subject: Green Tea - Green Health [print this page] Much has been made of green tea and the studies associated with its health benefits. Something of course that the Chinese have known for thousands of years. Used for eye health, anti ageing, weight loss and general health maintenance, tea has been a staple of the oriental diet for centuries. They dont just drink tea they eat it!
Tea leaves come from the bush Camellia Sinensis. It was originally found growing wild in China on bushes reaching 40ft high. Today we know it as the good old British cuppa.
80% of tea consumed worldwide is black and the British drink more than most, even though the oxidisation process from green to black tea is shown to drastically reduce the amount of health giving polyphenols and Vitamin C.
The different variations and qualities of tea all come from the same plant and are determined by the time of picking, and from where on the bush the leaves come from; the sweetest tenderest coming from the first picking called first flush.
Recent studies show the possibility of reducing the risk of cancer and arthritis, preventing dental caries as well as having anti bacterial properties, amongst its other qualities.
The best tea is shipped in small quantities and some varieties will only have about 30 tons grown, so you have to buy from a good source after the Spring harvest to get it as fresh as possible or even get it at all.
So how do you know which is the good stuff and where can you get it?
Find a company (usually on the net) that specialises in tea and dont be afraid to contact them and ask questions. They are run usually by tea aficionados who are more than happy to talk tea.
Look for first flush (or lower down the plant) 1st or 2nd flag teas.
LongJin or Dragonwell tea should be sweet and have long hand rolled leaves (broken leaves will leech out more caffeine)
Expect to pay around 10 upward for 125g.
Expensive? Not so, you should get at least 3 cups of tea from one pinch and the leaves be so sweet and long that you can eat them afterwards; or save them, add more water to make an anti bacterial liquid to freshen pongy feet - fantastic!
Trust your palette, buy a tea you enjoy
Whilst the health properties remain unofficially unproven, it is still the healthier version of a cup of good old builders!
