China is a country with a long tea culture. Green tea, a classic Chinese tea, is the most popular and beneficial among many tea types and one of the most popular teas in the world. It is known around the world for its fragrance and health benefits. Below, we will introduce you to this green tea in detail to help you better understand this delicious drink.
Eight famous green teas
Longjing tea (龙井茶, lóngjǐng chá)
Longjing tea, also known as West Lake Longjing, is one of the famous teas produced in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. This kind of tea has the characteristics of fragrance, freshness, sweetness and mellow taste. Longjing tea is flat in appearance, light green in color, and clear and bright in color. Longjing tea is known as one of the “Top Ten Famous Teas in China” for its excellent quality and unique aroma.
Biluochun tea (碧螺春茶, bìluóchūn chá)
Biluochun is a type of green tea produced in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. Its shape is curled into a spiral shape, hence its name. Biluochun tea soup is yellow-green in color, has an elegant fragrance, and has a fresh and sweet taste. The tea soup after brewing is also cool and refreshing. Biluochun tea has very high health care value. Regular drinking can regulate the metabolism in the body and enhance the body’s immunity.
Tieguanyin tea (铁观音茶, tiěguānyīn chá)
Tieguanyin is a type of green tea produced in Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Its appearance is flat and hemispherical. The tea soup is bright yellow in color, mellow in taste, and has a honey aroma and sweet taste. Tieguanyin tea contains a large amount of tea polyphenols and caffeine, which has a refreshing effect. At the same time, Tieguanyin tea also has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying. Regular drinking can help prevent colds and gastrointestinal diseases.
Pearl tea (珠茶, zhū chá)
Pearl tea is a type of green tea produced in Fujian Province, China. It is made by screening, rolling and pressing tea leaves and has a bead-like appearance. The aroma of pearl tea is elegant, the taste is fresh and refreshing, and it has the functions of lowering blood lipids, losing weight and health care. When drinking pearl tea, you need to put the pearl tea balls into the pot first. After adding hot water, the tea balls will gradually expand, releasing a rich aroma and taste.
Huangshan Maofeng tea (黄山毛峰茶, huángshān máofēng chá)
Huangshan Maofeng is a famous tea produced in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. Its tea leaves are as slender as needles, with tender green leaves and clear and bright soup. Huangshan Maofeng tea soup has a fresh taste, rich aroma and a certain sweetness. At the same time, Huangshan Maofeng tea is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals. Regular drinking can help prevent and treat some diseases, such as high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia.
Bamboo leaf green tea (竹叶绿茶, zhúyè lǜ chá)
Bamboo leaf green tea is a type of green tea produced in Mount Emei, Sichuan, China. Bamboo leaf green tea has a flat and smooth appearance, bright green color, clear soup color, fresh aroma, and refreshing and sweet taste. Bamboo leaf green tea is rich in tea polyphenols and vitamin C. It has good antioxidant and health care effects. It can refresh the mind, lower blood pressure and fat, lose weight, etc.
Taiping Houkui tea (太平猴魁茶, tàipíng hóukuí chá)
Taiping Houkui is a famous tea produced in the Huangshan region of Anhui, China. Its tea leaves are flat and straight in shape, green in color, clear in color, long in aroma and mellow in taste. Taiping Houkui tea is rich in a variety of nutrients, such as tea polyphenols, amino acids, minerals, etc. It has good health care effects and can be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and lower blood pressure.
Nanjing Yuhua Tea (南京雨花茶, nánjīng yǔhuā chá)
Nanjing Yuhua tea is a treasure among green teas. Yuhua tea is famous for its green color, elegant aroma and sweet taste. When Yuhua tea is poured into boiling water, the water will suddenly show pekoe. When the tea is put into the water, it will sink immediately. After brewing, the tea color will be green and clear, with a quiet aroma. Drinking a cup will refresh your heart and leave the fragrance on your teeth and cheeks. The taste is mellow, and the aftertaste is sweet. The color, aroma and taste It is a high-quality product that has the functions of quenching thirst, refreshing the mind, digesting food, treating asthma, relieving annoyance and relieving tiredness.
Green tea benefits and effects
Clear away heat and relieve summer heat:
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, green tea is cold and cool. Therefore, for some irritability caused by heat, if you drink green tea appropriately, it has a good effect of clearing away heat and relieving summer heat.
Produce fluid and quench thirst:
Green tea can well stimulate the production of body fluid in the mouth. For people who are thirsty, dry mouth, and throat discomfort, drinking green tea appropriately can well stimulate the production of body fluid in the mouth, thereby relieving thirst, dry mouth, and throat discomfort. symptom.
anti-oxidation:
Green tea is rich in tea polyphenols, which can effectively scavenge free radicals. Therefore, it also has positive effects in antioxidant and anti-aging.
Regulates metabolism of the nervous system:
For the decline in quick thinking and brain fatigue caused by mental workers, if you drink green tea appropriately, it has a very refreshing effect.
