Green Tea
All real tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis leaf. Green tea (lu cha) is the result of curing the young
camellia leaf using various methods and degrees of heat. Some green tea is cured with ovens, while others are pan-fried in a giant wok called a ding.
In general, the longer, slower curing events tend to
result in smoother, richer finished tea flavors.
The most popular tea in China, hundreds of
categories of green tea (lu cha) exist and a few of its
rare cousin, yellow tea (which uses a slower drying
phase than green tea).
The different varieties are mostly characterized by
their appearances and their province or mountain of
origin. Visual indications of high-quality teas include
the size of the leaves (smaller typically being the
higher quality, but not always) and their intactness.
The cheapest teas are the crumbled leaves and
fanning, the scraps and dust leftover from processing.
These teas are typically bagged and flavored with
mint, lemongrass, or other strong flavors that cover
the stale, oxidized taste.
Teas considered highest quality are highly prized.
Reserved mostly for the wealthy and for high
government officials, these teas are rarely found
outside of China. In tea shops, they are extravagant
gifts rather than everyday teas.
Other Chinese teas made from Camellia Sinensis include white tea, oolong tea, pu'er tea, and black tea, as well as jasmine tea (which is jasmine-infused tea leaves).
GREEN TEA FLAVOR
Powdered tea, called fanning, is mostly the
tea which left over from processing, and is the cheapest tea. Since powdered tea steeps
quickly in teabags, it is a convenient and inexpensive way to ship tea, and it makes it easy
to use a portion for a cup. But powdered tea has an increased surface area, and therefore
is immediately exposed to the air, which oxidizes it very quickly.
For this reason, the highest-quality green tea is not ground or powdered. The best tea is kept in whole leaves, carefully
packaged to be airtight, and used within two years-more preferably, within 12 months-
of packaging.
GREEN TEA VARIETIES
There are a great many kinds of green tea, and Chinese green tea is very different from Japanese or other types of green tea.
Chinese prefer the natural ta flavor, and rarely add anything besides jasmine. The exception is medicine; physicians in China
routinely prescribe herbs or flowers to be added to tea. Drinking tea daily is taken for granted by most people in China,
though younger generations drink less.
GREEN TEA SERVING TIPS
- Use pure, whole tea. Some of the more serious tea companies provide test
documentation to show it is free of pesticide residue. If you find a tea you like enough to
drink daily, you may want to have it tested; metal toxins and fluoride have a cumulative,
deleterious effect on the human body. Powdered teabags should be avoided because they
tend to be stale, low-quality teas. With tea, the fresher the better.
- Use pure water. Never drink fluoridated water; there is no evidence that ingesting
fluoride has any health benefits, but high levels are toxic and can even be immediately
lethal.
- Avoid boiling hot water. Drinking scalding liquid isn't good for the body, but steeping
tea too hot may cause it to lose its health properties. As with any plant, there is a big
difference between the cooked and raw leaves.
Green tea serving suggestion:
- Use whole tea. Do not use powdered tea bags. In studies we conducted using
teabags versus whole teas, the teabags disappointed every single time.
- Find a convenient implement. Chinese steeping cups might be the easiest--a
porcelain cup with a lid and a porcelain basket inside that you remove after
steeping. French coffee presses also work well, and many great teapots are
available online.
- Use pure water. Tap water contains chlorine and minerals which can drastically
affect the taste of the tea.
- Infuse the tea with warm water, not boiling. Green and white tea should be in the
160-180 degree range. To steep the tea: put the tea in the steeping basket; put the tea in the cup or pot and add water; remove the basket and enjoy. Repeat.
In China, people serve tea methodically according to tradition. Gongfu cha is the skill of serving tea
(gongfu or "kung fu" means "skill"). In
general application in China, tea serving is
part of several aspects of the culture.
As its background character, tea plays a
significant role in certain Chinese
ceremonies.
GREEN TEA AND HEALTH BENEFITS - RESEARCH ARTICLES
Title: Leatherhead Proposes Green Tea Research Project
Publisher: AP-Food Technology
Leatherhead Food International is looking for industry collaboration in research into how to maximise absorption of green tea from food products. According to Leatherhead, green tea catechins have been shown to exhibit a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease.
However, the researchers also claim that human uptake of green tea catechins is low in comparison to concentrations demonstrated by vitro tests.
Leatherhead states that this subject is particularly important in the area of health claims, as factors such as uptake "may influence the potential claims that can be made."
Full story >
Title: Grant to Study Effects of Green Tea Drug On Prostate Cancer, Awarded to Moffitt Cancer Center
Publisher: Cancer Commentary
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $3.6 million grant over five years to a team of physicians and scientists - led by Nagi Kumar,
Ph.D., director of Nutrition Research at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and associate professor in the College of Medicine
at the University of South Florida - to study the effects of Polyphenon E in preventing the progression of early signs of prostate cancer.
Full story >
Title: Green Tea May Protect Bladder From Becoming Inflamed
Publisher: Science Daily
Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, being presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Anaheim, Calif., found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from damage in culture.
Full story >
Title: Drink Green Tea, Prevent Skin Cancer
Publisher: Medical News Today
Green tea just keeps getting better. To add to the abundance of health-improving qualities of the beverage, UAB Researcher Santosh Katiyar, Ph.D., associate professor of dermatology, claims that it can reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Full story >
Title: Green Tea Compound, EGCG, May Be A Therapy For People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Publisher: Science Daily
The study, presented April 29 at the Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., looks at a potent anti-inflammatory
compound derived from green tea. Researchers found that the compound - called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) - inhibited
the production of several molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Full story >
Title: Green Tea May Fight Lung Cancer
Publisher: WebMD
Green Tea Extract Tweaks Lung Cancer Cells in Lab Tests - Green tea may fight lung cancer and could inspire the creation of new lung cancer drugs, scientists report. But it may be too soon to count on a cup of green tea to curb lung cancer. So far, the scientists have only tested green tea extract against human lung cancer cells in test tubes, not people.
Full story >
Title: Green Tea And COX-2 Inhibitors Combine To Slow Growth Of Prostate Cancer
Publisher: Science Daily
Drinking a nice warm cup of green tea has long been touted for its healthful benefits, both real and anecdotal. But now researchers have found that a component of green tea, combined with low doses of a COX-2 inhibitor, could slow the spread of human prostate cancer.
Full story >
Title: Cup Of Green Tea To Keep The Bacteria Away
Publisher: Science Daily
Beneficial effects of green tea have been known for millenia, particularly in Asian cultures. An ancient Chinese proverb says: "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one". A cup of green tea contains up to 200 mg of catechins, whose biological activity has been mainly attributed to its antioxidant activity.
Full story >
Title: Green Tea Slows Down Plaque Formation In Huntington's Disease
Publisher: US News
She was able to show in an in vitro experiment that the substance epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), extracted from green tea, interferes with very early events in the aggregation process of the mutant huntingtin protein. Cytoxicity is also reduced.
Moreover, the mobile function of transgenic flies carrying the Huntington's gene improved when they were fed the green tea substance. The journal Human Molecular Genetics has now published these research findings...
Full story >
Dragon Pearl's Green Tea:
Taimu Mountain Organic Mao Feng
NATURAL, MACHINE-FREE MOUNTAIN GROWN GREEN TEA
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Each large container has 30-40 servings; steep each whole-leaf serving 3-4 times.
THIS TEA IS 100% ORGANIC. We unconditionally guarantee your satisfaction.
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| Taimu Mountain Organic Mao Feng |
75g per container - $9.00
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BULK per kilo $64.50
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