Green Tea Brewing 101
As you might already know, many people are raving about the benefits of green tea. Apparently, there are several overall health benefits to making green tea part of your regular diet routine. However, did you know that in order to fully take advantage of the health benefits of green tea it should be brewed and not fermented? Fermenting is generally just for black tea.
Why is it so important to have your green tea brewed? Here are three of the top reasons you should consume brewed green tea and why the brewing process is so very important for your health.
When the tea is brewed it is able to retain the vital nutrients and vitamins that are necessary for the tea to be effective and beneficial to your health. If the green tea is fermented it will take the necessary components away and only leave the person consuming it to believe they are receiving the benefits, when in reality they are not.
By brewing the green tea you are essentially getting rid of the caffeine in it. The theanin and catechin are the elements that are brought out during the brewing process that assist in the minimizing of the caffeine.
The taste and smell of the green tea when it is brewing and even after it has been brewed is incomparable. It literally can get your taste buds in a tizzy. This is something that is rarely found in drinks that are fermented instead of brewed.
Many people are under the misconception that it is very difficult to brew your own green tea at home. However, it is actually quite a simple process that almost anyone can do. All you really need for your freshly brewed green tea is water and green tea. The hardest part of making freshly brewed green tea is deciding whether you should use fresh tea leaves or tea bags.
The type of water you use to brew your green tea in is very important for the overall taste. You can use plain tap water. Although, many people prefer to use bottled water, such as mineral. This can be costly if you plan to add green tea into your daily routine.
If you have chlorine in your tap water you should leave the water out for a few hours on the counter before you boil it. If you are unsure if your water has chlorine in it, you might want to leave the water out, just to be on the safe side.
The next step is the boiling process. As you know, the more water you plan to boil the longer it will take for your freshly brewed green tea to be completed. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, you need to remove the cover on the pan or at kettle. Allow the water to continue boiling for a little while longer. The temperature of the boiling water is going to vary depending on your specific tea type.
The next step in brewing your green tea is only going to take around three minutes or so. This is called steeping, the longer you allow the tea to steep will increase the level of polyphenol. With a decrease in the levels of polyphenol there will be an increase in the levels of antioxidants in the tea.
