Looking for the Best Green Tea to Buy?

Green tea, which like all teas comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, has gained great popularity in western countries in the last few years. Unfortunately, most people only experience the cheap, poor quality bagged teas commonly sold in supermarkets, which often contain additives and flavorings. They are quite different to the unadulterated green teas sold in specialty shops and online stores.

Which is the best green tea?
Like wine, the quality of a tea crop is influenced by weather and other factors and so varies from year to year. But the best green tea always comes from the first plucking in early Spring, when the leaves and buds are young and tender. For quality teas, only the first one or two leaves and a bud are hand-picked. High quality tea is also better for you, as most of the beneficial antioxidants it contains are concentrated in the bud and first two leaves.

Once gathered, only minimal processing takes place - the tea is dried for a few hours and then heated in large woks or baked in ovens in order to remove moisture and stop the fermentation process.

Unblended tea is generally a better option than the blended product, this is because blended teas often include cheap "fanning" (powdered leaves) to add bulk and increase profits. True tea lovers will often only buy tea which has come from a single specific plantation, so called "single estate" tea.

Some of the choicest teas
As to which specific green tea to buy, it's obviously down to personal preference. However, some of the best to look out for include Dragon Well, from Zhejiang province in China (a delicate, sweet flavor), Japanese Sencha (refreshing, smooth and slightly earthy), White Monkey, from Fujian province in China (a light, slightly sweet taste) and Gunpowder, also from Zhejiang province, which has a fresh, slightly smokey flavor.

Probably the best way to buy tea is online - specialty shops tend to be expensive, and you can't beat the convenience of having it delivered to your door. You can find the best green tea to buy by going to the BuyingTeaOnline.com website.

Storing your tea
Green tea has a relatively short shelf-life and will begin to lose its flavor after about six months. For this reason it's best not to buy too much in one go. It's very important to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place, in order to prevent oxidation.