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The refreshing flavor of green tea gives nothing but comfort to the Japanese people. Although many non-Japanese people consider maccha to be “the green tea”, it is not the kind that Japanese drink daily. Green tea has many types, from sweet to bitter and from every day drinking to luxury types. Understanding more about green tea helps you incorporate this healthy beverage into your own daily routine as the Japanese do.

Most of the tea consumed all over the world share the same tea tree, and the diverse flavors of the three main types of tea; black tea, green tea, and oolong tea, are due to the different processing styles.
Black Tea: Black tea-leaves are fully oxidized before firing, making it a full bodied tea with a strong flavor. This is the kind most commonly consumed all over the world. Use boiling water and allow the tea to brew for three to five minutes.
Green Tea: Green tea-leaves are dried via steaming or firing before any oxidation occurs. This gives it a more delicate flavor than other types of tea. Since it does not go through the oxidation process, the leaves retain much of their nutrients and are high in vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and anti-oxidants. Green tea has more health benefits than any other types of tea.
Oolong Tea: Mainly grown in China and consumed among Chinese people all over the world, oolong tea-leaves are partially oxidized before firing. The taste varies depending on the degree of oxidation from dark to light.

Green tea is the freshest type of tea as well as richest in nutrients, which gives the tea lots of health benefits when consumed. Green tea itself has many forms and each of them has a different flavor profile and requires different ways of brewing it. The components of tea such as amino acids, catechin, teanin, and caffeine, is what affects the flavor.
Gyokuro: The highest quality of green tea-leaves. Specially grown in the shade for about 3 weeks before harvest, it has an exquisite sweetness due to its teanin rich makeup, but is also one of the more difficult teas to steep with perfection. Each household in Japan keeps this top quality green tea to be served to their guests.
Sencha: It is the most popular and common tea in Japan served for daily drinking. It has a nice balance of sweetness and bitterness, releasing different tastes depending on the brewing temperature and time.
Bancha: Still widely consumed in Japan, bancha is harvested from the same tree as sencha. It is graded lower because it’s picked after sencha is harvested. The taste is less sweet than sencha but has sharp, crisp flavor.
Houjicha: Houjicha is a roasted green tea with a strong nutty flavor. During the roasting process, some of the nutrients are lost; however, it is good for children as it is low in caffeine levels.
Genmaicha: A mixture of roasted genmai(brown rice) and green tea. The great aroma of green tea and genmai mixed together makes this a unique tea. It is a good starter for green tea beginners. Genmai is also high in nutrients making genmaicha a healthy drink.
Maccha: Maccha is a tea made from high quality green tea-leaves ground into a powder form. Unlike other forms of green teas, 100% of the nutrients from the original tea-leaves remain in this tea. It is primarily used for tea ceremonies, but the vibrant green color and its rich distinct taste is often incorporated into many Japanese teatime snacks and sweets.

Chiran-Cha: The Organic Green Tea from the Land of the Sun

Orita - en

Like coffee and black tea are indispensable in the Western culture, Japanese people cannot live without green tea.  Naturally, they are particular about the taste of tea.  With its bright transparent green color, and its refreshing aroma, Chiran-Cha is loved and consumed all over Japan.  Chiran-Cha is a generic name of the green tea produced in Chiran-cho in Minami-Kyushu City of Kagoshima Prefecture, which is the southern-most part of Japan. 
 
With its mild climate and fertile soil, the Chiran district is considered to be perfect for growing tea trees.  Although the history of tea-making dates back to the Kamakura-Era (1192-1333), they only started cultivating tea trees seriously about 150 years ago.  The district since then organized a union and established green tea processing factories.  Their efforts naturally lead to an increase in crop production.
 
Orita-En, one of the foremost Chiran-Cha producers, has strived for growing chemical-free green tea for about 30 years.   The natural way requires more care and labor, but they have never sidetracked from producing reliable green tea which is considered ecologically balanced.  With each step of the tea-making process including cultivating, processing, finishing, and packaging, under the close supervision of a master tea-maker, Mr. Nobuo Orita, Orita-En never fails to produce high quality green tea with a deep aroma and full flavor. 
 
In New York, we can enjoy four types of tea from Orita-En, sencha, mizudashi-sencha, genmaicha, and houjicha. Blessed by mother nature and pampered by the meticulous attention of the people, the green tea from Orita-En is sure to please the high standards of New York gourmands and find its new home.

Orita-En
15712 Shioya, Chiran-cho, Minamikyushu-
shi, Kagoshima 891-0911 Japan
TEL: +81-993-85-3107
oritaen@orita.co.jp / www.orita.co.jp

 

Japan is geographically long from south to north and its climate varies from region to region. This allows each region to produce a distinct flavor and aroma. Located in the southernmost area in Japan, the tea from Chiran receives high praise. Restaurants that serve Chiran-Cha from Orita-En Aburiya Kinnosuke / Matsugen Where to buy Chiran-Cha from Orita-En Sunrise Mart

Enrich your Life with the Health Benefits of Japanese Green Teas

G.T. Japan Inc. / Maeda-en USA

 

Japan's legendary tea master Sen-no-Rikyu said, "regardless of the growth and experience, one can never forget his tradition". Following his teachings, Maeda-en has committed to producing authentic tea with original ideas since 1984. Their teas are additive free and directly imported from Japan. The Premium Tea Bag Series offers 4 flavors of the finest tea in silky mesh tea-bags that are individually wrapped to preserve their freshness: Gyokuro, has a deep-green color with a balance of bitterness and sweetness; Sen-Cha, a blend of sen-cha leaves and matcha with a harmonious flavor and aroma; Genmai-Cha, a combination of sen-cha, roasted brown rice and matcha with a mild bitter-sweet taste, and Houji-Cha, toasted tea leaves which contain low caffeine. To brew, steep a tea bag in hot water (180°F) for 30 to 60 seconds. For Gyokuro and Sen-Cha, steep longer with a slightly lower temperature.

G.T. Japan Inc. / Maeda-en USA
16591 Millikan Ave. Irvine, CA 92606
TEL: 1-866-MAEDAEN
www.maeda-en.com