CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

If you are as tired of black tea as I am you are not alone. In recent years there has been a dramatic shift in the tea buying habits of people everywhere. While the less known teas, like white tea, are even making some headway people are starting to realize what the peoples of Asia have known for millennia. Green tea is not only better for your health than any other tea it has more variations and is easier to blend than other teas.

What is the difference between green tea and black tea? Well first of all while black tea is fermented, green tea is dried, a much shorter process and has a much lighter, smoother flavor and the chemical health benefits aren't fermented out of the leaves. Green tea doesn't have the same bitter taste of some teas either. Green tea leaves, have a light grassy taste and some varieties have a bit of sweetness.

There are a lot of different green tea varieties. There are a few good types to look for, especially for beginners, like Dragon Well, Sencha and Gunpowder tea. These types probably won't be found in you local grocery store. The varieties found there are the more common ones and to find the really special loose green teas you will have to look in a specialty store go online or find your local China town.

Green tea can be purchased in bags or in loose leafs. If you are in a rush, using bags is acceptable but if you want to get the most flavors out of your tea you will want to use loose leaf green tea. The main two reasons for this is that bagged teas are generally of a lesser quality and the bags will hold some of the flavor of the tea. Loose green tea can be brewed the same way as other teas but you wan to make sure you don't completely boil the water as green tea is very delicate. When you are brewing loose green tea, let the water come to nearly a boil and do not let it steep for longer than about 3-4 minutes.