After black tea, green tea is the most consumed type of tea in the world. While green tea is still not widely popular in the western countries, it has a long and strong tradition in China and Japan. In fact, most of the tea produced in Japan and China is green.
If you are just starting out on your tea journey, maybe you had a chance to try only a few different green teas. Several types, such as Sencha, Gunpowder and Dragon Well are widely available around the world. But there's much more to explore in the world of green tea.
In fact, a whole life wouldn't be enough to try all the different types.
In 2019, over 50% of green tea available on the market are green tea bags and over 80% of all green teas available in the UK were flavoured (1). Flavoured green teas are often made with only a few types of green tea that offer a base strong enough for other flavours. And what about other teas? There are hundreds of green tea types, and even more subtypes.
This guide will help you understand green tea better and, hopefully, make you an avid green tea drinker.
So, what is green tea?
What is green tea?
Green tea is a type of real tea made from Camellia sinensis tea plant. All Camellia sinensis teas are commonly called “real teas”.
Camellia sinensis plant can be processed into 6 tea types – white, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark. It's the processing methods that determine the type of tea.
For example, if you wanted to make green tea at home, you would need to have a tea plant. Once you pluck the tea leaves, you could process them into any type of tea you want. In fact, it's 100% possible to make tea at home, although you won't be able to get the same results as tea farmers across the world. We'll talk more about this in the “how is green tea processed” section below.
Most green tea types are immediately recognizable because they will have:
- Leaves with green, yellowish, or grey colour.
- Will brew into a brighter or darker yellow, green or greenish yellow tea.
- Will have a very specific vegetal flavour, with different flavour notes.
So, all green teas come from the same plant – Camellia sinensis. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that all teas that come from Camellia sinensis plant are real teas.
What is Camellia sinensis?
Camelia sinensis is a plant that belongs to a Theaceae botanical family, which includes beautiful ornamental camellia flowers as well. Camellia sinensis or a tea plant can grow into a bush or a tree. That means that green tea can be harvested from both small tea bushes and tea trees. Tea plants growing on tea plantations are usually growing in bushes, while wild Camellia sinensis may come from tea trees as well.
Tea tree oil is not an oil from Camellia sinensis tea plant. It's a completely different plant with a botanical name Melaleuca alternifolia.
Some green teas can come from other tea plants too – Camellia taliensis and Camellia Ptilophylla. They are, however, rare, and most teas that we drink today all come from Camellia sinensis. Two varieties are mostly used for making green tea – Camellia sinensis var sinensis or what we call the Chinese variety and Camellia sinensis var assamica or the Indian variety. These are not the only two varieties, but they are the most common.
How is green tea made?
Since all teas are made from one plant type, they have to be processed differently to achieve a desired colour, flavour, and benefits.
Green tea is considered an unoxidized tea, while all black tea is considered fully oxidized. But neither is 100% correct. Oxidation is a natural process that will start immediately when the tea leaf is harvested. A step called “kill-green” or “fixing” is used to stop oxidation and preserve the chemical composition of the tea leaf, flavour and colour. Fixing makes green tea green.
Making green tea can include many steps, but the most important ones are:
1. Harvesting
Tea bushes can have a very long life-span and new plants will usually be ready for a first harvest after 3 years. Tea leaves can be harvested by a machine or by hand. Higher quality teas will usually be hand-harvested, since harvesting by hand allows a finer plucking.
2. Withering
Withering is a step that's rarely mentioned when talking about green tea production. All tea leaves start to wither as soon as they are harvested. It's a natural process that reduces the moisture content of the fresh leaves and changes the chemical composition of the leaf. Green tea leaves are usually withered only shortly.
3. Kill-green step or fixing
Green tea is often described as an unoxidized type of tea. However, although the oxidation is very low, it's not zero. Oxidation process starts immediately after the tea leaves are harvested – pretty much how the oxidation starts immediately after you bite into an apple. This process is then stopped using different methods.
The most commonly used method to stop the oxidation or “kill green” is steaming and pan-firing. Steaming is a method of choice in Japan, with only a smaller percentage of teas being pan-fired. On the other hand, most Chinese teas are pan-fired.
These two methods will result in a completely different flavour profile. Steamed teas will be more vegetal and grassier, while pan-fired teas will have a nutty note.
The most popular steamed types are:
The most popular pan-fired types are:
-
- Chinese Long Jing or Dragon Well
-
- Chinese Mao Feng
-
- Japanese Kamairicha
4. Rolling and shaping
Tea leaves are then rolled and shaped. This included multiple steps, after which the moisture content is further reduced, and leaves acquire a specific shape.
Some of the most popular leaf shapes are:
-
- Thin needle like shape as in Japanese sencha tea
-
- Curly twisted shape as in Chinese Mao Feng tea
-
- Flat as in Chinese Dragon Well tea
-
- Ball-shaped as in Chinese Gunpowder tea
What's really interesting is that a leaf shape may actually tell you what to expect from your green tea. Thin needle like shaped teas such as Sencha or Anji Bai Cha will usually have a fresher, greener flavour. Flat teas such as Chinese Dragon Well or Tai Ping Hou Kui will be nuttier and sweeter, ball-shaped teas are likely to have a stronger, deeper flavour.
5. Drying
The final drying will influence the flavour of green tea and it will reduce the moisture content further. Drying can be done using different methods, and tea is then ready for drinking. However, there are other steps that usually follow after drying.
In Japan, there's a special name for tea that's ready to drink but hasn't been further processed and sorted – aracha. This tea will have a beautiful and “messy” appearance.
6. Further processing and sorting
Further processing can include more drying, sorting, shaping, aging, roasting, scenting and other steps. Only tea that is fully processed and ready to sell and drink is blended and flavoured. That's why you can do blending at home too.
However, you don't need to add any additional ingredients to add different flavours. You'll be amazing how many different green tea there are to choose from.
Types of green tea
Now that you know how the processing of green tea can be complicated, imagine how many types you can get by changing each step of the process. Tea makers can decide on the harvesting time and style, machines, and techniques they can use use to get the flavour, colour and shape they prefer. But they can also decide on which tea plants to use in the first place. And this is one of the ways green tea can be classified – by the type of tea plant used.
Classifying green tea is anything but simple and straightforward. If you are new to this type, this may come as a surprise, especially if all you ever tried was a tea simply called “green tea”. However, once you start exploring different teas and blends, you will be amazing by just how many flavours this tea type can offer.
