Green Tea |
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Green tea is scientifically considered a herb and is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of the tea plant before the leaves have dried completely.
Common Medicinal Uses
Green tea originated in China, but is used widely throughout Asia. In recent decades Green Teas has also become popular in the western world where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea exist, with different strains being produced in various countries and different flavors being produced by differences in the cultivation, harvesting and drying methods.
Preparing Green Tea A general recipe for good tea is to use one heaped teaspoon of tea per person, or per cup of hot water.
Note that I say 'hot' not boiling, as the fine art of brewing tea often calls for water at precise temperatures. Green tea brewing time and temperature varies with individual teas and the hottest brewing temperatures are to use water heated to 180°F to 190°F (81°C to 87°C). Additionally the longest steeping times are 2 to 3 minutes - thsi is the amoutn of time you leave teh tea in the hot water.
The coolest brewing temperatures are 140°F to 150°F (61°C to 65°C) and the shortest steep times abround 30 seconds. In general, lower quality green teas are steeped hotter and longer, while higher quality teas are steeped cooler and shorter.
Steeping green tea too hot or too long will result in a bitter, astringent brew for low quality leaves. High quality green teas can be, and usually are, steeped multiple times; 2 or 3 steepings is typical. The brewing technique also plays a very important role to avoid the tea developing an overcooked taste. Preferably, the container in which the tea is steeped or teapot should also be warmed beforehand to keep thetea at the desired steeping temperature consistently. Tag it:        |