Tea Category:

Most people thought the green, oolong and black tea come from different plants , but it is , However, only the different processing methods that produce the different types of Tea.

The Green Tea

The green tea is often as “no fermented” or “unfermented “teas. The freshly picked leaves allowed drying. Then heat –treated to stop any fermentation (or oxidation). In china, some factories have introduced a mechanize process, but hand-making methods are still popular. By hand-making , the fresh green leaves are spread out in a thin layer on bamboo trays and exposed to sunlight or warm air for one or two hours. The tea leaves are placed, a small mount a time, into hot pans and move quickly by hands, until they become moist and soft and natural moisture evaporates. After five minutes, the softened leaves are rolled into balls on bamboo tables. Then the tea balls are again placed into the hot roasting pans and moved rapidly before being rolled for a second time or being left to dry. After one or two hours, the teas leaves have turned a dull green and undergo no further change. They are finally separated into different-size of leaf.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is also called “semi-fermented “tea and mostly produced in China and Taiwan.

The mature tea leaves were plucked and processed immediately. They are wilted in direct sunlight, and then shaken in bamboo baskets to bruise the edges of the leaves. The next stage is to dry them indoors to promote fermentation. The fermentation stoped when 30% leaves turn to red. So, it is called semi-fermentation. Then, the leaves are rolled and dried. At the final stage, the leaves were graded and separated by tea master. This kind of oolong tea is also called green Oolong. If the fermentation stopped when the 70% leaves turn red, this kind of tea produced is called black Oolong tea.

Black Tea

Black tea is also referred as ‘fermented’ tea. The tea leaves are laid out to wither for about 8 to 24 hours after the leaves are plucked. This step is to make most of water evaporate. After that, the leaves are rolled with out splitting the surface of the leaf. Next, the leaves are rolled, in order to release the chemical within the leave that are essential to the final color and favor. The rolled lumps of tea are then broken up and the leaf spread out in a cool, humid place for 3 – 5 hours to absorb oxygen, which cause chemical change in leaves and make them from green to red. Finally, the oxidized (or fermented) leaf is fired in order to arrest the natural decomposition, at this stage, the particles turn black. The last step, the resulting products are sorted by size.

Scented Teas

Scented teas are made by taking a base tea , such as green , oolong or black tea.

The additional flavorings are mixed with the processed leaf as a final stage before the tea is packed.

Organic Tea

Under organic rules, all fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides must to be free of chemical.

The resulting tea is to provide a fuller and richer taste besides being healthier for consumption.
The Green Hill's organic teas are certified by BCS , Germany; IMO, Switzerland; and QMI Organic Inc.

Health Benefits

Green tea has become popular due to its health benefits. The greatest green tea benefit is the presence of polyphenol oxidase - an abundant supply of antioxidants. The activity of antioxidants in tea is more than that in over 21 fruits and vegetables. Much scientific evidence has shown that green tea may well have a protective effect against several cancers (including skin cancer). Tea contains large quantities of polyphenols, many of which act as antioxidants. They kill human cancer cells. One of these polyphenols is found in no other plant and is a stronger antioxidant than vitamins E and C. It is radioprotective as well, especially against carcinogens induced by UV (sunlight). Scientific research also indicates that green tea may well have a protective effect against high blood pressure and heart disease.

Why green tea help to lose weight?

Recent studies show that green tea can help in the process of losing weight. Green tea slows down the absorption of fats and regulates glucose. The same substance, cathechin polyphenol, restrains the transition of glucose into fats. By doing that, experts believe that green tea is an effective glucose regulator. It effectively prevents insulin spikes and slows the rise of blood sugar after every meal. Insulin, as specialists agreed upon, promotes the storage of fats as it deals with the body’s blood sugar. Green tea has the ability to reduce appetite. Because green teas have regulating effects on the blood sugar, people who drink it are observed to eat food as much as 60 percent lesser than usual. So , you get lose just by drinking, even without diet and exercise.

Caffeine Content

Caffeine is an element of tea, All types of tea contain caffeine, however the amount of caffeine varies according to the way in which the tea leaves are processed. Green tea contains the least caffeine, Black tea the most, and Oolong falls in the middle range. The caffeine lever are lower than coffee and soft drink.

All figures are approximate, especially with coffee. Different varietals can have different caffeine content, and the way the coffee is roasted can also change the values

How can I decaffeinate tea ?

Green Hill Teas we like to keep our teas as natural as possible, so we choose not to use the extra chemicals and processing methods to eliminate caffeine. Besides, it's so simple to do it naturally at home. 90% of the caffeine in tea is extracted during the first 30 seconds of steeping-so all you have to do is steep the leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, toss the water and brew a fresh cup.

Why loose teas are are better than teabags?

·      Loose teas use the whole leaf while the teabags usually use the cut, ground or "dust" leaf. This makes regular teabags produce fewer Antioxidants and more Caffeine than loose teas. Another important factor which you may consider is bleach residue, a chemical, which remains on the teabags.

Water

An important role in making a nice cup of tea is the quality of water. The quality of water will affect the way the tea leaves dissolve in and therefore the quality of the tea. The spring water is the best. As for tap water, that is often highly chlorinated. The best option therefore is one of the various types of bottled spring water, now available everywhere. If you absolutely must use tap water (and admittedly, the tap water is quite good in a few areas), it is all the more important that the water is cold, as hot tap water can carry sediments from the tap along with it . Never use hot tap water.

How to store tea?

Tea easily absorbs moisture and odors and so it is essential that it is kept in a cool dry place away from any strong smelling items. It must be stored in an airtight container not exposed to light and used within a reasonable time. Because light breaks down the quality of tea, glass containers are not suitable for the storage of tea unless stored away from light.