Brought back to Japan by Japanese monks who visited China in the ninth century, green tea has been an indispensable part of the diet of Japanese people ever since. Green tea not only boasts a delicious taste, but also brings about many health benefits. But do you know the differences between the three most common types: sencha, matcha, and hojicha?

Sencha is fully grown in the sun, and the quality of its taste depends on how long and how well its tea leaves are steamed. When steamed well, sencha imparts a delicate flavor and a light aroma, enticing your palate with its sweet, mild finish. It helps burn up calories, so drink this if you are on a diet!

Unlike sencha that is grown in complete sunlight, matcha is grown in the shade for about 20 days before harvesting. This is to facilitate the production of thenanine, an amino acid that imbues the tea with its umami. Matcha contains caffeine too, so the presence of thenanine and caffeine makes it a healthier alternative to coffee. So drink matcha to get an energy boost without the unpleasant “caffeine crash” side effect you experience with coffee.

Hojicha differs from sencha and matcha in that instead of being steamed, it is roasted after being harvested. This roasting process gives it a nutty, caramel-like flavor that makes it less bitter and more appealing for children.