Ever passed a gourmet tea shop and wanted to go in and ask the real difference between a kukicha and a sencha? Eden Foods breaks it down for us with this tea-torial!
The first sentence of The Book of Tea in its first chapter titled The Cup of Humanity is, “Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.”
After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. It’s why many people will have the best hot water dispenser installed in their kitchens so they can have immediate hot water to make a cup of tea without having to wait for the kettle to boil. The teatime ritual and its benefits are a catalyst of life and human relations. In America, tea drinking has quadrupled since 1990. Many people have taken to green tea, responding to its potent antioxidant health benefits and pleasurable effects. As in all categories of beverages, there are huge differences in taste and efficacy. Sought after characteristics of green tea are the deliberate results of choice in climate, soil health, plant grooming, hand harvesting, and traditional steam/rubbing. The U.K. research firm, Future Laboratory, predicts a healthy future for green tea that will “…develop in the same way as the market for quality wine.” In other words, the best tea and most discerning buyers will drive tea’s popularity.
What Is Tea?
Many things are called tea, but all true tea stems from the plant Camellia sinensis. Tea becomes green, black, oolong, or other varieties solely in the way it is handled, cured, or oxidized. For EDEN Japanese green tea, Sencha, the oxidation is stopped immediately after harvest with a purposeful steaming and rubbing that preserves the bright green of its chlorophyll. Stopping this oxidation is why green tea has so much more health value.
Purifying Purity
EDEN tea growers have been using organic management practices on their plantations for over thirty-six (36) years, and the plants growing these leaves are the happiest they can be. The Uji region of Kyoto prefecture is world famous for its green tea where early morning mists moisten the leaves as they warm in the sun. Small wonder we are asked, “Why does your green tea taste so much better than all the others?” A clear answer is, because of the long-term organic management of the plantations, the potent health of the tea plants, and the painstaking excellence in the hand harvested tea’s handling.
Eight of the nine EDEN boxes of 16 tea bags are from the plant, Camellia sinensis; the ninth is delightful, soothing Chamomile Flowers. Three of the eight are 100% so, and five have organic herbs, rose petals, spices, or roasted brown rice added to them. Modern research of green tea has focused on its antioxidant polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids, including epigallo-catechin gallate (EGCG) compounds that altogether comprise 40% of green tea’s weight.
Green Tea and Weight Loss
Modern research links green tea to a gradual, but considerable weight loss consequence.
It can help in safely losing weight effectively three ways.
• raising metabolism
• combusting fat
• abating fat storage
101 Tea
- Sencha – hand picked first Spring leaves organically managed since 1974. A profound tea providing the experience sought by green tea aficionados the world over.
- Sencha Mint – organic sencha with Egyptian organic spearmint and organic peppermint. A calming tea with fragrant aroma and a refreshing cool taste.
- Sencha Rose – a pleasurable blend of organic sencha, Bulgarian organic rose hips, and Moroccan organic rose petals. A superb green tea with the subtle, sweet aroma and flavor of rose petal and rosehips. A relaxing uplift.
- Sencha Ginger – organic sencha with Tanzanian organic ginger root. Sooths, warms, and brightens.
- Hojicha – organic green tea leaves slowly gas fire roasted imparting character and flavor reminiscent of English tea. Delicious in any season, served hot or cold.
- Hojicha Chai – acclaimed as, “Innovating, breathtaking, this audacious blend combines familiar malty notes of Hojicha with exotic Indian spices. A classic revisited.” An organic roasted green tea with aromatic, organic spices imparting dancing flavors.
- Kukicha – soothing, nourishing tea of cauldron roasted tea twigs and mature dried leaves. Aged 2 to 3 years to mellow it. 50% kukicha tea and 50% apple juice is an excellent children’s beverage. A staple tea for every meal, tea bag or loose leaf packed.
- Genmaicha – organic sencha green tea with roasted organic short grain brown rice. Green tea and the flavor and aroma of the roasted grain enliven each other. Serve hot, chilled or iced.
- Chamomile Herb Tea – Egyptian organic chamomile flowers, hand harvested and naturally dried. A calming and soothing tea, actually an infusion or tisane, of rich character and sweet floral notes.
A Proper Tea
A. A. Milne wrote, “A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards.” EDEN organic teas have manila fiber bags that are oxygen washed. They are crimp sealed with a 100 percent cotton string, no whiteners, plastics, or glues are used. EDEN organic teas contain no added flavorings, dyes, or additives – all ingredients declared. We heart this brand for pre bagged, but also adore making a proper cuppa with loose organic teas.