In the United States most people are dedicated coffee drinkers but in many European and eastern countries, tea is the drink of choice! China is the foremost tea-producing country, where more than four million acres of ground is devoted to its cultivation. In India, tea is also a very important agricultural product. Tea lovers cite its low caffeine and high levels of anti-aging components as a reason to include it in ones' everyday diet. Green herbal tea is the latest buzzword in tea drinking and its health giving benefits are said to far outweigh those of ordinary black tea. In the past many people believed that black and green teas are derived from two completely different plants but, in fact, they come from the self-same plant (Camellia thea). So, what is green herbal tea and why is it such a superior product?
* How is Green Herbal Tea Produced?
Cultivated in Ceylon, Japan, Java, and elsewhere where climate allows - green herbal tea is prepared by a process of exposing the gathered tea leaves to natural air until all excess moisture has evaporated. The leaves are then roasted over a fast-burning wood fire where the harvest is continually stirred until the leaves are moist and flaccid.
The leaves are then conveyed to a rolling table where they are rolled into balls and subjected to intense pressure. This flattening process twists the leaves and removes any moisture still contained in them. After this, the tea leaves are shaken out onto flat trays and once again roasted - this time over a slow and steady charcoal fire. The leaves are kept in fast motion for an hour to an hour and a half or until the leaves turn a dull green color.
The next step in the process of making green herbal tea is to winnow the leaves (a process of separating out any unusable bits), screened, and graded into different varieties.
