Green Tea: Proof Nature has a Crush on Us?
Green tea is more than one of the healthiest drinks on the planet—it’s a collaboration with Nature herself.
Sixth-century Buddhist monks knew what was up. They sensed that green tea made their meditation sessions more powerful. And thousands of years later, research found that L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, increases the alpha brain waves that prompt a state of wakeful relaxation. Rich in protective antioxidants, green tea has also been found to improve brain function, reduce anxiety, and even improve our mood. As a health-promoting tonic, green tea is a treasure at a level of genius that human beings could never have come up with on our own. It had to come from Nature.
Legend has it, some 4000 years ago, Nature said “Hey, try this thing I’ve been working on” and our long and beautiful relationship with green tea was born. One day around 2737 BCE, a Chinese emperor was enjoying some en plein air refreshment, also one of our favorite ways to connect with Nature, when a sudden breeze blew some leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, into his pot of boiling water. Not wanting to toss it out— a Zero Waste king, we love to see it—he drank the leafy water and, like green tea drinkers today, the emperor found the aroma “pleasant and the flavor refreshing”.
In the sixth century, Chinese Buddhist monks brought green tea to Japan—the starting point for why Japanese and Chinese green teas taste different today. All black, green, and oolong teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, a close relative to camellia plants common in the garden. Green teas are typically picked young and then go through a heating process to halt oxidation. Chinese green teas, like Jasmine Green Tea, are left on the plant a little longer, then pan roasted, resulting in a golden hue and a sweet, nutty flavor. Japanese green teas have a grassier, lighter flavor from being picked a bit younger and steamed, rather than roasted. Steaming protects more nutrients than roasting. However, all green teas are so high in powerful plant compounds, drinking any variety is a love letter to your body, straight from Nature herself. Just choose a flavor you enjoy and make a habit of it. We’re currently obsessed with the bright fruit and lemongrassy goodness of Super Antioxidant.
Speaking of creating a tea habit, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Japanese tea ceremony, an exquisite expression of mindfulness and reverence for Nature. Every aspect of the ceremony, from the design of the tea house to intentional imperfections of the drinking vessels is thoughtfully crafted to strengthen a relationship with Nature. Most of us probably don’t have a purpose-built tea house (we wish!) but could we find just a few moments in our busy days? To slow down, to appreciate boiling water that was once a cloud. To watch it wake up the green tea leaves to remember a whole season: of sunshine, of soil, of fog, and storms. And to notice with every mindful sip, that season is part of us, too.