• gyokuro 玉露 : this is the highest grade and most expensive tea in japan. less than 1% of japan’s tea production is gyokuro due to the intensive growing methods. gyokuro tea bushes are covered by shade about 20 days before harvesting. by limiting the amount of sunlight, the leaves produce more amino acids known as theanine, giving it a rich yet mellow and slightly sweet flavor. gyokuro is the embodiment of ‘umami’ in tea. gyokuro produced in the kyoto region is considered the best in the world.
• matcha 抹茶 : matcha used to only be consumed for special occasions and was made from tea bushes that were over 100 years old. however, nowadays matcha has become extremely popular and is the go-to form of green tea when making confectionary, snacks, and sweet drinks. matcha is produced by stone grinding tencha tea leaves. similar to gyokuro, tencha is grown in the shade. another unique feature of matcha is that it's the only tea where the whole tea leaf is consumed rather than it just being steeped.
• sencha 煎茶 : sencha is the most frequently consumed and well-known type of green tea. it accounts for over 70% of the tea production in japan. it is produced almost everywhere in japan and the range of quality and flavors vary widely. in general though, sencha has a mild sweetness with a bit of astringency. sencha leaves are picked in the earlier half of the harvest season.
• genmaicha 玄米茶 : genmaicha is sencha combined with roasted popped brown rice grains. the rice adds a nice nutty savoriness making it a very refreshing tea. genmaicha also has the least amount of caffeine, making it a popular tea for children and the elderly.
• hojicha ほうじ茶 : hojicha is produced in the same way as chinese green teas. the leaves are pan roasted at extremely high temperatures then immediately cooled. the roasting process gives hojicha its brown color, reduced caffeine content, and savory light flavor. hojicha is a popular tea to drink chilled for the hot summer days.
• kukicha 茎茶 : kukicha is made from the stems and stalks normally discarded in the production of the other teas. while it tends to be cheaper, kukicha made from gyokuro leaves are still highly prized. kukicha has a light and crisp flavor.
• bancha 番茶 : after the sencha’s first harvest, new leaves begin to grow in. these subsequent sets of leaves are picked for bancha around june-october. the tea from the first picking of these subsequent leaves are called ichibancha 一番茶(translates to first bancha). tea from the second picking is called nibancha 二番茶(translates to second bancha) and so on. the leaves in each subsequent picking become tougher. compared to sencha, bancha is more bitter and less fragrant but has more fluoride so is effective against tooth decay.

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