Loose Leaf Green Tea

Looking for a new loose leaf green tea? Our selection will turn even the most avid black tea drinkers into green tea connoisseurs. While savoring a quiet moment alone with a cup of tea or sharing a pot with friends over good conversation, the grounding ritual of brewing tea is particularly centering with green tea. From pure organic loose leaf green tea to intriguing blends and even green tea versions of your favorite black tea brews, such as Earl Grey Green Tea, we offer some of the best loose leaf green tea around.

What's so special about loose green tea?

Taking a few moments to brew and sip tea has a delightfully calming effect, especially when appreciating a cup of the best organic loose leaf green tea. Savored for more than 4,000 years, green tea was first enjoyed as a medicinal herb in ancient China. It’s believed that Buddhist monks then introduced this popular elixir to Japan around the 11th century. Now sipped around the world, green tea still has strong roots in both countries. 

All tea is brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. While black tea, such as Ceylon or Darjeeling, is produced by oxidizing dried tea leaves, green tea is minimally processed and not oxidized. To produce green tea, leaves are harvested, dried, then heated through either the Japanese style of steaming or the Chinese style of pan-firing. This heating process stops oxidation and leads to the loose green tea leaves being softer in color and flavor than black tea.

Recognizing the best loose leaf green tea

Since loose leaf green tea is minimally processed compared to black tea, it not only boasts a lighter color but also a fresher, brighter flavor. Because the tea leaves are relatively delicate, quality can vary greatly and treating yourself to high-quality, organic loose leaf tea is well worth the higher cost to find the best tasting loose leaf green tea to fill your cup.

Artisanal loose green teas are often described as tasting more naturally grassy, floral, fruity and even buttery than black tea with steamed green tea leaves tending to be slightly bittersweet and other green teas typically tasting subtly sweet.

There are hundreds of varieties of loose green tea that are grown around the world, such as in Korea, Sri Lanka and India, but many of the most well-known come from China and Japan. Both sencha and matcha, for instance, originated in Japan with sencha comprising whole, sun-dried leaves that result in a deep green color and vegetal, somewhat bitter flavor.

While matcha is in the green tea family, it’s cultivated and processed differently than loose leaf green tea. Instead of whole dried leaves that are steeped in water and then removed before drinking, matcha is consumed in a powder form that’s mixed directly with water creating a more concentrated version of green tea. 

Health benefits of loose leaf green tea

We’ve all heard that there are health benefits of loose leaf green tea to be had. All types of teas contain antioxidants and flavonoids, plant-based chemical compounds that are thought to have positive effects on your health and immune system. Natural green tea, however, contains the highest amount of flavonoids, and is also a source of the L-theanine amino acid that’s believed to help reduce anxiety while boosting one’s mood and focus. 

Though you may have heard that green tea is caffeine-free, loose leaf green tea does contain what’s considered a low amount of caffeine, roughly 25 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving. This is about a quarter of what you'd find in a cup of black coffee and about half the amount of caffeine found in a cup of black tea. 

Looking for a loose leaf green tea sampler?

Ready for your next sensational sip? Browse our selection of the best loose leaf green teas and select which looks most suited to your tastes or order the Lumo Tea sampler to savor several of our popular loose leaf green tea blends. We source organically whenever possible and also offer many organic loose leaf green teas.

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