
Japanese tea is called Ocha and is referred to Green tea. Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in Japan. Green tea harvest starts around May 1 every year in Japan. Green tea farms are fulled with bright green tea leaves. Shizuoka prefecture produces most of the green tea in Japan. You can see many green tea farms around the area.
Tea leaves are steamed, dried, rolled, and blended at tea processing factory. There are many varieties of green tea. Gyokuro is the most superior green tea which has sweet flavor. As it is raised, it is protected from direct sunlight. Sencha is the most common green tea. It is raised without cover for the sun. Maccha is made by grounding steamed dried tea leaves into powder with a stone mortar. It is used for tea ceremonies. Houjicha is made by roasting the leaves.
It contains little caffein or tannin. Bancha is rough tea. It is made from lower grade tea leaves and is inexpensive.
When brewing green tea, we put tea leaves in a teapot called Kyusu and pour hot water in it. Then, tea is served in an individual cup called Yunomi which has no handles. If you are visiting someone's house or business in Japan, you will probably be offered a cup of green tea. Also, Japanese restaurants serve green tea free of charge. When you drink Japanese tea, hold the yunomi cup with one hand and put the other hand at the bottom of the cup. Please remember that green tea is drunk hot and without sugar or cream.
1. Sencha
Sencha is the most popular of Japan's green teas. It has a lightly astringent taste along with a slight sweetness. Lesser quality sencha tea is called bancha.
2. Dragon Well
Dragon Well tea (also called Lung Ching) is the ultimate green tea. The name comes from a legendary well in the West Lake region of China where the tea is produced. The colour is bright green and the flavour is quite brisk. Be prepared to pay more than usual for this quality tea.
3. Gunpowder
These tea leaves are rolled into tight, little balls that apparently resemble old-style gunpowder. Because of the rolled form, Gunpowder tea stays fresher longer than most other green teas. The taste is fresh and a little grassy.
4. Jasmine
Jasmine isn't exactly a kind of green tea, but is a blended tea with green tea leaves and jasmine flowers. The blossoms give the tea a very refreshing taste, and fragrant aroma.
5. Genmaicha
Like the jasmine tea, genmaicha isn't a kind of tea but a blend. This time, sencha green tea is mixed with toasted brown rice. Sounds odd, but the tea has a distinctive toasty flavour.
6. Macha
Macha is the kind of tea used in tradtional Japanese tea ceremony. It's ground up very fine, and the tea is whisked when prepared. The flavour is light and sweet. Macha works well added to desserts too.
7. Anji
Anji green tea is becoming popular due to its fine and subtle flavor. Its grown in the Zhejiang region of China and has thin little leaves that look almost black in dry form. A good variety to try if you find others to be too strong tasting.
Tea leaves are steamed, dried, rolled, and blended at tea processing factory. There are many varieties of green tea. Gyokuro is the most superior green tea which has sweet flavor. As it is raised, it is protected from direct sunlight. Sencha is the most common green tea. It is raised without cover for the sun. Maccha is made by grounding steamed dried tea leaves into powder with a stone mortar. It is used for tea ceremonies. Houjicha is made by roasting the leaves.
It contains little caffein or tannin. Bancha is rough tea. It is made from lower grade tea leaves and is inexpensive.
When brewing green tea, we put tea leaves in a teapot called Kyusu and pour hot water in it. Then, tea is served in an individual cup called Yunomi which has no handles. If you are visiting someone's house or business in Japan, you will probably be offered a cup of green tea. Also, Japanese restaurants serve green tea free of charge. When you drink Japanese tea, hold the yunomi cup with one hand and put the other hand at the bottom of the cup. Please remember that green tea is drunk hot and without sugar or cream.
1. Sencha
Sencha is the most popular of Japan's green teas. It has a lightly astringent taste along with a slight sweetness. Lesser quality sencha tea is called bancha.
2. Dragon Well
Dragon Well tea (also called Lung Ching) is the ultimate green tea. The name comes from a legendary well in the West Lake region of China where the tea is produced. The colour is bright green and the flavour is quite brisk. Be prepared to pay more than usual for this quality tea.
3. Gunpowder
These tea leaves are rolled into tight, little balls that apparently resemble old-style gunpowder. Because of the rolled form, Gunpowder tea stays fresher longer than most other green teas. The taste is fresh and a little grassy.
4. Jasmine
Jasmine isn't exactly a kind of green tea, but is a blended tea with green tea leaves and jasmine flowers. The blossoms give the tea a very refreshing taste, and fragrant aroma.
5. Genmaicha
Like the jasmine tea, genmaicha isn't a kind of tea but a blend. This time, sencha green tea is mixed with toasted brown rice. Sounds odd, but the tea has a distinctive toasty flavour.
6. Macha
Macha is the kind of tea used in tradtional Japanese tea ceremony. It's ground up very fine, and the tea is whisked when prepared. The flavour is light and sweet. Macha works well added to desserts too.
7. Anji
Anji green tea is becoming popular due to its fine and subtle flavor. Its grown in the Zhejiang region of China and has thin little leaves that look almost black in dry form. A good variety to try if you find others to be too strong tasting.































