How Is Green Tea Produced

This is an overview of the production of green tea, specifics may vary across each type of green tea but by and large the process is can be summed as the following main stages:

i) 'Shaqing'

ii) Rolling

iii) Drying

i) 'Shaqing'

'Shaqing'- which is translated literally from Chinese as 'killing of the green' is a crucial step in the production of green tea as it stops the oxidization of the tea leaves, preserving the characteristics of green tea including its appearance, aroma and taste. 'Shaqing' also dispels part of the grass smell and develops the aroma of green tea. Lastly, through the partial evaporation of moisture in green tea, the leaves are more pliable and easier to roll.

This process involves quickly heating the tea leaves to about 75°C-80°C (167°F-176°F) which destroys the active enzymes.

This is done either manually where the tea master heats the tea leaves with a wok while stirring and manipulating the tea leaves by hand or through a 'shaqing' machine which uses steam to produce the required heat.

Usually ~30%-40% of the moisture of the leaves is lost through the process of 'shaqing'.

ii) Rolling

Rolling of the tea leaves is a common step in the production of most categories of tea. It helps the tea leaves take on the shape that we see the 'final' dry leaves be it twisted, curled into beads or flattened.

It is not mere aesthetics though- rolling also destroys the cell structure of the tea leaves and extracts the juices of the raw leaves which help in releasing the flavor of the tea when infused as well as improving the number of times the tea can be steeped. Also the rolled leaves are smaller in volume and hence can be packed or stored more efficiently.

Rolling of green tea can either be done hot or cold. 'Hot rolling' is rolling of the tea leaves when it is still hot from the 'shaqing' process. The heat causes the leaves to be more pliable and easier to be rolled or twisted to its desired shape.

For more tender leaves, the leaves are left to settle until the leaves cool significantly. As tender leaves contain less cellulose and hence are more pliable in nature, they can be rolled when they are cool. This better preserves the chlorophyll of the leaves and hence the natural green color of the leaves.

Rolling can be done by hand on a wok but apart from some of the most expensive green teas in China such as West Lake Dragon Well, it is largely mechanized. Some small farms have semi-automatic machines which are operated by hand but in larger factories, there are huge machineries to accomplish this process.

In general, the standard for higher grade green tea is that above 80% of the leaves must be twisted successful while the floor is 60% for lower grades

iii) Drying

Drying is the final stage of the production of green tea and there are 4 main ways of doing so, namely steaming, baking, roasting and sun-drying.

This process sets out to improve the taste and nature of the tea leaves as well as reducing the moisture further to prevent 'molding' and prolong the shelf life of the tea.

a) Steaming

Steaming is one of the oldest methods of producing green tea which has spread to Japan during the Tang Dynasty where the fundamental principles unchanged in the production of matcha today.

Steaming though usually does not produce the same full flavor as roasting and often the grassy smell is more prevalent and the tea itself is more astringent. As a result, steaming has largely been abandoned since the Ming Dynasty.

However ever since 1972, China has imported modern steaming machines from Japan and this method has made a comeback, predominantly for exports such as China produced Sencha.

Among the higher grades of green teas produced using steaming include Enshi Yulu from Hubei and Yangixan tea from Jiangsu.

b) Baking

Another method of drying green tea leaves involves baking. The leaves are placed into a 'baking cage' and baked until it is dry.

This method is also used for processing of scented tea such as jasmine tea.

Some famous varietals that are processed with this method include Huangshan Furry Peak, Taiping Houkui and Huading Yunwu.

c) Roasting

Green tea leaves can also be dried by roasting or 'frying' them on a wok. This can be used for a varieties of teas including pearls and higher grade varietals like the famous Dragon Well, Bilochun and Liu An Gua Pian.

d) Sun-drying

The final method is quite straight forward, is to arrange the tea leaves under the sun and let nature do its work.

This is common in Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi and generally is not used for higher grade green tea.

This is just a general guide on how green tea is processed as specifics differ across varietals and even among producers for the same type of tea.

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Buying the Best Chamomile Tea - How To Locate the Best Brands to Buy This Herbal Tea From

Chamomile, also spelled camomile, is a popular herb for use either on its own in herbal teas or in blends. When buying chamomile tea, there are a number of questions and factors to consider.

Tea company or bulk herb company?

Chamomile is sold both by tea companies and bulk herb companies. Tea companies tend to have higher prices, but, in some cases, have selected high-quality batches that are better for brewing as herbal tea. Check the company though: some of the better herb companies have extraordinary

Blend or pure chamomile?

Not all teas labeled as "chamomile" are made exclusively from the chamomile plant; many of these herbal teas are actually blends which contain mostly chamomile, but also contain other herbs or flavorings.

Some people actually prefer these blends, because the pure herb can have a rather bitter aftertaste. These sorts of blends are typically sold by tea companies, and less commonly by bulk herb companies.

