Be Yourself Green Tea

How Green Tea Gets Its Grassy Character

Green tea is Camellia sinensis leaf that's heat-treated shortly after picking — either steamed or pan-fired, depending on style — to stop oxidation almost immediately. That fast heat-fixing step is what keeps green tea's color and flavor closer to the fresh leaf: lighter, more vegetal, and grassier than a black tea made from the same plant, which is left to oxidize fully before drying.

The "grassy" tasting-note category covers a real, recognizable flavor family in green tea — a fresh-cut-grass or steamed-vegetable character that shows up across many green teas regardless of where they're grown, distinct from the toasted, nutty, or floral notes found in other green tea styles.

Green tea is caffeinated, since it's made from the same caffeine-bearing Camellia sinensis leaf as black and oolong tea — the difference between tea types comes down to how the leaf is processed after picking, not whether caffeine is present at all. Published estimates for green tea generally run lighter in caffeine than black tea, though the exact amount in any cup depends on leaf grade, dose, and steep time rather than a single fixed number.

None of that changes seasonally the way a single-origin harvest might — this is a green tea built to taste the same cup to cup, which is exactly the point for a tea meant to be part of a daily habit.

How to Brew

Green tea is more delicate than black tea and scalds easily, so it wants cooler water and a shorter steep.

Parameter	Guidance
Water temperature	170–185°F (77–85°C)
Leaf dose	1 tsp per 8 oz cup
Steep time	1–3 minutes
Caffeine	Yes — generally lighter than black tea, per published estimates

Start at the shorter end of the steep-time range and taste before extending it — oversteeped green tea turns bitter fast, since there's no malt or heavier body to buffer an overlong steep the way there is with black tea.

Did You Know

• "Green tea" describes the processing, not the leaf's natural color. Fresh Camellia sinensis leaf isn't green in the way the finished tea is — the color and flavor both come from stopping oxidation almost immediately after picking, whether by steaming or pan-firing.

• Green tea and black tea start from the exact same plant. Every difference between them — color, flavor, caffeine profile — comes down entirely to how the leaf is handled after it's picked, not a different variety of Camellia sinensis.

• China and Japan developed different heat-fixing methods for the same goal. Pan-firing (more common historically in China) and steaming (the standard in Japan) both stop oxidation, but they produce noticeably different textures and flavors even from similar starting leaf.

• "Grassy" is one of the most consistent tasting-note categories across world green teas, showing up in styles from many different growing regions — a reliable flavor signature of the heat-fixing step itself, not of any one origin.

Is Be Yourself Green Tea caffeinated?

Yes. It's made from Camellia sinensis leaf, the same caffeine-bearing plant behind all true tea, so it carries caffeine — generally on the lighter end compared to black tea, per published estimates, though the exact amount depends on dose and steep time.

What does "grassy" mean as a tasting note?

It describes a fresh-cut-grass or steamed-vegetable character common across many green teas — the result of stopping oxidation quickly after picking, rather than a flavor added to the leaf.

How is green tea different from black tea?

Both come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea is heat-fixed almost immediately after picking to stop oxidation, while black tea is left to oxidize fully before drying — that processing difference accounts for the color, flavor, and body gap between them.

How should I brew this tea?

Use cooler water than you would for black tea — 170–185°F (77–85°C) — with about 1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup, steeped 1–3 minutes.

Can I resteep the leaves?

Many green teas hold up for a light second steep if the first was on the shorter side — extend the second steep slightly since the leaf gives up less flavor each time.