The origins of green tea: a journey through India, China, and Japan

Discover the origins of green tea with Betjeman & Barton. Since its birth in China, this beverage has traveled the world. It represents both a symbol of well-being and a true art of living.

 

From imperial Chinese legend to Japanese Zen, and through the recent rise of Indian green tea, embark on a sensory journey through these three giants of green tea. Discover the refined Lung Ching, the traditional Matcha, and the green Darjeeling, all cultural and gustatory stops that reveal the infinite richness of this green leaf.

 

China: The millennial birthplace of green tea

 

The green tea beverage we know today originated several millennia ago in the heart of China. Legend has it that Emperor Shen Nong, around 2737 BCE, discovered the principle of infusing tea leaves when he saw some fall into a bowl of hot water near him. He was then under a Camellia Sinensis, a tree better known as the tea plant.

 

Following this discovery, the beverage was primarily used as a medicinal remedy, due to its digestive and purifying properties, but it quickly gained popularity. A few centuries later, between 618 and 907, it became the subject of a true ritual of preparation and tasting, codified in Lu Yu's treatise, The Classic of Tea. These practices were taught by Buddhist monks, who spread this art of tea throughout much of Asia.

 

Over time, methods for cultivating the plant and making a delicious drink from it developed and became widespread, notably the process of steaming the leaves, which stops their oxidation. Conceived in China, this technique preserves the freshness of the tea and its antioxidants.

 

The original terroirs of green tea in China

 

As you may have gathered, tea has become a way of life in China over time. Several regions of the country are now considered emblematic of green tea: Zhejiang, Fujian, and Yunnan, famous for their misty mountains and rich soils that forge varied and unique aromatic profiles. The province of Hangzhou, meanwhile, saw the birth of Long Jin, also called Dragon Well, a green tea with flattened leaves and notes of chestnut and hazelnut. For a long time, it was also the "tribute tea" offered to emperors. Further north in the country, we find Bi Luo Chun, from the Jiangsu region, which amazes with its floral, peach-evoking flavors and its spring freshness.

 

Among other popular Chinese green teas is gunpowder. It gets its name from its shape: unlike the previous ones, whose leaves are simply dried, its leaves are rolled into small pellets to preserve their aromas. These unfold once immersed in hot water. At Betjeman & Barton, you will find many varieties of Chinese green teas, such as Chun Mee, Gu Zhang Mao Jian, and Yunnan Vert, which shine with their diversity of aromatic profiles, all intense and subtle.

 

Japan: The kingdom of green tea

 

Thanks to Buddhist monks, green tea arrived on the Japanese coast in the 9th century. A certain Saicho brought this plant back after tasting this drink in China. There again, it was primarily seen as a tonic and purifying remedy, consumed to promote meditation and Zen practices.

 

In the 12th century, under the impetus of the monk Eisai, green tea became firmly established in Japanese culture. Following the publication of his treatise Kissa Yojoki, "Maintaining Health by Drinking Tea," the beverage gained popularity with the general public, who used it to combat fatigue and illness.

 

The tea ceremony developed during the Muromachi era, between the 14th and 16th centuries, while samurais made it their preferred drink. The Japanese also invented new processing methods, particularly steaming to stop oxidation, and rolling and drying techniques. These gave rise to the famous umami notes, typical of Japanese green teas.

 

Sencha, Matcha and Gyokuro, Japan's emblematic green teas

 

The land of the rising sun is undeniably one of the great nations of green tea. More than just a drink, it is a true art of living there, with its preparation ritual marking daily life.

 

Among the kings of Japanese green teas is Sencha. Developed in the 18th century, it accounts for approximately 60% of local consumption. Its very fine leaves produce, once in boiling water, a bright green liquor with vegetal and iodized flavors, supported by a hint of bitterness.

 

Matcha, a pillar of the tea ceremony, has also conquered the world with its creamy and frothy texture, obtained with a bamboo whisk, the chasen, and its typical umami taste, herbaceous, slightly sweet and bitter. Another prestigious Japanese tea: Gyokuro. Cultivated, like the previous one, in the shade, it forms a delicate, sweet, buttery, and almost sugary drink, without the slightest trace of bitterness.

 

Immerse yourself in the refined and wonderful world of Japanese green teas with Betjeman & Barton: our catalog offers a wide variety, such as Sencha Natural Leaf, Gyokuro, and also Genmaicha and Hojicha, highly appreciated for its roasted hazelnut notes.

 

India: From the kingdom of black tea to emerging green teas

 

Tea arrived in India under the impetus of the British in the 19th century. At the time, they greatly developed black tea production, particularly in the Assam and Darjeeling regions. It wasn't until the 2000s that green tea became one of the pillars of Indian production, following growing global demand. Steaming or vapor processes to preserve chlorophyll became widespread, to such an extent that it is estimated that approximately 10% of current Indian production consists of green teas.

 

Assam produces robust, full-bodied, and vegetal green teas, while Darjeeling dazzles connoisseurs with its floral and light delicacy. Less known to the general public than black teas, Indian green teas are full of nuances and surprise with their power and intensity.

 

To continue reading, we delve into Sencha, Matcha, and Gunpowder in detail in the following article.