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Learn all about Japanese Green Tea...
What is Green Tea?
History
Types of Japanese Green Tea
Health Benefits
Vitamins & Minerals
Why is raku-cha green tea so green?
All tea, black, white, oolong (wu-long) and green, come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The difference in taste and nutritional content results from differences in processing. Unlike black tea and oolong tea, green tea is not fermented. Actually it is steamed immediately after plucked, before it is pan-fired or roasted, in order to prevent any oxidization of the beneficial chemicals contained in the leaf. This locks in the powerful antioxidants, preserving the catechins and other important nutrients within the tea plant.
Black tea on the otherhand undergoes full fermentation (left to oxidize in the sun) before it is fired, while oolong is semi-fermented. The shorter processing of green tea gives it a lighter flavour, making it easier to drink as is, without milk or sweeteners.
Information coming soon.
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Sencha
The name `sencha` means infused tea. It makes up the majority of tea harvested in Japan and you will find it in some form in most Japanese households. It`s grown in full sunlight and plucked three or four times per year. The very first of these harvests is called `Shincha` and results in a high grade tea of exceptional quality with reputedly very high levels of beneficial antioxidants. The shincha leaves can be identified by their deeper green colour. All subsequent harvests after the shincha produce teas of a slightly lesser quality, though this is only really detectable by connoisseurs and it doesn`t compromise any of the health giving properties.
Sencha has the strongest potency of all Japanese teas in Vitamin C, and Vitamin B2 (a.k.a. Riboflavin, which helps formulate red blood cells). One cup of sencha is said to provide around 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! The leaf contains 6x more vitamin C than a Valencia orange (of equivalent weight). This tea contains a moderate to high caffeine level. There are three grades of Sencha products in the raku-cha line-up. These vary according to the proportions and quality of the tea leaves used to prepare each blend. The quality of tea leaves not only changes throughout the harvest season but varies among individual tea farms. The best way to tell the difference is to compare the appearance (colour and condition) and the brew!
Bancha
Bancha is the tea resulting from the later harvests of the plant (after Sencha harvests). After several harvests, the leaves of the tea plant become coarser. This gives the brew a unique character and exceptional flavour of its own, and makes it more astringent (bitter) than Sencha. Though considered a lesser quality tea to Sencha, a good-quality Bancha should still produce a `green` colour when brewed (not brown like many supermarket teabag products). Bancha tea is low in caffeine and tannins, so Japanese parents are happy to serve it to their children and it has become popular among Westerners seeking low-caffeine options. Bancha tea has also received endorsements from those on a macrobiotic diet as it helps moderate the body`s alkalinity. The tea is also high in fluoride, so is effective against tooth decay and halitotis (i.e., bad breath).
Kuki-cha
Kuki-cha combines the pale green stems and stalks that are removed from the tea plant during the production of sencha and gyokuro with the tea leaves. It is therefore often referred to as `stem tea` or `twig tea.` The resulting brew is a very light yellow-green in colour and has a light, refreshing, & somewhat creamy (or `nutty`) flavour. The light refreshing taste makes it great as an iced tea. This tea is very low in caffeine, and is also a preferred tea of the macrobiotic diet. If you`re still getting accustomed to the flavours of green tea, we recommend trying the raku-cha Kukicha product. The creamier flavour makes it a real pleasure!
Hoji-cha
Hoji-cha is produced by roasting Bancha or Sencha green tea over a high heat, resulting in a reddish-brown tea leaf and a light reddish-brown brew (much like the colour of a black draft beer). The heat from the roasting process eliminates the caffeine and gives the tea a unique smokey fragrance and slightly caramel-like flavour. Hoji-cha is thought to be particularly good in assisting the body in digestion. The lowest in caffeine and tannin, this tea is great for the elderly, children or sick, or as a drink before going to bed. It is a standard offering in hospitals in Japan as no risk of caffeine interfering with medications or recovery. Hoji-cha tastes best when brewed in larger earthenware teapots and served in larger thicker cups that hold the aroma of the tea longer. The thicker teacups are also preferable as boiling water is used for the brewing of this tea and a delicate sencha-style teacup can be too hot to hold.
Genmai-cha
Genmai-cha isn`t a variety of tea, but a blend. It consists of sencha or bancha leaves with roasted brown rice (genmai). The resulting infusion has a unique aromatic roasted flavour. Genmai-cha is said to aid digestion, so is commonly drunk as an accompaniment to a heavy meal, such as tempura, deep-fried foods or Chinese cuisine. Genmai-cha is very low in caffeine (especially blends made from Bancha), and is a modest source of vitamin B1.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro green tea is the highest grade of Japanese green tea. The entire gyokuro tea plantation is shaded from direct sunlight for about two weeks prior to harvest in order to slow maturation (photosynthesis). This enhances the content of flavenols, amino acids, sugars and other health-benefiting chemicals and gives gyokuro an unmistakable darker leaf and full bodied taste. Only the first flush of the spring harvest is collected, which makes Gyokuro an expensive, very high grade tea. The Gyokuro brew is an intense yellow-green colour and its flavour achieves the perfect balance between astringency (bitterness) and sweetness. Gyokuro is one of the highest in caffeine content.
