If you’re new to Japanese teas, I suggest that you start by learning about sencha, the most produced (and consumed) tea in Japan.
Regional bancha:
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If you’re new to Japanese teas, I suggest that you start by learning about sencha, the most produced (and consumed) tea in Japan.
Regional bancha:
August 20, 2013
I am so pleased to have found your site. It is very well done, the information is excellent, and the presentation is welcoming..
Would you please let me know what teas you recommend as being lowest in caffeine. I have an anxious reaction (like you to the caffeine in coffee) and have found many teas cause this response. Loving green tea as I do, I would like to continue to drink it. Kind regards, J
August 20, 2013
Hello Janis, thanks for the comment.
Houjicha and genmaicha are both very low in caffeine, the first one because of the extra roasting process and the second because the added rice has no caffeine.
April 5, 2014
Such an informative site thank you so much! It would be really great if you could do a health section explaining all the health benefits of tea…there are so many!
Thanks again!
April 6, 2014
Hello Sarah
As you say, there are many. That’s why I’ve been publishing health-related articles every now and then. I’ll probably summarize them all in a future post.
February 17, 2015
Felicidades, Ricardo. I am so pleased to see that in Latinamerica there is someone adventuring into real tea. I am more knowledgeable of Chinese tea but as I drunk some ichabancha, a search brought me to your page. I will soon be in Colombia (Medellin, Cartagena y Cali) but unfortunately not in Bogota in which case a cata would definitely been on my adgenda.
February 17, 2015
Thank you for your message Spiii.
It sounds like a very fun trip, enjoy your stay in Colombia. The next time please stop by Bogotá for a tea tasting : )
November 18, 2015
You mention above that Houjicha and genmaicha are both very low in caffeine. Is there one that is also high in theanine? Looking for one for a relative to help increase relaxation, decrease anxiety.
November 19, 2015
Hello Dan
Unfortunately, most teas that are high in L-theanine aren’t low in caffeine. Although some have less than others.
My advise is to find a kukicha that is mostly stems and twigs, no tea leaves. That way you minimize the caffeine and get the L-theanine that you seek.
June 27, 2016
I remember being in Japan and eating at Kaitenzushi places. The tea they had was distinctly strong and less delicate to matcha. Was this konacha?
June 27, 2016
Hi Bradley
Thanks for commenting.
Yes, it was probably konacha. I wrote a post about it, in case you’re interested:
https://www.myjapanesegreentea.com/the-type-of-green-tea-served-at-japanese-sushi-bars
January 13, 2017
Which Japanese teas would be considered the ‘healthiest’ re: ‘nutrient’ content, etc. FYI – Many thanks for your site!
January 13, 2017
Hi Nan
The healthiest regarding nutrient content would be matcha, because it’s more concentrated and you are essentially ingesting the whole leaf because it is a powder.
May 3, 2017
I discovered your website a couple of months ago and it was a great source of inspiration – and still is! It has given me the right boost to start my own tea adventure !
So many thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
May 3, 2017
Dear Francesca
Thank you for your kind comment. Have fun in your tea adventure 🙂
August 3, 2017
Hi, I’m heading to Japan soon and would like to stock up on tea while I’m there & would appreciate your advice on which teas I should try. I know most people enjoy a lighter & sweeter tea but I would love to find a strong & bitter loose tea. I can generally only get the strong bitter taste I prefer from teabags & have tried to switch to loose leaf but so far the ones I have tried are to grassy or lack any bitterness. Are you aware of any types which offer a strong and bitter flavour without the grassy taste. Thanks so much!
August 3, 2017
Hello Annie
I hope that you enjoy your trip to Japan.
Well, perhaps a fukamushi (deep steamed) sencha or a konacha can get very bitter if you steep for longer times and in boiling water.
But note that too much bitterness is generally undesirable, and the higher the quality the less bitter it tends to get. That’s why intentionally buying high quality tea and brewing it to make it bitter doesn’t make so much sense.
The grassy taste also has to do with astringency, which increases the same way bitterness does. It’s also present in green tea, so I’m not sure what your preference would be.
The other advise I can give you is to prepare a gyokuro in the standard way, it will give you a strong taste with lots of umami, it transalates into a tea with much body. Maybe you will like it.
