Is green tea really good for you?
A truly ancient drink
Although green teas originated in China - and have been drunk there since at least the Southern Song dynasty (960-1279) - they are now produced in almost all tea growing regions around the world. Our diverse loose leaf green tea collection reflects the many wonderful makers of this healthy and fragrant tea. From Japan to Ceylon, our green tea suppliers have perfected the art of creating teas that are both delicious and healthful.
How is green tea different to black tea?
Despite their name, green teas are produced from the very same tea leaves as black teas. Green tea leaves are harvested and then quickly preserved. Whereas black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize after they are picked, green tea leaves are immediately heated to prevent oxidation. Oxidation is a natural process - it's the same thing that happens when you slice an apple and it begins to turn brown and taste sweeter as it is exposed to oxygen.
So, is green tea good for you?
There is certainly no doubt that green tea is good for you and there are studies which have shown positive results from green tea consumption in areas such as weight loss, skin health, glycemic control and overall well being.
Green tea you'll actually love to drink!
If you are new to green tea then we suggest trying our famous Gunpowder green tea ‘Temple of Heaven’, whose leaves have been gently rolled into small round pellets which unfurl in the cup. The technique of rolling ensures the tea retains all of its flavour and aroma and prevents any damage to the delicate leaves. If rolled green tea is your thing then you really won’t want to miss our Jasmine Dragon Pearls - a quite extraordinary hand-rolled tea with round tea leaf ‘pearls’ exploding in the cup and releasing their fragrant aroma of jasmine. Another very popular choice is sencha green tea - a favourite in Japan. Sencha teas typically have a lovely, grassy flavour and are a touch more bitter in taste than traditional Chinese green teas. For a premium grade sencha with a fresh, grassy flavour we would suggest trying our Organic Mild Chinese Sencha. Or for those who prefer their green tea with less of a ‘kick’ we have several decaffeinated options as well as organic and flavoured sencha teas. A sencha tea not to be missed is our Genmaicha Yamasaki - a sweet, full-bodied green tea which is combined with popped rice to impart a mouth-watering ‘baked’ character to the finished brew.
How to prepare green tea
You can enjoy our green teas brewed simply with hot water to savour all the natural sweetness and aromas or why not try iced green tea? For an added touch of sweetness we love green tea with a spoonful honey.
Flavoured green tea
For green teas with a little extra 'ju ne sais quoi' check out our 'flavoured green tea' category
