Recently I had the pleasure of trying my first Genmaicha tea. It was a bit unusual when I first opened up the package as it contains green tea leaves along with roasted brown rice. I wasn't too sure of it at first. And then I noticed the white pieces in it and thought 'why is there popcorn in my genmaicha tea?'

To find out the answer you have to know a bit of the history of this tea. It was originally a tea that was popular amongst peasants in Japan. They added the brown rice as a filler to reduce the amount of green tea leaves needed. In the process of roasting the brown rice, some of it pops like popcorn. It all gets added to the green tea leaves so that is why there is popcorn in genmaicha tea.

The result is a nutty and sweet green tea. Now it is enjoyed by everyone in society. I really enjoy it and highly recommend everyone who loves loose green tea to give it a try. Here a a few varieties to try:

Genmaicha $7.80 Store: American Tea Room Genmai Cha $8.00 Store: Adagio Teas

Why is There Popcorn in my Genmaicha Tea? is a post from: Loose Teas - Green Tea - Black Tea - Decaf Tea - Rooibos Tea - Herbal Tea

Brewing loose green tea can seem like a difficult task when compared to the ease of using a tea bag. I put together this short video though to show just how easy it can be to brew a cup of loose green tea with just a few simple items.

You can find these items from the American Tea Room, the Tea Spot and Amazon. Order them today and you will be on your way to brewing a great cup of loose green tea.

How to Brew Loose Green Tea Video is a post from: Loose Teas - Green Tea - Black Tea - Decaf Tea - Rooibos Tea - Herbal Tea

For the last several years, the buzz on the weight loss scene has been that drinking Green Tea can help you lose weight.  Is there any truth to this or is it just another hyped up weight loss claim?  I decided to do some investigating and share what I found.

The component in green tea that is believed to help with fat loss is called a catechin.  A study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition compared two groups of people.  One was given a daily beverage containing catechins and the other group got one without.  Both drinks had the same amount of caffeine.  They were also given an exercise regimen to follow.  They were studied for 12 weeks and at the end of the study it was found that the group that consumed the green tea catechins lost more abdominal fat than the other group.

While there are a large number of supplements that claim to contain green tea extracts, I am much more interested in drinking green tea itself.  There are so many good options out there from American Tea Room's Immortal Green to Teavana's Dragonwell.  Please let me know if you need any recommendations or help finding something specific.  Order some Green Tea today, your body will thank you.

Green Tea & Weight Loss is a post from: Loose Teas - Green Tea - Black Tea - Decaf Tea - Rooibos Tea - Herbal Tea

I used to drink a ton of soda pop when I was in high school and college.  Then sometime in my twenties I made a complete switch to water when I realized how much sugar was in them.  And of course with all the concerns about high fructose corn syrup, well it just isn't something I drink much these days.  Every once in awhile though, I love to drink something sweet and carbonated though.  I decided to give Steaz Sparkling Green Tea a try.

It is billed as a being organic and fair trade and made with decaffeinatedCeylon green tea leaves.  I'm a huge fan of fair trade, as there is some assurance that workers are treated fairly and paid a good wage for their work.  I tried the orange flavored version last night and I really loved it.  There is also a root beer and a lemon version readily available too.  According to the package it has sparkling filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, citric acid, natural orange flavor, sodium citrate, organic Ceylon green tea, beta carotene (Vitamin A), vegetable juice for color and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).  Compare that to your favorite soda pop.

The flavors are nice and light and not too overpowering.  It is also not oversweet.  Definitely a bonus for me as I usually drink my tea unsweetened.  I will definitely be keeping this in my fridge on a regular basis.  How about you?  Have you tried Steaz?  What do you think of it? What are your favorite flavors?  Is there anything else like it that you recommend?

Steaz Green Tea Review is a post from: Loose Teas - Green Tea - Black Tea - Decaf Tea - Rooibos Tea - Herbal Tea