In the modern age, green tea has become one of the most popular styles of tea around the globe, thanks to modern shipping technology and heavily marketed health benefits. But among the common bottled, bagged, and flavored blends, it can be hard to discern the huge variety of natural flavors that result from terroir and crafting techniques. Though there are literally thousands of unique varieties and styles, one easy distinction to make when shopping for loose leaf green tea is between Chinese and Japanese styles.

Despite the fact that both tea traditions stem from the same early Chinese techniques of steaming and compressing green tea leaves, the two styles have diverged dramatically during the intervening millennia. Today, green teas from these two countries contrast in almost every way; from the growing process, to the methods used for crafting, all the way down to the way they’re brewed and served.

Though Chinese tea has a history that spans thousands of years, tea farmers and crafters continually come up with techniques for making new and interesting teas. In the early 20th century, one farmer in Taiwan experimented with using leaves that showed damage from bug bites, and created the first Eastern Beauty tea. The commercial success of this risky experiment proved there was something special about this novel processing choice, but it was only recently that modern science has shed some light on the reasons behind the unique flavor.

Today, bug bitten leaves are used to make many different kinds of tea, in what seems like a wider variety every year. While some famous styles use bug bitten leaves by definition, others use the phrase mi xiang to denote a bug bitten version. This title translates directly to “honey fragrance”, and describes the naturally sweet characteristics of many bug bitten teas. As strange as it may sound, the attacking insects play a big part in the flavor of the final tea.

Thanks in part to highly lauded health benefits, the popularity of green tea has exploded worldwide. Backed by promises of weight loss, anti-aging capabilities, and the novelty of a natural bright green color, green tea has become a trending ingredient in everything from cookies and cakes to lattes and protein shakes. But few of these concoctions gives center stage to the green tea itself, instead blending (often powdered) leaves with fillers, sweeteners, or other strong flavors to mask the inherent bitterness of mass-produced teas.

Troubleshoot bitter tea flavors with these brewing tips >>

Unfortunately, the small quantities used for subtle green tea flavor are rarely enough to offer the promised benefits, and the quantity of butter and sugar in a green tea cookie will more than offset the metabolism-boosting effects of the powdered tea that makes it green. To get the most from any green tea, it must be a regular habit, drunk without added flavors or sweeteners. Luckily, this doesn't mean you have to choke down a bitter brew. Find green teas that taste good naturally by asking about these flavor factors:

Gyokuro tea is one of Japan’s most famous styles, prized as the highest grade of sencha, or whole leaf tea. Though not as famous worldwide as the powdered matcha used in traditional Japanese Tea Ceremonies, the reputation and limited supply of gyokuro tea make it one of the most expensive and uncommon varieties from Japan.

In part, the value of gyokuro tea rests in the delicate leaf buds it is made from, just like premium green teas from other regions around the world. The first sprouts picked after winter dormancy are prized all over the world for the complex flavors and natural sweetness that are given time to develop as the plant rests. Gyokuro tea is further defined by the processes used to grow and craft these special leaves, which distinguish it from other green teas made around the world and from lesser grades grown in Japan.

For tea, just as with other commodities like wine, whiskey, or coffee, the most coveted examples are usually the rarest. The allure of any batch that is difficult to find lies in unique flavor complexities, as well as the ever-present draw of exclusivity. In the same way that wine connoisseurs might search for bottles from a legendary vineyard, tea devotees hunt for the leaves from hard-to-find tea trees.

Teas harvested from wild trees, for example, are highly sought after. Most of the hype surrounds pu-erh teas, grown in Yunnan Province in southern China, where ancient tea trees are thought to have originated in the vast, tropical forest of millennia past. But many teas from all over China are sold as “wild” teas, and as with any widespread label, this term can carry a few different meanings. Here are three different types of tea plants that are commonly called "wild".