Facts About Green Tea
―Black tea, oolong tea, and green tea are all made from the leaves of the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference lies in the level of oxidation; black tea is fully oxidized, oolong tea is partially oxidized, and green tea is unoxidized.
―Catechins, a type of antioxidant found in tea, have antibacterial and disinfectant properties. They may also help prevent arteriosclerosis.
―Tea naturally contains caffeine.
―The “Mawashitsugi” method (literally “rotating pouring”) ensures each cup of tea has the same strength and quantity. The tea is poured sequentially into each cup, a little at a time, moving from the first to the last and then starting again, until all cups are filled.
―A Japanese superstition holds that if a tea stem floats upright in your cup, it is a sign of good luck.
―The game of “tea fighting” was very popular in the old days. The Muromachi Shogunate banned the game because people were too enthusiastic about it.
―There is an art called the “tea ceremony.” The tea ceremony cultivates not only the attitude and skill to entertain others but also the aesthetic sense to arrange the environment for tea drinking, including tea utensils, furnishings, and flowers. It is a comprehensive art form that forms the basis of Japanese manners.
―The word for “tea” is the same as the word for “brown” in Japanese because it used to be brown. It was not until the Edo period (1603-1867), when a unique manufacturing process was developed, that it became green.
―The semi-cylinder shape in a tea field makes it easier to pick tea, apply fertilizers and pesticides, and do other work. The round shape allows for a larger surface area than a flat shape. This is beneficial for tea picking work, where all the shoots are harvested.
―The reason for the slope is that at night, the heat from the daytime escapes from the ground, and the cool air flows into the flat land and stays there. The slopes cool down in the evening, but the cool air goes down and is replaced by the warmer air from the plains, which rises after being warmed during the day. The average minimum temperature is warmer on the slopes.
―The fans in the tea fields are called “frost protection fans.” Their role is to prevent frost from forming on the crops. If the tea leaves are exposed to frost, they will freeze and be damaged.
Terminology
―Genmaicha: A blend of bancha or sencha and roasted brown rice. It combines the refreshing quality of the tea with the nutty aroma of the rice.
―Gyokuro: Gyokuro has a full-bodied, sweet, and umami-rich flavor. This is achieved by shading the tea plants from direct sunlight for about 20 days before harvesting, using reed screens or other methods. This process increases the production of theanine, an amino acid that contributes to the savory taste.
―Sencha: Sencha is the most commonly consumed tea in Japan, accounting for about 85% of the tea produced. It is characterized by a refreshing aroma and a balance of sweetness and mild astringency.
―Bancha: Bancha refers to tea made from leaves picked later in the season (summer or autumn). As the leaves are exposed to stronger sunlight, they develop a stronger, more astringent flavor and contain less caffeine than sencha.
―Hojicha: This is a tea made by roasting bancha or sencha over high heat. The roasting process turns the leaves a reddish-brown and gives them a savory, toasty flavor with low astringency.
―Matcha: Matcha is made from tencha, which is tea that has been shade-grown like gyokuro. The dried leaves have their stems and veins removed before being stone-ground into a fine, vibrant green powder.