What is Chinese Green Tea?
While green tea is one of the most popular categories of tea in the world.
It's actually less popular in the west where Red tea (often mislabeled as Black tea) reigns king.
So what is Chinese green tea?
We’ll answer that and cover where Chinese green tea is grown, and how to brew it, famous varietals, and a lot more.
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is one of the oldest and most popular categories of Chinese tea.
It’s known for being bright, floral, sharp and fresh in taste.
Green tea is surprisingly made from the same leaves as red tea (or what’s commonly called black tea in the West).
That’s because all tea comes from one plant: Camellia Sinensis.
(Herbal tea is not actually tea, but tisane.)
Where green tea is grown, when it’s picked, how it’s processed, and how it is dried all contribute to the overall flavor.
What makes Chinese green tea unique?
Chinese green tea is unique for a few reasons:
It has a long history of being a tribute teas (originally reserved only for emperors)
It takes a significant amount of skill to produce
It contains many healthy polyphenols, antioxidants, and anti-viral properties (but is not a medicine...more on that later)
Taste and Aroma
Generally speaking, green tea tastes fresh, bright, and slightly bitter.
Though different styles of green tea will taste vastly different.
This has to do with:
Where it’s grown
The specific tea plant varietal use
How it’s processed
Aromas also vary quite a bit, depending on the specific tea.
Generally speaking though, green tea smells a little grassy and a little floral.
Sometimes it’s also a little nutty or roasty, depending on the style.
Terroir – Where Green Tea is Grown
Green tea is grown in many regions of China.
But some areas are more well known for their green tea styles and terroirs (microclimates).
Some of the most famous green teas are grown in:
Anhui,
Zhejiang,
Jiangsu,
And Sichuan provinces - where commercial tea farming started over 2,000 years ago.
Essentially, these growing locations and their terroirs produce high quality, famous teas that have been popular for hundreds of years.
Green Tea Picking
One of the most interesting things about green tea is the picking grade.
In tea production, picking grade refers to how early the leaf is plucked from the plant.
And how many additional leaves are picked along with the bud.
For example –
Some teas are picked right when the first bud sprouts in the spring.
Others are picked when the bud, plus a few other leaves, have sprouted in the spring.
And some are picked when the bud turns into a fuller leaf and is a little more mature.
So all of these different picking times and picking grades have a major influence on a green tea’s
Flavor
Processing
and Price
Green Tea Picking Grades
The tea picking grade refers to the number of leaves picked off the plant in a single pluck.
Different teas require different pluckings –
Some teas are bud only.
While others are the bud PLUS some leaves.
Different amounts of leaves...and their varying levels of maturity will have a lot of impact on the overall flavor of the tea being made.
Teas that are bud only tend to be sharper and stronger than teas that may be picked with a bud and two leaves.
Generally speaking, green teas are usually a bud and one leaf, or a bud and two leaves.
But there are definitely exceptions to that –
Like one of my favorite greens teas, Gua Pian, which is made from a single leaf (not a bud) – making the taste a little more unique than other green teas.
Overall, the most important things to remember about tea picking grade when it comes to green tea is that:
It influences how the leaf is processed
The shape it takes on
And the taste of the tea produced.
Green Tea Harvesting and “Qing Ming”
When reading about or drinking green tea, you’ll often hear the term “Qing Ming” or “pre Qing Ming” used to describe a tea.
Qingming is a yearly tomb-sweeping festival in Chinese culture.
It’s also an important date on the Chinese farming calendar.
Qingming falls between April 4th, 5th, or 6th depending on the year.
What’s really cool is that it’s based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Which is based on the phases of the moon and has long been used by tea farmers to know when to pick tea.
Why is this important?
Well…
Generally speaking, it’s assumed that it usually rains on or around the date of Qingming.
Because tea is picked in the spring, usually from the first buds of the tea plant, rain is a really important factor to consider in tea cultivation and picking –
It’s thought that the best practice is to pick tea leaves for green tea prior to Qingming rains.
So this is why you’ll see “pre-qingming” as a descriptor for green tea.
Don’t worry too much about this when you’re just getting started.
But it’s good information to know.
That will come in handy as you start to drink higher quality green teas.
What’s probably more important to remember –
Is that picking date matters a lot to tea production.
There’s a small window of time when teas are prime for picking...just like most crops.
BUT...
It is important to note that early picking doesn’t necessarily mean better.
What’s important is that the leaves are picked at the proper time…
Which has so much to do with growing location, weather, tea varietal, and skill.
That’s what makes the art of green tea making so special.
It really takes so many things lining up perfectly to make an amazing tea.
Green Tea Processing
The goal of green tea processing is to lock in the bright freshness of the leaves.
So the key distinction between green tea and other types of tea is:
It doesn’t go through an intentional oxidation process.
