ABSTRACT
Green tea, the most widely consumed beverage in Japan, plays an important role in Japanese food culture. In this chapter, the authors first introduce the unique processes that produce health-promoting and high-quality Japanese green tea, especially steamed green tea. Then, they introduce the sophisticated processing technologies to produce Japanese steamed green tea and matcha while maintaining a high-quality aroma and flavor. The authors present the chemical properties, bioactive components, and health benefits of Japanese green tea. They describe the application of green tea in Japan, followed by its prospects. To produce Japanese green tea, the freshly picked tea leaves should be heat-treated immediately after harvest. The purpose of this initial heat treatment, which is called “sassei” in Japanese, is to inactivate the oxidase enzyme, which biochemically changes the leaves through oxidization and turns them brown. Because of this inactivation, the tea leaves maintain their fresh green color.
