Going Green (Tea)

I am a massive fan of green tea and, for ease, use the tea bags but I recently had a ‘tea epiphany’ in a Korean tea house which has re-awoken my taste buds and me got excited.

Tea made with the bags (even good organic ones) can taste very bitter but the real stuff, done properly, is creamy, grassy and gentle plus it is SO good for you due to gentle processing. You can go the whole hog and buy a proper tea pot, tiny cups and a whisk or just throw some in a cup with water. Either way, it’s all good.

Green tea is made from the same plant from which we get our black tea, but the leaves and buds are protected so they don’t wither or oxidise. The plants are covered over a few weeks before harvesting so the leaves increase chlorophyll production and their amino acid (the building blocks of cells) content is boosted.

While all tea is made from the same plant species (which is said to originate in the Yunnan province in China), there are different types which are grown and produced all over the world. Chinese green tea (like gunpowder tea) is fired to stop the oxidation process before rolling, whereas Japanese green tea is steamed.

The best known Japanese green teas are Sencha and Matcha. Matcha has become very popular lately as a culinary ingredient (as seen in this year’s Bake Off). The leaves are shaded in the last few weeks before plucking and are then ground into a powder instead of being shaped and rolled. Sencha is the most popular tea and is rolled into long strands.

Green tea contains less caffeine than black tea and much less than coffee (although Matcha contains more than standard green tea) so is a great alternative. It also has some very positive health benefits alongside tasting great. It is high in antioxidants (more than any other tea) and is said to protect the liver (always a good thing, especially around Christmas). It can boost attention and may help prevent cancer, improve heart health and lower cholesterol.

When preparing, use boiled water but not boiling, as that can burn the leaves. You can use the same powder and add water two or three times - the second steeping is the best and the third is only to be shared with old friends, or so the saying goes.

See here for more detailed information on the benefits.