Green tea

EmilyTwist1
EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
in Recipes
I have tried green tea (and herbal green tea blends) several times, but it just tastes like grass to me. Do you have any suggestions on how to make green tea more palatable?
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Replies

  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    I don't like it either. I know I should but I don't. I do drink it every day.

    I like (okay love) iced tea so I boil a pan of water (about 1.5 quarts) and then when almost to a boil remove from heat and add 3-4 green tea bags and 2-3 black tea bags. I let steep about 5 or so minutes then poor into 2 quart container and fill rest with water or ice cubes to cool down a bit.

    That does it for me. I get the green even though it is hidden behind the yummy black tea flavor. For blacks I use all kinds but fall back on PG Tips a lot as that is really strong and totally kills the green flavor. :-)
  • jennkain97
    jennkain97 Posts: 290 Member
    i can't stand plain green tea, but i drink Yogi Slim Life Blueberry Green Tea every day. LOVE IT!! i get it at walmart, or from vitamin shoppe if i am ordering other things as it is cheaper there.
  • Kreacher12
    Kreacher12 Posts: 20 Member
    This is meant to be drunk hot, but your choice. You can vary the ingredients. I like cloves but they are not required. The ginger gives a warming feeling. The honey is where the calories come from so go easy. The cinnamon has some good properties as well, but I don't remember them all (helps stop sinus drainage?).

    Ingredients
    1/4 C. thinly sliced fresh ginger
    6 C. water
    2 cinnamon sticks
    2 cloves
    1 green tea bag
    Directions:
    In a saucepan, simmer the ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tea, and water for about 20 minutes. Strain tea through a sieve or tea strainer into a two quart pitcher (add water to top off). Keep in the fridge. Heat a cup at a time in microwave. Add honey (I use1 tsp) to taste and enjoy.
  • yentess
    yentess Posts: 167 Member
    I brew a bag of green tea in 4oz hot water and then add ice and water to make it 16oz and mix in a lemon flavored water packet. It is my healthier version of an Arnold Palmer.
  • kristin_barone
    kristin_barone Posts: 4
    I, as well, can't drink it... I take a green tea capsule twice a day. Instant energy for 6 hours and same benefits as drinking the tea. I get mine at GNC... just make sure you check labels because there's SO MANY out there! Good luck :)
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,330 Member
    Try white tea it has all the benefits of green. There is a great Tazo white tea blend that is great. White tea has a very mild taste. It is baby tea and green tea is young tea.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    I didn't like green tea when I first started drinking it, but when I knew how good it was (and no milk or sugar either) I persevered.

    I use Twinings or similar good brand tea bag, some are nicer than others, so experiment. I add boiling water, jiggle the bag a little, and take out the bag. I don't let it sit for more than about a minute - it is too bitter then. I think the instructions say leave 3-5 mins but I don't do that.

    Another trick - add a couple of flakes of dried chilli - gives it a real zing!

    If you really don't like it, just make it really weak to start with, and then when you get to like it, you could increase the brewing time? I relly enjoy it now, and I also take my coffee black no sugar since starting on MFP - re-educating my taste buds :smile:
  • melgcoo
    melgcoo Posts: 23
    I don't like the taste of green tea either. I do like Sleepy Time tea by Celestial Seasonings. I found a Sleepy Time Green, which is a blend of the original Sleepy Time plus green tea. I like that pretty well, and keep a pitcher of it in the fridge all the time. I use 6 tea bags, boil them up and make a 2 quart pitcher of it. I sweeten it with the bulk Splenda, so no calories there. I love it, especially when it is hot! It has a nice chamomile, lemon-grass flavor... very mild.
  • bharriscar
    bharriscar Posts: 91 Member
    I drink Black tea, there are many flavor choices. Lipton has some great new ones.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
    What about adding some flavored sugar free syrup? Or doing like some people have suggested and try making tea with both green and black, or green and flavored tea bags. I think they also sell flavored green teas now...try those.
  • dfair1967
    dfair1967 Posts: 91
    Aldis food stores makes a bottled diet green tea with citrus. it is very good for someone like myself that can't stand hot teas.
  • threedaysfromyou
    threedaysfromyou Posts: 32
    I usually get genmaicha, otherwise known as green tea with toasted rice. Tao of Tea, Republic of Tea, and Teavana all have good ones.
  • 65Mustanger
    65Mustanger Posts: 5 Member
    Hope this isn't a stupid question but is there a benefit for losing weight in drinking green or white tea? Please tell me what it is.
  • mogriff1
    mogriff1 Posts: 325 Member
    I add lemon and honey to my green tea. (There's also a pomegranate green tea blend that I like by Lipton's).
  • DevotedWife
    DevotedWife Posts: 29 Member
    Hope this isn't a stupid question but is there a benefit for losing weight in drinking green or white tea? Please tell me what it is.
    Green tea reportedly provides some appetite suppression and speeds up metabolism.


