Look for Genmaicha.

Genmaicha consists of green tea blended with roasted brown rice.

Much tastier.

Good luck, L. I also think it tastes like grass, I don't care for it although I like black tea a lot.

OK, so I'll look for Genmaicha. I have a feeling I won't find any in White Cloud, so I'll have to look further afield!

Annie

Agreed. Genmaicha is super tasty and has a nutty background. Another kind of tea with lots of antioxidants is oolong and I think it tastes less "green" than regular green teas. I think it tastes like a bit of green and a bit of black.

I don't recommend boxed green tea especially from celestial seasonings or bigelow. I love green tea and I have never been able to enjoy or finish a cup of their green. I do like their other teas though.

The one boxed green I like is from Yogi Tea and is called "green tea with kombucha". I don't normally like kombucha but this one tastes good and has a mild sweetness to it. Come to think of it, this is the only time I do like kombucha.

The best kind of green tea, in my very humble opinion, is gunpowder tea bought from a tea shop or sometimes in the bulk foods section. If you can't find it, Twinings makes a very good one in a tin. This kind is best loose, not in a bag. It is different than regular loose teas as it is more of a balled-up leaf than a bunch of dried tiny pieces of leaves.

My second favourite green tea is dragon well. It is similar in appearance and taste to gunpowder tea and, I think, it is a little more mild. It has a Chinese name but I forget what that is.

And, if you've tried the ones I've described and still think it tastes grassy, it could be fun to eat a serving of fresh blueberries every day instead.

One trick I use with green and black teas is to never add boiling water. I do boil the water but I let it sit a minute after it has boiled to make sure the tea doesn't get bitter. And, although many tea purists and purveyors recommend letting tea steep at least three minutes and up to five minutes (I tend to let mine steep Forever because I love the strong flavour), try just two minutes and see if that gives a milder taste for you.

I hope that helps.

J

Genmai Cha (green tea with roasted rice) is a good idea, but also try Jasmine...it's green tea infused with jasmine flowers. Peets carries both, and their teas are very good quality. You are going to spend more than you would if you buy basic teabags or boxes of cheap tea from the Asian stores, but take it from someone who has been drinking green teas for 40 years...it's worth spending the extra money when it comes to flavor.

The Yin Hao Jasmine is expensive, but amazing. It is different from regular Jasmine tea in that it is infused much more strongly with the jasmine flowers than regular grades of jasmine tea.

Here is a link that might be useful: Peet's Teas

Green tea is an acquired taste but two tips that may help:

1. Do NOT let your water come to a full boil or if it does boil, let it cool before brewing. 170° is the maximum for green tea.

2. Don't brew for more than 2 minutes.

Depending upon the tea, you may need to tweak a little but these are the basic principles.

Green tea is much more delicate than black tea and suffers if it's brewed the same way. Boiling water and long steeping can make it really bitter.

Carol

I saw this post and I too wanted to recommend Gen Mai Cha, a rich, flavorful tea. Upton Tea Imports carry the most magnificent teas in the world --no fancy catalog with pictures, just listings of their fabulous teas. I get my teas from them.

Well, I know green tea has a more "delicate" taste than black tea (which I LOVE, btw), so I bought some loose leaf in a vacume sealed foil pouch. It's called "tomo sencha." I steep it for 1-2 min. It is really unpalatable to my taste. I may try mixing it with black tea just to use it up.

Harney & Son's have a citrus flavored green tea that is delicious as well as other flavored green teas.

lpinkmountain, if you want to try the genmai cha, and have access to a Japanese food store, you can buy the roasted rice separately to mix in with the tea you already have. It's hard to tell the mix ratio...I just know when it looks right...but I'd try half and half at first, and see how you like that, to adjust later.

Green tea is an acquired taste I suppose. But some green teas are superior to others and one which is better than run-of-the mill may appeal to you. Try one of the more expensive Japanese green teas which you can find in an Asian grocery. They are good.

Jim

Hiding head....I make 'moroccan' (sp? lazy) iced tea - using teabags of green tea and mint. Guess mint wouldn't work with the good Gen Ma stuff, LOL.

It must be the brand you tried. I've never had it taste grassy to me and it wasn't a taste I had to acquire either. Please try another brand.

Try mixing it with another more palatable tea, possibly something with spices in it (or add your own spices), or teas that already include flavorings like bergamont found in Earl Gray, or jasmine tea. Start with 50/50 and over time increase the green tea. There ARE antioxidants, in black, orange, red, and white tea as well, so you don't have to stick to green tea only for health benefits.

