Green Tea


Genmaicha

Green Tea: Just the Facts, Ma’am, Pure and Simple

The mystical tea terraces of China and Japan are part of what gives green tea its aura of mystery and ancient wisdom. Not just China and Japan, but Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia have also grown to become significant exporters of this much sought-after brew.

With its pure, fresh taste, you might think it came straight out of springs in the earth and into your cup, steaming hot. The reality isn’t that too far off: Unlike other teas, green teas are non-oxidized. Once the top two leaves and a bud are hand-plucked, the fresh leaves are steamed to halt oxidation.

Steaming brings out the fresh, grassy taste and aromas we associate with green tea, and it also makes the leaves soft and pliable for sorting and rolling into batches. The whole process is carried out without machines, guaranteeing the delicacy of flavor you’d find only with handcrafted teas.

If you like your green tea on the nutty side, try our playful Lung Ching variety. It’s an example of a green tea that’s pan-fried before being dried and sorted (other types of green tea may be pan-fried) to bring out that extra nutty nuance.

Whether you love green tea for its clean, earthy flavor or for its rich antioxidant benefits, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has got you covered with our superior-quality selection of whole leaf green teas.

Grassy, vegetal, nutty or sweet, one or another of all these charming characteristics can found in these four main green tea types:

Sencha: The most popular green tea in Japan, this exquisite varietal comes from leaves that have soaked up rays from direct exposure to sunlight.

Gyokuro: The elite of Japanese green teas. The name means Jade Dew, which describes the pale green essence of the liquor.

Lung Ching: It also goes by the more seductively dangerous name, “Dragon Well.” This Chinese green tea is pan-fired for a nutty, wholesome flavor, and features a distinctive flat appearance. Make no mistake, though – appearances can be deceiving; Lung Ching’s got a zesty personality.

Matcha: If you’re wondering where to get your hands on a fantastic blended tea drink, we’re the place. Matcha is the finely ground or “powdered” Japanese green tea that we use to make our delicious, mind-expanding Green Tea Ice Blended® Drink!