Green Tea: Benefits, Production & Brewing Techniques

Green tea is deeply intertwined with Chinese tea culture, which emphasizes a life philosophy that fosters personal growth and spiritual purification through the process of brewing and enjoying tea. The delicate fragrance and mellow taste of green tea are believed to bring about a sense of calm and mental clarity. Additionally, green tea plays an important role in Chinese traditional festivals and social occasions, often given as a gift to express respect and goodwill.

Green tea is also widely popular around the world, especially in Asia and Western countries. China, as the largest producer and exporter of green tea globally, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s green tea production and export. The health benefits of green tea, such as its antioxidant and anti-aging properties, are key reasons for its popularity in international markets.

Characteristics of Green Tea

As one of the most popular beverages worldwide, green tea boasts several remarkable characteristics that not only give it a distinctive flavor but also imbue it with rich cultural significance and health benefits:

1. Vibrant color: Green tea retains a significant amount of chlorophyll due to the absence of fermentation, giving it a bright green hue. The color of the dried leaves can range from light green to dark green, and when brewed, the tea is clear, with an inviting light green tint, reminiscent of the freshness of spring.
2. Unique aroma: Green tea offers a distinctive fragrance, blending the fresh floral and grassy notes from nature with subtle roasted aromas from the careful drying process. This scent is both soothing and invigorating, awakening the senses and lifting the spirits.
3. Refreshing taste: The taste of green tea is crisp and refreshing, with a sharp yet clean flavor profile. Initially, it may have a slight astringency, followed by a long-lasting sweetness. This transformation from bitter to sweet provides a deeply satisfying experience for tea drinkers, with a complex and layered taste that lingers on the palate.
4. Rich in nutrients: Green tea is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, particularly catechins. These bioactive compounds provide various health benefits, such as slowing the aging process, boosting the immune system, and supporting cardiovascular health. It is often hailed as a “natural health elixir.”

Green tea’s widespread appeal stems not only from its unique appearance, aroma, taste, and nutritional value but also from the deep cultural significance it embodies. Every cup of green tea represents a blend of history and modernity, inviting us to savor its rich legacy.

Main Components of Green Tea

Green tea is an unfermented tea, which means it retains more of its natural compounds. Its main components include:

1. Tea polyphenols: These are the most important active compounds in green tea, particularly catechins, such as epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant properties that help neutralize free radicals and protect cells from oxidative damage.
2. Amino acids: Green tea contains several amino acids, with theanine being the most abundant. Theanine is known to enhance immunity, promote cell regeneration, and aid in stress relief.
3. Alkaloids: This group includes caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which stimulate the central nervous system and have diuretic effects, helping to improve focus and alertness.
4. Vitamins: Green tea is rich in vitamins like Vitamin C and Vitamin E, both of which are crucial for maintaining normal metabolism and immune function.
5. Minerals: Green tea provides essential minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese, which support fluid balance and bone health.
6. Catechins: These compounds, which make up the majority of tea polyphenols, offer numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and blood pressure-lowering effects.
7. EGCG: Epigallocatechin gallate is the most abundant and bioactive catechin in green tea, known for its wide range of health benefits.
8. Other compounds: Green tea also contains various organic compounds, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and terpenes, along with bioactive polysaccharides.

These components together give green tea its distinct flavor and health benefits, making it a widely consumed healthy beverage around the world.

Common Types of Green Tea

Green tea is a traditional Chinese tea, and its different types are classified based on how they are processed. The main types include:

1. Pan-fired green tea: The most common type, it is produced by pan-firing the leaves to halt oxidation and then drying them. Notable examples include West Lake Longjing, Biluochun, and Xinyang Maojian. These teas have a robust flavor, fresh aroma, and astringency, making them highly durable for multiple brews.
2. Steamed green tea: High-temperature steaming is used to halt oxidation, preserving the tea’s green color and fresh flavor, although the aroma tends to be lighter. Representative teas include Enshi Yulu and Sencha. Steamed green teas are rich in chlorophyll, protein, and amino acids, which are released quickly during brewing, making them easier to absorb and beneficial for health.
3. Baked green tea: After initial pan-firing, the tea is further dried by baking. Well-known examples include Huangshan Maofeng and Taiping Houkui. Baked green teas have a pronounced aroma and a rich, full-bodied flavor. They contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, making them an excellent choice for promoting relaxation and well-being.
4. Sun-dried green tea: A less common method today, sun-drying involves withering the leaves in the sun after pan-firing. Examples include Yunnan’s “Dianqing” and Sichuan’s “Chuanqing.” These teas have a rich aroma and astringency, making them durable for repeated infusions.

