By definition, a green tea is a tea leaf that has not been allowed to oxidize at all. Because of this minimal processing, green teas are verdant and bright teas, with flavors ranging from dew-like sweetness to creamy, toasty or nutty. Green teas, for lack of a better description, simply taste…green.

To craft a green tea, the tea maker must prevent the leaf’s natural enzymes from oxidizing the leaf. This is done by applying heat to the leaf promptly after it is plucked, either by roasting, steaming, or wok-firing. Ironically, this stage is called “Killing Green” in Chinese, but this term is more of a reference to the removing the leaf’s raw quality and moisture to lock it in its unoxidized state.

The green tea producing regions of China are generally concentrated along its southeastern coast. Each region possesses a different style of finishing the leaves, which, in combination with the tea’s terroir, contributes to its appearance, aroma and taste.

For example, a tea-maker in Zhejiang must properly pan-roast a Dragonwell tea leaf by pressing the tea leaves against the sides of the wok with his hands for the right amount of time at a specific temperature, to achieve Dragonwell’s distinct flat, blade like appearance, free of any down, and classic toasted and nutty flavor. Even within a region, styles of craftsmanship will vary between villages and tea makers.

Of all of the tea types, time of harvest probably is most critical for green teas. The highest quality green teas are always harvested in the Spring season, when the tea leaves are still young and tender when picked. Most people are unfamiliar with the taste of spring harvest greens.

Younger green tea buds or leaves produce a fresh, dew-like sweet flavor that is delicate on the palate but not lacking in flavor. This clean, subtle taste is considered the ideal for a Spring harvest Chinese green tea. With later harvests, the tea leaves are more mature and lack this tender quality, becoming more assertive in flavor, but also much more astringent. Most commercially available green teas are often late harvest, low grade teas.