The collection, in depth
Green tea
Green tea is defined by what is stopped rather than what is done. The leaf is heated within hours of picking — pan-fired in a wok or steamed, a step called shā qīng (杀青, "kill-green") — which shuts down the enzymes that would otherwise oxidise it.
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Kill-green: the step that makes it green tea
Kill-green: the step that makes it green tea
Green tea is made with a heating step called shaqing (杀青), or fixation, to limit the enzymatic oxidation that would otherwise continue in fresh leaf. Depending on the style, the leaf is then shaped, rolled and dried. Pan-firing and steaming are different fixation approaches.
It also means green tea has nowhere to hide. There is no roast or fermentation to cover a coarse leaf or a careless pick, which is why the same variety can taste clean and sweet in one lot and harsh in the next.
Check each tea’s harvest information and current availability. We choose these selections for their drinking character; a year or a famous name alone does not establish how fresh a particular package is.
Harvest timing matters more than the name on the bag
Qingming and Guyu are useful seasonal reference points, particularly within the same region and cultivar. Earlier picking is not automatically sweeter, less astringent or better value across all green teas; weather, leaf standard and processing also matter.
Where to start
| Tea | Where and when | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Huangshan Maofeng 黄山毛峰 | Huangshan, Anhui · special grade, pre-Qingming | Orchid aroma, sweet chestnut, clean finish. The most delicate of the range. |
| Lu An Gua Pian 六安瓜片 | Lu'an, Anhui · second grade, spring harvest | Lu’an Gua Pian is known for its leaf-led form, traditionally without the bud and stem in the finished picking. Its roasting and processing contribute to the offered tea’s body; it is not necessary to call it the only leaf-only tea. |
| Taiping Houkui 太平猴魁 | Taiping, Huangshan · pre-Guyu, in two grades | Large flat leaves, orchid aroma, long finish. The most striking leaf here. |
| Ziyang, Shaanxi · see the currently offered spring picking options | Ziyang, Shaanxi · see the currently offered spring picking options | Ziyang, Shaanxi · see the currently offered spring picking options |
An early-season picking reference. Compare within the same origin and cultivar rather than assuming it is always the sweetest or least astringent tea.
From the high-mountain cloud belt of Huangshan, picked before Qingming at the year's most tender point. Orchid aroma with a sweet chestnut finish and a clean, lasting aftertaste. The most delicate tea here, and the one that most rewards water on the cooler side.
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Lu An Gua Pian Green Tea (Melon Seed)
Lu’an Gua Pian is known for its leaf-led form, traditionally without the bud and stem in the finished picking. Its roasting and processing contribute to the offered tea’s body; it is not necessary to call it the only leaf-only tea.
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Taiping Houkui Green Tea — Special & First Grade
Grown in the core Taiping area of Huangshan, picked before the Grain Rain and offered in two grades. The leaves are long, flat and strikingly large — worth brewing in glass for the sight of them alone. Orchid aroma, clean and long on the finish.
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An early-season picking reference. Compare within the same origin and cultivar rather than assuming it is always the sweetest or least astringent tea.
From the slopes of the Qinling range in Shaanxi, where the soil is naturally high in selenium. Currently the pre-Qingming pick. Clean and mineral where the Anhui teas are floral and sweet — the outlier here, and the one to try if the others taste too soft to you.
View this teaChoosing by what you already like
Choosing by what you already like
Go deeper on one tea
Some of the teas above have their own collection, with more grades and more of the background.
Where to go next
Green tea is the un-oxidised end of the scale; these sit nearest to it in the cup.
More on green tea
More on green tea
What Makes Good Green Tea?
How to judge a green tea by leaf, aroma, liquor and aftertaste — before you buy it.
OriginAnhui Green Tea and Its Global Legacy
The province behind most of the teas here, and the famous varieties it produces.
FlavourWhat Does Green Tea Really Taste Like?
From grassy and umami to nutty and floral, and why bitterness is usually a brewing error.
BrewingThree Ways to Brew Green Tea
Top, middle and bottom infusion — which method suits which leaf, and the temperatures that avoid bitterness.
These teasHuangshan Maofeng · Lu'an Gua Pian · Taiping Houkui · Ziyang Selenium-Enriched Tea
RegionsChina's Four Great Tea Regions · Qinling Green Tea · Early Spring Green Tea from the Qinling Mountains
ComparingGreen vs White Tea · Green vs Oolong · Green vs Black Tea
Brewing & keepingCold Brew Green Tea · Chinese Tea Brewing Temperatures · How to Store Chinese Tea · Chinese Tea Grading System
Green tea does not keep
Green tea has the shortest shelf life of any tea here, and it does not improve with age. Air, light, moisture and strong smells are what finish it — keep it sealed, opaque and cool, away from the spice cupboard. If a green tea tastes flat rather than sweet, the leaf is more likely to be tired than the brewing to be wrong. For more detail on this, see our guide to storing Chinese tea.