Teatime in Thailand - A Visit to the Tea Plantations of Mae Salong

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During my visit to Thailand in November 2004, I traveled through the scenic Yunnanese village of
Mae Salong
, located in the mountains of the
Golden Triangle
Strolling around the small town, you'll find the Chinese influence very strong with most of the shops and many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the inhabitants speaking Mandarin. Many of the villagers trace their ancestry to members of Chinese Nationalist party who fled China, resettling in nothern Thailand during the communist takeover in late 1940's. Mae Salong is a very unique and important place, not only because of its historical origins but also as the one of the most important tea growing regions in Thailand. .
Tea is king here
; the surrounding countryside is covered by a green carpet of tea, as far as the eye can see. Small tea tasting rooms are scattered throughout the small village of
Mae Salong
selling so many different grades of tea including green oolong, which seems to be the crème de la crème of the tea world. The largest tea plantations are located just outside of town and are well worth a visit. Ms. Ming, the gracious owner of
Mae Salong Villa
(the hotel where I stayed)
It seems that the Mae Salong Chinese community has maintained very close ties with Taiwan, which remained a stronghold of the Chinese nationalist party after the Communists took over mainland China. explained to me about the origins of the tea industry and about the different grades of tea leaves sold commercially.
The tea industry got a kick-start when some choice tea plants were carried over from Taiwan and planted in the hills of Mae Salong. Ming's husband owns one the major tea plantations in the area but as Ms. Ming explained to me, there is more money to be made in the tourism business these days as the tea business is very labor intensive and the profit margins are small.
Bus Goldberg is a seasoned world traveler and the director of
Calypso Island Tours
He also maintains his own travel blog, , a travel company that specializes in botanical adventures and nature tours to such diverse destinations as Costa Rica, Thailand and the Caribbean.
Calypso Island Chronicles

Green Tea and Cholesterol Facts

A green and lush oasis in the middle of a scorching dessert. A cool breeze on a hot summer night. A bright light in the end of a cold and dark tunnel. Green tea and cholesterol.
You can browse and search the Internet for topics on green tea and cholesterol and would come up with hundred of hits. For the millions and millions of people suffering from high cholesterol green tea may be that light.
Cholesterol, triglycerides, the protein apoB in LDLs, are words dreaded by humans of the modern age. This new century is expected to become the century of medical miracles, the green tea, lowly as it may sound looks very promising as several researches have shown. This could be the decade of green tea and cholesterol.
In another study by the University of Kansas determined that EGCG may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers. Another research done by the University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. Several studies have shown that the antioxidants are present in green tea.

More good news is it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and cancer.
And more good news! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and high blood pressure. Habitually drinking 5 to 10 cups a day of green tea lowers high blood pressure.
For more that 4,000 years the Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. So it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and depression!
Drinking green also is reported to be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis, Cardiovascular disease, infection, and impaired immune function.
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a good anti-cancer element. Polyphenol limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.
There's more! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report that found out that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine.
How about green tea and tooth decay anyone? Its bacteria-destroying abilities kill the bacteria that cause dental decay. So it's not just green tea and cholesterol, it's also green tea and bacteria.
Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized while black and oolong tea leaves are made from dried or fermented leaves, which causes loss of EGCG. But why green? All of these come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.

As we all know there are 3 types of tea, green, oolong and black. Why is it that it's green tea and cholesterol not oolong tea or black tea?
We should have learned speaking mandarin or fukien a long time ago and got to know green tea and cholesterol lowering the Chinese way.
There is more to green tea and cholesterol, search the web and get to know more of the heath benefits you may get from green tea. Does anyone know how to say green tea in Chinese?