Miracle Noodle Recipes To Help With Losing Weight

If you have discovered the amazing zero calorie noodles known as miracle noodles then you are most likely also searching for good miracle noodle recipes.

Shiritaki noodles are a noodle created from 100 percent soluble fiber derived from the root bulb of the konjac tree, otherwise known as the konjac potato, Japanese yam or elephant yam among other names. Although this product is in no way related to either yams or potatoes. The flour created from the root is called glucomannan and this is sometimes sold as a fiber supplement. The reason this product is calorie free is because our body cannot change fiber into energy.

Shiritaki noodles are accessible at many Asian food stores. Personally, I utilize the miracle noodle brand which I can buy online. Thereby avoiding the inconvenience of searching for a local supplier.

When it comes right down to it, shirataki noodles can be utilized in basically any of the recipes that you currently use normal noodles for. If you purchase it in block form you can even utilize it it to replace potato in stew.

Here are a couple of my favorite shiritaki noodle recipes. You may consider the noodle portions are small, however, because they are made from fiber they are extremely filling.

Shirataki sweet soy chicken and veggies (Serves 4)

2 x five ounce (150g) packets of shiritaki noodles

1 lb (450g) Chicken breast fillet without skin (diced)
5 oz (150 gram) snow peas
Five oz (150 g) baby corn
7 oz (210g) baby carrots sliced in half
Two teaspoons crushed garlic
1 scallion (spring onion) chopped
4 teaspoons sweet soy

Place snow peas, baby corn and carrots into boiling water and boil for 3 min, drain and rinse with cold water
Rinse shirataki noodles thoroughly add to to pot of water and bring to boil for two minutes
Heat wok and add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Stir fry chicken until cooked then add sweet soy to coat.
Add vegetables and reheat. Add shiritaki then serve garnished with chopped scallion.

Italian Mushroom and mixed olive shirataki (Serves four)

2 x 5 oz (150g) packages of shiritaki noodles

5 oz (150g) sliced mushrooms
Five oz (150g) mixed olives sliced in half

For the sauce:
One lb (450g) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

(Alternatively, use 1 jar of classic Italian pasta sauce)

Place 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in large pan or wok
Add crushed garlic and fry to infuse oil
Add onion and cook till transparent
Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper
Simmer over a low heat stirring every few minutes until ingredients have softened and mixed to make a nice sauce

Rinse shirataki noodles well, add to boiling water and boil for two minutes

Lightly fry mushrooms until soft then add olives and tomato sauce
Stir in shirataki pasta and serve

To peel tomatoes, simply score a small cross on the base of the tomato and place tomato in boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Take out when skin wrinkes and begins to peel back from score marks. Tomatoes will now be simple to peel.

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Something Interesting About German Beer

German beer doesn’t get the attention it deserves from today’s beer snob, who gravitates toward extreme flavors and marketing.

Good German beer (and there’s a plenty of it—this is a state with 800 years of brewing history) is such as a well-made Shaker chair: plain, traditional, and perfectly balanced, with clean, wholesome flavors. Many brewers still stick to a now-repealed 16th-century law called the Reinheitsgebot, which forbids adding anything to beer besides the basic water, hops, and malt.

Germans like to buy beer and drink beer, ranging third in beer drinking behind the Czechs and the Irish. (Americans place 13th.) And they are eager to drink in the fresh air, weather allowing, in beer gardens with communal picnic tables. Because German beer is so crisp and ideally balanced, it’s easy to drink a plenty of it with no sense burnt out by any of the flavors. So if you have a desire to be authentic, take a plenty of beer, take outside if you can, and complete your beer with sausage, cured meats, good seeded bread, and cheese.

Here’s guide to the most common kinds of German beer, as well as some more obscure local varieties, plus a bit of history. The words light and dark refer to color, not body—you’ll find many golden-colored German beers to be hearty, and some dark beers to be not so filling than you had expect.

