Green Tea

1. Definition & Processing Green tea is non‑fermented tea. Made from fresh tea shoots (buds, young leaves and tender stems), processed by fixing, rolling and drying. High‑temperature fixing deactivates oxidase and stops fermentation, preserving chlorophyll, tea polyphenols and amino acids. Dry leaves are green, liquor is clear yellow‑green.

Four main processing styles: ‑ Pan‑fired: Roasted in wok. Main export items: Chunmee, Gunpowder. Nutty chestnut aroma, largest volume for global trade. ‑ Baked: Hot‑air drying, floral & downy aroma. ‑ Steamed: Steam fixing, bright green colour, fresh vegetal note. ‑ Sun‑dried: Sun drying, robust character, mostly for compressed tea.

Main export grades: Chunmee, Gunpowder, Young Hyson, Sowmee, Hyson. Also available as green fannings, green dust for tea‑bag blendingimages.mof....

2. Raw Material & Characteristics‑Raw material: 1 bud‑1 leaf / 1 bud‑2 leaves. Premium grades use tender single buds. Tea‑bag grades use broken leaves, fannings and dust. ‑ Appearance: Striped, twisted, pellet, flat or broken fanning shapes, dark‑green to jade‑green colour. ‑ Cup profile: Bright yellow‑green infusion. Aroma: chestnut, bean, floral, fresh grassy note. Taste: fresh, mellow, slight astringency with sweet after‑taste. Green and even infused leaves.

3. Flavor & Properties Rich in catechins, polyphenols and amino acids with high antioxidant content. Cool tea nature, ideal for hot‑brew and cold‑brew straight drinking. Less suitable for milk addition, though blending is done for certain markets. More sensitive to heat and light than black tea. Requires air‑tight, cool, dark and dry storage.

4. Application ‑ Whole‑leaf green tea: loose‑leaf retail, gift set, straight drinking. ‑ Green broken / fannings / dust: raw material for tea‑bags, ready‑to‑drink beverage, flavoured tea blending. ‑ Main markets: Asia, Europe & North America. Niche demand in Africa.

5. Brewing Recommendation‑Water temperature: 75‑85℃, avoid boiling water to prevent bitterness. ‑ Tea‑water ratio: around 1:50. Shorten infusion time for fannings & dust. ‑ Steeping time: 2‑3 min for whole leaf; 1‑1.5 min for fannings. ‑ Storage: Sealed, away from light, moisture and odour.