Ultimate Guide To The Best Green Tea In The World

People have been drinking green tea for centuries and it’s not surprising why. Not only is it a delicious drink, but it’s also packed with tons of health benefits like:

• Antioxidants
• Cancer prevention
• Disease prevention
• Bioactive compounds
• Improved brain function
• Diabetes prevention
• Weight loss and fat loss
• Living longer

It’s largely considered one of the healthiest beverages in the world. There are tons of ways to enjoy a cup. It contains caffeine but it depends on the type of green tea. Even though each tea brand has a unique taste, green tea is generally known for its signature profile:

• Earthy
• Grassy
• Vegetal
• Nutty
• Sometimes bitter, sweet, or both

The way your tea tastes also depends on how you brew it. Things like temperature, steep time, and even choice of the teapot can change the taste. Some green tea lovers mix it with water, others with cream or milk. Some drink it hot, others iced — it’s all up to you.

So whether you’re new to green tea or you’ve been drinking it for years, here’s the ultimate guide to the best ones in the world.*

We take our green tea recommendations seriously. We only include the best of the best when it comes to tea. Everything you find on the list of our top picks below is based on great reviews, best-selling brands, and quality ingredients.

The best-flavored green teas

If you’re new to the world of green tea, a flavored brew might be a great place to start. Ease yourself in the flavors with these recommended green teas.

Jasmine green tea

Jasmine green tea blends traditional green tea flavors with sweet, delicate jasmine flowers. With lots of floral aromas and notes, it’s perfect for anyone with that naturally-sweet tooth. Here are some brews we suggest:

• Floral, soft, and delicate flavor profile
• Thin tea leaves mixed with jasmine flower petals
• Mild scent with a strong flavor

Sunflower’s Jasmine Green Tea has a floral and soft flavor profile. Its thin tea leaves are mixed with jasmine flower petals for a delicate taste. Enjoy its mild scent, but strong flavor, for a refreshing brew.

• Hand-rolled tea pearls
• Green tea and white tea infused with jasmine flowers
• Floral, sweet, and lightly-colored brew

Harney & Sons flavored green tea is crafted with hand-rolled tea pearls. Relax with a cup of this green tea and white tea infused with refreshing jasmine flowers. Plus, its light color and floral scents are perfect for any time of day.

• Green tea infused, blended, and scented with jasmine flowers
• Hand-selected green tea leaves
• No artificial ingredients

Relax with a cup of Twining’s signature green tea with a twist. This brew is infused, blended, and scented with jasmine flowers. And there aren’t any artificial ingredients so you can trust its leaves are quality.

• Organic green tea leaves scented with jasmine flowers
• Tea leaves are scented three times for the best flavor
• Refreshing and delicate notes

Put a kettle on to brew up a pot of Numi Organic Jasmine Green Tea. It’s refreshing, delicate, and 100% organic. Enjoy its green tea leaves scented with jasmine flowers. In fact, Numi scents its leaves three times over to deliver the best flavor possible.

Mint green tea

Mint green tea blends have a rich but lighter-than-air flavor profile. They’re refreshing, packed with antioxidants, and great for your sinuses. We suggest starting with these recommended brews:

Taylors of Harrogate Moroccan Mint Green Tea Loose Leaf

• Blend of mint leaves and green tea leaves
• An uplifting and refreshing brew
• The delicate, fine flavor profile

Taylors of Harrogate delivers the ultimate blend of mint leaves and green tea leaves. It’s an uplifting, refreshing, and cooling brew with delicate, fine flavors.

Tetley Mint Green Tea

• Soothing, refreshing mint flavors
• Ideal for digestive issues
• Delicious, soothing, and energy-boosting

If you’ve got digestive issues, Tetley’s minty green tea is for you. It’s soothing and refreshing with lots of mint flavor. And it’s got digestion-aiding properties to soothe your upset stomach. Not to mention, it’ll give you a little boost of energy, too.

Ginger green tea

If you’re looking for warm, sweet, and a little spicy, ginger green tea is up your alley. These fragrant brews are delicious and nutritious! They’ll help you out with digestion, body temperature regulation, and even inflammation. Give these a try to get started:

Tazo Green Ginger

• The bright and spicy blend
• Notes of sweet pear
• Hints of lemongrass

Tazo has a bright and spicy blend of green tea and ginger flavors. It’s refreshing, it’s nutritious, and it’s got notes of sweet pear and lemongrass. Sit back and sip on this brew that’s packed with flavor and antioxidants.

• High-quality ingredients
• Warm, spicy, and earthy flavor profile
• Tannic undertones

Traditional Medicinals offers a fantastic and interesting green tea with ginger brew. It’s crafted with high-quality ingredients for a warm, spicy, and earthy flavor profile. Not to mention, it’s got tannic undertones to tease the palate.

• Great for gut health
• Packed with probiotics and antioxidants
• Zesty, sweet, and spicy flavors

If you’re looking for extra gut health support, this is the brew for you. Bigelow carries a green tea blend with ginger and probiotics. It’s got tons of antioxidants and healthy probiotics. But it doesn’t skimp on the zesty, sweet, and spicy flavors.