Pilsner a.k.a. Pils
The great majority of beer drunk in the world is pilsner. American macrobrews are bastardizations of this type, with small resemblance to the ordinary German variety. Pils is a crisp, refreshing lager beer. (Lager is the kind of yeast used; it doesn’t produce a lot of the phenols and esters that ale yeasts do, making for a cleaner flavor.) It’s got a little herbal bitterness and a small touch floral aroma from the hops, as well as ideally balanced malty cereal flavors.

Important Fact: The Czechs explored this type in the 19th century. Germans saw that persons became mad for it, so they copped it and named it pils in exchange for pilsner. German pils is alike to Czech pilsners, though a little drier and hoppier.

Helles
The name means “light one” in German, but don’t make an error that for “lite.” Full-bodied, this golden-colored lager tastes like earthy, lightly toasted grains, with less herbal hoppiness than a pils.

Important Fact: According to beer writer Tomm Carroll from Celebrator Beer News, the style was explored in Munich in the late 1800s by the Spaten brewery to compete with pilsners. “They couldn’t get the clean, crisp hops to come out with their water,” says Carroll, so they created it maltier instead.

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The Very Best Options To Seek Out In Coffee Grinder Ratings

Burr coffee grinders.

Throughout the world, gourmet coffee drinkers go to great lengths to obtain the ‘perfect’ coffee bean grinder to pair to their coffee maker. Whether in a commercial establishment or the home kitchen, the grind of coffee beans is crucial to a flavorful cup of coffee. Of the many features of that perfect grinder, the following five may help the connoisseur determine the best grinder to suit their needs. There are many choices, but finding a quality grinder will provide you many years of satisfaction.

Due to the growing popularity of designer coffee bars, today’s generation is growing up drinking coffee instead of breakfast, with lunch, from vending machines at work, in conference rooms, and getting it free at grocery stores. With so much to compare it to, the home kitchen must now include a state of the art appliance for grinding beans for designer brews and espresso.

Bean Storage

Commercial coffee grinders and high-end residential ones offer a feature not found in the smaller grinders, and that is a larger hopper for ground bean storage. A coffee bean grinder with a hopper that can store at least eight ounces of beans for an entire day’s coffee needs is a convenient plus. Another consideration is the static electricity that burrs generate when grinding, causing grounds to cling to the interior of the hopper. Some brands offer glass parts instead, making static electricity less of a nuisance. The brand of coffee however has much to do with static. Using a dry roasted (less oily) brand such as Lavazza or Gaggia will help to reduce static.

Burrs vs. Blades

The efficiency of a coffee maker depends on the design of the grinder and its capabilities. Less expensive blade grinders are often the choice of the average household. They can grind coffee beans adequately and, like little windmills, they keep on spinning and grinding until they get turned off. The always-late-out-the-door types who only get that ‘one big gulp’ before dashing off to work usually see no need for elaborate grinders when they live off the brewed coffee at work.

In both cost and performance, burr grinders would be considered an upgrade from residential blade grinders because of the heavier-duty mechanisms and precision operation. Burr grinders also last longer, often because they only grind the coffee once (and do it right) before dropping it into the storage hopper. Unlike the constant contact a blade grinder experiences with the entire quantity of coffee beans being ground, any wear on a burr grinder happens during the relatively brief grinding session on the small amount of beans allowed between the burrs at one time.

Conical burr grinders provide the highest consistency grind, and one that many dedicated coffee consumers insist on for their ‘perfect cup’. While cost is an issue, few smart consumers would compromise here. The undisputed choice for a durable coffee grinder is a burr grinder.

Cost

The cost of a mid-priced blade grinder averages $20-$49, while burr grinder prices start high and end higher. Burr grinders may have flat or conical burrs, with conical burrs being preferred because the RPM speed is variable and can be lowered to retain the bean flavor without burning, making the grinding precise, quieter, and cleaner. The low speed keeps down the heat from grinding friction that can steal the taste and aroma of the coffee.

