Many people may perceive green tea as fresh and healthy. Freshness is indeed the most prominent characteristic of green tea. Due to its higher content of tea polyphenols, green tea also offers notable health benefits.
In addition, green tea offers a wide variety of flavors and aromas that are worth exploring.
What Does Green Tea Taste Like?
Among China's major teas, loose leaf green tea has the highest production volume. To experience the flavor of best loose leaf tea, loose leaf green tea is a must-try. Loose leaf green tea offers a rich variety of flavors. Below are some of the main flavors of Chinese green tea:
· Fresh and Brisk
The fresh and brisk taste is due to the high content of amino acids and tea polyphenols in loose leaf green tea. Loose leaf green teas that are tender and have plenty of fine hairs often exhibit this taste profile.
· Mellow and Thick
"Mellow and thick" refers to the rich and full-bodied taste of loose leaf green tea, akin to the sensation of drinking creamy milk, with less astringency.
· Rich and Intense
"Rich" refers to the richness of the contents in the brewed tea of loose leaf green tea. "Intense" indicates that the tea has a certain level of stimulating and astringent qualities.
· Light and Delicate
"Light and delicate" describes the taste of loose leaf green tea as not overly strong, but rather light, refreshing, and delicate. Light and delicate loose leaf green teas are best brewed with lower water temperatures to maintain their fresh and tender taste.
· Sweet after Taste
"Sweet after taste" refers to the sensation of sweetness that emerges in the mouth after swallowing the tea soup, once the main taste subsides. Some high-quality Chinese green teas, such as Longjing and Biluochun, exhibit a particularly pronounced sweet aftertaste.
· Astringent
If loose leaf green tea has a high content of tea polyphenols and is brewed at a high temperature or for too long, the tea may have an astringent taste. The astringency in high-quality loose leaf green tea doesn't linger and dissipates quickly.
Find more loose leaf green tea with our Green Tea Sampler.>>>
What Aromas Does Green Tea Have?
Due to different processing methods, green tea exhibits a rich variety of aromas. It's recommended to use a loose leaf tea sampler to compare and experience the different aromas of green tea, which can be quite fascinating.
· Clean and Refreshing Aroma
Clean and refreshing aroma is the most fundamental type of aroma in loose leaf green tea. It is a fresh, delicate, and pure fragrance.
· Tippy Hair Aroma
Tippy hair aroma is unique to loose leaf green teas with high tenderness and covered with white hairs on the dry leaves. The taste of tippy hair aroma is somewhat difficult to describe. It is said to be a kind of plant's fragrance, reminiscent of the scent of wild grass in spring.
· Chestnut Aroma
As the name suggests, chestnut aroma resembles the fragrance of chestnuts—mild, understated, and lingering. Chestnut aroma is a characteristic aroma of pan-fired green teas.
· Soybean Flower Aroma
Soybean flower aroma is a fragrance reminiscent of the delicate flowers and young soybeans of leguminous plants. It is also a type of aroma found in pan-fired green teas, similar to chestnut aroma in some respects.
· Orchid Aroma
Orchid aroma is a delicate and elegant fragrance reminiscent of orchids. It is a particularly pure and refined aroma found only in some high-quality loose leaf green teas.
· Flowery and Fruity Aroma
Flowery and fruity aroma is more common in other loose leaf tea such as oolong tea, compared to loose leaf green tea. The famous green tea, Biluochun, exhibits an elegant flowery and fruity aroma.
Biluochun tea trees are interplanted with various fruit trees. During their growth, these tea trees absorb the flowery and fruity scents from the fruit trees, imparting this unique aroma to the tea leaves.
· Seaweed Aroma
Seaweed aroma is a fragrance resembling seaweed or nori, often associated with steamed green teas, such as Enshi Yulu.
While loose leaf green teas exhibit a variety of aromas, overall, they maintain an elegant tone. Therefore, loose leaf green tea is well-suited as elegant tea gift sets for family and friends. Additionally, if you have tea-loving friends who appreciate unique tea gifts, you can gift them Wild Green Tea. This wild green tea not only possesses a unique natural charm but is also an organic loose leaf tea certified through organic testing.
The Difference Between Green Tea and Black Tea
In Chinese tea culture, loose leaf black tea undergoes a longer oxidation process (several hours), while loose leaf green tea remains unoxidized. This oxidation process alters substances like tea polyphenols in loose leaf black tea, resulting in distinct differences in taste and aroma compared to green tea.
Compared to loose leaf green tea, loose leaf black tea has a richer and smoother taste, with significantly less astringency and a milder character.
The aroma of loose leaf black tea is less fresh compared to green tea, instead offering a sweeter and milder profile. It can exhibit aromas of sweetness, flowery notes, fruity tones, and even hints of sweet potato.
Find more loose leaf black tea with our Black Tea Sampler.>>>
The Difference Between Green Tea and Oolong Tea
The production process of loose leaf green tea and loose leaf oolong tea differs primarily in the method known as "Zuoqing" used in oolong tea production. "Zuoqing" involves partially oxidizing the fresh leaves, giving oolong tea its semi-oxidized nature. The key to the best oolong tea also lies in the "Zuoqing" processing technique.
Due to its semi-oxidized nature, oolong tea exhibits characteristics that partly resemble loose leaf green tea and partly resemble loose leaf black tea, blending freshness with richness.
Oolong tea's aroma is more pronounced, bold, and diverse compared to green tea. There are over a hundred distinct aromas associated with oolong tea, with flowery and fruity fragrances being particularly characteristic.
Find more loose leaf oolong tea with our Oolong Tea Sampler.>>>
We hope this article helps everyone explore the richer aspects of Chinese green tea, and discover more joy in tasting loose leaf green teas.
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If you're struggling to decide what to buy during the summer sale, consider selecting some loose leaf teas. They are not only healthy and delicious for personal enjoyment but also make excellent choices for staying refreshed in the summer heat.
