Without sugar, is green tea difficult to drink? Follow this article to find out how to enjoy green tea without sugar!
Contents
Introduction
When it comes to green tea, many people find it hard to drink it without sugar. Sugar is so common in tea drinks, but it is proven to bring some negative effects to human health. Green tea can still taste good without sugar. So, how to enjoy green tea without sugar? What should you pay attention to when brewing? Let’s explore in this article.
Directly sweetening green tea by other sweeteners
You are used to sweet green tea, but you want to cut down on the sugar daily intake. Fortunately, there are numerous healthier alternatives if you want to directly sweeten your green tea. Some outstanding sweeteners are honey, stevia leaves, coconut sugar, coconut water, maple syrup, and many other sweet herbs. These sugar alternatives are so popular and easy to find in supermarkets, or grocery stores. By using these sweeteners in green tea, you can somehow reduce the sugar intake as well as boost its health benefits.
How to make green tea sweet without sugar:
Adding more flavors to green tea
Some people might find green tea’s earthy or grassy flavor unappealing. Besides adding sweeteners, you can try other flavors to make your green tea more enjoyable. If you accidentally brew the tea too long, you can neutralize the bitterness with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or some lemon slices. The scents of freshly squeezed lemonade and steeped green tea blend in harmony. The acidic flavor is perfectly complemented by the green tea base, creating a subtle taste.
Additionally, you can enhance the flavor of raw green tea by using herbs and spices. For example, some slices of fresh ginger can go well with green tea, giving it a hint of spice. Not only does ginger add more flavors to green tea, but it also boosts some health benefits, such as strengthening the immune system and assisting in weight loss and respiratory problems. Other common spices that can be mixed with green tea are cinnamon and nutmeg. Moreover, you can try some mint leaves for a refreshing flavor.
If these options do not suit you, try brewing a flavored tea. You can use green tea as a base and blend it with other flowers or herbal teas. When making the tea, add some fresh or dried flowers, such as chamomile, rose, or jasmine, and let them steep with green tea leaves.
Choosing high quality green tea
Choosing good quality ingredients is one of the easy ways to create a cup of green tea with natural sweetness. Although green tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis, depending on origin, cultivation, and processing, different types of green teas bring different tastes and aromas. If you want to find a higher quality green tea, look for some organic varieties.
In addition to green tea leaves, tea bags are also popular in the market today. However, in most cases, loose-leaf green tea has higher quality than green tea bags. The tea bags usually contain dust and broken tea bags, so the leaves easily expand and release all their flavors, including bitter properties. On the other hand, green tea with loose leaves will provide a full flavor profile.
Preparing green tea in a proper way
Water temperature
Even if you have the highest quality green tea, the tea is still bitter if you do not prepare it in a proper way. The first aspect you need to pay attention to when brewing tea is water temperature. The bitter elements in green tea are more difficult to extract, so lower temperature water is recommended. Generally, green tea should be brewed at a temperature between 65°C to 85°C. It is because too hot water may allow the catechins to release more and overpower the sweet notes from tea leaves.
Using a tea kettle with integrated temperature controls is the most effective approach to manage the water temperatures. Besides, you can estimate the temperature by watching the bubbles when heating the water. The suitable water temperatures range from tiny bubbles beginning to form from the bottom to when the medium-sized bubbles start rising to the top.
Recently, many people have preferred the cold brewing method, in which green tea leaves are steeped in cool water and left in the fridge for 10-12 hours. By using this method, tea leaves are gradually brewed without any stimulation from heat. Therefore, tannin properties, which cause bitter taste, are not released, creating an elegant and sweet flavor.
Brewing time
In addition to water temperature, brewing time is crucial to avoid bitterness in green tea. Green tea leaves are so delicate that the more time you brew them with hot water, the more bitterness they extract. It is suggested to brew green tea for no more than 2 minutes. First, steep a fresh blend of green tea for about 1 minute. Taste every 30 seconds and stop when the flavor suits your taste. If you want a lighter flavor, reduce the length of steeping time.
Explore FGC’s sugar-free green tea:
About Future Generation Co.,Ltd
Future Generation Company Limited is one of the largest beverage suppliers in Vietnam, with 27 years of experience in production and export. FGC is equipped with modern machines such as Hotfill PET and TetraPak, ensuring high-capacity production. FGC strives to achieve our mission to become Vietnam’s leading healthy beverage company. Our factories also meet international standards such as ISO, HACCP, etc. In addition, we constantly innovate our machinery system, strengthen production capacity, and increase productivity.
FGC also provides Private Label Services. With this service, we can help customers in researching and formulating beverages, designing product label packaging, and creating their own brands. This is an ideal solution for small and medium enterprises. Moreover, FGC provides free samples for customers to test before bulk orders. We also ensure delivery as fast as possible.
Contact
Address: R4 building, Office Quarter 02, Royal City, 72A Nguyen Trai St., Thanh Xuan Dist., Hanoi.
Phone: +84 24 73 000 125/ +84 24 73 063 369
Mail: info@vietnam-tea.com
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Source:
https://senchateabar.com/blogs/blog/how-to-make-green-tea-taste-better
https://nioteas.com/blogs/japanese-teas/how-to-sweeten-green-tea
