chinese green tea & japanese green teaGreen Tea Green tea and black tea are both derived from the same plant leaves - Camellia sinensis. Green tea is produced by lightly steaming the fresh-cut leaf, while to produce black tea the leaves are allowed to ferment giving the darker colour. Green tea was discovered in China by the Chinese emperor Chen Nung nearly 3,000 years ago. What makes green tea the most consumed beverage in the world after water is its pleasant taste and relaxation effects. Both of these qualities can be traced to a unique, neurologically-active amino acid in tea called L-theanine. L-theanine is a found almost exclusively in tea plants and is the predominant amino acid in green tea leaves, giving the tea its characteristic umami or "5th taste". The 'polyphenols' which are found in green tea have many therapeutic properties which are not present in black tea due to the production differences. These 'polyphenols' have very potent antioxidant and anticancer properties. It is a well known fact that many tea varieties contain caffeine, more information about the effects of caffeine in coffee and tea are available here. Green tea is best served after brewing in slightly less than boiling water for between 1 - 2 minutes. < Click here to contact us with any comments or additional information > |
