Chinese Green Tea vs. Japanese Green Tea
Post 1 of 15
So far, China has became an emerging exporter of Green Tea to Australia, US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East Countries and even to Japan (However, right now the number is decreasing). So, I would like to discuss a little about China Green Tea and Japan Green Tea.
Japanese green originated from China 500 years ago. The harvesting and processing method were also imported from China. However, over the centuries, Japanese farmers and producer improve green tea quality one generation after another, and now Japan is a country famous for her high quality Green Tea product. Green Tea has became an icon for Japan and without Green Tea, Japan will lose its iconic status as a green and healthy cultural country.
I have tasted Chinese Green Tea and Japanese Green Tea often. In my opinion, both have their good and bad.
1st Round.....
Price
Chinese Green Tea is cheap compare to those from Japan.
For example, the cheapest tea leaf is around $1-2/kg in China while Japan usually cost twice that much.
Winner: China
2nd Round....
Quality
No doubt Japanese Green Tea is of the highest grade. I have never met one supplier who does not produce good quality tea.
On the other side, we tends to think that Made in China tea is of poor quality, but actually it is not true. Chinese manufacturers claimed that their quality is high, and I admit that their green tea is very high (as high as the Japanese). The taste is strong, delicious, and aromatic. Moreover, there are no dead insects, soils, hairs, foreign materials found together with the tea leaves. However, of the hundreds of tea manufacturers. Only a few passes the grade as a good quality tea manufacturer.....So, if you want to search for one, it will be tough...
Winner: Japan
Taste
Japanese regular green tea tastes almost the same as the Chinese green tea. However, Japan has many different grades at the top level...in other words, at the high quality level, there are many more grades to choose from with each unique taste. Each taste is came from different region, and from different processing and harvesting methods. China, however, in my knowledge do not have this kind of level of high quality unique taste....the problem I found, mass production kills quality kills the innovation of creating unique taste.. moreover, chinese prefer their own chinese tea more than green tea. Note: I cannot say so for specific local region since each region in china produces their local preference for tea.......
Winner: Japan
Aroma
This is a tough one, since I find both country tea smell almost the same.... hahaha.....
Winner: China and Japan
Availablity
Because Japan is such a small country, the availability for the whole global community is logistically not possible. Moreover, the local tea farmers prefer to feed the demand of the local markets more than the overseas markets. Big Japanese corporate tea companies realized this and have exported their tea *ahem* Japanese *ahem* technology to China and educate the Chinese manufacturing companies how to produce tea quality as high as those from Japan. In contrast, China can serve the global community with whatever amount....
Winner: China
So who is the winner, it really depends on what you are looking for...
As a personnal opinion, like sushi, green tea products sold on stores in foreign countries do not taste as authentic as the green tea sold in Japan. Why is that so? I know the answer, but do you?
Japanese green originated from China 500 years ago. The harvesting and processing method were also imported from China. However, over the centuries, Japanese farmers and producer improve green tea quality one generation after another, and now Japan is a country famous for her high quality Green Tea product. Green Tea has became an icon for Japan and without Green Tea, Japan will lose its iconic status as a green and healthy cultural country.
I have tasted Chinese Green Tea and Japanese Green Tea often. In my opinion, both have their good and bad.
1st Round.....
Price
Chinese Green Tea is cheap compare to those from Japan.
For example, the cheapest tea leaf is around $1-2/kg in China while Japan usually cost twice that much.
Winner: China
2nd Round....
Quality
No doubt Japanese Green Tea is of the highest grade. I have never met one supplier who does not produce good quality tea.
On the other side, we tends to think that Made in China tea is of poor quality, but actually it is not true. Chinese manufacturers claimed that their quality is high, and I admit that their green tea is very high (as high as the Japanese). The taste is strong, delicious, and aromatic. Moreover, there are no dead insects, soils, hairs, foreign materials found together with the tea leaves. However, of the hundreds of tea manufacturers. Only a few passes the grade as a good quality tea manufacturer.....So, if you want to search for one, it will be tough...
Winner: Japan
Taste
Japanese regular green tea tastes almost the same as the Chinese green tea. However, Japan has many different grades at the top level...in other words, at the high quality level, there are many more grades to choose from with each unique taste. Each taste is came from different region, and from different processing and harvesting methods. China, however, in my knowledge do not have this kind of level of high quality unique taste....the problem I found, mass production kills quality kills the innovation of creating unique taste.. moreover, chinese prefer their own chinese tea more than green tea. Note: I cannot say so for specific local region since each region in china produces their local preference for tea.......
