Lastea - Know more about tea: May 2020

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Worry About The Caffeine In Tea? 4 Tips For You!

How much caffeine in tea, that’s a question boring many people. Researchers use to study different types of tea on the market, hope to found out the answer.

But the answer has not come so far.

The reason is very simple. There are too many factors that influence the caffeine amount in tea. That’s why most of the tea brands do not label the number of caffeine amounts on the package.

P.S. This post will not give an exact number of the caffeine amount of different types of tea.

Why We Care About The Caffeine Intake

Most of the people care about the tea caffeine amount. They just want to avoid the side effects of too much caffeine on bodies.

Because of its stimulating effect, scientists believe that caffeine has lots of health benefits, such as increased watchfulness and attention, improved athletic performance, and a boost to the metabolism.

USDA and the EFSA both define safe caffeine consumption as less than 400 milligrams per day, less than 200 milligrams per taking, or less than 3 milligrams according to per kilogram of body weight.

However, taking caffeine that closes to the suggested amount one time will cause some problems. Such as anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. Some people who are sensitive to caffeine may also cause symptoms such as headaches.

Besides, caffeine is considered mildly addictive, and some people may be more prone to develop dependency symptoms.

Such being this, how can we avoid to take too much caffeine when having tea? What factors influence the amount of caffeine in tea?

The Amount Of Caffeine In Natural Tea Leaves

Green tea, black tea, oolong tea, yellow tea, white tea, and dark tea all belong to true tea, made from the leaves of the tea plant(Camellia Sinensis), which contains caffeine naturally. (Herbal Tea do not belong to true tea, so most of them do not contain caffeine)

Before processing, the caffeine amount of tea leaves depended on the part it picks from the plant.

We know that the young leaves contain more nutrition facts such as tea polyphenol more than the old leaves. Similarly, caffeine also higher.

Only talk about the raw tea leaves, that white tea contains the most caffeine because of white tea made from the most tender tea buds and leaves. And the green tea made from the tender leaves is second.

Most of the dark tea also made from the old tea leaves, even the tea stem. The natural caffeine contains lower.

Does that mean white tea and green tea contain more caffeine than other types of tea?

The answer is No!

When we are having tea, what we are drinking is the extract of the tea leaves, rather than take the tea leaves directly. Our bodies will absorb only the part of caffeine extracted in the water.

And the processing method influences the caffeine extraction in tea a lot.

How The Processing Method Influences The Caffeine In Tea

Tea classified according to its processing methods.

We can see, most of the types of tea have been fermentation during processing.

The research found that during the fermentation process, the growth and reproduction of microorganisms would influence the nutritional facts of tea. The amount of caffeine also increases with fermentation time.

Notably, the complete-fermented black tea, partial-fermented oolong tea, and post-fermented black tea have a higher coffee content than non-fermented tea such as green tea.

That why most of the studies show black tea contains more caffeine than other types of tea.

Drying

For better storage and sell, tea masters will dry the tea leaves. Different types of tea have different drying way.

Such as black tea will be drying in high-temperature baking, while white tea prefers to dry in a low-temperature environment.

The nutrition facts, including caffeine, will be translate or volatilization during drying. So the drying temperature and time will influence the caffeine amount in tea.

Cutting

What I thought, the cutting(shaping) may be the most significant factors that influence the extraction of caffeine in tea.

It is not difficult to understand that the larger the surface area of the tea, the wider its contact area with the hot water.

Take black tea, and green tea as an example, matcha green tea(a type of green tea which grinding into powder) and CTC black tea(a type of black tea which cutting into fine pieces), the nutrition facts extraction efficiency are more than the whole-leaf green tea and black tea.

So when we are brewing tea, we usually feel that the tea bag made of finely cutting tea leaves will bring a stronger flavor faster than the whole-leaf tea.

Especially the Hong Kong-style milk tea made of CTC black tea can be said to extract the caffeine in black tea fully. A drink will make you keep activating all afternoon.

Besides, the matcha green tea can be said the most caffeine intake tea drink. Green tea, which has a high caffeine content of its own, is ground into matcha powder. And when we have matcha, we also intake with the tea leaves(powder) together.

That means we took all the caffeine in green tea! A cup of matcha can even stimulate the nerve as much as a cup of coffee.

Water Temperature Influence The Caffeine Extraction

As we just mentioned, high-temperatures can influence the extraction efficiency of caffeine in tea. Therefore, the temperature of the steeping water is also an essential factor.

Let’s see the recommended steeping temperature of each type of tea:

Green Tea：80℃ – 90 ℃
Black Tea：95℃
Oolong Tea： 100℃
Yellow Tea： 80℃ – 90℃
White Tea： 70℃ – 80 ℃
Dark Tea： 100℃

Besides, the recommended steeping water temperature of matcha powder is about 60℃, and the cold brew tea is about 30℃.

The researches show that the extraction efficiency of caffeine will be the most achieving at about 90℃. At the 60℃ case, the amount it extracted is only a half.

It is essential to control the water temperature when brewing. If you want a lower caffeine intake, consider brewing your tea at a lower temperature. But this will lose parts of the flavor of the tea, and make other nutrition facts also hard to be extracted.

The Influence Of Steeping Time

The steeping time of tea also greatly affects the extraction of caffeine.

Studies used to test with various 20 brands of tea on the market. Took 6 oz of each tea (3 types of them take 8 oz), steeped in the water at 90-95 ℃ for 1,3 and 5 minutes.

