Green tea is made from the leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), the same plant used for black and oolong tea, but processed by steaming or pan-firing the fresh leaves to halt oxidation, which preserves their green color and lighter, grassier flavor. Black tea, by contrast, is fully oxidized before drying, giving it a darker color and stronger, more tannic taste.
Green tea drinking spread widely in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) and was carried to Japan by Buddhist monks in the 8th and 9th centuries, where it developed into the tea ceremony, chanoyu. Common varieties include sencha, gyokuro, longjing (Dragon Well), gunpowder, and matcha, the stone-ground powder used whole rather than steeped.
Beyond brewing as a beverage, hot or iced, green tea and especially matcha flavor ice cream, cakes, lattes, and baked goods. It's valued for antioxidant compounds called catechins, though specific health claims are still an active area of research.