the truth about tea

Some facts are fundamentally universal: When it’s cold and damp outside, the human body craves something warm. Now, whether that warmth comes in the form of steaming soup, hot tea, or freshly brewed coffee is up to the cold consumer. But as America has turned into a seemingly Starbucks-infested coffee culture, a growing number of Americans are choosing tea for more reasons than just heat.

In 2005, the tea industry had its 14th consecutive year of sales increases, while supermarket retail sales exceeded $1.9 billion. This number is expected to continue to grow over the next five years. Not just for the British anymore, tea is struggling as the hard-to-ignore drink. In fact, 1.42 million pounds of tea are consumed every day in the US and 519 million pounds are imported into the country each year.

But just like picking out the perfect coffee bean or complimentary bottle of wine, choosing the tea to suit your taste can be a daunting task. Surprisingly, all the tea comes from the same plant called Camellia sinensis, which is an evergreen plant native to China. It can grow up to 90 feet tall and in the past, some cultures taught monkeys to pick the tea leaves they couldn’t reach. However, modern times and technology have allowed farmers to grow the trees to just three feet for easier cultivation. The leaves of the plant range from smooth and shiny to hairy and gray, each constituting a specific type of tea. In total, the plant produces up to 3,000 varieties of tea, which can be easily divided into three main categories: green, black, and oolong tea. Flavored and herbal teas also deserve mention, although they are not officially “tea.”

Green Tea

What it is: Accounting for about 10 percent of global tea consumption, green tea has received a lot of media coverage recently for its health benefits.

where it grows: Far East: China and Japan

what does it taste like: Green tea is greenish-yellow in color with a delicate, slightly astringent, herbaceous flavor.

what you should know: It is high in antioxidants and may protect against certain types of cancer (lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and stomach) as well as the precancerous condition of stomach cancer, gastritis.

White tea

What it is: The rarest of all teas, the leaves are the same as green tea, but are plucked from the plant while still very young, giving them their extremely light color.

where it grows: a province of Fujian on the east coast of China

what does it taste like: As expected, the tea is nearly colorless and has a delicate flavor with a slightly sweet and nutty quality.

what you should know: You may recognize white tea from recent Snapple commercials launching their new line of “Good For You” white and green tea bottled beverages.

black tea

What it is: This is the most common type of tea, accounting for about 87 percent of tea consumption in the United States.

where it grows: Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia

what does it taste like: Black tea can come in a variety of flavors, but is typically found to have a richer flavor than green or oolong teas.

what you should know: The main difference between black tea and green tea is the oxidation process. Black tea leaves are fully oxidized, while green tea leaves are lightly steamed before being dried. This process contributes to the flavor of the tea, as well as the caffeine content. Like green tea, black tea has also been shown to have health benefits. Research has suggested that the antioxidants found in black tea may play a preventative role in conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.

you puerh

What it is: Also spelled Puer, this tea is technically in the black tea family, but it is fermented twice (instead of once), which elevates it to its own category. The double oxidation process followed by a maturation period allows the leaves to develop a thin layer of mold.

where it grows: Southwest China, Burma, Vietnam and Laos

what does it taste like: Due to the mold layer, pu-erh tea takes on an earthy flavor with a strong earthy quality.

what you should know: Although the tea has a distinctly dirty taste, pu-erh is often used medicinally as a digestive aid.

oolong tea

What it is: Considered one of the best (and most expensive) teas in the world, oolong
The tea is semi-fermented, which means it goes through a brief oxidation period that turns the leaves from green to a reddish-brown color.

where it grows:Taiwan

what does it taste like: Pale yellow in color, the tea has a floral and fruity flavor reminiscent of peaches with a hint of smokiness.

what you should know: Tea connoisseurs consider the oolong flavor to be the most delicate and frown on drinking it with milk, sugar, or lemon to preserve the natural flavor.

Flavored tea, Blends, Herbal Infusions and Tisanes
Because tea naturally absorbs other flavors quite easily, cultures have been adding herbs, spices, oils, and flowers to their tea for centuries. In China, it is quite popular to add flowers such as jasmine, orchard, rose, and magnolia to teas. In many Arab nations, they add fresh mint leaves and heaping tablespoons of sugar to their tea. And in India, they make spicy masala tea by adding spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and peppers.

If black and green teas are considered “purebreds,” blended teas are considered “mutts.” Tea producers use different varieties of tea to create flavors such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

Unlike flavored teas and other blends, herbal teas and tisanes are not technically tea, since they are not made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead, herbal tea (tee-ZAHN) is a herbal tea made from herbs, spices, and flowers and added to boiling water. Herbal drinks are often recognized for their caffeine-free quality and also for their calming and rejuvenating effects. Commonly found herbal teas include chamomile, peppermint, fennel, rosehip, and lemon verbena.

caffeine conundrum
People find all kinds of reasons not to drink tea, but two of the most common center around avoidance or obsession with caffeine. Consider these facts about tea and caffeine from the UK tea council:

– 4 cups of tea a day offer good health benefits without the contraindications of other caffeinated drinks.

– Four cups of tea contain only moderate amounts of caffeine, which has been shown to increase concentration and therefore improve performance.

– When you drink a regular cup of tea, you consume significantly less caffeine than a cup of instant coffee or what you would buy at a coffee shop.

– Tea contains at least half the level of caffeine as coffee.

tea traditions
Although not as common in the United States as it is in other parts of the world such as Ireland and Great Britain, the custom of tea still permeates many American homes. Afternoon tea is said to have originated in the early 19th century by Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, who wanted some kind of mid-afternoon snack to stave off hunger pangs until dinner. The tradition continues today, and while not every British family sits down for tea every day, many of London’s (and America’s) finest hotels still serve a rich spread for afternoon tea. International chains like the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons often offer a treat at tea time, but check with your local hotels for hours and prices.

plan yours
Nothing is more elegant and feminine than a tea party. A creative idea for a bachelorette party, birthday party or just a girls’ lunch, here’s everything you need to make tea fit for the queen.

– Tea: buy your favorite black or herbal tea in the store or make your own:

spicy green tea

relaxing tea blend

chamomile herbal tea

Lemongrass and mint tea

spicy ginger tea

– tea accessories: milk (provide 2 percent and skim), sugar (can be cubed or loose, brown or white), lemon

– sandwiches

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Shrimp Butter Tea Sandwiches

finger sandwiches

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

– buns

White Chocolate Dried Cherries Scones

apricot scones

Orange Poppy Seed Scones

Orange Pecan Scones

strawberry scones

maple buns

– Breads and Pastries

Mini Lemon Tea Bread

Buttermilk Scones with Raisins

Tea bread with thyme and rosemary

chocolate tea bread

Lemon Verbena Tea Bread

Blueberry Lemon Tea Muffins

Lady. Perry’s Crockpot Pumpkin Tea Bread

Cherry Almond Tea Ring

References:
UK Tea Council: a comprehensive database of information on tea. Everything from health benefits to types of tea, even a printable form to help you remember how your colleagues drink their tea.

Tea Association of the USA, Inc. – Facts and figures about tea in the USA.
StarChefs – An easy reference guide to all things tea.

Copyright © 2006 Ampere Media LLC