Jiangsu

Green tea – Lü Cha (绿茶) – is the most consumed tea type in China. It is the least oxidized of all six tea categories: immediately after harvest, the leaf undergoes Sha Qing (杀青 – Kill Green) – a brief application of high heat through pan-firing, steaming, or baking, that halts enzymatic activity and locks the leaf in its fresh, green state. Green tea preserves more of the fresh leaf's chemistry than any other type: a vivid green color, a grassy, floral, or vegetal character (depending on the variety), and a brisk, clean finish.

Our collection spans Chinese and Japanese loose-leaf green teas – from the award-winning Dragon Well of Hangzhou to the handmade mountain teas of Sichuan and Yunnan, alongside a selection of Japanese greens.

Types of Chinese Green Tea in Our Collection

• Long Jing (龙井 – Dragon Well) The most celebrated Chinese green tea, and one of the most famous teas in the world. Long Jing is pan-fired, flat-pressed, and produced in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The characteristic processing – pressing the leaves flat against a hot wok by hand - produces a tea with a smooth, mellow, slightly nutty and chestnut character and a clean, persistent sweetness. Our award-winning Long Jing comes from Meijiawu Village in the Xihu (西湖 – West Lake) District of Hangzhou, one of the most prized Long Jing production areas.

• Lu Shan Yun Wu (庐山云雾 – Clouds & Mist) A high-mountain green tea from Lu Shan in Jiangxi province, grown at elevations where clouds and mist are near-permanent. The cool, humid conditions slow the leaf's growth, producing a tender, thick-leafed tea with a deeper flavor than lowland greens. Very nutty, with notes of orchid and fresh vegetation, smooth mouthfeel, and a sweet finish.

• Meng Ding Gan Lu (蒙顶甘露 – Sweet Dew) A handmade green tea from Meng Ding Mountain in Sichuan province – one of China's most historically significant tea regions. Made from all-bud first-flush harvests, hand-processed in the traditional style. Delicate, sweet, with a clean floral character and an exceptionally smooth, almost silky mouthfeel.

• Xue Long (雪龙 – Snow Dragon) A high-mountain organic green tea from Yunnan province – the same region known for pu-erh. Grown at elevation, the leaves are longer and more open than most Chinese greens. Clean, sweet character with creamy mouthfeel and a long finish.

• Anji Bai Cha (安吉白茶 – Anji White Tea) Despite its name, Anji Bai Cha is a green tea – the "white" refers to the pale, almost albino color of the young leaves as they emerge in early spring, caused by a low-chlorophyll genetic trait unique to this cultivar from Anji county, Zhejiang. As temperatures rise, the leaves green up and normal processing resumes. The result is a tea with exceptionally high L-theanine content: sweet, soft, and very smooth, with almost none of the astringency found in typical green teas.

• Long Zhu (龙珠 – Dragon Pearls) Our Jasmine Dragon Pearls are hand-rolled green tea leaves and buds from Fujian, scented with fresh jasmine blossoms. The pearls slowly unfurl in water, releasing a round, floral fragrance and a sweet, clean taste. An award-winning tea and one of our most popular.

• Earliest Harvest First Flush A rare Yunnan green tea harvested as early as February – the first pluck of the year, before most other Chinese teas have even budded. Light, fresh, slightly smoky and sweet, with the bright, fleeting quality that only first-flush teas carry. Available seasonally in spring.

• “Thunder Dragon” Himalayan Green Tea from Bhutan A high-mountain organic green tea from Bhutan, grown at elevation in the eastern Himalayas. Clean, fresh, and light with a gentle sweetness – a rare origin outside the traditional Chinese and Japanese green tea regions.

Japanese Green Tea

Green tea arrived in Japan during the Heian period (800s) and evolved into a distinct tradition, with different cultivars, processing methods, and a flavor profile distinct from that of Chinese Lu Cha. Japanese greens are typically steamed rather than pan-fired. Such a method preserves more chlorophyll and produces the characteristic deep green color, grassy-seaweed umami, and brisk finish that defines teas like Sencha and Gyokuro.

Our Japanese selection includes:

• Sencha (煎茶) – The everyday green tea of Japan, deep-steamed (Fukamushi) for a full, smooth flavor with a rich, dark-green color. The backbone of the Japanese tea tradition.

• Shincha (新茶 – New Tea) – The first harvest of the season, available only in spring. The freshest, most vibrant expression of the year's crop.

• Gyokuro (玉露 – Jade Dew) – Japan's most prized green tea. Shaded for several weeks before harvest, which suppresses photosynthesis and drives up L-theanine and chlorophyll content. The result is a deep, umami-rich, intensely sweet tea unlike any other.

