Introduction
Green tea is the only kind of tea grown in Japan. It is drunk hot or
cold, and is always served straight without milk or sugar. It is
primarily produced in Shizuoka Prefecture which is about 150 km
southwest of Tokyo. Harvesting of tea leaves begins in May; young tea
leaves are valued. Japanese teas are primarily steamed and
non-fermented, rather than roasted and semi-fermented (as with many
Chinese teas).
Ryokucha
緑茶
This is a generic term for Japanese steamed teas, using the Chinese
characters for "green" and "tea".
Sencha &
nbsp;煎茶
80% of all green tea consumed by Japanese is sencha tea.
It is a high grade of tea that is made by steaming the leaves to stop
fermentation and changes in color. The steaming helps to also reduce
the bitter flavor of the tea. The leaves are then crushed and dried,
and packaged for sale.
Gyokuro 玉
露
A top grade of tea, made in the same way as sencha, but with tips of
tea leaves that are sheltered by bamboo screens as it matures. Kabusecha is
similar to gyokuro but it has been covered for a
shorter period of time.
Maccha 抹
茶
This is used in tea ceremony and in cooking. It is a high grade tea and
is grown screened as is gyokuro tea. After the leaves
are steamed, the veins of the leaves are removed and the dried leaves (tencha)
are ground on a stone into a powder. Maccha is not
steeped; the powder remains in the drink. Hot water is poured into a
special bowl and the tea is whisked with a bamboo brush. The tea is
bright green and sometimes foamy, with a strong taste. This powdered
tea is often used to flavor foods such as ice cream and cakes. This way
of drinking tea was first recorded about 1200.
Bancha 番
茶
This is a lower grade tea, and is less expensive, because it is made
leaves that are older and less tender than those made into sencha.
These tea leaves are picked in the summer and autumn rather than the
spring.
Kocha 紅
茶
This is what the Japanese call most black teas, served primarily
European style with milk and sugar or with lemon (often called "miruku
tei" or a "remon tei").
Hojicha ほ
うじ茶
This is a roasted tea which combines sencha and bancha leaves.
The roasting process turns this leaves brown and the tea has a strong
flavor and fragrance. It is thought to be good for the digestion.
Genmaicha
Also a roasted tea, genmaicha is made of bancha and sencha leaves
combined with roasted rice. This tea also has a distinctive fragrance
and considered to be healthful.
Kugicha
This tea is made with the leaves and twigs of the tea bush. It is
thought to have less caffeine than the other steamed teas.
Other teas drunk in Japan and
elsewhere:
Oolong cha ウー
ロン茶
Oolong is a semi-fermented tea (compared to the steamed green teas and
fermented black teas). These tea leaves are primarily grown in Taiwan
and the Chinese provinces of Fuchien and Chianghsi.
Jasmine cha ジャ
スミン茶
This is a green tea that is flavored with the blossoms of the jasmine
plant. It has a pleasant aroma. It is best served at a medium strength;
any stronger and the tea may become astringent.
Pu-erh cha
This is a cheap and cheerful Chinese tea. A small amount can steep
large quantities of tea, so often this is served in restaurants. It is
dark brown and slightly astringent.
Genpicha
This is a slimming tea which is popular with women. The idea is that
the tea produces a slightly diuretic effect. The author has not tested
its effects but I hear from my brother-in-law that it's pretty awful
and can only be drunk hot to tolerate it.
Mugicha 麦
茶
This beverage is not made from tea leaves but is brewed from barley
kernels. Japanese people commonly drink it cold during their long, hot,
muggy summer season. It has no caffeine and no calories. This tea is
sometimes served hot as well in Korea.
Konbucha 昆
布茶
Again, this is a beverage made not from tea leaves but from soaking konbu (seaweed
kelp) in hot water. Often konbucha is brewed and
reconstituted into a powder which can be mixed with hot water.
Sometimes it is flavored with shiso leaves. It has a
rather salty taste and is considered to be healthful.
References:
Japan,
an Illustrated Encyclopedia [Kodansha International, 1993];
Shizuoka Prefecture
Japanese Proverbs and Sayings [Buchanan, University of
Oklahoma Press, 1965]