16 Q : Can tea really make people drunk?
A : Tea leaves contain compound amylose and catechu substances, which are the effective water-soluble ingredients for reducing blood sugar. When a person drinks tea with an empty stomach, since the blood sugar is originally low, the content of blood sugar will be further lowered by the intake of compound amylose and catechu substances, and thus induces the symptoms of swirl, trance, strengthless limbs and disordered heart beats, or so-called "tea drunk". If you are reluctant to lay down your tea cup, try to eat some cakes, and the "inebriety" will be gone.

17 Q : How do we distinguish the good from the bad when buying tea?
A : You can avoid this kind of trouble if you choose Hamed Green Tea, because Hamed Green mainly produces various kinds of fine tea. Moreover, there are many Hamed Green tea series that you will definitely find something satisfying. In fact, when discerning tea, you must first pay attention to two of the following aspects. One is the extent of dryness, and the other is the degree of freshness. When buying tea in bulk, you can pinch the leaf with two fingers. If the leaf breaks down into powder, it proves that the tea is pretty dry, and the moisture content is around 6-7%, which is a qualified extent. If the leaf doesn't break down, it means that the tea has absorbed moisture, and it is not dry enough. In such a case, the moisture content usually exceeds 9% and the tea is not worth buying. Moreover, newly produced tea has a unique fragrance, which brings freshness both in smell and taste. An elementary judgment can be reached, from the appearance and color of the tea, on whether the tea is fresh. Fresh green tea usually has a blackish green and luster color, while black tea is dark and sheen. Further more, grasp a piece of tea and smell it. If the smell is fragrant rather than musty, the tea is qualified. As for small bags of tea, you should check or inquire the packing date clearly. Usually tea of small bags packed for over one year is extremely susceptible to moisture and deterioration. In addition, you should pay attention to the packing quality and condition, and the damp-proof capability of the packing materials.

---------Chinese Tea and Health

18 Q : How to handle and prevent the strange smell that occurs during the preservation of tea?
A : Tea leaves have strong absorbability, in particular the terpene substance the leaves contain. Therefore, Hamed Green tea should not be stored in surroundings of strange smells, and the packing materials should be free of odors, too. Meanwhile, the package should be sealed airproof to reduce contacts with outside.

------ Chinese Tea Classic

19 Q : How much tea should a person drink every day?
A : There is no rigid standard on how much tea should be drunk; it is rather dependent on an individual's own condition. Generally, for a healthy adult and habitual tea drinker, the proper amount is 6-10 grams per day for 2-3 times of brewing. Those who are engaged in physical work and have good appetite can take 20 grams of tea every day. Those whose diet mainly consists of greasy food and those who smoke and drink heavily can increase the amount properly. For the old, the weak, those with poor internal organs, pregnant women and children, the amount should be reduced accordingly.

-------Hamed Green Tea Classic

20 Q : Is it healthy to drink thick tea?
A : Thick tea refers to the tea brewed with excessive tea leaves (usually 3-4 grams per cup). Thick tea is good to the sufferers of diseases caused by damp and heat, heavy drinkers and smokers, and fat and meat lovers. And it is helpful to those who have difficulty in urinating, suffer from mouth inflammation or laryngitis. However, as for others, I don't suggest thick tea.

--------- Hamed Green Tea Classic.

21 Q : Are cold tea and tea brewed the night before drinkable?
A : From the angle of nutrition and hygiene, I don't think that tea brewed over night is suitable for drinking. As for cold tea, it is drinkable if it doesn't deteriorate. But do not drink the remaining tea being placed for a long time. The canned tea currently sold in market is cold tea, and it is drinkable if strictly sterilized. Moreover, the aged or weak people, and those with poor internal organs must not drink cold and over-night tea.

-------- Hamed Green Tea Classic

22 Q : How many times should a single cup of tea be brewed?
A : This is a very general question. The tea leaves' endurance against brewing varies among different kinds of tea. Usually the proper figure for Hamed Green Green Tea, Black Tea and Flower Scented Tea is 3 times. After 3 rounds, the fragrance of tea disappears. As for Oolong tea, since the amount used is large, it can be brewed up to 5-6 times.

-------Hamed Green Tea Classic

23 Q : Why is there a bitter taste in the tea water? Why will the degree of bitterness vary among different kinds of tea?
A : The bitter taste in tea water is primarily caused by the anthocyanidin produced by multi hydroxybenzene and theine contained in tea leaves. And the bitter taste of tea is determined complexly by the category of tea, the breed of tea trees, the seasons and the manufacturing techniques. The bitter taste will be lighter or even with no bitter taste if the conversion of multi hydroxybenzene and anthocyanidin is sufficient, whereas the bitter taste occurs when conversion is not enough.