This keeps them fresh, bright, “greenness” of the tea preserved.
How is Green tea Made?
Green tea processing is pretty simple to understand…
There aren’t as many steps as some other categories of tea (like oolong or red).
Some steps vary depending on the actual style being made, but these are the general steps followed when making Chinese green tea:
Green Tea Processing in a Nut Shell:
First, the leaves are picked
Then they’re laid out to wither - a step that helps control moisture in the tea and builds flavor
Next, the green tea leaves go through a “Kill Green” process that halts any enzymatic or chemical reactions in the tea, essentially “fixing” the flavor of the tea.
Then the tea goes through any shape making steps needed.
After this step, the tea is
Sun-dried
Pan dried
Or bake dried
All of which influence the flavor of the resulting green tea.
What is “Kill Green” in Green Tea Making?
Green tea leaves are essentially unfermented and unoxidized.
But early on in processing, the tea leaves go through a “kill green” step, which essentially halts all of the enzymatic activity in the leaves.
Put simply:
This “kill green” step seals in the bright, fresh flavors associated with green tea.
And prevents them from oxidizing further.
Without this, the tea would start to oxidize (the same way cutting a fresh apple will start to turn brown.)
The Kill green is done with the application of heat (about 150°F) – either from stir-frying the leaves in a wok, or steaming the leaves. This has to be done at a specific time when the moisture content of the leaf is correct.Different kill green styles (pan-frying or steaming) bring out different flavors in tea.
Green Tea Oxidation Level
One of the most important steps in tea processing in oxidation.
This process changes the tea leaves on a chemical level.
Tea makers will control the amount of oxidation to make different kinds of tea (like green, yellow, red, etc).
And to control or change the flavor.
All green tea is essentially unoxidized - so we’ll say 0%.
Meaning it doesn’t go through any initial steps that encourage the leaves to oxidize.If we’re getting super picky, we could say that green tea is 0-1% oxidized.
Because some oxidation naturally occurs as soon as the tea leaf is picked.
In contrast, all red tea (confusingly called black tea in the West) is fully oxidized, so 99% or more.
Little to no oxidation in processing produces a tea that’s fresh and bright – more of an expression of the leaf as it’s picked.
And greater to full oxidation in processing produces tea that’s deeper, darker, sweet, and bold.
What Makes Green Tea Different From Other Kinds of Chinese Tea
Green tea is green because:
Its enzymatic activity is stopped early in processing (meaning it retains its fresh flavors)
And because of this, it’s the leaves do not oxidize during processing (meaning the leaf retains its green color and bright taste)
What’s really amazing is that all tea comes from one plant – Camellia Sinensis.
What changes the kind of tea that’s produced (green, yellow, red, white, oolong, black) is how it’s processed – mainly a specific tea’s oxidation level, or how long it’s enzymes are chemically changing.
So…
You can make the brightest, freshest, sharpest, spring floral tasting green tea from the same leaves you make a deep, bitter, strong, smooth, sweet red tea from –
Just by changing the processing.
Of course, many tea growing areas specialize in specific kinds of tea.
Because of their:
Historical significance.
Local preference.
The fact that a local micro climate produces tea plants better suited for certain kinds of tea.
Famous Chinese Green Tea Styles
Long Jing (Dragon Well)
From where: Longjing Village, Zhejiang Province
Can taste like: Chestnut, toasty, vegetable, soft.
Long Jing (Dragon well) is likely the most famous Chinese green tea.
It has a signature look - small buds that have been pressed flat.
Long Jing is smooth, slightly floral.
And has a beautiful nutty note that comes from the pan roasting of the leaves.
Mao Feng (name refers to shape)
From where: Huang Shan, Anhui Province
Can taste like: Floral, savory, smooth
The name Mao Feng refers to the shape of the tea.
Which really means that the tea doesn’t go through a formal shape making process, like rolling, flattening, etc.
Mao Feng is savory and floral with a light sharpness.
But it’s the most mild Chinese green tea.
A good green tea for beginners.
Gua Pian
From where: Lu An, Anhui Province
Can taste like: Fresh, grassy, umami, toasty, sweet
Gua Pian, unlike other green teas, is made from a single leaf...not a bud.
Using a slightly more mature leaf means the tea will be much less bitter or sharp.
It also makes the tea a bit more savory and deep in flavor.
Gua Pain is also lightly roasted at the end of processing, so there’s a beautiful toasty note that comes through.
Overall, it’s fresh, grassy, savory, and sweet.
Yun Wu (Cloud and Mist)
From where: Lu Shan, Jiang Xi Province
Can taste like: Sweet, toasty, sharp, floral
Yun Wu is grown high in the foggy mountains...a flavor you can almost taste in the tea.
