The place of origin of Japanese Green Tea is actually China. This may come as a surprising fact for many people. People of China who were much ahead of Japanese were drinking Green Tea prior to the Japanese even knowing about it.
The Chinese had been making use of green tea since the ninth century. It was through the Buddhist monks of Japan who went to China to study and brought the tea back home on their return that green tea made its way into the Japanese tea cup.
During their study period in China the Japanese Buddhist monks discovered the wonderful shrub and its many advantages. The Japanese were marveled by the drink and instantly began making use of it for various purposes.
In Japan green tea became a favorite drink with the people. The Japanese also discovered the medical properties of the green tea plant and immediately began taking out all the benefits that the shrub could give.
Hence Buddhist temples became a laboratory for green tea investigations. Monks were the foremost to make use of green tea as it became the official drink of the temples. The aristocrats were next in line to fall in love with this rather exquisite blend.
The green tea revolution in Japan
As green tea became famous in Japan, it was imported from China for some centuries. Finally they decided to cultivate it locally by importing seeds from China. This led to the green tea revolution in the country.
Green tea became so popular in Japan that the general public started planting their own green tea and consuming it. There was a steep rise in the consumption of the drink.
It became clear to the Japanese that green tea had terrific health benefits as they started using it regularly. They were so influenced by the medical qualities as well as the well being of the body that they declared it to be their official drink.
The Japanese were cultivating green tea in the shade from the beginning. The difference between green tea and black tea is that the black tea leaves are fermented while the green tea leaves are steamed after they are collected.
It is a fact that the health benefits which can be derived from green tea is only because it is processed through steaming as opposed to fermenting. Steaming helps in keeping its powerful qualities and later the leaves are dried up and powdered.
Green tea powder is an interesting, healthy and versatile addition to a range of foods. For more information on real Japanese green tea click on the links.