For tea afficianados, it is a thrill to take part in the amazing cultural event known as the Japanese tea ceremony. At the basis of the ceremony, certain types of green tea are prepared and served to guests in a highly ceremonial fashion. With Starwest loose green teas, you can enjoy the comforts of Japanese green tea easily in your home.

A little background is in order at this point. Green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, the leaves of which are used in the production of Green tea. The leaves are processed using minimal oxidation in order to provide the unique flavor that has come to be expected from green tea.

You can find Japanese Green Tea in bagged and loose varieties. Loose green tea offers you the opportunity to make your own custom blends, and is a popular choice with fans of Japanese green tea.

There are several different types of Japanese Green Tea available on the market today. This allows you to try several, and then select the ones you prefer. Three popular varieties are Bancha Tea, Sencha Leaf Tea and Kukicha Twig Tea.

Bancha Tea

This is a common variety of Japanese Green Tea. The Camellia leaves, which in this type of tea are the third or fourth harvest of leaves from the plant, are allowed to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce its distinctive flavor. Although the leaves for this tea are usually harvested between the summer and fall months, there is a special type of Bancha tea known as Aki-Bancha, or autumn Bancha, that is created from twigs of the Camellia plant rather than leaves.

Sencha Leaf Tea

Sencha Leaf tea comes from early-growth leaves of the Camellia plant that have been exposed to sunlight. Sencha is also known as broiled tea.

Kukicha Twig Tea

Kukicha, which also goes by the name of stalk tea, is another variety of Japanese Green Tea. It is a specially crafted tea that is derived from one bud and three leaves that are carefully harvested to create a stalk. Made up of the twigs from the actual branches from the last plucking of the season, the flavor of kukicha has earthen and woodsy overtones.

Japanese Green Tea can be enjoyed plain or with the sweetener and cream of your choice. Although Green Tea does contain caffeine, it has also been potentially linked to health benefits and offers a great antioxidant potential as well.