Green Tea & Matcha
Unoxidized. In China fresh leaves are gently pan-fired to stop their oxidation process, while in Japan they are quickly steamed.
China Green Tea
Unoxidized. In China fresh leaves are gently pan-fired to stop their oxidation process, while in Japan they are quickly steamed.
Prices range from 5.00 – 8.50
Dian Lu Eshan – Remembering the Tea King
A remarkable, fresh green China tea produced in the famous tea province of Yunnan. No other tea is comparable to this sparkling, pale green infusion which offers unique and inimitable delights of taste and aroma. This tea promotes health and has a mild euphoric effect.
Dragon Well – Long Jing
Dragon Well is China’s most beloved green tea and is the national drink of China. The robust leaves are flat and golden-green in color with a lovely shine that comes from the traditional method of pan-frying the freshly picked buds in large steel woks. This stops the tea from oxidizing and also contributes to its toasted, nutty, nourishing taste–a taste as sweet and clean as the bright water of the spring.
Bi Luo Chun – Blue-Green Spirals
This genuine tea original is made exclusively by hand in Dong Shan, on the gently sloping banks of Lake Tai. Hanging over the tiny-leafed tea plants are fruiting trees: peach, apricot and plum. They bloom as the plants reach their fullness, all in a tumult of wonderful smells reproduced by the sparkling infusion. When gently brewed, the tea blossoms with a ripe, slightly astringent taste, softly herbal and gracefully rich. As the wild spirals of these silvery and dark green leaves unfurl dynamically in the tea pot, a tender ecstasy arises.
Buddha’s Tea – Putuo Fo Cha
A quiet strength arises out of these tiny, lustrous leaves, calling to mind the focused aromas of the meditation hall. The two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old tradition of cultivating tea on the Putuo island (southeast of Shanghai in the East China Sea) guarantees that this particular tea, grown in the gardens of the Buddhist monastery and processed only by hand, will always be of superior quality. On the island’s shore, a magnificent statue of the Bodhisattva Guan Yin stares out to sea, while the foamy air and the colors of the sky swirl around her. Light and flowery, this tea is perfect for observing the world with a steady, loving compassion.
Mao Jian – 5 Mountains and 2 Pools
This distinguished green tea is found in China’s Anhui Province, in a region known as “5 Mountains and 2 Pools.” Its leaves are small, uniform, and distinguished by silvery tips. Both its aroma and flavor are surprisingly rich for a green tea. Its almost creamy texture woven with its delicious vegetal taste make it a truly pleasant and beloved tea.
Lu’an Gua Pian
Lu’an Gua Pian is a high quality green tea that is on China’s top ten list of famous teas. This tea comes from large and mature leaves that are rolled giving them a distinctive oval shape. It has a unique velvety texture and a tastes that is slightly sweet and buttery with an herbaceous finish.
Dragon Eyes – Tian Mu Long Zhu
An extra-fine, high quality green tea made from selected fresh tea tips direct from the Tian Mu Mountains. This tea exhibits a flowery taste, the aroma of a mountain breeze, and a unique appearance. The tea is hand-processed by Chinese tea pickers into little balls resembling pearls. They unfold charmingly in the cup after the first infusion to reveal a smooth sweetness that covers the mouth and lifts one’s mood.
Gunpowder – Zhu Cha
Known as “pearl” or “bead” tea in China, this classic variety is widely known as “gunpowder” tea in the West. While the Chinese name is a literal translation, its Western moniker came about when early importers of the tea noticed its similarity in appearance to the dark grey pellets used for cannon fire. The tea is distinctively shaped into small, tightly rolled balls with a dark sheen that hints at its volatile quality. The finished product yields the famous smoky flavor and aroma that makes this variety so dangerously delicious.
Jasmine Pearls
Hand-rolled pearls of select green tea tips and jasmine flowers yield a bright cup of pleasure for jasmine lovers. The lush flavor of the rolled leaf with the floral aroma of jasmine produce a heady bouquet that keeps its liveliness infusion after infusion.
Japan Green Tea
Matcha
Matcha is a first-class type of powdered, extra-fine ground tea. It is used for what is known as the Japanese tea ceremony during which the tea is whisked with a bamboo tool in a handcrafted bowl. Quality Matcha is always a bright green, extra-fine powder with a distinctive, grassy aroma. The foamy infusion is fresh and deep green with an unforgettable, very intense taste. Matcha is extremely high in antioxidants because the entire leaf is consumed. We offer 3 grades: Matcha Kyoto, Matcha Usucha, & Matcha Koicha.
Sencha
Sencha, the quintessential tea of Japan, is currently the most widely consumed tea on the Japanese market. It requires painstaking processing to obtain dark green, flat leaves of uniform size, with a fresh, grassy aroma and a delicate taste. Sencha, translated as “simmering tea”, grants the tea lover many crisp infusions with a distinctly cleansing feeling.
