Green Tea-Forms of Green Tea

 

Forms of Green Tea

Green tea and other teas are popular beverages in America, and in fact due to the rising popularity of tea in the United States, Americans have invented new ways to consume this refreshing beverage. The United States played a big part in the developing market for tea such as inventing the tea bag, and methodizing iced tea both in 1904. In modern times the United States even leads the world market in ready- to-drink tea in bottles, usually served chilled. However this is not thought of the best way to enjoy green tea considering the bottled beverage industry has added sugar and other additives.  Here are some of the different ways to brew your green tea so that you might find one the fits your lifestyle.
Tea bag
One of the easier ways to brew your green tea, Tea bags were invented in the United States in 1904 and are easily found in any grocery store or coffee/tea specialty store. This method is as simple as pouring a hot cup of water into a mug containing your bag of tea leaves and waiting for the beverage to steep, then enjoy. Just keep an eye out for teas with added sugar and preservatives. Another plus to drinking green tea using tea bags is that most tea bags these days are 99.99% biodegradable and much better for the environment than say bottled green teas.
Loose leaf
So, you think green tea brewed from the bag, is good enough for you? Well tea connoisseurs would insist you try green tea brewed from loose leaf tea leaves. While this may take more time and some extra equipment, it is well worth it. High quality green tea will have much more complex flavors along with a larger flavor profile that most mass produced brand tea bags just won’t have. So, as surprising as it is, there is a specific way to brew green tea apart from other teas.
First, you must find your preferred tea, any tea specialty shop will have loose leaf tea and it should come sealed in an airtight baggie for freshness. Second, you will need the correct pot and cup, there are pots designed for how green tea is supposed to be steeped.  Here comes the complicated part, next bring some purified water (water with little taste is recommended) to a boil on the stove, once the water is at a boil remove from the heat and pour into the teapot. Never brew green tea with boiling water.

Finally, after the water has cooled for about a minute pour the water into the cups that you will be serving and discard any excess water. This will warm the cups, cool the water and measure out the perfect amount of tea for the group. After about a minute pour the water back into the pot and brew your premeasured loose leaf tea for about another 2-2 ½ minutes. Enjoy.
Extracts    
Many in the fitness community have seen or heard about the now popular green tea extract pills, essentially what this is, is a concentrated version of the properties of what is found in a cup of green tea.  On average, one pill of the extract can contain an equal amount of nutrients as 5 cups of green tea. While green tea extracts have been studied and overall are good for you, it is important to remember that moderation is the key. It is a fact that you can overdose on these extracts and they have been known to cause acute liver failure in some cases. 
Finally, the important thing to remember is that no matter how fit green tea into your life at least you get to benefit from what the beverage has to offer. Find your favorite way to enjoy this wonderful tea and incorporate it into your routine.