Green tea: what is it, what does it taste like and how to choose it?
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Japanese, Chinese, mild, vegetal, roasted or bright: green teas are far from being alike.
Green tea is probably one of the best-known tea families.
But behind these two words lie hundreds of different styles.
A Japanese Sencha can develop an intense vegetal and sometimes marine character. A Chinese green tea can be milder, floral, roasted or evoke chestnut. A Gunpowder can offer a brighter and more structured cup.
And yet, they all come from the same plant species: Camellia sinensis.
So what really makes a tea a green tea? Why are some mild and others very vegetal? And above all: how to choose a green tea that truly suits your tastes?
In this guide:
production, major differences between China and Japan, aromatic profiles, Sencha, Gunpowder, brewing temperature and tips for choosing your first green tea.
What is green tea?
Green tea is not a different plant from black tea, white tea or Oolong.
All these major families are produced from Camellia sinensis.
What mainly changes is the way the leaves are processed after harvest.
In the case of green tea, a thermal step called fixing takes place fairly early in production.
Heat greatly reduces the activity of enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase, thus limiting the enzymatic oxidation that would further transform the compounds in the leaf.
The leaves therefore retain a composition and sensory profile very different from those of a heavily oxidized black tea.
Production generally includes fixing, rolling or shaping, then drying, even if the exact sequences vary depending on the styles and producers.
Why do green teas have such different flavors?
Because the color “green” does not define a single flavor.
The final profile depends notably on:
- the cultivar used;
- the terroir;
- the harvest season;
- the maturity of the leaves;
- the fixing method;
- the rolling;
- the drying;
- and the way you brew it.
The compounds responsible for astringency, bitterness, umami, sweetness and aromas change during processing.
Fixing itself can significantly alter the aromatic and flavor profile of green tea.
Japanese green tea or Chinese green tea: what's the difference?
This is one of the first useful guidelines when starting out.
It should not be made into an absolute rule, but the dominant traditional methods often produce quite different profiles.
Japanese green teas
Many Japanese green teas are steamed.
This method allows to quickly limit enzymatic activity while retaining often very vegetal profiles.
Depending on the tea, you can find notes evoking:
- fresh grass;
- green vegetables;
- seaweed or vegetable broth;
- umami;
- sometimes a slight sweetness.
Sencha is probably the best example to discover this world.
Chinese green teas
In China, fixing by contact with a heated surface, in a drum or by cooking in a vat is very widespread.
This type of heating can favor milder, rounder or more roasted profiles.
You often find notes of:
- chestnut;
- hazelnut;
- flowers;
- cooked vegetables;
- fresh hay;
- nuts;
- or lightly roasted cereals.
The methods of fixing by steam, drum or vat heating directly influence the resulting sensory profile.
To discover an accessible Chinese green tea, you can taste our Émeraude des Mers – Lu Yu Sencha Green Tea.
| Guideline | Japan | China |
|---|---|---|
| Common fixing | Steam | Vat, wok, heated drum |
| Common profile | Vegetal, fresh, umami | Mild, floral, roasted, dried fruit |
| Examples | Sencha, Gyokuro, Bancha | Longjing, Gunpowder, Bi Luo Chun |
Note: this table shows general trends, not universal rules. Two green teas from the same country can be very different.
What does green tea taste like?
It can be:
- vegetal;
- fresh;
- floral;
- grassy;
- umami;
- roasted;
- fruity;
- mineral;
- or slightly bitter and astringent.
Catechins contribute particularly to bitterness and astringency, while amino acids, including theanine, contribute more to sweetness and umami.
The composition varies, however, depending on the leaf, the cultivar, the origin and the production conditions.
Sencha: to discover Japanese green tea
Sencha is one of the major Japanese styles.
It is a good entry point to understand what steam fixing can bring to a green tea.
Depending on its origin and production, it can offer a cup:
- fresh;
- vegetal;
- slightly iodized;
- mild;
- or more intense in umami.
If you like clean, green and fresh profiles, this is an excellent option.
Gunpowder: a more structured green tea
Gunpowder is recognizable by its leaves rolled into small tight pearls.
When brewed, they gradually unfurl.
Its profile is generally bolder and more structured than that of many very delicate green teas.
It notably became famous in mint tea preparations.
For someone who finds some green teas too light, a Gunpowder can be a good alternative.
If you like this combination, discover Menthol Crossing – Peppermint Gunpowder Green Tea.
Plain or flavored green tea?
