Green Teas?

Question

I was just curious what the difference is between Chinese and Japanses Green Teas. Do they have differing flavors or health benefits??? Preparation and serving?

Answer 1

They both have strong and powerful benefits for the health. You could really lose some weight and get slimmer if you drink green tea 3 times per day. And they highly rich in antioxidant.
Preparation and serving mostly are the same to each others.

Answer 2

Many different teas depend on the region they were grown, the conditions just prior to harvesting, and the way they are prepared. For example, Japanese "Matcha" tea is a powdered green tea made from a very select harvest of tea leaves, which is stone ground into a fine powder, and whisked directly into hot, but not boiling, water. This particular type of tea is used in the Japanese tea ceremony, and is not steeped like normal tea. You are actually consuming the whole leaf.

More modern methods would be a tea packet, where leaves and possibly stems or blooms would be wrapped in thin paper and steeped in the hot water. This can still result in a flavorful cup of tea, and if the tea is fresh, will also give you the essential oils in the leaves, as well as a portion of the antioxidents green tea is so popular for.

Answer 3

In terms of flavor, aroma, and health benefits, I think it depends on the quality of the tea--which varies in both countries. The best way to go, for either country, is to try to get the tea as loose leaf rather than in a baggy, try to ensure that you are getting organic tea quality (no pesticides etc), and keeping it in a tight-sealed container to preserve its best qualities. You will do best buying it in a store where tea goes fast--probably a health food store--so it does not arrive to you totally stale.
Also, for best results, remember that green tea ought to be steeped in water below the boiling point. I find it easiest to just put an ice cube per cup of boiling water, then steep the tea up to 5 minutes. If the water is too hot your tea will leave a bitter aftertaste and you'll probably denature some of its healthy compounds. If you do it right, you may just be able to steep your tea up to three times and still get a pretty decent flavor and some good stuff to boot--and less caffeine per glass, which is also a plus for some of us.
Differences mainly depend on how the tea is roasted, which part of the plant is harvested and when... the buds, the leaves, the stems, a combination, any additional ingredients (ex. jasmine blossoms, my aromatic favorite) as well as where it is grown: shade, sun, level of rain... there is such variation, country of origin is the least important factor.
As for serving, in my experience chinese establishments will serve it in small china cups that are refilled over and over, while the Japanese custom is using a rougher ceramic cup, usually bigger too. I believe both countries also use cast-iron kettles and small cups that keep the tea warm for longer.
There is also a type of cup whose name I cannot remember, made of thin china, where you put your loose-leaf tea (I prefer jasmine pearls), pour the water from the kettle, and actually brew it within the cup. It comes with a little saucer and a top. To drink from it, you slide the top just enough to sip from the cup without swallowing the leaves. You pour a little water at a time and keep drinking and refilling. For something like Jasmine pearls (green tea wrapped in jasmine blossoms, shaped like little balls the size of pearls, will open like a flower when you steep them), this keeps the aroma in the vapors within the cup, and instead of disappearing within minutes, each time you lift that cover to take a sip you get a great moist cloud of jasmine and tea aroma. I just love it. Cannot remember the name of those cups, though.
enjoy your brew!
a tea fanatic

Answer 4

There's tea, and then there's matcha, the Japanese green tea served in the tea ceremonies. Matcha is strong and frothy--it's a powder that's whipped up to get a different texture.

Chinese green tea, I would assume, is brewed (steeped) like black tea. I don't think they have any kind of matcha equivalent like in Japan.

Tea's tea, though--it's just different types of almost the exact same plant. Green tea is unfermented and dried, black tea is fermented and dried, oolong is halfway between green and black, and lapsang souchong is smoked. White tea is the tips of the tea plant--little baby leaves that are plucked before they get big and gnarly--very delicate and floral. I don't think it's fermented, either.

The matcha ceremony is very involved and is a good example of a Zen mindfulness activity. Otherwise, it's tea--tastes good, often has little nibbles with it (like in England)--in China, oranges are a classic accompaniment to tea. I don't know that green tea is that popular in China, though.

Answer 5

health wise all green tea is better for you and i dont think there is any discernable difference in the health benefits between chinese and japanese.Flavour wise they all taste like weak cat pee as compared to black tea.CUMMMMMON you black tea.

Answer 6

One tea is from jap and the other china