Some ways to classify it are by:
-
- Tea variety and tea cultivar
-
- Country
-
- Fixing method
-
- Harvesting time
-
- Leaf size
1. Types of green tea by tea variety and tea cultivar
Green teas may all come from the “same” tea plant, but there are different varieties and many cultivars.
Two of the most important Camellia sinensis varieties are:
-
- Camellia sinensis var sinensis or the Chinese variety
-
- Camellia sinensis var assamica or the Indian variety
Regardless of the name, these varieties are used in many countries. Some countries and tea growing areas may predominantly use one variety, like assamica in Assam or sinensis in Japan.
Vietnamese green tea has a very unique flavour profile and is usually made from the assamica variety.
Besides different varieties, there are hundreds of different cultivars. Each country may have hundreds of specific cultivars, and that's also one of the reasons why green tea from different country will always taste different.
For example, some of the most popular Japanese cultivars for making green tea are:
-
- Yabukita – the most commonly used cultivar for sencha tea
-
- Okumidori – used for different green teas
2. Types of green tea by country
Today, green tea, along with black tea, is the type of tea that's produced in every tea producing country. If for example, you see a black tea from Brazil (not a large Camellia sinensis producer), there will be a green tea from Brazil too. This is not true for all types of teas, but green tea is the second most popular tea type after black tea.
Some of the most important green tea producers in the world:
1. China
China is by far the largest producer of not only green tea, but tea in general. It's also a home country of tea, so it doesn't surprise it offers an enormous selection of green teas.
Some of the most popular Chinese green tea types among Western tea drinkers are:
-
- Long Jing or Dragon Well
-
- Bio Luo Chun
-
- Mao FengChun Mei
-
- Dragon Pearls
Some less known Chinese tea types among Western tea drinkers are:
-
- En Shi Yu Lu
-
- Meng Ding Gan Lu
-
- Lu An Gua Pian
-
- Zhu Ye Qing
-
- An Ji Bai Cha
-
- Mao Jian
2. Japan
Japan is not producing as much tea as China, or even India and Kenya, but most of the tea it produces is green. In fact, most of Japanese green tea is sencha – over 50% (2).
Japan is famous for a few more delicious green teas:
-
- Gyokuro
-
- Genmaicha
-
- Matcha
Some other Japanese green teas:
-
- Tamaryokucha
-
- Kukicha
-
- Hojicha
-
- Mecha
3. South Korea
South Korea is producing exquisite green teas with a truly unique flavour profile. They are vibrant and vegetal, nutty and sweet, with beautifully shaped leaves. South Korean green teas may be still less known than Chinese and Japanese green teas. Tea is produced on Jeju island, Hadong and Boseong and is classified by harvesting time. Ujeon is the first harvest of the year, followed by Sejak, Joongjak and Daejak. Whichever grade you try, you will be amazed by just how different and flavourful these teas are.
4. India
Tea production in India started only about 200 years ago. Today, India is one of the most famous black tea producers, especially Assam and Darjeeling. Green tea, on the other hand, is quite a novelty tea type in India. Production became really popular only recently, and today this country is offering some truly amazing green teas. Both Assam and Darjeeling are producing green teas, each with a specific flavour profile.
Indian green teas are amazing for making Pink chai or green tea with milk.
3. Types of green tea by processing methods
When searching for a perfect green tea, what you need to consider first is the type of processing. Different methods will have a different impact on the flavour.
Some “kill-green” methods are:
-
- Hot air fixing
-
- Steam fixing
-
- Pan-firing
-
- Hot air and steam fixing
Japanese green teas are mostly steamed, which makes them grassy and vegetal. Chinese teas are mostly pan-fired, which makes them nuttier and sweet.
It can also be classified by other processing methods, such as:
-
- Roasted or unroasted
-
- Aged or unaged
-
- Crude or finished
4. Types of green tea by harvesting time
Green tea can be harvested year-round, depending on where it's grown. Usually, the first two harvests of the season – spring and summer will have a better flavour, with spring harvested being an absolute winner in South Korea, Japan and China.
Autumn harvests are less popular, and winter harvests are quite rare, although they exist.
The name of the first spring harvest tea in Japan is shincha or new tea. Shincha is usually a sencha tea, and it's harvested from the end of April and the beginning of May. What makes it special is that it's made from the first tea leaves after the winter.
In China, the most delicious spring tea is called Pre-Qingming tea, and it's harvested in March.
5. Types based on leaf size
When choosing your green tea, the leaf size may also tell you exactly what to expect.
Green tea is usually described as either loose leaf tea or tea dust and fannings. The first is usually available from specialised tea shops (although, these days, it's commonly found in many supermarkets as well) and the latter is found in classic tea bags. Green tea in classic tea bags will mostly not state the specific origin besides country and type may be stated only sometimes. Specialty loose leaf will usually state at least the country of origin and type. However, you may find teas that are even more specific and include:
-
- Country of origin
-
- Date of harvesting
-
- Processing methods
-
- Cultivar name
-
- Grade
There are many categories in between loose-leaf tea and tea dust.
Japanese green teas are a perfect example to explain different leaf sizes and grades.
Leaf grades of Japanese teas
For example, let's look at the famous Japanese sencha. Sencha can be lightly or deeply steamed (with different steaming levels in-between). Lightly steamed sencha will usually have very thin and long needle-shaped leaves. But deeply steamed sencha will contain a lot of broken leaf particles. In fact, it will even leave a residue in the cup.
Next, there's another type of Japanese tea called konacha. Konacha is actually a tea dust and small leaf particles left after the production of teas like gyokuro and sencha. Konacha is a type of tea that would go into tea bags.
And finally, there is kukicha – a tea made from stalks and stems of teas such as gyokuro and sencha. Kukicha tea may contain some leaf particles as well.
In Japan, all parts of tea leaf are used and have their name. However, this may not be the case with green teas from other countries.
So how to classify them?
Sometimes, green teas borrow one of the standard leaf classifications used for black teas – this is especially true for green teas from India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. You may see flowery orange pekoe green tea or orange pekoe green tea. This classification will never be used with Japanese, South Korean and Chinese green teas.
So, what is flowery orange pekoe green tea? It's a green tea made with the first 2 leaves and a bud.
Top 10 famous green teas
While there are hundreds (and thousands!) of different tea types in the world, some are more famous than the others.
In fact, for some of these teas are available from supermarkets as well.
