Pricewatch product reviews: Green tea

MATCHA TEA €17.95 for 30g, €598 per kg

This really is the real deal. A small shot has all the goodness of 16 cups of regular green tea and comes with all manner of healing properties. In fact, the makers promise us up to six hours of energy and 137 times the antioxidants of normal green tea in a single cup. There is a pleasing ceremony attached to making the tea: You put a thimble of powder into a cup, mix it with a drop of water into a smooth paste and add water or milk. It has a lovely earthy flavour that we think is just wonderful. It is expensive, although a tub will last a long time.

Verdict: Top notch. Top dollar.

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Genmaicha

Star rating: *****

CLIPPER DECAF GREEN TEA €3.49 for 50g, €70 per kg

When it comes to clearing your conscience, Clipper tea can certainly help. It is Fairtrade, ethically sourced and contains all-natural ingredients. If green tea is your drink of choice but you’re worried about too much caffeine, this decaf variety is a good option, as it tastes no different to the caffeinated product. The tea comes in unbleached bags, all wrapped in foil sachets inside the box. Clipper claims to be “natural, fair and delicious”, and it’s not wrong. As green tea goes, this has a light fragrance, a refreshing blend and a mellow flavour.

Verdict: A great everyday option.

Star rating: ****

BARRY'S NATURAL GREEN TEA €3.59 for 100g, €36 per kg

Being Irish, Pricewatch has long had a certain soft spot for Barry’s Tea. While we would argue that it makes some of the best gold blend teas we have ever had, we are not so enamoured with its green offering. It is not bad, but it does flirt dangerously with blandness when compared with some of the high-end options we review this week. It has the advantage of being the cheapest of the four options, however, and it is certainly easier to track down than its rivals.

Verdict: A bit disappointing.

Star rating: **

GENMAICHA THÉ VERT DU JAPON €11.95 for 100g, €120 per kg

This is a very fancy option. The sweet little tin is half Sencha tea from Japan and half roasted rice, which takes us by surprise. It tastes wonderful, however. It is very full bodied – if we can borrow a phrase more normally associated with booze – and the flavours linger long on the palate. The absence of packaging is a plus, and we can see the tin having multiple uses long after the tea has been used. Making this tea is a bit of palaver but we quite happily drank a whole pot and would do so again.

Verdict: A tea for special occasions.

Star rating: ***