Winner: Japan
Aroma
This is a tough one, since I find both country tea smell almost the same.... hahaha.....
Winner: China and Japan
Availablity
Because Japan is such a small country, the availability for the whole global community is logistically not possible. Moreover, the local tea farmers prefer to feed the demand of the local markets more than the overseas markets. Big Japanese corporate tea companies realized this and have exported their tea *ahem* Japanese *ahem* technology to China and educate the Chinese manufacturing companies how to produce tea quality as high as those from Japan. In contrast, China can serve the global community with whatever amount....
Winner: China
So who is the winner, it really depends on what you are looking for...
As a personnal opinion, like sushi, green tea products sold on stores in foreign countries do not taste as authentic as the green tea sold in Japan. Why is that so? I know the answer, but do you?
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RYU MEI CO LTD
Ryu Mei is a health and food trading company in Kobe, Japan. Ryu Mei a Japanese food specialist company with products like Kurobuta (Berkshire) , Wagyu (Kobe Beef) , Shochu, Organic Green Tea and Black Vinegar Ku...
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11 Jan 2008 17:43
Post 2 of 15
Thank you for another good post. The first green tea I ever had was Japanese at the New York Worlds Fair more than 40 years ago. I remember that it was thick. Different than any other green tea that I have had since. I believe the rest has all been Chinese.
12 Jan 2008 14:16
Post 3 of 15
Replying to [kivi]:
wow.....agriculture forum is really quiet...........
wow.....agriculture forum is really quiet...........
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About Our Company
RYU MEI CO LTD
Ryu Mei is a health and food trading company in Kobe, Japan. Ryu Mei a Japanese food specialist company with products like Kurobuta (Berkshire) , Wagyu (Kobe Beef) , Shochu, Organic Green Tea and Black Vinegar Ku...
More
17 Jan 2008 00:29
Post 4 of 15
Replying to [Thomas1976]:
Dear Tea friend,
I just found the following info about the history of tea in Japan:
quoted:
The Japanese Influence
The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the "Father of Tea" in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to the other sections of Japanese society.
Tea was elevated to an art form resulting in the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony ("Cha-no-yu" or "the hot water for tea"). The best description of this complex art form was probably written by the Irish-Greek journalist-historian Lafcadio Hearn, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizenship during this era. He wrote from personal observation, "The Tea ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art...yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible".
Such a purity of form, of expression prompted the creation of supportive arts and services. A special form of architecture (chaseki) developed for "tea houses", based on the duplication of the simplicity of a forest cottage. The cultural/artistic hostesses of Japan, the Geishi, began to specialize in the presentation of the tea ceremony. As more and more people became involved in the excitement surrounding tea, the purity of the original Zen concept was lost. The tea ceremony became corrupted, boisterous and highly embellished. "Tea Tournaments" were held among the wealthy where nobles competed among each other for rich prizes in naming various tea blends. Rewarding winners with gifts of silk, armor, and jewelry was totally alien to the original Zen attitude of the ceremony.
Three great Zen priests restored tea to its original place in Japanese society:
Ikkyu (1394-1481)-a prince who became a priest and was successful in guiding the nobles away from their corruption of the tea ceremony.
Murata Shuko (1422-1502)-the student of Ikkyu and very influential in re-introducing the Tea ceremony into Japanese society.
Sen-no Rikkyu (1521-1591)-priest who set the rigid standards for the ceremony, largely used intact today. Rikyo was successful in influencing the Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became Japan's greatest patron of the "art of tea". A brilliant general, strategist, poet, and artist this unique leader facilitated the final and complete integration of tea into the pattern of Japanese life. So complete was this acceptance, that tea was viewed as the ultimate gift, and warlords paused for tea before battles.
p.s. may be good for you as a topic to sell your green tea from Japan
source from
www.stashtea.com.
Dear Tea friend,
I just found the following info about the history of tea in Japan:
quoted:
The Japanese Influence
The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the "Father of Tea" in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to the other sections of Japanese society.
Tea was elevated to an art form resulting in the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony ("Cha-no-yu" or "the hot water for tea"). The best description of this complex art form was probably written by the Irish-Greek journalist-historian Lafcadio Hearn, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizenship during this era. He wrote from personal observation, "The Tea ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art...yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible".
