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One of the most interesting things about green tea is just how very the flavor and texture of these teas can be even from ones that are grown in the same area or region.
We are going to focus on Chinese green tea in this article and each one of these Chinese green tea types has its own special flavor and texture and wonderful drinkability that makes it unique among all the other Chinese green teas.
This is by no means a comprehensive list there are many other types of Chinese green tea but these are the ones that I enjoy the most. These are outstanding Chinese green teas from some of the best Chinese green tea brands.
Let’s get into it then. Chinese green teas are among the finest in the world and these are some of the best of the best in my opinion.
Image by Ascyrafft Adnan from Pixabay
Anji Bai Cha Green Tea
Anji Bai Cha Green Tea is grown in the Zhejiang Province in eastern China. It is sometimes called Anji white tea even though it is very much a green tea(source). This tea is particularly rare and can be quite expensive compared to other green teas.
How Does Anji Bai Cha Green Tea Taste?
The main flavor is a grassy almost seaweed flavor that is rich and clean and incredibly smooth with only a hint of bitterness when steeped properly. Anji Bai Cha Green Tea has a sweet aftertaste that lingers for quite some time.
The aroma is fresh and clean and very similar to the taste of the tea, maybe a little stronger than the taste actually.
For a great example of this green tea check out Oriarm Loose Leaf Anji Bai Cha Green Tea(*affiliate link) available on Amazon.
Steeping Instructions For Anji Bai Cha Green Tea
Watch your water temperature for Anji Bai Cha Green Tea. It can burn very easily of your water is anywhere close to boiling.
- 1-2 teaspoons of Anji Bai Cha Green Tea leaves will do the trick for a regular-sized cup of tea.
- 176°F/80°C what I like to use for water temperature, you can go a little higher but be careful not to pour boiling water on your leaves.
- A long steep time is recommended for this particular green tea. 4-8 minutes is acceptable but I like to limit it to around 5 minutes.
Bai Mao Hou Green Tea
Bai Mao Hou Green Tea is typically harvested very early in the spring. Usually a late march early April timeframe. It is grown in the Fujian Province on the southeastern coast of China(source).
It is sometimes called white monkey tea, so be sure to search for it under that name if you have trouble finding it.
How Does Bai Mao Hou Green Tea Taste?
White Monkey green tea tends to have a very light or mild flavor to it. There is a slight sweetness to it and a fresh grassy/seaweed flavor that finishes wonderfully and very smoothly.
Bai Mao Hou Green Tea can be a bit tough to find but you can get Full Leaf Tea Co. Organic White Monkey Green Tea on Amazon.
Steeping Instructions For Bai Mao Hou Green Tea
Bai Mao Hou Green Tea has a short steep time and a pretty low temperature. Watch it carefully or you run the risk of over steeping your tea. The flavor will become pretty bitter if you do that.
- A 2 minute covered steep is all you need to draw out the wonderful flavors.
- 1-2 teaspoons of Bai Mao Hou Green Tea leaves are going to give you a great flavor for your cup of tea.
- The water temperature for Bai Mao Hou Green Tea should be around 180°F/82°C for a nice steep without burning your tea leaves.
Bi Luo Chun Green Tea
Bi Luo Chun Green Tea comes from the Jiangsu Province in Eastern China(source). It is also sometimes called Snail Green Tea because of the tightly rolled tea leaves used to brew it.
How Does Bi Luo Chun Green Tea Taste?
Bi Luo Chun tea has a fragrant and strong aroma associated with it. The smells are a grassy almost fruit aroma that lingers in the air for a bit.
The grassy, fruity flavor is passed into the tea and is at the forefront of the taste for this wonderful green tea. However, the flavor is quite a bit more subdued when you drink the tea.
The flavors and slight sweetness are still there but they are much milder than when you smell the leaves or the tea. The sweetness tends to linger a while after you take a sip of this remarkable green tea.
TeaVivre is my go-to for a lot of my Chinese green tea. You can pick up TeaVivre’s Bi Luo Chun Green Tea(*affiliate link) from their website.
Steeping Instructions For Bi Luo Chun Green Tea
Bi Luo Chun Green Tea has a low temperature steep with a pretty long duration. Experiment to find your perfect levels for this excellent green tea.
