What is the difference between Chinese and Japanese Green tea?!
Especially people who know the asian continent.
Answers: Please discuss.
Especially people who know the asian continent.
Japanese Green Tea
According to http://www.o-cha.net/ a 世界緑茶協会 (World Green Tea Association) in Japan. There are few different a type of Japanese Green Tea and each type is usually brewed a little differently.
Japanese green tea is produced in many localities in Japan, the great majority ~ 43% is produced in Shizuoka prefecture, located about an hour south of Tokyo by the bullet train.
Another area famous in Japan for it's exceptionally high quality green teas is Uji ~ 3%, not far from Kyoto. Kagoshima produces about 25% of the green teas that come from Japan and Kagoshima green tea is also known for their superior qualities.
~80% of Japanese Green teas grown under the full sun (SenCha) while less than ~0.5% versus grown under the shade (GyoKuRo) . There are also powdered versions of both SenCha (Powdered SenCha) and GyoKuRo (MatCha) , they taste quite different.
There are usually three or four per year, with the first considered to be the best quality usually takes place in late April to early May. The second harvest usually takes place from June through July, and the third picking takes place in late July to early August. Sometimes, there will also be a fourth harvest
Late harvested green tea is known as BanCha. Quite often this is used to make some other unusual types of green tea such as GenMaiCha (Puffed rice mixed in with it) and another type known as HouJiCha (With little to no caffeine).
Like most things in life, the higher qualities of green tea usually cost quite a bit more than lower quality products.
In Japan, the price is generally decided not only on the quality, but on the amount of labor it takes to produce a given green tea.
In the case of GyoKuRo, the tea plants need to be put under 90%+ shade for three weeks prior to harvest. This involves building structures over the plants. Thus, GyoKuRo is usually quite a bit more expensive than SenCha.
Further, MatCha is produced using these same shade grown leaves, so the price can go up further. It doesn't always mean that any GyoKuRo is going to be better quality than a high quality SenCha which may cost less.
With that said a really superb, high quality Japanese green tea will never really be cheap.
Here are a few important things for a consumer to keep in mind when purchasing green tea:
Freshness. Green tea doesn't stay fresh as long as other types of teas and has a *great* impact on quality levels.
Packaging. This relates to the above. Higher quality green teas are packaged so that hey do not oxidize.
Taste. Some green teas, even when in comparable categories, simply taste better than others due to how they were grown.
Which harvest the tea came from.
Finally how Japanese Green Tea are produce - depending on which harvest the tea came from and what the final product is desired. One thing that all the varieties share is that they are harvested, steamed to prevent oxidization, and dried.
Here a overview:
Process of Japanese Green Tea are known as "AraCha" are stored under low humidity refridgeration in 65 or 130 lb paper bags at 32-41°F. This AraCha has yet to be refined at this stage, with a final firing taking place before blending, selection, and packaging takes place. The leaves in this state will be refired throughout the year as they are needed, giving the green teas a longer shelf life and better flavor. The first flush tea of May will readily store in this fashion until the next year's harvest. After this redrying process, each crude tea will be sifted and graded according to size. Finally, each lot will be blended according to the blend order by the tasters and packed for sale.
In Depth Break Down of SunCha the most commond Japanese Green Tea:
After harvest steaming at ~210°F for 30-45 seconds, longer for "FuKaMushi". Dry for 48 min then roll/shake for 24 min at room temp. When done it got 2nd stage drying for 40 min then roll/shake for another 40 min. Before it can ship to refine dept (Removal of stems & debris and package), the SunCha need to when through one final stage for rolling/shaking to reduce moisture content to 5% it will take another ~30 min.
For for detail visit the website http://www.o-cha.net/ , they have link on the felowing sujuct.
The Origin of Tea.
Classification of Tea in the World
Production and Consumption of Tea in the World
History of Tea in Japan
Different Kinds of Tea in Japan
Present Situation of Tea Production in Japan
Green Tea Production in Japan
Cultivation of Japanese Green Tea
Japanese Green Tea Producessing
Quality Control of Japanese Green Tea
Packing and Storage of Japanese Green Tea
Distribution of Japanese Green Tea
Consumption of Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Green Tea (all price list are US).
Tea in Hangzhou
Hangzhou, three hours southwest of Shanghai, is a popular tourist destination for the Chinese. Tea is popular everywhere in China, but few places enjoy Hangzhou's reputation for tea culture - an undefined element that seems to encompass all things related to tea.
West Lake Dragon Well tea, a green tea grown in the hills surrounding the city, is Hangzhou's specialty. High-grade Dragon Well tea is expensive - often displayed in luxury shops like jewelry. Yet many of the poorest locals consider it a necessity. The leaves of the green tea, brilliant emerald green spears about 3/4 inch long, are renowned throughout Chine for their beauty. The Buddhist monks first started tea-growing around Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple, the most significant landmark of this 2,200-year-old city. In ages past, emperors demanded the green tea as tribute, and it was offered as a gift to President Nixon when he visited China in 1972.
