Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden

Hawaiian Green Tea Industry Continues to Grow

Little did I know when I was growing up, but the iced tea my mother served at dinnertime was a health food. Today we know that tea, especially green tea, is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to inhibit the formation of certain types of cancer. And its popularity is increasing rapidly: its sales put it on the list of top-selling herbal products in the mass market.

Green Tea in Waimea

Green tea cultivation has begun in earnest on this island: the US Department of Agriculture and the UH College of Tropical Agriculture (among others) are conducting field tests and researching markets for beginning an industry in Hawai`i that will develop a “unique Hawai`i tea product into a regional brand utilizing small field and processing technology… Our tea will exhibit high taste qualities, be grown under pesticide-free conditions, and will feature the beneficial health aspects commonly associated with tea,” according to CTAHR promotional literature.

On May 10, I visited the Mealani Agricultural Research Station near Waimea with several organic farmers. Station Manager Milton Yamasaki led us on a walking tour of the beautiful fields where several varieties of tea are being grown without pesticides or herbicides. He later showed us the processing facility, which contains sophisticated equipment used to process the tea into either green or black tea. When you buy Lipton’s black tea bags or Celestial Seasonings’ Honey Lemon Ginseng Green tea, the tea in both comes from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). The method of processing makes black and green tea different: black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize, while green tea is produced by steaming the fresh-cut leaf, making its anti-oxidant activity six times greater than black tea.

Tea Has No Health Hazards

Michael Tierra writes in The Way of Herbs that green tea is a stimulant (it has caffeine), diuretic (increases urination), and an astringent (constricts or binds, meaning that it’s useful for stopping hemorrhages and secretions). It halts diarrhea and mouthwash made from it inhibits the growth of cavity-associated bacteria. Most importantly, several clinical studies have shown that green tea helps to prevent certain types of cancer, especially of the pancreas, colon, small intestine, stomach, breast and lung (Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines). Recent research suggests that green tea also might prevent arthritis by blocking the body’s enzyme that destroys cartilage (American Botanical Council, www.herbalgram.org).

Drinking tea doesn’t cause any health hazards, but if you drink too much, you could get heart palpitations, insomnia or anxiety, the same as when you drink too much coffee.

Hawai`i Tea Society Encourages New Farmers

Eva Lee, President of the Hawai`i Tea Society, is working to encourage the development of a tea culture and industry in Hawai`i by creating more growers and educating the public. Eva told me that the type of tea you choose and the way you steep it can determine the flavor of tea. For example, she says, “The purity of green tea can allow for surprising flavors that you might think includes other herbs.” The Hawai`i Tea Society offers rooted cuttings for $3.00 each, $2.50 if you join for $25.00. Contact them at teahawaii@aol.com.

Dr. Francis Zee, a horticulturist with USDA, is the “grandfather” of the Big Island tea venture. He said that farmers stand to improve their standard of living when they grow crops that yield more income. “That’s the difference between commodity and niche marketing,” he explained in a 2002 Hawai`i Tribune-Herald article. I say, let’s explore all possible markets and get on the bandwagon in this exciting agricultural development.

Recipes To Try

You can purchase green teabags at any grocery store, but I prefer loose green tea, available at natural foods stores by the ounce or the pound. Here’s one of my favorite ways to use it:

For a 4-cup teapot, cut 6 slices of ginger, place 4 or more teaspoons of green tea into a tea ball or strainer, add 3-4 sprigs of mint or flavored basil (I love the clove-scented Holy Basil), and fill the pot with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes, then pour and enjoy. The health benefits of the ginger and other herbs make this a great way to start your day—plus, you’ll get a little caffeine boost as well.

Dr. Zee includes the following recipe in the booklet he co-authored, Small-scale Tea Growing and Processing in Hawai`i (available from the UH Cooperative Extension Service, www.ctahr.hawaii.edu or (808) 956-7046):

Espresso or “Kung Fu” Tea

“This interesting infusion is intense in flavor and slightly insipid, but the coating, fragrance and after-notes are strong and pleasant,” according to Zee’s booklet.

1.    Fill a clay teapot one third to half full with tea leaves.
2.    Add boiling water and steep for only 30-40 seconds.
3.    Strain the tea into a serving container, then pour into small teacups or sake cups.

Upcoming Events:

June 16, 8:30-12:30. FREE: Annual Seed Exchange at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, Captain Cook. Share your gardening successes with others and help build community, food security, self suffienciency, biodiversity, and health. No need to bring anything—just come, enjoy the day and pick up some FREE seeds and keiki plants. Info at 323-3318.

Every Monday, 9:30-10-30: FREE tour of the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Native Forest. Explore lush old-growth Hawaiian rain forest on an easy, half-mile trail. Park at Volcano Art Center Administration on Old Volcano Highway, near the Post Office.

ON THE WEB:
Hawaii Tea Society: www.hawaiiteasociety.com
American Botanical Council: www.herbalgram.org
UH College of Tropical Agriculture: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu
Amy Greenwell Garden: www.bishopmuseum.org/exhibits/greenwell/greenwell.html
Volcano Art Center: www.volcanoartcenter.org
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Barbara Fahs is the owner and creator of Hi`iaka's Healing Herb Garden, LLC and author of the book Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. Contact her at 966-6126 or www.hiiakas.com.