The practice of drinking Green Tea (Camellia
sinensis) was brought to Japan by monks returning from their studies at the great Zen
monostaries of 12th century China. For them, tea functioned as an aid to meditation, as a
health aid, and as a tool to propagate Zen.
As the years went by, tea and the reason for drinking it changed, but
it never went out of fashion. Today, Green Tea is one of the three major non-acloholic
beverages in the world. Green Tea is a typical non-fermented tea that is enjoyed by many
and is immensley popular in Japan. It is utilzed as both a daily beverage and as a
healthful drink.
Green Tea contains a rich natural source of polyphenols and
bioflavonoids. Recent studies have identified the valuable active constituents of Green
Tea and continue to review its historical uses.
