At present, consumers across the globe enjoy drinking green tea which was first grown in China and India. There are different variations of this traditional beverage which produce identical health benefits with the only exception being the different levels of intensity. The afore-mentioned fact has been asserted by a company which recommends drinking green tea to individuals for its astounding health benefits. The reason why the benefits offered by these variations of green tea are not the same is because of the way in which the leaves are actually processed. While Chinese green tea consists of 12% to 16% antioxidants, the Japanese counterpart contains as much as 60%.
Both Chinese, as well as Japanese green tea, has been derived from the leaves of the identical plant which is known as Camellia Sinensis. But beside that, they differ in many aspects.
Below, we will highlight the top 8 primary differences between Japanese green tea and Chinese green tea.
1. Chinese Green Tea happens to be the original green tea
The origin of green tea is in China which took place nearly 5000 years earlier, and its first documented use was recorded in the 8th century. However, green tea was migrated from China to several other locations on the planet more than 4,000 years afterward in around 800 A.D. At first, green tea was consumed extensively all through the Asian continent although its usage first commenced in Japan thanks to some Japanese Buddhist monks who brought it back from China.
2. Chinese Green Tea is available in many attractive forms
It is a fact that Chinese green tea leaves are actually processed manually, and it is also possible to “sculpt” it into a lot of shapes such as being twisted into spirals, rolled into balls, as well as leveled into swords. In this way, plenty of variety, as well as aesthetics, can be added to one’s experience of drinking tea. On the other hand, Japanese green tea is going to be processed by means of a machine where it is ground into a powder known as matcha or even rolled into sencha (uniform shapes of a needle). In this way, it is less artful when it comes to sipping on Japanese green tea which provides an enhanced utilitarian experience.
3. Chinese Green Tea is obtainable in lots of varieties
A primary cultivar referred to as Yabukita is responsible for dominating the production of Japanese green tea at present. Because of this, there are not many varieties of Japanese green tea right now on the market. On the contrary, Chinese green tea is obtainable in many different varieties, each of which has been named exclusively for the type of tea produced by it. As a matter of fact, in case you happen to be a tea fanatic, you will get the opportunity of exploring many more varieties of Chinese green tea as compared to its Japanese counterpart.
4. You will find Chinese Green Tea almost everywhere
Incidentally, the largest exporter of green tea on the planet happens to be none other than China which can boast of producing in excess of 80% of the total supply of the world. On the other hand, Japan produces only 7% and exports just 1%. In this way, Japan grows a lesser quantity of green tea as compared to even Vietnam and Indonesia. As a result, Chinese green tea is much more available on the market at present as compared to Japanese green tea and is likewise much more inexpensive as compared to its Japanese counterpart. In fact, the majority of the green tea products observed by you in the retail outlets as well as on the restaurant tables happen to be the Chinese green tea. On the other hand, individuals tend to consider Japanese green tea as a specialty item which is usually available on the web and also in boutique outlets out there.
5. Japanese Green Tea consists of an increasing number of antioxidants
We all know green tea to be packed with antioxidants which can cause lots of health benefits in the long run by boosting our immune system. However, Japanese green tea consists of more antioxidants as compared to their Chinese counterpart with as much as 60% antioxidants unlike the Chinese green tea containing only 10% to 12% (1).
6. Japanese Green Tea helps to enhance metabolic rate
EGCGs happens to be a type of antioxidant which is present in green tea. This beneficial substance is reputed for maintaining a healthy balance in the levels of blood sugar. According to a study published by “Journal of Chromatography” in 2003, it was revealed that Japanese green tea can boast of having in excess of 100 times the levels of EGCGs which are present in the Chinese variety (2). One more study which was published in 1999 by “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” revealed that EGCGs were likewise responsible for enhancing thermogenesis. Our system uses this process for metabolizing fat which assists in regulating our body temperature.
7. Japanese Green Tea is not fermented
The ability to ferment is considered to be one of the primary criteria when it comes to assessing the value of any food item or drink. However, there is some sort of unanimity regarding specific discrimination of flavor between the Japanese green tea and the Chinese green tea. While processing Chinese green tea, the leaves are going to be fermented slightly. The reason for this is that the leaves are stored while processing the Chinese green tea and after that, they’re pan-fried eventually. On the other hand, during the processing of the Japanese green tea, the leaves will be steamed after being picked without wasting any time at all. The procedure of storing tea leaves prior to processing can result in fermentation which can be removed solely by pan-frying. On the contrary, processing the tea leaves straightaway after being plucked does not allow the process of fermentation to start. On the other hand, steaming is going to eliminate any type of anomalous fermentation which might take place before this step. This fermentation, for some folks, is responsible for producing a somewhat tart flavor which they might not like in the long run. However, Japanese green tea leaves do not come with this type of subtle as well as undesirable flavor due to the fact that they are not going to be fermented while being processed. On the other hand, Japanese green tea appears to be much sweeter in taste as compared to their Chinese counterpart. (Japanese green tea likewise consists of more chlorophyll and it is not preferred by many consumers of green tea across the planet because of its “grassy” taste).
8. Japanese Green Tea does not contain any lead
According to a study conducted in the year 2006 assessing the content of lead in green tea, it was found that approximately 30% of the sampled Chinese green tea leaves consisted of more than 2 micrograms of lead per serving which failed to stay within the approved limit. However, the sampled Japanese green tea leaves were well within this limit. Experts are of the notion that the reason for this is the fact that Japan is less polluted than China.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that both Japan as well as China happen to be the leading producers of tea at present. These two countries produce tea which is really worth exploring. You’ll come across different types of subtle complexities that make a cup of tea which is indeed a breathtaking experience for tea consumers. It does not matter whether you prefer the Japanese hyper-pigmented green tea or the nutty flavor of the Chinese green tea leaves, one thing is for sure that green tea will provide you with some awesome benefits which will enhance your health significantly.
Sources:
(1) https://time.com/5188377/matcha-tea-benefits/
(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021967303011336?via%3Dihub
