A Few Things About Japanese Green Tea

By Author: Jon Fernandis
Total Articles: 18
Comment this article

Japanese tea, or ocha in the native language, is one of the most popular and important food items in Japan. It is consumed on regular days and even on special occasions, which is why a tea ceremonies are held and require proper measures and techniques. Green tea or ryokucha is definitely the best known of the lot and is even usually referred to as just “tea”.

Some Different Types of Green Tea in Japan

There are quite a few varieties when it comes to Japanese teas. Getting to know them will give you some idea with your options if you're interested in exploring the area. Ryokuchas come in quite a few different types, although, the most basic would be the matcha or the powdered kind, and the leaf tea.

Ochas and leaf teas can also come in various ingredients and leaves. One good example is the Gyokuro, which is the expensive kind. Its name means “jade dew”, primarily describing its pale green color. Another example is the sencha, which is the most common in Japan. It is from leaves that were exposed to direct sunlight. Kamairicha is also something worth noting, as it is pan fired and is free of the ...
... bitter taste of most Japanese teas. Bancha is the coarse tea, known as a lower grade of sencha. It is made mostly from twigs and not leaves.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Japanese tea ceremonies, also known as chanoyu, are basically gatherings that are used to showcase the host's hospitality. It can be a chakai, which is composed of consuming a light meal, some confections, and light tea, or a chaji, which is more formal and is made up of a full course, traditional Japanese dinner, with confections and thick tea. Japanese green tea, mostly in the form of matcha, is commonly served at such occasions.

Tea ceremonies are usually considered as important events, where specific skills are frequently practiced. The actual serving of the tea is even considered as a performance art, known as otemae, and is learned rigorously by its followers. For some, it may just be a simple event, but these ceremonies are actually pretty complex as the performance can vary depending on the season, where there will be variations, in the way of serving and in the utensils that will be used.

Purchasing Green Teas

You can now replicate traditional Japanese tea ceremonies in your own homes, especially since you can already easily purchase the much needed equipment and ingredients required. You may not be a trained in the art, but you can serve high quality drinks if you choose to with the help of the internet. So, if you're a big “Japanophile” or a fan or enthusiast of the Japanese culture, you may find such opportunities perfect for you.

Green Tea has been popular in Western cultures for many years, but this elixir is beginning to appeal to more people for many reasons. They produce many products as Green Tea, Powdered Green Tea, Japanese Green Tea etc. for more: - www.aoimatcha.com