Picking the Perfect Green Tea for your Palate

While we have over 800 teas at the TWG Tea store, teas originating from leaves can be fit into at least one of six different types including Green Tea, Oolong (Blue) Tea, Yellow Tea, White Tea, Red (Rooibos) Tea and Black Tea. We at TWG Tea are here to support you in selecting a Green Tea that aligns with your taste palate.

The taste, scent and colour of your favourite tea is influenced by oxidisation – the tea leaf’s exposure to oxygen upon picking. Green teas are not oxidised, and their delicate flavour is characterised by the type of method used to stop oxidation.

Matching your taste profile 

If you’re someone who prefers subtlety in your tea, you might like to go for leaves that have been Pan-Fired (Chinese Method). Pan-Firing leads to taste that is roasted and nutty. TWG Tea’s Champasak Rain Tea is a lightly toasted tea evoking memories of a late summer afternoon with a soft finish on the palate.

Meanwhile if you would like a stronger finish in each sip, you might consider trying teas that have been Steamed (Japanese Method). Steaming leads to a taste that is savoury, seaweed-like and slightly stronger.

If you don’t have a strong preference, it’s safe to pick a tea based on the scent that speaks to you.

Pairing your tea with a snack

One way to create an ideal tea-snack pairing is to consider how your snack might interact with the flavour notes of your tea.

The subtlety of Pan-Fired green teas often pairs well with the type of softer flavours found in shortbread cookies and sponge cakes. Meanwhile, our Steamed green teas such as the Emperor Sencha are ideal during or after a meal and might be enjoyed with dishes like fried rice.

Some of our teas are blended with bouquets of flowers and fruits that further elevate their taste and scent. TWG Tea’s Silver Moon Tea is a blend of green teas that are accented with a grand berry and vanilla bouquet, which goes well with fruity and sweet snacks like strawberry and peach.

While this is just a small introduction to green tea pairings, browse through our website and stores to experiment with your own combination of flavour notes!