Each type of green tea offers a unique flavor and fragrance, catering to the diverse preferences of tea drinkers around the world.

Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is often praised for its potential health benefits due to its high concentration of bioactive compounds, particularly antioxidants like catechins and flavonoids. Here are some of the benefits of green tea for the body:

1. Antioxidant: Green tea is rich in polyphenols, especially catechins, which possess strong antioxidant properties. These compounds can neutralize free radicals in the body, reduce cell damage, slow down the aging process, and help prevent various chronic diseases.
2. Promotes Cardiovascular Health: Numerous studies have shown that the polyphenols in green tea can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and thereby protecting cardiovascular health. Green tea can also help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
3. Aids Digestion: The caffeine and polyphenols in green tea can stimulate gastric juice secretion, aiding in the digestion of food, especially fatty foods. It can also promote intestinal motility and relieve constipation issues.
4. Weight Control: The catechins in green tea can enhance fat metabolism, speeding up the burning of body fat, helping to control weight and prevent obesity. It can also increase satiety, reducing food intake.
5. Dental Protection: The fluoride and catechins in green tea can strengthen tooth enamel and reduce the occurrence of cavities. They can also inhibit bacterial growth in the mouth, promoting oral health.
6. Heat Relief: Green tea has a cool nature and a sweet-bitter taste, providing heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. During hot summer days, moderate consumption of green tea can effectively relieve internal heat, promote saliva secretion, and quench thirst. This effect is particularly suitable for alleviating symptoms like thirst and dry throat caused by high temperatures.
7. Mental Alertness: Green tea contains a certain amount of caffeine, which can stimulate the central nervous system, enhancing alertness and attention. For individuals experiencing fatigue and low energy, moderate consumption of green tea can help invigorate the mind and boost spirits.
8. Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory: The polyphenols in green tea also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, inhibiting the growth and reproduction of various pathogens and reducing inflammatory responses. Green tea can also enhance immune function, improving the body’s resistance to diseases, which is beneficial for preventing colds and infections.

By regularly drinking green tea, you can potentially improve your physical and mental health. However, excessive consumption may lead to issues like insomnia and palpitations, so it should be consumed in moderation. Additionally, drinking tea on an empty stomach can stimulate gastric acid secretion, increasing irritation to the gastric mucosa, which may lead to stomach pain and indigestion; it is advisable to drink green tea after a meal.

Green Tea Production Process

Having learned about the characteristics, types, benefits, and main components of green tea, let’s now look at the steps involved in the production process of green tea:

1. Harvesting: Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which are usually harvested in early spring. Fresh tea leaves are picked, typically selecting tender leaves and buds, usually one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves. The timing and method of harvesting (hand-picking vs. machine harvesting) can affect the final flavor and quality of the tea.
2. Withering: Freshly picked leaves are spread out evenly under sunlight for a short period (about 2-3 hours) to wither, reducing their moisture content. The purpose of withering is to decrease the moisture content of the fresh leaves and branches to facilitate fermentation.
3. Fixation: This is a crucial step in green tea production, where high temperatures are used to deactivate the active enzymes in the tea leaves, stopping the fermentation process. Fixation methods include pan-firing and steaming. Pan-firing involves placing fresh leaves in a hot pan to fix them, with the temperature controlled around 200 degrees Celsius. After about 10 minutes in the hot pan, the leaves are transferred to a cooler pan (around 150 degrees Celsius) to continue the process for another 10 minutes. Steaming, on the other hand, uses steam to fix the leaves, preserving more chlorophyll, proteins, amino acids, and aromatic compounds, resulting in the characteristic quality of “three greens and one refreshing,” meaning the dry tea is emerald green, the tea soup is light green, and the leaf base is blue-green, with a fresh and sweet taste.
4. Rolling: The leaves are rolled using external force, causing them to break, become lighter, and be shaped into strips, making them easier to brew. At the same time, some tea juice is released and adheres to the surface of the leaves, which is crucial for enhancing the concentration of flavor. Light rolling typically retains more original floral and fruity aromas, while moderate and heavy rolling releases more unique fragrances. In terms of taste, lightly rolled green tea is usually refreshing and gentle; moderately rolled green tea has a rich and sweet flavor; heavily rolled green tea offers a complex and robust taste.
5. Drying: The rolled tea leaves need to be dried to stabilize their quality and develop aroma. Drying methods include baking, pan-frying, and sun-drying. The drying process for green tea generally begins with baking, followed by pan-frying. Since the moisture content of the rolled leaves is still high, direct pan-frying would quickly clump the leaves together in the frying machine, making the juice prone to sticking to the pan. Therefore, the leaves are first baked to reduce moisture to a level suitable for pan-frying.
6. Sorting: In handmade tea production, there may be occasional burnt leaves that can affect the overall taste of the tea soup. To ensure the high quality of the tea, these burnt leaves need to be sorted out at the end, resulting in a more refined tea soup.
7. Packaging: The sorted tea leaves are packaged to ensure freshness and quality, protecting them from light, air, and moisture, which can degrade their quality over time. Green tea is best stored in a sealed container in a cool, dark place.

