All about Love, Life and Light: May 2009

There are all sorts of Japanese teas for all sorts of tastes. Each variety has its own unique flavor and aroma. Tea is also reputed to have health benefits. Some teas are said to work like medicine. Others are supposed to be good for dieting. Science has not been able to verify most of these claims, but drinkers stand by their tea.

Buddhist monks first brought tea to Japan from China in the 8th century. For several centuries, only Buddhist monks drank tea. It was supposed to clear the mind. These same monks came to develop the tea ceremony. The tea in the tea ceremony is made from tea leaves ground into a fine powder; the whole mixture is drunk, grounds and all. Outside of the tea ceremony, most people add hot water to tea leaves, then strain the leaves out of the tea.

Tea is popular as a gift, especially for the big gift exchange seasons twice a year (one in summer [o-chuugen] and one in December [o-seibo]). Japanese give tea as a sign of appreciation for employers, business clients, neighbors, or other valued people in their lives.

"O-cha" in Japan means "green tea." The difference between black tea, oolong tea (Chinese tea), and green tea is not the difference in the kinds of plants from which they are made, but in how they are made.

All of these teas are derived from the buds or leaves of the same type of tea plant, but fresh leaves are steamed quickly after picking to make green tea, while the leaves for black tea are 100% fermented before drying.

It is said that the use of tea originated in China. During the Nara period (710-794), Japanese Buddhist monks visited China and brought tea seeds back to Japan. Until the 16th century, it was used in its powdered form known as matcha. At that time, the method for making sencha (the most common kind of tea) was invented. In the late 16th century, Sen-no Rikyuu perfected the formal tea ceremony and the consumption of tea was restricted to the aristocracy. Green tea only became available to the general public after the beginning of the 20th century, when mass production techniques were introduced.

Some recent research suggests tea has possible cancer-preventive qualities. Some experts attribute the low incidents of certain types of cancer amongst the Japanese to their large daily consumption of green tea.

Types Of Green Tea

Sencha: This is the most common green tea in Japan (80% of the Japanese market). It is composed of deep green leaves, and when brewed with hot water it creates a light green, flavorful tea

Matcha: Made when the most desirable new green tea leaves are pounded into powder, matcha is used in the tea ceremony.

Bancha: This is made from older leaves left after the tender leaves are used for the making of sencha.

Hoojicha: hoojicha is made from the same leaves used for sencha and bancha, but they are roasted until they turn brown. It is a clear brown tea with a strong roasted flavor.