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Every Japanese green tea has its own unique character and may offer plenty of benefits for those who drink it. Having been the heart of Japanese food and drink culture for many centuries, green tea is now widespread and highly appreciated in the Western world, especially among health conscious people. As ages before, one of the most popular types of green teas from Japan is still considered to be matcha green tea – an ideal beverage for those wishing to feel and look younger, lose extra weight and just enjoy great pleasure with every sip of morning or evening cup of tea.

Japanese matcha tea is a high-quality green tea powder used for creating a unique tea beverage with a naturally mellow, at the same time bitter, alluring and addicting taste. Unlike other green tea types, when you drink organic matcha tea you consume its leaves, which means you get vitamins and other nutrients in a much more concentration. The term organic explains that no chemical components are found in the tea mixture or were used during its growth and processing.

Matcha green tea is traditionally the central figure of the Japanese tea ceremony. In fact, this ceremony implies two ways of preparing matcha – koicha and usucha (literally meaning 'thick' and 'thin' correspondingly). Koicha is typically brewed from the leaves of plants that are 30 years or older and most importantly from the first harvest of the year. As a strong version it requires significantly more matcha powder, and traditionally it is brewed in the proportion of one full teaspoon for 40 ml of hot water. Leaves from tea plants that are less than 30 years old are used for usucha. You will need approximately a half of a teaspoon and 75 ml of hot water per cup, and thus you will get a lighter and less bitter version of Japanese matcha tea.

Irrespective of a chosen way it is highly important to follow some rules common for both tradition varieties in order to brew and enjoy authentic matcha green tea. Prior to brewing process you should force the powder through a sieve to ensure that no clumps are left. Then place the required amount of matcha into a tea bowl by using a special bamboo scoop chashaku, pour hot water (about 80 C) and then whisk the mixture until it gets a uniform consistency. See that no lumps are left in the mixture and no powder remains on the sides of a bowl. Traditionally, Japanese matcha tea is served without any milk or sugar, however because of its bitter taste small special sweet wagashi is typically consumed before drinking.

Organic matcha tea also produces other tea blends. For example, when mixed with Genmaicha tea it gives the well-known tea blend Matcha-iri Genmaicha. A great number of modern drinks such as lattes, milkshakes, ice drinks, smoothies and other ones served in popular North American cafes like Starbucks also include Japanese matcha tea. Its powder is also added to spirits such as liqueurs.

Do you know that traditional Korean tea is not always tea in its common sense, in other words not necessarily contains traditional tea plant Camellia sinensis, but instead it includes various substances, such as plant roots, leaves, fruit, grains, seeds, etc. - actually, everything that traditional Korean medicine uses. Would you like to learn more about Korean fruit tea and other tea types? We're here to assist.

The first record of tea ceremony in Korea refers to the period of King Suro reign, the founder of the Geumgwan Gaya Kingdom. This document describes a rite of offering tea to some ancestral god in the year 661. The records from the Goryeo Dynasty era (918-1392) document that tea became extremely popular in Korea due to Buddhist monks. They used it to shake off drowsiness and invigorate their mind. Korean tea ceremony Dado was developed also during that period, when Buddhism was at its peak in Korea. However, during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) tea culture declined, and it was used only for simple rites. Today tea has revived in Korea and is considered as genteel and healthy practice.

The most popular type of traditional Korean tea is for sure Insam cha tea, which is also known as Korean ginseng tea. This herbal infusion is made from the root of the most widely used for medical purposes plant ginseng growing on moist and shaded mountainsides in China, Korea and also Russia.

In order to prepare Korean ginseng tea you will need to boil gently slices or whole ginseng root for a few hours in water and then add honey or sugar to your taste (you can also soak the ginseng slices in honey in advance before boiling). With its unique strong flavor and curative properties, Korean ginseng tea is highly recommended for people who suffer from chronic illness, exhaustion, daily stresses, fatigue, fevers, hormonal imbalance to name a few. In other words, it provides an excellent stimulation to the whole human body.