The results showed that except for three teas (two were herbal teas with no caffeine, and one was decaffeinated flavored tea with low caffeine content), the caffeine extraction efficiency of the other 17 tea, all of which increased over the steeping time, and peaked at the 5 minutes.

Easy to see, as the steeping time increases, more of the tea’s nutrients (including caffeine) extract more into the water.

In the cold brew tea case, even the water is cold, and it still extracts a certain amount of caffeine due to a long-time place.

Worth to know the Teh Tarik, and the Hong Kong-style milk tea case, they both have a long steeping time, and to use CTC black tea for brewing mainly. That why many people got insomnia after having them.

Other Factors

In addition to the above 4, there are some of the other factors that influence the amount of caffeine in tea, also worth pay attention:

The tea origin
The season of the tea picking
Reprocessing of tea leaves by the tea brand merchants (e.g., decaffeination)
The number of tea leaves you take for brewing
The rounds that tea brewed

How To Control The Amount Of Caffeine In Tea Intake

After all these, we can see, so many factors influence the caffeine in tea we drunk. It’s hard to control the amount of caffeine intake precisely.

So what can we do something to avoid to take much caffeine when having tea? Here are 4 tips:

Brewing the whole-leaf tea instead of the tea bag or finely tea
Avoid leafing the tea leaves or tea bag steep in the water for a long time
Choose the tea contains low caffeine, such as the decaffeinated tea
Avoid to having too much tea

Sometimes, we may want to take more caffeine from tea to get a refresh, and we could choose to brew a cup of CTC black tea. And a cup of matcha green tea also is the best choice.

Remember to pay attention to the amount, intake too much caffeine may cause nervous tension and insomnia.

Also, everyone has a different sensitivity to caffeine. Best to choose the most suitable tea types and brewing method according to the individual’s feelings after drinking tea.

Why do Chinese teacups have no handles?

Many tea lovers may found a question, that the Chinese teacups have no handles. While in the western, teacups usually have handles for easy holding.

What causes the difference in the shape of teacups between eastern and western?

Why do western teacups have handles?

In the 17th century, Chinese tea was transported across the sea to Europe, but it was not until the 18th century that European artisans began to found the way to make ceramic crafts. (Evolution of the teaware in Europe)

So, before ceramic teacups were produced, metal teawares were widely used in Europe, and the most common teacups at that time were actually modified from English sweet wine-milk cups.

After the 18th, with the increasing trade between western countries and China, China’s exquisite ceramic teacups came to the European continent one after another.

However, the saucer used to solve the heat-hands problem was not included in the standard Chinese teaware at the beginning, so it was not introduced into the west like the teacup.

In order to solve the heat-hands problem of hot tea, European had to design a handle to imitate the wine glass. Over time, this became a feature of western-style teacups.

Why do Chinese teacups have no handles?

Appearance

The Chinese teacups we saw today is actually a tea cover bowl, which is evolved from a bowl. The cover means the sky, the saucer means the earth, and the bowl means the human, Chinese style trinity.

And a handle with break the balance of the shape, and looks not so much nice.

Not suitable for reasonable placement

In the Chinese tea ceremony, various teawares need to be placed on the tea tray. If each cup has a handle, it will be inconvenient to place and may befall over each other.

The teaware is very able to reflect the Chinese cultural, each teaware has its own specific use and position, with a balance that mutual restriction and mutual non-interference. Embodies the Chinese traditional “politeness” culture, keep a comfortable distance between people.

Not practical

Everyone knows, most of the tea is steeping with hot water. When we using a teacup without handle, we can not feel the temperature well, makes our tongue easy to get scalded.

And the Chinese teacups without handles, we can feel the temperature of the tea with our hands, to determine whether the temperature of the tea is suitable for drinking.

So we can see, the tea saucer is the most important reason why the Chinese teacups have no handles, and some deep reasons of Chinese traditional culture.

The Europe teacups get the handles, one side is the different views on art, the other side is the handles can make people hold the teacup gracefully.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Yerba Mate Tea: 5 Benefits Vs. Side Effects Include Potential Cancer Risk

A beautiful story about yerba mate tea spread long in the indigenous of South America: long, long ago, goddess of the moon and clouds, drive clouds went down to the land, but they were under attack by a jaguar. An indigenous hunter came, and save them. In return, the goddess gives the hunter a plant as a present, which can make a beverage representing friendship—that drink is yerba mate tea.

What Is Yerba Mate Tea

The goddess gift plant is Ilex paraguariensis, and yerba mate tea made from its twigs and leaves.

April to August is the harvest season for yerba mate tea. The leaves, buds, and twigs are picked and dried, baked, fermented, and ground to make the fragrant and delicious yerba mate.

Yerba mate tea tastes bitter and astringent, but a strong flavor similar to the rainforest. Most people usually brew it with some fruit juice or honey to balance the bitter taste. It derives various styles of making mate tea.

In South American countries, yerba mate tea is the most popular drink, and it also loved by foreign people. They start their morning with a cup of yerba mate instead of coffee or tea. With the intense flavors and the caffeine effect – yes, yerba mate is a caffeine drink. People get their energy boost from it, for a good beginning of the workday.

Yerba Mate Tea Nutrition Ingredient

Yerba mate tea is rich in 196 kinds of active elements, 11 types of polyphenols, various microelements, and antioxidants such as flavonoids, as well as a variety of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids required by the human body. It is the single-family plant with the most nutrition and health benefits found so far.

