The green tea of China has really built a name for itself around the world. And if you're curious to discover all the secrets of green tea of China, you're at the right place!
In this article, we'll be covering the history of Chinese tea. We’ll take a deep dive into china green tea, showing you not only how it is made, but also the china green tea benefits and the best china green tea.
Let’s get started! 🇨🇳
Green Tea of China - a Brief Summary
So before we get into the green tea of China, it’s important to go through a bit of background.
The cultivation of green tea in China dates as far back as the Han Dynasty in 206-220 AD.
At this time, tea was mostly consumed as a medicine, but later people began experimenting with different methods of production to create more flavorful green teas.
Tang Dynasty
During the Tang dynasty, between the years 600-900 AD, tea was consumed for pleasure and for social gatherings. It was during this time that the tea leaves were pressed into a brick, ground into a coarse powder and mixed into water.
This is considered to be the precursor to matcha powder, but the matcha powder of today likely tastes far better than what was consumed during this time.
China green tea today
The green tea of China today is far different than the green tea of China during the Tang dynasty. The green tea China produces today comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and we’re going to be covering them in the next sections.
The important thing to know for now is that green tea from china comes with a rich history and a proud tradition. Green tea from China was eventually brought over to Japan by the monks who later developed their own production styles and created Japanese tea.
If you want to also learn about the history of Japanese green tea, you can learn everything you need to know in this short article 👉 History of green tea in japan & Tea ceremony
China green tea benefits
What makes China green tea different from green tea produced in Japan? For the most part, the green tea China makes is heated in a large hot pan after the harvest.
This makes the tea different from Japanese green tea which is steamed after the harvest. All green teas do have health benefits, and if you want to learn about them, we suggest you read our guide 👉 Is green tea good for you? A Tea Expert Weighs in
The flavor of China green tea
One of the biggest China green tea benefits has to do with the flavor. Because the green tea China produces is heated in a large pan, it inherits more of these “cooked” notes of fruit jam, nuts and even a hint of caramel.
This differs from Japanese green teas like sencha tea which can have a more vegetal flavor, with notes of steamed spinach, edamame and even seaweed (although this can also be delicious!)
If you want to learn more about sencha tea, we recommend reading our complete guide about it 👉 Everything You Need to Know About Sencha
Best green tea in China
Any discussion of the best green tea in China wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the 10 famous teas of China. While this list contains 1 white tea, 1 yellow tea, 2 oolong teas, 1 black tea and 1 post fermented tea, we are going to stick to a list of the 4 best green tea in China. They are as follows:
Longjing - the Best China green tea
If you ask most tea connoisseurs what the best China green tea is, most of them will tell you Longjing or Dragonwell.
This tea is made in Xi Hu (west lake) and a distinct characteristic about it is the long, flat tea leaves.
This tea has a long and storied tradition, and has become among the most expensive types of green tea from China. The flavor typically has a mild sweetness, with notes of chestnut or soymilk.
Huangshan Maofeng - one of the best green tea in China
A runner up on our list of the best green tea in China would have to be Huangshan Maofeng.
The name means “yellow mountain fur peak” because the tea is produced in Huangsha (literally “yellow mountain”) and it often has little pieces of fur on it because it is made from young tea buds.
The flavor of the tea has a subtle sweetness to it, with floral and fruity tasting notes to round it out.
Biluochun
This is one of the best China green tea and is easy to spot. The name means “green snail spring” because of the fact that the tea leaves are rolled into a snail shape and the tea is harvested in the springtime.
Biluochun is produced in the Dong Ting Mountain of Taihu in Jiangsu Province and it has a light floral aroma and flavor.
Liu'an Melon Seed Tea
Last but not least on our list of the best green tea in China is Liu’an or Melon Seed tea.
This tea is produced in Lu’an City, Anhui Province and it has a nice balance between subtle bitterness and subtle sweetness.
It gets its name because the leaves are rolled into slat oval shapes, resembling melon seeds.
Like the other teas on this list, this tea is very carefully made and can fetch a high price!
Japanese Tea That Tastes Like Green Tea from China
If you’re looking for a Japanese tea that tastes like green tea from China, look no further than the Kamairicha Issin! This is a type of Japanese green tea, but it is made in the Chinese pan-firing style.
The flavor of the Kamairicha is somewhere in between an unroasted sencha tea and a fully roasted hojicha tea. The tea has a sweet, nutty taste characteristic with notes of caramel and cashews.
If you want to learn more about roasted teas, we made the perfect guide for you 👉 All you need to know about Roasted Tea
