Green Tea

Green Tea has been long valued in China and Japan for its medicinal properties. Lately, this centuries old beverage has been the subject of many medical studies all over the world and continues to gain popularity in Western Culture.

Green Tea, like black tea, also comes from the Camelia Sinensis plant, but the tea remains green because steaming or pan frying stops the fermentation process before it starts. This is why green tea is often considered healthier than black or oolong teas that are fermented. Green tea contains all of the natural qualities of the Camelia Sinensis plant.

Here's how Green Tea is Made:

Upon receiving the Tea leaves from the plantations, the Tea leaves are tossed and mixed to reduce the water content in the leaves. The leaves are then withered by passing them through a hot cylinder for about 5 minutes (panning system) or by passing them through high pressure hot steam (steaming system). The purpose of this process is to stop the activity of the enzymes, thus halting the fermentation process. This withering process reduces the water content by about 60-70 %. The leaves are then cooled, rolled and ground, using a Jackson machine. This process is aimed to break cells of the leaves, which in effect, brings out the astringent taste of the Tea. The Tea leaves are then dried, first, by using the ECP drier, then a rotary drier. Once dried, the leaves are sorted producing various grades of Green Tea.

Green Tea and Health:

Green tea has a very high content of vitamins and minerals. It contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in amounts comparable to a lemon. Green tea also contains several B vitamins which are water soluble and quickly released into a cup of tea. Five cups of green tea a day will provide 5-10% of the daily requirement of riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. The same five cups of green tea also provide approximately 5% of the daily requirement of magnesium, 25% of potassium, and 45% of the requirement for manganese. Green tea is also high in fluoride. A cup of green tea provides approximately 0.1 mg of fluoride, which is higher than in fluorinated water. Scientific studies have shown strong evidence that green tea may help reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease, and may also prevent some cancers. Does Green Tea contain caffeine? An average cup (6 oz) of green tea contains approximately 30 milligrams of caffeine. This compares to a cup of black tea, which has about 40 milligrams, and a cup of brewed coffee, which has 120 milligrams of caffeine.

How to Make a Perfect Cup:

If you don't have a tea press, a tea ball or strainer work just as well. For each cup of hot water infuse 1 tsp of leaves. It is recommended that you let boiling water sit for a few minutes before pouring it on the leaves to avoid the green tea from turning bitter. To make that perfect cup of Green tea, we suggest two minutes brewing at most. If you leave the green tea brewing for too long, it will become bitter. Please note that, green tea-leaves can be re-used. In fact, it is believed in China that the second infusion makes a better cup of tea than the first!