Green tea is not just a pleasure to taste, but also loaded with compounds tied with a whole host of health benefits.

It is no wonder it is probably the most loved tea in the world.

While you can probably just walk into a tea house and order green tea, if you are into refining your tastes buds in regards to green tea, then surely you must get acquainted with the various types of green tea that are available today.

1) Sencha

Sencha is Japan’s most popular tea.

That is saying a lot when tea lovers tend to acquire niched preferences with the tea leaves that get into their teapots over time.

But the success of sencha is probably down to it’s unique flavor meshed with a delicate sweetness that the masses find acceptable.

Sencha is the first picking of the first flush of tea leaves. This occurs some time from late February to late may.

You might think that how a first flush can have such a lengthy picking period. Well, this is because climates. The warmer the climate, the sooner the plants are ready to harvest.

Sometimes, the second picking might also be referred to as sencha.

2) Bancha

When the harvesting is done for sencha, the next round of new shoots and tea leaves are used for bancha.

While sencha consist mainly of tea leaves, bancha will make up portions of upper stems as well as discarded large leaves during the process of sencha production.

Even though bancha is noticeably less fragrant than sencha, it has a higher level of astringent.

It also has more flouride, making it a good remedy to combat tooth decay.

Premium bancha that is somewhere between sencha and bancha is called senryu. These leaves are slimmer and longer.

3) Fukamushicha

Fukamushicha is processed very much the same way as sencha.

The key differences are that the leaves are steamed for a considerably longer amount of time. Sometimes up to 3 times the timing for sencha.

This processing technique creates darker and more withered tea leaves. Resulting in a richer aroma that some even say is “deeper”.

It can contain tea components from a variety of other types of green tea including sencha, bancha, gyokuro, etc.

It is gentle for the stomach and thus, often recommended for those with sensitive stomachs.

4) Kukicha

This is a tea that has a clean and refreshing taste.

It is made up of stalks, twigs and stems discarded in the production of other tea like sencha, gyokuro, and matcha, etc.

The beverage is more brownish or yellowish in color instead of green.

While many consider kukicha as a residual made from the residue of other tea, kukicha produced from gyokuro stems are highly prized in Japan. And even have it’s own name “karigane”.

5) Funmatsucha

Like matcha, funmatsucha is a grounded tea.

But it does not oxidize as quickly when exposed to the elements, even in direct sunlight.

It is bitter and requires an acquired taste to enjoy it.

However as with oriental foodstuff, bitter drinks often come with health benefits.

It has a high level of anti-oxidants.

6) Konacha

When we see chefs sprinkling tea leave flakes into dishes in the kitchen, they are usually konacha.

This is a tea that consist of tea buds that did not meet the quality checks conducted during tea production. It also contains tea fanning or “dust” leftover from the processing of gyokuor and sencha.

They are inexpensive. Yet their characteristics make them ideal as cooking ingredients.

7) Shincha

Shincha is also a first harvest tea just like sencha.

The difference is that while sencha might sometimes contain tea leaves from a second harvest, shincha is exclusively pickings from a first flush. And that their harvest dates are disclosed.

The fresh harvest also means that it contains a wealth of healthy amino acids with lower levels of caffeine and catechin.

As you can expect, get ready to pay for this box of loose tea leaves.

8) Matcha

In recent years, matcha tea has taken the world by storm.

Such an irony when it has been around and loved by the Japanese for ages.

This is the powder-form tea used in formal tea ceremonies and made famous by Hollywood movies.

It has taken on the status of a superfood in various circles as powdered matcha mixes and dissolves completely with water. Enabling the consumer to drink it and absorb as much nutrients as one possibly can.

While I mentioned powerdered matcha, do note that matcha is powdered by default. The unpowdered form is called “tencha”.

For matcha, the bright the green usually means the more premium the grade.

9) Gyokuro

Gyokuro is a top-grade tea not just for green teas, but in the entire world of teas.

It is rich-green in color and can be filled with high natural levels of theanine when certain growing techniques are applied.

However even at it’s elevated status, it can sometimes be a hard sell as it contains a high level of caffeine.

And decaffeinating for such a premium tea is just being wasteful.

10) Hojicha

Hojicha was first conceptualize to meet the needs of a niche market.

It’s for those with a delicate or sensitive constitution, especially children.

It is made from roasting sencha or bancha with very high heat until the leaves turn somewhat brownish.

The mild tea is the recovery tea for those getting well from illnesses.

11) Genmaicha

These days, genmaicha can commonly be found in cafes and restaurants.

It is made with lower-grade sencha or bancha mixed with popped brown rice.

A lovely drink to have after a meal with oily food.