Green Tea

  Sometimes referred to as unfermented tea, green tea is specially processed to preserve the green nature of the freshly harvested leaves by preventing the enzymes in them from oxidizing.  To do this, the leaves must be heated to stop the enzyme activity.  This can be accomplished in several ways, including roasting, pan firing, steaming, baking, sun-drying, or by combining two or more primary methods.  The method employed depends on the cup profile the tea maker desires as well as local processing traditions.  Most Japanese green teas are steamed, while the majority of Chinese green teas are roasted and or pan-fired. 

   Regardless of the method used to heat the leaves and stop the enzymatic activity, the leaves become supple and pliable, at which point they are rolled.  The rolling process can be accomplished mechanically or by hand and helps determine the final shape of the tea leaves.  How the tea is shaped depends on the region where it's grown and the grade of tea being produced.  After the rolling phase is completed, which can actually involve several rolling steps, the tea is dried to roughly 4 percent moisture to ensure shelf stability.  The resulting teas have a distinct vegetal character (think fresh peas or grass) and give a pale, relatively light-bodied infusion.

  Minimally processed, green teas have been traditional favorites in many Asian tea drinking cultures.  Not surprisingly, the nations consuming the most green tea-Japan and China-are also the most prominent producers.  Occasionally, you'll run into a green tea from regions that traditionally produce black teas, like India or Sri Lanka.  If you're familiar with the regions's blacks, in most cases, these unique treats have faily predictable flavor profiles.  For example, a Sri Lankan (Ceylon) green tea is likely to display a crispness akin to its blacks, but with vegetal flavor notes. 

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