Due to the delicacy of the leaf, brewing requires a little extra care and attention with the optimal water temperature around 60 dgrs and steeping time increase. We recommend enjoying Gyokuro on special occasions and among friends and family. For a premium quality everyday beverage, a high-quality Sencha is probably more practical.
Matcha
Matcha is the powdered form of green tea that is used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Like Gyokuro, Matcha spends the last period of its propagation shaded. Only the soft parts of the leaves are used in the processing, which involves steaming, drying and de-veining to leave only the blades of the tea leaf. At this stage, the leaf is called `Tencha.` Tencha is then ground it into fine powder, known as Matcha. To prepare Matcha tea, the powder is whisked with warm water. Matcha has a low tannin content which gives it a very characteristic mellow sweetness and subtle bitterness.
Matcha is high in Vitamin A and has high nutritional value as the powdered form enables consumption of whole tea leaf. Matcha is delicious as a flavouring in desserts, ice-cream, and in general cooking, as well as for matcha latte or shakes.
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Green tea has been consumed as a medicinal beverage for thousands of centuries and it is now the subject of much attention among Western scientists. Over the last decade there has been much talk on the ability of green tea to reduce the risks and/or slow the onset of major illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, alzheimers, dementia, and so on. The research results obtained so far however, have not proved conclusive and the conclusion reached is that more extensive research is required before such claims can be validated or endorsed. So while research around the world continues, we can take assurance in those health benefits that are already commonly agreed upon, such as that:
GREEN TEA...
- lowers total cholesterol and raises HDL ("good") cholesterol,
- helps to regulate glucose (or blood sugar) in the body,
- boosts the immune system,
- fights harmful bacteria and viruses,
- helps control blood pressure,
- may assist in weight loss (reducing the formation of `excess` fat cells),
- increases concentration,
- improves digestion,
- and more.
For a general overview of the health benefits of green tea, check out the following websites:
- Wikipedia online encyclopedia
- Report by the World Green Tea Association (Japan)
- Green Tea News, a general information site on green tea (United States).
Note: Any health information in this web site or referred to in the linked sites is for educational purposes only and is not providing medical or professional advice. It should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you have or suspect you might have any health problems, you should consult a physician.
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Click here to find out about the chemical composition of various Japanese green teas and how they change over the harvest season (Source: World Green Tea Association).
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When many Aussies drink our Sencha green tea for the first time, they are surprised at the colour of the resulting brew. We often hear them say "Wow, it`s so green?" and "I didn`t realise green tea actually produced such a green coloured tea!"
It`s true that raku-cha green teas from Japan produce a much more vividly-green brew than supermarket green teas and varieties of green tea produced in other countries. There are two reasons for this:
the difference in the quality of the tea leaf; and
differences in production techniques and/or quality control.
Unlike black tea which is fully fermented by laying the plucked leaves out to whither in the sun prior to processing, green tea should not suffer any fermentation. When tea ferments the chemical compounds (anti-oxidants, etc) within the tea leaf oxidize and the original chemical composition of the tea plant are altered. There is much health-benefit to be gained from the chemical compounds (polyphenols, catechins, etc) naturally found in the tea plant, and, as a tea variety, green tea aims to maintain these compounds intact as much as possible.
Japanese green tea leaves are steamed as soon as plucked in order to lock in the anti-oxidants and prevent any fermentation or chemical changes. This process also locks in the rich green colour of the tea leaves and helps maintain the original grassy flavour of the tea leaf.
Further, raku-cha green tea is packed into foil pouches at the Japanese processing plant to ensure the quality of the tea product is maintained. Many of the big supermarket tea brands purchase tea leaves from tea farms located in many different countries and with different processing techniques and standards, and ship them to a processing plant in another country where they are blended and repackaged. All of this handling affects the quality of the product. The packaging also often specifies the country where the tea is blended and repackaged, rather that the original country of origin of the tea.
When comparing Japanese green tea with green tea from China, you will also find that the brew colour is quite different. This is a result in the different processing techniques used to prevent fermentation. Instead of steaming the tea leaves after plucking, Chinese green tea is pan-fried. This also locks in the anti-oxidants of the leaf, but does change the flavour of the tea slightly to become a more toasted flavour & give a more yellowish brew colour rather than the rich green colour and grassy flavour of Japanese green tea varieties such as Sencha and Gyokuro.
COMPARE FOR YOURSELF!
We encourage you to compare the brew of any of our Sencha products with a supermarket green tea. Post your comments on the product review page for the Sencha product used and you`ll receive a FREE raku-cha product.
Go on, take up the challenge and score yourself a FREEBIE!
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