As same as green tea and coffee, yerba mate tea also contains caffeine. It makes it got the benefits that caffeine brings, such as energy boost and weight loss.

The caffeine content of yerba mate is similar to coffee, about 85mg per 150mg cup. Also, it depends on your brew way and the quality of the mate. But the traditional yerba mate tea consuming way may make more caffeine intake, about 250 – 500mg per time. If you mind the caffeine, there are some decaf type mate tea sold on the market.

Keep reading, let’s see what health effect will yerba mate tea brings to us.

Yerba Mate Tea Benefits

Weight Loss

Numerous scientific studies have found the relation between yerba mate and obesity; the significant effect on weight loss may vary mainly due to its abundant polyphenols and caffeine.

We know that caffeine and polyphenols can help with losing weight. By ingesting them, you can significantly increase your satiety. The ingredients will also improve burn fat, speed up your metabolism, what is most important, it will not generate unnecessary calories, which can go a long way toward helping you with a healthy diet and weight loss plan.

Another research showed that yerba mate tea also could improve liver metabolism. In the liver, the antioxidant capacity of mate tea inhibits the activity of oxidase, reduces lipid peroxidation, and restores the levels of steatosis and triglyceride in the liver. Which not only plays the role of protecting the liver, it still can anti-obesity.

Antioxidation

Research showed that yerba mate is rich in antioxidants and contains polyphenols even more than green tea.

In addition to the anti-aging effect on the human body, the rich antioxidants also can help improve human immunity, prevent the aging of blood vessels, thus playing a role in protecting the heart and preventing heart disease.

Managing Diabetes

Aborigines in South America believed that yerba mate tea could cure diseases by purifying the blood in the body.

The research showed that chlorogenic acid (the primary polyphenols in yerba mate tea) could effectively control blood glucose, cholesterol, and insulin levels in the human body.

With the protective effect on blood vessels by the antioxidants, it can effectively manage type 2 diabetes caused by obesity and help diabetic patients reduce other complications caused by hyperglycemia.

But it’s a different situation in the type 1 diabetes case. Studies showed that caffeine stimulation might make the warning symptoms of low blood sugar in people with type 1 diabetes more noticeable.

Anyway, if you got diabetes, it’s better to consult your doctor before you consume mate tea.

Boost Athletic Ability

As a specialty of South American countries, yerba mate tea loved by the sports stars. We know that the famous football player Messi is one who loves mate tea a lot. And so many other sports players take it as an energy drink or a natural stimulant.

Due to the fat-burning effect by the rich caffeine contains in mate tea, give the energy body needs, to support the vigorous exercise. At the same time, it can improve muscle contraction, making muscles in the best condition for training.

With caffeine stimulates the nerves and make them in an excited state, which is undoubtedly an excellent drink for people who need to carry out high-intensity physical exercise.

Besides, native South Americans believed that the effect of yerba mate tea to enhance athletic ability, and the rich benefits ingredient it contains, helps to increase sexual desire and fertility.

Help Digestion

The effect of caffeine and polyphenol come again; they can cause bile and gastric acid to increase through the stimulation of the digestive system, and relax the smooth muscle.

Having yerba mate tea can improve digestion, especially suitable for patients with abdominal distension, constipation, and other diseases related to the digestive system.

But pay attention, consume mate tea too much, the hard stimulation to the digestive system may cause diarrhea, just like you have green tea on an empty stomach.

Yerba Mate Tea Side Effects

For tea lovers, the most significant factor troubling them is the effect of the caffeine brings in the beverage. Similarly, yerba mate tea does have some negative effects on the human body, and some may even cause life dangers.

Caffeine

The amount of caffeine in a single piece of yerba mate leaves is about 0.9% to 2.2%, which is a very high rate close to the coffee.

Due to the stimulation effect of caffeine on the nervous and digestive system, excessive consumption of yerba mate tea may cause side effects such as

Headache
Stomach upset
Nausea
Vomiting
Tachycardia
Breathlessness
Diarrhea

And the most common side effect is insomnia.

May Cause Cancer

There is no research proven that having yerba mate tea will cause cancer. But in some sampling studies of people who have a long-term consumption of it, they have relatively high rates of cancer of the esophagus, bladder, prostate, and mouth.

A view tells that mate tea just after brewed is so hot that it burns the mouth and esophagus, and long-term consumption increases the risks of cancer.

To best, it’s not advised to drink yerba mate tea every day.

Pregnancy

Women should not take yerba mate tea during pregnancy.

Because of the high amount of caffeine it contains, it may enter the body of the fetus along with the bloodstream and affect the development of the baby.

The stimulation that caffeine is for pregnant woman body cause miscarriage possibly. Pregnant women who intake high dosage caffeine during pregnancy, the baby may even show withdrawal symptoms after birth.

Patients During Medication

Some ingredients of yerba mate tea may cause interactions with some drugs, rendering them ineffective or causing severe side effects. Patients during medication should consult their doctor before drinking it.

Hypertension

The side effect of caffeine again. It may influence blood pressure, increase it in a short time. So the people with hypertension disease should take it carefully.

How To Brew Yerba Mate Tea

As the most popular beverage in South America, the origin yerba mate has a variety of ways to make.

The most traditional way, put 1/2 loose leaves into a pot called guampa(made of a hollowed bamboo tube, or gourd, some metal). Add hot water, then sip it with a metal straw called bombilla locally.