1. Sencha
Sencha is the most popular type of green tea in the western countries. This type of tea comes from Japan, but a lot of sencha for western consumption is produced in China as well. In China, sencha is not one of the most popular types of tea, but in Japan, it's the tea of choice for daily drinking.
Chinese sencha usually looks like a Japanese bancha, while Japanese sencha mostly has a very unique appearance and dark green, very thin leaves. There are some exceptions, though, especially with aracha tea.
A good quality sencha can be steeped 3 times. Keep the first infusion at 1 to 1.5 minute at 80 degrees Celsius, second one for 10 seconds at 90 degrees Celsius, and the third one for 3 minutes at 80 degrees Celsius.
How is sencha made?
Sencha is a steamed green tea. This means that the leaves were steamed to stop the oxidation process. Sencha can be steamed for different amount of time, resulting in a different tea. Lightly steamed sencha or asamushi sencha will be lighter and sharper, medium-steamed sencha or chumushi sencha will have more body and it's the most common type and fukamushi sencha or deep-steamed sencha will have the most beautiful deep and intense green colour.
Sencha tea leaves are rolled and shaped into thin needles. The leaf shape is one of the first signs of the country of origin. Although there are Japanese sencha teas that resemble Chinese sencha tea, there aren't Chinese sencha teas that resemble Japanese sencha tea.
Sencha can be harvested in spring, summer and autumn. The most flavourful and fresh sencha is called shincha and is harvested in spring. Shincha literally means new tea, and it's more expensive than other harvests.
Sencha is usually unshaded, but there are types of sencha tea that underwent the shading process for a couple of days.
Shading is increasing the umami flavour in green tea and caffeine content.
One of the most common tea cultivars used for making sencha is Yabukita.
Why should you try sencha?
-
- It's a perfect daily tea that's easy to brew.
-
- It has sweetness, grassiness, beautiful colour, and when prepared properly, it's not bitter.
-
- Daily sencha is very affordable.
-
- It's perfect for cold brewing.
2. Matcha
Matcha is a type of shaded and powdered Japanese green tea. It's commonly used during a Japanese tea ceremony.
Although matcha is a powdered tea, not all tea powders are matcha. To make matcha, tea plants are shaded for about three weeks before harvesting. Tea leaves are de-stalked and de-veined. This tea type is called tencha and looks like light dark green flakes. These tencha flakes are then ground using a stone mill or a ball mill into a very fine powder with particles size of 10-20 microns. However, the size may be even smaller.
What makes matcha different from other green tea powders is not only the way it was grown and processed. Matcha may also provide more benefits. In fact, studies showed the particle size of powder plays a role in increasing the antioxidant potential of EGCG (3).
Why should you try matcha?
-
- It's very unique.
-
- It may provide more benefits and caffeine than many other green teas.
-
- It's very versatile and you can use it in almost any drink recipe you want and make delicious treats.
Until recently, the only authentic matcha was produced in Japan. That's not only because of the special tea plants, growing methods and processing techniques, but also because of a unique terroir. But today, there are types of matcha tea powders that tick all the boxes when it comes to flavour, growing and processing methods and colour.
3. Genmaicha
Genmaicha is also a Japanese green tea, or a better way to describe it is to say it's a type of Japanese tea blend. This tea is usually made with bancha or sencha tea leaves and toasted rice. Other types, such as gyokuro, can be used too, and sometimes it may also be coated in matcha powder.
Genmaicha is one of the most popular types of green tea in the world. It has a refreshing light flavour with nutty notes, without too much bitterness. In fact, it's one of the rare green teas that you can boil with nearly boiling water without ruining it.
Earl Grey is a type of black tea that can be made from different types of black tea, but it always must contain a bergamot flavour. The same is true for genmaicha. It can be made with different green tea, but it always has to contain toasted rice.
You can use hotter water at around 80-85 degrees Celsius for making genmaicha without ruining the flavour and re-steep it multiple times.
Why should you try genmaicha?
-
- It's refreshing, slightly sweet and nutty, without bitterness, which makes it perfect for tea. drinkers that want lighter green teas.
-
- It's amazing iced, especially in summer.
-
- It's very easy to brew more than other green teas.
-
- It's an affordable daily tea.
4. Gunpowder
Gunpowder or Zhu Cha is a Chinese green tea. Tea leaves looks like small dark green-grey pellets and brew into a mellow and strong cup. Gunpowder is one of the teas almost every tea lovers has tried at least once.
However, it's could also be a reason you may not be a huge fan of green teas. Why?
Because there are different grades of gunpowder tea, and some may be stronger than the others. If this was the first green tea you ever tried, you may be very dissatisfied. Gunpowder has a naturally strong and smoky flavour, but if it's over brewed, it may be especially bitter. Strength and bitterness are one reason this tea is perfect for making Moroccan mint tea and Pink chai.
Gunpowder, especially when blended with chocolate and vanilla ingredients, goes really well with milk – which is rare among green teas.
Why should you try gunpowder?
-
- It's one of the most popular green teas in western countries.
-
- It's a base for traditional teas and blends.
-
- It's very affordable.
-
- Because of its strength, it's a good choice for making tea syrups and sweet and iced teas.
When making gunpowder tea, use water at around 70-75 degrees Celsius and steep it for 1 minutes. This tea may become too strong when steeped for 3 or more minutes, especially if you are still not used to drinking green tea.
5. Mao Feng
Mao Feng is one of the most popular Chinese green teas. It originates from the Anhui province and is vegetal, floral, sweet and slightly nutty, light, and absolutely delightful. It's made with a bud and one or two leaves, covered in white hair. The authentic Mao Feng tea comes from Huangshan, but today, it's made in other provinces too, such as Sichuan.
Mao Feng is so popular it has been a subject to different studies, including preventing the hypertension (4).
Why should you try Mao Feng?
-
- It's one of the most popular Chinese teas.
-
- It's sweet, aromatic, and fresh.
-
- It's a perfect daily green tea that's easy to brew and doesn't require condiments.
-
- It's widely available.
6. Dragon Well
Dragon Well or Long Jing is another popular Chinese green tea, both in China and in western countries. The cost of authentic Dragon Well tea can be very high. The original Dragon Well is said to come from the Longjing village, West Lake area in Zhejiang and it's called Xi Hu Long Jing tea. It's made from a special tea cultivar and has a very long history.
