Yesterday, I wrote about Japan’s national beverage, namely the humble yet refined glass of green tea.
However, just as no two glasses of wine are created equal, green tea is just as varied as the finest fruit of the vine.
Indeed, there are a multitude of specialty green teas, each varying in taste, texture and complexity.
While a true vinophile would never consistently drink glass upon glass of red wine, green tea connoisseurs take great pride in sampling the full spectrum of brews.
But how do you tell the difference between sencha and matcha?
Aren’t all green teas simply dried leaves seeped in hot water?
Ah, my young grasshopper!
You have much to learn, but fear not as today, I’m going to present you with a handy taster’s guide to green teas that will hopefully get started on the long road to green tea devotion.
To get started, click on the link below to take a tour through the wide and wonderful world of green tea, one of nature’s most perfect beverages.
With millennia of history dating back to ancient China, green tea has undergone some incredible transformations over the generations.
Of course, all aspiring aficionados of green tea should start with ryokucha, or quite literally true tea (緑茶).
Green tea in its simplest form is so common in Japan that it’s known as just ‘tea’ (お茶; ocha) or even ‘Japanese tea’ (日本茶; nihoncha).
Nine times out of ten, true tea takes the form of sencha (煎茶, broiled tea), which is distinguished as being the first and/or second flush of tea leaves that have been dried in the sun.
Of course, the Japanese are also extremely partial to matcha (抹茶, rubbed tea), a finely ground tea that is the centerpiece of the tea ceremony.
Somewhat reminiscent of green flour, matcha can also be used to flavor a variety of confectionaries including ice cream, rice flour cakes and sweets.
Another excellent brew is genmaicha (玄米茶, brown-rice tea), which is usually a hearty a healthy blend of sencha, matcha and roasted genmai (玄米) or brown rice.
Genmaicha in particularly has a unique history since it was first brought to Japan by Myōan Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist priest who also introduced the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.
Are you with me so far? If so, also be on the lookout for the following:
Shincha (新茶, new tea) Freshly picked and dried tea leaves that tend to make an appearance in the markets a few times a year.
Bancha (番茶, common tea) This blue-collar brew is made from the trimmed unnecessary twigs of the tea plant.
Hojicha (焙じ茶, pan fried tea) Sencha takes on an entirely different taste after it has been gently roasted in a frying pan.
Gyokuro (玉露, jade dew): The highest grade of Japanese green tea that is famous for its pale green color and extremely high caffeine content.
See – this just goes to show you that with a little time and practice, anyone can become an aficionado!
** All images were courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project ***