Organic Portugal Green Tea
We are delighted to add this unique tea origin to our organic loose leaf tea offerings! Although Europe is not a traditional region for tea production, the owners of the Chá Camélia tea garden have artfully demonstrated that continental Northern Portugal is an ideal climate for growing premium tea.
This limited micro-batch of organic green tea is composed of carefully handpicked leaves from the first spring harvest of the season, which are skillfully hand processed to produce a silky, dark green twisted dry leaf. The wet leaf offers aromas of sweet corn, steamed spinach and macadamia nuts. The light-colored brew is smooth and round, with a thick mouthfeel and very little astringency. Moderately savory, it offers notes of pea shoots, water chestnut and marine air.
This beautiful whole leaf tea is well-suited to resteeping, and will continue to develop new complexity over multiple infusions.
Ingredients: organic Portuguese green tea
Origin: Chá Camélia, Fornelo, Portugal
As one of the few organic European tea producers, Chá Camélia is situated in Fornelo, part of the Northern Portuguese coastal area known as “Land of the Camellias.” This young garden is the first tea farm in continental Portugal and was established in 2011 with only 200 Camellia sinensis seedlings. The garden has now grown to just over 12,000 tea plants that are lovingly cared for using only organic growing methods. Adherence to these guiding principles supports a sustainable cycle on the farm, in which everything used to nurture the soil is provided by the surrounding area.
Inspired by ancient Asian tea cultures, the owners of Chá Camélia have partnered with the Morimoto family, producers of organic tea in southern Japan. This partnership brings over forty years of experience to help inform tea cultivation and production on the farm, and to achieve the goal of crafting organic green tea of the highest quality.
Steeping Instructions
At Arbor Teas, we believe tea should be brewed to suit your personal taste. We’re happy to make recommendations to get you started, but don’t hesitate to experiment! When brewing your tea, your main considerations are tea quantity, water temperature, and steeping time. We recommend green and white teas to be steeped for 2 to 3 minutes in water heated to not-quite-boiling, just as bubbles begin to form on the bottom of the pan (approximately 170 to 180 degrees F). For the best flavor, use fresh water whenever possible. Try not to steep your tea longer than necessary, as you’ll extract undesirable bitterness from the leaves. If you want a stronger brew, don’t steep longer, just use more tea. And don’t forget to re-steep your tea leaves to get the most out of your leaf!
Looking for more info? Check out our How-To Guides and Eco-Brewing Tips!
Staff Perspectives
Lea
"I love to imagine myself sipping this tea while overlooking the azure water off the coast of Portugal. Such a unique origin, and beautiful tea!"
Sarah
"This is a smooth, soft green tea that is full of flavor despite its light brew. A little bit salty, a little bit veggie, it soothes my veggie-straw-loving soul!!"
Aubrey
"This beautifully crafted tea offers a tantalizingly thick cup with subtle notes and a clean finish. Perfect for the tea lover who wants to try a new origin and appreciates delicate brews."
Health Benefits
Like all true tea, green tea offers many potential health benefits. Research has found that tea (Camellia sinensis) can have many positive effects on human health, including improved cardiovascular function, cancer risk reduction, improved immune function, improved oral health, and help with weight management. Tea is also full of polyphenols, which are a class of antioxidant that help your body maintain homeostasis and balance your stress levels.
Green tea specifically is known for its array of health benefits, which have been supported by a growing number of studies. Green tea research has demonstrated that it may be an effective anticancer agent for breast cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer and prostate cancer, among others. Studies have shown a link between green tea and weight loss, and the ability to modulate energy metabolism, aid in body fat regulation, and possibly promote preferential loss in abdominal fat. Research has also shown that green tea may increase performance for short term memory tasks, as well as being increasing potency of antibiotics. Other peer-reviewed studies link green tea to healthy skin, help with lowering cholesterol, and regulating diabetes. It’s important to keep in mind that many of these studies monitor subjects who drink several cups of green tea per day.
For more information about the health benefits of green tea, and for direct sources of the above information, check out our Tea Health Benefits page!
Please note: the information above is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
