GREEN TEA
·Background
·Harvesting
·History
·Tea Ceremony
·Healthful aspects
·Buying and Preparing
·National Tea Festival 1996
Green tea could be called the "national beverage" of Japan. So you've come to the right place to try this delicious and healthful drink; Shizuoka prefecture produces half of all the tea grown in Japan. Clean air and plentiful water supply aid the careful cultivation necessary to produce the high quality teas of Shizuoka which are renowned for their taste and aroma. Pleasantly stimulating, delicious hot or cold -- try it -- you'll love it!
Background: Not everyone knows that all tea come from the same plant. It is the different processes and factors like the time of year the tea is picked, the part of the bush tea it is picked from, drying times and temperatures that produce the different varieties. ( The enzymes in freshly picked tea leaves that have been immediately inactivated so the chlorophyll is not broken down gives us green tea. The fermentation process, amount of tannin, as well as added scents distinguish the flavors of black tea.)
History: Tea was introduced to Japan as a medicinal beverage by monks when they returned from studies at the great monasteries of 12th century China. In the 13th century, the first Japanese book on tea stressed the importance of tea in maintaining health and vigor. First used only among the upper classes, it wasn't until the 16th century that drinking tea was refined into a ceremony of austere elegance; it was then that the Samurai class began to drink it. Gradually, the common people began to drink it until it reached the status it has today -- the most popular drink in Japan!
Harvesting: There are three periods
for tea harvesting: the first crop (called "new tea") is picked from
late April to mid May; the second crop in late June, and the third from late July
to early August. Tea is plucked by hand, hand-shear or with a power plucker. Tea Ceremony: Four basic principles underlie the practical rules of the tea ceremony and represent its highest ideals: Harmony, respect, purity, tranquillity. Regarded as an aesthetic and artistic entertainment, learning the rules of the tea ceremony is still widely regarded as a sign of refinement and accomplishment.
Healthful Aspects: Green tea is now receiving world-wide attention for its acknowledged health benefits. In the Japanese home, green tea is served throughout the day to accompany meals as well as a morning and afternoon pickup. Green tea is satisfying as an invigorating and thirst quenching drink. It contains Vitamin C and is acknowledged as effective against diabetes. Minerals, chlorophyll and manganese contained in green tea are all recognized as essential to good metabolism. The tannin in the tea improves digestion and helps the cure of stomach disorders while the fluorine in green tea is effective in the prevention of tooth decay.
Recent research into the health and green tea drinking habits of residents of Shizuoka have proven they have an all over lower rate of mortality from stomach, lung and liver cancer. It is estimated they drink as much as ten cups of green tea daily, and amount that would give them 1g of "catechins" (the main component in green tea). Catechins has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol fighting carcinogenic bacteria and acting as an antioxidant, and more.
Buying and Preparing: Tea should be purchased at tea shops, a small amount at a time because it must be stored under good conditions. It is best to keep it in an air-tight container in a cool place. To brew tea properly, follow the instructions that are included with the tea and use a ceramic tea pot.
National Green Tea Festival 1996-- This is a time you can drink, eat, and even wear green tea! Beginning May 26, with the Opening Event in Tsumagoi, Kakegawa City, a host of events and activities will usher in this year's national festival in Shizuoka. There will be a marathon race through the tea fields, and a Japanese Drum Festival on September 29 in Haibara. A tea ceremony will be held at the Numazu Imperial Villa Memorial Park in Numazu City on October 10. With a bazaar, prizes and entertainment provided by famous television personalities, the final event will take place October 26-27 at AEL Kikugawa Culture Center in Kikugawa. For more information contact: Chamber of Tea Association of Shizuoka Prefecture -- Tel (054) 271-5271 Fax 252-0331.
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