The Magic of Green Tea in the Making

We have already stated in these blogs the less than well-known fact that the four main types of tea (green, white, oolong and black) are derived from the same plant -- the Camellia sinensis, the leaves of which undergo various degrees of processing and oxidation. Green tea is the variety of tea that has undergone the least amount of processing: it possesses what some have called a "grassy" flavour.

According to Wikipedia, green tea originated in China, around the time of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 A.D.). Since that period, green tea has been associated with a number of countries, including Japan and those found in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, green tea is so popular in Japan that it is often called "Japanese tea."

According to Wikipedia, green tea was first introduced to Japan by a man named Myoan Eisai, who was a Japanese Buddhist priest who also happened to introduce the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. One popular Japanese web site called O-Cha.com, which is based in Fukushima, Japan, goes into some detail as to how green tea is grown in that country.

Acording to this web site, growing conditions can be broken down into two main categories: those tea plants that are grown in the sun and those that are grown in the shade. The green tea plants are cultivated so that they grow in rows and produce young shoots in a regular pattern. The plants are generally harvested three to four times a year. The first "flush" occurs in late April to early May, while the second crop normally takes place in June or July. The third and often final harvest takes place in late July or early August. The first harvest is considered the premium crop, bringing the best leaves and the highest prices.

Processed green teas are known as "aracha" and are stored in 30 or 60 kg. paper bags under low humidity, near-freezing temperatures. The tea has not yet been refined at this point -- that must wait until the leaves are fired in successive bursts and then dried and rolled. By the time the final drying takes place, moisture content in the tea leaves has been reduced to around five per cent. When the leaves are finally refined, stems and other debris are removed, and sometimes (depending on the type of tea) ground and roasted.

Green tea is enjoying a surge in popularity in the West as more consumers become aware of its health benefits. Green tea is known to help prevent cancer and heart disease, although claims that it can prevent obesity have been exaggerated.