Learn More About Loose Leaf Green Tea
Below we hope to answer some basic questions about what green tea is, the various forms and how best to infuse.
What is Green Tea?
Green Tea is very well known form of tea. However, we ask the question more in the context of if all tea leaves are from a tea bush, how is green tea different from black tea or oolong tea or white tea? And in this context, it is the way the leaves are plucked and produced that results in green tea. The main difference is that the oxidisation process of the leaves is halted - so they do not turn brown as with Oolong Teas or Black Tea. The leaves are plucked from the tea bush when they are fully open, sometimes left to wither for a short while and then heat is applied to prevent oxidisation, a chemical reaction that occurs between the moisture contained in the leaf and the oxygen in the air. The green tea leaves are then rolled or pressed to develop their unique flavours, before being dried and sorted.
Choosing Your Loose Leaf Green Teas
Green Tea Leaves are amazing in both their varied forms and the health benefits they give too. For the purposes of everyday serving, 3 - 5 cups of green tea a day is associated with health benefits, but which one should you choose? As the chemical structure of a green tea leaf is likely to be very similar from one to another, we would say the teas you should choose should be ones you really enjoy! You'll see from the category of loose leaf green teas below, that they can look (and taste) very different so it really is a good idea to sample and taste a good range. You'll find individual descriptions about each tea on their product page along with more detailed information about where grown, tasting notes etc. on the Product Profile tab shown next to the tea description. If you'd like to learn more about the health benefits of green tea visit: Health Benefits of Green Tea
How To Infuse Loose Leaf Green Tea
If you've ever tried green tea and been put off because it tasted really bitter, the chances are the water temperature that was used to infuse the tea leaves was too high or there was too much green tea for the volume of water (having too much tea for the volume of water used can make any tea bitter, not just green tea). So don't be put off! Great quality loose leaf green tea when infused properly is so sweet and delicious and definitely a tea to include on your tea menu.
As with all tea infusions, we start with water. Wherever possible, use fresh, filtered water. The water temperature to use should not be boiling but around 80 Degrees. Infusion times for green teas are also less than for larger leaf black teas within a range of 1 - 4 minutes, but for a medium strength we would suggest around 3 minutes in general.
If you'd like to learn more about Green teas and food pairings, check out our post at the Tea Hub: Tea And Food Pairing
