Anyone try green tea

[gbells]

So don't drink more than 7 cups of green tea per day. That's a reasonable guideline. Some people may have to watch the supplements which are extracts and have more (200 mg per capsule so 3 caps max per day).

I once got into trouble after liking ginger tea. It interferes with blood clotting factors if you drink enough of it and I was getting nosebleeds.

 

[Josui]

I love other teas but green tea tastes so bitter. I haven't found the health benefit worth the taste. Pharmacies have caffeine pills (Stay Awake) for caffeine.

And I also think it tastes bitter but I tend to say, "It just tastes too green." because if the color green had a flavor this would be it.

I feel like everyone is drinking wrong cups of green tea. Japanese green tea doesn't taste bitter or "green". Japanese kids have no problem drinking green tea even if they can't drink coffee, which is too bitter for them. For us, Japanese green tea and Chinese green tea are very different things, even though they come from the same species of plant.

But the tea plant is grown usually in China and India where the soil contains a lot of aluminum and fluoride. The tea plant is unique in that it absorbs both, and concentrates them in the leaves, which then go into our tea. Organically grown tea has this problem too.

The tea plant grown in Japan might be safer, I don't know. I sometimes drink green tea when I crave for it, and it makes me feel much better. Usually just one cup of it is enough. Also I find pricier and tastier ones more effective. But you should avoid Gyokuro (玉露), which contains much more caffeine.

There are websites that sell and ship Japanese green tea internationally. I think it's worth a try. Maybe I can help you buy some when you have trouble navigating Japanese sites.

Also note that green tea lasts no longer than one year. Green tea degrades faster than black tea. And you shouldn't pour boiling water on green tea. 80 degree Celsius or lower is appropriate.

Edit: Removed the link to websites because I wasn't sure about availability.

 

[hapl808]

I feel like everyone is drinking wrong cups of green tea. Japanese green tea doesn't taste bitter or "green". Japanese kids have no problem drinking green tea even if they can't drink coffee, which is too bitter for them.

Yes, definitely agree. This is usually because of two things in the West - we don't know how to brew green tea (boiling water makes it bitter and ruins the flavor), and the quality of most green tea in the West is very low. The green tea at 7-11 in Japan is better than most high end shops in the USA carry.

The tea plant grown in Japan might be safer, I don't know. I sometimes drink green tea when I crave for it, and it makes me feel much better. Usually just one cup of it is enough. Also I find pricier and tastier ones more effective. But you should avoid Gyokuro (玉露), which contains much more caffeine.

I drink green tea daily, and even gyokuro or matcha is okay for me as long as I don't overdo it. Meanwhile coffee is very nice, but I can only usually drink decaf because it makes me very shaky. I think the caffeine even in gyokuro is balanced by enough theanine that people might be okay (but I highly recommend against buying gyokuro unless you know what you're doing - good quality gyokuro is ridiculously expensive, drunk in small amounts, and tends to be much harder to brew properly).

I'm not a fan of Chinese green teas, but I love Japanese green teas. Rather than take EGCG supplements, I just drink a couple cups of green tea daily.

 

[Josui]

@hapl808 Maybe you can write where to buy them for reference.

 

[Judee]

I ordered some matcha powder today. It's supposed to be from Japan. Hopefully that is a good kind to try. I would love if it gives me some energy and/or wakes up my brain.

 

[hapl808]

@hapl808 Maybe you can write where to buy them for reference.

Few random thoughts.

A good starting place in the USA can be Ippodo. It can be a bit expensive, but at least my experience with them in Japan was quite good. If their quality has remained high, it's probably at least reliable and accessible. They have lots of English language resources, and even some US stores I think (only have been to the NY one). Not too sure about other sources offhand.

Also, Organic Japanese tea should be certified by JAS, not US or other groups. It can be very difficult to find good organic Japanese green teas because it takes many years to convert fields there to organic farming, and there isn't as big a premium in price.

Both matcha and sencha can be very good - neither one is 'better' than the other, just different ratio of various catechins, etc. I would just experiment and find one that makes you feel good without jitters, etc. Matcha should be consumed in moderation.

With any Japanese green tea, make sure you don't use boiling water and follow the manufacturer instructions if possible.

 

[Josui]

I ordered some matcha powder today. It's supposed to be from Japan. Hopefully that is a good kind to try. I would love if it gives me some energy and/or wakes up my brain.

There are matcha for drinking and matcha for cooking. If it is unbranded, chances are it's for cooking.

 

[hapl808]

There are matcha for drinking and matcha for cooking. If it is unbranded, chances are it's for cooking.

This is a good point. In the US, the term 'ceremonial' is used, but it has no meaning or restrictions, so anyone can use it. You don't really see the term used in Japan.

I'm not sure if culinary matcha would have similar health benefits, but it will taste horribly bitter. It's meant for cakes and such.

In general, if the matcha is quite inexpensive, then it is unlikely to be great quality.

 

[Josui]

I'm not sure if culinary matcha would have similar health benefits, but it will taste horribly bitter. It's meant for cakes and such.

Maybe some culinary matcha is good enough for matcha latte.