What is the best green tea?

The second most produced type of tea in the world, green tea is renowned for its many health benefits and rich flavour palette.

However, choosing your favorite tea from such a wide variety of green teas can be complicated.

Don't panic: in this item, you'll discover the best green teas and learn why we think matcha tea could be the best of them all.

What are the main varieties of green tea?

There are many varieties of green tea around the world. The most prestigious green teas come mainly from China and Japan, and reflect the expertise acquired over several centuries of production.

Let's review the most well-known varieties of green tea and their origins:

The main Chinese green teas

• Gunpowder: One of the oldest teas in the world. This green tea with rolled leaves, smoky notes, and a slightly bitter taste is the basis for Moroccan mint green tea.
• Jasmine tea: Very popular in China, this tea is blended with jasmine flowers to offer a sweet taste and delicious notes of fresh flowers.
• Biluochun: Meaning "spring jade snail" in reference to the shape of its leaves, this tea is one of the 10 most famous Chinese teas. Smooth, fruity, floral, and nutty, it is a tea of great fineness, ranking it among the very best Chinese green teas.
• Long Jing: Also known as "Dragon Well," this is probably one of the most popular Chinese teas. With flat leaves and vegetal, roasted, and nutty notes, it is a delicious and easy-to-drink tea with a beautiful length and great harmony.

The main Japanese green teas

• Sencha: The most popular tea in Japan, accounting for over 70% of the country's production. Easily recognizable by its fine green needles, sencha is slightly bitter and offers relaxing and comforting vegetal and marine notes.
• Genmaicha: A staple of Japanese teas, this tea is blended with roasted or puffed rice. Delicious and low in theine, it is suitable for consumption at any time of day and for all ages.
• Houjicha: With a beautiful brown colour, this tea is roasted, giving it a smooth flavour, toasted and woody aromas, hints of hazelnut, and a taste similar to coffee.
• Gyokuro: Japan's most prestigious tea. The "jade dew pearl" is a shaded tea, meaning it is protected from the sun for about three weeks before harvest. Complex, with an umami taste and powerful vegetal and marine notes, gyokuro is a precious tea, prized by green tea enthusiasts.
• Matcha: The famous Japanese powdered green tea. It is made from tencha leaves, which come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, the matcha plant. It is a tea that is shaded and de-veined, then ground into a fine, bright green powder. Traditionally served during Japanese tea ceremonies, it is now prepared in many different ways and is even used in cosmetics and culinary grade products.

To learn more about these green teas, I invite you to discover our item dedicated to the different Japanese green teas.

The benefits of matcha green tea

So why do we think matcha could be the best green tea?

First of all, although green tea is rich in antioxidants compared to black tea, matcha contains much more than the others. As the leaf is ground and ingested whole, it contains up to 137 times more antioxidants than in brewed green tea, whether in pouches or loose!

In addition, matcha green tea has many benefits, including:

• helps improve focus and mood;
• helps reduce mental fatigue and increase alertness;
• help with weight loss as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Find a comprehensive item detailing all the benefits of matcha right here.

Matcha and umami, a unique taste

Are you familiar with umami?

Discovered by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, it is the fifth flavour, in addition to salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. It is a balanced flavour that coats the entire mouth and causes salivation. Umami adds depth of flavour, making a dish or food delicious!

A flavour that is particularly found in matcha! Indeed, a quality matcha should not have a bitter taste, but a deliciously umami flavour. Matcha tea delivers beautiful vegetal notes, a smooth texture, and a wonderful sensation of freshness.

Just like wine, each matcha tasting offers a unique taste experience!

Matcha, the ideal ingredient for creative use

Another significant advantage is that matcha powder allows it to be used creatively in culinary applications, such as cooking, pastries, and cosmetics, making the most of all its benefits!

Cakes, matcha latte pies, dalgona, milkshakes, cocktails... the possibilities are endless!

>>> Click here to browse all our matcha recipes

Conclusion: what is the best green tea?

In summary, there is a wide variety of green teas, each with its own unique flavor profile and character. In terms of taste, the best green tea is the one that you enjoy the most!

When it comes to health benefits, matcha, with its high concentration of antioxidants, is an excellent tea, if not the best. Read consumer reviews of premium matcha tea for yourself.

Its powdered format is also the most practical way to enjoy the benefits of green tea, by incorporating it into your recipes and cosmetics.

>>> Discover our range of organic matcha teas to buy and enjoy for tasting