Black tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, which contains polyphenols. These compounds are powerful antioxidants that are believed... |
Chinese culture has embraced the benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat fatigue, headaches and even anxiety. And, as green tea... |
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In oolong tea, the leaves are plucked, wilted in the sun, tenderized in a basket and laid out to dry. After oxidizing for a few hours, the tea is... |
Tea is a versatile, therapeutic beverage enjoyed by millions each day, and organic tea--which is grown without pesticides, growth hormones and... |
If you're a tea enthusiast hoping to diversify your collection, try white tea or white tea blends. Like other teas, white varieties are made from the... |
A Guide to the World of Tea
Tea is the ultimate beverage as it can be taken hot or cold, with milk and sugar or without, for health and for recreation reasons and also by people of all ages. This is a drink that has been around since 2737 BC when a Chinese emperor, while sitting under a tree enjoying a cup of hot water, had some leaves of a plant fall into his tea. Upon tasting the concoction, he liked it and since then tea has sprouted in areas like India, Sri Lanka, Russia, England, Turkey, Mexico and parts of Africa like Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi.
Despite the credibility of this story being in question, it still remains that China is the home of tea. However, it was the Tang Dynasty that lasted between 618 and 906 AD who turned tea into the national drink. Countries like Japan were soon introduced to tea and thereafter, countries like India and Sri Lanka got to enjoy this beneficial and delicious drink.
Over the centuries, tea has been a part of many ceremonies, religious and otherwise. For example, tea in China and Japan was used for a number of religious ceremonies like a tea ceremony held in Japan where guests would meditate by walking through the gardens of where the tea room is built. After going through a number of rituals, the tea drinkers would respectfully leave after enjoying that experience. As time went by, the East India Company came to be and they were the biggest name in the trade of tea. It was so great that it had branches open in various parts of Europe and was later to be known as the British East India Company. So popular was Indian tea that by 1888, it was producing over 86 million pounds of tea.
There are many types of tea. The most common is black tea which is as a result of the tea leaves being left to oxidize and ferment for the longest time before being fired and rolled before sale. This tea is common in China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Green tea is made from tea leaves that barely oxidize before being fired and rolled up. There is also rooibos tea that originated from the Cape lands of South Africa. It is a ‘red’ tea that is produced from a bush unique to this African country. There is also white tea that is a product of tea buds which are merely fired and processed. Other teas include oolong, herbal and decaffeinated tea. In fact, there are over 1,500 types of tea.
Tea is known for its health benefits. To begin with, it is a great way to calm your nerves and calm headaches thanks to the stimulant properties in tea. You can also reduce heart disease, kidney problems and cancer tumors. Some variations of green tea have been used for centuries as a way to maintain a healthy weight and it is still used to date, as long as it is paired with exercise and a healthy diet.