What
is Green Tea?
Green
tea is nothing more than the leaves of the camellia sinensis
that have been processed a certain way. It is one of the four
types of teas (white, green,
oolong, and black).
Green
teas, like white teas, are closer to tasting like fresh leaves
or grass than the black or oolong. They are also lower in
caffeine and have higher antioxidant properties.
What
is Tea Processing?
Processing tea is generally considered the art of tea. It
is where many of the subtleties in taste, body, and overall
character are created.
In
its most basic form, it is taking the raw green leaves and
deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation)
should take place before drying them out.
Tea leaves have enzymes in their veins. When the leaf is broken,
bruised, or crushed, the enzymes are exposed to oxygen resulting
in oxidation. The amount of oxidation depends upon how much
of the enzymes are exposed and for how long.
The
Processing of Green Tea:
The processing of green tea is similar to that of white tea
in that it does not oxidize. After the leaves are plucked,
they are (sometimes) laid out to wither for about 8 to 24
hours. This lets most of the water evaporate.
Then,
in order to neutralize the enzymes thus preventing oxidation,
the leaves are steamed or pan fried.
Next
the leaves are rolled up in various ways and tightness. After
that, a final drying takes place. Since no oxidation took
place, the tea has more of a green appearance. From there,
it goes off to be sorted, graded, and packaged.
My
Suggestions:
Here
is a green tea with a great taste and health benefits from
Adagio Teas!
If
you are new to green tea and would like to try a few different
examples, try this sample pack.
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