Green tea - a beverage that has served us well in every sense since centuries. From giving a refreshing start to our day to welcoming us home to relaxation; from bringing us indulgences laced with enchanting flavors and aromas to helping us transcend to the realm of utopia, leaving our worries behind for a little while - a warm cup of Green tea is an answer to so many of our problems. Above all, its true beauty is in the many types of Green tea flavors, readily available today to bring us delight like no other.
Green Teas are fresh tea leaves with very little processing. They do not undergo the oxidation process. The leaves, after being plucked, are allowed to wither for a few hours. They are then steamed or panned to remove the moisture and trap the antioxidants within the leaves. The different types of Green tea flavours change from region to region; with more grassy-flavoured Green tea types coming from Japan; peachy and chocolaty teas from China; and gunpowder flavours coming from Taiwan.
The discovery of Green tea is just as fascinating as the many types of Green teas available today. Emperor Shen Nung is believed to have discovered this tea in 2737 BC (5,000 years ago) in ancient China. Legend has it that as he rested with his entourage outdoors, a few leaves from a wild tree wafted into his pot of boiling water. Not noticing the change in colour, he sipped the intriguing brew. He was instantly enchanted by its delicate flavour and the refreshing effect.
What began as an accidental affair has now transformed into an evergreen industry dedicated to pleasing tea connoisseurs across the globe. Contrary to popular belief that Green tea is an acquired taste, today it is available in many flavors, making it an ideal drink for all to enjoy. From spicy to savory, tangy to toasty, and herbal to floral - when it comes to flavoured Green tea blends, there is a lot to choose from. To bring you the best of all flavor, Tea Culture of the World is home to a range of exotic tea Green blends - with a tea curated for every taste.
Green Tea Varieties By Tea Culture of the World
1. Decaf Green:
This blend comes to you as nature made it, fresh from sun-kissed tea estates, untouched by chemicals. As the name suggests, it is a decaffeinated, mild green tea. Give in to this guilt-free pleasure, and allow its gentle flavour and health-boosting flavonoids to surround you with a pleasant glow of well-being.
- Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
- Caffeine Level: Negligible
- Aroma: Vegetative
- Appearance: Pale Yellow
- Taste: Delicately sweet
2. Sencha:
Sencha tea is sheer luxury in a tea cup. A Chinese monk first introduced the Japanese to the art of rolling tea leaves, instead of grinding them into a powder. Nagatani Soen, a tea merchant in Uji, Kyoto, developed the technique further, by steaming and drying the best green tea leaves before rolling them. The tea made by this painstaking process is Japan’s most well-known tea today. Savour a cup of this minimally processed, delicately sweet, laced with a subtle tang, and feel stress float away.
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Caffeine Level: Moderate
- Aroma: Fresh, Herbal
- Appearance: Vibrant Green
- Taste: Delicately sweet, smooth with a subtle tang
3. Matcha:
Originally used to create an elixir for long life by Buddhist monk Elsai Eisai, Matcha has evolved from the beverage of monks and aristocrats to be enjoyed by everyone. As you whisk the stone-pounded green Matcha tea powder with water and sip the delicate, sweet infusion, you’ll find yourself sliding into a mood of contemplative calm. The Japanese believe that drinking Matcha tea enhances meditation, so don’t be surprised if your evening cup transports you to the land of Zen.
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Caffeine Level: High
- Aroma: Fresh, Vegetal
- Appearance: Vibrant Green
- Taste: Delicately sweet with slight astringency
4. Jasmine Leaf:
The tea leaves are plucked in spring and stored till early summer, when the jasmine blossoms appear. The fresh jasmine flowers are kept overnight with the tea leaves, so that they can infuse the leaves with their fragrance when they open. This process is repeated up to 10 times, infusing the leaves and the brew with a strong jasmine fragrance and flavour. Savour a cup of fresh, mildly sweet Jasmine tea and enjoy the most delectable way to good health.
- Country of Origin: India
- Caffeine Level: High
- Aroma: Floral, Sweet
- Appearance: Pale Green
- Taste: Herbal, slightly tangy
5. Gunpowder:
Legend has it that this tea came into being by accident, while Chinese alchemists were trying to create an elixir of immortality. The tea leaves were steamed and rolled into tight pellets, preserving their aroma and freshness and reducing their volume. The elixir remained elusive, but the shiny pellets of Gunpowder, perfectly preserved through long caravan journeys and ocean voyages, became popular across the world.
- Country of Origin: China
- Caffeine Level: High
- Aroma: Smoky
- Appearance: Misty Green
- Taste: Strong and Toasty
6. Hojicha:
Sip a cup of Hojicha tea on a cool evening and find yourself enveloped in a warm cocoon. Hojicha was created in the 1920s, when thrifty tea merchants tried to make the most of leftover green tea leaves by roasting them in porcelain pots over charcoal. The novel roasting process evoked an intense aroma and smoky flavour that was appreciated by many. Today, Hojicha’s unique taste and aroma are loved the world over.
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Caffeine Level: Moderate
- Aroma: Intense, Roasted
- Appearance: Red-brown
- Taste: Toasty, with a hint of caramel
7. Lotus Tea:
When fine green tea leaves are wrapped within the buds of just-bloomed lotus flowers, you get a unique fusion of flavour and fragrance. It is said that King Tu Duc of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty made his staff row across the lotus lake in the palace garden, enclosing Green tea leaves in the newly-bloomed lotus flowers. The buds were tied around the tea leaves and left overnight, to absorb the fragrance of the flower. The tea leaves were brought back every morning to brew the King a refreshing cup of Lotus tea. To this date, artisans use one thousand, newly bloomed lotus flowers to make one kilogram of authentic tea.
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
- Caffeine Level: High
- Aroma: Rich, Floral
- Appearance: Pale Gold
- Taste: Sharp with a subtle sweetness
8. Dragonwell:
First flush hand-plucked at springtime, roasted immediately in woks, and heated to the right temperature, yields this delicate Green tea. In 250 AD, habitants from a drought-affected village in China prayed to a dragon living deep within the earth for a water source. Miraculously, the drought ended, and the village was christened Dragon Well. While visiting Dragon Well in the 17th century, Emperor Qianlong was so impressed by the quality of the tea he was offered, that he gave the village’s 18 Dragon Well Tea Trees royal status.
- Country of Origin: China
- Caffeine Level: High
- Aroma: Delicate, Toasty
- Appearance: Pale Yellow
- Taste: Mild with a delicate flavour of toasted chestnuts
If you are looking for flavorful-packed types of Green tea in India, Tea Culture of the World is where you will find the best of the lot! Explore our carefully curated Green tea collections for experiences that are sure to indulge all your senses, all at once.