subject: One For The Pot [print this page] While savoring the taste of your favorite cup of tea consider the following facts.
There are many 1000's of different teas available throughout the world - all of which originate from the species called Camellia sinensis. This species was discovered more than five thousand years ago in China - Camellia sinensis sinensis mainly grown in China (sinensis is a word derived from the Latin name for China) and Camellia sinensis assamica which has larger leaves and is generally known as Indian tea.
Surprisingly tea is a more frequently consumed beverage than coffee and almost double the number of cups are drunk daily. Just over four billion kilos of tea are produced annually around the world.
Almost two thousand billion cups of tea per annum!
There are 3 main types of tea - black, green and white, though many others such as oolong and pu'erh are popular in parts of the world.
Black tea is made from drying the leaves and leaving them to ferment and oxidise completely. Green tea is when the drying and fermentation is halted by steaming the leaves thus reducing the amount of caffeine and tannins, whilst white tea is made from the very tips of the plant with very little processing and has almost no caffeine.
Green and white teas can be brewed successfully with water not on the boil, however for black teas hot boiling water is a must. Around the globe, people have mastered many different methods of infusion depending on local custom. For instance in parts of India black tea can be boiled for up to 15 minutes to get a particularly pungent brew, whereas in China an amount of green tea leaves can be infused a number of times with the first infusion often discarded completely. Other popular tea varieties are flavoured teas such as Earls Grey (flavoured with bergamot), whilst herbal teas (camomile and mint etc.) and Redbush (or Rooibos) teas are not made from the tea plant at all, but are nevertheless gaining in popularity throughout the world.
Tea can be drunk to promote good health and vitality - in particular green tea with less caffeine. Tea has been proved to be full of cancer fighting antioxidants, it can also boost the immune system and help reduce stress. The purists would advocate consuming tea black and without sweetening, but many enjoy a hot steaming brew with milk and two sugars.
Whichever blend of tea you prefer, be sure to savor it - if you know what's good for you!