Bancha – Second Flush Sencha
Bancha, an everyday drinking tea in Japan, has small, flat green leaves with a golden tint. It is smooth, less vegetal and grassy than most other Japanese green teas. Bancha is considered “Second Flush Sencha” because the tea is harvested in the summer whereas Sencha is harvested in the spring. As a result, bancha leaves are larger and produce a tea that is less delicate than Sencha. Tasting notes: mild, earthy grassiness, lightly vegetal. Multiple infusions.
Tamaryokucha
This brilliant tea hails from the Kyushu Island area as a first-class type of green tea, appropriate for festive occasions. A tiny, dark green leaf, evenly rolled, makes for a bright green infusion. Its cup results in a rich brew, with a traditional, delicate grassy flavor, while its unique processing imbues it with a bread-like sustenance and fullness even after several brews.
Kamairicha
Grown on the southern island of Kyushu, Kamairicha offers a unique taste, standing out from other traditional Japanese greens. The leaves are steamed and gently pan-fried to bring out nutty qualities, similar to Chinese-style teas. The pan-frying method of tea production was brought to Japan from China and was the original technique used to produce tea. The Japanese put their twist on the flavor by steaming. We call this the yin-yang of green teas. Bright and nutty mixed with vegetal sweetness!
Kabusecha – Covered Tea
Special shading nets known as kabuse are hung over or on the kabusecha tea plants for an average of 12 days before the leaves are plucked in the spring. This deliberate shading increases the levels of chlorophyll and amino acids in the leaves and produces a tea that is more vegetal and brothy (umami). The tea is closer in taste to Gyokuro which is also shade grown before plucking, but Gyokuro is more deeply shaded and covered for a longer period of time (usually around 21 days) which produces a tea that is even more delicate and buttery. Kabusecha combines the green freshness of Sencha with the creamy, brothy, and pungent richness of Gyokuro. Multiple infusions.
Gyokuro – Jade Dew Tea
An excellent, very distinguished Japanese green tea. Its delicious taste and fresh, grassy scent of spring offer a touch of heaven in your cup. This tea is one of the most valued products of the Nippon islands. It is picked by hand in specially shaded fields, guaranteeing a rare experience. Dark green, flat, subtle leaves of uniform size give a fresh aroma and a characteristically bold taste. Gyokuro tea is highly regarded among connoisseurs and is much prized as the “champagne of green teas,” denoting its high value, delicacy, and renown.
Kukicha – Tea Leaves & Stems
Kukicha is made from a blend of tea leaves and stems that are collected during the processing of Gyokuro. No part of the tea harvest is wasted. This type of tea is often a byproduct of Sencha or Hojicha, but our variety is made from the same bushes and leaves used for Gyokuro, giving its flavor finesse and freshness. Tasting notes: Summer grass, chestnut, slightly sweet. Multiple infusions.
Genmaicha – Roasted Brown Rice Green Tea
A unique Japanese delicacy, this is a green tea mixed with roasted rice. The combination gives it a nutty aroma and rich taste, reminiscent of pine and grains. In translation, the name means “unpolished rice tea.”
Genmaicha Matcha – Brown Rice Green Tea with Matcha
The latest twist on the famous roasted rice tea! This thick and roasted infusion offers the rich full flavor of Genmaicha with a boost of energy and vibrancy of color from the added organic matcha powder.
Hojicha – Lightly Roasted Tea
A delicate tea of roasted leaves and stalks that gives off a taste and aroma unlike that of any other Japanese teas. The name means “lightly roasted tea.” The infusion is light brown, the aroma reminiscent of freshly baked bread, roasted grains or chestnuts. It gives a rich, warming brew even after several infusions.
Sakura Cherry Blossom Leaf Tea
Every Spring, the Japanese come together to picnic under the cherry blossom trees to admire their glorious and short-lived beauty. Enjoy this cherry leaf tea’s aroma of fruity, sweet grass and smooth taste of cherries, almonds, and vanilla. Non-caffeinated.
Korean Green Tea
Nok Cha
Nok Cha is a seasonal variety of green tea from the Jirishan mountain range on the southern Korean coast. This light infusion conceals a brilliant complexity of flavor “on the boundary” between Chinese and Japanese teas. The leaves are gently steamed and pan-fried to complete the drying process offering a rich, savory, oceanic flavor. We serve this tea in a traditional tea vessel from Korea.
Vietnam Green Tea
Vietnam Wild Tree Green
A whole leaf green tea processed from 100+ year old tea trees in the picturesque mountains of Ha Giang in northern Vietnam. Villagers in this region have been growing and processing green tea for centuries. This wild tea has a rich vegetal flavor with smoky notes.