Tea Guide

Types Of Chinese Tea

2006-05-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

by Tony Newton

Probably you are familiar with the Chinese saying, "Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day." Though tea is last on the list, we can still see how important the tea is for the Chinese.

There are actually thousand of Chinese tea varieties. These are usually classified by procedure, quality, and preparation methods and so on. However, if we will consider tea in terms of quality, there are actually eight classes of Chinese tea. These include green tea, oolong, black, red, white, yellow, flower, and compressed tea.

Now, let's take a look at these classes one by one.

Green Tea

Green tea is said to be the most natural type of Chinese tea. It is usually picked, naturally dried and fried briefly to get rid of its grassy smell. Unlike the other types, green tea skipped fermentation process.

According to some experts, green tea has the most medicinal value and the least caffeine content of all Chinese tea classes. The aroma of this type of Chinese type range from medium to high, while the flavor is usually light to medium. Today, about 50% of China's tea is green tea.

Oolong Tea

This type of Chinese tea is halfway between green tea and black tea in a sense that it is half fermented. Chinese also call it "Qing Cha" and its typical leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of the process to soften tea leaves.

Oolong tea leaves are basically withered and spread before undergoing a brief fermentation process. Then, it is fried, rolled and roasted.

Black Tea

The Chinese black tea produces full-bodied amber when brewed. Also, this type of Chinese tea undergoes withering, then left to ferment for a long while, and then roasted. The leaves of this variety become completely oxidized after processing.

Red Tea

As the name implies, this type of Chinese tea has red leaves and red tea color. This color is strongly highlighted during the fermentation process. It is also considered that red tea has low aroma and medium flavor and it is now divided into three subclasses: Kung Fu Red Tea, Ted Tea Bits, and Small Species Red Tea.

White Tea

This type of Chinese tea is sometimes considered as subclass of green tea. Perhaps it is for the fact that it is only withered and then roasted. Just like green tea, white tea escaped fermentation process. And, it has low caffeine content.

Yellow Tea

Apparently, yellow tea has yellow leaves and yellow tea color. According to some experts, this type of Chinese tea is an uncommon class of Chinese tea. The flavor of yellow tea is usually mild and refreshing.

Flower Tea

Here is a unique type of Chinese tea - the Flower tea. It actually subdivides into Flower Tea and Scented Tea. Well, the Flower Tea is just based on a simple concept that dried flowers are used, without much processing, to make tea. The Scented Tea, on the other hand, uses green tea and red tea as base and mix with scent of flowers. Generally, this class has light to medium flavor and medium to strong aroma.

Compressed Tea

The final type of Chinese tea is the compressed tea. This class uses black tea as base tea. It is steamed and compressed into bricks, cakes, columns, and other shapes. Also, compressed tea has all the characteristics of black tea. It can be stored for years and decades.

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Weight Loss with the help of Green Tea

2006-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

by Arpad Domonkos

Weight Loss - Green Tea Benefit

Over the past few years, green tea and its connection with weight loss has long been the center of various clinical studies. Positive effects of green tea on weight loss have been discovered in recent years.

Studies show that the relation between green tea and weight loss are substantially linked together through the plant's thermogenic properties. Thermogenesis is the process by which the body produces heat by speeding up metabolism, burning calories, and breaking down fat. Certain substances in green tea are believed to help in the body's thermogenesis, thus contributing to weight loss.

Weight Loss in Other Herbs

Other than green tea, there are other natural herbs that contribute to weight loss. Gugulipid for instance has been shown to augment the metabolic rate of the body and help with thermogenesis, thus leading to weight loss. Gugulipid has also been reported as a catalyst for lowering down cholesterol levels.

Another herb that aids in weight loss is Maitaki. Derived from a Japanese plant, Maitaki helps promote weight loss by targeting the liver, which is a major digestive part of the body.

Maximizing Weight Loss Benefits in Green Tea

A standardized weight loss herbal extract of pure green tea is needed in order to maximize the weight loss benefits of green tea. The market offers several green tea weight loss products that do not use standardized extract. These non-standardized green tea weight loss products are cheaper but do not contain enough active green tea substances to have any significant weight loss benefits.

Scientists and traditional herbalists believe that better weight loss results are achieved when green tea is used in conjunction with other weight loss herbs and with other nutrients. So before buying a green tea weight loss product, it is advisable that you choose a product that contains a rich blend of green tea herbs, minerals and nutrient that aid in weight loss.

Green tea when combined with ginger and olive leaf helps lower cholesterol and promotes weight loss. Green tea helps stop blood vessel constriction while CoQ 10 protects the heart and ensure blood pressure levels. By mixing green tea with CoQ 10, you will not only achieve maximum weight loss but you will also be able maintain the health of several body systems at one time.

The Ideal Green Tea Weight Loss Product

The first thing to make sure of when buying green tea products is to see if the manufacturer of the green tea extract follows strict GMP compliance, the manufacturing standard used throughout the world. Having GMP approval in green tea products assures you that you are getting a product of the highest quality.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, herbal products such as green tea are considered dietary supplements. This means that the success or effectiveness of these products do not have any guarantees. Companies or manufacturers that claim 100% success in their green tea products are doing false advertising and should not be patronized.

For assurance that you're getting your money's worth when you buy a green tea product, find a product that is using standardized green tea extract. Look for strict GMP compliance and make sure that the manufacturer of the green tea product has all the proper credentials in product formulation.

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Tea

2006-05-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

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