The best water temperature is 80-90°C, the higher is, the more fragrance. But it also the reason for cancer risks conjecture from studies.

At the family and friends party, they will sit around and pass the drink to each other, sip the tea through the same straw, symbolizing a close relationship. When the guampa being empty, add hot water to continue brewing, then keep passing the drink.

Homemade yerba mate tea can make in various ways, such as adding milk, juice, sugar, mint, vanilla, honey, or some herbal tea for flavoring. Cold-brew is a good idea, and iced mate tea is a favorite summer beverage of local people.

To many people, yerba mate tea is an irreplaceable drink. Once you fall in love with it, you will hard to leave it away; If you haven’t tried it, worth having a try.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Do You Know These 7 Rosemary Tea Benefits & The Side Effect Of It?

Rosemary is a plant origin from the Mediterranean coast. The scientific name is Rosmarinus Officinalis, a common herbal which is well-known by many people. Its flowers and leaves have a strong fragrance. Most of the rosemary flowers are blue and called “Dew Of The Sea”.

Rosemary has a pleasant aroma and was often used in religious ceremonies in ancient times. Nowadays, rosemary is mainly made into spices, essential oils, and rosemary tea.

What Is Rosemary Tea

Rosemary tea is made from the rosemary leaves after drying, with a strong pine-scented, taste light sweet but a little bitter. The unique herbal flavor may be unacceptable to somebody, but once you’ve accepted rosemary tea and fallen in love with it, it can bring lots of health benefits to you.

Benefits Of Rosemary Tea

Rosemary leaves are rich in rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol, which have high antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects. And what benefits the tea made by rosemary leaves will bring to us?

Protect The Heart

Rosemary tea has a high antioxidant effect, effectively prevent the aging of arteries, protect the heart and reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction. Research[4] showed that the antioxidant properties of rosemary tea can reduce the stress response of heart muscle cells and repair hardened heart tissue. For the old man, have rosemary tea daily helps to prevent the heart disease

Prevent Canner

Rosemary tea is rich in carnosol[1], a high-efficient anti-inflammatory substance. The scientists studied and show that rosemary extract has promising potential to prevent prostate, breast, skin, leukemia, and colon cancer.

Although it cannot prove that drinking rosemary tea can prevent cancer in 100%. But people who live in the Mediterranean, where rosemary originated, have taken it in life for a long time, significantly lower rates of these cancers than other regions.

Help In Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a disease for which no known cure, the usual incidence in the elderly crowd.

There is no specific evidence for the cause of AD, but most causes by the degeneration of nerve. The diterpene[2] contained in rosemary tea has a high antioxidant effect and can protect nerve cells from ischemic injury by scavenging ROS, show potential in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Manage Mental State

Thanks to the benefits of diterpenes on the nerve tissue, having rosemary tea can also improve people’s mental strength and concentration, which is of great help to students during the study and those who need to maintain high concentration in work.

A cup of rosemary tea can fresh up your brain

Oral Inflammation Treatment

Rosemary tea contains an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can relieve bleeding gums and treat oral diseases, just as same as the elderflower tea. Hold rosemary tea in your mouth for 2 seconds or gargle with it when drinking it, can reduce inflammation and freshen your breath at the same time.

Promote Hair Growth

Rosemary extract has the effect of promoting hair growth, is one of the main ingredients of many anti-hair loss products. But having rosemary tea cannot get this benefit. What you need to do is apply a high concentration of rosemary tea to your hair and scalp. This method gets the same effect as rosemary essential oil, but just a little.

Relieve Menstrual Pain

When women in menstrual, having rosemary tea also can relieve the pain. Research[3] showed that the anti-inflammatory ingredients in rosemary can stimulate endometrial contraction, reduce blood loss and effectively reduce the pain of menstrual.

Rosemary Tea Side Effects

Rosemary tea is not suitable for people below

Epilepsy Patients

Because the diterpenes in rosemary can stimulate the nerves, epilepsy patients may cause seizures or worsen after having rosemary tea.

Pregnant Woman

The anti-inflammatory ingredients of rosemary tea can stimulate endometrial contraction, in severe cases will lead to miscarriage, so it should not be drunk by pregnant women.

How To Brew Rosemary Tea

Take out 3-5g rosemary tea, put it into a teapot which after pre-heat, and slowly pour 500ml boiling water into it. The fragrance of rosemary will spread out quickly.

Steep for 3 minutes will be done; The second round needs to steep for 7 minutes, and the third round should longer to 10 minutes.

Pour out the rosemary tea leaves if you are not drinking, long time steeping will make the tea taste bitter; Pour them out at time can make it still taste good at the next round.

Use A Gaiwan Instead Of A Teapot To Brew Tea

Gaiwan is a kind of traditional Chinese teaware, which consists of a lid, a bowl, and a saucer, respectively corresponding to the “sky”, ”earth”, and the “human”, reflecting the traditional Chinese philosophy.

In some ancient Chinese films, it is often seen that the characters use the Gaiwan to have tea. The Gaiwan can be used either as a teaware for individual drinking or as a substitute for a teapot when having tea with friends.

The Advantage Of Gaiwan

What are the advantages of a Gaiwan over a teapot?

Material

Gaiwan is usually made of porcelain, and some are made of glass. The characteristic of this material is within a smooth surface, do not be full of fine pores like the ceramic(Purple clay) one. This feature allows the Gaiwan to better keep the aroma and taste of the tea and is easy to clean without leaving tea stains.