Housing

Heavy duty construction and classic contemporary styling is expected of commercial burr grinders, which may last for 10-15 years with only occasional replacement of the burrs. Manufacturers have extended this to their residential models as well, with housings made of the same cast metal or stainless steel. Many commercial manufacturers such as Rancilio and Mazzer, now compete with Gaggia, having branched out into the residential market as well, with the high quality small-to-medium sized Mazzer Mini, and Rancilio’s slightly smaller version of their commercial burr grinders, the Rancilio ‘Rocky’, for families of consumers with multi-cup latte or cappuccino habits.

Options

A burr grinder needs a stronger motor, and thus also has a larger footprint, than a blade grinder. Manual grinders with smaller footprints are also available, but are less popular than electric versions. Burr grinders require some cleaning and maintenance than the wipe-down blade grinders, usually requiring some a certain amount of disassembly and cleaning with picks and a brush.

For a small price increase, some grinder brands offer dosers for extra convenience for the avid espresso drinker. Good quality espresso burr grinders can be purchased from just under $100 to almost $700 for the most expensive brand with all the bells and whistles. Mid-price residential brands with near-commercial quality would include the Rancilio ‘Rocky’ at about $350, or the Gaggia MDF for a little under $300. Commercial grinders can range from $500 to over $3,000.

In addition, different brands offer from 10 to over 50 different grind options, from coarse to very fine. Brand warranties vary, with some Rancilio retailers offering a 2-year complete parts and labor warranty and unlimited toll-free telephone technical support.

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Start With Your Mobile Coffee Van Cart And Bring Flavorful Coffee Cups Everywhere

People nowadays are always on the go and are working very hard to keep up with their busy schedules. Drinking coffee allows a great number of people to keep up with their hectic lifestyles and deal with everyday tasks with a clear mind. Cafes are very popular among professionals and people who love the drink. The coffee business, though affected by the most recent recession, continues to appeal to a significant number of people and today, people are looking for beans that offers the same blend and aroma, but at a cheaper price. A mobile coffee van cart is becoming an in demand business in every business district. These moving cafes can bring coffee anywhere and in every familiar cup of black, cappuccino, mocha, macchiato, latte and doppio in sizes that can fully satisfy every customer’s need for caffeine.

If you are planning to start a business, then you might consider having your own Mobile Coffee Van Cart. Unlike business establishments that require a specific location and a fully furnished shop, a moving cafe only requires the cart and the necessary products, plus a few personnel trained with the art of coffee making. To begin with your new business, it is very important that you do a profound research on this kind of beverage business. Even though coffee is very popular, starting a quality business and gathering loyal customers still require a great deal of work.

Once you are fully knowledgeable about this business, you can start drafting your business plan. You may consult about your business plan from business professionals and let them give you a few insights. Be imaginative and creative in designing and naming your mobile cafe. Keep in mind that your mobile cafe is an advertisement on its own, so making a good name and trademark will surely keep your business remembered. Then, you need to start making your menu. If you want to start by simply offering good coffee, you can stick to blends and flavors that most avid drinkers are familiar with. If you want to offer a unique experience, you have to ensure that your new flavors will bring satisfaction to your customers.

Look for durable and fine quality espresso machines that are reliable and efficient for your daily coffee blending tasks. Having expensive espresso machines with proven efficiency and durability can be worthwhile investments for your business. You can also check the difficulty of your coffee making tasks to give you hints on the kind of machines you need to buy. Put up a good source of electricity for your mobile cafe. Make sure that you can supply electricity for the entire day of serving customers. Train your personnel in coffee making and ensure that your blends are consistent. Making good coffee is of primary importance so make sure that you spend a good amount of time teaching your staff to do it the right way.

Starting your Mobile Coffee Van Cart is a lot of work but simple relative to established coffee shops. Always make sure that you offer high quality and flavorful coffee cups enhanced with good customer service to gain your loyal customers.

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Espresso In An Express – The Advantages Of A Mobile Coffee Business

Coffee is the one of the most loved beverages of all time. It keeps up with the busy lifestyles of people all around the globe and a significant fraction of the world’s population are considered coffee lovers. The power of coffee to keep anyone who drinks it awake and energized is one of the primary reasons why it is very in demand, especially among professionals and hard working students. If you are looking for a business that will no longer require you to make the product well-known and has a very strong reputation, then you might consider a mobile cafe business. You can bring something new in your locality – a mobile coffee business. Now, your neighborhood can enjoy drinks anywhere, anytime.