• Genmaicha (玄米茶) – Sencha blended with toasted brown rice, producing a warm, nutty, toasty character that softens the grassy notes of the tea. One of Japan's most accessible and beloved everyday teas.

• Hojicha (焙じ茶) – A roasted green tea with a distinctive reddish-brown color and a toasty, caramel character. Significantly lower in caffeine than other green teas due to its composition – it is made of stalks, which accumulate very little caffeine compared to leaves and buds – an excellent choice for evenings or for those sensitive to caffeine.

• Sakura Sencha – Sencha scented with cherry blossom, producing a strong floral character alongside the fresh grassiness of the base tea.

• Matcha (抹茶) – Shade-grown, stone-ground green tea. Available in ceremonial grade (for drinking as whisked tea) and latte grade (for matcha lattes, baking, and cooking).

Green Tea Processing

The key step that defines all green tea is Sha Qing (杀青 – Kill Green): applying high heat immediately after harvest to deactivate enzymes that would otherwise oxidize the leaf. After kill-green, the leaves are shaped by rolling, pressing, or hand-forming, which gives each variety its characteristic appearance: flat and sword-shaped for Long Jing, tightly rolled for Bi Luo Chun, needle-like for Anji Bai Cha. Finally, a gentle drying step removes remaining moisture and locks in the aroma.

Chinese green teas are almost universally pan-fired, which produces a drier, nuttier, more rounded flavor than the steam-fixed Japanese greens. The exception: a Chinese steamed tea, En Shi Yu Lu (恩施玉露 – Jade Dew), produced in Hubei province, historically linked to the origin of the Japanese steaming tradition.

Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?

Yes – all teas from Camellia sinensis contain caffeine, including green tea. The amount is not determined by tea type alone: teas made from young buds and the first two leaves (such as Long Jing and Meng Ding Gan Lu) contain more caffeine than coarser-leaf teas. Shaded Japanese teas like Gyokuro accumulate more caffeine and L-theanine due to the shading process. Hojicha, on the other hand, is made of stalks, which accumulate very little caffeine compared to leaves and buds, making it the lowest-caffeine option in this collection.

How to Brew Green Tea

Green tea is the most temperature-sensitive of all tea types. Hot water causes catechins to release rapidly, producing a bitter brew. Most Chinese green tea tastes best at 80-85°C (175-185°F). Some Japanese green teas, including Gyokuro, need even lower temperatures – around 55-60°C (130-140°F). Use short infusion times and separate the leaves from the water as soon as the steep is complete.

For Gong Fu Cha (工夫茶), brew in a porcelain or glass gaiwan – non-porous materials that won’t overheat the delicate leaves and will not absorb the aromatics of the tea. Use a lower water-to-leaf ratio and short repeated infusions; this brings out the sweetness and softens any remaining astringency.

Green tea also makes an excellent cold brew. Low-temperature water extracts the sweet, floral compounds while leaving most of the bitter catechins behind, resulting in a naturally sweet, smooth tea with almost no bitterness.

Is Green Tea Acidic?

Green tea has a pH ranging from approximately 5.5 to 6.5 – mildly acidic, closer to neutral than black tea (around pH 5). No brewed tea is chemically alkaline (pH 7+), though tea is often considered alkaline-forming after digestion.

How to Store Green Tea

Green tea has the shortest shelf life of all tea types. Stored well (airtight, away from light, heat, and odors), most green tea is best consumed within one year of harvest. Unopened, vacuum-sealed green tea can be refrigerated to extend its life. Once opened, consume within a few months. Unlike pu-erh or white tea, green tea does not improve with age – it simply fades.

History of Green Tea

Green tea has ancient origins and is the earliest form of tea still consumed today. The earliest tangible records of tea date to the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC), noting cultivation in the Ba kingdom of northern Sichuan. During the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), a critical shift occurred: the development of kill-green, using heat – first steaming, then pan-firing, which preserved the leaf's fresh character. This produced teas that resemble the green tea we know today.

During the Tang dynasty, around 760 AD, the tea master Lu Yu (陆羽) completed the Cha Jing (茶经 – Tea Classic) – the first comprehensive treatise on tea in Chinese history. It covers cultivation, processing, utensils, brewing, and the spiritual dimensions of tea. Lu Yu remains the most revered figure in Chinese tea history, known as the Cha Sheng (茶圣 – Tea Sage). His work shaped how tea was understood and practiced for centuries.

Until roughly the 17th century, almost all tea produced in China was green tea. As trade with Europe expanded, Chinese producers developed methods for fully oxidizing the leaf, producing more stable, longer-lasting teas that could survive months at sea. The result was black tea (Hong Cha – 红茶). Green tea remained China's dominant domestic tea throughout.