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Green tea leaves

Drinks & liquids · Tea

Green tea leaves

Dry green tea, loose or in bags, steeped in hot (not boiling) water to make green tea. Contains caffeine.

Also called: loose green tea, sencha leaves, green tea bags

A kind of green tea (brewed)

8 recipes with it

Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.5)

What it is

Leaves of Camellia sinensis heated soon after picking (steamed in Japan, pan-fired in China) to stop oxidation, keeping their green colour. Shapes range from needle-like sencha to rolled gunpowder pellets. This record is the dry tea; for the drink see brewed green tea, and for powdered whole leaf see matcha.

Camellia sinensis

How it’s used

  • Brewing green tea
  • Moroccan mint tea (gunpowder tea)
  • Smoking fish or duck
  • Infusing rice (ochazuke) and desserts
  • Grinding into rubs and salts

Characteristics

Aroma
Grassy, toasty or floral.
Texture
Dry needles, rolled pellets or broken leaf.
Appearance
Green to olive.
When cooked
Turns bitter with boiling water or long steeping; brew at around 70–80 °C.
Sold as
dried
Cooking uses
Suitable for boiling

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight, away from light, heat and odours; refrigerating an unopened pack helps. Green tea fades faster than black.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains caffeine.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with green tea leaves

More tea