
Green teas are steamed,"roasted" or "fried" after they are plucked. In Japan, tea is steamed when it comes into the tea factory. There it is lightly rolled and then fired. This process gives the tea a very light green color and an earthy, vegetal flavor.
In China, most green tea is pan roasted instead of steaming. For this reason, Chinese green teas are less green and more brown in leaf color and in the cup. Because green teas are processed less than black teas, the "fermentation" process is less complete so they tend to have less caffeine.