All The Tea In China...Town

Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;

Jonathan and I are going back to San Francisco this weekend, I can’t wait!   Jonathan is going for work and for me well I will see my publisher, then I’m off to the Farmer’s markets, and Chinatown. In Chinatown, we have discovered the most fascinating teahouses. On our last visit to Chinatown, Jonathan and I found this great teahouse and the owner was kind enough to spend an hour with us teaching us about teas.  Did you know that tea is the most popular beverage in the world next to water! Some people believe tea was first used by herbalist for medicinal purposes, today Eastern doctors still prescribe tea for specific ailments. I drink tea because I know it is good for me and I like the taste of green tea. There are more than 1,500 types of tea to choose from because over 25 countries cultivate tea as a plantation crop; China is one of the main producers of tea. Just like wine, the diversity of tea is a result of the differences in soil, climate, elevation, and other factors. Basically there are three types of tea: black (or red), green, and oolong. Each type is distinguished by the amount of fermentation that takes place in processing it. Fermentation is necessary to enhance flavor of the tea leaf.  The longer the fermentation process, the more caffeine it contains and the darker it becomes.  Tea is also classified according to regions or smaller districts, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Indonesian or Assam (India), Uva (Sri Lanka), or Enshu (Japan). Tea is also classified by the size of its processed leaf. As you can see there is alot to learn about teas and many teas to taste. Green tea is thought to be responsible fro the long-life helth of Asian cultures, green tea is filled with powerful antioxidants which have been linked with many health benefits including weight loss. The powerful antioxidant that is specific to green tea is called EGCG. During the past 40 years, thousands  of studies on green tea have been conducted around the world. This research has demonstrated that EGCG, could enhance the immune system functions by guarding against oxidants and free radicals that weaken the body’s natural defense system. Help regulalte chollesterol levels. Lower the risk of stroke by making blood platelets less “sticky”. Help control blood sugar levels, assist in weight loss, ward off viruses, fungi and food-borne bacteria, and slow the aging process down.

I am going to go back to the tea houses and I am going to try out a “herbalist” too, I will let you know what I learned.

Love From Home,

Kim Wechsler

References:

Tea’s Wonderful History, L.K. Yee