August 11, 2018
Hello
I have read many of your tea information on this site and am very please to find one so true to details.
Honestly i drink black tea but want to switch to green tea.I heard green tea has better nutrients and health benefits.I prefer to get some powered tea so i can consume whole leaf and brew easily.Now being so many different tea I am unable to decide which one will be best..Also I read in your post i can ground myself tea leaf but wont be perfect.So can you give me advise which one to buy in powder will be best if not which tea leaf I should buy and grind myself. Also where will be best to buy from so it could be genuine quality as it is a long time decision.I highly appreciate your expertise
reply. Thank-you
August 12, 2018
Hi Espi
Health benefits and quality are not the same thing. A ceremonial matcha that is very expensive and has a very good color, flavor and aroma might be just as healthy as a very cheap green tea powder that is very bitter and astringent.
This is because catechins, among them EGCG, are bitter and astringent. For high quality Japanese green tea you need a balance, so more amino acids instead.
If you only care for health benefits, any green tea powder will do as long as it is reasonably fresh.
April 21, 2019
A friend recently gave me a teabag of hojicha tea which I enjoyed. I’m wondering if “houjicha” is the same or not?
April 21, 2019
Hi Angela
Yes, it’s the same. The correct way to spell it is 焙じ茶, but in our letters there is more than one transliteration system, that’s why there are differences.
Actually, instead of hojicha, hōjicha is more accurate, because it has a long vowel.
April 21, 2019
Thanks!
January 12, 2021
Hi there Ricardo, I was just wondering if you would be able to tell me what Type-D matcha is?
Can’t find what that is defined as in context to Matcha. I have a Tenchu leaves Organic Matcha batch and the lab analysis and label (wholesale) shows Type-D.
Thanks for your time.
Mike
January 12, 2021
Hi Mike
Sometimes Japanese tea companies have their own grading systems. But it is an internal thing, not an industry norm.
You have to ask them in order to be sure about which matcha is it.
January 13, 2021
Hi Ricardo: Excellent, thought that might be a possibility, so thanks for your time with that.
Tenchu leaves are a more rare leaf that I’m told is even hard to find in Japan. What are your thoughts on Tenchu leaves in context to a couple other higher grade leaves for matcha?
January 13, 2021
I don’t know what tenchu leaves are. Perhaps it is tencha that you are referring to, or it is also a brand for the tea leaves that your supplier sells.
Real matcha is made from grinding tencha leaves into a powder by definition. Tencha is a type of shaded tea.
June 19, 2021
Ricardo, you’ve done amazing work on this site and have introduced me to some rare and amazing teas I never would’ve discovered otherwise! Thank you! 🙂
I was wondering if you knew of a Japanese tea that was good for the lungs, breathing freely, clearing congestion, etc. — any one of those or some combination. I find some herbal teas are good for this and some strong/bitter Chinese raw pu-erh. But, I’m curious if there’s a Japanese variety. Let me know if you have any thoughts on this. And, thank you ahead of time!
June 20, 2021
Hi Skye
Green tea benifuuki powder is good for allergies. Other than that, it’s good to keep in mind that most of what Japan makes are green teas, and their health benefits are quite similar.
I’m interested in enjoying a tea, its taste and aroma. Health benefits is a good thing to have, but I believe that it shouldn’t be the main reason to drink tea. For example, health benefits don’t correlate with quality. You can have a green tea that is of top quality, but in health benefits it is the same as a low quality one.
June 20, 2021
Thanks for the recommendation. I don’t drink tea solely for its health benefits. I know someone who does, though and it’s really helped them. So, to each their own. I do enjoy tea. I’ve also done quite a bit of scientific research on it. The papers I’ve read have indicated that quality can correlate heavily with health benefits, though it can depend on what variety of tea you’re referencing. There are also very large variations in health effects due to the processing of green teas — e.g. the roasting process can annihilate certain constituents of the tea, resulting in a very different nutritional profile; consuming brew (sencha) rather than the whole leaf (matcha) can further alter nutrition; growing conditions such as shading can change caffeine/GABA concentrations, etc. Not everyone is interested in that aspect of things, though. That’s fine. I just thought I’d ask. 🙂