Such a purity of form, of expression prompted the creation of supportive arts and services. A special form of architecture (chaseki) developed for "tea houses", based on the duplication of the simplicity of a forest cottage. The cultural/artistic hostesses of Japan, the Geishi, began to specialize in the presentation of the tea ceremony. As more and more people became involved in the excitement surrounding tea, the purity of the original Zen concept was lost. The tea ceremony became corrupted, boisterous and highly embellished. "Tea Tournaments" were held among the wealthy where nobles competed among each other for rich prizes in naming various tea blends. Rewarding winners with gifts of silk, armor, and jewelry was totally alien to the original Zen attitude of the ceremony.
Three great Zen priests restored tea to its original place in Japanese society:
Ikkyu (1394-1481)-a prince who became a priest and was successful in guiding the nobles away from their corruption of the tea ceremony.
Murata Shuko (1422-1502)-the student of Ikkyu and very influential in re-introducing the Tea ceremony into Japanese society.
Sen-no Rikkyu (1521-1591)-priest who set the rigid standards for the ceremony, largely used intact today. Rikyo was successful in influencing the Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became Japan's greatest patron of the "art of tea". A brilliant general, strategist, poet, and artist this unique leader facilitated the final and complete integration of tea into the pattern of Japanese life. So complete was this acceptance, that tea was viewed as the ultimate gift, and warlords paused for tea before battles.
p.s. may be good for you as a topic to sell your green tea from Japan
source from
www.stashtea.com.
17 Jan 2008 13:20
Post 5 of 15
Replying to [Thomas1976]:
My friend, a little bit info about tea story from Turkey
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/tea.htm
Turkish Tea
While both Chinese and Indians claim that they first discovered the use and drink of Tea thousands of years ago, Turks evolved their own way of making and drinking the black tea (Çay in Turkish or Camellia Sinensis in Latin), which became a way of life for our culture. Wherever you go in Turkey, tea or coffee will be offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, anywhere and any time, before or after any meal.
The production of tea in Turkey mainly started in the early years of the Republic along the eastern Black Sea Region. Many of the tea plantations are centered around the town of Rize, and from the Georgian border to Trabzon, Arakli, Rize, Karadere and Fatsa (near Ordu), reaching in some places 30 kilometers inland and reaching the height of around 1000 m. In 1947 the first tea factory was built in Rize and in 1965 the production of dried tea reached to the level of domestic consumption. The tasks of buying, processing and selling tea was conducted by the Tekel (Monopoly of State) General Directorate until then, in 1971 was transferred to the Tea Corporation, and in 1984 the Monopoly on tea was lifted and this facility was also provided to the private sector.....
Tea figures:
In the total production of tea in the World
India is the first with 28.3 %
China is the second with 23.6 %
Kenya is the third with 9.6 %
Sri Lanka is the fourth with 9.1 %
Turkey is the fifth with 6 %
Other countries with 23.4 %
In the total consumption of tea in the world
India is the first with 23 %
China is the second with 16 %
Russia & UK are the 3rd & 4th with 6 %
Japan & Turkey are the 5th & 6th with 5 %
In the per capita consumption of tea in the world
Ireland is the first with 3 kg per person / per year
UK is the second with 2,5 kg
Kuwait is the third with 2,2 kg
Turkey is the fourth with 2,1 kg
Note: these numbers are given according to figures of 1997-1998
My friend, a little bit info about tea story from Turkey
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/tea.htm
Turkish Tea
While both Chinese and Indians claim that they first discovered the use and drink of Tea thousands of years ago, Turks evolved their own way of making and drinking the black tea (Çay in Turkish or Camellia Sinensis in Latin), which became a way of life for our culture. Wherever you go in Turkey, tea or coffee will be offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, anywhere and any time, before or after any meal.
The production of tea in Turkey mainly started in the early years of the Republic along the eastern Black Sea Region. Many of the tea plantations are centered around the town of Rize, and from the Georgian border to Trabzon, Arakli, Rize, Karadere and Fatsa (near Ordu), reaching in some places 30 kilometers inland and reaching the height of around 1000 m. In 1947 the first tea factory was built in Rize and in 1965 the production of dried tea reached to the level of domestic consumption. The tasks of buying, processing and selling tea was conducted by the Tekel (Monopoly of State) General Directorate until then, in 1971 was transferred to the Tea Corporation, and in 1984 the Monopoly on tea was lifted and this facility was also provided to the private sector.....
