Tea Trivia - Green vs Black Tea #SuperBloggerChallenge

Growing up in an Indian household even a decade ago, it was highly unlikely that you would have been served a hot cup of green tea in the morning or in the afternoon after returning home from work. Somewhere down the line, the centuries old practice of a hot milk-infused black tea being served has slowly started to give way to the more healthier green teas that you see today in so many varieties and flavours. The younger generation swears by it and the benefit it offers.

And yet, not many really know a lot about what makes these two popular subcategories so different. Or rather, are they really that different at all? You would be surprised.

Here are some fun facts that will not only help you make the right choice in selecting your tea but also leave you the smartest person in the room whenever someone (*cough cough* YOU *cough cough*) brings up the topic of India's most popular hot beverage.

Both green tea and black tea are made from THE SAME PLANT : Camellia sinensis.

The difference arises from the way the tea leaves are harvested and processed. Black tea undergoes: 

1. withering (blowing hot air over them), 
2. rolling, 
3. oxidation and 
4. drying before being sorted into whole leaf grade, broken leaf grade, fannings and dust. 

Green tea avoids the oxidation process unlike black and oolong tea. With the latter two, the tea leaves undergo fermentation after being immediately exposed to oxygen. But with green tea, the leaves are steamed and roasted thus stopping any fermentation.

Black tea has a higher caffeine content than green tea which will increase your alertness temporarily but can be detrimental if you have too many cups a day.

The keyword you need to memorize?  Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. Green tea has this catechin aplenty and it has been shown to promote the death of cancer cells in skin and colon, in addition to inactivating genes that cause the spread of colon cancer.

Tea and the Brain: The amino acid L-theanine in tea helps you relax and concentrate better. While green tea also lowers the risk of cognitive impairment, black tea reduces the effects of stress.

Tea and the Heart: EGCG shields the cells of your blood vessels from stress and controls cholesterol levels too. But black tea also helps maintain blood vessel function.

Tea and the 'Rest of My Body': It does not stop with just the heart and brain.

• Tea works as a digestive aid for your stomach. 
• It strengthens your immune system and your teeth too. 
• It increases your metabolism and helps in weight loss.
• Catechin in green tea is shown to kill the bacteria implicated in food poisoning.
• Implicated in reducing the risk of arthritis.

Adding Milk to Your Black Tea? Well, I am sure it enhances the flavours of certain teas but that comes at a cost, actually. Adding milk tends to reduce the fluoride content as well as affect the absorption of those healthy anti-oxidants that tea is so rich in, in addition to adding calories.

The RED TEA, Rooibos, from Africa, reduces inflammations and irritations on the body in addition to having calming effects.

Popular Green Teas -

Sencha - Japanese green tea. High Vitamin C content.
Gyokuro - more expensive than Sencha since the process of cultivation is more difficult. A more stronger, sweeter taste because it is hidden from sunlight 3 weeks before harvesting the tea leaves, keeping the strong amino acid flavours within.
Tencha - Avoiding the rolling process leaves this tea with high concentration of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
Matcha - ground up Tencha.
Konacha - Served at sushi restaurants as 'agari', formed from the filtered out buds of Sencha and Gyokuro.

Popular Black Teas -

Assam tea - One of the most popular varieties in the world. The best option if you prefer your black tea with milk.
Darjeeling First flush - well rounded, complex flavour. Considered the choice for royalty.
Darjeeling Second flush.
Ceylon Tea.

Ideal Temperatures to prepare?

Green tea - 80 degrees, brewing or dipping for 3 minutes.
Black tea - 100 degrees, brewing or dipping for 4 minutes.

Authors note:

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.