- 80°C/176°F Is the recommended water temperature for Bi Luo Chun Tea
- 2 Teaspoons should be ample for a normal-sized cup of tea
- Steep covered for 3 to 5 minutes
Chun Mee Green Tea
Chun Mee Green Tea was originally grown in the Jiangxi province of eastern China(source). It is a popular green tea with a taste that is somewhat unique among Chinese green teas.
Chunmee Green Tea Organic, Fair Trade
from: Starwest Botanicals Inc.
How Does Chun Mee Green Tea Taste?
Chun Mee green tea tends to be a little bit less sweet than many other green teas. It has a nice little tangy bite to it. There is still a little sweetness and a nice clean finish.
I always seem to taste a little bit of a fruity note as well. I cannot really place the flavor but it is definitely there.
The aftertaste is clean and fresh and the tangy sweetness lingers for just a little while. The tangy flavor makes it a great tea to have in the morning in my opinion. But it is routinely drunk throughout the day.
If I had to choose one Chun Mee to try it would be Starwest Botanicals Organic Chunmee Green Tea(*affiliate link).
Steeping Instructions For Chun Mee Green Tea
Chun Mee is a very delicate tea. The water temperature needs to be well below boing and the steep time is quick so keep an eye on it.
- A water temperature of 170°F/77°C is plenty hot enough for this delicate green tea.
- A 1-2 minute steep is all you need for this tea. I tend to hover around the 1-1:15 minute mark when I brew mine.
- 1.5 teaspoons of loose leaf tea are what I normally use to steep an 8-10oz cup.
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Da Fang Green Tea
Da Fang Green tea is produced in Anhui Province in eastern China. The area is not on the coast as some of the other green tea regions in eastern China are.
It is considered by many to be one of China’s best green teas and often considered to be in the top 10 among them(source)
How Does Da Fang Green Tea Taste?
Da Fang green tea Has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor to it that is somewhat reminiscent of dragon well green tea.
But I think there’s enough variety to distinguish between the two. It has a nice grassy vegetable flavor with very little bitterness that makes it an incredibly drinkable and smooth tea.
Another common flavor description for this tea is that it has a somewhat nutty or corn-like flavor to it. I think it’s more of a roasted flavor than a corn or nutty flavor. But people often perceive these flavors differently.
There is a sweet lingering aftertaste to this fantastic green tea along with a fresh, long-lasting aroma.
Da Fang Green Tea has proven particularly difficult to find online, at least in the west. I’ll add a link when I come across one.
In the meantime, you may be able to find it in a local tea shop. That is where I found mine but they don’t always have it in stock.
Steeping Instructions For Da Fang Green Tea
Watch the water temperature when you steep your Da Fang Green Tea. It needs to be well below boiling to avoid scorching your green tea leaves.
- Use around 2 teaspoons of loose Da Fang Green Tea leaves
- A 2-3 minute steep should be enough to draw out all the flavor without having the tea become bitter.
- The water temperature should be around 80°C/176°F
Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea
Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea is produced in the Anhui province in landlocked eastern China.
It is one of the most popular and famous green teas in China and can routinely be found on the China Famous tea list(source).
How Does Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea Taste?
Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea has a wonderful floral, nutty aroma that will brighten up any room.
The taste has some of the same qualities and the aroma but with a more mellow feel about it.
Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea has a smooth and very drinkable sweetness to it. The aftertaste is also sweet and if prepared properly there is no bitterness at all for the most part.
This is a refreshing and wonderful green tea for anyone. Even people new to green tea will feel welcome with this sensationally smooth Chinese green tea.
I recommend TeaVivre’s Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea(*affiliate link) to anyone looking to try out this fantastic Chinese green tea.
Steeping Instructions For Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea
Steeping Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea is pretty straightforward. The time and temperature are about average for green tea.
- 2 teaspoons of Huang Shan Mao Feng Tea leaves will be enough to get the full flavor from a cup of this tea.
- A 185°F/85°C Water temperature will give you a great steep without the bitterness.
- The recommended steep time is 3-5 minutes. I steep around for minutes for this green tea. I feel like that gives me the best flavor for my personal tastes.
Longjing (Dragon Well) Green Tea
Longjing Green Tea is an incredibly popular and famous Chinese green tea. It is produced in the Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. In the Longjing village to be precise(source).
