Which green tea to choose?

Green tea is presented in supermarkets and specialized tea shops in a wide assortment. Elite green tea, matcha powder tea, jasmine tea, with and without additives, flavored and not very, even tea bags - a thousand different types and price categories. In such a variety it is not difficult to get confused.

Which green tea to choose?

Let's first decide why you want green tea, not puer or oolong tea? Of course, if you already have a favorite in the line of green tea, which you liked in all respects, then the question disappears. But then you do not need this article either - you no longer choose, you know what you need.

Taste and aroma? If you like green tea primarily for its refreshing taste and herbaceous aroma, you need not be limited to representatives of only one group of tea. Among light (green) oolongs and shen Puer, you can find for yourself many tastes close to green tea and significantly expand your taste experience.

Tonic effect? Yes, green tea is truly an expert in this field. But tea always acts selectively - for each person the same tea can act differently. Some green tea calms and they drink it as a sedative at night. True, there are such cases. So here you need to listen to your own feelings, and test for yourself the tonic effect of not only green tea, but also puerh, or, say, ginseng tea. Other tea may be more effective for you.

Beneficial features? There is no arguing that green tea is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and a host of other medicinal substances. But only if it comes to high-quality and fresh green tea, and this costs a lot. So if you choose between quality black tea and mediocre green tea, quality tea will always be healthier.

Quality green tea - how to choose?

First of all, tea should be fresh. Tender leaves and buds of green tea are very demanding on storage conditions. In open packaging at room temperature, tea can be stored for no more than six months, after which green tea loses most of its healing properties, and the taste and aroma become rough and unexpressed. That is why you should not buy tea by weight - can you imagine how many times this large can is opened to weigh the next batch? Conscientious suppliers buy tea for sale in small (125 - 200 grams) vacuum packaging and store it in a warehouse in the refrigerator.

The freshness of green tea can be determined by appearance and aroma. Ideally, try tea before buying, if possible. In dry form, fresh green tea is green (the shade of green may vary depending on the variety, but no gray or brown). Tea leaves of the same size and color, no dust and broken leaves. Aroma - fresh, grassy, ​​with notes of flowers or fresh milk. No fish!

Small-leaved or large-leaved?

For some reason, there is an opinion that large-leaf tea is good, and small-leaf tea is bad. We can only explain this paradox by the fact that “leaf tea” is often referred to by manufacturers as ground tea, that is, tea leaf cut into pieces. Usually really not very high-quality tea is ground, therefore, the bad reputation of low-quality tea has become attached to small-leaved tea. But small leaves and tea dust are completely different things! We will tell you a terrible secret. Good green tea is harvested in early spring from the youngest leaves and buds, which only - just got into a glimpse of this beautiful world! The smallest and most tender early leaves. Later, the leaves grow, become larger and fatter. They also make tea. More mature leaflets are raw materials for oolongs, red tea and other varieties. But for green - only young and small! So good green tea cannot be large leaf a priori. True, there are varieties that make up the exception - for example, Tai Ping Hou Kui. This brutal green tea is harvested from a special variety of tea bush with giant leaves, and even rolled under a cloth, increasing the already impressive size of the tea leaves. By the way, tea is delicious, but leaf sizes are a rare exception.

Clean or with additives?

It’s a matter of your taste, but if you expect maximum benefit from green tea, you should know one little secret. Quality tea is not blended, not mixed with pieces of pineapple or cornflowers. This is simply not necessary, since good tea, both black and green, is self-sufficient, its taste and aroma do not require additions and decorations.

The exception is literally a few teas prepared according to the classic recipe for natural aromatization with flowers - for example, Jasmine green tea.

However, if you still want to add something to the taste of high-quality green tea, try playing with flower additives - rose buds, chrysanthemum, osmanthus. You can get quite interesting results. Although we prefer to enjoy good green tea in its pure form, without any additions.

Powder andwhether sheet?

Matcha Japanese powdered tea has recently become a fashion trend, it is drunk with milk, added to pastries and desserts, which they just don’t do! It is believed that it is more useful than leafy green tea, because it is consumed completely, along with tea leaves chopped into powder. Maybe it is. Cakes and cakes, of course, become completely useful if you add a little magic green powder to the test ;-)

Seriously, properly prepared Matcha (whipped with a whisk with warm water, not milk) is really very healthy and quite tasty. The truth again rests on the problem of freshness. Fresh Match is even less common and is very expensive. So we remain true to the classic leafy green tea, and you decide for yourself ;-)

Summary

To get the maximum benefit and pleasure from green tea, choose high-quality and fresh green tea. Give preference to small-leaved tea without additives, but also take into account your personal taste wishes - tea must be a pleasant drink for you, otherwise what is the point in tea drinking?

Drink the right tea and be healthy!