Are you a green tea fan? If you are not a complete tea connoisseur, then you may not be aware that there are many different kinds of green tea available to drink. The different varieties of green tea out there can take your taste buds on a trip to China, Japan and more.
Chinese green tea might be the most well-known. Green tea makes up at least 50 percent of the tea produced in the country. However, there are different flavors of green tea, some named after the area where the tea is processed. Some of the varieties include the following:
Numerous varieties of green tea are produced in China. Some of the Chinese green tea varieties are:
- Dragon Pearls: Gives a nutty and sweet taste to the traditional green tea. If you are a fan of jasmine teas, try this one.
- Dragon Well: This popular tea was once served to President Nixon. It will tempt your sense of smell with its aroma of orchids, but its full, fresh taste will move into a semi-sweet aftertaste that will leave you wanting more.
- Jade Spring: This sweet tea will not get too bitter. You can re-steep it for another infusion in your tea pot.
- Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea: This tea earns its “gunpowder” moniker because the tea leaves are rolled into small pellets that look like gunpowder, and it does pack quite a punch with a strong green tea flavor. Just be sure not to overbrew — it can get bitter.
Japan is also a huge country for green tea. It is so popular there that it is sold in vending machines. Some types of green tea in Japan that are all the rage include:
- Gyokuro green tea: Considered by many as the finest of Japanese teas, this green tea has a very sweet flavor.
- Sencha green tea: This common tea with a sharp but sweet taste goes great with chocolate and seafood.
- Bancha green tea: This mild green tea has a full flavor.
While green tea is known as a Chinese and Japanese product, it is also a huge part of life in other countries as well. Check out the following green teas:
- Sri Lanka Ceylon Tea: This green tea has a full-bodied, smooth, nutty or even malty flavor. Cool fact: Famous tea merchant Thomas Lipton (Also known as “Sir Tea” or the founder of Lipton’s Tea brand) actually started Sri Lanka’s tea industry in the late 1800s. The industry now employs at least a million in the country.
- Vietnamese Green Tea: A bitter taste at first that slowly mellows, this strong-flavored tea is popular in Vietnam. Some residents drink several cups a day.
- Korean Green Tea: Korean green tea is a rare find, but its light, delicate taste makes it worth the search.
There are also other types of green tea that include the following:
- Herbal green tea: This combination of green tea and herbs create a new taste. Mint herbs added in give the green tea a refreshing flavor. You can even get a fruity taste with your green tea if Rooibos has been mixed into the tea equation. The addition of extra herbs also gives your tea more health benefits. For example, ginseng can increase your energy and Echinacea provides a boost to your immune system, helping you fight the flu.
- Decaf green tea: All of the caffeine is taken out of this tea, leaving at least 10 milligrams of caffeine in a cup.
Don’t limit yourself to just one kind of green tea. Expand your taste horizon by trying a new green tea variety.