How Does Longjing Green Tea Taste?
Longjing Green Tea has an incredible flavor. It is one of my absolute favorite green teas from anywhere in the world. The green tea leaves are pan-roasted which gives them a roasted almost nutty flavor.
This blends well with the natural sweetness of the Longjing Green Tea to create a wonderful experience. This is one fresh and satisfying cup of green tea and an extravaganza for your taste buds.
Buddha Teas Dragonwell Green Tea(*affiliate link) is among the best I have tried and is one of the few Chinese green tea bags on our list.
Steeping Instructions Longjing Green Tea
Longjing Green Tea has a pretty standard steeping process. The water should be well below boiling so you don’t burn the tea but everything else is pretty standard.
- I like to let my Longjing Green Tea steep for about 3 minutes for teabags and a little longer for loose leaf tea.
- 1 tea bag or about 2 teaspoons of Longjing Green Tea are all that is needed to make a great cup of tea.
- The water temperature should be around 175°F/79°C. This will draw out the flavor without burning the tea leaves.
Lu’an Melon Seed Tea
Lu’an Melon Seed Tea is another incredible green tea from the Anhui Province in Eastern China. This tea is centuries old and was first recorded in The Classic Of Tea, one of the first writings(source).
Lu’an Leaf tea, as it is often called, is one of the most famous Chinese green tea and is often found on most Chinese tea famous lists(source).
It is also known as Lu’an Gua Pian green tea. Just something to be aware of when you are searching for this remarkable green tea.
How Does Lu’an Melon Seed Tea Taste?
Lu’an Melon Seed has a wonderful sweetness to it that lasts throughout your Sip and then carries on long afterward into the aftertaste.
I don’t find this tea to be as grassy or vegetable as some of the other green teas. Which I think makes it a little bit more approachable for people who aren’t used to drinking a lot of green tea.
The grassiness or seaweed taste can sometimes put new tea drinkers off a little bit. But that doesn’t mean that experienced green tea drinkers won’t love this as well.
Lu’an Melon Seed tea is pretty strong compared to other green teas. The flavor is rich and the aroma is strong.
There is a slight spiciness, for lack of a better word, to Lu’an Melon Seed tea as well. This helps break up the sweetness a little bit, I feel.
Lu’an Melon Seed is a refreshing tea, it is a crisp tea, it is strong but not overbearing green tea. I think that’s one of the reasons why it is so popular among tea drinkers.
TeaVivre’s Lu An Gua Pian Green Tea(*affiliate link) is among the best around. Give it a try if you are interested in this remarkable green tea.
Steeping Instructions For Lu’an Melon Seed Tea
Another Chinese green tea with a pretty standard steeping process. The water temperature, time and amount of tea are pretty standard.
- The water temperature should be around 180°F/82°C for Lu’an Melon Seed tea.
- 1 to 2 teaspoons is usually plenty of tea leaves to get your desired flavor. Experiment to find the right levels for yourself.
- Steep your Lu’an Melon Seed for 3 to 5 minutes. I tend to be on the lower end of this range and steep for just over 3 minutes most of the time.
Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea
Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea is produced in the Anhui province in eastern China. The fields are at the base of the Huangshan mountain range(source). It is a popular and often a top 10 tea in China.
How Does Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea Taste?
Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea is an incredibly refreshing and fresh-tasting green tea. It has the characteristic sweet notes that you expect to find in a green tea along with a big of floral flavor and aroma.
The floral aroma is particularly noticeable. Still, the grassy flavor it the major flavor note and it permeates the entire experience.
The aftertaste is sweet and will last quite a while making the whole experience that much more enjoyable.
You can try this amazing green tea with TeaVivre’s Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea(*affiliate link), but they don’t have it as a stand-alone product curiously.
Steeping Instructions For Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea
Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea leaves are tough to measure with a teaspoon so you’ll need to just pick about 10 or so leaves and steep them loose in your water. The steep time is also very short so keep an eye on your tea while you brew it.
- 10-15 Tea leaves or pieces will do the trick
- The water temperature should be no more than 185°F/85°C to get a great cup of tea.
- The steep time is pretty short at the recommended 1-3 minutes. I tend to stay around the lower end of that rage.
Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea
This green tea comes from the Henan Province in China(source). The best leaves are considered to be the ones picked in the late spring, typically Mid to Late April.
The tea itself is very popular and quite famous in its native China and has earned quite a reputation worldwide.
How Does Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea Taste?
The flavor of this green tea is quite a bit more robust than many of the other types of Chinese green teas on our list here.
The taste is brisk and the aftertaste lingers for quite a while. The aroma is also potent and can linger in the air for some time making for a serene environment to drink your cup of tea.
The flavor is grassy and very crisp with a little hint of a floral note in there for good measure.
There’s also an added bit of subtle sweetness that makes the Xin Yang Mao Jian Tea very drinkable and only the slightest hint of bitterness when the tea is steeped properly.
TeaVivre’s Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea(*affiliate link) is one of the best loose-leaf offerings that I have tried.
Steeping Instructions For Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea
Steeping your Xin Yang Mao Jian Tea is going to be largely about personal preference. Experiment with time and temperature to find your perfect cup.
- 185°F/85°C is the water temperature you want to shoot for with Xinyang Maojian Green Tea
- About 2 teaspoons of loose leaf Xinyang Maojian is going to give you plenty of flavor for your tea.
- Always steep your Xinyang Maojian Tea Covered
- The time for steeping Xinyang Maojian Green Tea is a little bit longer than many other green teas. 3-4 minutes seems to give me the best results.
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Tips To Consider When Making Your Chinese Green Tea
These are just a few general tips to keep in mind when you go to steep your Chinese green tea. Each of these Chinese green tea types has a very specific time and temperature for the steeping process there are a few universal tips that you can use to make a great cup of Chinese green tea.
Use Good-Quality Water For Your Chinese Green tea
the first thing that you really want to look at when you go to STP or Chinese green tea is what type of water you’re using. The type of water will have a big impact on the overall flavor of your green tea.
Water quality has a big impact on all teas but it is especially important for green tea because it does tend to be pretty delicate and you can sway the flavor of green tea pretty easily if you’re not careful.
So I always recommend using a good quality bottled spring water or using filtered tap water.
Try to avoid any distilled water or any mineral water. The mineral water will add a bunch of flavors from the minerals and metals in the water and the distilled water will leave your tea flat.
Basically you want very balanced pH water(around 7pH) that’s not going to take away too much of the flavor or add in those other mineral flavors that you don’t want.
Always Cover Your Chinese Green Tea When Steeping
Another tip that I like to tell people when I’m discussing how to steep their green tea is to always be covered.
It can be as easy as placing a saucer on top of the cup or using a cheesecloth or something similar to cover the tea while it’s steeping.
This simply traps in the heat so you get a more consistent water temperature while you steep your tea and it also traps in a lot of the flavor that would normally get released as the steam rolls off the cup of green tea.
Try Your Chinese Green Tea Completely Plain First
The last hope I have for you is one that I don’t think a lot of people consider when they are trying a new Green tea or any tea for that matter.
And that is to simply try the tea plain when you taste it for the first time. That means no sugar, no honey, no milk, no nothing, just a properly steeped cup of Chinese green tea.
The reason I like to do this is I want to know if I actually like the tea that I’m drinking.
If I have to dump a bunch of sugar or milk into my tea to make it drinkable then I should probably find a new tea because adding all that stuff to it shouldn’t be required to make it palatable.
Once you figure out with you like the green tea or not then you can start adding and sugar to maybe prove a little bit if you want or start blending your green tea with some other flavors to create some new flavor experiences for you.
The Finish For These Great Chinese Green Teas
That brings us to the end of our look at some of the best Chinese green teas that you will want to try as soon as possible.
Most of these Chinese green teas are pretty popular. There are few that can be a little bit difficult to find but hopefully, you can get them with little problem.
I think these Chinese green tea types really reflect just how varied the flavor of green tea can be, Even if the tea is from the same general region.
The same can be said for Indian green tea and Japanese green tea. The breath of flavors that green tea can create is absolutely incredible and something that every tea drinker should take advantage of.
So don’t stick to just your tried-and-true sencha green tea, expand your horizons and try as many of these wonderful Chinese green teas as you possibly can and maybe you’ll find one that can become your new favorite green tea.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.