Loose-leaf herb, or tea bags?

Another major distinction when buying any type of tea or herbal tea is the question of whether to buy loose-leaf or tea bags. Tea bags offer the primary advantage of convenience. However, when buying tea bags, a large portion of what you are paying goes to the industrial packing process and the packing materials themselves. When buying loose-leaf herbs or tea, you are paying primarily for the product you wish to buy, with only a small amount of packaging. Loose-leaf or bulk herbs are also more sustainable, in that they use fewer resources to obtain the same end result, and they result in less waste. Lastly, loose-leaf tea and bulk herbs often offer superior quality.

For this reason, if you are cost-conscious and concerned with quality, I would recommend buying loose-leaf or bulk chamomile from a tea company or herb company, rather than buying the standard tea bags available in supermarkets. When buying in bulk, I recommend the whole dried flowers, rather than powdered herb. For brewing, if you do not have one, purchase a strainer or tea filter. My favorites are basket infusers with a stainless steel mesh that sit inside a mug or teapot. Tea balls also work but are less optimal.

Look for whole, intact flowers:

Freshness is of prime importance when buying any sort of tea, herbs, or spice, and chamomile is no exception. The best sources of chamomile usually show whole, intact flowerheads attached to small stems. If the flowerheads are crushed up into finer pieces, this does not necessary mean that the batch you are looking at is necessarily lower quality, but keep in mind that finely broken herbs lose their flavor more quickly, so such batches are less likely to be fresh or stay fresh than batches consisting mostly of whole chamomile flowerheads.

Conutry of origin?

Chamomile is produced in a number of different countries. Much of the commercially available herb originates in Egypt, but it is also relatively common for it to be grown in Europe, such as in Germany and France. Country of origin does influence flavor, and is worth looking at if you have nuanced tastes. And In general, companies selling higher-quality herbs will identify the country of origin of each herb.

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Lapsang Souchong Black Tea - Caffeine Content, Smokiness, Reviews, Etc

Lapsang souchong, widely known as a "smoky tea" or "smoked tea", is a Chinese black tea, originating in the Wuyi mountains, which is dried over pine smoke. The pine smoke imparts a unique smoky quality to the aroma of the tea, which, in its smokier incarnations, is described as having an aroma similar to campfire smoke. The traditional lapsang souchongs, however, are considerably more subtle in their smoky aromas, and more closely resemble other high-quality Chinese black teas, such as Keemun.

This article explores several topics related to Lapsang souchong, including the levels of caffeine, and varying levels of smokiness. The article concludes with a brief summary of some of my personal reviews.

Caffeine content:

"Souchong", written in modern Chinese as "Xiaozhong", is a grade of tea used to describe a wide variety of black teas. Souchongs, denoted in the standard grading system by an (S), are actually somewhat of a low grade, consisting of larger, tougher, more mature leaves from the tea plant than the standard orange pekoe (OP) grade. The tips and smaller, younger leaves of the tea plant are higher in caffeine than the larger, more mature leaves, so souchongs, including lapsang souchong, are considerably lower in caffeine than other standard grades of black tea (and lower than a number of green and white teas as well).

Smokiness: traditional (subtly smoky) vs. intensely smoky:

Although there is a broad range of qualities in Lapsang souchong teas, these teas can be roughly divided into two types: the more intensely smoky style, most well-known in the west, especially in British tea culture, and the traditional style, which have a subtly smoke aroma, and are more similar in overall character to other Chinese black teas, like a high-grade Keemun.

Because a lot of people object to the intense smoky quality of the British style of Lapsang Souchong, and because these teas tend to be low in both caffeine and bitterness, these teas are often blended with other, stronger teas, creating a blend which has both a more moderated smoky quality, and more of a kick.

My reviews:

I personally am a huge fan of the traditional style of Lapsang souchong. I would recommend one that I sampled from the small tea company, Life in Teacup, recently. This tea had chocolatey nuances and a pleasing roasted quality. For a more strongly smoky variety, in tea bags, I would recommend looking at Twinings, which is widely available, and for loose-leaf, Upton Tea Imports, which sells an organic version of this tea (ZS85). These teas were both good, even though they were in the more intense style that I do not prefer.

If you want to learn more about these teas, my recommendation is to try them for yourself. If you have not yet tried the traditional style, and are intimidated by the overwhelming smokiness of some Lapsang souchong, I recommend getting your hands on some of the traditional stuff from a company specializing in Chinese teas.

Keemun Black Tea From China - Caffeine Content, Health Benefits, And Other Properties

Keemun is a type of Chinese black tea, originating in Qimen county of Anhui Province, China. This article gives an overview of the caffeine content, health benefits, and other properties of Keemun.