Steps and Techniques for Brewing Green Tea

Brewing green tea is an art; the correct brewing method can yield the best flavor and avoid bitterness.

Steps of Making Green Tea

1. Prepare Tea Utensils: Choose transparent glass cups, ceramic cups, or tea bowls for brewing green tea. White porcelain cups and bowls are preferred as they showcase the vibrant green of the tea leaves and tea soup.
2. Prepare Green Tea: Whether using loose leaf tea or tea bags, selecting high-quality green tea is crucial. Loose leaf tea is generally favored for its better flavor and freshness.
3. Prepare Water Quality: The water used for brewing green tea should be good quality. Clean premium mineral water is usually preferred, but purified tap water can also be used. The water’s acidity should be neutral or slightly acidic; avoid alkaline water as it can darken the tea soup.
4. Control Water Temperature: Bring the water to a boil initially; this results in a fresher tea. The ideal brewing temperature is between 80 to 90 degrees Celsius. High temperatures can easily damage the chlorophyll in high-quality green tea, turning it yellow. The polyphenols in the tea leaves can also oxidize in high temperatures, causing the tea soup to turn yellow. Many aromatic compounds also evaporate quickly at high temperatures, resulting in a loss of fragrance.
5. Determine Tea-to-Water Ratio: A typical tea-to-water ratio is about 1:50 to 1:60 (meaning one gram of tea leaves to 50ml to 60ml of water), which results in a balanced tea soup with a rich flavor.
6. Soaking Time: Soak the green tea for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor. Over-soaking can make the tea bitter. If you are trying a new variety of green tea, start with a shorter soaking time and adjust according to your preference.
7. Brewing Technique: Raise the kettle high to let the water flow down directly. Use wrist strength to lift and lower the water, repeating this three times to stir the leaves in the water. Pay attention to the flexibility of your wrist, ensuring it is both soft and controlled to achieve consistent pouring height, allowing for a uniform infusion. The three pours will more effectively activate the tea, ensuring a consistent taste across every cup.
8. Brewing Multiple Times: Green tea can generally be brewed three times; after each brew, the effective components in the leaves will gradually decrease. For particularly delicate high-grade green tea, it may only need to be brewed twice.

Techniques of Making Green Tea

1. Water Quality: Always use fresh filtered water. Chlorinated tap water or hard water can alter the tea’s flavor.
2. Preheat Tea Pot or Cup: Pour a little hot water into the teapot or cup before brewing to warm it up, helping to maintain a consistent brewing temperature.
3. Water Temperature Control: Keep the water temperature around 80°C to 90°C when brewing green tea. If you’re using green tea powder, use warm water at about 40°C to 60°C. Water that is too hot can scorch the leaves, turning the tea soup yellow and making it taste bitter; water that is too cool can result in a weak flavor.
4. Iced Option: You can steep green tea leaves in cold water in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours to achieve a milder, less bitter flavor.
5. Control Concentration: Green tea should not be brewed too long or too strong. If the flavor is too strong, dilute it with a bit of hot water; if too weak, steep for a longer period in the next brew.

Conclusion

In summary, green tea, as a rich source of antioxidants, has numerous health benefits, including promoting cardiovascular health, aiding digestion, assisting with weight control, and enhancing mental alertness. The production process of green tea is meticulous, involving steps such as harvesting, withering, fixation, rolling, drying, sorting, and packaging, all of which contribute to the unique flavor and quality of the tea. Proper brewing techniques are essential to enjoy the optimal flavor of green tea, with careful attention to water quality, temperature, and steeping time.

By incorporating green tea into your daily routine, you can enjoy its refreshing taste and health benefits. Whether you prefer it hot or iced, green tea is a delightful beverage that can enhance your overall well-being.