Tea: Drinking Green Tea

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Tea: Drinking Green Tea

Article Description:

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The art of brewing and drinking green tea has been around for

centuries. In fact, green tea has been used for many different

tea ceremonies in China and Japan. In these countries, there are

rituals that must be followed and tools that must be used in

brewing tea to be served to guests.

Additional Article Information:

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876 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2007-05-31 10:12:00

Written By: Jon M. Stout

Copyright: 2007

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Tea: Drinking Green Tea

Copyright © 2007 Jon M. Stout

Golden Moon Tea

http://www.GoldenMoonTea.com

The art of brewing and drinking green tea has been around for

centuries. In fact, green tea has been used for many different

tea ceremonies in China and Japan. In these countries, there are

rituals that must be followed and tools that must be used in

brewing tea to be served to guests.

The Japanese tea ceremony, for example, is steeped in tradition,

and is still used to celebrate special occasions today. The tea

traditionally used for a Japanese tea ceremony is called Macha, a

powdered green tea. In Japan, emphasis is placed on the ceremony

itself, rather than the taste of the tea. Today's Japanese tea

ceremonies typically last about 45 minutes, but in years past a

tea ceremony could last for as much as five hours. Tea masters

study for years to master the flower arranging, clothing and tea

making that is used in a ceremony.

During a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, guests enter, examine

the tea utensils, flowers and art in the room. Then they kneel

down and sit. They are served sweets, often soft cakes made of

bean paste, while they watch the tea being made. The tea is made

by a leaves practitioner, who has studied for years to ensure

that the ritual is performed calmly and appropriately.

The utensils used for a Japanese ceremony are also very

important. The utensils are passed down for generations. There

are special iron kettles, bamboo water scoops, tea bowls and

traditional Japanese tea cups.

In China, tea ceremonies are used to celebrate special occasions

as well. However, in China, more attention is paid to the event

being celebrated, along with the aroma and flavor of the tea than

the ritual itself.

The most famous Chinese tea ceremony is the performed when

couples are married. Early on the wedding day, the bride serves

tea to her parents at their home before her groom arrives. After

the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds serve tea together to the

groom's family.

The bride and groom kneel before the groom's family members and

serve them tea as a sign of respect. During the course of the

ceremony, the bride and groom receive red envelopes from the

relatives containing money or jewelry as wedding gifts.

Certain symbols are extremely important in a Chinese wedding

ceremony. These include the lotus seeds and dates, which

symbolize children to be born early in the marriage and a sweet

and happy life.

For the rest of us, however, green tea is consumed for enjoyment

and health reasons. In fact, drinking green tea may be one of the

simplest and best habits you can pick up to protect your health.

Green tea's potent anti-oxidants have been shown to have many

health benefits. Long term green tea drinking has been shown to

prevent many forms of cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol.

In addition, green tea has been shown to be an effective weight

loss supplement and to regulate insulin naturally.

Green tea has even been shown to be an adjunct therapy for cancer

patients undergoing chemotherapy. Studies have shown chemotherapy

to be more effective when patients consumed a green tea regimen

along with their chemotherapy compared to patients who did not

consume green tea.

To make your own green tea, you must first choose a green tea

variety. This may be the most difficult task of all, because

there are so many varieties of green tea available. In fact,

there is a saying that in China alone there are as many varieties

of green tea as there are towns.

Some of the most popular varieties of green tea include the

following:

* Gunpowder Tea – known for its smokiness, Gunpowder tea is a

tightly rolled pearl that unfolds as it steeps to reveal a pale

green brew and beautiful tea leaves.

* Sencha – This is a traditional Japanese green tea that is a

favorite of the Japanese people for serving to guests. It is

grown in the shadow of Mt. Fuji.

If you'd like to try flavored green tea, it is often found

combined with the flavors of vanilla, jasmine and mint.

To brew the perfect cup of green tea, fill your kettle with fresh

cold water and place it on the stove to heat. While the water is

heating, add warm tap water to your teapot and your cups, if you

wish, to warm them.

When the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and

remove the tap water from your teapot. Let the water sit for

about 2 minutes to let the water cool down a little. Green tea

should be brewed with water that is about 160°F, which is cooler

than other teas. Add about 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per cup to

your teapot and pour the hot water over the leaves.

Most green tea should steep about 1-2 minutes before serving. The

best green tea will give you 2-3 infusions.

Whether you choose green tea to use in a traditional ceremony, to

protect your health or just because you love it, you've made a

wise choice. There's certainly a reason that green tea is used

in so many ceremonies and so highly revered in the Asian world.

It's a natural way to celebrate an occasion that's healthy and

delicious, too.

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Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon

Tea Company. For more information about tea,

(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea)

green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea)

and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com