Keemun is primarily produced in Anhui province, but teas in this style have also begun to be produced in nearby Hubei, as well as in Jiangxi, and even in Taiwan. Keemun is usually described as having an earthy aroma, and its overall character is quite different from Indian and Ceylon teas. My personal perspective is that Keemun has a richer, warmer quality, often reminiscent of dried fruit, and in higher grades, a pleasing hint of wood or wood smoke. These teas are rich and full-bodied, and are among my favorite black teas.

Caffeine content:

Although you may be looking for more concrete information, it is hard to generalize about the caffeine content of Keemun. Even though it originates primarily in one region and shares certain aspects of production, Keemun is fairly diverse, coming in different grades. As a general rule though, Keemun is often in the moderate to high end of caffeine content, among teas, which means that it still has considerably less caffeine than a typical cup of coffee. Keemun has historically been used in breakfast blends, where strongly caffeinated teas were desired

Health benefits:

Keemun has actually been the subject of direct scientific study., in association with weight loss in animal studies. There is only a small amount of research referring specifically to this variety of tea, however, so most of what can be said about Keemun must be inferred from general studies about black tea.

Although green tea has a stronger association with supposed "health benefits" in the public consciousness in the United States, this association may be skewed by historical factors. Much of the early research on tea and health was conducted in Japan, where tea is synonymous with green tea. Subsequent research has found substantial evidence that black tea is healthy as well. In the absence of more reserach specifically looking at Keemun, it seems reasonable to conclude that Keemun is likely to have a similar amonut of health benefits to black tea.

Locating high-quality Keemun:

My recommendation, if you want to buy the best Keemun, is to buy exclusively loose-leaf. My experience is that the best Keemun is usually sold by companies that specialize in Chinese tea. Because they store relatively well, Chinese black teas, even those of considerably high quality, tend to be relatively inexpensive, with all but the highest grades (Keemun Hao Ya A and B, and Keemun Mao Feng) costing well under $10 for about 1/4 pound or about 100-125 grams. A few companies, including Rishi Tea, Arbor Teas, and Little Red Cup, sell fair trade certified Keemun, produced in Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces, respectively.

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Ceylon Black Tea - Caffeine Content, Health Benefits, And Other Properties

Ceylon black tea, often called just "Ceylon", refers to black tea that has been grown in Sri Lanka. "Ceylon" is simply an old name for Sri Lanka that has remained in use in the tea world, but fallen out of use elsewhere.

Ceylon is a mainstay of British culture, where it is frequently consumed on its own, as well as one ingredient among many in the classic English Breakfast blends. Ceylon comes in a wide variety of different grades; the standard grade is orange pekoe. Most people are familiar with the tea bags for sale in mainstream supermarkets, but single region and single estate loose-leaf Ceylon tea is popular among connoisseurs, as well as cost-conscious shoppers looking to save money, as loose tea can offer considerable savings. Because they tend to be reasonably priced, these single-harvest teas, grown in small batches from particular gardens can be an affordable luxury good.

Caffeine content:

Although this may come as somewhat of a dismay to readers, there is little that can be said about the caffeine content of Ceylon black teas. Because Ceylon refers to a growing region, and not a varietal or grade, tea sold under the Ceylon label can come from a wide variety of grades and cultivars.

As a general rule, however, an overwhelming majority of Ceylon tea is of a standard or average grade, orange pekoe, which tends to have a fairly typical caffeine content among teas (often around 60mg per cup, contrasting with the 85-135mg per typical cup of coffee). Tippy ceylon, containing a higher portion of leaf bud, common in higher grades of tea, will tend to have a higher caffeine content. Stronger-tasting Ceylon tea does not necessarily contain more caffeine: some of the higher grades of tea have a lighter flavor, but can actually contain more caffeine. If you are especially concerned with the caffeine content of a particular batch, you need to verify this information with the company selling your tea.

Health benefits:

Although green tea has gotten the lion's share of the attention when it comes to the topic of health benefits, there is a growing body of evidence that black tea is healthy as well. There have been few studies comparing Ceylon teas to teas produced in other regions, but as Ceylons are typical among black teas, and span a wide range of grades, until any research suggests otherwise, there is little reason to assume that the health benefits of teas produced in Sri Lanka differ substantially as a general rule from other standard black teas.

Learn more:

The best way to learn about Ceylon black tea is to sample it from yourself. My personal recommendation is to buy single-estate, loose-leaf Ceylon tea from companies that specialize in high-end, British-style teas.

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Why Drinking Tea Is Beneficial

No doubt that tea had also conquered the modern world today. The concept of tea drinking started several thousand years ago in China when a few leaves of a Camellia plant accidentally fell into boiling water. Chinese Emperor Shen Nung right away fell in love with this new found beverage and thought that people can use this beverage in their everyday life.

This has led to tea drinking evolving and becoming embraced by different countries around the world. Tea is perhaps the most famous beverage nowadays. In fact, tea is commonly used in most countries in the absence of coffee and sodas.

