Green tea

All teas essentially start out the same way as they come from the same plants, but the difference lies in how they are processed. Green tea is a tea that has been exposed to very little oxygen during the processing phase and so is a lighter color than the black teas.

For most of the gourmet green teas the leaves are still picked by hand first. Then the leaves are allowed to dry, and heat treated to stop any further fermentation. Some of the finest green teas come from Asia where they have been perfecting the process of growing, picking, and processing tea for many years.

When it comes to preparing green tea for drinking it's very important not to allow the water to come to a complete boil, or you can risk having a tea that tastes bitter. Wait until the water begins to form small bubbles in the bottom of the tea pot and it should be just about ready. Then steep the tea for not more than about three minutes.

It's best to use 100% spring water for making green teas, as most tap waters tend to be very poor and will often result in making a high quality and flavorful tea taste very ordinary and even bitter at times.

There are some great resources on the internet for green tea, and we have provided links to each website for your convenience below.

Recommended Green Tea Resources

Adagio Teas - Very large selection of gourmets teas. The most visited tea website on the web. They even have a tea community with a tea newsletter and chat rooms. Free shipping available.
Spice Of Life Teas - They have several of the world's top brands of teas that come from the most exclusive tea growing areas in the world. A wide selection of flavors too. They also carry a great line of Chai.
Peet's Coffee & Tea - Peet's is well-known for their coffees but their teas are also very unique and there are more than 45 hand selected and blended teas available, all with very distinctive flavors. They have a great online Tea Selector too.