Green tea

Although not for everyone, Green tea has become a firm favourite now for many in the west.

It is an acquired taste but I find the reason for many people’s dislike is actually in incorrectly brewing it like normal English tea. If brewed properly with a quality asian tea, it becomes both light and refreshing.

When I can, I try to get to my local japanese store to buy my sencha. It is quite unlike anything you can usually buy in a supermarket, with a much more delicate fresh flavour. In fact, I disliked green tea until I tasted a cup of mild sencha.

A big trick is to not use boiling water for making this tea. Doing this encourages that horrid bitter flavour to come through and will completely ruin your tea. Allow the kettle to rest for a few moments after boiling and then brew your tea for about 2 minutes.

One of the greatest benefits to this tea is its apparent ability to speed up your metabolism and help with carbohydrate digestion. I find it wakes me up more then coffee, and fills me with energy. My appetite is greatly diminished and it can also cause me to start sweating, so the proof is in the pudding for me.

Another warning, do not drink this in the evening unless you plan on staying awake. Unlike many things that claim to encourage weight loss, I have found green tea to actually work.