If the words "green tea" fall's, many immediately have the image of small, fragmented tea leaves in front of them. Which is crumbled by consumers into a tea bag and poured with boiling water. Best forgotten briefly and the tea bag taken out much too late. Because the tea is then of course incredibly bitter, it is sweetened with sugar to be drunk then.
Yes, I used to do it that way myself. Today, I get a stomach ache at the thought of this waste.
During my first visit to Japan, I was given the opportunity to learn how to brew green tea CORRECTLY. I learned many different variations, however, in the end, one unifying point always remained in my mind. The tea NEVER tasted bitter!
In the following I would like to present you the 15 most common varieties. However, not quite boring as text, but as pictures, so that you have an idea of the respective varieties, about which I talk in detail later.
Sencha - 煎茶
Sencha is the most grown and drunk green tea in Japan (about 78%).
Characteristics are the dark green, rolled leaves, which unfold when brewed and release the unique, slightly bitter taste. The darker and shinier the leaves, the higher the quality.
In Western countries, Sencha is one of the most common teas, along with Matcha.
Matcha - 抹茶
Matcha is traditionally prepared during tea ceremonies. This tea is very bitter and is always handed with so-called wagashi - 和菓子 (Japanese sweets).
Literally translated, matcha is tea ground into powder, which is poured over with water in a small bowl, chawan - 茶碗, and whipped with a small bamboo broom, chasen - 茶筅.
Gyokuro - 玉露
Gyokuro is one of the green teas that grow completely shaded. The so-called shade teas have a special sweetness and many health benefits.
The tea leaves, visible nowadays as needles, were formed in earlier times as dewdrops, which gave the tea its name.
Bancha - 番茶
Bancha is the tea for ordinary people. This variety is the second most drunk tea in Japan. With something like 10% of the total production, it is often used as tea for home.
Banca is a generic term for varieties such as Akibancha, Yanagi, Meban, Hojicha or Sannenbancha, which will be presented in detail in a later post.
Genmaicha - 玄米茶
Genmaicha is my absolute favorite among Japanese teas and, in my opinion, far too underrated. If you like coffee, you will also like this tea.
The warm, malty roasted flavor comes from roasting and popping brown rice grains, which are added to Sencha or Bancha. By stretching the amount, Genmaicha contains less caffeine and is accordingly drinkable in the evening.
Hōjicha - 焙じ茶
Hōjicha literally means roasted tea and is made from Bancha leaves. For this, they are roasted at about 200°C and cooled directly. This gives the tea the typical brownish color with a tart flavor.
Kyobancha - 京番茶
Kyobancha, is also a roasted tea and contains the name of the region in which it was produced. In the case of Kyobancha, it is Kyoto. Depending on the region, it can also be called Iribancha - いり番茶 or Hirabancha.
It is made from the last leaves of the year and is considered quite an inferior tea. The long steaming of about 30 minutes, drying and subsequent reddening gives the tea a smoky aroma and a nutty flavor.
Tencha - 碾茶
Tencha is also a Japanese shade tea. This variety is the precursor of Matcha, but in rare cases is drunk as such. Unlike Gyokuro or Sencha, the leaves are not rolled before drying, and after drying, the small branches are carefully separated from the leaves.
Since the rolling process is missing, which releases the aroma of the leaves, Tencha is a very light tea with a somewhat watery aroma.
Kukicha - 茎茶
Kukicha literally means "stem tea". This name derives from its method of production. In the manufacturing process of Matcha and Sencha, the stems are removed for practical and/or aesthetic reasons. These removed branches are used to make kukicha. The tea usually has a mild taste and is particularly suitable for tea beginners, as it rarely becomes bitter, regardless of the brewing method.
Konacha - 粉茶
Konacha is a residual product of tea production. Its quality is rather inferior, as it is made from the remains and dust of other teas.
The tea is often sold in tea bags, because the small particles would otherwise end up in the cup. From my own experience, I can say that this tea tastes mostly sweet and tart at the same time. This makes it a welcome summer refreshment when drunk cold.
Kamairicha - 釜炒り茶
Kamairicha literally means "pan-roasted tea". The tea leaves are slowly panned in a hot wok pan, which gradually dries them. This process also stops the oxidation of the leaves and preserves their flavor. Depending on the technique, tamaryokucha (curly leaves) or kamanobicha (straight, needle-shaped leaves) are produced.
Sanpincha - さんぴん茶
This tea is produced in Okinawa, the southernmost of the Japanese islands, and is also the most widely drunk.
Sanpincha or jasmine tea is one of the few flavored teas in Japan and is still produced today in close work alliance with Chinese tea farmers.
Oolong - 烏竜茶
Oolong tea originally comes from China and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the semi-oxidized tea is also grown and processed in Japan. The tea leaves are here first wilted, then rolled and then dried. Its color can range from watery green to a dark brown.
Wakōcha - 和紅茶
Wakoucha is a rare black tea grown in Japan.
The tea leaves, which are supposed to be used for green tea, are first wilted, then rolled and dried. This gives this black tea a slightly different flavor than that imported from China. The production of Japanese black tea began in the Meiji-era when Japan opened up to foreign countries and hoped to spread its tea throughout the world.
Unfortunately, this did not quite work out and
only the green tea varieties made it across the
country's borders.
Fermented Teas
Less known but with a far-reaching ancient history, fermented teas are native to Japan. In particular, they are produced on the island of Shikoku.
The leaves are left to grow until the end of summer and boiled after picking. They are then fermented and dried for several weeks or months. Depending on the processing method, fermentation and production region, we distinguish between Goishicha, Awabancha, Kuroishizucha, Yamabuki Nadeshiko and others. On the right side you can see an Awabancha.
Now, if I've piqued your interest in Japanese tea or you'd like to know where I got all this information, you're welcome to browse through the following resources or look forward to upcoming posts.
Sources:
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