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COOKING WITH TEA RECIPE: Dragonwell (Green Tea) Chicken Noodle Soup

The health benefits of green tea seem to be popping up perpetually in the news these days. Just recently a published study found that drinking green tea increases the effectiveness of antibiotics. Good news for those suffering this flu and cold season! Another well-vetted remedy for these ailments is a humble bowl of chicken soup. Why not combine the two to give your immune system an additional boost? Yes, green tea can be incorporated into the broth of the soup, but did you consider for an extra-added health benefit that the steeped leaves could also be eaten—as a vegetable? Go ahead; incorporate some of the unfurled tea leaves within the soup instead of discarding them in the compost bin.

In developing this recipe, I played quite a bit with the ratio of green tea to chicken broth. The tea adds subtle notes of astringency as its smooth, light-bodied flavor competes with the aromatic celery, parsley and peppercorns on the palate. Be it your goal to boldly bring forward the tea’s flavor or to creatively incorporate more green tea in your diet, try playing with the ratios yourself to suit your taste preferences. A good starting point is 1 teaspoon of loose tea per 1 cup of chicken stock. Interestingly, the noodles absorb the green tea flavor and color as they cook in the soup, providing yet another vehicle with which to consume the tea. As for any soup or stew, homemade stock makes all the difference in this recipe, adding a level of clarity and richness to the flavor. It is well worth the extra time it entails.

Wishing you wellness this winter. Hope you enjoy this Cooking with Tea Recipe From the Kitchen of Olivia!

Dragon Well (Green Tea) Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 4-6

1 whole roasting chicken, rinsed well
1 large onion, quartered
6 carrots, divided
4 celery stalks, divided
One bunch of parsley, stems and leaves separated
6 ounces pappardelle (or other wide style) egg noodles
About 3 TBS loose, organic green tea such as Dragonwell (Lung Ching)
1 TBS (or to taste) salt
1 TBS (or to taste) whole peppercorns

In a large stockpot, combine the chicken with onion, 3 carrots and 2 celery stalks cut into two or three pieces, parsley stems, salt and peppercorns. Add 8 cups water (or just enough to cover chicken) to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Skim and discard impurities from the top frequently.
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January 21 2010 | Cooking with Tea and Tea and Health | No Comments »

Green Tea Boosts Antibiotic Effectiveness

It is flu and cold season again!  And if my son returning from day care with the sniffles and a cough wasn’t enough to inspire me, my own sore throat prompted me to read the latest edition of “Natural Health.”  I was excited to read an article written by Daniel Mazori that reported taking antibiotics while drinking green tea can make antibiotics nearly twice as effective and even weakens drug-resistant bacteria (December/January 2010).  What great news not only for us here at Arbor Teas, but also for the entire tea drinking community!  This article was most likely referring to a study released in 2008 by researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt in which green tea was tested in combination with antibiotics against 28 disease-causing microorganisms. Dr Mervat Kaseem, of the University’s Pharmacy faculty, said “In every single case, green tea enhanced the bacteria-killing activity of the antibiotics. For example, the killing effect of chloramphenicol was 99.99 percent better when taken with green tea than when taken on its own in some circumstances.”  Kaseem and colleagues found in almost every case and for all types of antibiotics they tested that drinking green tea at the same time as taking the antibiotics appeared to increase the action of the antibiotics and reduce drug resistance in bacteria.

Yet, another reason to drink green tea this winter!

January 19 2010 | Tea and Health | 1 Comment »