Rice, as the staple food on the dining tables of most Chinese families, is especially loved when freshly harvested, for it carries a pure rice fragrance and a natural freshness. In fact, to enjoy rice with a fragrant aroma, you don’t necessarily need new rice—cooking rice with tea water can produce rice that is excellent in color, aroma, and taste. What’s most astonishing is that cooking rice with tea water also helps remove greasiness, freshen breath, aid digestion, and prevent diseases. According to nutritionists, regularly eating rice cooked with tea water can help prevent four kinds of diseases.

Preventing cardiovascular disease: Tea polyphenols are the main substances in tea, accounting for about 70% to 80% of water-extractable components. Scientific experiments have shown that tea polyphenols can enhance the toughness of microvessels and prevent bleeding caused by microvessel wall rupture. Moreover, tea polyphenols can lower blood cholesterol and inhibit atherosclerosis. Middle-aged and elderly people who regularly eat rice cooked with tea can soften blood vessels, lower blood lipids, and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Preventing stroke: One cause of stroke is the generation of lipid peroxides in the human body, which causes blood vessel walls to lose elasticity. Tannic acid in tea water can effectively curb the generation of lipid peroxides, thus effectively preventing stroke.

Anti-cancer effect: Tea polyphenols can block the synthesis of nitrosamines in the human body. Amines and nitrites are widely present in food. At a temperature of 37°C and suitable acidity, they can easily form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Cooking rice with tea water can effectively prevent the formation of nitrosamines, thereby helping to prevent digestive tract tumors.

Preventing dental diseases: The fluoride compounds in tea are indispensable substances in tooth dentin. If a small amount of fluoride continuously infiltrates tooth tissue, it can enhance the toughness and acid resistance of teeth, preventing the occurrence of dental caries.

The method of cooking rice with tea water is very simple. First, soak 1–3 grams of tea in 500–1000 grams of boiling water for 4–9 minutes. Take a small piece of clean gauze, filter the tea water to remove the tea leaves (do not use tea water that has been left overnight). Then put the rice into a pot, wash it, pour the tea water into the pot until it is about 3 centimeters above the rice surface, and cook until done. The editor believes you have already learned how to cook rice with tea water.