DESCRIPTION

COMPOSITION OF TEA WITH SODIUM SILICATE

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a tea composition including sodium silicate, and herein, sodium silicate is preferably included in the tea composition in an amount of 0.5—20 wt%, and more preferably of 1—4 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the tea

5 composition.

[Background Art]

In general, most tea, such as green tea, black tea, coffee, barley tea, etc. needs to be extracted in hot water of 80~90 ^° C

10 because a tea component is not easily extracted in cold water. However, it is known that water of a hexagonal structure formed at low temperature of 4~6 ^° C is the most advantageous for health, and also cool tea is required for quenching thirst or heat, and as drinking water in daily life. The process of preparing cool tea is

- _j _5 very complicated because after hot tea is prepared, the hot tea must be cooled down. Also, the preparation of hot water is usually relatively complicated compared to water of room or refrigeration temperature.

Conventionally, there was a patent application regarding the

20 prevention of the above described problems, which is patent publication No. 1999-025668, entitled "A Method of Preparing Cold Green Tea" In the technology, a steaming process for steaming green tea leaves is prolonged, thereby allowing the green tea leaves to be easily extracted even in cold water. However, this method is

25 appropriate for preparation of only green tea, and also requires much extraction time.

^" Also, there was a patent application regarding a drink including silicates, which is patent publication No. 10-2006-0019468, entitled "Silicate Content An Ingredient Annex Drinking Alkaline Water Method of Manufacture" In the technology, silica sand, anhydrous sodium carbonate, sodium hexa meta phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate and calcium carbonate are melted and crystallized, and then the crystal is dissolved in distilled water, thereby preparing alkaline water including silicates. However, this technology is only for alkaline water, and has less relation with tea. Also, there was a patent application regarding the increase in an extraction amount of tea, which is patent publication No. 10-2005-0036060, entitled

"Tea-Bag Enclosed with Material to Activate Water" In this technology, there is provided a tea-bag including a water-activating substance, that is, tourmaline, so that an extraction amount of effective components can be increased. However, this technology using tourmaline as an activating substance also has less relation with tea including sodium silicate.

[Disclosure of Invention] The present invention provides a tea composition including sodium silicate, in which a tea component is quickly extracted, even in cold water. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and easily enjoy cool tea, and to improve health.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an extractable tea composition including sodium silicate in an amount of 0.5—20 wt%, with respect to a total weight of the tea composition.

Also, in the present invention, the tea composition includes sodium silicate in an amount of 1—4 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the tea composition

Also, tea is green tea or coffee.

A tea composition including sodium silicate according to the present invention has various healthful functions of activating cells, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain, due to far infrared rays radiated from sodium silicate. In addition, the tea composition including sodium silicate can be easily made as cold tea because a tea component can be sufficiently extracted, even in cold water, and has excellent preservation quality.

[Brief Description of Drawings] FIG. 1 is a photograph of Test Samples when sodium silicate based on Table 1, and 1.5g of green tea leaves were added in 100ml of water of 4°C , and then the solution was extracted for 2 minutes;

FIG. 2 is a photograph of Test Samples when green tea leaves were extracted according to different water temperatures, existence/nonexistence of sodium silicate, and different extraction times, based on Table 2; and

FIG. 3 is a photograph of Test Samples when sodium silicate based on Table 3, and 3g of coffee beans were added in 100ml of water of 4 ^° C , and then the solution was extracted for 2 minutes.

[Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to a tea composition including sodium silicate (Na2Siθ3).

Silicate is a main component for minerals generated in a great quantity from nature, and exists as salts of various metals, such as aluminum salt, iron salt, calcium salt, magnesium salt, etc. Also, silicate radiates far infrared rays, thereby activating molecular vibration, and thus has various functions of activating cells, promoting blood circulation, promoting perspiration, and relieving

pain. Accordingly, silicate has been consumed as functional food for improving health. In addition, silicate has deodorization, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Therefore, when silicate is mixed with tea, preservation quality of tea is improved, and a tea component can be easily extracted, even in cold water.

From among various silicates, sodium silicate used in the present invention is very soluble in water, and has been approved as a food additive. Lump sodium silicate is not easily dissolved in water, but powder sodium silicate is easily dissolved in water. The solution is tasteless, odorless, and transparent (nearly colorless). When the additional amount of sodium silicate is too little, a tea component is not sufficiently extracted, and thus the effect of tea decreases, and on the other hand, when the additional amount of sodium silicate is too high, sodium silicate may not be sufficiently dissolved in water. Therefore, it is preferable that sodium silicate is included in a tea composition according to the present invention in an amount of 0.5—20 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the composition.

In order to determine the effect of sodium silicate on the extraction of a tea component, the following Examples were carried out. Tea leaves (or coffee beans) for Test Samples were finely cut or ground into pieces of 2~5mm. Then, a tea-bag including ground powder sodium silicate with a size of 0.01-0.05 mm and the tea leaves (or coffee beans) was made and used.

