An Introduction to Green Tea
If you haven't already tried it, what are you
waiting for?
Have you ever thought about breaking from your
everyday black tea routine, and trying some green tea? Perhaps
you thought it was too exotic, or were unsure how it would
taste. It's time to get out of your tea rut, and brew up a cup
of green tea. It tastes great, is easy to make and is just
packed with healthy stuff.What is
green tea?
What exactly is the difference between green tea, and the
comfortable black tea you are used to? Well, it all comes from
the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but the difference is
in the processing. Green tea is dried, but not fermented. The
shorter processing gives green tea a lighter flavour than black
tea. It also helps keep all the beneficial chemicals intact,
which is why green tea is so good for you.
But what does it taste like?
Don't expect green tea to taste like your regular tea.All the
different kinds of green tea have different flavours, but they
do have a taste in common. The flavour of green tea can be
described as: fresh, light, green, or grassy. Some varieties of
green tea are have a bit of sweetness to them, and some are a
little astringent. Green tea is not usually served with milk or
sugar, but you can decide that for yourself.
Too many kinds to choose from!
If you really want to experiment with good green tea, you may
need to look beyond your grocery store. While most supermarkets
will carry a few brands of green tea (usually in bags), there
won't be much selection. If your city has a Chinatown area,
you'll probably find some amazing green teas there, or you could
try mail order. Some types to look for: sencha, gunpowder or
Dragon Well. I've got a list of the
top types of green tea. Grocery store packaged teas might
just be marked 'green tea', without any distictive variety
given. You might want to avoid these types of tea, as they will
likely be blends of poor quality.
How do you brew green tea?
Just the same as you would brew any other kind of tea, whether
you have bagged tea or loose green tea. One thing to watch out
for: don't use fully boiling water. Green tea is more delicate
than black, so you want to keep the water a little cooler.
Brewing when your water is just about to hit the boil is good. |