Of course, the lack of fine pores also makes the Gaiwan has a high thermal conductivity. In the process of use, if the method is not appropriate, easy to scald your hands; Moreover, the Gaiwan is not conducive to the heat preservation of tea. High thermal conductivity will make the tea cool down quickly, so it is necessary to have it as soon as possible.

Bigger Opening

Gaiwan got a bigger opening than the teapot, it will be easier no matter on the tea leaves adding and pour, or the cleaning after having tea. The bigger opening also makes it easier when adding tea and water. Especially when adding water, the design of the opening of the Gaiwan can make the tea leaves rotate better and release the tea juice more evenly.

Just like the glass teaware, Gaiwan makes it easier to observe the shape and color of the tea, thus judge the quality of the tea leaves. The bigger openings also allow the aroma to permeate the air to a greater extent when brewing the tea which has a strong aroma.

Great Design

The design of the Gaiwan may seem ordinary, but in fact, it has clever uses. When you use a Gaiwan to have tea alone, you can use the lid as a filter to push aside the tea leaves. The high thermal conductivity of Gaiwan makes the tea cool down quickly, and the tea saucer helps you to hold the Gaiwan easily. Control the closure of the lid so that the tea leaves are filtered out and let the tea slowly flows into the mouth.

When you going to have tea with your friends, you can also use the lid’s filter function to pour the tea directly into the justice cup. But this requires practice or you could risk scalding your hands.

One different from the teapot, after covering, a completely enclosed space forms inside the Gaiwan(the teapot still has an outlet to allow air to flow, can’t be regarded as a completely enclosed space). The completely enclosed space can make tea heating faster and more fully. And the aroma of tea will not be lost unless you take away the lid.

The shape of the Gaiwan is a great design

How To Use A Gaiwan To Brew Tea

Pre-heat

First, add boiling water into the Gaiwan, and then gently shake it for 3 times to let the boiling water wash the inside. While cleaning and disinfecting the Gaiwan, it can also pre-heat it, so that it will not reduce the temperature of the water when brewing tea.

Put The Tea In

Put the appropriate amount of tea into the Gaiwan according to different tea types and personal taste. The volume of the Gaiwan is usually smaller than the teapot, so the tea should not add too much, or the concentration of tea will become very high. The most ideal is, the amount of tea just covers the bottom of the Gaiwan.

Add Water

Many people will add water to the center of the Gaiwan when brewing tea. That cannot be said to be wrong, but there is a better way.

Due to the “Y” shape design of the Gaiwan, we can slowly pour water into it from the edge of the bowl when adding. In this way, the water will form a vortex inside the bowl, causing the tea leaves to rotate and be heated more evenly, releasing the ingredient of the tea.

Pay attention to the amount of water, the water level should be kept below the edge of the lid position.

Slowly add water from the edge of the Gaiwan

Cover

Cover it at once after adding water. Make sure the lid is covered close without any gap, it can help the tea will get the best steeping.

Enjoy Alone

After steeping the tea for a time, you can pick up the Gaiwan by holding the saucer, push the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water with the lid, and then put your mouth against the edge of the Gaiwan, gently tilt it and let the tea slowly flow into your mouth.

When drinking tea, hold the saucer with one hand and press the lid with the other hand to form an angle with the edge of the bowl to filter the tea leaves.

Enjoy Along

Pinch the tip of your thumb and middle finger on the edge of the Gaiwan, and the tip of your index finger on the top of the lid. Sliding the lid with your index finger make a little gap, gently tilt it let the tea pours out slowly from the gap to the justice cup or the teacups.

This action needs practice, as an incorrect method can lead to scalding or breaking the Gaiwan. Note that the place thumb and middle finger pinch is not the body of Gaiwan but the edge, because the temperature is rather lower; The tilt angle is gradually increased when pouring out the tea. If making a big angle at first, the hot tea will surges out instant and burn the fingers.

Gaiwan Buying Guide

When you going to get a Gaiwan, pay attention to 3 points below.

Size

There is no uniform standard for the size of a Gaiwan. The smaller the Gaiwan, the few tea it brews and increases the brewing times; The bigger the Gaiwan, the harder to hold, increase the risk of breakage.

Opening Diameter

The opening diameter of the Gaiwan also needs to note. Try to use your thumb and middle finger to touch the edge of the Gaiwan and pick it up, look if the size of diameter whether make you hard to pick.

The bigger the opening diameter, the harder to hold; and if the opening diameter is too small, it will affect the Gaiwan’s barycenter, hard to pour the tea out.

Lid

Look at the top of the lid, we’ll see that it has a little widget. In addition to making it easy to pick up the lid, this widget is also the place you need to press over with your index finger while pouring the tea. Try pressing it with your index finger and sliding the lid to make sure it slides smoothly.

The observe the degree of closure between the lid and the Gaiwan is also important. If there’s a gap between the lid and the Gaiwan after cover, it means that’s an inferior-quality product.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

5 Keys To Brew A Perfect Cup Of Ceylon Tea

Ceylon tea is the black tea which is origin in Sri Lanka. All people have favored it for its excellent quality and pure taste.
But do you know how to brew a perfect cup of Ceylon tea? Follow the tips below, and you can make your Ceylon tea taste more delicious.

