There are so many things that are green and great!

Mike Wazowski  from Monsters Inc, for example… He is pretty awesome, with his one big eyeball and little stick arms and legs… What’s not to love?

Of course, you also have green M&M’s and apparently there is something ‘a little bit different’ about them.

One of my favourite green pals that I have loved since my childhood is Kermit the Frog… Also, the best colour in the world – green! As he would say, “It aint easy bein’ green…”

I agree with him, it probably isn’t easy being green…unless of course, you are Green Tea.

Green Tea – Also Green. Also Great. But what makes green tea green? And what makes green tea stand out from the rest?

All teas – come from the same plant, the key difference is in the processing of the tea leaves. Green tea is made by drying the tea leaves, but not allowing them to oxidize, as is the case with black tea. This is what makes green tea, green. This processing, or lack thereof, gives green tea a lighter flavour and colour to be sure, but it also gives it something else that is vitally important… our little friends called polyphenols. The less processed the tea is, the more beneficial it is to your health, because the polyphenols remain in-tact. Polyphenols are the antioxidant compounds found in tea. The high amount of these polyphenols in green tea, is what makes green tea so great! Green tea has been consumed for years. It is an ancient “cup o’ healing”… and now that it is being put to the test in modern times, we can see why it was, and remains, such a popular beverage for one’s health.

The polyphenols in green tea have been proven to:

• Help lower cholesterol levels

• Help lower blood pressure

• Help fight certain types of cancers

• Help with certain skin conditions

• Help prevent food allergies

• Help reduce weight

• Help prevent the aging process…

The list goes on… and I will share more benefits (with evidence) in later blog entries.

There are many different types of green tea, and each has a unique flavour.

The strongest tasting green tea that I have tried is Gunpowder Green Tea. The tea leaves are usually rolled up into tight tiny balls that originally served the purpose of keeping the tea fresh when it was being exported to Europe from China.

Bancha Green Tea is your everyday green tea. It has a slightly astringent taste, being made up of mature tea leaves.

Genmaicha Green Tea has a unique nutty flavour to it because it is usually made by combining bancha

and brown rice and roasting it.

The most sweet tasting green tea that I have tried is Sencha Green Tea. It is a more delicate leafed green tea and a favourite for many people. The best example of this that we offer, is Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose. A very yummy blend. 

Green Tea… Just one more thing that is great about the colour green.