What is Chinese Green tea? History, benefits and more

The origin of green tea

According to ancient records, tea was cultivated artificially in northern Sichuan and southern Shanxi during the Western Zhou Dynasty, which means that the history of green tea cultivation is at least 3,000 years old. More than 1,000 years ago, my country used the steaming method to process green tea, and since then, its production and manufacturing began to spread to other East Asian countries.

Green tea production uses fresh tea leaves as raw materials, undergoing processes such as withering, shaping (rolling), and drying, resulting in the unique quality characteristics of green tea—“clear soup and green leaves.” Due to differences in tea tree varieties, growth conditions, production methods, and harvesting times, there can be significant variations in the appearance and flavor of the tea. Based on different processing techniques, green tea can be categorized into four types: stir-fried green tea, such as West Lake Longjing; steamed green tea, such as Enshi Yulu; baked green tea, such as Biluochun; and sun-dried green tea, such as Yunnan green tea. We have selected representative and distinctive premium green teas to help you better understand and experience the world of Chinese green teas.

Famous Chinese green tea

West Lake Longjing

West Lake Longjing has long been ranked first among the top ten famous teas. It is the top representative of flat stir-fried green tea and is known for its green color, rich fragrance, mellow taste and beautiful shape. It is the first choice for tea lovers in spring. The authentic West Lake Longjing has a flat and beautiful appearance, and its color is green with yellow, commonly known as "brown rice color". It has rich internal quality, is sweet and mellow in the mouth, and its pure natural "bean fragrance and flower fragrance" is irresistible.

Biluochun

Dongting Biluochun has been famous since ancient times and has won the love of many celebrities. Gong Zizhen, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, once praised that "Biluochun from Dongting Mountain is the best tea in the world." The dry Biluochun tea is curled like a snail and covered with fine hairs. After brewing, the tea soup is emerald green, the buds and leaves are stretched and plump, it tastes fresh and mellow, and the natural floral and fruity aroma is very pleasant.

Mengding Ganlu

Mengding Mountain in Sichuan is the earliest place in my country with written records of artificial tea cultivation. It is well-known for its reputation of "water from the Yangtze River and tea from the top of Mengding Mountain". As a curly stir-fried green tea, Mengding Ganlu has a curly appearance and a clear green and slightly yellow tea soup. The tea soup is like nectar, fresh and sweet, with a high and refreshing fragrance that lingers on the teeth and cheeks.

Huangshan Maofeng

Huangshan Maofeng is the best of China's roasted green teas. It is rooted in the famous mountain, Huangshan, and has a unique natural ecological environment, which gives it a high-grade orchid fragrance. The dry tea has white hairs all over its body, the buds are like peaks, and there are golden fish leaves (protective leaves under the buds); when brewed in a cup, the aroma is like orchid, the soup is clear and slightly yellow, the taste is mellow and sweet, and the flavor is deep.

Taiping Houkui

Taiping Houkui, one of the famous teas in Chinese history and the best of the green teas, has always been known for its "pointed ends, not loose, not warped, not curled". The dry tea has two leaves holding one bud, the leaves are large and the buds are strong; after brewing in a cup, the buds and leaves float, the soup is clear green, the orchid fragrance is faint and fragrant, the taste is mellow, and the sweetness lasts for a long time.

Xinyang Maojian

Xinyang Maojian is a special type of needle-shaped roasted green tea, with a unique style of "delicate, rich white hairs, and high fragrance" in terms of sensory quality. Made with ingenious craftsmanship, Xinyang Maojian has an emerald green color for dry tea, a bright green soup color, a fresh and mellow taste, and a distinct sweet aftertaste; the aroma shows different degrees of hair fragrance, fresh fragrance, and cooked chestnut fragrance.

Lu'an Guapian

Lu'an Guapian is a special type of green tea. During production, the tea stems and buds are removed and the tea is made entirely from leaves. It is the only famous green tea without buds or stems. Lu'an Guapian, made with a unique process, has no grassy taste and the tea soup is not bitter. It tastes fresh and pure.

Anji Bai Green Tea

Although its name contains "white", it belongs to the category of green tea. The special thing about Anji Bai is that the tea tree variety is "Baiye No. 1"(White Leaf No.1), which is a rare variety. It is rich in 18 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body. Its amino acid content is 5-10.6%, which is 3-4 times higher than that of ordinary green tea. The polyphenols are less than other green teas, so Anji Bai tastes particularly fresh. It will not be astringent after a long soak.

Queshe(Bamboo Leaf Green Tea)

It is a flat stir-fried green tea produced in Emishan city and surrounding areas of Sichuan Province. Modern Bamboo Leaf Green tea is a famous tea created in the 1960s, and its name was given by Marshal Chen Yi. Queshe is flat and straight like bamboo leaves, with a strong and lasting aroma, bright yellow-green soup color, fresh and refreshing taste, and bright yellow leaves.

Guzhang Maojian

Guzhang Maojian is produced in Guzhang County, Wuling Mountain Area, Hunan Province. Guzhang is a place with high mountains and deep valleys. It must be picked and processed by hand, and the process is complicated. Guzhang Maojian has many straight hairs, tender buds and leaves, emerald green color, high and rich aroma, mellow and sweet taste, and can be brewed for a long time. It is known as the "treasure among green teas".