Mobile coffee is a great business idea because it requires only a small amount of capital and a feasible business plan that can help you go through the first stages of your mini cafe. Since your cafe moves around town, you have to keep in mind that your business is a mobile advertisement itself, so make sure that you think creatively about the name and design of your moving coffee counter to make people remember and have the urge to try what you have to offer.

Coffee is an easy product to sell and having your own van has numerous advantages over the traditional cafe kiosks that customers usually spend time to visit. Your moving business is inexpensive – a small bag of ground beans goes a long way and durable brewing equipment can last for years, so make sure you make the most out of every cup and bring satisfaction to your every customer. You can offer the same flavors of coffee that a traditional cafe can offer. You can make familiar cups of great blends of coffee in short black, long black, doppio, white, cappuccino, mocha and macchiato that are easy on the taste buds of your potential customers. You can offer special blends or gourmet every week, always feel free to experiment. Make sure that you give customers the option to bring their coffee in short, regular, large and extra large cup sizes. If your new flavors become a huge hit among your customers you can add it up on your regular menu. Finding your customers is not a difficult task when your business itself is moving – you can go around town and determine the best location for you to sell your coffee. You can add up additional customers by selling tea, hot chocolate and good food that can perfectly go along with your offerings.

Mobile coffee is a good alternative for putting business on specific places. After a busy day at work, you can take home your coffee van and store it on your garage. You can manage your business easily because these moving coffee shops only require a few people to operate it. Give coffee lovers the pleasure to have coffee on the go with these moving coffee business that will surely keep everyone awake with its flavorful blends.

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Who Drinks The Most Beer?

Some countries worldwide are renowned for their capabilities to produce fine wines, while others are widely known for their abilities at brewing beer. What countries consume the most beer though?

Living in the UK, I often feel quite fortunate that we have quite great supply of different beers available to us. No other country is probably as famous for its pub tradition.

The origin of brewing also runs many years here, as it does almost in all Europe. In years gone by, most large scale brewing in what is currently Great Britain would have been carried out in this country’s monasteries.

In more modern age, the inflow of continental lagers has shifted the drinking habits of many people here. As the UK market has been swamped by famous overseas brands there has been a lot of consolidation within the brewery business.

To great luck, the resurgence in sales of true ales that we’ve noticed in the past ten years has also seen a lot of new breweries taking the stage. Many of us are now able to take an advantage from the presence of a relatively local brewery.

So has this helped Britain to top the charts in terms of beer drinking? If we look at the average quantity of litres of beer consumed by a person in this country within a year then we figure out that the figure stands at a hefty 95.6 litres. That’s the equivalent of 168 pints per year.

That may seem like a large amount but according to the latest figures, which examine this year, the UK ranks only 5th in the list of the hugest beer consumers.

So what are the real specialists when it is spoken about drinking beer?

In fourth stage is our near neighbour, the Republic of Ireland. With 106 litres per individual, it seems that the Irish are still rather strong when it comes to drinking beer.

The third hugest consumers of beer are Austria (108.9 litres). That may become a surprise to great number of people, with neighbouring Germany being better known as beer fans.

Really, it’s German drinkers who get the silver with an average of 115.2 litres per person. With their tasty German beer, strong brewing and drinking tradition, this might come as little puzzle.

But if Germany is in second place then who is top? Whose citizens buy beer and consume it most of all. We are, of course, talking about the Czech Republic. Average consumption stands at 164.1 litres. It is equal to a massive 288 pints per individual.

When it comes to drinking beer, it looks like that nobody can overcome the Czechs but you’d better do your own research and learn if it is really so.

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Speaking Of Various Kinds Of German Beer

German beer – you have to admit, is one of the greatest tasting beers you may drink. German breweries are quite secretive about their “how tos”. They all seem to say it’s in the water. I am certain there’s certain truth to that, but what indeed brings the beer it’s unforgettable scent is the hops which is sold as considerably as grapes for wine makers.

