The Magic of Green Tea
There exists no magic elixir to make people younger, prettier, smarter or happier—but green tea comes close. This humble beverage is made from the same leaves as black and oolong tea—from the plant known scientifically as Camellia sinensis—but without the withering and oxidation process those tea leaves undergo. It was first cultivated in China, and today is produced in a handful of additional countries, including Japan and New Zealand. Some people drink it for the flavor; some for its medicinal benefits; some for its power to enhance beauty—skin tone, hair luster—and its value in the world of cosmetics; some for its stimulating properties; and some for the psychological boost of having a warm beverage on a cold winter’s day. Of course, many choose to enjoy all these advantages!
Health Benefits
Green tea contains high quantities of antioxidants known as polyphenols (and particularly a certain class of polyphenols called catechins), which destroy free radicals, the enemies of our DNA. Polyphenols offer an astonishing array of health benefits: a specific catechin, EGCG, was found by one study to suppress lung cancer cell growth, by another to inhibit breast cancer tumors, and by a third to treat acne (known scientifically as acne vulgaris) by suppressing certain pathways in the disorder; a catechin enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase, prevents testosterone molecules from turning into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), one of the key causes of hair loss, and the same enzyme even promotes new hair growth; they improve bone strength, lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, boost endurance and mood, and may even combat Parkinson’s disease and act as a kind of reinforcement sunscreen to protect us from ultraviolet rays.
Extracts of green tea can also significantly boost oral health; a natural anti-bacterial agent and source of fluoride, it can help strengthen teeth, prevent cavities and reduce bad breath.
Fountain of Youth
Although it was stated earlier that no drink makes you younger, the catechins in green tea actually challenge this notion with their amazing ability to combat free radicals. Many of the effects of aging, especially those seen in the skin, are brought about by a buildup of free radicals. By attacking these chemicals, green tea effectively “prevents” a certain amount of aging and even reduces the possibility of skin cancer, adding elasticity to the skin along the way. (It should be noted that these sort of results are generally achieved over many months, even years, of consuming green tea on a regular basis.)
Beautifully Green
Green tea and its extracts also lend many of their magical properties to application outside the body—in the beauty and cosmetics industries. A rinse with green tea while showering strengthens hair and protects against pollutants. It also serves as a wonderful skin toner and moisturizer for dry skin, exfoliating and drawing out toxins and impurities while hydrating it simultaneously. It can be either spritzed onto the face as a freshening rinse, or made into a paste and applied topically—the slightly abrasive texture of dry green tea leaves will scrub away dead skin cells that may be clogging pores.
So, is it a magic elixir? No one can really say. All that can be known for sure is that thousands—perhaps you among them—are enjoying the enormous benefits of this unassuming beverage, one of the oldest on earth.
Cold Brew Coffee: A Primer
It’s 2016, and iced coffee—once a mainstay on the summer beverage scene enjoyed by a hardworking populace—is no longer the cool kid in town. Or perhaps it’s better said that iced coffee’s much cooler older brother just arrived. Any way you look at it, cold brew coffee (which often goes by the name “cold press” when brewed using a French press) is slowly taking over summer coffee culture as an improved version of the iced coffee we know and love. Here’s look at the history, chemistry and other subtleties that make this new beverage so delicious.
A Brief History
The history of cold brew coffee in America may be brief, but for the rest of the world, it’s quite long: known as Kyoto coffee, the Japanese have been drinking it for centuries. Some theorize that it was developed by Dutch traders from Indonesia as a way to transport large quantities of coffee successfully from one continent to another.
It was an astute Japanese businessman named Ueshima Tadao in the 1960s who decided to explore variations on the flavored milks (including a milk-coffee concoction) popular in Japan at the time. He turned the ratio on its head, producing a can of mostly coffee with small amounts of milk and sugar, and cold coffee as an RTD (ready-to-drink) product was born.
In any case, cold brew didn’t catch on in the United States for a few more decades, which isn’t exactly surprising: a 2013 study found that Asia consumes 86% of all iced coffee beverages, whereas America accounts for only 10%. Like many other new coffee discoveries, however, cold press is becoming wildly popular very quickly.
Why Cold Brew?
Cold brew “is iced coffee taken seriously, rather than iced coffee as an afterthought,” said Peter Giuliano, senior director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. While many don’t taste a difference, there is one—chemically speaking, at least. Coffee grounds infused with hot water produce a bitterer, sourer liquid, due to the oils full of acidic compounds that give coffee its famous bitterness. But these oils won’t dissolve at lower temperatures; ergo, brewing with cold water, while a much longer process (between 8-24 hours, depending on the desired strength), allows the taster to perceive the subtle nuances in coffee’s flavor. While acid may be nice in a hot cup of coffee, it’s something of a killjoy in iced coffee, in which drinkers want all the possible flavor notes possible—citrus, chocolate, nuts, spices, wood, herbs, even floral.
Cold brew has 67% less acid than regular brewed coffee; thus, it doesn’t anesthetize the tongue, allowing for a full flavor experience.
To Brew
For once, we have a new coffee product that’s easier to make than all the others. All that’s required is a mason jar or pitcher with a lid (or a French press), and something to strain out the grounds.
Directions
1. Grind one cup of coffee beans on COARSE.
2. Combine with four cups of cold or room temperature, filtered water.
3. Stir.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow to steep for at least eight hours, preferably twelve.
5. Strain the solution through a coffee filter, a fine mesh sieve, or layered cheesecloth. Or if using a French press, just filter with the press mechanism as you would with hot coffee.
Shelf Life
One final note: unlike hot coffee, refrigerated cold press will stay good for ten days! So don’t wait any longer—grab your beans and go see what you’re missing.