Green Tea
绿茶
Tea TypesDefinition
Green tea is tea whose leaves are heat-treated — pan-fired, steamed or baked — within hours of picking, which shuts down enzymatic oxidation before the leaf can darken. Because it is never allowed to ferment, the liquor keeps the fresh, vegetal and grassy character of the raw leaf rather than developing the malty depth of an oxidized tea.
Etymology
The English name is a plain color label applied by export traders, who sorted tea by the look of the dry leaf and liquor long before processing methods were understood. Chinese uses 绿茶 and Japanese 緑茶 (ryokucha), both likewise naming the color.
In use
Used when naming or ordering teas such as Longjing, sencha and gunpowder, and on menus or tasting notes to separate unoxidized teas from oolong and black tea.