Ways About Brewing Ceylon Ten

Loose Tea

To brew loose Ceylon Tea(most of it is CTC tea), best to brew with a glass teapot, which has a filter inside.
Pre-heat the teapot first, put the tea into it, add boiling water, and steep for about 3 minutes.
Take care of the water quality to keep the Ceylon tea original flavor, and it’s best to use mineral water.
Add more tea when the taste turns light after rounds.

Tea Bag

When you are going to brew with a Ceylon teabag, you can use a Mark cup. Just cover and steep with boiling water for about 3 minutes.
Do not use a spoon to squeeze the teabag, or puncture it.
And one teabag just best for one cup consume, do not brew it again or steep it in the water for a long time.

Add Some Milk

Milk is a perfect suit with Ceylon black tea, to make the flavor of black tea richer, you can add an appropriate amount of milk or cream in it, with one or two sugar cubes.
Add milk before brew black tea or after is also a kind of learning(MIF or MIA). Anyway, milk will make Ceylon tea more smooth and taste a higher tier.

Mix Coffee

An exciting way to have black tea is to mix coffee. In Hongkong Style, it is called “Yuenyeung.”
Yuenyeung has both the smooth of Ceylon black tea and the strong aroma of the coffee, more caffeine it contains can make your nerves more active.

Cold Brew With Lemon

Cold-brew tea is a cool way. Put 1 or 2 Ceylon black tea bags into a glass bottle, add cold water, cover, and put it into the refrigerator.
Juicing some lemon, combine with some sugar, stir. Then pour the mixture into another empty bottle.
Take out the black tea after 8 hours, pour them into the bottle with lemon juice, and you will get a cool, bit sweet and sour cup of cold brew lemon black tea.

5 Keys About Brewing Ceylon Tea

Tea Choose

Choose the types of Ceylon tea that suit your taste.
Ceylon black tea is the pillar industry of Sri Lanka. The tea management authority has set up to manage the whole industrial chain. It is very standardized and can be said to be the highest-quality tea in the world.
No matter what Ceylon tea types, it will provide the best taste if you buy from the formal channel.

Water

The water used for brewing tea must be boiled, but it should cool down to 80℃ when you are using it.
Notice, the water which boiling for a long time is terrible, and it’s best to use mineral water to brew Ceylon tea.

Brewing

Pre-heat the teapot and cups with boiling water, put 3-5g Ceylon tea into it, adding boiling water, cover, and steep for 3-5 minutes.
To get the best taste, you need to control the steeping time well, not too short or too long.
In every Sri Lanka tea house, there will be a timer for the customer timing, the scale is 3, 4, and 5 minutes, represents the time required for light, medium and strong tastes. Of course, you can manage the steeping time according to your taste.

Enjoy

Pour the black tea into the cup, and it is ready to drink. Enjoy it still hot, the flavor of Ceylon black tea will be lower when it cools down. Due to the catechin oxidation, the more time it places, the bitter it is.

Supplement

The taste is also different according to the different amounts of tea leaves you brewed.
Generally, 3g of tea can brew 3-4 cups of tea (about 120 ml per cup). Keep trying different ways to brew Ceylon tea, until you find the best suit to you.

Best Loss Weight Herbal Tea: Lemon Verbena Tea, 4 Benefits & How To Brew It

Lemon verbena tea is good for loss weight

Lemon verbena is a common herbal tea, it is said that there is a very significant effect in losing weight and thin legs, with the refreshing fragrance of close to lemon, make it popular in the office ladies who sit a long time.

What Is Lemon Verbena Tea

Lemon verbena is origin in South America, transplanted to Europe by the Spanish in the 17th century. Because of its narrow and long fresh green leaves containing a rich volatile oil (mainly to citral), giving off a strong lemon aroma, make it popular in the market, and won the “Herbal Tea Queen” reputation. People usually crushed the leaves and added to foods, beverages or desserts to promote flavor.
Lemon verbena tea is made from dried lemon verbena leaves and stems. The lemon verbena tea after steeped is light green, smooth and a bit viscosity, with a fresh aroma similar to lemon and citrus, and a slight astringency similar to herbs.

Lemon verbena tea is made from its narrow and long dried leaves

Lemon Verbena Tea Benefits

Lemon verbena tea is so popular not only because of its fresh smell and pleasant taste but also because of its excellent health benefits.

Mental Management

Lemon verbena is often used in aromatherapy, and the lemon verbena tea also can help people to soothe nerves and refreshing because of its strong aroma, it will be nice having a cup when feeling tired at work.
Since lemon verbena tea is a kind of herbal tea, not belong to the real tea, so it contains no caffeine. The ability to relax the nerves makes it has good help in sleeping, having a cup of lemon verbena tea 3 hours before going bed, can help improve the sleeping quality well.

Loss Weight Effect

Loss weight effect is the greatest benefit, and the main reason popular in ladies of lemon verbena tea. The adiponectin[4.3] that lemon verbena contains, can control the metabolization of the human body effectively, slow down adipose accumulation and generation, achieve the purpose of loss weight.
In addition, the polyphenols in lemon verbena can also control the body’s adipose level and reduce obesity-related diseases.
Most office ladies will sit for a long time, leading to thigh edema, losing their body curvaceous. Having lemon verbena tea while working, not only can obtain a better mental state, still can eliminate thigh edema.

