It was in the year 2737 BC when the Chinese emperor Shen Nung accidentally discovered green tea. On his travels all he ever drunk was boiled water. One day, as his servant was boiling up some river water, a few leaves fell into the pot. They came from the twigs of a tea shrub which at the time was commonly used as fire fuel. The water took on a golden colour and a pleasant taste. Even as he was drinking the emperor sensed its refreshing and invigorating effect, and from that moment on he decided he would always add a few leaves of tea to the water. When tea first arrived in Europe in the 16th century it was this green variety. It wasn’t until the 19th century that tea was oxidized – tea was “fermented” for export to the European market – which turns it black.

What is green tea? In principle green tea can be made from the leaves of any tea plant, since the difference to black tea lies mainly in how it is processed after being picked. In practice, however, it is more common to use the plants of the Camellia sinensis, since the small-leaved, hardier original variety is better suited for making green tea than the classical black tea plant Camellia assamica. This is due to the different amounts of nutrients they contain. Once the freshly picked leaves have wilted, they are stopped from fully oxidizing by briefly being heated (in China) or steamed (in Japan). This destroys the enzymes that would cause the tea’s further oxidation, while preserving all the other nutrients contained in the fresh leaf. The leaves are then rolled to render them suppler for further use. The best green teas come from China, Japan and Taiwan, where they are processed immediately after being picked, sometimes even directly in the fields. However, as studies by the German consumer magazine “Stiftung Warentest” have shown, some of these teas reveal high levels of pesticides. In general, organic or residue-controlled teas are entirely or largely free of chemical residues.

Quality and preparation
Similar to black tea the best quality green tea is available in spring, which is when the “first flush” is picked. The green teas from China are yellowish and taste refreshingly bitter. Here the best varieties are Yin Zheng/Yin Zen (Silver Tips), Long Xu and Yin Long/Ying Zjhu (Silver Dragon). Japanese green teas have a greenish shimmer, with a mild and sweetish taste. Here the best varieties are First Flush Guricha and First Flush Sencha Ureshino. When brewing green tea, it is crucial never to make it with boiling water! The water should be heated to no more than 60° C or 70° C.