Enshi Yulu

Enshi Yulu is the only green tea in China that is still steam-withering. It originated in Bajiao Township, Enshi City. In 1936, the pan-frying method was changed to steam-withering method. Not only the tea soup and leaves were green, but also the appearance was oily and emerald green, like the color of jade. It began to be exported to Japan in 1945. The trace element "selenium" in tea is high, which can prevent cancer. The taste is fresh and refreshing.

Yunnan Green tea(dianqing)

It belongs to the category of sun-dried green tea, and is mainly produced in high-altitude tea areas such as Lincang and Dali in Yunnan. Yunnan green tea is made from large-leaf fresh leaves, which are plump and tight in appearance, dark green in color, with a delicate and floral aroma, a bright yellow-green soup color, a rich and sweet taste, and a tender and thick leaf bottom, combining the full taste of large-leaf varieties with the fresh and refreshing characteristics of green tea.

How is green tea made?

Green tea is made through the process of picking, withering, rolling and drying:

Picking: Pick different grades of tea leaves according to their quality. The best time to pick tea leaves is the first time in spring after the weather warms up in winter.
Withering: Through high temperature, the characteristics of the enzymes in the fresh leaves are destroyed, the oxidation process is stopped, and at the same time part of the water in the leaves is evaporated, making the leaves softer, creating conditions for rolling and shaping, and also improving the aroma of the tea.
Rolling: Rolling is a process of shaping the appearance of green tea. By using external force, the leaves are rolled into strips, the volume is reduced, and it is easy to brew.
Drying: Use different methods to reduce the moisture content of tea and stabilize the quality of tea.

Usually it takes 1-2 days to make a batch of tea. Teas with different picking standards and different varieties need to be made separately. March and April every year is our green tea making time. There are also areas where tea is picked all year round, but the quality is poor.

How to brew green tea?

It is recommended to use pure water (mineral-free, pH < 7.0) for brewing, with a water temperature of 80-90°C.
Can be brewed in covered bowl, cup, pot, or cold bowl:

▶Braised in covered bowl, pot: 120-150 ml, 3-5 g tea, can be brewed repeatedly 6-8 times, each time soaking time 10-20 seconds

▶Cup: 200-300 ml, 1-2 g tea, can be brewed repeatedly 2-3 times, each time soaking time 1-2 minutes
① For fine and high-quality green tea, such as Biluochun, you can use the top pouring method: add water first, then add tea;

② 2. For famous green tea with loose tea shape, such as Longjing, you can use the middle pouring method: add water first, then put the tea, and then fill it up with water.
These two methods can better appreciate the beautiful tea leaves slowly stretching in the water.

What is the difference between Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea?

1. Stir-fried green tea VS Steamed green tea
Chinese Green Tea: Mainly uses the stir-frying technology, which quickly evaporates the moisture in the tea leaves by heating the pot, blocking the fermentation process, retaining the substances contained in the tea leaves, and retaining more floral and fruity flavors. In addition, other Chinese green teas also use techniques such as baking and steaming.
The representative Japanese green tea, Gyokuro, uses steaming technology to stop the oxidation process through steam, retaining more chlorophyll. The dry tea is darker in color and slightly astringent in taste, with the iconic "seaweed fragrance" and "grass feeling". In the early stage of Gyokuro tea, light shading is used to reduce the formation of tea polyphenols and reduce bitterness.

2. Buds VS Whole Leaf Tea
Chinese green tea: mostly young buds or one bud and one leaf (such as Biluochun and West Lake Longjing), with various shapes - flat, curly, needle-shaped, etc., pursuing a natural and stretched tea shape.
Japanese green tea: often pick mature leaves (such as sencha), cut into fine strips through a shredding process, which is easier to release the flavor; tea stems and tea stalks are also made into tea leaves, emphasizing "drinking the whole tea".

3. Sweetness VS Bitterness
Chinese green tea: Tea leaves come in a variety of shapes, such as spheres and spirals. They may be slightly fermented during processing, so the tea leaves are well preserved. The taste is fresh and fragrant and less bitter.
Japanese green tea: Tea leaves are mostly in powder form (such as matcha) or uniform needle shape (such as sencha). They are not fermented during processing, so the original flavor of the tea leaves is preserved. The taste is light with a certain astringency.

4. Intact buds and leaves VS Cut leaves
Chinese green tea: High-quality green tea leaves are intact, and you can appreciate the way the leaves stretch slowly in the water when brewing.Japanese green tea: The tea leaves are cut in the process of making the tea, and a filter is required when brewing the tea.

Why choose us?

Lapsangstore Green Tea

▪ Tender buds and leaves
▪ Only picked in spring
▪ Semi-handmade
▪ Fragrant and sweet
▪ Floral, fruity and chestnut
▪ Brewed more than 3 times

Other Green Tea

▪ Broken tea/tea bags
▪ Picked multiple times a year
▪ Industrialized production
▪ Strong and bitter
▪ Stir-fried beans aroma
▪ Usually 1-2 times

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