Benefits of Green and Black Tea
Herbal Teas:
(Infusions) Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the herb that is being infused
and place into a re-useable teabag, or a non metallic tea strainer. Place the
teabag into a glass or porcelain container that has a lid.
Bring 8 ounces of water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil
pour the water
into the contain that has the tea bag in it and cover for 1 - 5 minutes. Covering the cup keeps the volatile oils
potent until ready to drink. The reason the the difference in time depends upon
whether it is leaf, stems, or seeds.
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DARJEELING |
North India |
3-5 minutes
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Delicate, slightly astringent flavor.
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ASSAM |
North India |
3-5 minutes
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Full-bodied with a rich, smooth, malty
flavor. If you have never tried this tea before....you are really
missing something. |
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CEYLON |
Sri Lanka |
3-5 minutes
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Brisk, full flavor with a bright color
A wonderful taste for the Savvy tea drinker. |
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EARL GREY |
China (sometimes a blend of China and
Darjeeling) |
3-5 minutes
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Flavored with the natural oil of citrus
bergamot fruit. Ah!, if you are a Star Trek fan, this is what
Captain Pacard orders, from the replicater. |
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OOLONG |
China and Taiwan |
5-7 minutes
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Subtle, delicate, lightly flavored tea
Oolong is the tea that is usually served at Chinese Restaurants. |
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GUNPOWDER |
China |
3-5 minutes |
A clear amber liquor with a sweet aroma
and a pungent taste
The reason this tea is called Gun powder, is because the leaves are
rolled into small pellet looking balls. |
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ROOIBOS |
South Africa |
2-4 minutes |
Rooibos has captured the sun's energy and the
soil's nutrients and given them to us in the form of the vitamins,
minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes, and most especially the enzyme
superoxide dismutase, (SOD) which appears to be the prime scavenger of
free radicals. |
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TEA
When the word tea is mention what comes to mind? Black Tea?
Green Tea? Oolong Tea? Herbal Tea? Medicinal Tea?
All green, black and oolong teas come from thea sinensis, an evergreen
shrub. The kind of tea produced is defined by the method in which the leaves
are processed. Green tea is the first tender leaves of spring that are picked,
partially dried, rolled, steamed, crushed and dried again with hot air. Oolong
tea leaves have been allowed to semi ferment for an hour. Black teas are
slightly dried, rolled on tile and fermented for 3 hours to strengthen the bouquet and
flavor, yet reduce the bitterness. Names like oolong, black or jasmine tea
refer to how the tea was processed. Names such as Assam, Darjeeling, or Ceylon
refer to the country or region when the tea was grown. Names such as pekoe,
orange pekoe refer to the leaf size.
Tea is enjoyed by people all over the world. Whether the it is green tea,
that is brewed perfectly before the taste of the tea turns bitter, or the rich aroma of
the black tea that has been steeped to the precise color of golden brown to insure
that the taste is superior, and luxurious. Herbals teas are renown for their
medicinal properties as well as their fragrance.
Tea is versatile and the taste can be changed simply by adding milk, honey,
Stevia,
or a slice of lemon peel to the tea.
Green Tea
Green Tea Benefits
- Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide
assortment of vitamins and minerals.
Polyphenols
- Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in
green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention.
The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to polyphenols.
Catechins
- Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present
in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin
(EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes
up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most
powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more
potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of
polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli,
spinach, carrots or strawberries.
Tannins
- A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds,
bound with starches, and often so amorphous that they are classified as tannins
simply because at some point in degradation they are astringent and contain
variations on gallic acid. Produced by plants, tannins are generally protective
substances found in the outer and inner tissues. All of the tannins are
relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation, and either decrease the
ability of animals to easily consume the living plant, or, as in deciduous
trees, cause shed parts of the plant to decay so slowly that there is little
likelihood of infection to the living tree from rotting dead material around its
base. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting
structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.
Black Tea
Tea leaves contain a number of unique compounds in
significantly high levels. Included among them are flavonoids and phytochemicals.
Flavonoids have long been know to have anti-oxidant properties which prevent
cell damage thought to contribute to more than 50 diseases. Flavonoids also
appear to inhibit the formation of blood clots, thus reducing the risk of
stroke, and help prevent oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (the "bad"
cholesterol), which can damage arteries. Both black and green tea may help
prevent certain kinds of cancer, including breast, colon and lung cancer by
detoxifying cancer-causing agents.
- Carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, has antioxidant and protective
properties.
- Thiamin (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) are both essential for
releasing energy from food.
- Nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid are necessary for the release of
energy from fat and carbohydrate.
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is essential for a healthy immune system.
- Vitamin B6 is involved in the metabolism of proteins
- Black tea also affects the bacterial enzyme glucosyltranferase which is
responsible for converting sugars into the sticky matrix material that plaque
uses to adhere to teeth
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Green |
Camellia Leaves are spread out on floors or
racks and allowed to wilt for a few hours. The leaves are then heated to
remove moisture and to stop the oxidation process. The leaves are then left
to dry until a small amount of moisture remains. Green teas have long been
enjoyed for their health-giving qualities as well as their unique and often
subtle flavor. Interestingly, the aroma and taste can be quite different
from one another. The color of the liquor can range from a bright jade green
to a pale yellow and is best when drink without any additions.
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Oolong |
Combining elements of green and black tea
processes, Oolong tea is semi-fermented, that is, moisture are kept within
the leaves for a longer period of time than the green tea leaves. After
wilting, the usually larger, older leaves are carefully rolled around on
rattan trays in order to "bruise" their outer edge. The black outer and
green inner parts of the leaf give this tea its characteristic qualities.
The flavor is usually a light brown and can sometimes reveal a slight fruity
taste. Some high grade Oolong leaves can even be brewed up to 10 times
without fading in flavor.
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Black |
Taking up to ten separate steps to process,
black tea is fully fermented leaves and is also referred to as red tea for
the dark reddish color of their brew. The leaves start out whole but are
usually broken or torn during processing. Taste can range from slightly
fruity to pungently smoky and are sometimes taken with milk, sugar, lemon or
other additives. |
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