There’s a slight chocolaty mineraly that’s balanced with lingering light floral notes.
Hou Kui (Monkey King)
From where: Tai Ping, Anhui Province
Can taste like: Light, fresh, floral
Hou Kui is a truly unique tea.
The finished leaves of this tea are extremely visually appealing – its long leaves that are almost 3 inches long, are pressed flat on screens that impart a crosshatched pattern.
Even though its leaves are massive, it’s flavor is subtle and subdued.
It’s fresh and green with a light lilac floral flavor.
Bi Luo Chun (Green Spring Snail)
From where: Dong Ting Mountain, Jiangsu Province
Can taste like: Strong, floral, lingering aftertaste, nutty.
Bi Luo Chun is made from really tiny buds.
But don’t be fooled…
It’s the sharpest, strongest Chinese green teas.
It’s nutty, bright, sharp, and floral.
Gan Lu (Sweet Dew)
From where: Mengding Mountain, Sichuan Province
Can taste like: Toasty, rice, sweet, very smooth.
Gan Lu, which has one of the best names – “sweet dew” – is a popular tea from Sichuan.
It’s a small bud tea with a nutty, earthy, and floral flavor profile.
Green Tea Benefits
Tea is a healthy beverage.
It’s full of polyphenols and antioxidants that have been shown to help fight viruses and even cancer.
However: tea is not medicine.
Meaning it isn’t recognized in the medical or scientific world as an effective treatment for any ailments.
It’s best to drink it without expecting or thinking that it’s healing or medicinal in any way.
Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?
Yes.
Green tea has caffeine.
In fact, there is caffeine in all tea.
As well as L-theanine, an amino acid that counts some of the uplifting effects of caffeine.
So depending on the amounts of each of these compounds present in a tea, you’ll feel different effects.
According to the USDA, a standard 8 oz cup of green tea contains roughly 28 mg of caffeine.
While standard black tea (known as Red tea in China) has about 47 mg per 8 oz.
Of course, this has a lot to do with how the tea is brewed, the overall quality of the tea, and how much you drink.
But it gives you a general idea.
It’s important to remember that some green teas will contain a lot more caffeine.
For example, Japanese Matcha (a stone-ground Japanese green tea) contains more caffeine per serving.
Because the leaf is actually suspended in the liquid you drink, meaning you consume the leaf:
Thus more caffeine (plus healthy antioxidants) in the process.
Is Green Tea Good For You?
As you probably gathered, I’m not a doctor.
I’m just a guy who’s really geeky about tea.
So take anything I say with a grain of salt.
It’s well known that tea is a healthy beverage.
But tea is not a medicine.
It won’t miraculously cure an ailment.
But it could help.
One tea study states that green tea is primarily composed of:
polyphenols ~90% (compounds with health benefits)
amino acids (~7%)
Theanine (responsible for relaxation),
Proanthocyanidins (flavonoids that may prevent cancer),
and caffeine (~3%).
All tea contains varying amounts of these compounds listed above, but green tea contains increased amounts of some of the important compounds known for their health benefits. Generally speaking, tea is filled with powerful antioxidants being studied for their health benefits in the areas of:
Heart disease
Cancer
Liver disease
Stress
Neurological health
EGCG
What’s really interesting is that green tea actually has higher levels of EGCG (catechin) than other teas.
Catechin is essentially just a kind of poly-phenol known for its increased antioxidant effects.
EGCG has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties.
And has been shown to increase cardiovascular health.
Making green tea the area of many scientific studies.
Tea (not) as medicine
Again, tea shouldn’t be taken as a medicine.
But it definitely has a lot of healthy properties.
And because of its light processing, green tea contains significant amounts of many of these.
One thing to remember is that just like any natural product, the quality of the final tea will have a lot to do with overall amounts of healthy compounds.
Tea quality is influenced by:
Growing location
Growing season
Tea varietal
Tea processing
Is Green Tea More Healthy than Black Tea?
All tea has healthy compounds.
But it’s arguable that green tea contains more beneficial, healthy antioxidants.
On the other hand, Black Tea has more theaflavins which is healthy in its own right.
The reality is comparing green to black tea (which is called Red Tea in China) isn’t a worthwhile comparison.
It’s like apples versus oranges.
Both are great for you in different ways.
And you likely get more benefit from having a little of each…
Rather than exclusively just one.
Catechins and Theanine in Green Tea
Green tea has higher levels of theanine – an amino acid that makes you feel relaxed.
It also has high levels of Catechins, a subcategory of powerful antioxidants.
One of these which, called EGCG, is often studied for its potential health benefits.
While this is all good news, I suggest drinking tea for flavor and the experience.
Any health benefits will be secondary.
Green Tea FAQ
It’s no secret that green tea is wildly popular.
With multiple different tea cultures having their own famous teas.
