Drink Ocha for Thirst
Around the world it is well known that tea is only second to water to quench thirst. When dining out in Kyoto and Taiwan the first thing that is served when you sit down is ocha; we call it tea. Cha is word used most often when tea is spoken of. I was amazed and pleased to discover that water was the drink we always had to ask for.
It seems so civilized and appropriate to first be served tea when you sit down. Not only does it quench our thirst but it revives us, appeases our appetite temporarily, it warms our body when cold, relaxes our muscles, and most of all it soothes. Ocha in Kyoto was either hojicha, genmaicha, and sometimes sencha. This is everyday tea in Japan and to me it was a treat. Of course the quality varies and at times it would be very weak, probably having been steeped several times(and then caffeine free) and other times it was fresh, vital, delicious. The nutty character of the roasted tea has a very nourishing aspect.
In Taiwan the same tradition exists, but the tea we drank would more often be an oolong, black tea, or sometimes green. In Taiwan the tea served appeared to match the region we were visiting and what was most common to that area. Drinking tea with food seems to let the digestive juices flow. I did ask for water at times and yet ocha was able to most often able to quench my thirst on more than the physical level. I think we call this sate satisfaction!
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I am an avid tea drinker and I enjoyed your entry. I too did a bit of time in Japan (Okinawa) but that was before I really got into the whole tea thing like I am now. So, I am doing some research in the effects of drinking tea-herbal, white, green, and black-with food or having just eaten. Have you seen or heard of any scientific evidence that tea is positive or negative in that regard? You stated in the last paragraph of your blog that it helps with digestion. From the overall tone of the entry, this is an observation on your part, not hard and fast evidence. I am looking for something published by a medical journal or something to that effect, so anything you can contribute on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Isaiah, thanks for reading!
From http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_4_5/ai_65068475: “Studies have also shown green tea extracts are capable of reducing fat digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes.”