Best Green Tea: 6 Loose Leaf Picks and How to Choose
Updated October 2026
The six green teas below all grow in Ilam, in eastern Nepal. They do not taste alike. One is savory, one is floral, one comes rolled into small pearls. This guide shows which one to try first, and which to try next.
Quick answer: the best green tea to start with is Pokhara Classic. It is USDA Certified Organic, crisp, and forgiving if the water runs a little hot. For a daily cup, pick Ilam Green. For a savory cup with food, pick Sandakphu Jade. Not sure yet? The Green Tea Sampler holds Ilam Green, Pokhara Classic and Half Moon Pearls.
Best green tea at a glance
| Tea | Notes | Caffeine (8 oz cup) | Price | Bag size and cups (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhara Classic | Arugula, asparagus, toasted barley | About 20 to 45 mg | Under $20 | 2 oz bag or 2.6 oz tin 22 or 29 cups |
| Ilam Green | Butter lettuce, coriander, dried gardenia | 20 to 30 mg | $20–$26 | 3.5 oz 40 cups |
| Emerald Green | Zucchini, almond, dried lily | 20 to 30 mg | $20–$26 | 2.4 oz 27 cups |
| Sandakphu Jade | Asparagus, barley, green peas | 20 to 30 mg | $20–$26 | 3.5 oz 40 cups |
| Ana's First Flush | Artichoke, zucchini, steamed spinach | About 20 to 45 mg | $20–$26 | 3.6 oz 41 cups |
| Half Moon Pearls | Bean sprout, endive, parsnip | Low to medium | $20–$26 | 3.6 oz 41 cups |
| Green Tea Sampler | Ilam Green, Pokhara Classic, Half Moon Pearls | Varies by tea | $55 | 9.1 oz 100 cups |
The best green tea for each kind of drinker
New to green tea? Start with Pokhara Classic
Pokhara Classic is the green tea we recommend most to people who are new to green tea.
Rabin M Joshi, co-owner of Nepali Tea Traders, says: "When someone tells me they don't like green tea, I give them Pokhara Classic. It is a good starter. Use water that is hot but not boiling, steep it a minute or two, and taste it before you decide."
The liquor is pale amber, with notes of arugula, asparagus and toasted barley, and hints of toasted pine nut and turnip. It is USDA Certified Organic, picked in spring and gently fired. Drink it hot or iced, on its own or with a light meal.
Pokhara Classic is the green I reach for first over ice. It comes out bright and clean, a little sweet, never grassy or sharp, and it is the easiest one to get right on your first try.
Ilam Green for every day
Ilam Green grows at 7,000 ft. The leaves are jet-steamed within hours of picking instead of pan-fired, then rolled. That keeps the cup fresh and green. Expect butter lettuce, coriander and dried gardenia. Caffeine is low, 20 to 30 mg per 8 oz cup, so it works as an afternoon cup too.
Emerald Green, the floral one
Emerald Green is made from the first picking of spring and nothing else. Only the first bud and leaf, or the first two leaves and a bud, go in, all picked by hand. The leaves are twisted and emerald in color. The cup is sweet and a little floral: zucchini, almond and dried lily.
Sandakphu Jade at the dinner table
Sandakphu Jade is shaped by hand into thin, wiry strands. In a glass pot you can watch them open. The cup is savory, with asparagus, barley and green peas, so it sits well next to rice, steamed vegetables or light fish.
Ana's First Flush for sencha drinkers
Ana's First Flush is picked in early spring in the Maipokhari Hills of Ilam. The leaves are gently rolled, and the cup tastes of artichoke, zucchini and steamed spinach. If sencha is your usual green tea, start here. Drink it hot or iced, any day of the week.
Half Moon Pearls for a slow afternoon pot
Half Moon Pearls is a summer-picked green tea from Sandakphu, rolled by hand into half-moon pearls. The liquor is amber, with bean sprout, endive and parsnip. As you keep drinking, artichoke and steamed spinach come through.
When I brew Half Moon Pearls, it’s fascinating to watch the tightly rolled ball of tea leaves slowly unfurl into a full leaf as the hot water brings out its beautiful color. It’s truly mesmerizing to watch.
Still choosing? Try the Green Tea Sampler
The Green Tea Sampler holds three full-size bags: Ilam Green (3.5 oz), Pokhara Classic (2 oz) and Half Moon Pearls (3.6 oz). That is 9.1 oz of loose leaf, about 100 cups. Brew them side by side and the difference is easy to taste.
How we judge a green tea
Every one of our product pages lists where the tea grew, when it was picked and how it was made. Here is what those three facts look like for these six teas.
Altitude
These six teas grow between 6,000 and 7,500 ft in Ilam. Sandakphu Jade is the lowest, at 6,000 ft. Pokhara Classic and Half Moon Pearls grow at 6,700 ft, Ilam Green and Emerald Green at 7,000 ft, and Ana's First Flush at 7,500 ft.
Harvest
Five of the six are spring teas, picked in the first flush after the plants have rested through winter. Emerald Green takes only the very first picking. Half Moon Pearls is the exception: it is picked in summer. Every product page lists the harvest year, so you always know how old the leaf is.
Processing
Green tea is heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, and how it is heated changes the cup. Ilam Green, Emerald Green and Sandakphu Jade are jet-steamed, which keeps the taste fresh and vegetal. Ilam Green is steamed for 60 to 80 seconds. Pokhara Classic is gently fired. To see how Nepali green tea compares with Chinese and Japanese green tea, read Nepal green tea vs Chinese and Japanese teas.
How to brew green tea so it stays sweet
Bitter green tea is nearly always a brewing problem: the water was too hot, or the leaves sat too long. Our brew guide gives the same numbers for every green tea we sell, for an 8 oz cup.
- Leaf: one heaping teaspoon, about 2.5 grams.
- Water: 160 to 175°F (71 to 80°C). No thermometer? Boil, then wait 3 minutes.
- Time: 1 to 2 minutes. Start tasting at one minute.
- Second cup: the same leaves give two or three cups. Add about 30 seconds each round.
Want it stronger? Add leaf, not time. For every tea type in one chart, see how long to steep tea.
Related reading
- Black Tea vs Green Tea
- White Tea vs Green Tea
- How Long to Steep Tea
- Nepal Green Tea vs Chinese and Japanese Teas
- Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?