An Afternoon Green Tea in China

Discover the health and wellbeing benefits of green tea

We all love to unwind with a cup of tea in hand or enjoy a British afternoon tea but at Sing Kee we are believers in exploring new tastes and cuisines. Why not switch out your Yorkshire Tea for a delicate green tea?

Origins 

The history of Chinese tea has a strong heritage as the process of brewing the leaves to create the composition took centuries to perfect. In fact there is a legend behind the birth of tea.

Tales tell the story of the mythological emperor Shennong and his court were taking a break on a warm summer's day. They began to drink boiled water, dried leaves from the trees behind them began to fall into their cups. As a curious scientist, the emperor decided to take a sip and was surprisingly satisfied by what he just discovered. 

Since this day, in 2737 BC, green tea has played an important role within the culture and cuisines of China.

The Process

It is interesting to note that both green tea and black tea are born from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. However the process in which the leaves go through and the variety of the tea plants that they are taken have a big impact in the type of tea is produced.

Chinese green tea comes from the camellia Sinensis Sinensis shrub which is found in drier, mountainous regions with cooler climates. Once harvested, they are immediately put into a pan firing or steaming machine to heat them up. Finally, they are dried out to prevent oxidation from, (unlike Oolong tea leaves).

Does green tea contain caffeine?

If you are concerned about your caffeine intake, drinking green tea is a healthier alternative for a morning energiser than your usual cup of coffee. The amount of caffeine in green tea is significantly lower, if we were to collectively reduce our caffeine intake we could reduce the risk of a nation with high blood pressures.

H3: What is green tea good for?

Green tea contains a high level of natural antioxidants. These antioxidants work to protect the body from harmful diseases and should be incorporated into your diet if you wish to live a healthy lifestyle!

Furthermore, studies investigate green tea weight loss cases to suggest that your metabolism can become more efficient if you drink more cups of green tea.

How to prepare

• Boil fresh water to a maximum temperature of 180 degrees - do not over boil it!

• Add around 2g of loose leaves to 8oz or water

• Cover and leave for up to 60 seconds for the perfect tea time delight!