Green tea is the least processed of all the teas except for white tea. The leaves are steamed and heated in hot pans after picking to halt bacteria growth. Once that is finished they are hand rolled and the leaves are dried and packed to be made ready for shipment and sale.

The origins of green tea are found in China however today it is also grown in Japan. Although it is technically true that tea is grown in India, that particular tea is not green tea simply because Indian tea undergoes processing such as extensive oxidation in order to produce black tea. However in recent years India has been producing some of it's own varieties green tea.

There are many varieties of green tea and each one offers a new and different taste experience. This is primarily dependent on the regional soil and growing conditions such as rainy weather and amount of sunlight.

Health Benefits

Green tea has been considered a medicinal beverage in Asia for almost 4,000 years. In today's modern age of medicine, science is starting to confirm what has always been known traditionally about green tea. It also helps in the digestion of food which is great for weight loss.

It contains an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants as well as being full of polyphenols. The antioxidant properties are responsible for scavenging destructive free radicals that are present in the human body.

Appearance

When dry the leaves can appear as a dark green color to a very bright green color. The shape of the leaves may also vary depending on which kind of green tea you have. For example gunpowder green tea is rolled into little balls that expand into full and long leaves once in the hot water. While Matcha green tea is a fine powder. Once brewed the liquid is usually a very light yellowish-tan color that sometimes carries a hue of green.

How to brew

It's important to use very fresh water. If you can't get any fresh spring water then use filtered water.

Teapot: Pre-warm the pot.
Water: Very hot or steaming. Just before it boils but not boiling. If your water does boil then set it aside for 1 minute before pouring.
Brew: 1 - 4 minutes (adjust for taste)