Eats shoots and leaves

Iced tea

Black tea and green tea come from the very same plant. Who knew? Not my taste buds, for certain. These teas are about as similar as pugs are to poodles.

What determines whether a tea is black, green, white, or plain poncy, depends on the preferred processing method of the Camellia sinensis leaves. Black tea is fermented. Green tea is steamed or pan-fried, and then dried. And white tea is all about immaturity (no wonder I like this one best). While each processing method destroys some of the natural goodness found within the leaf, those very same methods are, in fact, the midwives of a new suite of protective compounds. Groovy, right?

The fermentation process beloved of black tea leaves accidentally deactivates a very important ninja star called EGCG. This celebrity catechin is believed to be partly responsible for the anti-carcinogenic hype around green tea, for example. But don’t despair, because this very same fermentation process creates a whole new swag of burly antioxidants for the humble black tea leaves that are not available in green tea. So it’s all good, really.

I spend my wonga on white tea. These tea leaves are picked before ripening, just before the buds of the Camellia sinensis have fully opened. As a result, white tea is a milder-tasting, but by no means weaker-performing, tea on the antioxidant league table. I get a real roast from its GABA lovebombs.

Let me explain. Tea is rich in theanine, which is thought to help improve mood. Theanine tickles the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which is responsible for calming the brain. There is also some evidence to suggest our favourite feelgood neurotransmitter, dopamine, is triggered by theanine too.

So here’s a summer recipe to help sip yourself into a spiritual frenzy.