With origins in China dating back to over 4,000 years ago, green tea stands as the world’s oldest plant-based drink. It may very well also be the most chemically complex. With over 600 identified aroma compounds, the actual flavor of your cup of green tea depends on where the tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) were grown, when they were harvested, and how those leaves were processed, among other factors. Different variants of green teas, such as longjing versus zhuchá versus sencha, will differ in aroma, flavor, and shade of green. However, several studies of this relaxing drink reveal some interesting findings. Have a looksee!

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About the author: Alice Phung once had her sights set on an English degree, but eventually switched over to chemistry and hasn’t looked back since.

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