Varieties of Green tea
Varieties of Green tea
Matcha
After harvest, tea leaves for Matcha go through (1) steaming, (2) drying, and (3) grinding with a stone mill.
The highest grade Matcha is the brightest green and has the most sweet and mellow flavor, without any hint of bitterness, such as our Grade No.1 and Grade No.2.
Lower quality Matcha is less green and more yellow and the flavor is less mellow.
Matcha is special because since it is ground into a powder and completely dissolved in water when brewed, you drink the whole constituents of the tea leaves and ingest all of the healthful nutrients without throwing away the leaves as one does with Sencha and Gyokuro.
Gyokuro
After harvest, tea leaves for Gyokuro go through
(1) steaming, (2) drying and kneading (crumpling),
and (3) sorting. This processing is the same as Sencha.
Kneading enables the tea leaves to extract the flavor
and constituents into the water.
Gyokuro has a mellow flavor and sweet taste.
When brewed, Gyokuro has a pure grassy green color.
Brewing more slowly with lower temperature water is
also one reason why Gyokuro brings a relaxed atmosphere
as well as an excellent flavor. The highest grade Gyokuro
has the most sweet and mellow flavor.
Sencha
After harvest, tea leaves for Sencha go through,
(1) steaming, (2) drying and kneading (crumpling),
and (3) sorting. This processing is the same as Gyokuro.
Kneading enables the tea leaves to extract the flavor
and constituents into the water.
Sencha is the most popular and widely-consumed Japanese green tea.
It is suitable for any situation and anytime,
a quick eye-opener and energizer, great served
with sushi or other Asian foods, after meals,
teatime, and so on.
Sencha has the perfect balance and harmony of refreshing aroma,
mellow flavor, and bitter taste. When brewed,
Sencha has a lovely golden yellow green color.
The highest grade Sencha has the most mellow flavor,
excellent refreshing aroma, and more balanced bitter taste.
Sencha Fukamushi
Tea leaves of Sencha Fukamushi are steamed heavily for a longer time. This special steaming process causes the tea leaves of Sencha Fukamushi to split, so that the taste of the tea is stronger yet more mellow. When brewed, Sencha Fukamushi has a cloudy green color, because the constituents are more easily extracted in water and more of the tea dissolves into the water.
Karigane
Karigane is composed of stems selected from high grade Sencha tea leaves. Karigane contains much Teanin, which gives the tea a sweet and mellow taste. When brewed, Sencha Karigane has a yellow green color. If you are looking for a unique product or a good value then this tea is perfect for you.
Tama-ryokucha
After being steamed this tea is made into comma-shaped tea with a rolling drier. This tea is manufactured in the district of Kyushu in the main. Represents 4.7% of the green tea produced in Japan.
Genmaicha
Genmaicha is a combination of Sencha tea leaves mixed with puffed brown rice, which adds a delicious popcorn and roasted grain flavor. And it contains less caffeine. When brewed, this tea has a golden yellow green color. Due to the rice, Genmaicha has the rich and hearty flavor of roasted grains or coffee. This also makes a good breakfast tea.
Genmaicha with Matcha
Genmaicha with Matcha is a combination of Genmaicha and Matcha. The Matcha powder lightly coats the Sencha leaves and rice, adding a mellow taste to Genmaicha's delicious roasted flavor and makes the tea a more pure grassy green color. Due to the rice, this tea has the rich and hearty flavor of roasted grains or coffee but the freshness of Matcha. It is very well balanced, full flavored and smooth.
Hoji-cha
Houjicha is Sencha or Kariganecha that has been additionally roasted, giving this tea its special roasted flavor. Hoji-cha contains much Catechin because the tea leaves are grown in full sunlight. And it contains very little caffeine so it is suitable even for a baby. When brewed, this tea is a transparent brown color and is somewhat similar in flavor to basic black tea such as English breakfast tea, Ceylon or Darjeeling, although it tastes much more fresh and healthy.
Konacha
The tiny, powder-like bits of tea leaves which remain after sieving regular tea leaf. Also known as "agari".
It is often served sushi bars.
