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How to Brew Perfect Green Tea

Although the same plant - Camellia Sinensis - is grown everywhere in Japan, the market is full of large quantities of different teas, not only by their names but also the appearance, and most of all - taste. This is because, depending on the conditions in which they are grown, and whether - and how - processed later, Japanese teas have different names.

You cannot discuss Japanese teas, without mentioning the umami. This is the fifth basic taste (the other being of course: sweet, salty, sour and bitter), discovered by a Japanese researcher Ikeda Kikunae in 1908. It is the taste of glutamic acid, present among others in mature tomatoes and soy sauce. The taste of umami is highly valued in Japan. No wonder that the Japanese appreciate most types of tea which naturally contains a lot of glutamic acid, and thus - a distinct touch of umami. It can be found in the highest quality teas, especially shaded.

Some basic guidelines should be followed when brewing and the same applies to both loose tea and bagged one.

Water is very important when brewing high-quality green tea. It is recommended to use filtered water with low pH and low calcium content. The more soft water, the better it brings out the flavours and aromas of the tea.

Attention should be paid to water temperature when brewing green tea. Preparing black tea is as simple as pouring boiling water, but treated in this way, green tea will become cloudy and bitter. Never attempt to infuse the water with a temperature higher than 80 degrees C. It is also aware of the general principle that the higher-quality tea, the lower the water temperature should be and the longer the brewing time should be adopted.

Brewing time is also very important factor. Most of the Japanese teas have a very short steeping time - from 1 to 3 minutes. Only the highest quality teas can be brewed longer, but the water at a lower temperature (up to 60 degrees Celsius). Japanese green tea becomes very bitter if brewed for too long. It should be remembered that Japanese tea can be infused several times, however brewing time should be extended with each subsequent infusion. If not sure if the water temperature is right, we should trust our own taste and experiment a little. If brewed tea is bitter and is has yellowish colour, it means that the water was too hot and a little colder should be used for next infusion.

Many people claim that the first brew of green tea is the worst. In the past first infusion was often discarded, but this was a time when teas weren't made with such care as today. They contained a lot of dust and other contaminants, and the first brewing was used to rinse the tea leaves. Therefore this isn't necessary today. Made with great care, high quality Japanese teas do not contain contaminants, and the first brew often turns out to be the best.

As green tea became popular throughout the Europe and USA, it can be found in almost every supermarket.

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Benefits of Drinking Chai Tea

Drinking tea is a favorite pastime of many people from all across the world. Many tea lovers even go the whole hog and brew their favorite tea right from within the comfort of their homes.

If you have ever wondered why tea drinking holds such a special appeal for so many people, well, this article will bring to light some of the major benefits inherent in drinking chai tea.

To do justice to this topic, we shall look at the key ingredients of chai tea alongside their concomitant benefits.

(a) Black Tea - One of the major ingredients of chai is Black tea (Camelia sinensis). Black tea possesses antioxidant properties which it derives from its polyphenol content.

These antioxidants have the ability to scavenge and destroy free radicals found within living tissues and as a result, the antioxidants help to limit all forms of oxidative damage done to the human cells.

The health/medical implication of this property of black tea is that it reduces the visible effects of aging and reduces the risks of cancerous cells forming in the body. The fact that there are fewer incidents of cancer found in tea drinkers than in non-tea drinkers is a clear testament to this fact.

(b) Ginger - The origin of chai tea is steeped in Ayurvedic medicine and thus, traditional chai is replete with many roots, herbs and spices from which chai tea derives and confers even more benefits to tea drinkers.

The ginger component of chai tea has been used to treatment of nausea in expectant mothers experiencing bouts of morning sickness. It is equally effective as a stimulant.

(c) Cloves - The cloves used in chai has been used for pain relief for centuries in ancient China till this day. Drinking tea confers this benefit on all tea drinkers.

(d) Cinnamon - Cinnamon is another indispensable component of chai tea. It is believed to be a stimulant with the ability to increase one's level of mental alertness and reduce tiredness. It has also been proven to alleviate the symptoms of flatulence and other digestive disorders.

(e) Cardamom - This herbal spice, just like cinnamon, has a calming and soothing effect on the stomach.

(f) Chai contains decent amounts of prophylactic agents such as fluoride. Fluoride is commonly used in toothpastes and prevents the formation of cavities in the teeth.

These are just a few of the benefits of drinking tea. So, if you are not in the habit of drinking tea, make it a top priority to start today.

Your health will thank you for it.

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