Tea figures:
In the total production of tea in the World
India is the first with 28.3 %
China is the second with 23.6 %
Kenya is the third with 9.6 %
Sri Lanka is the fourth with 9.1 %
Turkey is the fifth with 6 %
Other countries with 23.4 %
In the total consumption of tea in the world
India is the first with 23 %
China is the second with 16 %
Russia & UK are the 3rd & 4th with 6 %
Japan & Turkey are the 5th & 6th with 5 %
In the per capita consumption of tea in the world
Ireland is the first with 3 kg per person / per year
UK is the second with 2,5 kg
Kuwait is the third with 2,2 kg
Turkey is the fourth with 2,1 kg
Note: these numbers are given according to figures of 1997-1998
17 Jan 2008 13:34
Post 6 of 15
Replying to [Leosun]:
thanks for the great info.....
Lets all drink tea for health.
![[em19]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_great.gif)
thanks for the great info.....
Lets all drink tea for health.
SIGNATURE:
About Our Company
RYU MEI CO LTD
Ryu Mei is a health and food trading company in Kobe, Japan. Ryu Mei a Japanese food specialist company with products like Kurobuta (Berkshire) , Wagyu (Kobe Beef) , Shochu, Organic Green Tea and Black Vinegar Ku...
More
18 Jan 2008 20:06
Post 7 of 15
Quoting from [Thomas1976]:
Replying to [kivi]:
wow.....agriculture forum is really quiet...........
all the forums seem to be hot in the beginning and tend to cool off. let me know what improvements you think this forum needs.
22 Jan 2008 02:55
Post 8 of 15
Replying to [kivi]:
I think what we can do is to write topics that cross with other forums.
These are a list of ideas that may help..... I can help whenever I can..
1. What agriculture product is popular and what is not locally.
2. Agriculture shipping discussion... import/export, shipping documents etc
3. Agriculture global trading...eg how does the corn inflation, soy bean price affect our food prices. what is the food inflation situation in China.
4. Agriculture modern farming technique
5. Agriculture University information
6. Nations' Agriculture Specialty
7. We should post question only for companies who specializes in agriculture to make them involved and take part in the discussion.
8. Agriculture's newletter, goverment agriculture related websites, organic organization website......etc.... as much information in agriculture as possible...
9, Helps for the newbies....
I think what we can do is to write topics that cross with other forums.
These are a list of ideas that may help..... I can help whenever I can..
1. What agriculture product is popular and what is not locally.
2. Agriculture shipping discussion... import/export, shipping documents etc
3. Agriculture global trading...eg how does the corn inflation, soy bean price affect our food prices. what is the food inflation situation in China.
4. Agriculture modern farming technique
5. Agriculture University information
6. Nations' Agriculture Specialty
7. We should post question only for companies who specializes in agriculture to make them involved and take part in the discussion.
8. Agriculture's newletter, goverment agriculture related websites, organic organization website......etc.... as much information in agriculture as possible...
9, Helps for the newbies....
SIGNATURE:
About Our Company
RYU MEI CO LTD
Ryu Mei is a health and food trading company in Kobe, Japan. Ryu Mei a Japanese food specialist company with products like Kurobuta (Berkshire) , Wagyu (Kobe Beef) , Shochu, Organic Green Tea and Black Vinegar Ku...
More
31 Jan 2008 18:33
Post 9 of 15
Quoting from [Thomas1976]:thanks for your comments. please post more
Replying to [kivi]:
I think what we can do is to write topics that cross with other forums.
These are a list of ideas that may help..... I can help whenever I can..
1. What agriculture product is popular and what is not locally.
2. Agriculture shipping discussion... import/export, shipping documents etc
3. Agriculture global trading...eg how does the corn inflation, soy bean price affect our food prices. what is the food inflation situation in China.
4. Agriculture modern farming technique
5. Agriculture University information
6. Nations' Agriculture Specialty
7. We should post question only for companies who specializes in agriculture to make them involved and take part in the discussion.
8. Agriculture's newletter, goverment agriculture related websites, organic organization website......etc.... as much information in agriculture as possible...
9, Helps for the newbies....
04 Feb 2008 15:40
Post 10 of 15
Replying to [kivi]: I think it seems less memebers are from the sector
of agriculture. Like Thomas said more crossing topics are needed.
I give my vote to him!! It can arouse more interest among the members to discuss and reply even for some that are not from agricultural sector.
of agriculture. Like Thomas said more crossing topics are needed.
I give my vote to him!! It can arouse more interest among the members to discuss and reply even for some that are not from agricultural sector.
05 Feb 2008 09:43
Post 11 of 15
Replying to [Thomas1976]:
Green tea is Chinese Tea, I like Chinese Tea.![[em1]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_smile.gif)
Green tea is Chinese Tea, I like Chinese Tea.
15 Feb 2008 19:32