of tea they make, the leaves are left to oxidize or not.
Chinese - fried, Japanese steamed
This is a rather crude formulation, but we can say that it is one of the main differences between the teas of the two nations. 🙂
Baked teas typically Chinese or Vietnamese greens, and steamed Korean and Japanese green teas.
The process of cooking in a wok is a little slower, so it's done chinese green teas can have a very slight yellowish-green tint.
Their taste is sweet, with toasted seeds, while the Japan, steamed green teas have a more spinachy, grassy, much greener taste.
We made Long Jing (Dragon Well) tea, picked it from Mr. Lin's tea garden in the morning and processed it under his supervision.
It is also important to know that this type of tea, whether it comes from any Asian country, retains its freshness and refreshing taste for a maximum of one year.
Like rosé wine, it is advisable to consume our purchased greens in the given year.
Steaming also stops the oxidation of the leaves used as the base material for matcha tea. Shaded tea leaves are used for matcha tea to increase their chlorophyll content.
You can read more about matcha tea here!
In our tea room, we always store our non-oxidized teas and matcha tea chilled or frozen, so that you can always taste fresh tea.
Making green tea "How will we have delicious tea?"
We recommend preparing Chinese teas with water between 70 and 80 degrees, approx. With pouring times of 40 seconds. The preparation of Japanese teas will be detailed later.
Use soft water with a low mineral content, well-tasting spring or filtered water. Chlorinated tap water should be avoided, the finished tea will not be delicious.
It is practical to use glass tea-making tools, as the tea leaves look beautiful in them, and they also do not keep the temperature high for long, like clay pots.
Tea making tools suitable for green tea
What types of green tea are there?
There are two main types: baked and steamed. Baked teas typically Vietnamese or Chinese greens, and steamed Korean and Japanese green teas.
What is the caffeine content of green tea?
It is a type of tea richer in caffeine, but you should know that it has a completely different effect than the caffeine in coffee. It also contains other substances and vitamins, plus the well-known theanine, which can bring us a pleasant alertness. Of course, it affects everyone differently, it is worth monitoring how we react when consuming it. What exactly is the difference between loose green tea and green tea powder?
The fiber green tea contains the roasted or steamed leaves in their whole form, beautifully preserving the fresh spring shoots. Green tea is a powder, but it contains leaves that have been ground into a powder. This is not the same as matcha! Green tea powder is a separate category, here the leaf veins are also included in the grind and are not consumed ceremonially.
Feel free to try soaking in cold water (mizudashi)! We get a soft, sweet-tasting, refreshing drink. Use 8 g of tea leaves for 1200 ml of room temperature water. Put it in the refrigerator overnight, then filter the entire drink the next day and you can enjoy it.
It is recommended to constantly cool the drink prepared in this way so that it does not turn brown prematurely or the taste changes.
It is a type of tea that is richer in caffeine, so we prefer to consume it in the morning, but it can definitely be consumed raw on an empty stomach after meals.
Health effects of green tea
For those who like the findings of scientific research, I have included here the photo about "Health effects" taken in April 2019 at the tea museum in Hangzhou, for your further use.
From this point of view, we can examine 4 different water-soluble components: catechins, theanine, caffeine and vitamins.
The healthiest effects of tea are attributed to catechins: effective cell regenerator and antioxidant. 1/3 of the leaf contains this and the plant produces it from its own proteins with the help of sunlight.
(Shaded teas therefore have less catechins, but sencha is not shaded by default).
In terms of taste, this substance is no longer so popular, as it is a bitter, astringent and drying compound.
It is worth looking into Epigallocatechin (EGCG) - if you are interested in more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748751/
Theanine is especially so L-Theanine an amino acid, found in 1-4% of the leaf. (shaded teas have more of it).
A sweet, "umami" taste lends richness to the drink and also has a natural calming effect.
Caffeine: 3-4% of the leaf. Green tea contains the same caffeine molecule as black tea or e.g. in coffee, however, it is in a different bond, which is why it is absorbed more slowly, more extended (we can say: more evenly) from green tea.
However, there can be great individual differences in how this affects whom.
Vitamins: Vitamins A, B, C, E can be found in smaller amounts, of which vitamin C is the most abundant.
A couple of his effects, the rest can be seen in the photo. Scientific articles on this I found it here.
- It has a high antioxidant content and has a free radical scavenging effect
- protects against viral and bacterial infections
- supports blood pressure
- strengthens the immune system
- lowers cholesterol levels
It is also worth observing its effect on us.
A type of tea known by everyone as a healthy drink, it is not for everyone.
For those who are generally more cold-tempered (like Dóri 🙂 ) who can't stand raw foods, green tea can also be stressful for them and we can start to get cold soon after drinking it, our hands can become cold.
"I reserve the consumption of green tea for the warm summer periods, as it has an excellent cooling and refreshing effect on the body. In cooler weather, I drink matcha tea more often, then after a while I drink a cup of hojicha tea, which warms my body back up.
Balázs often drinks from the greener type, and this type is also necessary for his fiery, yang energy.
A word like a hundred, watch your body, how it reacts to the tea and don't believe everything written, experience it!" "Dori."
You can find our green teas here
Black or green tea? What is the difference and what is the similarity?
The similarity between the two types of tea is that they are made from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant, or from one of its variants. The variant is none other than the gala, Jonatán, granny smith, etc. apple variants or varieties.
The difference between them is their oxidation level. If you cut an apple in half, it will brown in the air. This also happens with black tea, the leaves turn completely brown and oxidize. This does not happen with greens, because they are immediately heat-treated, thus preserving their freshness.
If you have "green tea" at home that has a yellowish, brownish, or pale green color, it has already oxidized, so it may be old or it may not have been stored properly.
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The similarity between the two types of tea is that they are made from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant, or from one of its variants. The variant is none other than the gala, Jonatán, granny smith, etc. apple variants or varieties. The difference between them is their oxidation level. If you cut an apple in half, it will brown in the air. This also happens with black tea, the leaves turn completely brown and oxidize. This does not happen with greens, because they are immediately heat-treated, thus preserving their freshness.
If you have "green tea" at home that has a yellowish, brownish, or pale green color, it has already oxidized, so it may be old or it may not have been stored properly.