Add lemon juice, that also increases the antioxidants.

I agree with readinglady - only use a short brew time or green tea gets bitter.

You might also consider adding cocoa to your diet, in the form of 100% cacao (i.e. Hershey's 100% cacao Cocoa). "It has been found to have nearly twice the antioxidant content of red wine and up to three times that of green tea."

I've been using 100% cacao cocoa powder in a number of recipes (including homemade rye bread), and other recipes using high maize resistant starch (which is VERY high in fiber), as well as using it with low-carb, gluten-free, coconut flour (also high in fiber), and almond flour. Which all have their own health benefits.

-Grainlady

I prefer Hoji-cha, which is roasted green tea. It tastes nothing at all like grass and also tastes nothing like unroasted green tea. Carol's tips on using water that is not too hot and not steeping for no more than two minutes (and as little as 15 seconds) should also be followed, even with Hoji-cha. You can order it from Amazon if your Japanese market is too far away. I linked to the loose tea, which is what I use, but they sell it in tea bags also. If you buy it in bags, reduce the steeping time to less than a minute.

There is another brand of green tea that I bought (can't remember whether it was roasted or not) that came in a cardboard tube and had round bags. A small tube cost about $10, I think, and I got it at Central Market in Austin, but other upscale markets may also have it. The tea was almost powdery and definitely steeped in 15 seconds or less. I don't think it was roasted, and it had a sweet flavor and did not require sweetener.

Lars

One of the great advantages of living here is that shops like the Tao of Tea routinely offer tea tastings and the ability to purchase small amounts by weight.

While that may not be possible for you, if you're traveling you might keep an eye out for specialty shops that serve tea and can suggest options to suit.

That is not to deny the great suggestions of teas already offered, but our tastes are so individual it's hard to know what a particular tea drinker will prefer.

I always loathed Earl Grey until I found a blend that was more subtle.

Carol

I second the call for jasmine tea. I don't like straight green tea but love Jasmine. Though this thread has been eye opening -- I will look for Genmaicha now!

Well, to use up what I already have, I've been doing well by mixing it with regular tea and a dash of honey. Next time I buy green tea I need to look for some of these other types you have described here. Thanks for the tips!

One other thing to try is to cold brew your tea; like cold brewing coffee, the tea comes out much smoother (and more drinkable to me!) 12 hours in the fridge, and you're good to go. I also like to add orange slices to my tea, if that appeals to you.

Throw it away. hahahaha

islay, I'm afraid I have to agree with you, in spite of your "haha". I've tried everything from Lipton to Stash tea to the bulk stuff from the mediterranean grocery. I've tried bags and bulk, I just don't like it. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't choose it if I had another choice, I even like plain water better. Of course, if I put lemon or sweetener in there to cover the taste, I might like it better.

Carol, I also loathe Earl Gray. I like tea. Just plain black tea, nothing in it. No sugar, no herbs, no fruits, no lemon, no oil of bergamot. Just tea, iced or hot.

I do drink peppermint tea for upset stomachs and it's passable. Just passable, not particularly good.

Annie

I do the mixture sometimes.

A favorite is a couple bags thrown in a coffee cup of cold water. Nuke for 3 minutes and funnel into a used gatoraid bottle. Squirt of honey and shake until the honey is disolved. In the fridge until I take it to work.

One of my favorite cheap and easy work drinks. Bleach the gatoraid bottle once a week to avoid mold. Honey seems to be the best sweetener but it has spores... at least the farm market stuff I get does.

: )
lyra

Green tea of lower quality is not worth drinking so I would toss it. Gunpowder tea isn't too bad and I have tried the genmaicha tea recommended by my Japanese friend but it was just too flat. Look up the benefits of white tea. It has a better flavor and has even more benefits of green tea. Lemon green tea by Bigelow is not too bad, just be sure you don't overbrew or use too hot of water. Celestial Seasonings has a good white peach tea. Good luck. Keep trying, you'll get used to it. You may even find an affordable tea you like.

Photographic film can be developed in tea. It's the phenolic compounds that do it. The phenolic compounds are also the anti-oxidents which provide the health benefits.

Just thought I'd toss that in. I find it interesting.

Jim

I like jasmine and Earl Grey (if it is not too strong), so I like the green tea versions too. I have also found a green tea with mango that I like -- it's a Bigelow, but not carried as many places as some of the others. Have you tried green tea with fruit or mint over ice? I made iced tea with only green tea and it didn't have enough flavor for me.