However, the definition of an authentic Dragon Well is not as strict nowadays. Most of them will be considered authentic if they come from the West Lake area in Zhejiang province, or at least Zhejiang. Other Chinese provinces are producing Dragon Well too as well, such as Anhui and Sichuan.
If some tea is produced in a province that is not the origin of the tea, it doesn't mean it's a lower quality tea.
Dragon Well is one of the green teas you will immediately recognize by its flat leaves. It has a delicate, light and sweet flavour and is best brewed using a glass gaiwan.
Why should you try Dragon Well?
-
- It has a very unique tea leaves.
-
- It has a very long history.
-
- It's one of the most popular and famous Chinese green teas.
-
- It has no bitterness and may appeal to many tea drinkers.
7. Jasmine green tea
Jasmine green tea is the most popular scented tea in the world. While there are many different types of Jasmine tea, all of them will have a recognizable jasmine scent and flavour.
Jasmine green tea is not a blended or flavoured tea. Instead, tea leaves are scented with fresh jasmine flowers that are later removed. The process may be repeated multiple times to archive a desirable flavour.
Most jasmine teas come from China, but other countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, are producing it too. Some jasmine green teas may have a very strong flavour and a lot of bitterness, and others may be gentle and light.
Why should you try jasmine green tea?
-
- It's the most popular scented tea in the world.
-
- It has a light and elegant scent and flavour.
-
- It's absolutely delicious iced, cold brewed or hot.
-
- Jasmine scent may offer relaxing properties.
8. Bi Luo Chun
Bi Luo Chun is another famous Chinese tea that is popular world-wide. You can immediately recognize this tea by its leaf shape – small, curled, grey-green leaves with white hairs. When translated, the name of this tea means literally “green snail spring”.
Bi Luo Chun originates from Jiangsu province in China, specifically, Dong Ting mountain. This tea has a very long history and is slightly stronger than Mao Feng tea.
Why should you try Bi Luo Chun tea?
-
- It's one of the most popular Chinese green teas.
-
- You can re-steep it multiple times.
-
- It's great for tea drinkers that prefer stronger aromatic green teas.
9. Chun Mei
Chun Mei or Zhen Mee is a Chinese tea from Jiangxi province that's hugely popular in Western countries. It's widely available and has a stronger, more dusty and often astringent flavour if over-brewed, with less freshness and less grassiness. Chun Mei is a popular choice for making flavoured tea blends as it will go well with many flavours.
Together with gunpowder tea, Chun Mei is one of the first green teas tea drinkers try. Since both teas are strong and may go well with different condiments, it may be a reason some tea drinkers think of green tea in general as strong and bitter.
Why should you try Chun Mei?
-
- It's one of the most widely available green teas in Western countries.
-
- It's great for making your own blends.
-
- It's great for making iced tea.
10. Dragon pearls
Dragon pearls green tea is a jasmine scented tea shaped in pearls. Tea leaves are scented with jasmine flowers and rolled into small balls. Dragon Pearls green tea is so popular it's nowadays available from almost every specialty tea shop that offers Chinese teas.
This jasmine tea has a fresh flavour with delicate jasmine notes. Just like Jasmine green tea, it was scented with jasmine flowers multiple times to achieve a desired flavour. You can re-steep the same tea pearls until they unfold.
Why should you try Dragon Pearls tea?
-
- It's one of the most popular jasmine green teas.
-
- It's one of the most beautiful green teas.
-
- It has a light delicate flavour which is perfect for relaxing moments.
All the above green teas are widely available from many specialized tea shops and will offer you a wonderful insight into all the flavours green tea can offer.
But how can green tea taste like?
Common Green Tea Flavours
The first encounter with green tea may not always be a pleasant one. There are many reasons this could happen. The first green tea you try may be on the bitter side, or it may be made with tea dust and fannings that are stronger.
However, green tea has a lot more to offer. Once you start exploring different type of green tea, you will be amazing with the range of flavours it can have.
One thing to keep in mind is that two teas of the same type may have a completely different flavour profile, depending on how they were grown, processed, are they of a higher or lower quality, how they are stored and brewed, etc. Water quality and temperature, together with steeping time will play an important role on the flavour.
A great example of how flavour can be changed with water temperature is gyokuro tea. Steep it at 50 degrees Celsius and you will experience strong seaweed note, that will get lost if you steep it with hot water.
The top 10 common green tea flavours are:
1. Grassy
Grassy flavour is most commonly present in Japanese green teas, especially light and medium steamed sencha and bancha. This grassy flavour is quite untypical for green tea bags and is mostly present in loose tea. Teas with grassy flavour may have bitter notes more often than teas with vegetal flavour.
2. Vegetal
Vegetal flavour is often associated with notes of spinach, asparagus, peas, and similar green vegetables. This flavour is also common in Japanese green teas. Some sencha teas have stronger vegetal than grassy flavour. It's also present in Chinese Mao Jian tea and Liu An Gua Pian Tea. Teas with vegetal flavour may often have sweet notes too.
3. Nutty
Nutty notes are associated with pan-firing and are often found in Chinese green teas. They are often light, and these teas have more sweetness than bitterness. It's also common in Korean green teas that also have a specific sweetness.
4. Roasted
Roasted notes are typical for roasted green teas such as hojicha. They may be light or intense, depending on the roasting level. These teas go amazingly well with milk.
5. Buttery
Teas with buttery notes will have a special creamy mouthfeel. Teas with buttery notes are likely to be sweeter with little bitterness. Chinese Lao Shan green tea and Long Jing tea may both share this light buttery note.
6. Umami
Umami or a savoury flavour is one of 5 basic tastes, the other 4 being sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It has been around for a long time, but it wasn't until recently that it has been recognized as the 5th taste in western countries. Many green teas may have an umami flavour, but it's the most noticeable in shaded green teas – the longer they are shaded, the stronger the umami. Nothing can help you understand umami better than brewing a high-quality gyokuro at 50 degrees Celsius.
7. Floral
Floral notes are usually more common in oolong teas than in green teas. However, some green teas will have natural floral notes without ever being scented with flowers, such as Ting Xi Lan Xiang or En Shi Yu Lu.
8. Smoky
Chinese Gunpowder tea and Chun Mei often have lighter or stronger smoky notes. But they are not the only ones – smoky flavour is characteristic for many Indian green teas and teas from Nepal. Some teas with smoky flavour may also have stronger bitterness or fruitiness. They usually brew into a stronger tea with a deeper colour.
