New to green tea? Searching for the best tasting green tea for beginners? You’re not alone.
Thanks to its unique taste and health benefits, green tea is becoming increasingly popular, with many tea drinkers opting for it over traditional flavours.
Unfortunately, it’s common for people to struggle with the sharp flavour. If this sounds like you, We Are Tea is here to help! If you’re interested in the super brew but struggle with the taste, simply adjusting the way you make green tea or choosing a different type could make all the difference. Don’t give up hope just yet, we’ve got your backs.
Read on to discover six of the best tasting green tea for beginners and how to make THE perfect brew.
Should I switch to green tea?
Green tea has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, with people believing it could treat everything from morning sickness to healing wounds. Pretty great stuff. Read on to discover what could green tea do for you!
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Improve brain function
According to a study by the University of Basel, green tea can improve long term brain function, especially the working memory. The small amount of caffeine combined with amino acids boosts your brain activity in the short term, making green tea the ideal daily drink.
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Reduce blood pressure
Studies found that regularly drinking green tea could help to reduce high blood pressure long term. Lowering high blood pressure can help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and other health complications. Win win!
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Boost metabolic rate
The abundance of antioxidants in green tea may increase your metabolic rate and could even increase the number of calories you burn by 3 to 4%. Pass the biscuits please.
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Bursting with antioxidants
Antioxidants are essential for keeping us healthy, and work with our immune system to prevent heart complications and some cancers. The polyphenols found in green tea are believed to contribute to cancer prevention.
So, lots of great benefits. However, before you up your daily green tea consumption levels to 20 brews per day, hold your horses. Harvard Health Publications recommend an average 3-cup limit per day, so you can take advantage of all of the benefits but avoid taking in too much caffeine. Tell a friend to tell a friend!
6 tasty green teas for beginners
Do you want to take advantage of this super brew? Ready to join the green tea revolution? It’s easier than you think.
We’ve comprised a list of the top 6 green teas suitable for beginners. Ease your way in with sweeter, tastier brews.
- Jasmine Green Tea: this subtle, aromatic tea is the most popular flavoured tea globally. It’s delicately sweet, fragrant taste makes it perfect for beginners or those looking for a smoother brew.
- Moroccan Mint Green Tea: the strong, cool mint flavour in this tea subdues the bitterness of the green leaves leaving the drinker feeling refreshed. This tea is great for aiding digestion after meals or in the evening. Try Moroccan Mint Green Tea over ice for an extra burst of freshness.
- Dragon Well Green Tea: this tea is packed with the goodness of green tea but with a sweet, almost fruity flavour, making it ideal for green tea novices. For the most delicious results use cooler water and infuse for no longer than 3 minutes to avoid an unwanted bitter taste. (This is one of the rarer green
- Kukicha Green Tea: made from twigs and stems rather than leaves, this tea is naturally sweet and low in caffeine. With a unique taste and aroma, this Japanese tea is loved by beginners and regular drinkers alike.
- Sencha Green Tea: prepare Japan’s most popular tea with 70 to 80°C water for a smooth, sweet, balanced taste. Add Sencha Green Tea to recipes for an added healthy, bittersweet flavouring.
- Matcha Green Tea: this fragrant, rich tea is largely popular due to its abundant health benefits and its unique texture. Matcha green tea comes in powder form, which should be mixed with water into a paste before brewing. This makes it an ideal kitchen staple for both drinking and adding to cakes and bakes. Matcha blondies are a must if you haven’t tried them already!
How to brew the perfect cup of green tea?
Traditionally, green tea was presented and drunk in extravagant, lengthy tea ceremonies wherein the tea was slowly prepared and appreciated by all those involved.
Although these ceremonies may produce the tastiest, most authentic cups of tea, we don’t all want to perform a ceremony every time we want a cup of the good stuff. If you want to enjoy an optimal, delicious green tea quickly and easily, try following some of our top brewing tips next time you go for a cuppa.
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Less is more
When using an infuser to prepare delicious loose-leaf teas, don’t be heavy handed when loading up your leaves. Tea leaves need room to expand inside an infuser to let the water do its job. More tea doesn’t always equal more flavour.
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Timing is everything
Green tea is a sensitive soul and can easily become sharp and bitter if steeped for too long. Just like we turn to prunes if we soak for too long, tea leaves can shrivel and sweat, losing a lot of their precious flavour. For green tea, we recommend you let it sit for no longer than 3 minutes.
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Curb the sugar
When it comes to adding sweeteners to green tea, a light hand is rewarded. Sugar and honey are great for beginners wanting a sweeter brew, but too much can unintentionally alter the taste. Try adding sweeteners in small amounts. Remember you can always add more but can’t take any back.
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Keep it cool
Freshly boiled water can damage the sensitive green tea leaves and leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. Dragon Well green tea, amongst others, fairs best with cooler water for a smoother, sweeter taste. Leave your kettle to cool for a couple of minutes or add a splash of cold water for the perfect cup of green tea. Ideally, the water should be heated to a maximum of 80°C.
Top Tip: There are fancy kettles that can be set to reach specific temperatures, if that’s your bag.
Go Green
Ready to make the switch and enjoy the healthy, refreshing taste of green tea? Browse our range of loose-leaf green teas now & find the perfect brew for you.
If you’re not ready to take the plunge and become a fully-fledged green tea drinker, adding some loose leaves to your favourite recipes is an easy way of introducing yourself. Why not try our creamy pea and green tea soup and let us know what ya think?