What is green tea?
Green tea is tea whose oxidation was stopped deliberately, within hours of picking, by applying heat. How that heat is applied — steam or a hot pan — is the single biggest variable in the category.
tea type
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Green tea | White tea |
|---|---|---|
| The defining decision | Heat applied early to destroy the oxidising enzymes. | No heat step at all. The leaf is withered and dried. |
| Is it unoxidised | Essentially yes — fixing stops the process deliberately. | Not quite. Slow oxidation occurs during the long wither, despite the common description. |
| Processing steps | Fix, shape, dry — three steps, quickly. | Wither and dry. Fewer steps, over a much longer period. |
| Flavour | Grassy and marine if steamed; nutty and toasted if pan-fired. | Hay, melon and light honey, with far less intensity. |
| Brewing | Cooler water, around 70–80 °C. The least forgiving category of boiling water. | Warmer than green tea tolerates, and much more forgiving. |
The short answer
Green tea’s reputation for bitterness is a brewing problem rather than a property. The same leaf at 70 °C and at boiling are different drinks.
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