But with that…
Comes all of the varied qualities, companies, and knowledge.
To make things super simple and easy, we’ve compiled a list of some questions and concepts we hear a lot of confusion around.
How to Store Green Tea
Tea, generally speaking, should be stored in airtight containers or pouches.
This minimizes the amount of oxidation that occurs.
And helps keep unwanted aromas from absorbing into the tea leaves.
So it’s good to be mindful of where you’re storing your teas – not in a basement or a kitchen where moisture or aromas could fluctuate dramatically.
Green tea oxidizes pretty quickly when exposed to oxygen in the air, so be mindful of how you store it and of how quickly you drink it after opening a package.
Does Green Tea Go Bad?
Yes, green tea can go bad.
But “going bad” means that green teas lose their intended flavor profile.
Essentially, as a green tea gets older, it will lose its fresh, bright profile, and will start to taste oxidized.
So it’s best to drink your green teas while they’re fresh (within a year or so).
Generally speaking, most teas aren’t designed to age.
Meaning they’re best when enjoyed closer to when they’re produced.
But they don’t technically “go bad” in any traditional sense.
They just can just lose their intended flavor profiles - they go stale.
With that being said, Chinese green tea is the most susceptible to oxidation from air.
Meaning the flavor will change pretty rapidly once the tea leaves are exposed to air.
So it’s best to store them properly and drink in a reasonable amount of time.
Can Green Tea Be Aged?
There isn’t really a practice of intentionally aging Chinese green tea.
This is because its enzymes are halted during the processing.
The meaning flavor and fermentation / oxidation are also stopped.
But...
What if you made green tea, but during processing, the enzymes were not fully halted?
What would happen?
Well…
You’d end up with another kind of Chinese tea called raw PuEr.
Because its enzymes are never killed during processing, the tea slowly oxidizes and “ferments” as it ages.
This changes the flavor from bright and fresh to deep, earthy, and almost spicy.
So it essentially starts out as (improperly made) green tea and changes into something new.
Green Tea vs Black Tea
Green and Black tea (known as red tea in the West) both come front the same plant.
Actually, all tea comes from the same plant.
It’s processing that determines the category, flavor, aroma, and appearance of a tea.
By controlling the enzymes in a tea leaf, Tea producers can change and control all of these characteristics...to an extent.
This process is usually called oxidation.
Green tea is unoxidized.
So around 0-1%.
And Black (red) teas are fully oxidized.
Around 99-100%.
So…
If you made a green tea and a black (red) tea from the same exact leaves, you’d have very different results in the end.
Teas with small amounts of oxidation (green tea) are fresher, brighter, and sharper in taste.
And teas with higher oxidation rates are sweeter, deeper, and bold.
The concept of oxidation is pretty confusing but is important to know if you’re new to tea.
To clear that up, check out our What is Oxidation in Tea guide.
How to Brew Chinese Green Tea
The most important things to remember when brewing green tea:
Use lower temperature water (~80°C/ 176°F)
Brew the tea uncovered
Keep tea leaves underwater between brews.
To make things super easy to understand, we put together this detailed video showing you all these steps:
Grandpa Style
In green tea regions, tea leaves are simply dropped in a glass and hot water is poured over them.
This style of tea is affectionately called “grandpa’s style” or “farmer’s style” – denoting its humble style.
This is honestly one of the best ways to drink green tea because it
Ensures that the leaves aren’t covered during the brewing
Is a really cool way to drink
Here’s how to brew this way:
Boil your water and let it cool to 80°C or 176°F
Add 2-4 grams of green tea to a glass of your choosing (7-12 oz)
Add cooled water, filling your glass ¾ of the way with hot water. Brew for a few minutes and strain with your tea. Keep the leaves under water between brews so they don’t oxidize.
To rebrew, reboil the water to 100°C or 212°F, and add to your glass. –(just try to not to hit the leaves directly)
Western Style
You’ll get OK results with a Western-style teapot, but I promise the above method is way tastier.
To make tea in the Western Style:
Weigh out 2-5 g of green tea leaf (the more the leaves, the stronger the brew).
Place green tea leaves in teapot.
Fill with hot water (176°F or 80°C), 12-24 ounces depending on the size of your teapot.
Set your Tea Timer for 3-5 minutes. Pour into your cup.
Rebrew with boiling water for another 3-5 minutes.
Join Us for Green Tea at the Tea Table
Now that you’ve got a clear picture of what green tea is, how it’s made, how to brew it, and all of the powerful health benefits it holds, we’d love to hear from you!
We’re building a community of tea lovers and would love to have you there...
If you found this guide helpful and want to learn even more about green tea, or Chinese tea in general, join our Steepers Union group on Facebook.
Grab your favorite green tea and come brew with us.
MORE ON CHINESE TEA