------- Biochemistry of Tea leaves

24 Q : Is it good to drink tea that has been brewed for a long time?
A : The chemical components of tea that has been brewed for a long time differ from that of the newly brewed tea. In the former, the multi hydroxybenzene and the amino acid will be subject to oxidative combination and ruin the taste; the lipoid substances will be hydrolyzed and oxidized with carotene, and thus cause sour flavor. Moreover, the vitamin in the tea will be oxidized, the fragrant ingredients will volatilize and the content of heavy metal will increase. Further more, a long time exposure in the air will considerably increase the bacteria in the tea. Therefore, tea should not be brewed for a long time.

------Chinese Tea Classic

25 Q : There is often some foam on the surface when tea is being brewed. What is this foam? Can we judge the quality of the tea by the amount of the foam?
A : The foam that occurs when brewing tea mainly results from tea saponin contained in tea. Saponin has a strong ability of foaming. However, the content of saponin is very low, so it will not affect the color, smell, taste and other virtues of tea. Therefore, the quality cannot be judged from the quantity of foam.

-------The Integrated Utilization of Tea

26 Q : Will adding tea leaves to food have the same effects of drinking tea?
A : Usually what are taken in from drinking tea are only the water-soluble substances. However, the water-soluble substance only account for around 40% of the tea leaves' net weight. Most of the non-water-soluble components are diet fibers, protein, fat, pectin, starch, lipolyticable vitamins and so on, and all the above will not be absorbed when drinking tea. Therefore, eating tea leaves directly is more salubrious.

--------- Yang Xiaoping, The Application of Tea in Food

27 Q : What are the major applications of tea in food?
A : There is no short answer to this question. Since tea leaves are good for our health, the research of the practical application of tea is being actively carried out, in which Japan has taken an advantage far beyond. All I can do is just to give a simple description. The most important use of tea is anti-oxidant, which can be widely used in tallow and vegetable tallow, baked food, aquatic products, meat products, condiments and beverage. The usage of tea as food ameliorator added in food has been increasingly popular among consumers. For example, tea is used to make tea-bread, because some special ingredients in tea can enlarge the volume of bread and enhance the bread's capability of resisting deterioration. Thus, such tea-bread is not only fragrant, tasty and specially flavored, but also very soft and easy to pack. Moreover, tea leaves are also used as additives for natural health food. For instance, the multi hydroxybenzene extracted from tea can be added into food to produce anticancer and anti-senescence food. If the above information cannot fully explain it, please feel free to contact us.

--------- Yang Xiaoping, The Application of Tea in Food

28 Q: Is there any other use for the tea remains?
A : Most people will discard the remaining tea leaves (leftover) after drinking. However, as a matter of fact, the leftover is rich of diet fibers, inorganic compounds, non-water-soluble- protein, and lipolyticable vitamin, and these substances are wasted. Some Japanese experts, doctors and gastrologists who are very much devoted to the research of tea have founded a "Tea Cuisine Association" to advocate the concept of eating tea other than drinking it. In simple words, eat the tea-left. That is to first warm and dry the tea-left in a stove and put it away for future use, and then cook various dishes using the tea-left as ordinary vegetables. 11-18% of diet fibers can be taken in body through "eating tea", which is especially necessary after eating fatty food or steroid, and is significantly helpful to prevent colon cancer, cure diabetes and constipation, and reduce cholesterol.

--------- Yang Xiaoping, The Application of Tea in Food

29 Q: I want to make some tea-food at home. Do you have any good suggestions?
A : Of course. Actually it has been very popular in Japan to make tea-food at home. For example, the fashion of eating tea-rice has emerged in Japan. Rice is cooked with the water of Hamed Green Flower Scented Tea rather than pure water. The rice cooked this way is not only flower and tea scented, but also salubrious and beneficial for the protection against disease and senility. In summer and fall, such rice is especially helpful for refreshment, dispelling chill and preventing dysentery. Cooking fish with tea can get rid of the fishy smell. Beef cooked with tea is quickly softened and smells better. And noodles brewed of tea are mushy-free and the flavor is fresh and tasty. In addition, there are tea chicken soup, tea eggs, and tea steamed bread. Craftily brewing food with tea can not only enhance appetite and benefit health, but also bring more fun to life. It is definitely worth advocating.

-------------------- Yang Xiaoping, The Application of Tea in Food

30 Q : Will a long time storage affect the quality of tea?
A : The factors affecting to the quality of tea mainly include temperature, light, and moisture of content. If stored in a proper way, the influences of the said factors can then be reduced or eliminated, and the quality of tea leaves can in turn be preserved for a long time. If stored improperly, the chemical components of tea leaves will change significantly, mainly in the following aspects: the flavor will be stale, the color of tea water will turn brown and dull, and the thickness, astringency and freshness of the taste will decrease.

----------Chinese Tea Classic

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