Have you wondered what are the most famous and revered premium teas out there?! I did and so I started researching. Quality, scarcity and price are the key criteria I used in my selection.
Here are my top 10 famous teas (coming from the Camellia Sinensis plant):
- Anji White (Anji Bai Cha)
- Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao)
- Darjeeling First Flush
- Dragonwell (Long Jing)
- Gyokuro (Jade Dew)
- High Mountain (Gao Shan) Oolong
- Matcha (ceremonial grade)
- Sheng Pu-erh
- Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy)
- White Hair Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen)
I will split this series into 5 blogs, each covering 2 famous teas.
A few general remarks to start with. The best quality teas are normally consumed locally by tea connoisseurs who can afford them, the remaining are exported. The most expensive of them are still handmade, although Japanese teas are mostly machine-processed. A lot of skill and time is required to make them. They are usually produced in small quantities by small farmers. All these factors determine the quality of the teas and thus their price.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro is the most revered Japanese tea. It is one of the few teas still plucked by hand in Japan. Before harvest, the tea bushes are sun-shaded for at least 3 weeks to make the tea less bitter and more umami (savoury).
The harvest takes place once a year sometime between mid-May to mid-June.
To make Gyokuro, the leaves are steamed. Steaming retains the emerald green appearance of Japanese teas and gives them a grassy, seaweed smell and umami flavour.
Compared to the more affordable and simpler Sencha, Gyokuro is softer, sweeter and more flavourful. That is due to the shading. Due to the high content of L-theanine, drinking Gyokuro should improve our mood.
Gyokuro translate to ‘jade dew’ in reference to pale green liquor.
The history of this tea dates back to 1830s when Kahei Yamamoto started producing it. Currently, the best Gyokuro is produced in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Drinking Gyokuro makes you feel uplifted, refreshed, and energized.
. You can read about the benefits of drinking green tea (including Gyokuro) from this article by Dr. Jörg Schweikart.
Matcha
Matcha has soared in popularity in recent years. Whether it is in a latte, cake, or a plain drink, we get the impression that Matcha is everywhere.
The origin of Matcha can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-970), when powdered tea was helping the monks to stay awake during all meditation sessions. Buddhist monks visiting China introduced powdered tea to Japan.
Matcha is grounded green tea from Japan. It is made from the same sun-shaded tea bushes from which Gyokuro is made. The best quality comes from Uji region.
It can take up to 1 hour to make 30g of Matcha.
There are 3 main types of Matcha. The lowest grade – culinary Matcha – is used in baking, ice cream and lattes. The medium grade is the standard Matcha for everyday drinking. The best quality is ceremonial Matcha, made from the first spring harvest. Only this type is used in Japanese tea ceremonies (called Chanoyu) as either koicha (thick tea) or usucha (thin tea). The difference in colour vividness can be seen in the image below.
According healthline.com, consuming Matcha can bring us the following health benefits: protect the liver, improve brain function, prevent cancer, protect against heart disease, and lose weight. The increased health benefits come from the fact that we are ingesting the whole leaf, hence we are taking extra caffeine, antioxidants and L-theanine.