9. Bitter
Bitterness is not favoured in green tea. Most green teas will be bitter if they are over-brewed or brewed with boiling water. Another related term is astringency, that's often welcomed in a cup of tea and causes sweet aftertaste.
10. Fruity
Fruity notes are more common in dark oolongs, but they may be present in green teas too. Some Indian teas will have both fruity and smoky taste.
To get the most out of your green tea and experience the best flavour, it really pays off to learn how to make tea properly.
How to make green tea
There are many ways to make a perfect cup of green tea.
In fact, brewing will either make it super delicious or undrinkable. While not all teas will be of the same quality, there is always a right brewing method to get the most out of every tea. There are different ways to make green tea taste better, and we'll get back to that soon.
First, let's see how to make a cup of green tea.
There are 6 basic brewing techniques:
-
- Classic western brewing
-
- Eastern-style brewing
-
- Cold brewing
-
- Sun brewing
-
- Ice brewing
-
- Glass brewing
Every green tea can be made in any of the above ways, but the final flavour may differ significantly.
3. Classic western brewing
Classic western brewing means:
-
- Using 1-2 teaspoons of tea leaves per cup of water
-
- Using over 150, mostly 220 ml of water per serving
-
- Steeping tea leaves for 2-5 minutes
-
- Usually, it doesn't imply re-steeping the same leaves
-
- Using either a teapot or a cup and infuser
This method is often the same for both loose leaf tea and tea bags. If your tea doesn't have any brewing instructions, to maximize the flavour, always use fresh filtered water, bring it to a boil and let it cool down to 75-80 degrees Celsius. This is a general temperature for steeping green tea that will work with most green teas. Steep the tea for 1-1.5 minute, no longer. You can always re-steep green tea at least once.
Best for:
-
- Flavoured green teas
-
- Making iced tea (use more tea leaves)
-
- Strong green teas such as gunpowderIf you want to add condiments
-
- Tea bags
-
- For making proper iced tea
3. Eastern brewing techniques
Eastern brewing means:
-
- Using less tea leaves per brewing
-
- Keeping the amount of water usually at 100 ml, but rarely above 150 ml, except for Japanese teas
-
- Using special teapots for different teasRe-steeping the leaves multiple timesPre-heating teaware
-
- Using shorter steeping time and usually a slightly hotter water
There are different brewing eastern brewing techniques. In China, gong-fu brewing is extremely popular for many types of teas. In Japan, sencha-do or the way of sencha is all about sencha. There are special rules on how to make matcha, and even gyokuro has its own preferred style.
For Chinese green teas, the desirable leaf to water ratio is 1 grams per 50 ml.
If you have a high quality pure loose-leaf tea, it may be better to brew it using a gong-fu brewing technique. While there are many rules for making a perfect cup of tea in China and Japan, you can use a simplified method to enjoy the best flavours.
Best for:
-
- High quality teas such as gyokuro, sencha, Mao Feng, etc.
-
- Unflavoured pure loose tea and scented tea
-
- If you want to maximize the flavourTo fully immerse yourself into tea brewing and drinking experience
-
- For tea meditations
4. Cold brewing
Cold brewing means:
-
- Steeping tea leaves in cold water for at least 2-3 hours or overnight (in the fridge)
-
- Not boiling the water
-
- Using 1-2 tablespoons of tea leaves per litre of water
This method is not a new brewing technique, but it became popular only recently. It's a great and completely effortless way to enjoy a delicious tea. It's also error-proof because you don't need to worry about the right water temperature or the right ratio. The prefer ratio is 1-2 tablespoons per litre of water, but even if you use more or less, you will still be able to enjoy a tasty tea.
Cold-brewing will change the flavour of your tea – it will become lighter and with no bitterness or astringency. It will also reduce the caffeine content and still offer the same potential health benefits.
Best for:
-
- Loose leaf tea
-
- Medium quality loose teas
-
- Teas that you don't enjoy but want to give them another chance
-
- Flavoured sencha
-
- If you want to drink cold/iced tea without condiments
-
- To reduce the caffeine content
5. Sun brewing
Sun brewing means:
-
- Steeping tea leaves in filtered tap water in a covered jar or a jug in the sun for 2-4 hours.
-
- Not boiling the water and not using the fridge
-
- Using 1-2 tablespoons of tea leaves per litre of water
This brewing method is similar to cold brewing, except you are not using a fridge – you are using sun. It's commonly used in spring and summer to make iced tea. Sun brewing requires almost no effort, no electricity (no kettle or fridge).
However, there are some controversies around sun brewing, especially regarding the safety of sun brewed teas since the conditions may help bacteria grow faster. This method may also be more suitable for brewing black teas. If you want to try it, always use clean jars and preferably pure high-quality tea.
One study showed that sun-brewed green tea may have a higher antioxidant potential than a traditionally hot water brewed tea (5).
Best for:
-
- Loose leaf tea
-
- Pure unscented teas
-
- Camping or when you don't have any brewing equipment or electricity
-
- Getting most antioxidants
6. Ice brewing
Ice brewing means:
-
- Brewing tea leaves with ice
-
- Not boiling the water and, in fact, not using water at all
This type of brewing is the rarest brewing method and is usually used for Japanese sencha or gyokuro tea and is called koridashi. Tea leaves are left to steep with ice slowly, usually in a teapot. This method is brilliant if you want to reduce the bitterness or astringency of green tea, as it will give a lighter and sweeter infusion.
Just as with any kind of brewing, water quality plays a very important role in making a tasty ice-brewed tea. Use only fresh ice made with filtered water.
Best for:
-
- Japanese sencha, kabusecha and gyokuro tea
-
- For teas from later harvests
-
- If you have enough time and want to enjoy a brewing process
7. Glass brewing
Glass brewing means:
-
- Drinking green tea directly from the glass where it's brewing, without removing the leaves
-
- Using pure loose green tea only, unbroken leaves
This way of brewing is a preferred way for some green teas in China, such as Mao Jian. Tea is added to hot water in a glass, let to steep for a minute or two and drank without removing the tea leaves. More water is simply added for the second infusion.
Glass brewing is similar to mug brewing used for many oolong teas, and the other name is “grandpa style brewing”. Don't use glass brewing for green teas with lots of broken leaves or flavoured green teas.
