ORiEnTspiration Green Teas

Green teas have only 5-10% the caffeine in coffee. Green tea is also high in antioxidants, which flush the toxins, boost the immune system, and help to prevent cancer. They also lower blood pressure, fight gingivitis and cavities, and help regulate blood sugar levels. Green teas should be steeped at a much lower temperature than boiling.

Apricot Green Tea

Apricot Green Tea is a mixture of apricot peels in a healthy and beneficial green tea. Apricot is a fruit-bearing tree, with a dense, spreading canopy with its leaves shaped somewhat like a heart, with pointed tips. Its flowers are white to pinkish in color. The fruit appears similar to a peach or nectarine, with a color ranging from yellow to orange and sometimes a red cast; its surface is smooth and nearly hairless. Apricots are stone fruit, so called because the lone seed is often called a “stone”. The apricot is thought to have originated in northeastern China near the Russian border. But now it is commercially cultivated mostly in California and in parts of Oregon and Utah, while Turkey is the leading dried-apricot producer.

Citron Green Tea

Citron Green Tea is a mixture of lemon and lime peels in a health and beneficial green tea. The citron fruit is a slow-growing fruit. The citron tree is typically grown from cuttings that are two to four years old; the tree begins to bear fruit when it is around three years old. The fruit is oblong in shape, and sometimes as much as six inches in length. Its skin is thick, somewhat hard, fragrant, and covered with protuberances; the pulp is white and sub acid. In many languages other than English, a normal lemon is called a “citron” and a lime is called a “limon”. Although the East Asian citrus fruit yuzu is sometimes called a citron, it is actually a separate species, Citrus junos. The citron is mostly grown near the Mediterranean and in Central and South America. It is also popular in southern parts of India.

Long Jing Tea

Long Jing tea is a famous variety of green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the China Famous Tea title. Long Jing is often called the national drink of China and is frequently given to visiting heads of state. It is also a favorite tea of today’s top leaders, with a portion of production reserved for government customers. Like most other Chinese green tea, Long Jing tea leaves are pan fried to stop the fermentation process. In the world of tea, the term fermentation refers to the drying of the freshly picked leaves, resulting in enzymatic oxidation. This oxidation is stopped by frying or steaming the leaves before they completely dry out. As is the case with other green teas, Long Jing tea leaves are unfermented. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color, a gentle, pure aroma, and a rich flavor. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and has one of the highest concentrations of catechins among teas, second only to white teas.

Gunpowder Tea

One of the best known and most widely consumed green teas in the world. Also known as the Green Pearl for its pleasing shape and color, the best Gunpowder is produced in Zhejiang province by rolling large, tender leaves into evenly sized little balls which blossom under hot water to produce a full-flavored, refreshingly astringent infusion with a hint of smokiness. A stimulating breakfast tea in the morning or served as an accompaniment to food anytime. Also popular in many parts of the world served with mint.