Green Tea

Some people call it a „true“ tea. During production it is minimally oxidized. Some tea experts believe that all kind of small details influence making of high quality green tea. For example, different tea leaves require different time of picking. Some must be picked at dawn, while others are picked at dusk.

Green tea is the most popular kind of tea in China, Japan, Korea, Morocco and the Middle East. It is well known in the western world too.

Many high quality green teas are made in China. Eastern coastal region Zheijang is a home of great green teas like Longjing („Dragon Well“), Hui Ming, Long Ding („Dragon mountain“), Hua Ding and Qing Ding („Green Top“). Gunpowder („zhucha“) green tea is originally from Zheijang province but nowdays it is also grown in other parts of China.

Green tea (ryokucha in Japanese) is so popular in Japan that people just call it „tea“ (ocha). The best Japanese green tea is the one from city of Uji in Kyoto prefecture. Very popular type of green tea in Japan is Matcha („rubbed tea“). This powdered tea is mainly used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is also used as ice-cream flavour and in production of some other sweets.

Green tea should only be drunk while it is hot. It should never be drunk if it was brewed more than 24 hours ago.

Claims that green tea has positive effect to human health are nothing new for the people of China, Japan, India or Thailand. They are using it for thousands of years in control of bleeding, healing wounds, regulating body temperature etc. In 1191 Zen priest Eisai wrote The Kissa Yojoki (Book of Tea). There he describes positive effects of green tea on five vital organs, especially the heart.

Green tea contains, when compared with other teas, the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Some scientific studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help in burning the fat.