Difference between Green Tea and Normal TeaNo matter how many varieties of tea are found worldwide, except herbal teas, all the teas are made from a well-known plant called Camellia sinensis. It is the type of a plant that produces tea leaves but the difference lies in the way they are processed.
Most of us are familiar with the term ‘green tea’ and must have also consumed at some point in our lives. You must have rarely heard of the term ‘normal tea’. Normal tea is not any special kind of tea; it is the black tea that is consumed on a regular basis. You will get to know the differences between the two teas within this article. It will further help you in choosing the best tea for your taste buds.
Green Tea
Green tea is a natural tea. As per the name itself, green tea is the tea that tastes natural and appears greener due to the lesser amount of oxidation and withering processes during its preparation. It was first originated in China and later, the production and manufacturing techniques were spread throughout Asian countries.
There are different varieties of green tea that substantially differ on the basis of growing conditions of camellia sinensis. The variety of green tea is further based on the horticulture methods, time of the harvest and its production processing.
It has been centuries that green tea is being used in several ways such as a stimulator, diuretic, health enhancer, etc. Unlike other teas like oolong tea and black tea that undergo the fermentation process, green tea is prepared without fermentation. It uses the methods such as steaming or pan-firing in order to prevent the fermentation process. Different varieties of green tea include gunpowder, Hyson, Sencha, dragon well and matcha.
Benefits of green tea
Green tea contains the highest amount of polyphenols, antioxidants that have the ability to fight diseases. Catechins found in green tea are the specific type of polyphenols that help in retaining proper health by eliminating surplus fat in our bodies. The bitter flavour of green tea is due to the presence of these catechins only. The bitterness can be prevented by adding a pinch of lemon juice to your tea.
Green tea is taken as a natural remedy for various health issues. It contains certain compounds such as alkaloids (like caffeine) that significantly provide a stimulating effect on the human body and speed up the metabolism rate. The beneficial effects of including green tea as a part of your healthy diet are observed by the researchers. It is advised to drink at least a cup or two of green tea in the entire day and avoid taking any other supplements or weight loss gimmicks.
Normal Tea
There is no such term known as ‘normal tea’. It is simply the regular black tea that has undergone the process of strict oxidation. Under such process, black tea tends to lose most of its antioxidant properties that mellows out the flavour of the tea.
It is rightly said that tea can never be regular for a tea connoisseur. Since tea is a seasonal product and is found in varied forms, it can be hardly considered as regular. It is counted as more convenient to the commoners than that to the connoisseurs.
Black tea is considered to be the normal tea as it is frequently consumed in many parts of the world. It is more oxidised than oolong, green, and white teas that generally makes it stronger in taste as well as flavour. All four types of tea are made from the leaves of the tea-like plant, camellia sinensis. The two types of principal varieties of the tea species, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and camellia sinensis var. assamica; are used to prepare most of the other types of teas. These are the traditional species used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.
Benefits of normal tea
Most of the people prefer having green tea for healthful purposes; however, black tea is equally beneficial for the human health. During the processing of black tea, it is fermented and oxidised that gives it a unique flavour, colour, and health benefits that are widely known. Mostly tea drinkers prefer adding other ingredients such as spices, chocolate, or even herbs while brewing their cup of black tea. In India, people mostly prefer to add milk and sugar.
Black tea is a type of tea that is loaded with an immense amount of antioxidants known as polyphenols and catechins that prevent the damage of DNA and various types of cancers such as breast cancer. Additionally, black tea helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases, fights bacteria, relieves stress, maintains and retains the agility of the body.
Final Word
Green tea and regular tea differ in the terms of their processing methods as well as brewing methods. The tea processing method is the prime way of obtaining the essence of tea that involves the preparation of a perfectly brewed cup of tea.
You would also like to read about the processing methods of tea here.
Though, most of the teas originate from the same plant Camellia sinensis the main difference lies in their way of processing. Quality teas are handpicked from the tea estates and are then filtered on the basis of a terminal bud and two young leaves. Each processing method involves careful observation and is a unique step towards the preparation of tea.
As discussed above, green tea and normal tea differ in various aspects. However, normal tea is similar to the regular black tea being prepared at our homes, usually with the addition of different other ingredients.