Coffee, Tea or me (3 Viewers)

[swag]

++ [ originally posted by Marty ] ++
Coffe, Zoegas Skånerost, black, no sugar.

Now you're talking. I knew we'd want to kiss up to you for good reason.

If I can go so far...

Malabar Gold blend beans, roasted about 4 1/2 minutes in a Fresh Roast Plus just barely into the second crack, to about 230°C roasting temperature. Set for 48 hours. Ground finely with a Mazzer and twice packed to 133 Newtons (30 pounds) of tamping pressure in a warmed portafilter handle. Pulled for about a 25 second double shot at 98°C into a pre-heated porcelain cup with a good 2mm layer of crema on top. No sugar.

Yes, I've thought about this before.

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Martin]

That's what you dream about at night, is it?

 

[Marty]

Mmm I must say it sounds good.

 

[Martin]

++ [ originally posted by ashwin ] ++
isn't chinese tea boiled water with a bit of grass (not the expensive kind) at the bottom of ur cup?

Are you talking about green tea? As far as I know *that* is commonly known as "Chinese" tea... and it has nothing to do with grass whatsoever..

 

[ashwin]

i had chinese tea once, they served it up on the airplane, why i dont know. i ended up having something that, what i imagined, tasted like grass, stuck in the back of my throat for the remaining 10 hours. i wasn't in any rush to try chinese tea again

 

[Martin]

++ [ originally posted by ashwin ] ++
i had chinese tea once, they served it up on the airplane, why i dont know. i ended up having something that, what i imagined, tasted like grass, stuck in the back of my throat for the remaining 10 hours. i wasn't in any rush to try chinese tea again

For people who say that something "tastes like grass" (yes you are not the only one I've heard say that), have you actually tried grass? Or is it just your imagination?

The Miracle of Green Tea
"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

* cancer
* rheumatoid arthritis
* high cholesterol levels
* cariovascular disease
* infection
*

impaired immune function

What makes green tea so special?

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?

To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.


Green Tea Health Benefits
How much Green Tea should you drink?

There are as many answers to this question as there are researchers investigating the natural properties of green tea. For example, Herbs for Health magazine cites a Japanese report stating that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea). Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease. And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute discovered that there were fewer recurrances of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.

It gets more confusing. A University of California study on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely two cups per day. On the other hand, a company selling a green tea capsule formula insists that ten cups per day are necessary to reap the maximum benefits.

How can you make sense of these conflicting claims? Given all the evidence, it is probably safe to plan on drinking four to five cups of green tea per daily. If you're a real devotee, by all means drink more; but whether or not you'll derive added health benefits remains to be determined by further research.

How to Brew a Cup of Green Tea

Producing the perfect cup of green tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly, those same polyphenols that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste "gassy." It's particularly important not to overbrew. While it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for each variety of green tea, here are some general instructions:

* Use one tea bag, or 2 - 4 grams of tea,* per cup.
* Fill a kettle with cold water and bring to a boil.
* After unplugging the kettle, allow it to stand for up to 3 minutes.
* Pour the heated water over the tea bag or tea, and allow it to steep for up to 3 minutes. If using a tea bag, remove the bag.
* Allow the tea to cool for three more minutes.

*One to two teaspoons, depending on the variety of green tea you are brewing.

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

 

[Juve_The_Best]

Tea is very boring drink like english ppl " boring & cold "

That's why Americans invaded GB by something call (starbucks)

coffee is the solution it makes you a wake and hot ?

 

[Slagathor]

++ [ originally posted by ashwin ] ++
i had chinese tea once, they served it up on the airplane, why i dont know. i ended up having something that, what i imagined, tasted like grass, stuck in the back of my throat for the remaining 10 hours. i wasn't in any rush to try chinese tea again

Don't think you were supposed to consume the grass tho. At least they didn't tell me when I tried it

++ [ originally posted by Martin ] ++
For people who say that something "tastes like grass" (yes you are not the only one I've heard say that), have you actually tried grass? Or is it just your imagination?

I've tried grass and it's true.

What? C'mon now. You're not really surprised and you know it.

 

[Martin]

Btw you guys, tea is brewed from leaves in case you didn't know.

++ [ originally posted by Erik ] ++
I've tried grass and it's true.

What? C'mon now. You're not really surprised and you know it.

Who the hell eats grass?

 

[Seven]

++ [ originally posted by Martin ] ++





Who the hell eats grass?

I once did. I wanted to know what it tasted like. It's bad for your stomach though.

 

[Martin]

well this is to you wackos out there.. *toasts with tea cup*

 

[Seven]

It was a bit like smoking. I always said it had to taste horrible and it destroyed your health so you had to be an idiot to do it. Then one guy said I couldn't know what it tasted like since I had never done it before. So I took his cigarette, inhaled, and said I didn't like it.

Funny thing was, there were some guys that were pretty much addicted to smoking who begged me not to do so. As if I had to get addicted.

 

[Martin]

As ill conceived as smoking may be, at least that is a common thing. Chewing grass as far as I know is not, so it would have to take that extra bit of creativity.. no?

 

[Seven]

++ [ originally posted by Martin ] ++
As ill conceived as smoking may be, at least that is a common thing. Chewing grass as far as I know is not, so it would have to take that extra bit of creativity.. no?

Putting smoke in your mouth seems as logical to me as chewing grass. I don't care about the public anyway .

 

[Martin]

Never suggested it was logical, just that one is popular, the other is not.

 

[Seven]

++ [ originally posted by Martin ] ++
Never suggested it was logical, just that one is popular, the other is not.

Yeah, but I tend to think the majority of the people are blatantly ignorant, so I always go with what's not popular. Except on the Juve matter that is.

 

[Slagathor]

I was just bored

 

[Lawnchair Bes]

what happened to your rich and fullfilling life

 

[Seven]

To make matters worse, grass tasts just like you would expect.

 

[Slagathor]

You had expectations? Now that's sick

++ [ originally posted by Don Bes ] ++
what happened to your rich and fullfilling life

Oh it kinda came to a halt when I left Italy - back in NL now and I have vacation but I'll try to build a life (again :groan: ) starting August 1st when I have to start working again.