Which Green Tea to Drink in the Morning, Afternoon, and Evening?

Most people often drink tea during the daytime, but did you know that there are plenty of teas you can enjoy in the evening too? The majority of teas contain some caffeine content that is less than coffee, but enough for a good mental and physical energy boost. However, there are teas that have little to no caffeine content and can be enjoyed in the evening. As a matter of fact, in Japan, people often drink tea during or after meals, even after late dinners. Here are our recommendations for the types of Japanese teas to drink during each time of day.

Morning Time

Sencha is the gold standard of green tea that is most popular in Japan, with 40% grown on Shizuoka plantations. This green tea offers approximately 50mg of caffeine in each cup, which is half of a cup of coffee, but still an excellent choice to begin your day. Known for being high in antioxidants with properties that help process fat and sugar, sencha can be enjoyed during or after meals. Green tea is filled with catechins that can naturally cleanse the mouth and fight off cavities after meals.

If you’re looking for a bigger energy boost in the morning, matcha (powdered green tea) is also a good choice. You can enjoy matcha as a cup of tea or add some to your morning smoothie or latte. Matcha is a popular choice for Japanese tea blends, adding an extra boost of caffeine and slight sweetness.

Afternoon Time

hand pouring senbird organic Japanese sencha green tea into tea cup

Sencha green tea is recommended after meals due to the benefits of catechins, so this tea can also be a great choice in the afternoon.

If you’re looking for a stronger energy boost, especially after a heavy meal, then consider shade-grown green tea (gyokuro), a premium quality tea that is naturally high in caffeine. At roughly 300mg of caffeine in every 8oz cup, this rare tea offers a stronger and healthier mid-day pick-me-up than coffee (~100mg of caffeine) or energy drinks (~250mg of caffeine).

Gyokuro goes through a unique cultivation process that includes being grown in full shade for 20 days prior to being picked. The lack of sun exposure decreases the rate of photosynthesis and less of the theanine gets converted to other compounds. High levels of theanine have many potential health benefits including stress relief, increased focus, better immunity, blood pressure regulation, and sinus relief. With an abundance of delicious umami flavor, we highly recommend enjoying this special tea with desserts.

Evening Time

hand pouring senbird organic hojicha roasted green tea into tea cups

You’ll want to avoid caffeinated teas if you’re looking to get a good night’s sleep. We highly recommend roasted green tea (hojicha) since it’s very low in caffeine (~20mg per 8oz cup) and easy to drink. The roasting process of green tea is highly effective in reducing caffeine content while producing a soothing aroma and taste. Hojicha is best after meals since it aids digestion and compliments snacks and desserts, too.

Another popular choice is brown rice green tea (genmaicha), also known as roasted rice tea, which offers slightly more caffeine (~25mg) for a low energy boost. It’s known to burn fat, help prevent diabetes, and calm the mind with the theanine. It’s also a popular choice for blending with matcha powder.

With naturally abundant health benefits, green tea is an excellent drink for any time of day. Senbird carries various types of green teas and herbal teas that range in grade, region, health benefits, and flavors for you to enjoy anytime and anywhere.