The majority of German beer kinds are great taste because all are vegan this implies no animal products are used. Bavarian purity laws limit them to four ingredients only: water, grain, hops and yeast. Originally German beer is also not pasteurized as almost all American beers are, which enables you taste the beer’s real flavor.

Mentioned below are some of the various kinds of German beers usually found in Bavaria and what you can expect should you order one of such types.

A light beer
When ordering the traditional light beer in a pub you’ll most likely end up with a pint. Depending on the brewer it can be rather refreshing. Several beer gardens have responded to the public’s requirement for smaller quantities and now also offer them outdoors, the “real” beer garden only serves the “Mass” (one quart) – pronounced “maus”. By the way, Germany has laws governing the quantity of liquids served to the public, that is why you will notice level grades on every glass. If your Mass seems like it is not quite 1 liter after the foam disappears, just go back and ask for “bitte nachschenken”. The man at the keg will be impressed that you know your way around.

A Pilsener
If you adore more bitter and less malty taste try the pils which is also named pilsner. You may order them in restaurants and peculiar pils bars. Take a closer look at the time consuming process of serving a foam covered pils with perfection. You will notice dozens of glasses filled with foam just, waiting to settle. It may take a good a considerable piece of an hour for the foam refills to turn into the golden liquid.

A dark beer
In spite of popular beliefs it is not the most strong in alcohol contents. It is mainly a lager bottom brewed beer including “toasted” malt.

A white beer
A very great thought when the sun is shining and you opt for being refreshed by a lighter tasting beer. Weizen means wheat, usually called a Weissbier (white), and is offered in tall and elegant 1/2 liter glasses. But beware of its “light temper”, it is the strongest in alcohol. While some will serve it with a slice of lemon. The Hefeweissbier is just in bottles, a professional will wet the glass and pour the bottle at a steep angle. With the foam that stays at the bottom of the bottle he will collect the yeast and annex it to your beer. So think of what to taste when you are going to buy beer.

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Can Coffee Decrease The Hazard Of Type 2 Diabetes

Each day thousands and thousands of Americans and folks everywhere in the world drink coffee after they first wake up in the morning and all through the day. Coffee is a good beverage and it is something many people get pleasure from sipping each day. To know more about Diabetes Diet Chart and High Blood Pressure Diet Chart visit these hyperlinks. However how much is too much coffee Can coffee decrease the risk of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus or slow down ageing?

A recent report from Sydney, Australia, revealed within the Archives of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from 500,000 people.

* Research workers discovered that individuals who drank three to four cups of decaffeinated coffee on daily basis had a 33 per cent decreased threat of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus as compared to non-drinkers.
* Previous analysis study releases have also proven the advantages of coffee.
* For example, Dr. Rob M. van Dam, of the Harvard College of Public Health, analyzed the results of fifteen (15) studies of coffee and Type 2 Diabetes involving 193,000 people within the U.S. and Europe.
* Once again, people who drank essentially the most coffee, 4 to 6 cups per day had a 28% decrease risk of growing Type 2 Diabetes mellitus than those who drank the least coffee.
* There are more than 20 independent, scientific research that present consuming coffee helps to decrease the chance of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

Clearly, this doesn’t state that coffee cures the disease. Simply that coffee reduces the danger of the disease. It takes more than consuming just a few cups of the coffee to stop the epidemic of diabetes mellitus.

For sure, watching what you add to coffee makes an enormous difference.

* Whenever you add milk, cream, sugar or any other ingredients to coffee, there is an effect on the benefit with which insulin can enter the cells to regulate the extent of blood sugar in its regular function other than the act of ingesting coffee.
* Insulin has a harder time coming into cells when sugar is added, a foul effect as a result of it might probably impair treatment and probably pose a threat to the diabetic patient.
* Milk and cream appeared to not affect the entry of insulin.
* This doesn’t mean that a diabetic should pour milk and cream excessively into coffee.
* For one thing, it will for certain contribute to weight problems and it will not assist with a diabetic condition at all.
* To be healthy requires self control, food consumption discipline, and avoiding excesses of any kind.
* Also, most essential, you must be a good patient and comply with your medical practitioner’s advice.