Some other popular types of traditional Korean tea made from plant roots are Danggwi cha tea, Saenggang cha tea and Dunggulle cha tea. Made from gentle boiling of the dried root of Korean angelica, Danggwi cha tea is also known as ginseng tea for women, as it is highly effective in postpartum care period and for curing various gynecological diseases. If you have problems with digestion, blood circulation or suffer from frequent colds, then Saenggang cha tea is an ideal beverage for you. This herbal Korean tea is made from ginger root that is sliced without peeling and stored in honey for a few weeks.

Korean fruit tea varieties enjoy no less popularity than root teas do. At any Korean cafe you'll be offered Omija cha tea (Korean fruit tea made from dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis and famous for having five different distinct flavors simultaneously - sweet, salty, bitter, sour and pungent), Maesil cha tea (specific beverage made from maesil green fruit and water with sugar added), Yuja cha tea, Citron tea (Korean fruit tea featuring thin slices of citron that are soaked in honey and then boiled in water until it acquires fragrant lemon-yellow color), Sujeonggwa (which is actually a punch brewed from dried persimmons, cinnamon and ginger) and many other types.

In order to discover the comprehensive world of traditional Korean tea you should also try varieties made from grains and seeds, such as Bori cha (roasted barley tea), Hyeonmi cha (roasted rice tea), Oksusu cha (roasted corn tea) and from plant leaves, namely Gamnip cha (with persimmon leaves), Bbongip cha (with dried mulberry leaves), Solnip cha (from pine needles), etc.

Do you know that Longjing tea (known also as Dragon Well tea) is considered to be the National Tea of China? While being the favorite drink among the Chinese people, Dragon Well tea enjoys an unrivalled reputation for its emerald green color, sweet fragrance and aromatic flavor.

In essence, Longjing tea is a famous variety of green tea named after a small village Dragon Well, near Hangzhou city in Zhengjiang Province of China, where it is produced mostly by hand (the name "long jing" translates as "dragon well" in English). Having the China Famous Tea title as one of the most delicate, refreshing and sweetest green tea types, high quality Dragon Well tea is also known for a distinguished shape - it has trademark sword-shaped leaves.

Frankly speaking, Longjing green tea is famous not only for its freshly sweet aroma, but for the beautiful legends surrounding it. Being produced for more than 1000 years, Dragon Well tea was a favorite tea of many of the emperors of China, most notably Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). He was so impressed by delicious Lonhjing tea that praised it in poems and started to study its processing method. In accordance with the legend, a dragon lived in the village well and controlled the rainfall. That's why people traveled to this well to pray for rain. When Emperor Qianlong visited this place, he picked the tender tea shoots. It's said that dry tea leaves were brewed for his mother, the Empress Dowager, who was seriously ill. Upon drinking the tea her health was completely restored and the village was designated as the producer of "Imperial Tea".

There are several varieties of Chinese Dragon Well tea. Xi Hu Longjing tea grown in the Zhejiang Province near Xi Hu lake and known as "West Lake Lonjing Tea" is the most famous one. The highest quality Dragon Well tea is Shi Feng Longjing that has yellowish green leaves and sharp fragrance. Other varieties include Mei Jia Wu Longjing, appreciated for its attractive jade green colour and commanding extremely high prices and Bai Longjing tea – green tea type that is very unusual being created in the early 80s from the race of White tea trees and hence containing higher concentration of amino acids.

Usually, Longjing green tea is graded using a scale of seven levels from superior quality to low quality (Superior, Special, and then 1 down to 5). As Chinese Dragon Well tea is made from tea shoots that are no longer than 0.06 ft, one pound of tea can have over 40,000 shoots that makes this delicious beverage one of the most expensive Chinese teas.

When you enjoy a cup of delicious English breakfast tea in the morning, do you know where does this tea come from? As a rule, most of blended teas are based on original black tea from Kenya. In fact, Kenya situated on the Eastern coast of Africa is one of the world's main producers and exporters of tea. In its purest form, Kenya tea is gaining recognition as one of the best quality black tea types. While being a beverage that is widely served in restaurants across the country, Kenyan black tea is successfully blended with other tea types to produce some of the popular blends appreciated by tea connoisseurs all over the world.