National Chinese Tea Museum, southeast of the city, is largest tea museum in the world. Along wide stone steps uphill, small tea villages nestled in valleys with rows of tea bushes clothing the surrounding hills.
Through the centuries, tea has gained a niche in the lives of the Chinese, particularly the tea teahouses that line West Lake and huddle in the valleys of the surrounding hills. Brews of green tea are priced from $4.60 to $30.50 (US dollor) in those teahouses, and the price of a pot there buys hours of lazing around, snacking and drinking - a favorite activity of locals and visitors as well.
Chengdu
Green tea and teahouses
Chengdu, a city of 2,300-year history and capital of Sichuan Province, is a stopping off point for travelers heading to Tibet. Bustling side streets and allies lined with traditional wooden Chinese architecture, Chengdu is a perfect place to taste tongue-numbingly delicious spicy food and sip green tea in on one of thousands of teahouses.
Chengdu is one of few remaining cities in China still with authentic teahouse culture. Scattered in parks and roadside, most teahouses in Chengdu are simply equipped with wooden tables and bamboo chairs. ￠65 of a pot of green tea would buy a whole day laziness. Dinner served at teahouse costs ￠50.
On southwest of the city is E-mei Mountain, rich in historical relics. A popular green tea from there is Bamboo Leaf Green. A cup of Bamboo Leaf Green tea is priced at $3.50 at 'Seng Tao Sha', one of star-graded teahouse in the city. The cup would cost $23 If the tea is blended with Chinese caterpillar fungus, a Tibetan medicine claimed having tonic power
Teahouses in Shanghai
Teahouses in Shanghai are not as bustling as in Hangzhou, neither as in great numbers as in Chengdu, but featured of every description.
'Tea Mall' is wholesale market crowded with more than two hundred tea shops. For those who do not have a chance for Tea Museum in Hangzhou, this is the place for tea education. Quite many varieties of teas, even rare green tea, converge on here. All shops offer free tea sampling. (518 East Zhongshan Rd.)
'Park 92' is a snack stand in Fuxing Park. Menu is in English and only 'CHINESE TEA' is listed and priced at $ 3.75 a pot. The tea is actually green tea bag served with exquisite white tea set.
'Spring Wind' is located in Town God's Temple. Equipped with traditional Chinese square dining table and a stage for storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect, this teahouse offers many well-known Chinese teas. The price for a pot of green tea ranges from $ 1.85 to a $ 25. (337 Fangbang Rd.)
'Tea Buffet' is a small teahouse in Guiling Park. There about ten teas to choose.
'Green Vine' is run in Hangzhou style. 'Shanghai Dragon Well', a green tea from the suburb, can be found here too. Teas are priced in four classes, starting from $ 3.65, with free snack. (1111 Yanan Rd.)
Here are a list of Green Tea made in china
State of Zhejiang
-Cloud and Mist
-Dragon Mountain
-Dragon Well
-Green Peony Green Top
-Gunpowder Tea
-Hui Ming Tea
-Jing Mountain Tea Purple Shoot
-Rock Tea
-White Tea
-Zen Tea
State of Anhui
-Da Fang
-Green Fire
-Hou Kui
-Mao Feng
-Sunflower Seed
-Tunxi Green Tea
State of Jiangsu
-Bi Luo Chun
-Rain Flower
State of Jiangxi
-Cloud and mist
-Emerald green
-Eyebrow tea
-Twinwell green tea
State of Fujian
-Shiting Green Tea
-Tianshan Green Tea
State of Hunan
-Guzhang mao jian
-Rocky bank tea
-Silver Needle
-Silver Peak
State of Hubei
-Jade Chip
State of Guangdong
-Silver Tip
State of Guangxi
-West Mountain
State of Guizhou
-Mao Jian
State of Sichuan
-Bamboo Leaf Green
-E Rui
-Meng Ding
State of Yunnan
-White Hair
State of Henan
-Xinyang Mao Jian
Chinese green tea also are made different than Japan. Disblate different state of China made different tea, but process are the same, they name their tea base on the leave they use not the finish product.
Picking - The harvest time for green tea is usually early morning of the spring. Some tea can be cropped year around though. Higher grade green tea requires certain days of the spring season, when trees just begin to shoot.
Roasting - Chinese began to roast their tea leaves rather than Steaming them like Japan
Shaping - The differently shape of green tea is determined by how it is treated during second roasting. In most cases, teas are painstakingly pressed into 'spears' or rolled into 'pearls' by hand.
Drying - Leaves now are backed in low temperature to increase the fragrance.
I can only tell you the taste difference, Japanese was far more tasty
i feel like trying em now.
Green tea actually originated in China - the variation is growing conditions and additives, if any.
I would avoid the expensive "white tea," it is really, really bland.