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Posts Tagged ‘Green Tea’
Worldwide Tea Production
Tea Growers from Around the World Ever since tea was discovered in China in about 2700 BC, the plant from which tea leaves are picked, camellia Sinensis has undergone widespread hybridization. Varieties have been grown in different agricultural environments firstly around China and then spreading from Asia all the way down to East Africa. Tea popularity exploded in the 19th and 20th century and is still rising; ordered by annual gross output, these are the major players in the tea world today: China The largest tea producer worldwide is China who produced a staggering 1.27 million tons in 2008. Most of their exported tea is black tea, with world consumption divided between black tea at 97% of total production and green and other teas at only 3%. Most other tea growing areas of the world, except Japan, grow black tea. Along with tea, China produces clay teapots and porcelain teapots for domestic use and export worldwide. In China tea production is varied depending upon the climate, altitude and soil types it is grown in. A tea plant in China takes approximately 5 years to reach a mature enough state to produce a viable crop. The plant can then produce usable tea leaves for up to 30 years. In China they use mostly organic fertilizers and do not use pesticides at all, preferring to remove the plant completely rather than affect the delicately flavored leaves with chemicals. China and Taiwan are the only sources of Oolong tea worldwide due to the very technical nature of its grading and production. This also makes it more expensive, but its flavor is of exceptional quality. Green tea is mostly consumed within China, although quite a bit is exported to the main other green tea drinker, Japan. India India is the second largest producer at 800,000 tons in 2008, growing mainly black tea. Due to the Opium wars between China and Britain in the 1800s, China set up a trade embargo with Britain, cutting off tea trade with Britain, after it had gotten popular across Europe. Its colony in India then became the only source of tea for Britain. Luckily, India possessed areas with the correct soil and climate to grow tea, notably the Assam bush. Darjeeling in the north-east, Kerala in the south, and Kangra in the west, are the main areas for tea cultivation. Africa Although tea is grown in many African nations such as Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi, and South Africa, Kenya is the leading African producer by far, producing around 350,000 tons yearly. It has terrain friendly to growing tea, such as high elevation areas. Kenya produces mainly black tea for export to Britain and Western Europe. Sri-Lanka (formerly Ceylon) Sri-Lanka’s tea production is on a par with Kenya. Their plantations are at different altitudes due to the topography of Sri-Lanka and makes for the many different flavors available from this relatively small island. Referred to as “Ceylon tea” still, these black teas are popular throughout the world; growers are now branching out to produce different varieties such as green tea in recent years. Turkey Turkey is another tea producer whose product is not really seen to be prominent on the shelves of the average tea room. Their tea is all of the black variety and is grown along the black sea coast. Their tea is prepared in a dual kettle system which makes the brew steep for a lot longer than in most areas of the world and makes for a far from delicate flavor – an acquired taste by all accounts… Vietnam & Indonesia Vietnam seems an unlikely source for tea, but together with a few other Indonesian nations, produces a respectable 175,000 tons annually, matching the rest of Indonesia put together. Their teas are mostly used to blend with other teas and are not often found unblended. Elsewhere Other countries that produce tea include Japan, which grows it mainly for itself, with limited export to Western countries, and Iran and Bangladesh. Argentina and Bolivia are also producing tea in South America. As tea popularity grows, production should continue to increase in the coming years.
Continue Reading »The Health Benefits Of Green Tea Are Considerable
Drinking green tea made several discoveries regarding health benefits. Aside from green tea becoming an antioxidant, it is also claimed that it can help with cancer prevention, heart protection, arthritis prevention and liver protection. The Chinese people believe in the health benefits of green tea so this wonderful drink has been part of the diet in China for centuries. First of all, you need to understand that the body does millions of processes occurring at all times. Even when you are asleep, the brain is active and will require oxygen in order to function properly. However, the oxygen that we breathe in can create harmful side effects, or what most people know as oxidants. These oxidants or commonly known as free radicals are introduced to our system through external sources, such as pollution, stress, smoking, diet, and even exposure to the sun. And, these free radicals are known to be one of the main contributors in the growth of cancer cells. As people grow older many start to take different types of prescription drugs for a variety of conditions. There is some evidence that one of the health benefits of green tea include the possibility of reducing the amount of these prescription drugs. These drugs can very expensive, and some of these drugs come with side effects. Each person should consult with their doctors about each of these conditions, but they might try drinking green tea on a regular basis to ward off some of these conditions before they appear. They might try drinking some green tea to see if they might reverse some of the conditions that already exist Because liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion. Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.
