Green Tea And The Greenly Goodness Within
By Bil Silliker | March 2, 2006
In the Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs & Ham,” Sam I Am has a friend that claims to not like green eggs and ham until the end of the book when he finally tries them and discovers that he likes them after all.
At our teahouse we’ve had a few customers like the friend of Sam I am. “I do not like a tea that’s green, not light or dark or in between. I won’t drink green tea with a feast; I don’t like green tea in the least.”
With so many great green teas, I wonder if these customers would discover that they like green tea… if they tried a few more. Here’s a quick reference to some green teas you may want to try.
China Greens:
Chunmee – This tea is thought of by many as being closest to the first loose leaf tea. It literally translates to “Precious Eyebrows” and resembles a woman’s finely plucked brow. An everyday tea, its smooth and simple taste is slightly vegetal.
Gunpowder – One of the few teas that have been known to the western world since we first were introduced to tea, it’s named for the way the leaf is rolled into little pellets that resemble gunpowder. This tea will bitter fast if over brewed, but when properly prepared it’s a lovely everyday cup of tea.
Lung Ching – Commonly known as Dragon Well, there are actually several grades of this tea, each with a unique name and look after processing. Dragon Well’s taste has a slight hint of chestnut.
Pi Lo Chun – The unusual leaf of this tea resembles downy fluff. The brewed tea has an inviting aroma and delicate taste.
Japan Greens:
Genmaicha – This savory tea has rice and popcorn in it and is a surprising treat when you’re looking for a light pick me up.
Kukicha – This tea is made from the stems & stalks as well as some leaf of Sencha or Gyokuro, although officially called Karigane if from Gyokuro. It’s milder than the teas made from the leaves of the same plants.
Houjicha – Created in the 1920’s, this tea is made by roasting Bancha or Sencha leaves. The color of the liquor is light brown and the taste is nutty.
Gyokuro – This is Japan’s most expensive tea. It is shaded for 3 weeks, which makes the leaf produce more chlorophyll and causes lower polyphenol content. This creates a milder sweeter tea than most. Gyokuro should be brewed at a lower temperature than most.
There are many other greens to consider as well, including several that have been scented, flavored or blended with other ingredients to make them more palatable to those like Sam I Am’s friend who believe they don’t like the greenly goodness within.
So drink it here or drink it there, drink it far or drink it near, with a friend or by yourself, drink for pleasure or good health, drink it someplace warm and clean, drink it some place soft and serene, but get yourself a cup of green.