The best decaf green teas (decaffeinated green teas)

Tea lovers everywhere reach for these brews to get antioxidants without caffeine. Each one is perfect for that pre-bed relaxation ritual — give one a try!

• Made with organic green tea leaves
• Naturally decaffeinated
• Light, refreshing, and packed with antioxidants

Get all the green tea benefits without those pesky caffeine jitters. Now you can enjoy Yogi’s signature green tea, but it’s been naturally decaffeinated. Sip on its light and refreshing flavors and get all the antioxidant benefits at the same time.

• Earthy, smooth, and delicate flavor profile
• Aromatic and fresh green tea leaves
• Picked by hand from high-elevation gardens

Sip on all-time favorite Bigelow’s green tea — but without the caffeine. It’s packed with fresh green tea leaves, delicious aromas, and earthy notes. Plus, it’s picked by hand from high-elevation gardens.

• Naturally decaffeinated
• Fresh and smooth aromas and tastes
• Hand-selected tea leaves with no artificial ingredients

Enjoy Twining’s naturally decaffeinated and naturally delicious decaf green tea. It’s crafted with hand-selected green tea leaves in each cup. And there aren’t artificial ingredients. It’s the perfect cup to relax before bedtime.

• USDA Certified Organic decaffeinated green tea
• Mild, nutty, and rich flavor profile
• Light and beautiful color

Davidson’s Tea Decaf Green Tea is USDA Certified Organic decaffeinated green tea. It’s delicious, nutritious, and as relaxing as ever. Sit back and sip on its mild but nutty and rich flavors. And enjoy its light and beautiful color in every cup.

• Smooth and bright flavors
• Naturally decaffeinated
• Tea leaves originate in China

The Republic of Tea offers a decaffeinated green tea variety. Its leaves originate all the way from China for the best smooth and bright flavor. Plus, it’s naturally decaffeinated so you can rest even easier.

The best loose-leaf green teas

Loose-leaf green teas are fun to brew and there are tons of health benefits. Green tea is known for its ability to help with:

• Digestion
• Dental Health
• Cancer prevention
• Inflammation
• Metabolism
• Antioxidants
• Heart disease prevention
• Lower cholesterol

The reason why loose-leaf green teas deliver so many health benefits is that they have whole leaves. This means they’re higher in antioxidants and other healthy compounds. Let’s take a look at four popular loose-leaf green teas:

• Mid-season loose-leaf green tea
• Packed with flavor and antioxidants
• Medium body tea with notes of spinach

For earthy green tea lovers, opt for a cup of Japanese Sencha Green Loose Leaf Tea. It’s picked mid-season and packed with flavor and antioxidants. It has a medium body with delicious notes of spinach and other vegetal flavors.

• Robust, rich, and earthy flavor profile
• Packed with powerful antioxidants
• Strong, aromatic tea

Taylors of Harrogate has done it again with their loose-leaf green tea brew. It’s robust, rich, and earthy in every single delicious sip. Plus, it’s packed to the brim with powerhouse antioxidants. If you’re into aromas, this is the tea for you.

The best matcha green teas

Matcha is finely ground green tea leaves with the stems and veins removed. Most green tea plants used to make matcha are grown in the shade for a few weeks before harvest. This means matcha has higher caffeine content, but also higher nutritional value.

It’s known for its bright green color, thicker consistency, and sweetly-bitter flavors. Here are a few of the most popular matcha green teas to try:

• Made from the most tender green tea leaves
• Delicate and smooth
• Great for ceremonial-style matcha (mix with just water)

It’s as fun to drink as it is to say — Encha Matcha. It’s crafted from the most tender green tea leaves for a delicate and smooth taste. You can mix it with just water for a traditional ceremonial-style matcha tea.

• Premium first-harvest tea leaves are selected by hand
• Every batch is tested for quality
• Organic and ceremonial-grade

Every single batch of Jade Leaf’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha tea is tested for quality. It’s a premium first-harvest and organic tea. And best of all, all the tea leaves are selected by hand.

• Fresh, savory, vegetal, and nutty aromas
• Silky and soft texture
• High-grade matcha without bitterness

For high-grade matcha tea without bitterness, Pure Matcha is an incredible choice. It has a silky, light, and soft texture like most matcha teas. And it also has a fresh, story, and vegetal flavor. Enjoy its nutty aromas with every sip.

Final thoughts and top picks

There are so many ways to enjoy a quality cup of green tea. Brew it iced or hot. Opt for flavored leaves, matcha powders, or decaffeinated tea. Drink first thing in the morning or right before bed.

The choice is yours and no matter what, you’re sure to get a ton of health benefits in the process. Check out all the green teas here.

Also, read our other articles about the best teas!
How To Choose The Best Rooibos Tea
How To Choose The Best Yerba Mate Tea
How To Find The Best White Teas & Their Benefits
How To Choose The Best Pu-Erh Tea
How To Find The Best Oolong Tea
The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best Matcha Tea
How To Choose The Best Black Tea
Types of Herbal Teas & Their Benefits