[Example 1]

Each tea-bag including 1.5g of green tea leaves and sodium silicate according to Table 1 was added in 100ml of water of 4 ⁰ C--. After extraction of 2 minutes, the tea-bag was taken out. FIG. 1 shows the results.

[Table 1]

FIG. 1 shows the results when 1.5g of green tea leaves were added in 100ml of cold water of 4 ^" C , and were extracted for 2 minutes. Test Sample 11, which does not include sodium silicate, is very light, and on the other hand, each of Test Samples 12-15 including sodium silicate is darker than Test Sample 11. It is determined that such results were caused by sodium silicate. In other words, in Test Sample 11 not including sodium silicate, a very small amount of a green tea component was extracted, and on the other hand, in Test Samples including sodium silicate, a large amount of a green tea component was extracted. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a significant difference in concentration of a green tea component between Test Sample 12 and Test Sample 13. On the other hand, there is an insignificant difference in concentration between Test Sample 13 and Test Sample 14 despite a difference in the additional amount of sodium silicate, and also, there is an insignificant difference in concentration between Test Sample 14 and Test Sample 15 despite a significant difference of the additional amount of sodium silicate.

[Example 2] Example 2 was carried out with cold water of 4 ^° C and hot water of 95 ⁰ C-". In Test Sample 20, only sodium silicate was added. On the other hand, in each of other Test Samples, a tea-bag, which includes

1.5g of green tea leaves and sodium silicate according to Table 2, or includes 1.5g of green tea leaves only, was added. After extraction of l~10 minutes, each tea-bag was taken out. FIG. 2 shows the results.

[Table 2]

FIG. 2 shows that Test Sample 20 including only sodium silicate is transparent (nearly colorless), and Test Samples 21-25 including green tea leaves and sodium silicate have dark colors in proportion to extraction times. In other words, it is determined that as extraction time increases, a large amount of a green tea component is extracted. Also, Test Sample 45 is darker than Test Sample 41, and Test Sample 35 is darker than Test Sample 31, and accordingly, it is determined that as extraction time increases, a large amount of a green tea component is extracted.

In Test Samples 21, 31, and 41 extracted for 1 minute, Test Sample 41 extracted in cold water of 4 ^° C is much lighter than Test Sample 31 extracted in hot water of 95 ^° C , and thus, it is determined that a green tea component of Test Sample 41 was not sufficiently extracted. On the other hand, a green tea component of Test Sample 21 including sodium silicate was sufficiently extracted despite extraction in cold water of 4 ^° C---. Also, in Test Samples 25, 35 and 45 extracted for 10 minutes, a green tea component of Test Sample 45 extracted in cold water of 4 ^° C was not sufficiently extracted despite a long extraction time for 10 minutes. On the other hand, an extraction amount of a green tea component of Test Sample 25

including sodium silicate was more than that of Test Sample 35 extracted in hot water of 95°C, despite extraction in cold water of 4 ⁰ C--.

[Example 3]

Each tea-bag including 3g of ground coffee beans and sodium silicate according to Table 3 was added in 100ml of water of 4 ^° C . After extraction of 2 minutes, the tea-bag was taken out. FIG. 3 shows the results.

[Table 3]

FIG. 3 shows the results when 3g of coffee beans was added in 100ml of cold water of 4°C , and was extracted for 2 minutes. In Test Sample 51, which does not include sodium silicate, a small amount of a coffee component was extracted, and on the other hand, in each of Test Samples 52-55 including sodium silicate, a large amount of a coffee component was extracted. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, there is a significant difference in concentration of an extracted coffee component between Test Sample 52 and Test Sample 53. On the other hand, there is an insignificant difference in concentration between Test Sample 53 and Test Sample 54 despite a difference in the additional amount of sodium silicate, and also, there is an insignificant difference in concentration between Test Sample 54 and Test Sample 55 despite a significant difference of the additional amount of sodium silicate.

According to the above Examples, even in a tea composition including 0.5 wt% of sodium silicate with respect to the total weight, a tea component appropriate for drinking is extracted through extraction in cold water of 4 ^° C for 2 minutes. However, in order to sufficiently extract a tea component, it is the most preferable that sodium silicate is included in a tea composition in an amount of 1—4 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the tea composition. Also, when sodium silicate is included in a tea composition in an amount of more than 4 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the tea composition, health may be improved through intake of sodium silicate, although the extraction amount of a tea component does not increase in proportion to the additional amount of sodium silicate.

A tea composition including sodium silicate may be prepared by mixing ground powder sodium silicate with tea as described in the above Examples, or may be prepared by dissolving sodium silicate in water, spraying the solution onto tea leaves (or coffee beans), and drying the mixture.

A tea composition according to the present invention has no difference in taste and smell, compared to other tea compositions without sodium silicate, and can be sufficiently extracted, even in cold water. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and easily make cold tea.