One of the many things Japan is known for is its teas. You can find a wide variety of all types of teas to satisfy all of your tea cravings, whether it is green tea, black tea, herbal tea, and so on. Some examples of these teas that you can find in Japan are shincha, sencha, kokeicha, gyokuro, mecha, aracha, bancha, and many more.
Different Types Of Japanese Loose-Leaf Teas
When it comes to tea, Japan is in the top ten list of tea producing countries. The most famous type of tea found in Japan is green tea, which makes up almost 90% of their total tea production. However, you can find other types of teas there as well, such as oolong tea, black tea, white, and fermented dark teas. There are a couple of major qualities that differentiate Japanese loose-leaf teas from that of the other countries:
- It is much easier to classify Japanese teas.
- You can also classify all of their tea cultivars as well.
- Japanese tea tends to be steamed instead of pan-fired.
- Certain Japanese teas are shaded.
Japanese Green Tea
As mentioned above, green tea tends to be the most popular tea that’s consumed in Japan. When it comes to green teas, all of the Japanese green teas are produced from Camelia sinensis var sinensis. Currently, there are over hundred tea cultivars used in order to make Japanese tea. These tea cultivars can be defined as a unique group of Camellia sinensis tea plant that comes with a special set of characteristics. Each one of these cultivars offer a different shade of color, different flavor, and comes with its own special characteristics. One of the most popular one is called Yabukita and it consists of about 74% of their total green tea production. There are certain cultivars that tend to be specific to one region or are used for making specific types of teas, for example Uji hikari for matcha.