Before there was any other tea, there was green tea, and the health benefits of green tea date back more than 5000 years.  Green tea is regarded in China as the ultimate tea, and there are thousands of different varieties, plus many more from all around the world. However, the original Chinese teas are still rightly thought of as the finest. Green tea is made from the sweetest, newest buds and tips plucked from the top of the plant, and the best varieties are only harvested in the spring.

Unlike black, wulong and puer teas, green tea is not fermented (or oxidized). What makes green tea different from other teas is what leaves are chosen, how and when they are plucked, and how they are then processed. There was a time when spring could not officially be declared until the very first tea was delivered to the emperor. Today it is still true that the most prized green teas are made from the first tender buds of spring. With the price of gold today, it is interesting that there was a time when green tea was commonly worth more than gold. Still in China, Japan, and Korea, it is still the best gift that you can give someone to whom you wish to show respect by wishing them long life. Read more...