Best for:
-
- Chinese green teas
-
- Only pure unflavoured whole loose tea
-
- High quality spring teas
Brewing temperature and water quality for green tea
When making a perfect cup of green tea, regardless of which brewing technique you are using, water quality will play an important role.
-
- Use only fresh water, do not re-heat the old water in the kettle.
-
- The best water for green tea is filtered tap water or spring water.
-
- Water should be neither too hard nor too soft.
-
- Always bring water to a boil and then let it cool down to the desired temperature.
Pay attention to the water temperature. It shouldn't be too hot or too cold, although most high-quality teas may handle it. If you are impatient and the water is still too hot, reduce steeping time. That way you will still be able to get the best flavour.
Green teas will generally require 75-80 degrees Celsius, but this is only a general recommendation.
For example, you can use:
-
- 80 degrees Celsius for sencha
-
- 85-90 for genmaicha
-
- 45-60 for gyokuro
-
- 80-85 for matcha
-
- 85 for dragon well
-
- 90 for hojicha
-
- 75-80 for flavoured green teas
Drinks you can make using green tea
You can brew green tea in many ways, but you can also use the above-described techniques to make different green tea drinks.
1. Iced green tea
To make an iced green tea, use double the amount of tea leaves and steep them for 3-5 minutes. This method is the best if you want to add other condiments and sugar. If you want pure unsweetened iced tea, cold brew it instead.
2. Green milk tea
To make green milk tea, it's best to make the tea first, without simmering it. Use double the amount of tea leaves and steep it for 3-5 minutes. Then add a splash of milk. Best teas for making milk tea are gunpowder, matcha powder and roasted Japanese green teas.
3. Pink chai
Pink chai is a beautiful pink milk tea made with green tea leaves, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. All green teas will turn pink after you simmer them long enough and add bicarbonate of soda, but some may offer a better flavour.
Find out which green teas are the best for making pink chai from the experiment here.
4. Green boba tea
Green tea is perfect for making boba tea, especially Japanese matcha if you want to add milk. However, you can use other teas as well. Not all boba teas contain milk, and green teas will work amazingly well with popping boba pearls.
What to add to green tea
So, you tried green tea and didn't really like it?
Maybe you still have to train your taste buds to unique grassy or nutty flavours. But if you want to create a habit of drinking green tea, the best time is now. Even if the only green tea you have at home right now needs some enhancing.
These tips will help you get the most out of any green tea.
How to make green tea taste good – 10 ways to try
First, before adding anything to green tea, let's see how green tea should taste like.
What should green tea taste like?
-
- It should have fresh green vegetal notes.
-
- It should have an enjoyable flavour – if flavoured green tea blend.
-
- It should be mellow and smooth.
What a green tea shouldn't taste like:
-
- It shouldn't taste bitter.
-
- It shouldn't taste stale.
-
- It shouldn't taste like dust and hay.
If your tea taste too bitter, stale and has dust and hay notes, it may be better to skip it. If it's still fresh and fragrant but you are not fond of the flavour, here's what you can do.
1. Pay attention to the water temperature.
Yes, paying attention to all the minor details can be annoying, but it's totally worth it. It will take a couple of weeks to learn how to make a perfect cup of green tea, but then you'll be able to make tea without paying a slightest attention.
In fact, it's like brushing teeth – you are doing it day after day, year after year, that you don't really pay attention to it anymore. The same is true for tea. If the water is not hot enough, it won't extract enough flavour. If it's too hot, the tea will be bitter and strong.
2. Don’t over-steep it.
Steeping time is super important when making a perfect cup of green tea. General suggestion is to keep it 2-3 minutes. However, you may want to start with 1-1.5 minute first.
If your tea is fresh and properly made, it won't get bitter after only 1 minute. It's always better to use more tea leaves and even hotter water than steeping for too long.
3. Use a sweetener.
Adding a sweetener to a very high-quality green tea may take away the opportunity to really enjoy all the flavour nuances. However, if you over-brewed it, you can add a sweetener and serve it iced. Sweeteners may be a great addition to some flavoured green teas, especially if they taste like desserts.
4. Cold brew it.
Cold brewing is a great way to see a tea you don't particularly like in a whole new light. It will significantly change the flavour profile of tea and make it less astringent and lighter. This brewing technique doesn't require effort, only time. Besides, it will provide less caffeine, and the potential benefits will stay the same.
Some of the best green teas for cold-brewing and flavoured sencha teas, fruity green teas and blends with gunpowder and hyson green tea.
5. Make an iced tea.
If you over-brewed your green tea, the best way to fix this is by serving it iced. When making any iced tea, it's good to add more tea leaves and steep them longer. Just add some sweetener, lots of ice and you will have a super tasty drink.
6. Add milk or a milk alternative.
Adding milk to green tea may sound wrong, but there are specific types that go really well with milk. Green teas with chocolate and creamy notes and deep and strong body (Indian green teas or gunpowder green teas) are great for adding milk.
Roasted green teas such as hojicha are amazing with milk as well and you can use them for making delicious boba teas.
7. Add lemon or other citruses.
Adding a few drops of lemon will make your tea brighter and lighter. In fact, adding some lemon and sugar can turn just about any green tea into a really nice cuppa. If you never tried green tea before, this may be a great way to get hooked on it. Lemon goes well with pure green teas, especially those that are stronger and have a smoky taste.
8. Steep it with fresh fruits.
If you are using pure leaf green tea, try steeping it with fresh fruits. They will add tons of flavour, more than any dry ingredient. Wash the fruits and gently crush them or slice them and steep together with green tea leaves. Strain the tea after 3-5 minutes. You can steep it longer because fruits will add lots of sweetness and remove bitterness.
9. Add flavour extracts.
A drop of flavour extract can give you an instant flavoured tea. This works really well with deeper, full-bodied, loose green teas and tea bags. Tea bags contain dust and fannings and brew into a stronger cuppa, which makes them perfect for some DIY instant flavouring.
10. Steep it with vegetables.
The idea of green tea with vegetables may sound wrong, but it's actually delicious. Green tea has a perfect fresh flavour profile to match the freshness and light sweetness of many vegetables.
Check out our brewing green tea with vegetables test.
11. Add fruit jams.
Fruit jams will give you a cuppa that's slightly lighter than if you brewed it with fresh fruits, but more flavourful than simply adding a regular sweetener. Choose jams without fruit chunks if you want to preserve a clean appearance.
