Let's Talk Tea

Our society is saturated with coffee. We have coffee houses, coffee drive-throughs, and even coffee décor has now become popular. In the past decade or so it has really come into its own. But this article is not about the ever popular coffee, but its counter part, tea. Tea is also enjoying a popularity that it hasn't seen in year. There are all sorts of designer teas popping up all over. Tea has been in the news lately for all its health benefits. Different cultures all over the world have enjoyed tea for its healthy attributes for years, but it has also been enjoyed for centuries for the pure enjoyment of drinking this beverage we call tea.

Tea myths of origin are a rich part of history. Tea was said to be discovered by a Chinese Emperor named Shennong, in 2737 B.C. He believed that the most sanitary drinking water was boiled. One day a leaf fell into his boiling water. He found the beverage to be flavorful, aromatic and to have restorative properties. Since then Tea has found its way around the world, and is enjoyed around the globe.

Tea is defined as a beverage made by steeping the leaves, buds or twigs of the Tea Bush, Camellia sinensis. There is also herbal tea which refers to an infusion of fruits or herbs, for example Chamomile tea, made with Chamaemelum nobile. For this article we are going to look at just the tea of Camellia sinensis and not herbal teas. Herbal teas are a subject of their own.

Teas are broken down into four main categories, black tea, oolong tea, green tea, and white tea. They are differentiated by the processes they undergo before they make it to your tea cup. White tea is made from young leaves. The leaves are shielded from the sun and produce no chlorophyll. Though not widely known it is gaining in popularity. Green tea is made by minimally oxidized the tea leaves by apply heat for a short amount of time. Black teas are allowed to completely oxidize which can take several weeks. This is the tea that commonly found around the world. Oolong tea is a medium between green and black tea. They are semi-oxidized.

Tea is a part of our culture. Tea holds importance in many ceremonies especially in Asia, but the British are also famous for their Tea Times and High Tea. What little girl hasn't had a tea party? And this isn't just an English tradition, it is found in many cultures. In early America they revolted to taxes on their tea by throwing into the harbor, making the Boston Tea Party part of our history books.

Tea comes in many forms in our grocery and specialty stores. Tea can be found in regular bags, triangle bags, loose, compressed, sticks, instant, and even canned tea. Each has it's own following and methods of making. The ratio of water to tea is usually one teaspoon of tea to eight ounces of water. Using fresh cold water is always preferably, and will yield the best results. The amount of time you let steep also makes a difference. White tea should steep at 200' for two minutes, Oolong tea at 200' also for one and a half to two minutes, green should have water at 180' for two to two and a half minutes and finally black tea should be at 212' for three minutes. These apply to loose tea or to tea bags.

Designer teas are very trendy at the moment. I believe I saw a green chai tea on ice somewhere. There is a world of possibilities. I have friends who are traditionalist that like theirs with just milk and sugar, and others who would never dream of polluting theirs. It is all a personal preference. One of the most popular is the Chai. Chai is actually the word for tea in South Asia and the Middle East, but mainly India. Chai recipes vary from region to region and even from different families. It is usually a strong black tea, with a sweetener, usually sugar, milk, and spices. These spices can include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn, cloves, and nutmeg. There is also the American classic summertime drink of sweet iced tea. Water is brought to a boil with sugar and then the tea is steeped and ice and water are added to taste to make this refreshing tea.

This is only a small sampling of the tea out there. Give it a try. It may not have as much caffeine as your usual cup of joe, but I think you will find it as restorative as the emperor did. Tea has been around a very long time and will be here for centuries to come.