Green tea

It is by some called a „true“ tea. During production it is minimally oxidized. Some tea experts believe that all kind of small details influence making of high quality green tea. For example, different tea leaves require different time of picking. Some must be picked at dawn,some at dusk...The drying of tea leaves is not done unless it is necessary (for storage or transportation purposes).
Green tea is the most popular kind of tea in China, Japan, Korea, Morocco and the Middle East. It is becoming more and more exceptable in western world too.
Many high quality green teas are made in China. Eastern coastal region Zheijang is a home of great green teas like Longjing („Dragon Well“), Hui Ming, Long Ding (also known as „Dragon mountain“), Hua Ding, Qing Ding („Green Top“). Gunpowder („zhucha“) green tea is originally from Zheijang province but nowdays it is also grown in other parts of China.
Jiangsu and Anhui regions (east China), Jiangxi (southeast China), Henan and Hubei regions (central China) are some other green tea growing parts of China. As you have already noticed Names of local teas in China are rather exotic...Here are few more examples Chun Mee („Precious Eyebrows“), Hou kui („Monkey tea“), Lu An Guapian („Melon seed“), Yun Wu („Cloud and Mist“)...
Green tea (Ryokucha in Japanese) is so popular in Japan that people just call it „tea“ (ocha). The best Japanese green tea is the one from city of Uji in Kyoto prefecture. Very popular type of green tea in Japan is Matcha („rubbed tea“). It is powdered tea used mainly in tea ceremony. Matcha is also used as ice-cream flavour and in production of other sweets.
Green tea should only be drunk while it's hot. It should never be drunk if it was brewed more than 24 hours ago.
Claims that green tea has positive effect to human health are nothing new for people of China, Japan, India or Thailand. They are using it for thousands of years in controlling bleeding, healing wounds, regulating body temperature etc. In 1191 Zen priest Eisai wrote The Kissa Yojoki, or Book of Tea. There he describes positive effects of green tea on five vital organs, especially the heart.
Green tea contains, when compared with other teas, the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. As to the University of Maryland Medical Center in the USA there are reports claiming green tea can improve condition of people having atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), diabetes and liver disease. Some studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat.
I'll finish this post with a video...It describes...in rather simplified and a bit funny way the preparation of a green tea...The video was made by some Japanese students. Have fun!