Articles: Tea Basics; Coffee
Roasting; Brewing a better
cup; Coffee Q & A
Did you Know…
• The finest teas in the world can be purchased in Germany
• The modern world “tea” derives from Chinese dialect of: Tchai,
Cha, and Tay
• Water your plants with cooled, leftover tea and watch house and garden
plants thrive!
• India is the number one producer of tea
Written by Sarah McCray
The story of tea begins over four and a half thousand years ago… According
to Chinese mythology, in 2737 BC the Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar
and herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking
water. A leaf from a tree dropped into the water and Emperor decided
to try the infusion. The tree happened to be a wild tea tree.
The tea plant that supplies the world’s second most popular beverage
is the Camellia sinesis.
This particular plant is native to
Asia and grows best in a humid, jungle like environment
above 5,000 feet where harsher conditions encourage the
leaves to mature slowly.
You may be wondering what the difference is between red, green, oolong,
herbal, green and white teas since they are all derived from the same
Camellia sinesis plant. Well, how the tea leaf if fermented determines
the variety. Tea origin also contributes to the distinct taste of different
teas such as Darjeeling which is grown on the slopes of the Himalayas
in India or Oolong which is grown in the Fukien province of China.
Fermentation Process:
Green Tea-
resembles the taste of the tea leaf in its natural state.
The leaves are rolled, steamed and gently heated allowing
the leaves to dry slowly.
Black Tea-
the most popular tea and the most processed therefore it
tastes the least like the natural leaf. The leaves are allowed
to wither/ become limp and are then placed in a climate-controlled
fermenting room for a few hours. The leaves are then dried
(fired) to stop further fermentation.
Oolong Tea-
much like black tea, but with less withering and fermentation
time. Oolong is a semi-green tea. Oolongs are only 75% fermented.
Herbal Tea-
encompasses a variety of plant parts from leaves to flowers
to roots. Herbal teas do not contain any of the Camellia
sinesis plant. Herbal tea is processed similarly to Green
Tea.
Red Tea- another herbal tea known as roobois; grown in Africa. Red tea
(roobois) is naturally caffeine-free.
White Tea-
the rarest tea in the world, this tea is plucked only at
daybreak when the buds have opened. Like green tea, white
tea undergoes very little processing. White tea is believed
to have the strongest anti-cancer potential of all teas.
Scented & Flavored Tea-
jasmine, gardenia and magnolia are the most popular flowers
for scented teas. Flavored teas such as Orange, Peach, & Vanilla
are quickly becoming popular. The scent/flavor are sprayed
onto the tea leaf and then heated to help absorb the flavor.
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