Tea: About Tea: Learn About Tea

Behind each cup of hot tea that we drink at home or at a restaurant, there lies a rich history and background that we may not be aware of. Do you know what kind of tea you are drinking? Where did it come from? How does it benefit or if it does benefit your health? These are a few questions that you can ponder about while sipping your next cup of tea.

Background

Benefits

What is the difference?

Tea Preparation

Background
     As legend has it, a Chinese emperor learned of this drink 5,000 years ago when some leaves accidentally fell into a pot of boiling water. Since then, it has traveled around the world gaining its rich background.
     Tea is broken down into 3 basic groups: black, green, and oolong. As different as it may seem, they are actually all made form the same plant: Camellia Sinesis, a relative of camellias grown in our backyards. The different fermentation processes of Camellia Sinesis result in black, green or oolong tea. Fermentation allows the tea leaves to be oxidized for a certain period of time.
     Green tea skips this oxidizing step and is the closest to the tea plant of its natural state. It has a delicate taste in addition to the light green/golden color. On the contrary, black tea is fully oxidized thus yields a hearty-flavored amber brew. Due to this longer oxidation step, most of the caffeine is freed from its chemical bond with the tannins leading to a unique and wholesome flavor. Although it contains more caffeine then oolong and green, the content is still substantially less than a typical cup of coffee. Oolong tea is partly oxidized and so is a cross between black and green in color and taste.

Benefits
     Nowadays, more research studies are claiming that tea is beneficial to the body because it has just enough caffeine to elevate the mood and improve blood circulation. According to the Chinese oolong tea is considered a dietary drink because it actually helps emulsify grease and fat when taken with a meal.Green tea receives most of the credits because of its lack of fermented properties. Most of its caffeine remains bonded with its tannins and some experts believe this causes much less caffeine to be released into the body system. Its high content of anti-oxidants also contributes to this ?healthy? tea group. In addition, studies show that Catechins, bitter component of green tea, effectively kills almost every bacteria that causes food poisoning. It is also believed that drinking green tea everyday can reduce the risk of cancer by 40%. Five cups of green tea a day will provide 5-10% of the daily requirement of riboflavin,niacin, and folic acid. The same five cups of green tea also provide approximately 5% of the daily requirement of magnesium, 25% of potassium, and 45% of the requirement for manganese.

Other benefits:

Reduce fatigue, increase endurance, and revive the spirit to stimulate clear thinking.

Lower blood cholesterol and LDL levels.

Speed the elimination of alcohol and other harmful substances from the bodily organs.

Function as an antibiotic.

Prevent cell mutation, and act as an anti-carcinogen.

Retard the aging process and prolong the lifespan.

The fermentation process: What is the difference?

Green	Camellia Leaves are spread out on floors or racks and allowed to wilt for a few hours. The leaves are then heated to remove moisture and to stop the oxidation process. The leaves are then left to dry until a small amount of moisture remains. Green teas have long been enjoyed for their health-giving qualities as well as their unique and often subtle flavor. Interestingly, the aroma and taste can be quite different from one another. The color of the liquor can range from a bright jade green to a pale yellow and is best when drink without any additions.
Oolong	Combining elements of green and black tea processes, Oolong tea is semi-fermented, that is, moisture are kept within the leaves for a longer period of time than the green tea leaves. After wilting, the usually larger, older leaves are carefully rolled around on rattan trays in order to "bruise" their outer edge. The black outer and green inner parts of the leaf give this tea its characteristic qualities. The flavor is usually a light brown and can sometimes reveal a slight fruity taste. Some high grade Oolong leaves can even be brewed up to 10 times without fading in flavor.
Black	Taking up to ten separate steps to process, black tea is fully fermented leaves and is also referred to as red tea for the dark reddish color of their brew. The leaves start out whole but are usually broken or torn during processing. Taste can range from slightly fruity to pungently smoky and are sometimes taken with milk, sugar, lemon or other additives.

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Five steps to prepare a nice cup of tea:

Use a preheated teapot. In the absence of a teapot, any odorless, heat-resistant pot will do (at least temporarily).
Add one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup. Experiment with the leaf quantity as you go.
For black and oolong teas, bring fresh, cold water to a roaring boil and pour it over the tea leaves. For green teas, use water that has just started to steam slightly.
Allow black tea to infuse for 3 to 5 minutes, green tea for 1 to 3 minutes, and oolong for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the brewing time to your taste. If the tea turns out to be bitter or harsh, it is often a sign of over brewing.
Separate the leaves from the tea and serve.

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