Nutritional Facts
| Japanese green tea contains several nutrients which are beneficial to human health. These nutrients are divided into soluble and insoluble nutrients. Soluble nutrients are drawn out from the leaves when water is added and are consumed with the tea. However, insoluble nutrients are left trapped in the used tea leaves. Japanese green tea is enjoyed for these soluble nutrients. |
GENERAL NUTRITIONAL FACTS
| SOLUBLE NUTRIENTS | CONTENT | INSOUBLE NUTRIENTS | CONTENT |
| Catechins Epigallocatechin gallate, etc. | 11.0 ~ 17.0% | Beta carotene | 13.0 ~ 29.0% |
| Amino acids Theanine, Glutamic acids, Arginine, etc. | 1.6 ~ 3.5% | Vitamin E | 25.0 ~ 70.0% |
| Caffeine | 1.6~ 3.5% | Chlorophyll | 0.6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3 ~ 0.5% | Fats | 4.7% |
| Saponin | 0.2% | Proteins | 24.5% |
| Soluble dietary fiber | 7.6 ~ 11.5% | Insoluble dietary fiber | 23.4 ~ 33.3% |
| TASTE COMPONENTS. Nutrients are divided into soluble and insoluble nutrients. Each soluble nutrient has its distinctive taste in the tea. Hence, the taste of every Japanese green tea is the complex taste of all components of the soluble nutrients put together. Amino acids, catechins and caffeine form the highest amount of soluble nutrients in the tea. The table below indicates the taste of each of these three nutrients in the tea. |
| CLASSIFICATION | NUTRIENTS | TASTE |
| Amino acids | Theanine Glutamic acids | Sweet, Umami Umami, Acidic |
| Catechins | Epicatechins Epigallocatechins Epicatechin gallate Epigallocatechins gallate | Bitter Bitter Astringent, Bitter Astringent, Bitter |
| Caffeine | Light Bitter |
| JAPANESE GREEN TEA AND AMINO ACIDS. Black tea or Oolong tea are enjoyed for their aroma. Japanese green tea is enjoyed not only for its aroma but also its umami taste. The nutrients responsible for the sweet umami taste of Japanese green tea are the group of amino acids. The stronger is the umami taste of the tea, the higher is the grade of the tea. |
| VITAMIN C IN JAPANESE GREEN TEA. Japanese green tea contains about 300 ~ 500mg/100g of Vitamin C. As such, drinking Japanese green tea helps with the consumption of Vitamin C. Unshaded Japanese green tea contains more Vitamin C than shaded ones. Shaded Gyokuro has half the Vitamin C content of unshaded Sencha. For black tea and Oolong tea, Vitamin C is destroyed during processing. There is almost no Vitamin C in black tea and very minimal Vitamin C in Oolong tea. |
| VITAMIN C IN JAPANESE GREEN TEA IS NOT EASILY DESTROYED BY HEAT. Vitamin C in Japanese green tea is not easily destroyed by the heat from the hot water used in brewing the tea because catechins present in the tea protects the Vitamin C. Japanese green tea is one of the very few hot drinks that allow the vulnerable Vitamin C to be consumed efficiently. |
| NUTRITIONAL CONTENTS IN TEA LEAVES DIFFER WITH TIME OF HARVEST. The nutritional contents in Japanese green tea tea leaves differ with the time of harvest. Generally, the first harvest takes place about 180 days from November of the previous year. This long period of 'nursing' enables the tea leaves to absorb more nutrients from the soil, resulting in the abundance of amino acids in the leaves. About 50 days after the first harvest is the second harvest, about 35 days after the second harvest is the third harvest. As the days get warmer, the period between the previous harvest and the next harvest gets shorter. The nutritional contents in tea leaves based on the first and third harvests are as follows: Amino acids.......approximately 4 times more in leaves of the first harvest than that of the third harvest. Catechins.......more in leaves of the third harvest than that of the first harvest. Caffeine.......not much difference between leaves of the first harvest and the third harvest. Insoluble dietary fiber.....much more in leaves of the third harvest than that of the first harvest as the leaves are more matured and coarser. |
