{"id":74,"date":"2016-12-13T08:02:06","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T08:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teafloor.com\/blog\/?p=74"},"modified":"2018-07-20T09:35:04","modified_gmt":"2018-07-20T09:35:04","slug":"green-tea-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teafloor.com\/blog\/green-tea-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Tea 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is something about tea: \u201cthe aroma, the taste or may be the ritual of sipping the perfect cup.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0But, there is more to tea than the pleasure of drinking it; otherwise it would not remain so popular for thousands of years.<\/p>\n

\u201cChinese and Indians firmly believe that it is the tea that keeps them healthy and strong. English could not imagine life without restorative cup of tea when the going gets tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tea is the second highest consumed beverage on the planet earth. Over the centuries, tea-makers have introduced different forms of tea ranging from the black tea to the oolong tea, but the one surely gaining popularity among these is the \u2018green tea.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>History<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peeping into the history of green tea, we find that the discovery of green tea is very convoluted and many different versions and legends abound regarding the discovery of tea.\u00a0 It was said to be discovered some 5000 years back and has many legends associated with it.<\/p>\n

One version has Shien Non Shei, a typical Chinese man, out walking when he accidentally tastes the leaves of the camellia sinensism or tea plant. Intrigued by the taste, he wondered if the leaves might also have medicinal value. The juices of the plant intrigued him to the point that he boiled the plant in water to release the juices and thus created tea.<\/p>\n

Another tale has ShenNung, a Chinese Emperor, drinking a hot cup of water one day speculating about the state of affairs. A blossom from the camellia sinensism fell into his cup and flavored his drink with the unmistakable taste of tea. The rest, as they say, is history.<\/p>\n

What makes green tea special?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Green tea actually originated in china and then its production spread to the many countries in Asia.<\/p>\n

But the real question is: What makes green tea so special? It has been gaining popularity more recently due to numerous reasons. Even the healthcare professionals have started to advice their patients to consume green tea.<\/p>\n

Green tea\u00a0is a type of\u00a0tea\u00a0that is made from\u00a0Camellia sinensis\u00a0leaves that have not undergone the same\u00a0withering and oxidation process\u00a0used to make\u00a0oolong\u00a0and\u00a0black tea.\u00a0 It means that green tea is made from the un-oxidized leaves and is one of the least processed teas available in the market. This makes it highly rich in antioxidants\u00a0and beneficial polyphenols.<\/p>\n

There are uncountable health benefits of anti-oxidants and polyphenols. These powerful antioxidants may protect against cancers. There are multiple studies showing that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of cancer.\u00a0 Also, the bioactive compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons and may reduce the risk of both Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s, the two most common neurodegenerative disorders.<\/p>\n

There are innumerable other health benefits such as its property of boosting the metabolic rate and increase fat burning, inhibition of growth of some bacteria and virus and much more.<\/p>\n

Composition of Green Tea<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Regular green tea is 99.9% water and provides 1\u00a0Calorie\u00a0per 100 ml serving. It contains\u00a0phytochemicals, such as\u00a0polyphenols\u00a0and caffeine.<\/p>\n

Polyphenols found in green tea include\u00a0epigallocatechingallate (EGCG), epicatechingallate,\u00a0epicatechins\u00a0and\u00a0flavanols .\u00a0 The health benefits of green tea are due to these polyphenols only.<\/p>\n

Green tea also contains alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. They provide green tea’s stimulant effects. L-theanine, an amino acid compound found in green tea, has been studied for its calming effects on the nervous system.<\/p>\n

Understanding the difference- \u201c<\/strong>Green tea, black tea and Oolong tea\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

All types of tea except herbal tea are brewed from the dried leaves of the Camelliasinensis<\/em>\u00a0bush. The level of oxidation of the leaves determines the type of tea.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more the leaves are fermented, the lower the poly-phenol content and the higher the caffeine content.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Green tea is made from unfermented leaves while oolong tea and black tea are made from partially fermented and fully fermented leaves respectively. Green tea has the highest poly-phenol content while black tea has roughly 2 to 3 times the caffeine content of green tea.<\/p>\n

The leaves of green tea are steamed rather than fermented. This keeps the anti-oxidants from oxidizing, thus leaving the medicinal value intact.<\/p>\n

Growing and harvesting <\/strong><\/p>\n

Depending upon the type of green tea desired, it can be grown in a variety of ways. The maximum amount of polyphenols and volatile organic compounds are retained as a result of the method used and indirectly affects the taste and aroma of the green tea.<\/p>\n

It can be grown under two conditions, one method is growing under the sun while another one is growing under the shade. These methods influence the on the taste and aroma of the green tea produced.<\/p>\n

The green tea is grown in rows that are pruned to produce shoots in a regular manner. They are generally harvested three times in a year. The first flush takes place in late April to early May. It is the first flush in the spring that brings the best-quality leaves, with higher prices to match.<\/p>\n

The second harvest usually takes place from June through July, and the third picking takes place in late July to early August.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>GREEN TEA VARIETIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Chinese Green Tea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chinese style of green tea is characterized by pan firing, where tea leaves are heated in a basket, pan or mechanized rotating drum to halt the oxidation process.<\/p>\n

Some popular pan fired Chinese green teas include:<\/p>\n