Green tea – origin, production & preparation

Green teas are the leaves of the tea plant, which are prevented from oxidization as much as possible. Unlike black tea, you don’t want the juices of the tea to escape and react with the air. Therefore, the leaves also remain green.

In green tea, the leaves of the tea plant are first wilted to remove the basic moisture from the leaf. Oxidation is prevented by steaming or heating in a pan (panfiring). “Sencha”, by the way, translates as “steamed” and refers to that very method of preventing oxidation. The heat inactivates enzymes in the leaf.

Finally, the leaf is brought into shape. This is achieved, for example, by simple rolling. Some green teas (Gunpowder, for example) are put into large drums, which forms the leaves into small balls.

Once the leaves are in shape, they are dried until they have a residual moisture of about 5%. This prevents mold growth. The leaves are then sorted by size.

Matcha tea is a green tea specialty in a class of its own. Here, the green tea is shaded for about 3 – 4 weeks before harvesting. This tea is also called “Tencha”. To then make matcha from it, the tea is ground into the finest powder in stone mills. Infused at a maximum of 80 degrees, the result is a sweet and smooth drink with umami notes.

By the way, we at True Tea also offer a range of green teas, feel free to take a look around:

Green teas are usually brewed at max. 70°. If the heat is too high, the infusion becomes bitter. Green teas are also ideal for a cold infusion. To do this, simply double the amount of tea leaves you would use for a regular infusion into a pot and steep with cold water for 1 – 8 hours (depending on taste). The advantage of a cold infusion is the special mildness.