Where to start?

[tjausti]

Ok I have been enjoying Black Teas for quite some time and am ready to move on to green teas..... I dont like the flowery stuff. I like to sit at work between catastrophic melt downs among the controlled chaos and enjoy a nice cup or 2. so where to start in the world of green/oolong teas? I am a big fan of earl grey bravo and irish breakfast if that helps.

Thanks
Thomas

[hpulley]

IMO, the flower flavored green teas are not green tea, they are herbal tea.

I only drink 'true' green tea which is just that, green tea alone with nothing else for flavoring.

I favor Japanese green teas and think a nice sencha is the best place to start. To start with it probably doesn't matter so much the region as long as it is Japanese sencha. Adagio here has a couple to try as does O-Cha, Maikotea and others. Once you try one or two, let us know what you think and I and others can direct you elsewhere. I'm sure you can get other good green teas but Japanese sencha is the one with which I have experience (and matcha) so others will have to suggest something else if that's more your thing.

[Chip]

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and just try some teas and see what you like. There is a higher learning curve with the vast variety of greens than blacks imho.

From China, a good place to start is Long Jing, aka Dragon Well.

From Japan, trying some different sencha is a good launch point. A lot will depend on whether you want to try some USA vendors or vendors actually in Japan???

[Victoria]

Although this is the Green Forum, since you did mention oolongs, I will have to say that transitioning into Oolongs will be much smoother for a black tea drinker. Not that you will not like greens, just that there are many oolongs that are close to Darjeelings in taste. Japanese Greens are the furthest end of the spectrum away from blacks. But as Chip said sometimes it's good to take a leap of faith and try a variety of different teas.

As hpulley mentioned, Adagio's sample tins are a convenient and easy way to explore some of the other tea categories. Then when you find a type you really enjoy, you can move forward in exploring that range more specifically.

[tjausti]

I know this is the green tea area but I need more info. I have heard the term oolongs but never really looked at them. after a quick google search are they just tea that is not quite as dried as blacks but more dried than greens?

[tsverrir]

I know this is the green tea area but I need more info. I have heard the term oolongs but never really looked at them. after a quick google search are they just tea that is not quite as dried as blacks but more dried than greens?

It comes down to the degree of fermentation. All teas are dried, but differ in the amount of fermentation. On top of that they can differ in roasting/baking, not to mention the growing conditions.

(By fermentation I'm actually talking a bout oxidation. Although it's usually called fermentation the tea is not fermented, but oxidized. )

Green teas are not fermented. Black teas (called red teas in China) are fully fermented. Oolong tea can vary anywhere between that (usually 20% - 80% fermented).
In my opinion Oolong teas provide far more diversity in taste and aroma than black teas and green teas combined.

Personally I can't recommend any green teas since I haven't yet walked that path, but I can tell you that the world of Oolong is a fascinating one.

[Edit: Wow post no. 100]

[tjausti]

I am about to place an order for the Green Tea starter set. I need a second inguinitea <SP> to keep at work anyway I figured it would be a good time to get the 4 samples of green while im at it.

Any suggestions on what samples of oolong to try? looks like they are all just numbered? those mean nothing to me. lol

thanks
Thomas

[Chip]

Oolong 18 is a nice light green oolong. Alishan is slightly darker. I like both of these.

[tjausti]

I think im going to just pickup the sampler after reading around it seems thats a good spread of the oolong family.

[gigglestick]

If you like earl grey's, you might like to try earl green. It is a pouchong or bao zhong tea (lightly fermented) and quite heavily scented with bergamot. I get mine from Whole Foods in the bulk tea section (Rishi is the supplier). It is a nice, pleasant beverage type of tea that I drink on occasion... usually when I want to unwind a little bit in the afternoons...

[silvermage2000]

I do agree and say that sencha would be a good starting point to.

[kikkuman]

To transition from black to green tea, I recommend genmaicha, houjicha, and fukamushi sencha.

[tjausti]

I thought sencha was a completely different beverage... like some bright lime green powder stuff... ???

I must be nodding off again

[Odinsfury]

The bright green powdered beverage you're thinking of is probably matcha.

[tjausti]

gotcha