How to brew green tea: tips

Green tea is considered the most healthy drink. In the East, this drink is used as a means of preventing cancer. It has a large amount of antioxidants, removes cholesterol, promotes weight loss, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. And this is not the whole list of positive properties of green tea. However, in order for this wonderful drink to reveal all the richness of its potential, you will need special dishes and a special way of brewing. Not without reason in Asian countries there is a special ceremony for brewing tea. It involves the selection and preparation of dishes, purification and heating of water, as well as the long and leisurely process of steaming tea leaves to obtain a fragrant greenish-yellow drink.

How to get green tea

Green and black teas are leaves of the same tea bush, they are only processed in different ways. After collection (and high-quality tea is collected from April 15 to the end of July), 2-3 young tea leaves are dried right on the day of collection for 2 days, then processed with hot steam (the color is not very saturated, and the taste is soft) or in pots on fire (tea turns bright green and very odorous). The Japanese love steaming tea leaves, and the Chinese prefer roasting. In the process of short-term (no more than 3 minutes) heat treatment, tea loses moisture and curls. Tea leaves preserve tannins, and the leaves themselves are curled into a tube. Green tea is not fermented. It practically does not change color, but loses the aroma of fresh, freshly ripped greens, acquiring a tart, dryish smell. Then the tea leaves are made either crumbly (long leaf) or tabletted when the leaves are ground into powder and pressed.

What is green tea good for?

Green tea contains a lot of nutrients. The inhabitants of the East owe a high life expectancy to the competent use of this wonderful healing drink. The best qualities of green tea include:

1. Caffeine. This is an alkaloid synthesized in plants, including tea bush, with the aim of repelling insect pests and attracting pollinating insects. Moreover, the amount of caffeine in a cup of green tea is about the same as in the same cup of expresso. Therefore, a cup of tea will wake you no worse than a coffee drink. Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, tones blood vessels, gives strength and energy. But caffeine in green tea will not affect a person as directly as in coffee due to the content of thiamine (vitamin B1).
2. Thiamine. In a different way, this is vitamin B1. It has a calming effect, reducing the effects of caffeine. Maintains normal tone of the heart muscle and stomach. Thiamine in combination with caffeine normalizes metabolic processes in the body and enhances metabolism. Due to this property, green tea is considered an excellent tool for weight loss.
3. A nicotinic acid. This is vitamin PP, which is especially rich in green tea. Niacin is an excellent antiallergen, slows down blood coagulation, improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines, and helps to contract the myocardium. Stimulates the inhibitory processes of the central nervous system.
4. Tannin or tannic acids. They strengthen the walls of blood vessels, make the taste of tea tart and rich, without irritating the gastric mucosa. The greatest advantage of tannin is its ability to remove radioactive strontium.
5. Catechins or antioxidant flavonoids. They inhibit the growth of cancer cells, as well as break down fat deposits in the abdomen.Catechins are essential for people with diabetes because they increase insulin sensitivity. They are no worse than calcium and help fight osteoporosis.
6. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid. 100 grams of green tea contains 280 mg of ascorbic acid. Accordingly, in one cup of freshly brewed green tea contains 7 mg of vitamin C. And this is 8% of the daily value for men and 16% for women. Of course, all these figures are approximate, but this figure is not bad.
7. Glutelin and albumin. These are proteins whose content in green tea is in no way inferior to legumes.
8. Essential oils give green tea an unusual and attractive aroma.

Despite the large number of useful properties, you should not treat green tea as a drink quenching thirst. Do not exceed the consumption of 3-4 cups per day, and you will always be in good shape and good mood.

How to choose the right green tea for brewing

Some consumers complain of the tastelessness of green tea, that its taste resembles that of a knotweed plant. Perhaps the reason is really in poor-quality tea, but most often the unpleasant taste arises due to improper brewing of the drink.

Tea is brewed differently depending on the curl of the leaf. There are several types of twisting, among them:

• slightly twisted. Tea leaves are flat and flattened.
• strongly twisted along the longitudinal axis (pearl). The tea leaves are elongated and thin.
• strongly twisted along the transverse axis (Gunpowder).
• granulated. It is marked on the STS packaging (cut, tear, curl), which means “grinding, tearing, twisting”.

