India enjoys the prime position of being the largest producer and exporter of tea in the world. Available statistics show that India produces approximately 700 million kgs. of tea of which 8 million kgs. is Green Tea.
Green Tea is accepted as a good healthy drink and is continuosly gaining in popularity. Green Tea contains a fair amount of Riboflavin and therefore is nutritionally desirable. It is rich in Vitamin C and has some properties of Vitamin B group and posesses Vitamin P which reduces capillary fragility of blood vessels. The tannin in Green Tea has important medicinal and biological value and is considered to have good anti-bacterial properties. Fresh tea leaves rich in Vitamin C efficiently combats the cause of high blood pressure, cerebral apoplexy and arterial sclerosis and is particulary effective in heart ailment.
A report presented to the international conference of resent advance in medicinal, aromatic and spice crops indicates that studies in Japan reveal Green Tea has anti-cancer properties. Experiments in china indicate, toothpaste containing 2% tea infusion prevents dental decay. Green Tea pigments can be used as food additives as they contain Vitamin E and serve as anti-oxidants.
In view of its intrinsic and nutritional value Green Tea is poised for unprecedented growth in its consumption pattern as more and more countries, including the advanced nations, are increasing their in-take of Green Tea vis-a-vis their black tea consumption. in this health conscious world, people are paying increasingly more importance to both ecolgical and health factors.
The global consumption pattern of Green Tea has spread across cross-sections of tea-drinking nations of the world including Japan, China, Russia, Morocco, France and part of North African belt. Green Tea drinking awareness have also been noticed in some parts of the United States. It will not be long before Green Tea finds a "niche" amongst various soft drinks and concentrates and should rightfully be placed as a premier drink among others.
Preparation of the Beverage
The golden rules that apply for the preparation of conventional black tea are, by and large, applicable also to the preparation of Green Tea, a significant departure being the avoidance of milk. Also, the brew of Green Tea is generally lighter.