The lemon verbena tea after brewed is light green

Relieves Respiratory Inflammation

Lemon verbena is rich in flavonoids and has anti-inflammatory effects. When you suffer from respiratory tract inflammation, sore throat and other diseases, lemon verbena tea’s volatile aroma and anti-inflammatory effect, can quickly relieve symptoms, reduce the discomfort of the throat and nose.
Luteolin – a kind of flavonoid that lemon verbena contains, is a natural antioxidant. According to research, in addition to the anti-inflammatory effect, but also has the ability to eliminate free radicals, protect cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced damage, to achieve the purpose of preventing cancer.

Treat Muscle Damage

Muscles can become sore or even damage after intense exercise. Having a cup of lemon verbena tea, the polyphenols it contains can effectively ease muscle soreness, treat the damage and helping the muscle recover quickly[7].

Lemon Verbena Tea Side Effect

Pregnancy

Although there is no relevant research proof, it is generally believed that lemon verbena tea’s effect on the muscles, will similarly cause uterine muscle contraction, there is a certain risk for pregnant women. So pregnant women should avoid lemon vervain tea.

Frequent Urination

Lemon verbena tea can promote the metabolism of the human body for weight loss. But to some people, having too much lemon verbena tea may easy to cause frequent urination. If having lemon verbena tea just before going to bed, not only helpless on sleep but also easy to affect the quality of sleep due to frequent urination.

How To Make Lemon Verbena Tea

Put 10-15 pieces of lemon verbena tea into the teapot, add boiling water and steep for about 10 minutes, until the tea leaves are fully stretching.
The lemon verbena tea after steeped is light green, with a fresh lemon aroma. You can add honey or maple syrup to season the flavor according to your taste.
Lemon verbena tea also can be brew with other herbs, such as rosemary tea and marigold tea, the taste and benefits will be better.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Marigold Tea: 5 Excellent Benefits & 3 Tea Recipes

Marigold petals are collected and dried to make marigold tea

Marigold is a beautiful ornamental plant, scientific name as “Calendula Officinalis” origin to southern Europe and the Mediterranean coast. It can be seen in many scenic spots. In addition to giving people a visual enjoyment, marigold has many functions, such as being made into medicine, essential oil or marigold tea.

What Is Marigold Tea

Marigold rich in such as phosphorus, flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C, all of them are concentrated in its petals. Marigold tea is made by its fresh petals from sunning dry.
The dried marigold is orange, and the tea it brewed shows light-gold. Brewing marigold tea with a glass teaware, you can see the dry flowers blooming in the water, make the water turn gold slowly, just like a magic scene.

Marigold Tea Benefits

Marigold tea is not only got a beautiful looking, and it also got lots of benefits.

Skin Management

The flavonoids and antioxidants marigold tea contained can help us against the free radicals in the skin, reduce the effect of UV on the skin, slow skin aging and reduce the production of wrinkles.[3.5]
Marigold tea can also nourish the skin at the same time, prevent the accumulation of melanin in the skin surface layer, reduce the production of stains, play a role in whitening the skin.

Diuresis

Marigold tea has a diuretic effect. In the folk, marigold tea is often used as a diuretic and sweating medicine, to heal the tic disorder and other conditions[3.1]. By the diuretic effect of marigold tea, it can also promote the metabolism of the human body, to help detoxifying. When you got a bad cold, you can drink a cup of marigold tea to help antipyretic.

Anti-inflammatory Effects

Marigold extract has an anti-inflammatory effect, can be used as a medicine in the treatment of external wounds, such as burns, cuts, dermatitis and other conditions[3.2].
Marigold tea can also be effective in the treatment of inflammation within the body, including inflammation of the mouth and throat, gastroenteritis and other else. At the same time, marigold tea can improve the ability of the human body against the virus infection, which reduces the burden of the immune system.

Menstrual Management

Marigold tea contains flavonoids compounds that help relax muscles, promote blood circulation, and effectively ease women’s menstrual pain. With the skin beauty effect, make marigold tea become a very suitable herbal tea for women to drink.

Cancer Treatment

In the research recent years, marigold has shown promising potential in cancer treatment. The extract of marigold has an excellent effect on killing some cancer cells[7].
Of course, it can not be said that drinking marigold tea can cure cancer. Worth to note, the study shows, the anti-inflammatory benefits of marigold tea play a great role in cancer prevention and palliative care. It may say, having marigold tea can bring a little help to cancer prevention.

Marigold Tea Side Effect

Before drinking marigold tea, you should notes at some side effects, especially for pregnant women. Marigold tea is not recommended for pregnant women, because it can significantly affect hormone levels, and may lead to pregnancy complications.
Besides, some people are allergic to marigolds or other flowers of the marigold family, in which case stomach upset or local irritation may occur.

How To Make Marigold Tea

Recipe 1: Marigold Verbena Tea
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon dried marigold, 1 teaspoon dried verbena, 1 teaspoon rosehip
Step: Steep the dried marigold with boiling water about 30 seconds then take out, then put the marigold, verbena, and rosehip into the teapot, add 500ml boiling water steep for about 3 minutes.
Recipe 2: Marigold Green Tea
Ingredients: 3-5g dried marigold, 1 teaspoon green tea
Step: Wash the dried marigold with the hot water, then brew with the green tea together for about 3 minutes.
Recipe 3: Marigold Mint Tea
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon dried marigold, 5 fresh mint leaves
Step: Wash the dried marigold and the fresh mint leaves with the hot water, then put them into the teapot, add boiling water and steep for about 30 seconds, filter the ingredients and drink.