Green tea connoisseurs and admirers neglect granular tea. This is due to the fact that the tea leaves are not carefully selected during processing. The whole crop is ground with special rollers, after which the leaves are torn into small particles and curled. It turns out a powdery consistency, which is collected in granules. Waste from granulated tea production is small, maximum 20%. However, when the tea leaf is torn, its structure is destroyed. The aroma and taste of the brewed drink is not as refined and rich as that of large-leaf tea. But there are also advantages: such tea is brewed in a matter of minutes, it is not demanding on the conditions of preparation, it has a very rich taste, low price and high ability to invigorate and tone. This is ideal for those in a hurry in the morning, and who need to wake up faster and not bother with tea ceremonies.

If you want a soft taste from the drink, choose a slightly twisted type of tea. If you like a rich drink, choose strongly twisted teas. Gunpowder or "green pearl" has a bitter taste and sweet aroma with notes of tropical fruits. With improper brewing, its taste will scare off saturation and astringency. The specifics of brewing Gunpowder is as follows: pour a teaspoon of tea with 150 m of hot water (not boiling water) and let it brew for 1 minute. Drain, then refill the cup with the same amount of water and let it brew for no more than 3 minutes. Now the drink is ready to drink. Do not overdo it, otherwise get too saturated and very bitter tea drink. In the process of brewing tea balls unwind to a full leaf. You will certainly be captivated by the smoky aroma of Gunpowder.

Tea grade Taiping Hou Kui belongs to the category of slightly twisted. Tea leaves have an elongated flat shape. Especially for their brewing, there are high teapots so that the teas do not break. Brew tea not too hot water and insist 3-5 minutes.

The white monkey variety is made from the first tea leaves and the top two leaves. They are dried right on the street, as a result of which, when dry, the tea leaves have a twisted shape resembling a monkey's tail. Tea is not brewed with boiling water, and it can be brewed several times in a row.The color of tea is light, almost lemon, and the taste and aroma are delicate, delicate, with floral notes.

Sencha is a popular variety of Japanese tea. During processing, the leaves are steamed and pressed into thin strips. Tea is brewed with hot water for no more than 2 minutes.

Matcha tea has a powdery structure and is not brewed like ordinary loose tea. 1-2 teaspoons of tea are whipped in a cup with a small amount of warm water, then the water is added to the desired saturation of the drink. To prevent tea from tasting hay, do not keep it in an open package, but pour it into a glass jar with a ground lid.

Houjicha is fried during processing, so the leaves have a brown tint. It contains a minimum amount of caffeine, contributes to better absorption of food and the breakdown of fats. It is brewed with boiling water for 30 seconds, no more.

What utensils are used to brew tea

Many tea lovers are concerned about the question: in which glassware is it better to brew green tea?

Cast iron teapots are small and flattened. The inside of the kettle is covered with enamel, which prevents the process of oxidation and the appearance of rust. The high heat-shielding properties of cast iron make it possible to better retain heat and evenly distribute it inside the teapot. Green tea should not be brewed with boiling water. Cast iron will take away excess heat, and the temperature inside will be exactly what it takes to get a tasty drink.

Ceramic teapots are made of high quality clay. The water in them does not cool for a long time, but it does not burn hands. It is better to brew tea in a cast-iron teapot, and then pour it into a ceramic one to enjoy the process of tea drinking with the guests all evening.

A porcelain teapot has the same qualities as a ceramic teapot, only it is much lighter in weight and expensive.

Glass teapot with a metal strainer inside is common in Europe. The transparent walls of the kettle allow you to observe the process of brewing tea. However, it is not suitable for expensive elite varieties, as water cools quickly, and heat transfer inside is uneven.

The main thing in the process of brewing green tea is to remember that in no case is it brewed with boiling water. Granular teas are more democratic and less demanding, but they are not so exquisite. Slightly twisted and highly twisted tea varieties are brewed in different ways. The most convenient cooking utensil is a cast-iron kettle. Before brewing, it is rinsed with boiling water, only then pour the tea leaves according to the instructions on the package. The brewing time is also indicated by the manufacturer, because each variety has its own specifics. And do not get carried away with green tea, because it is to some extent a medicine.

Video: how to brew green