Green tea is a beverage enjoyed in East Asia centuries ago. Because of its health benefits, it has become a popular drink globally. Being a very healthy beverage, a lot of people consume it regularly. This created a huge and overly saturated market for green tea, making it quite challenging to determine which kind is the best to ensure that you reap its benefits.
If you’re getting into the habit of drinking green tea, here are five tips on how you can choose the best green tea for you.
- Know where the tea originated
Green tea plants easily absorb toxins and can contain some amount of lead, cadmium, aluminum, and arsenic if they are produced in contaminated or polluted environments. These heavy metals can harm your body and trigger conditions such as thyroid problems, infertility, dementia and other neurologic conditions, and heart disease. A single origin tea by Origin Tea is sourced from the best locations to ensure you get the benefits you’re looking for. Some of the best places for green tea are:
- Morocco
- Sri Lanka
- India
- Japan
- Opt for organic green tea
Organic green teas mean that they were not grown with the use of pesticides. To get the best-quality green tea, choose those that are grown organically. You want to limit your intake of pesticide residue because they are harmful to your health and can cause respiratory problems and even cancer.
When looking at organic teas, still consider the country of origin. For example, some areas in China are very polluted that, even if the teas produced are organic, they may still contain toxins. Organic green teas are usually certified so you can check these labels and do more research.
- Choose loose leaf or whole leaf
Loose leaf or whole leaf or green tea is the most natural form of green tea and is better than those in bags in both taste and quality. Loose leaf tea is made from young tea leaves that are in full form, bringing the most health benefits as the entire leaf used is intact. A site like origintea.com.au has loose tea options to choose from. Other reasons to choose whole leaf green tea over tea bags are:
- It’s usually cheaper than those in tea bags because there is no extra packaging.
- Tea bags may have additional chemicals that can leach into your tea.
- Some tea bags contain broken pieces of leaves instead of whole leaves that reduces the tea quality.
- Always check the freshness
Whether you’re buying tea from the grocery store or online, you need to remember that, like everything else, green tea doesn’t remain fresh in extended periods. After six months of shelf life, the freshness will start to diminish and the quality won’t be as good as it was. Some types can last from one to two years. Don’t forget to check product labels for the manufactured or “best before” dates and see if there are brands that vacuum-seal their goods. You can still drink the tea after the long shelf life, but it won’t be as delicious and beneficial.
To keep green tea fresh:
- Store green tea in airtight containers.
- Refrigerate them to extend their shelf life.
- Don’t store opened pouches in the freezer.
- Avoid purchasing huge quantities that you can’t finish in less than six months.
- Pick the best varieties
“Green tea” is a broad term and there are various types of it – you can drink green tea for weight loss or for overall health benefits. Different kinds of teas also have varying compositions of antioxidants and other properties. Some of the best types of green tea are:
- Sencha – This is the most popular green tea and originates from Japan, with high concentrations of antioxidants. Sencha tea is described to have a grassy flavor with subtle melon and pine tastes balanced by a little bitterness.
- Matcha – Matcha is becoming popular in Western countries and is known as powdered green tea leaves. It has a vibrant green color and frothy texture.
- Gyokuro – This type of tea is processed by removing the leaves from sunlight before harvest, giving it a fuller taste because of less photosynthesis.
- Tencha – This tea is similar to Gyokuro in a way that it’s removed from sunlight, but it doesn’t undergo the rolling process. Because it uses full leaves, it has high levels of natural caffeine to help boost energy and metabolism.
- Genmaicha – This tea is medium grade and is combined with roasted brown rice, giving it a toasty flavor. It’s known to help with upset stomachs.
Final Thoughts
While green tea is seen to have many health benefits, it’s still crucial to be able to find the best options in the market. Use the five tips above as a guide on how you can find the best green tea available.