While research helps us every day to better understand what is around us and to optimize what already exists, sometimes it can be quite far from practical. Tea brewing is not spared with this 2010 publication. The goal of this research was to develop an accessible and efficient extraction of antioxidants by brewing green tea leaves. The basic question is not surprising and the experimental approach presented in the paper is robust.
The authors used low-grade and broken leaves, then powdered. Mature (low grade) leaves produce fewer molecules which can lead to a loss of aroma diversity. Broken leaves release molecules into water more quickly. Powdering can exacerbate the bitterness found in matcha for example.
The tea powder is bagged in a ratio of 1:20 (1g of tea powder to 20 mL of water). This type of dosage is not surprising for traditional "Gong Fu Cha" infusions, except that the leaves are brewed whole. CTC tea bags (crushed low grade leaves, mostly found in supermarkets) are brewed similarly to our powdered tea but there are 1-2g of CTC tea per bag for a 200ml teacup. For the same teacup, you would need 10 teabags of our powdered tea!
The tea is not brewed by adding water heated in a kettle, the tea and water are heated in a microwave for 3 minutes at 600W. 3 minutes is a standard time for western infusions, especially for CTC tea bags. However, we are already in overdose compared to the standards. What to strengthen even more the bitterness! In traditional infusion, for a similar dosage, a few seconds are enough!
This research concluded that this is the fastest and most effective way to extract the antioxidant polyphenols so that people can enjoy a "super drink" from home:
- A low-quality, extremely bitter powdered tea with potentially indistinguishable flavors
- An overdose of tea
- A cup that you put in the microwave and that's it
Several points are scientifically and humanly questionable. Why choose mature leaves with less antioxidant content than buds? Can overdosing lead to an overly caffeinated drink? What pleasure will the person get from it?
This last question is particularly crucial since I had already shown a positive psychological impact of tea preparation and tasting in another article. Won't putting everything in a self-contained enclosure interfere with the pleasure of preparing tea? Won't a drink that is considered "disgusting" affect the person's mood?
These are the limits and questions raised when we become too technical.