Try These 10 Easy Herbal Tea Recipes For Your Eyesight Health

Eyes are the windows of the soul, got a fantastic vision through.
But the busy day work makes us focus on the screen of electronic products for a long time. Eyes begin feeling weak, such as dry eyes, eyesight deteriorated, in severe cases, may glaucoma, and even blindness.
As everybody knows, herbal tea takes excellent benefits in keeping health. So what kind of herbal tea can maintain the eyesight health, relieve the dryness of eyes?
Here come 10 herbal tea recipes, which all have good reviews for eyesight protection.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is absolutely the best choice, it has conspicuous benefits, and it is easy to get.
Chamomile tea is rich in vitamin A, which is the essential nutrition facts on eyesight health. And in traditional Chinese medicine, it is often used to treat a variety of eye diseases.
Having a cup of chamomile tea can make your eyes and brain bright, helpful for the dry eye case, especially for the people who work on a computer for a long time.

Just take a few dried chamomile and steep with hot water for several minutes.

Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is a kind of flavoured green tea. It retains the natural benefits from the tea polyphenol of green tea, good at anti-inflammatory, and reduces blood press, to relieve fatigue caused by eye congestion. And the caffeine in jasmine tea can also make you refreshing.
Jasmine also has a lot of aromatic oil and a strong aroma that can help you relax.

Take 5g of jasmine tea and sugar, steep with hot water, having after filtration.

Wolfberry Tea

In recent years, dietary therapy methods from China are trendy, and wolfberry tea is the most common one.
Eyesight protection is one of the benefits of wolfberry tea. It is rich in carotene, vitamin A, B1, B2, C, Ca, Fe .etc, which are essential nutrition facts for healthy eyes.

Take the right amount of wolfberry, steep with hot water. P.S. the wolfberry after steeping is chewable and edible.

Rosemary Tea

The diterpenes found in rosemary tea are great for relaxing nerves, helping to boost your mental state and concentration.
When you at a long time work or study, having a cup of rosemary tea can help you get to relax and relieve eye fatigue; it will improve your memory at the same time.

Take 10g of rosemary tea and steep with hot water for 5 minutes. Since rosemary is a bit bitter, you can spice it up with honey for a better taste.

Eyebright tea

The herb eyebright has been used as an eye medicine in Europe since ancient times. Some records of ancient Greece show they ever used it as a medicine for eye infections. You can feel the significance though its name.
Eyebright is rich in tannic acid and has a strong astringent effect. It can make the outer layer of the mucous membrane around the eye orbit contract, improve the lacrimal gland secretion, relieve the ciliary muscle flesh because of a long time with the eye caused by tension.

Take an appropriate amount of eyebright according to personal taste and brew it in hot water for drinking.

What is worth to note, that in addition to drinking, you can also use a towel dipped some eyebright tea, and put it on the eyes for a hot compress. Relieve eye fatigue while still can achieve the role of removing the black eye.

Osmanthus Green Tea

Osmanthus has embellish-lung and whitening skin benefits; the sharp fragrance can relax your nerves and keep a good spiritual state. Brew it with green tea can relieve eye strain and remove halitosis.

Add some osmanthus into the brewed green tea. After you smell the sharp osmanthus fragrance is ok to serve.

Rose Black Tea

In the vision of traditional Chinese medicine, the health of the liver closely related to eyesight. Black tea and rose tea have significant benefits in helping eliminate liver toxins and keeping liver health. Not only does the combination promote eye health more effectively, but the black tea and rose flavors also match.

Take 20 dried roses, 1 black tea teabag, steep with 400ml hot water, then adding some honey.

Cassia Seed Chamomile Hawthorn Tea

Just like the rose tea, cassia seed has a benefit on liver protection. Brew it with chamomile and hawthorn can improve eyesight health. It is said that cassia seed also has the benefit on weight loss.
This herbal tea recipe has a slightly sour taste, which does not only help to solve dry eyes but also suitable for patients with indigestion.

Take cassia seed 10g, dried chamomile 5g, hawthorn 15g, or the same proportion of them, boiling with water for 30 mins.

Ginkgo Biloba Tea

Ginkgo biloba tea has excellent benefits for blood. It can help the body remove impurities in the blood vessels, but also to prevent atherosclerosis, and cerebral thrombosis.
Research shows that ginkgo biloba tea is also effective in relieving eye strain. It dilates the blood vessels in the back of the eye, improving the ocular blood flow, and improving retinal sensitivity, concentration, and alertness. And it doesn’t affect your overall blood pressure or heart rate.

Take 2-3g ginkgo biloba tea, steep with hot water for 5-10 mins.

Warning: Raw, wild ginkgo biloba cannot be used directly to make tea. Natural ginkgo biloba contains a large amount of ginkgo acid, and it can be soluble in water, consume direct may cause paroxysmal spasm, nerve palsy, pupil dilation, allergy, and other toxic side effects. Therefore, we recommended buying processed ginkgo biloba tea on the market.

Buddleja Officinalis Wolfberry Tea

The buddleja officinalis contains flavonoids, volatile oil, triterpenoid, iridoid glycoside, and other nutrition facts, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Clinical use for dry eye disease, cataract, keratomalacia, and it has a significant effect.
Many eye-drops also contain extracts from the buddleja officinalis, making tea with it can help to keep your eyesight healthy. It can also repair the damage caused by focusing on the screen for too long.

Take wolfberry 10g, buddleja officinalis 3g, steep with 85℃ water for about 15 mins.