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Why does green tea have a weaker flavor than black tea?

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Neatly planted rows of green tea bushes stretch across rolling fields with Mount Fuji, capped with snow, rising in the background in Japan. — tea Rows of tea (*Camellia sinensis*) growing in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background.

Green tea is considered to have a weaker flavor than black tea primarily due to differences in the manufacturing process, specifically regarding oxidation.1

In the production of green tea, the leaves are unfermented. The oxidizing enzymes are inactivated early in the process through steaming or roasting, which prevents the polyphenols from oxidizing. Because these polyphenols remain colorless and do not undergo the chemical changes associated with fermentation, the final product lacks the theaflavins and thearubigins that contribute to the more robust flavor profile found in black tea.12

Conversely, black tea undergoes a full manufacturing process that includes fermentation. During this stage, the enzyme polyphenol oxidase acts upon the polyphenols, causing them to acquire a reddish color and form the distinct flavoring compounds that define the beverage's character.2