There is no obligation to start with a plain green tea.
A flavored green tea can be an excellent entry point, especially if you are already looking for a specific flavor: lemon, mint, fruit or flowers.
The only difference is that you need to distinguish the natural character of the tea base from the profile added by the flavoring.
A lemon green tea will not teach you exactly the taste of a plain Sencha, but it can allow you to gradually get used to this family.
To explore these profiles, browse our selection of flavored green teas.
Why does my green tea become bitter?
This is probably the most frequent question.
And in many cases, the problem comes less from the tea than from the preparation.
Three factors greatly increase extraction:
- a high temperature;
- a long brewing time;
- a large dose of leaves.
When the temperature and time increase, more compounds are extracted, notably catechins contributing to bitterness and astringency.
A study on green tea brewing thus showed that very long infusions at high temperature received lower sensory ratings due to more pronounced bitterness and color.
What temperature for a green tea?
There is no single ideal temperature valid for all green teas.
But for a simple Western preparation, 75 to 85 °C is often a good starting zone.
Some delicate teas may prefer cooler water.
Other more robust green teas can accept a higher temperature.
A sensory study conducted on a Turkish green tea obtained very good results around 85 °C for about 3 minutes, but this should not be turned into a universal rule for all green teas.
Simple starting point:
about 2 to 3 g of leaves for 200 ml of water, 75 to 85 °C and 2 to 3 minutes of brewing. Then, adjust according to the tea and your tastes.
Does green tea contain less caffeine than black tea?
Not necessarily.
The color of the tea does not allow, by itself, to know its caffeine content.
The quantity present in the cup depends notably on the plant material used, the cultivar, the proportion of buds, the dose, the temperature and the brewing time.
A hotter and longer infusion generally extracts more caffeine.
It is therefore better to avoid rules like: “green tea = little caffeine”.
How to choose your green tea according to your tastes?
| You are looking for… | Try instead… |
|---|---|
| A vegetal and fresh taste | Sencha |
| A mild and slightly roasted tea | Chinese green tea heated in a vat |
| A brighter and more structured cup | Gunpowder |
| A fresh and minty profile | Peppermint Gunpowder |
| An easy and indulgent tea | Flavored green tea |
Which green tea to choose to start?
Rather than immediately buying a very rare or very subtle tea, start by identifying the type of profile you like.
A small selection of three styles is enough:
- a Sencha to discover the Japanese vegetal character;
- a Chinese green tea to explore a milder or roasted profile;
- a Gunpowder for a bolder and more structured cup.
You will very quickly understand which direction attracts you the most.
Three common mistakes with green tea
1. Always using boiling water
Some preparations can handle it, but many green teas become more aggressive when brewed too hot.
2. Believing that all green teas are vegetal
Some are strongly so. Others can be floral, mild, fruity, roasted or evoke nuts.
3. Confusing bitterness and quality
A strong bitterness can come from the tea, but also from a bad temperature, duration or dosage setting.
Green tea is not a single destination
Saying that you like or dislike “green tea” is almost like saying that you like or dislike “cheese”.
The family is far too vast to be summarized by a single taste.
A Japanese Sencha, a Gunpowder, a Chinese Longjing or a flavored green tea can give completely different experiences.
The best way to find yours is therefore to move forward gradually.
Start by choosing a style.
Learn to prepare it correctly.
Then compare.
Green tea is not a single stop: it is an entire itinerary.
To compare the profiles and choose according to your tastes, browse our collection of loose leaf green teas.
To continue the journey
→ Green tea or black tea: which one to choose?
→ How long to brew tea?
→ How much loose leaf tea per cup?
→ Why do we heat tea leaves?
→ Why do we cool the leaves after heating?
Sources & verifications
The information presented in this guide has been verified from scientific publications dedicated to the production of green tea, its flavor compounds and brewing parameters.
- The manufacturing process provides green teas with differentiated nonvolatile profiles — the role of fixing, rolling and manufacturing processes in the green tea profile.
- Effect of fixation methods on the flavor quality and metabolites of green tea — effects of different fixing methods on taste, aromas and metabolites.
- Effects of different brewing conditions on catechin content and sensory acceptance in green tea — influence of temperature and brewing time on catechins, caffeine and sensory acceptability.
- Green Tea: Current Knowledge and Issues — recent review on the composition of green tea and the impact of brewing parameters.
- Tea Quality: An Overview of Analytical Methods and Sensory Analyses — synthesis on the compounds and sensory characteristics of the different tea families.
