Did you know?: The story behind Green tea on Okinawa

Green tea was very popular amongst Okinawans during the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429 – 1879). During this time, tea imported from China was only served to upper class people and “kuma cha,” as green tea was called, was widely consumed amongst the general masses. The tea available was either from the region now known as Kumamoto or in Urasoe City’s Chayama, literally meaning “tea mountain.”