    I haven't tried this yet, but a book I'm reading has recipes for including it in smoothies. That might work for you if you're a smoothie drinker. You could just replace whatever liquid you would normally use with brewed green tea.
  • galilanee26
    galilanee26 Posts: 39 Member
    I don't care for hot green tea either so include it in my sun tea jar, put it outside in the morning, then remove the bags and stick it in the fridge late in the afternoon. Here's my favorite recipe: 6 bags of Celestial Seasonings Black Cherry Berry, 6 bags of green tea, and 2 large (pitcher size) bags of Liptons. My kids love this. You can change up the mix of tea bags to your liking.

    Green tea is said to have lots of antioxidents. Nice to hear that there might be a weight loss benefit as well!
  • BSummers321
    BSummers321 Posts: 94 Member
    I had a hard time with the taste at first too, now I love it and drink 3 cups ore more a day :laugh: I don't add anything to mine, but adding lemon would be great. mint leaves too! a dash of honey will make it taste better. You can get flavoured green tea (vanilla, lemon etc) too, and start of with that and move to plain once you feel ready, or just stick with them!
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
    A little honey helped when I was new to it. A lot of people tend to overbrew it. You have to get used to it before you can take it strong. I used to pop it in the cup, pour water on it, instantly give it a gentle squeeze and then take it straight out. In fact, making it with half boiling water and topping up with cold was best for me to begin with. Made it more gentle. Even now I don't like it too strong as I have quite a delicate palate. But I love green tea plain now, have done for years. It's certainly an acquired taste!
    I drink loads of different blends now as well. With lemon, with peach and cherry blossom and with orange and lotus flower are my three favourite flavoured blends. Yummers!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I mix it with another flavored tea that I like. Right now I make a big 64oz pitcher of tea with green tea and mango black tea. I add 1/4 cup of sugar and it's delicious.
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    mix 1/5 cup of cold water with 4/5th cup of boiling water then add the tea bag. This will prevent the bitter taste you get if you add a tea bag directly to boiling water.

    Afterwards you can add flavours to taste.
  • dancergurl567
    dancergurl567 Posts: 2
    I put honey in there or sweet and low. Tastes so much better!
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,330 Member
    Hope this isn't a stupid question but is there a benefit for losing weight in drinking green or white tea? Please tell me what it is.
    There are studies that show great health benefits and weight loss benefits. There are more studies for green tea since more people know about it but there are some with white that show as good results or better.

    Oh the point about the water tempurature is good. If the tea pot is whistling the water is too hot. I try to catch the kettle before the whistle or I let the water cool down before steeping green or white tea. That may make it taste better if you don't burn it.
  • killinme
    killinme Posts: 73 Member
    I wish I could help, but I grew up in Asia/Pacific and I adore green tea. My kids put sugar in their's. Perhaps that will help I use splenda
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    Hope this isn't a stupid question but is there a benefit for losing weight in drinking green or white tea? Please tell me what it is.

    All teas have health benefits because of the antioxidants. Green is supposed to have a few more just because it is minimally processed and does not go through oxidation. All teas (except reds/herbals) are basically from the same plants. The only difference between green, white, black and oolong have to do with the processing and fermentation (oxidation).

    Green also has HGCG which, supposedly is the most powerful antioxidant known. It is the only tea that has that.

    Link to a lot of good health information on tea. If you don't drink it you certainly should after reading this. http://www.tealaden.com/teaweb/healtharticle.htm
  • gesosoge77
    gesosoge77 Posts: 10 Member
    green tea and mango smoothie
    make the green tea and cool it then blend it with alot of frozen mango's and add honey to taste , it is soo good :)
  • DavidOfOz
    DavidOfOz Posts: 225
    I buy green tea chai and then have it with hot milk like a latte. Its very nice!
  • biff54928
    biff54928 Posts: 35
    I don't like it either BUT I will drink it with a wee bit of my powder crystal lite in it or generic version from walmart gives it a bit of flavor so it is drinkable :0) I also buy the berry green tea instead of just the plain one
  • Songbirdy
    Songbirdy Posts: 41 Member
    Green tea isn't meant to be steeped in boiling water. The easiest thing to do is to boil the water, pour it (minus the tea!) and set the timer for 10 minutes. After that, put in the tea (I use loose leaf in a basket) and steep it for 4 minutes. You may prefer more or less.

    Hot water actually 'burns' the tea causing it to be bitter. Steeping too long makes it too strong.

    If you use a good quality tea you can brew it a few times, and some say that the best brews are in the second and third steeps.

    I prefer a Jasmine infused green tea blend.

    White teas are a good substitute and many can be brewed with boiling water.

    I hated green teas for years until I had someone who knows how brew me a cup. Now I love it.
  • aab4327
    aab4327 Posts: 1
    You can try crushed mint leaves. I can picture some other spices my sister uses in her tea but I can't recall their names. Most are in the whole form and simmer in a pot when she makes her tea.
  • runuma
    runuma Posts: 6
    16 oz tepid water. I microwave for 90 seconds.

    One green tea bag, one peppermint tea bag. Steep 4 minutes only.

    Stir in 1 tbsp honey.

    Good warm or on ice.

    Very hot water brings out the bitter compounds in green tea faster. Go for slightly warmer than hot tub water.

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