Green Tea

Camellia sinensis, usually know as green tea, the tea plant, tea tree, or tree shrub, is a truly exceptional plant. People cannot help but marvel at its versatility in both biological and chemical terms. The tea is hailed as the most approachable beverage all around the world.

The green tea plant is an evergreen shrub, oftentimes considered a small tree that is grown chiefly for its heavenly leaves. Its leaves are approximately 2 to 5 inches long. The young ones are pale green whereas, the older ones are a bit darker. This leaf oriented plant also produces flowers yellow-white flowers, bearing 7 to 8 petals.

Green tea leaves famous for containing caffeine and theobromine which aids in preventing cancer, enhancing alertness, and delaying the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Formerly originated from China, the green tea plant is now cultivated all around the globe to meet its high consumption demand.

The glossy, oval-shaped green tea leaves are also brimmed with flavonoids that scavenge free radicals in the body, reduces oxidative stress, and curtails the chances of acquiring cancer and diabetes.

Moreover, green tea boosts the immune system, refines skin health, upgrades collagen production, reduces stress, and maintains a healthy weight. In a world full of worries and ongoing setbacks, green tea seems to be the knight in shining armor as it boosts the working of the brain to cope up with different situations.

Nothing can go wrong with a green tea plant growing in your backyard. The green tea plant is either started via cuttings (with flowers) or seeds during winters. This way the plant gets used to its surrounding as they are dormant during winters.

Green tea plant prefers well-drained, acidic, and ericaceous soil with partial sunlight exposure because full sun exposure can burn the highly-prized leaves. The plant requires water on an average basis as too much water supply and dry spells can both result in spoiled yield.

The green tea plant can be grown both indoors too in a pot, provided the fact that the conditions given to the plant match the aforementioned criteria.

Many green tea plants have been reported to live more than a thousand-year. However, in today’s world, the green tea plant lives not more than 50 years because of climatic change and global warming.

The sown seeds take a bit longer to germinate i.e. 6 to 8 weeks. In fact, the green tea plant grows at a quite slower pace. After sprouting, the seedling bearing 3 to 4 leaves are separated and transplanted with spaces to have a heavy yield. The plant grows, gets on with producing glossy leaves, and finally embarks on the flowering phase with the onset of winter.

These green tea flowers are pollinated by insects and give rise to the formation of capsules that bear brown seeds. These seeds split open and disperse the seeds which then account for the continuation of the lifecycle of the green tea plants.

The green tea seeds are harvested from mid to late fall when its capsule is ripened and portrays the reddish-brown color.

As for the leaves, they are harvested in spring. The two young, pale-green outermost leaves are harvested from every plant and the practice is out every week to increase the harvest weight and keep the plants thriving.

The green tea leaves and seeds are handpicked.

The leaves are picked and blotted in the air first and then subjected to the oven at 2500F for 20 minutes. The leaves are then stored in an airtight container to keep the taste, aroma, and essence functioning.

The feeling of being revitalized is every person’s preference. It negates the idea of agitation and freshens up our minds. Its various medicinal perks, other shooing fatigue, has wowed the population. Green tea leaves are incorporated in many medicinal preparations to seek its million dollars benefits.

• Tincture - Infuse dried chopped green tea leaves in grain alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the liquid and place it in a dark and dry place.
• Tea - Dried green tea leaves are allowed to boil with water for 5 to 6 minutes on high flame. The tea is strained and a teaspoon of sugar is stirred in to sweeten the enjoyment.
• Decoction - Dried green tea leaves are simmered on low flame for not more than 30 minutes to yield a decoction.
• Salve - Green tea seeds are pressed to release their oil. This oil is employed in the making of skin rejuvenating salve.
• Syrup - A cup sugar is simmered in water and topped with 4 teaspoons of dried green tea leaves. The mixture is brought to a slow boil, strained, and stored in an airtight bottle to last for a month.
• Infused oil - Dried green tea leaves are topped with olive oil for 4 to 6 weeks. The jar is shaken regularly during the process. The leaves are then strained and the oil is saved in an airtight glass bottle.

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