Black coffee is extremely beneficial for anybody and may help decrease health risks. Why is that?

* Because coffee accommodates Chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that decreases the absorption of glucose from the blood. For diabetics, it is a nice thing.
* Coffee has antioxidants that aid in eradicating free radicals, the end products of metabolism associated with the getting older process.
* In addition, coffee also comprises a trace ingredient called “boron” which reduces the quantity of insulin required to maintain regular blood sugar levels.
* Think about this. As a mean, People drink 1.sixty four cups of coffee every day which offer 1,299 mg of antioxidants.
* That is four times larger than tea.
* Fruits and vegetables are very wealthy in antioxidants but to profit from them individuals must eat more of them every day and in higher quantities.

So, again, coffee just isn’t the treatment nevertheless it actually can contribute to reduce the chance associated with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and might reduce the amount of free radicals that age us daily. I have no idea about you but a scientific 28% plus likelihood of danger reduction is a very attractive statistic to me.

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Healthiness Outcomes Of Coffee – Wonderful Benefits Of Caffeine

Try out, have a cup of coffee. Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks on earth. Wherever you’re going, coffee is often available. In a study in Italy, it was proven that that brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages.

Caffeine in Coffee – Good or Bad?

The caffeine inside coffee has commonly already been a source or worry for numerous Most people have difficulties sleeping once they consume coffee right before bedtime. Others will drink coffee to give them that boost of energy caffeine provides. Some even feel their heart rate increase if they drink too much coffee.

Were you aware there is also advantages to the the level of caffeinefound in coffee? Coffee – Healthy Tonic for the Liver?Coffee also helped lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver. Coffee and Physical Fitness

How about the negative effects of coffee? Coffee is enjoyed as a drink by millions of people worldwide. A 150ml cup of instant coffee contains about 60mg caffeine, filtered coffee slightly more; for those who like coffee but are sensitive to caffeine, the decaffeinated beverage contains only 3mg per cup.

Drinking coffee will help bronchial asthma patients by raising ventilator function.There isn’t any evidence that coffee drinking is a risk for the development of cancer. In general there isn’t any impact associated with coffee drinking on heart problems risk.Bone health is not affected by coffee drinking. Coffee drinking can help asthma sufferers by improving ventilator function.

Have got a cup of delicious coffee! Coffee, as everyone knows, is high in caffeine, and caffeine is suspected of increasing blood pressure and heart rate. Two independent studies noted a significant inverse association between coffee drinking and the risk of suicide. Although, caffeine is often singled out as the chemical in coffee that has the most impact on our health, coffee has a complex chemical composition.

Coffee also has several metabolic effects that could reduce the risk of gallstone formation. The link between coffee and cancer is probably more weighted in favour of coffee. A recent review of over 15 studies on coffee consumption and colorectal cancer from 1960 to 1990 found the risk of colorectal cancer to be 24% lower among those who drink four or more cups of coffee per day, than among those who rarely or never drink coffee. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day was associated with an 80% reduction in risk for cirrhosis of the liver, compared with those who don’t drink coffee at all.

Is coffee all that bad? Research works from China present strong evidence that coffee can diminish the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Needless to say, there are risks that go with coffee’s promise as a health-promoting drink. Coffee guzzlers might want to reduce their caffeine intake by substituting with colas.

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Learn About All Kinds Of Types Of Teas

THE RAINBOW OF Tea

Green, black, white, red – the vast array of Tea can be dizzying. With the sudden upsurge of interest in high-quality loose-leaf teas, where does a newcomer begin? How about starting with the one plant that produces every tea in the world?