Most Kenyan tea types are grown in the highland areas of the Rift Valley (the forefront of tea cultivation in Africa), at altitudes ranging from 5000 to 9000 feets above sea level. Other Kenya tea farming also takes place in the central part of the country, on large, privately-owned farms. While being sold through the Mombasa Tea Auction, the second largest tea auction in the world, Kenyan black tea is bought as blended, packaged, loose or straight-line and exported to Europe, Asia, Unites States and other destinations.

As a rule, the difference between all types of tea from Kenya and other countries that produce this wonderful beverage is dictated by the processing method. Kenyan black tea is made from manually picked young leaves, buds and stems through the cut, tear and curl (CTC) process, where all tea components are crushed to equal measures to produce as much tea as possible. Due to the short fermentation time, CTC method develops strong and bright tea with high caffeine content. There is also a more traditional method of Kenya tea production - so called “orthodox method” that involves rolling the leaves into smaller parts, suitable for multiple infusions, and produces high-quality tea with strong robust flavor.

Actually, black tea is not the only tea type produced within Kenya. The country is now producing also green tea (using freshly cut and downy leaves) and white tea (made from tea buds). Thanks to the country’s tropical climate and rich volcanic soils, all Kenyan tea varieties are widely appreciated for their delicious taste, attractive bright color and fresh aroma.

According to Kenyan traditions, a cup of tea is a symbol of hospitality and friendship. If you visit any home within the country, you will be offered fragrant Kenyan tea at any time and in any weather. And your refuse can be treated as a serious insult to the host. When traveling through Kenya, be ready to taste pure Kenya tea prepared in the traditional style or mixed with a plenty of milk and spices.

Green tea has been consumed for many centuries. Founded in Eastern countries such as Japan and China, today this type of tea is highly appreciated by millions of people all over the world. For example, Japanese green teas are famous for their refreshing taste, rich aroma and natural sweetness. Actually, Japan produces about 90000 tons of tea a year being the second largest green tea producer and exporter after China.

There are many varieties of Japanese green tea graded depending on the quality and parts of the plant used as well as how they are processed. Sayama green tea is one of three most famous tea types in Japan. Have you ever tried original Sayama-cha? If not, welcome to Gottatea.com!

Sayama tea is a type of green tea leaves produced mainly in the Southwestern region of Saitama Prefecture. Although Sayama is a rather small tea cultivation area, it is considered to be one of the best production areas in Japan. As the main growing places in the country are Uji, Sayama and Shizuoka, Japanese people say that Shizuoka tea is recognized for its color, Uji tea for its fragrance and Sayama tea for its taste. Fortunately, you don't have to be a tea expert to enjoy unique roasted aroma and deep sweet taste of Sayama-cha.

An interesting fact about Japanese Sayama tea is that its taste is made by the cold winter. In comparison to tea types grown in other areas, Sayama green tea is characterized with thick leaves. Why? Although Sayama region is considered to have good conditions for a tea plantation with much rain and good quality soil, it features the cool climate, which makes tea trees unable to survive. However, the tea leaves were adapted to become thick and strong to withstand cold weather. This is believed to give the Sayama tea more richness and flavor. As a rule, harvest season of Sayama-cha occurs twice a year (in spring and summer).

Historically, green tea was introduced from China to Japan by Buddhist monks about 800 years ago, and today, nearly all teas produced in Japan are green teas. In 1802, the traditional technique of making tea called Sayama Biire was the best method in Japan. This led to the revival of tea production in the region. Then Sayama green tea has become not only one of the most important exporting goods but also a remarkable drink for relaxation and treatment.

Containing some of the highest concentrations of minerals and antioxidants, Sayama-cha has been proven to benefit the body and help prevent some diseases. A regular daily drinking of Sayama green tea lowers chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer as well as help in weight loss and improving the immune system.