History Of Green Tea
Asia 2737 BC
The light of the day was slowly giving way to the evening darkness and Emperor
Shen Numg let out a sigh of relief as he sank slowly into the soft grass beneath a
large tree. It had been a long day and so far his journey had been a particularly difficult one.
Just as always he built himself a camp fire, not only for warmth but to ward off the wild animals
of the night that may wander into his camp. Over it he suspended his favourite cooking pot
and filled it with fresh water from a nearby stream. He huddled closer to the
crackling logs and soaked the warmth into his bones as he waited for the water to
gently bubble. On his travels he remembered seeing so many of his countrymen heating their water in this
way, and so presumed that their good health and vitality were in some way connected
to this strange ritual. Ever since he had faithfully copied their ways and always took a few
moments to gently heat his water over the fire before drinking it. The biting wind that was
so noticeable earlier was now beginning to fade, and the last flurries of breeze skipped through the nearby
trees before giving way to the stillness of the night. As it did a scattering of leaves swirled
around him and he noticed several had fallen into his pot. The bubbling water
was agitating the leaves and as he leaned forward to retrieve them his senses were
overcome by a wonderfully fresh and aromatic aroma. The rest, as they say, is history. But
whether this story is true or simply romantic folklore passed down through the ages, we
do know that green tea has traditionally been drunk in China for well over a thousand years, and
its origins can even be traced back further. If traditional folklore interests you
then it's quite easy to find plenty of other wonderful stories and legends surrounding green tea, many of
which are based on the good health and vitality aspect given to all those who drink it.
Fact or fiction?Although it's very difficult to get a true account of the health
benefits from old stories like these, it's often the case that when we do get scientific
evidence it usually validates the wisdom of our ancestors, and green tea is no exception.
To date, there has been plenty of research and many studies that seem to prove that these ancient
legends were in fact based on truth. Not only that, but society itself is fast waking up to the
vast benefits to health that are associated with this humble leaf. So What Exactly
Is Green Tea?All teas are harvested from the same plant, the botanical name of
which is Camellia Sinensis. Essentially there are three types: Green, Black and Oolong. Although
they all come from the same shrub the differences in colours, aromas and tastes are
partly due to the procedures they go through after picking. This depends on the region
it is grown and the country. China and Japan can have quite different procedures, but in the
case of green tea it is essential that the oxidisation process is halted immediately
after plucking. Growing TeaThe Camellia Sinensis is native to Asia. It's a hardy
bush that thrives in high altitude conditions, and further enjoys the mineral rich soils
and warm climate that Asia has to offer. It is often said that plantations at
higher altitudes produce tea with more flavour and of generally better quality. The
harvested plant can be described as a leathery green shrub with shiny leaves and
petals of pure white. If left in the wild the bush can quite easily reach
heights of 15m or more. But, for the sake of harvesting, the bush is maintained by constant
pruning which brings forth an abundance of tender new leaves and buds. The pickers,
who were traditionally always women, wade amongst the rows of bushes collecting only the
buds from the uppermost shoots. These buds are also known as flushes, and seperating
the flushes from the stalks by hand takes a fair amount of practice. Consequently,
good hand dexterity was very often the first skill a new picker would acquire. After The
HarvestOnce picked the leaves are immediately taken for processing, and depending on
the region and country these processing procedures can differ. The essential
elements used for making the different teas always remains the same, it's simply just
variations on the same theme. It is in the processing that green tea sets itself apart from
its fermented relatives, as it has the least processing of them all. After picking
the fresh leaves are exposed to air and allowed to wither. For black teas the withering process is
followed by fermentation, where the leaves are left to oxidise and slowly turn brown. Green tea,
however, is not allowed to oxidise and thus retains it's freshness and health giving
properties. Oolong TeaThis is processed in a similar way to black tea, only that
the fermentation period is significantly shorter. To halt further fermentation of the leaves
they are then pan fried which quickly stops further oxidisation. Oolong Tea is
therefore only a semi-fermented tea Green TeaImmediately after
harvesting the green leaves are fried or lightly steamed, thus preventing any
oxidation occurring at all. The heat or steam destroys the enzymes that would otherwise
ferment the leaves causing it to lose many of its health giving polyphenols. The Benefits Of
Green TeaPolyphenols or flavonoids are the natural chemicals found in all plants. They are
also found in some fruits (particularly apples) and vegetables such as onions. Without
fermentation green tea retains a lot of beneficial health properties, having an abundance
of polyphenols is just one of them. As one of natures most powerful antioxidants, polyphenols
assist health by neutralising free radicals in the body. Free radicals are the result of small
chain reactions at cellular level that are mainly due to age but also encouraged by
bad diet, stress and smoking. Anything that neutralises free radicals and halts the damage they
cause to cells can only be a good thing, bringing the body one step closer to a healthy state
of equilibrium. Studies on Flavonoids in green tea have also shown it possesses anti-bacterial,
anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimutagenic, antiviral and vasodilatory properties. If that isn't
enough, green tea is also thought to aid digestion, reduce phlegm, ward of sleepiness,
stimulate renal activity, improve eyesight and promote mental prowess. It has also
been found to have the ability to destroy the bacteria that causes food poisoning
and also counteract the ones that lead to periodontal diseases like Gingivitis
and Periodontitis.
With such a vast array of beneficial properties
it was only a matter of time before this natural powerhouse was included in other
health products as well. Walking through any health store today you will more than likely find
green tea creeping into many other consumer items on the shelves. These range from hair
shampoos, skin creams, soaps, deodorants and even an Elizabeth Arden perfume.
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