The Camellia sinensis is an evergreen native of China. It takes a variety of forms, growing 15 to 20 meters tall, with leaves ranging from smooth and shiny to fuzzy and white-haired. The plant gives rise to more than 3,000 varieties of tea worldwide, which can be roughly classified into six basic categories: white, green, oolong, black (the Chinese call these red teas), pu-erh and flavored. Some specialists would add another category, blends. And then there are countless herbal infusions. Informally referred to as “tea” but entirely unrelated to “real” tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves.

WHITE TEA

White tea is the rarest of all tea types. A specialty of Fujian province on China’s east coast, it was relatively hard to come by outside of China until recently. The name comes from the almost colorless liquor, and from the silvery hairs found on the buds of the plant. Delicate in flavor as well as color, the tea has a subtle, slightly sweet flavor and a mellow creamy or nutty quality. White tea consists of the whitish buds of the tea plant; lower quality varieties contain some leaves as well. The buds (and leaves) are naturally dried using either sun drying or steaming methods. This is the final step in the production process, as white tea is unfermented.

GREEN TEA

Green tea makes up approximately ten percent of the world’s tea. The production process, like that of white tea, starts with withering, followed by pan-frying or steaming to prevent fermentation. (The two types differ in that white tea has a higher proportion of buds to leaves.) After steaming and before drying, green tea leaves are rolled to give them the desired shape. In China, this consists of eyebrow-shaped or twisted pieces, tight balls, flat needles, or curled whole leaves. Japanese green tea leaves are shiny green blades with reddish stalks and stems. Green tea is greenish-yellow in color, with a grassy, astringent quality reminiscent of the fresh leaves. Scientific studies have shown that both green and black teas prevent cavities and gum disease, and increase the body’s antioxidant activity.

OOLONG TEA

Often referred to as “the champagne of teas,” oolongs are considered to be among the finest – and therefore most expensive – teas in the world. Most oolongs hail from Taiwan; in China they are also referred to as pouchongs. Oolong tea is “semi-fermented,” meaning that it goes through a short period of oxidation (fermentation) that turns the leaves from green to red-brown. The liquor is pale yellow, with a floral, fruity quality – reminiscent of peaches – and a hint of smoke. Due to the delicacy of the flavor, connoisseurs generally prefer drinking it without milk, sugar or lemon.

BLACK TEA

Though known to most of the world as “black tea,” the Chinese call it “red tea” due to its characteristic reddish-brown color. Black tea is the most common type of tea worldwide. It has a broad range of flavors, but is typically heartier and more assertive than green or oolong teas. It is made by fully fermenting the harvested leaves (for several hours) before the heating or drying processes occur. This oxidation imparts a dark coloring and triples the caffeine.

PU-ERH TEA

Pu-erh (or Puer) tea is in a category all its own. Though it could simply be classified as a type of Chinese black tea, it is differentiated from other black teas by the fact that it is fermented not once, but twice. The double oxidation process is followed by a period of maturation, which is often used to develop a thin layer of mold on the leaves. The mold imparts a distinctive soil-like flavor that many people find off-putting. For this reason, pu-erh tea is often consumed for medicinal purposes rather than for pleasure – aside from being known for its strong earthy quality, it is recognized as a powerful digestive aid.

FLAVORED TEA

Tea easily absorbs other aromas and tastes. Thus tea drinkers the world over have long enhanced their tea with additional flavors, from flowers and oils to herbs and spices. Flavoring tea is a well-established tradition in China, where, for centuries, people have brewed tea with onions, orange peel, peach leaves, and berries. The Chinese are also known for their flower teas – popular varieties include jasmine, orchid, rose, and magnolia.

In many Arabic nations, mint (plus a generous amount of sugar) is the flavoring of choice. In India, the spicy “masala tea” is a popular beverage. It is made by boiling black tea with spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black or white pepper; milk and sugar are usually added as well. Beyond herbs and spices, the flavor craze has more recently spurred manufacturers to produce tea with just about every flavor imaginable, from banana to toffee pudding.

BLENDS

Blends are the mutts of the tea world, possessing mixed heritages, so to speak, rather than a single lineage. Tea producers make blends by combining different types of teas, often in order to achieve flavor consistency from one season to the next. Common blends include English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast and Caravan.

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