How to Choose Green Tea for Quality

Last Updated on August 14, 2020 by Ellen Christian

Have you ever given any thought to how to choose green tea? Green tea has a lot of health benefits, but if you aren’t purchasing the best quality, you’re missing out. Do you know what to look for when you’re shopping, or are you just picking based on the price at the grocery store? Today I’m going to share a few tips on how to buy, store, and use your green tea. 

How to Choose Green Tea for Quality

Green tea is a true tea, not an herbal tea, and it comes from the leaves of the evergreen plant Carnelia sinensis. There are a number of different types of true teas including black, oolong, green and white tea. The difference is not in the plant that it comes from but in how it’s processed. All true teas come from the same plant.

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White and green teas are the least oxidized. Black tea is the most oxidized. The more oxidation, the darker the tea. Oxidation is a chemical process that basically exposes the tea leaves to both oxygen and light. Despite what you may think, there are a variety of different types of green teas based on where they are grown, the weather, when they are picked, etc.

When purchasing green tea, look for loose-leaf tea. It has a much better flavor because the whole leaves keep more of the components of the natural leaf. This can often be lost during the cutting and sifting that happens when the tea is packaged in tea bags.  Purchasing loose leaf tea in bulk will save you money and allow you to get the best tea possible.

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When storing green tea, it is very important that you store it in a glass or metal container in a cool, dry place. With green tea, it’s important to keep your tea in a dark colored jar to keep the sunlight from further oxidizing your green tea.

When brewing your green tea, it’s important to know that green tea is a bit more delicate than black tea. Unlike black tea, which is brewed with water that has come to a full, rolling boil, green tea should be brewed with water that is not quite as hot. Remove the water from the burner when tiny bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot. Then pour the water over about a teaspoon of green tea and allow it to steep for three to four minutes.

Once you know how to choose green tea, you’ll be able to brew yourself a cup or enjoy it in your favorite foods. The easiest way to add green tea flavor to your food is to use green tea in place of water in your favorite recipe.  You can also use it as part of the liquid in a marinade or in your favorite soup or stew.