New to green tea? Here is what you need to know.
Green tea has been gaining popularity due to its many health benefits that include higher levels of antioxidants and vitamins among others.
Tea is one of the world’s most popular drinks. Matter of fact, it is the second most consumed beverage on the planet rivaling water. It is so popular that 80% of all of the households in the US would have them in their pantry ready to serve for casual conversations and or for events. There are many varieties to this and some of the most popular are green tea and black tea. These two are not at all too different from each other because they originate from the same species of plant Camellia Sinensis of the family Theaceae.
The tea tree used to be native to China but is now cultivated in over 35 countries worldwide. These countries are located mostly in tropical and subtropical regions that have the minimal amount of rainfall, a slightly acidic soil and a relatively higher altitude that is 2,200 meters above sea level.
Tea has been popular long before the discoveries that link it to weight loss and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. It is also linked to lowering blood pressure in adults, reducing the risk of developing cancers and boosting the immune system. Studies have shown that green tea is rich in antioxidant compounds majorly 30% catechin by its weight, this is true to green tea and not black tea. It comes as no surprise that green tea provides so many health benefits due to this high concentration of antioxidant. If you are asking what antioxidants are, they are compounds that effectively combats oxidation of other molecules. Essentially to demonstrate this, take the water piping in your home as an example; as time passes by it corrodes and rusts- that is oxidation. If you have implored the use of antioxidants on the metal pipes then the rate of rusting would have been much slower and it would fortify the metal pipe itself. Same as with our bodies. If we do not intake enough antioxidants this will cause irreversible damage at the cellular level by free radicals. You can get half of your daily vitamin C needs by drinking at least an 8-ounce tea drink as well.
Let’s look back in time
It is not clear as to when we actually started making tea. Legends have it that we stumbled upon tea when Chinese Emperor Shen Nong was trying to find edible herbs in a forest and he got poisoned. He did not die in this manner, luckily a leaf blew in his direction and landed into his mouth. The emperor chewed on the leaf and was miraculously cured. This is the first documented encounter we have with tea leaves, as myth.
The evidence found in archeological records prove that we had started cultivating tea trees in China around 6000 years ago. That was way before megalithic monuments we know now as the Pyramids of Giza were erected in honor of Egyptian Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. The cultivation of tea was estimated to be 1,500 years older than the Great Pyramids.
In the old, Chinese cultivators just use tea leaves as the vegetable and at times, an additive to their grain porridge. The manner of use of the leaves has evolved greatly 1,500 years ago from being food to becoming the most popular drink on the planet. They have found out that with moisture and heat together with the leaves, they can produce varied tastes out of it which they clearly enjoyed. The method of preparation has greatly changed as well over time, from packing them into portable tea cakes and then pulverizing it than mixing it with hot water. During the Ming dynasty, the standard preparation method was changed from pulverized to loose tea leaves which is still the same standard to follow up to today.
How do they make loose green tea leaves?
There are numerous steps involved before we arrive in the loose green tea leaves that we now use at home. These steps include the cultivation of the tea tree and so on… here is a detailed iteration of the tea industry steps in making handmade loose tea leaves
1. Harvesting
The process of making handmade loose tea leaves product starts in the harvesting of the tea tree buds and young leaves. These are the freshest and most tender of all the leaves in a tea tree. Producers of high-quality green tea products use handpicking tea leaves more than leaving the harvesting to machines this way the quality of the leaves is carefully examined by trained pickers beforehand prior to moving them to the next step in the process.
2. Drying
To avoid oxidation, the leaves will then be dried. This comes in many forms in different countries. Some would pan-dry the leaves while some would air-dry them using warm air. Regardless the principle remains the same and that is to avoid fermentation. The leaves are moved around at a certain interval in order to ensure they are drying evenly.
3. Shaping and Final Drying
The ultimate goal of shaping is not just giving the leaves a rolled look but to ensure that any remaining moisture is separated from the tea leaves. The leaves will go through a series of machine dryers in order to achieve the minimum amount of moisture that is retained by them.
How can you tell a good loose tea leaves product over bad ones?
Here are few pointers to spot quality tea leaves from bad ones.
1. The shape of the leaves. If they take into the form of rolled whole leaves and they are not broken, that is a good characteristic. It means that the tea leaves were handled by hand and are not machine harvested.
