"Japanese" Green Tea That Isn't From Japan?

[beforewisdom]

I've been enjoying my first introduction to Japanese green tea ( Sakura Sencha, O-cha.com ) imported directly from Japan.

Is my understanding correct that the primary difference between Japanese green tea and Chinese green tea is that the former is steamed and the later dry roasted?

Is it also correct that steaming green tea leaves makes the tea more green, rather than yellow in color?

Is it possible to get green tea steamed in the Japanese style, but without the leaves being grown in Japan or China?

[Chip]

Japanese green is usually steamed, but the process is much more complicated than this. Most sencha even gets a quick, finishing roast near the end of production. You can clearly taste the difference between a selection that has and one that has not had this quick roasting. This is not to be confused with Hojicha which is rather deep roasted.

Chinese greens for the most part are not steamed, true. They go through one of various methods of firing to halt oxidation. Long Jing for instance is pan fired ... some even refer to this as fried.

To answer your last question, Yamamotayama produces "sencha" in Brazil.

[beforewisdom]

To answer your last question, Yamamotayama produces "sencha" in Brazil.

Useful information! Thank you!

[riccaicedo]

A large quantity of bancha and sencha is actually made in China. Even Japan imports it, mainly for use in bottled tea.