Since time immemorial tea drinking and coffee drinking has always been put against each other by many people. Although coffee has been deemed to have anti-oxidants that can help a person regenerate cells easily, tea drinkers would contend that it the caffeine content can do more harm than good.

There are even studies that would indicate that too much consumption of caffeine could lead to insomnia. Too much caffeine may also affect the flow of the blood to the brain as it reduces the rate of flow by 10 to 20 percent. All of these is aside from the fact that taking too much caffeine can also cause nervousness, jitters, and rapid heartbeat which could lead to serious health problems.

On the other hand, many people consider drinking tea as quite beneficial because it has fluoride and tannins that drive the plaque away. Tannin is also a quite popular deterrent of the negative effects of monosodium glutamate. Depending on the type of tea that you use, you might even get to experience some weight loss tea benefits.

Weight Loss By Drinking Tea

Many people are in to many diet plans just to get the figure that they want. Not many of them, however, are sold to the idea that tea can actually help you lose weight. In truth, however, you can get weight loss tea benefits from it. Forget all the latest South Beach diet and exercise trends and try to consider drinking tea on your diet plans.

One of the benefits that you can enjoy is the lowering of your bad cholesterol level. With the help of the chemical called catechin, which is present in most teas, the latter is able to reduce cholesterol levels in two ways - on, it promotes the removal of plasma LDL in the liver; and two, the catechin in tea inhibits the absorption and re-absorption of cholesterol in your intestine.

Aside from that, one of the tea benefits that you might be interested in would be the slow release of carbohydrates in your body system, preventing an abrupt increase in blood-insulin levels. This, in turn, may help you burn excess body fat easily.

In order to take advantage of the various weight loss tea benefits, you must consider drinking tea at least three times a day. The extract of the tea, compared to placebo and caffeine, can produce 4% increase in your 24-hour energy spending. This will take place if you consume 2,000 calories per day and you weren't able to gain or lose weight. Slimming tea benefits also include the increasing effect of the metabolism of fats by the liver or commonly called the thermogenic effect.

Another benefits that you can take advantage of is the inhibition of the lipase or the fat absorption enzyme in the digestive tract of every people. It also provides a feeling of satiety and fullness to most tea drinkers. To sum it all up, weight loss tea benefits includes the boosting of your metabolic rate, regulation of your blood sugar, and the suppression of your appetite to give the feeling of fullness.

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Why Tea Has Caffeine

Why tea has caffeine: plants do not waste energy producing chemicals they do not need - that would be an evolutionary blind alley - so there must a good reason why tea has caffeine. In 1984, Dr. James A. Nathanson, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School, published the first evidence in Science. Dr. Nathanson discovered that caffeine, a purine alkaloid, is a potent natural insecticide which, at significant concentrations, kills numerous insects within hours or a few days at most. Caffeine altered behavior, reduced food consumption, and interfered with reproduction in tobacco hornworms, milkweed bugs, meal worms, butterfly larvae and mosquito larvae. Dr. Nathanson said this natural insecticide works by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase in insects' nervous systems. Phosphodiesterase breaks down a substance called cyclic AMP which nerve cells use for signaling. Without phosphodiesterase, cyclic AMP builds up in insects' nerve cells to concentrations that interfere with the cells' functions.

Caffeine can accumulate in significant concentrations in insects' bodies because they lack the complex suite of enzymes present in the human liver that readily break it down. A typical insect will have principally the enzymes needed to digest its food and few insects can detoxify caffeine fast enough to survive ingesting very much of it.

Tea plants, Camellia sinensis, are preyed upon by 1,031 different insect pests worldwide, so defense against them is the principal reason why tea has caffeine. Thankfully for tea drinkers, the caffeine produced by the Camellia Sinensis plant interferes with eating in these insect pests and paralyzes them.

The most vulnerable parts of the tea plant are new leaves and buds. It should be no surprise that caffeine is concentrated there. The many teas made from those tender, young leaves and buds naturally tend to have more caffeine than those made from mature leaves lower down on the plants. The mature leaves are more challenging for insects to attack: their stronger structures are harder to bite and chew, so they can survive with less of the insecticide in them.

Research has also shown that injury to a C. sinensis plant, whether from insect attack or a fungus infection, will induce the plant to produce a lot more caffeine at the site of the injury anywhere on the plant. So, defense against disease may be another reason why tea has caffeine.

It is clear that C. sinensis does not have caffeine in order to provide people with a pleasant stimulant in their morning cups of tea. We are just lucky that we get a boost in alertness, energy, and the ability to concentrate and to focus from tea plants' defensive system. We get the benefits of this stimulant and the antioxidants and other beneficial chemicals in tea at very little cost without being one of the reasons why tea has caffeine.

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