Green tea can promote health and wellness through its antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea is beneficial for those experiencing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity. It is most commonly consumed as a beverage or used for cooking. Below are two delicious recipes that use green tea leaves as an ingredient. One specifically asks for gyokuro leaves which are a special type of green tea that has a sweeter and more complex flavor profile compared to typical green tea leaves.
Soft Boiled Chinese Tea Eggs
Ingredients:
12 organic, peeled, soft boiled eggs
4 tbsp. light soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
1 star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp. sea salt
4 green tea bags
Enough water to fully submerge the eggs
Steps:
Mix all the ingredients, except for the eggs and tea, in a small pot to make the marinade.
Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off the stove and add the tea bags. Allow the pot to cool completely before transferring into a glass food storage container large enough to hold all the marinade and eggs.
Add the peeled soft boiled eggs to the marinade and let it rest for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. The eggs will become more flavorful over time.
Store the eggs in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with the marinade and enjoy chilled or reheated.
Green Tea Leaf Salad
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. dried gyokuro tea leaves
3/4 tsp. organic rice vinegar
3/4 tsp. organic Japanese style soy sauce
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Cooked rice, for serving
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Steps:
In a cup, steep the tea leaves in 6 oz. of room temperature spring water for 15 minutes.
Strain out the tea and enjoy the tea.
In a small bowl, toss the rehydrated tea leaves with the other ingredients until well combined.
Serve over hot rice and garnish with extra sesame seeds.
References
Musial, C., Kuban-Jankowska, A., & Gorska-Ponikowska, M. (2020). Beneficial Properties of Green Tea Catechins. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(5), 1744. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051744
Reygaert W. C. (2018). Green Tea Catechins: Their Use in Treating and Preventing Infectious Diseases. BioMed research international, 2018, 9105261. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9105261