Tea

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Published 2024

About

Gyokuro (jewel dew) tea, which is made from fresh young tea leaves and is the very best quality tea.

The Japanese have been drinking tea since ancient times, although principally as a herbal remedy until it became popular among the aristocracy and the warrior class during the 13th and 14th centuries. The rise in the popularity of tea-drinking coincided with the spread of Zen Buddhism, out of which developed the rituals of the formal tea ceremony.

The tea that is drunk daily in Japan is green tea, in contrast to the brown or red tea of China and India. Green tea contains more thiamine (vitamin B1), which gives it its delicious umami (rich flavour). Freshly picked tea leaves are immediately steamed to prevent fermentation and blackening, then dried by rolling and crumbling, and finally by hot air. The quality of the tea is judged by the colour and shape of the leaves, and the colour and flavour of the brew. Green tea should not be brewed with boiling water. The better the quality of tea, the less hot the water should be. Several kinds of Japanese tea are available from Asian supermarkets and the following are listed in order of quality.