Caffeine in green tea
Green tea is considered super healthy, but one thing that you may have, especially if you are switching from coffee to tea, is how much caffeine there is in green tea. On the other hand, some tea drinkers want to find teas that are high in caffeine, to provide the same energy boosting effect as coffee, in addition to other potential benefits.
The answer is anything but simple, but we'll try to make it easier, so you know exactly what to expect.
What is caffeine?
All real tea (teas made from Camellia sinensis plant) naturally contains caffeine. Camellia sinensis and coffee plant are not the only plants that contain caffeine – it's also found in over 60 other plants (6), including guarana, yerba mate tea, yaupon, guayusa, cola plant and cocoa bean (7). Some of them are used for making herbal teas, and some may even be blended with Camellia sinensis tea.
Caffeine is also present in flowers of citruses such as lemons and grapefruits, but not in the fruit itself (8).
Caffeine belongs to a ground of methylxanthines, compounds that act as psychostimulants (9). Although caffeine may provide some health benefits, the main reason coffee and tea drinkers like caffeine is because it can boost energy and increase alertness.
But caffeine in plants has a completely different role – it's protecting the plant from insects and pathogens (10).
How much caffeine in green tea?
It's impossible to say how much caffeine will different teas have, so the next best things we can do is to assume based on different factors such as
-
- The type of plant
-
- Growing conditions
-
- Harvesting time
-
- Leaf maturity and size
-
- Processing methods
-
- Brewing methods
What studies say about caffeine in green tea?
Studies showed teas made from assamica variety may have more caffeine than teas made from sinensis variety (11). This could mean that potentially, green tea from India made from an assamica plant would have more caffeine than green tea from China, made from sinensis plant.
Another study showed a difference in caffeine content between two popular Japanese tea cultivars – Yabukita and Benifuki, where benifuki was lower in caffeine than the most commonly used Yabukita cultivar.
Teas that are shaded such as kabusecha, gyokuro and matcha will have more caffeine than unshaded teas. Harvesting time will play a role in the caffeine content as well. Previously mentioned study showed that green teas that are harvested in autumn and winter will have less caffeine than teas harvested in spring and summer (12). Older, more mature leaves may have less caffeine than younger leaves, and that's why bancha will be lighter in caffeine than sencha.
How much caffeine can you expect?
The way you make your tea will determine the amount of caffeine as well. More caffeine will be extracted if you use hotter water.
Since all these factors will impact the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea, each tea will be different. A cup of green tea may have 10 mg of caffeine, or it may have over 60 mg. In general, you may expect 20-30 mg, which is still less than a cup of coffee.
But what really makes tea different from coffee in terms of boosting energy are other compounds that are present in the tea leaf as well.
So, what exactly are the benefits of drinking green tea?
What are the benefits of green tea?
Green tea is more than just an energy boosting drink. It may provide a myriad of potential health benefits. In the last couple of decades, green tea caught the attention of scientists worldwide, and is today a well-researched drink.
But green tea has been enjoyed in some countries for centuries. The legend has it that a Chinese emperor, Shennong, the Father of Chinese Medicine, tried hundreds of plants to test their benefits (13).
Tea was one of them, and that was almost 5000 years ago. According to the legend, he discovered tea and its benefits when a leaf accidentally fell into his cup with hot water.
What’s in green tea?
Since green tea has been widely researched, it's no secret it contains many beneficial compounds. One of the most mentioned compounds is EGCG, a catechin that comes with a myriad of health benefits.
But what else is there in green tea? Is EGCG the only compounds you should be interested in?
It contains amino acids, minerals, vitamins, pigments, methylxanthines and polyphenols, up to 30% of dry weight. EGCG is only one of those polyphenols, more specifically, one of catechins.
L-theanine is one of the most important amino acid in green tea, but there are others too, such as:
-
- arginine,
-
- tyrosine,
-
- leucine,
-
- tryptophan,
-
- valine and others.
It also contains Vitamin B, C and E and minerals including manganese, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium and others (14).
Together, all these compounds work together to provide different benefits.
So, what exactly is green tea good for?
What is green tea good for?
Studies suggest that drinking green tea may be beneficial in many ways. Some benefits are:
1. Reduce oxidative stress
Perhaps one of the most interesting benefits of drinking green tea is its antioxidant properties and the ability to reduce oxidative stress (15). Oxidative stress is caused by excessive free radical production that may be caused by different factors and may lead to chronic and degenerative diseases and premature aging (16).
A study on Thai green tea showed that the assam tea plant may have a higher catechin content than sinensis plant, but they both have the same radical scavenging capacity (17).
2. Anti-inflammatory properties
Studies suggest that green tea may be beneficial for those suffering from different chronic inflammatory diseases (18). These include inflammatory bowel disease such as Chron's disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease (19).
3. Aid in weight-loss
One of the major reasons many tea drinkers decide to include green tea into their diet is to aid in weight loss. While tea isn't a magic potion, studies showed it may help reduce bad cholesterol (20) and body weight (21) by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation (22). Besides, green tea may boost the energy needed to keep active.
4. Prevent and manage Type II diabetes
Type II diabetes is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects many people around the world. A link between drinking green tea and Type II diabetes and prediabetes has been a subject of many studies in the recent years. Studies showed that green tea may help both prevent and manage this chronic disease. (23)
5. Green tea and blood pressure
Green tea may provide antihypertensive activity. Studies showed that this tea type may help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (24) and help to prevent heart diseases.
6. Provide a calming effect
What makes tea so unique is that not only it contains an energy boosting caffeine, but it contains a calming compound too. L-theanine, an amino acid in green tea, may provide antianxiety and antistress effect (25). Shading, a process used in the production of kabusecha, gyokuro and matcha, is increasing levels of L-theanine in tea plants (26). That's why matcha is said to have a more calming effect than other green teas.
Longer withering, a step in the production of green tea, may increase the levels of theanine in green tea (27).
7. Cancer prevention
Cancer prevention is one of the often-mentioned potential benefits of green tea. Studies are yet to show how and if green tea may help to prevent or treat cancer (28), but there is evidence that it may help by reducing oxidative stress, protect against UVB damage, and inhibit the growth of tumour (29). Green tea should not be replaced as a proper therapy, neither it's suitable for self-treatment, but it may be a good addition to treatment plans (30).
8. Protect the teeth
Studies suggest that drinking green tea may also have a beneficial effect on teeth health by preventing the growth of bacteria and fight inflammation (31).