2. The smell of the tea. Tea has a very distinct smell. They can be judged while in their dry form and while in their wet form. The dry tea leaves should smell a cross between orchids and chestnut. That is a good grade tea leaf if it smells like that. If they don’t have the distinctive tea smell you have every right to feel suspicious about it.
3. The coarseness and brittleness of the leaves. Good quality tea leaves are generally smooth and are not brittle. Is the tea leaves break as you feel them, it means they are low-quality tea leaves. If the texture is coarse, they are low quality.
4. The flavor of the tea. There is no better way to test the quality of a tea but to taste it. Tea should taste fresh. Stale tasting tea is not a good tea.
All in all these things that you have read about tea matters to how you will pick a good quality type of tea. If you have not been drinking tea, maybe it is now time to try it out. We are almost sure you will love the flavor and tranquil you will get from drinking tea like many other people around the world.
What does green tea taste like?
If you have sipped a lot of green tea, you will immediately know that not all of them taste the same. So, what brings the change in taste when all of them are produced by the same type of plant? Well, the ultimate taste that you get from the green tea is an overall result of the processing techniques used by the producers, where they were grown, and when they were harvested. A good quality green tea could be sweet, bitter, earthy, grassy, vegetal, nutty, swampy, toasty, lush, and buttery. A typically steamed green tea attains a fresh and grassy flavor, while others tend to be most likely sweetish.
How much caffeine does green tea have?
Green tea is talked about a lot majorly due to the low caffeine content per cup as compared to black tea and coffee. It is difficult to specify the exact caffeine content per cup in green tea as it varies with the different types of green teas. Green tea typically contains 35-70 mg of caffeine per 8 oz serving which is low when compared to black tea and coffee containing 60-90 mg and 100-200 mg caffeine per 8 oz serving respectively. So, for the one looking for low caffeine intake, green tea is a good choice for you!
Why should you drink green tea?
The polyphenols contained in green tea possess extraordinarily powerful anti-oxidant properties that make your immune system strong and kill or slow down cancerous cells. The polyphenolic compounds called catechins present in it helps in weight loss when combined with physical exercise. Drinking green tea can help with reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and helps boost our brain’s cognitive memory functions.
Who should not be drinking green tea?
Green tea is generally considered to be safe for grownups as long as it is consumed in moderation.
Pregnant women and adults suffering from iron deficiency, constipation, anemia, osteoporosis, liver diseases, bleeding disorders, and anxiety disorders among others should stay away from consumption of green tea.
Buying and storing green tea
In order to have the best taste from green tea, you must consider buying tea from well-known brands that clearly specify their manufacturing and packaging details along with their shelf life. Although it would be wrong to say that the tea goes bad after a certain period of time (specified by the manufacturer), you can still assume that the tea will lose its flavor and health benefits.
The general shelf life for green tea is six months to one year unless mentioned otherwise by the manufacturer. It is advisable to consume green tea within the mentioned period for maximum flavor. Also To maintain its freshness, green tea should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place away from light, moisture, and oxygen preferably inside the refrigerator. There are certain varieties of green tea that are known for better shelf life at room temperature. This information is usually provided by the manufacturer.
Preparation of green tea
I often hear people complaining about how their green tea tastes awful but it’s only because they don’t know how to prepare it to bring out its best flavor. Depending upon the type of tea you have, the preparation method may vary. You can always ask the seller for suggestions on the preparation techniques when buying.
In the most general way, the tea leaves are put in hot water in a teapot and are left to infuse for some time. The preparation of your “perfect cup of tea” depends upon the type of water used, the brewing temperature, the time for which tea leaves are left to infuse, and the number of leaves used. Typically, green teas are brewed at temperatures ranging from 80 to 90 ℃. You can also put milk and sugar in your tea depending upon your taste but it could dominate the flavor of green tea.
Drinking taboo
Avoid drinking hot tea
The tea is too hot and it is easy to stimulate the mucous membranes of the throat, esophagus, and stomach. Tea is generally placed below 56°C. Studies have shown that long-term drinking of tea at temperatures above 62°C can easily damage the stomach wall and lead to stomach disorders.
Avoid drinking cold tea
Because the cold tea is stagnant and gathers together. It is not good for the body, especially for the cold women.
Green Tea Package
There are many packages in the tea market, such as tin can, tea bag, paper box, gift pack etc. Many buyers will customize their own tea package with the private brand. The OEM tea package services are available.