Green tea is refreshing even in Germany!
I think that there are times when you miss Japanese food when you are staying abroad. That's why German food feels extra heavy... Green tea is recommended in such cases. In this article, I will explain the benefits and types of green tea!
When purchasing tea, many people think that green tea is good for their health and choose it without thinking.
I will explain the benefits of green tea by dividing it into two components.
Catechin is a type of polyphenol and has many effects such as antioxidant and antiviral effects.
antioxidant effect
Most high-calorie diets are acidic foods, which can make your body more acidic and unhealthy. Since tea is an alkaline drink, it regulates the pH of the body and prevents deterioration of physical condition. If you have a heavy meal and want to feel refreshed, drinking green tea after meals may help.
In addition, if you drink it after meals, catechins have strong bactericidal properties, so you can expect them to prevent the growth of cavities and improve the oral environment. It has a very positive effect on tooth decay and bad breath.
Antiviral action
When a virus enters the body, it tries to grow by sticking to other cells, but by ingesting catechins, it is possible to create a state in which the virus is less likely to stick to cells, which leads to the prevention of various diseases.
In addition to the two actions mentioned so far, many other effects are expected, such as the effect of reducing body fat and the effect of preventing dementia.
Green teas such as matcha and genmaicha contain an ingredient called GABA, which is an ingredient that suppresses excited neurotransmitters. If this is not enough, it will cause irritation and anxiety, so if you take it, you can expect a relaxing effect.
In addition to catechin and GABA, it contains many ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that have a positive effect on human health.
From here, we will take up seven types of green tea.
According to the degree of fermentation, tea can be categorized into unfermented tea as green tea, semi-fermented tea as oolong tea, and fully fermented tea as black tea.
1 . Sencha
It is the most popular tea. In general, sencha is made by steaming and kneading new sprouts of tea leaves.
2 . roasted green tea
Is hojicha green tea? Some of you may have thought that. It is true that the color is not green, but if you classify it by the degree of fermentation, hojicha can also be divided into green tea. Sencha and bancha are roasted over high heat to bring out the fragrant aroma of this tea. Roasting at a high temperature reduces bitterness and astringency, making the tea easy to drink.
3 . Brown rice tea
It is made by combining roasted brown rice with sencha or bancha. It is a fragrant and easy-to-drink tea.
4 . Bancha
Because grown tea leaves are often used, this tea is characterized by its light and refreshing taste. Younger buds contain more caffeine, so bancha does not contain much caffeine and can be said to be a healthy tea.
5 . Gyokuro
It is made from tea leaves that are grown in the shade of the sun and finished with the sencha method. Theanine, which is the umami component of tea, changes to catechin, which is an astringent component when exposed to sunlight, so umami can be preserved by blocking sunlight. This green tea is a little more expensive than regular sencha because it takes more time and effort.
6 . Matcha
It is ground and powdered from the state called tencha, which is grown and dried in a shade of direct sunlight.
7 . Covered tea
It is covered and cultivated in the same way as gyokuro, and after harvesting, it undergoes the same process as sencha. It has both flavor and freshness.
summary
I explained the classification and benefits of green tea, but it is surprising that there are so many excellent effects!
Today, there are cosmetics and soaps that use tea extract, and the bactericidal effect of tea and nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E are expected to have a positive effect on beauty.
There are also teas available in Germany, so why not include green tea in your daily life as it helps keep you in shape and helps you live a clean life.
If you don't have a Japanese grocery store near you, or if you want something different than usual, online shops are very convenient.