There are many other benefits that green tea may provide. To get the most out of green tea, an occasional cup may not do much except provide an energy boost. One thing that most of these studies conclude is that benefits come with daily drinking. How much tea should you drink? This is highly individual, depending on your health status and how it will make you feel. Some studies suggest 2 cups a day, and some recommend up to 5.
If you are still not a green tea drinker, start with one cup a day. Once you find your favourite green tea, drinking tea will become a habit you will truly enjoy.
Need more inspiration?
Here are the top 9 green teas to try in 2023 – from novelty blends to unique and rare ingredients.
9 green teas to try in 2023
Green tea is the second most popular type of tea in the world. Some types, like Sencha, Matcha, Dragon Well and Mao Feng, will always be must try teas. If you haven't tried them yet, make sure they are on your must-drink list for this year.
However, each year, a world of tea gets richer and more exciting, with more unique blends and pure teas and flavours that weren't even imaginable before.
What are these flavours? What are the best green teas to try in 2023?
Here are the top 9 types you should try.
1. Flavoured matcha tea
Until about a decade ago, the only matcha available on the market was pure matcha. In the last couple of years, flavoured matcha teas are anything but rare. They range from simply flavoured green tea powder with one ingredient – like cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla or cocoa, to ice cream matcha and pina colada matcha.
Maybe flavouring matcha is a trend that will stick around (they are super delicious), or maybe in a couple of years we will drink matcha completely differently. One thing's for sure, now is a perfect time to try it.
2. Dessert green tea
Just like flavoured matcha, dessert green teas became increasingly popular over the last couple of years. From a super delicious Lemon Curd green tea to Pear & Pistachio cake and Baked Apples – there really is a right dessert green tea for everyone.
These teas are far from typical green tea blends we were drinking a few decades ago. When flavoured teas became popular, they were often quite simple, made with generic green teas and with common ingredients – rose buds, papaya chunks, oranges, lemons, mint and common fruits.
Today they are made with the most uncommon ingredients to mimic the flavour of popular desserts.
3. Matcha from outside Japan
The only authentic matcha comes from Japan. Or at least it did. Until recently, the only authentic matcha really did come from Japan, because it was the only matcha tea that was grown and processed like matcha should be grown and processed. But today, other countries are producing their own matcha green teas too – shaded and milled into a super fine powder.
Our favourite? Korean Hadong matcha, a very interesting matcha powder made from naturally shaded tea plants.
4. Unique genmaicha tea
Making genmaicha is generally not as strict as making matcha. To be called genmaicha, a green tea should contain toasted rice and optionally popped rice. Sometimes genmaicha may contain matcha tea powder or black soybeans, but rarely other ingredients.
Well, not anymore. Today, genmaicha teas are more unique than ever. They contain ingredients such as hemp, coconut, lemongrass, coca nibs and orange blossoms. The one ingredient is still the same – toasted and popped rice.
5. Green tea blended with coffee
For some tea lovers, the purpose of drinking green tea is to serve as an alternative to coffee. But some tea drinkers don't really want to give up on their coffee drinking habit.
In fact, they want to enjoy both.
Coffee and tea blends are rising in popularity, and they are more than interesting. Green tea, green coffee and ylang ylang? Not something you'd seen a couple of decades ago.
If the idea of blending green tea and coffee sounds appealing, you can even try blending it yourself.
6. Cold-brew tea
Cold-brew teas are pre-made tea blends with flavours that are created specifically for cold brewing. This doesn't always mean long cold brewing. Sometimes, you can simply pop them into a glass of cold water and enjoy in a matter of minutes.
Cold-brew tea is amazing for spring and summer, and making it is hassle-free. Many tea brands today offer cold-brew teas too, that you can brew in cold water in less than 5-10 minutes.
7. Green tea with probiotics
Probiotic teas are definitely a novelty in the tea world. They are still not widely available, but some big brands like Bigelow, Celestial Seasonings and Twinings have already been offering them for some time.
Most probiotic blends are herbal or black, but there are green probiotic teas out there too. Why trying them? Probiotic green tea contains good bacteria that are heat resistant, that may help with digestion and gut health (32). Besides, they taste great – just like a proper tea should taste.
8. Functional green tea
If you don't enjoy taking vitamins, now you can drink it in a cup of tea. Just like green tea with probiotics, functional green tea is enriched with minerals and vitamins or other ingredients, such as adaptogenic plants. Functional tea does not offer only the potential benefits of green tea, but additional potential benefits of added ingredients such as echinacea, biotin or ashwagandha.
9. Green tea with unique or rare ingredients
Carambola, durian and wattle seeds in green tea? A few decades ago, these blends would be unimaginable. Green tea goes well with many ingredients, and some of them are truly rare. If you want to try something more unique than regular lemon or mint green tea, there are so many options out there you could drink a new blend every day.
Final Thoughts
Green tea is a truly amazing type of tea. It's an “unoxidized” tea type with fresh taste and scent that can have dozens of different flavour notes. Many countries are producing green tea today, each with a special terroir. Want to drink grassy and fresh green teas? Nothing can beat an authentic Japanese sencha in freshness. Or are you fonder of nutty and sweet green teas? The Chinese Dragon Well is a must try. This guide should have helped you understand green tea better and motivate you to continue the journey of exploring this type of tea with excitement and enthusiasm.
If you still haven't found your favourite one, don't give up just yet. Try teas with different flavour profile and try different brewing methods. Every cup of tea you drink should be the best one and the one you enjoy the most.
And keep an eye on new blends and green tea types here.
Related Posts
Sources:
(1) https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/green-tea-market-100790
(2) https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/agri/attach/pdf/tea_202012.pdf
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080476/
(4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286320305623
(5) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308718817_Ten_different_brewing_methods_of_green_tea_comparative_antioxidant_study
(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462044/
(7) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239445039_Caffeine_in_Citrus_flowers
(8) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239445039_Caffeine_in_Citrus_flowers
(9) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128053768000198
(11) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
(12) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6694591/
(13) https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/chinesemedicine/emperors.html
(14) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
(15) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16698148/
(16) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/
(17) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
(18) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27634207/
(19) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490540/
(20) https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-018-2355-x
(21) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19597519/
(22) https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2014143
(23) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
(24) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4150247/
(25) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453021001324
(26) https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/22/14169
(27) https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=58988
(28) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490540/
(29) https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet
(30) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188417/
(31) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459493/
(32) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464619305675