How to choose and make the best organic green tea?

Junk food was a craze in the early 2000s when fast food restaurant chains mushroomed everywhere in the country. But things are different today, now we have become more health-conscious. We go the extra mile to check and buy organic and natural products only. Anything from spices, honey to tea and many kitchen essentials are now available in organic variety. And healthy beverage that has taken India by a swing is Organic Green Tea.

So, what makes organic tea better than natural tea? Unlike its name, natural teas aren’t totally natural. Tea cultivation requires significant amount of pesticides, fertilizers and other synthetic chemicals which can cause major damage to the health of consumers and environment. Hence, the need for organic green tea. The only teas that don’t use these chemicals are certified organic green teas.

Organic green tea actually comes from the same plant as that of normal tea. The only difference is the way it is processed. To make green tea, the organically produced tea leaves are dried or slightly steamed giving it the green color when brewed.

There are number of varieties of green tea prepared in China and Japan. They are all classified based upon their leaf-length, method of processing, and season of harvesting. These varieties can be blended in different combinations to produce many more varieties. Organic green teas come in different flavors too, lemon, ginger, decaf etc.

For caffeine sensitive people, there is even decaf range of green tea. Decaffeinating green tea will add even more health. Conventional producers use industrious methods of decaffeination which involve chemicals like ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide, while organic green tea follows a safe domestic procedure. This process repeated steeping of tea in hot water and then draining the water. The more you repeat this process, the lesser will be caffeine content in the tea. But the taste and flavor remains the same. It is recommended to not repeat this for more than two or three times.

Choose one among any of the above mentioned varieties of teas. Remember, different types of teas of have different health benefits and so choose accordingly. And now it all comes down to ‘the art of making tea.’ Determine how many cups of green tea you would want to make. Usually for one cup of tea we would need 5g of green tea leaves.

Fill a tea pot or pan with required water and let it get a little warm

Take the required amount of green tea leaves and add them to the preheated pot of water

Boil the water in a pot till the green tea leaves fall to the bottom

Strain the green tea water into the cup or mug

Add the honey and lemon piece for flavor

And consume immediately

Organic green tea is a wonderful beverage with potential health benefits. But if not brewed properly, it would be of no use and you would end up having a grassy and bitter tea. The first few times would be difficult, but try it a couple of times and you can master this art.