Anti-aging
The ester polysaccharides and sucrose contained in green tea can help the body resist radiation and avoid damage caused by radiation; the catechins in green tea can scavenge free radicals, protect cell membranes, and delay skin aging.
Prevent cancer
The tea polyphenols in green tea can block the synthesis of carcinogens such as nitrite amines in the body, kill cancer cells and improve the body’s immunity. The tea polyphenols in green tea have a positive effect on the prevention of gastric cancer, intestinal cancer and other cancers.
Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial: The tea polyphenols in green tea have obvious inhibitory and killing effects on pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
Promote digestion
The caffeine in green tea can increase gastric juice secretion and aid digestion.
Lose weight
Green tea itself has very low calories and is rich in vitamin C, which can reduce the accumulation of fat in the body and achieve the purpose of losing weight.
Refreshing
The caffeine in green tea can excite the central nervous system of the human body, increase the excitation process of the cerebral cortex, and have a refreshing effect. It also has a certain effect on migraine relief.
How to brew green tea
1. Selection of tea sets:
Glass cups with good transparency are the first choice for brewing green tea, especially delicate and precious green teas such as West Lake Longjing and Biluochun. In addition to glass cups, white porcelain tea cups are also a good choice. Porcelain tea sets are more elegant in shape, feel delicate in the hand, and are easier to keep warm than glass cups.
2. Water temperature control:
The most suitable water temperature for brewing green tea is around 85°C. The water temperature can be adjusted appropriately according to the brewing method, tea variety, season, and freshness. If the water temperature is too high, it is not conducive to timely heat dissipation. The tea soup will be stuffy and turn yellow, with a bitter taste and a taste of cooked soup. After brewing twice, the water temperature can be increased appropriately.
3. Brewing method:
There are two commonly used methods for brewing green tea, namely the upper pouring method and the middle pouring method. The upward pouring method is to add enough hot water to the tea cup at one time, and when the water temperature is appropriate, add the tea leaves. The water temperature in this method must be controlled very accurately. The more tender the tea leaves, the lower the water temperature requirement. Some tea leaves can be put in when the water temperature is 70°C. The medium investment method is to add 1/3 of the hot water after adding the tea leaves, shake it slightly to allow the tea leaves to absorb enough water and stretch out, and then add 70% of the hot water to the tea leaves.
The upper throwing method and the middle throwing method are suitable for delicate tea leaves. There is also a method that is less used, that is, the lower throwing method. The pouring method is different from the previous two methods. It puts the tea leaves first, and then pours enough hot water into the tea cup at one time. This method is suitable for general green tea with poor tenderness.
4. Number of times of brewing:
It is best to brew green tea for the first three times. After the third brew, the taste begins to fade.
How to store green tea
Refrigerator preservation
Green tea can be stored in the refrigerator. Pack the green tea into high-density, high-pressure, thick, good-strength, odor-free food packaging bags, and then place it in the freezer or cold room of the refrigerator. The general temperature is controlled at 3°C to 6°C. This method The storage time is long and the effect is good, but the bag mouth must be sealed tightly and it is best to leave it alone to avoid moisture resurgence or odor transfer, which will damage the quality of the green tea. If possible, you can choose a separate refrigerator specifically for storing tea.
Canning
Containers for storing tea can be metal cans, boxes, cans, boxes, etc. The materials are iron, aluminum, or paper, and the shapes are square, round, flat, or irregular. After sealing and packaging the tea leaves, place them in a cool, dry and low-temperature place. It is important to note that the tea leaves must be well sealed, and the tea leaves must be packaged to avoid light, moisture, and odor.
Plastic bag storage method
Store green tea in thick opaque plastic bags and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Place in another plastic bag, seal, then place in container and seal.
How to choose green tea
Observe the shape, color, aroma of dry tea, etc. of the tea. If possible, you can also identify it by brewing, smelling the aroma, tasting the taste, observing the color of the soup, the age, tenderness, and color of the tea residue.
Spring tea is the best among green teas, followed by winter tea. Therefore, to buy good green tea, it is best to buy it in spring, which is better and fresher.
Understand the origin of green tea. Since various tea tree varieties are suitable for growing in different terrains and soil quality, the quality of green tea produced in different places also varies.
Because green tea is easy to oxidize, when purchasing packaged green tea, special attention should be paid to the manufacturing date and shelf life. Once opened, drink it as soon as possible to avoid losing the fresh fragrance and nutrition of green tea. It needs to be stored in a refrigerated cabinet on a daily basis. .
The bottom line
This article introduces several different green teas, including Longjing tea, Biluochun, Tieguanyin, pearl tea, Huangshan Maofeng, bamboo leaf green tea, Taiping Houkui and Nanjing Yuhua tea, as well as their appearance, aroma, taste and health care effects. This article also introduces how to brew and store green tea, as well as what to consider when choosing green tea. Green tea is a healthy and delicious drink. Different types of green tea have their own unique aroma and taste. You can choose the green tea that suits you according to your personal taste and needs. No matter which green tea you choose, you’ll enjoy its health benefits and great tea-tasting experience. I hope this article can help you better understand and appreciate the charm of green tea.
