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Known as the elixir of life to medieval alchemists,
Ming emperors, and Arab mystics alike, green tea
has been celebrated for centuries as a respected
dietary staple. But with claims of health, happiness,
moral merit, vitality, spiritual harmony, and
even immortality feeding the frenzy now sweeping
the globe, green tea has become one of the world’s
most popular, albeit misunderstood, potions on
the market.
The green tea mania that has
erupted has the mystic tea showing up in forms
never before seen – candy bars, candles,
lotions, perfumes, pills, extracts, and soap.
Trendy West Coast lounges shake up green tea martinis
and Dunkin Donuts brews it up right beside the
donuts and coffee. In tribute to its Asian origins,
green tea gummy pandas serve up fun while green
tea truffles provide a more sophisticated approach
to the serious business of green tea candy.
At home, it’s possible
to have green tea mania wafting through the air.
Candles scented with green tea oils promise to
create a sense of peaceful well being while another
claims to balance the spirit. So serious is the
drive to infuse even the very air that we breathe
with this transcendental essence that the Omni
hotel chain has developed a signature scent featuring
green tea and lemongrass, which it wafts through
the ventilation systems for the lobbies of its
more upscale properties.
The next time green tea mania
grabs you, remember to beware the other ingredients.
Yes, green tea has good qualities but, no, just
because it’s one healthy ingredient doesn’t
mean all the other ingredients are healthy, too.
No matter how much (factory-produced)
green tea extract it contains, a 560-calorie super-sized
green tea frappuccino is still loaded with fats,
sugars, and all kinds of chemical additives that
offset any benefits the tea might have contributed.
Likewise, when sipping green tea vodka or beer,
it’s probably the alcohol making you feel
mellow and happy, not the tea.
Before getting swept up
in the madness, remember it’s a nice soothing
cup of tea, not the mania, that will calm your
spirits and feed your soul.
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