Continue Reading »Read Some Information On Black Tea
Today, there are such a large amount of different teas to make a choice from the options nearly appear unending. One of the most popular teas of all is black tea, and there are many different reasons for this. Not only is it delightful, but it also offers a variety of health benefits. Black tea is much more oxidized than any other tea, which makes it generally stronger in flavor. There are many varieties of black teas and generally, all unblended black teas are named after the region in which they are produced. Black tea is, actually, one of the most typical teas known to humankind. Unlike the high levels of caffeine that are found in coffee, the amounts found in black tea are actually known for promoting blood flow in the brain without over stimulating the heart. This tea is also known for sharpening one’s mental focus and concentration. Black tea has long been known for offering a variety of health benefits, including treating diarrhea, lowering cholesterol levels, and helping to prevent tooth decay. This tea also has a very therapeutic effect on gastric and intestinal illnesses, due to the tannins it contains, which helps to decrease intestinal activity and keeps digestive system running smoothly overall. Black teas can also help improve cholesterol levels. By just drinking 2 cups of this tea for 3 weeks each day, it’s been shown to open the blood flow in the capillaries and maintain normal blood pressure. If you’re curious about buying black teas yourself, there are lots of options that you have available. Because of its great popularity, there are very few tea stores that do not offer a selection of black teas, so you can check out any of the local tea stores in your area to see what they have to offer in this regard. There also are some widely recognized and respected tea corporations online that you can purchase from ,eg the Imperial Tea Garden, an organization that offers a range of loose tea, tea bags and formed tea in a selection of enticing and convenient packing options. They also offer valuable info relating to the history of tea and the different benefits offered by varied tea variations, which can be of great help when buying teas.
Continue Reading »Tea: Comparing Ceylon Green Teas To Indian Green Teas
Most of the world’s green tea is produced in China and Japan. In fact, China is where green tea originated. Centuries ago, before other tea processing methods were developed, tea harvesters simply dried tea leaves in the sun before storing them, and this is how green tea was born. It gained favor quickly in this part of the world. Even after black tea processing began, it didn’t outsell green tea. Both countries produce very good green tea with very distinct flavors. Green teas from Sri Lanka and India are not as common as Asian green teas, and, in fact, many people don’t even realize that these countries produce green teas. However, one taste of Ceylon or Indian green teas and you’ll likely want more. Sri Lanka Ceylon teas are grown in Sri Lanka. Tea is grown in the highlands of Sri Lanka, over an area of about four thousand square miles. Ceylon green teas have a full body and are somewhat pungent with a nutty or malty flavor. Ceylon green teas have a very bright and bold flavor. Today, Ceylon is considered a fairly minor green tea producer. However, as the demand for green tea grows, it’s likely that more green tea will be produced in Sri Lanka. For those who are accustomed to Chinese and Japanese green teas, Ceylon tea may be a surprise because its flavor is so different. India India produces two varieties of green tea, Assam and Darjeeling. Both of these teas have distinct flavors and qualities and both are gaining popularity. Assam green tea is fairly new to the market, but is gaining market quickly. Assam green tea is typically medium bodied tea that is very flavorful. Like Assam black teas, Assam greens are malty and have definite notes of honey flavor. The author used to work for bluehost vs hostgator, now he deals with flower wellington and provides web hosting sevices at http://webhostingreviews4u.com/
Continue Reading »Green Tea Health Benefits
Drinking green tea made several discoveries regarding health benefits. Aside from green tea becoming an antioxidant, it is also claimed that it can help with cancer prevention, heart protection, arthritis prevention and liver protection. Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases man has ever known. It has killed a lot of lives in many forms and is continuously killing more. With the discovery of green tea being able to help in cancer prevention and treatment, a lot of studies are trying to support every claim. It is said that through drinking green tea, cancer has shown significant evidences of diminishing cancer cell results. Preliminary investigations have proven that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in organs like the digestive system, urinary bladder, and the pancreas. There is some evidence discovered in research studies that show that one of the health benefits of green tea is a reduced incidence of esophageal cancer for green tea drinkers. The reduction in the risk of developing this type of cancer is significant for those who drink green tea. There is other evidence that the health benefits of green tea is a reduced risk of developing other types of cancers for those who drink green tea on a regular basis. So, in order to counteract the effect of oxidants or free radicals, we will need to introduce antioxidants in our body. And, green tea has a lot of them. Although some foods do have antioxidants, you will see that green tea has a lot more. In fact, the antioxidants found on green tea are much higher than that found in grape juice and red wine. This explains why there are a lot of scientists who are studying the health benefits of green tea. Because liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion. Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.
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