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Facts to know about Tea. The tea plant, an evergreen shrub thought to have originated wild in northern India and western china, has a life of around 50 years taking 2.5 to 5 years to become fully mature Tea is all produced from a single plant Camellia Sinensis, and yet manages to produce incredible variety by differing climate, altitude and manufacture. Eg: the higher the tea bushes are grown the cooler the air will be. This will allow leaves to grow more slowly, slow grown leaves are smaller and contain more flavour. Green tea and black tea go down the same production line, from the same plant, only difference is black tea is fermented before drying. Time of day can also make a massive difference to taste, teas picked in the hour before dawn have a different chemical composition to teas picked during daylight. BLACK TEA Tea is widely accepted for being good for health. As a natural source of fluoride, tea helps strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. It can also reduce the risk of heart attack. If you are looking for a proper cup of tea look no further than Assam Tea from India or Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, however Darjeeling tea is the jewel in the crown, said to be the champagne amongst tea. GREEN TEA Green tea is said to be rich in polyphenols, which have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. These in turn can reduce the risk of cancers, tumors, arthritis, allergies, the build up of cholesterol, and aid in fat-calorie burning. Unlike black teas, green teas have very low caffeine levels The best teas are picked by hand, steamed and then dried over a charcoal fire. . Japanese Sencha green tea is a refined and delicate tasting tea making it accessible to those new to green tea. WHITE TEA The lightest, least processed of all the true teas. White tea is made from leaves plucked while still young enough to be covered in silvery down and immediately sun dried in the clean mountain air. These younger tips have higher concentrations of antioxidants than any other tea, therefore white tea is recommended for everything that green tea is good for, the difference being it is almost caffeine free. It is becoming increasingly popular but White tea is produced in such small numbers that it is still very rare. Its flavour is soft, mild and only slightly sweet, with little of the astringency and none of the bitterness of green and black teas. These will be the teas of 2007! ROOIBOS TEA An increasingly popular South African tea that is very healthy because of its anti-toxins, vitamin and mineral content. It is both naturally caffeine-free and low in tannin so you can enjoy it cup after cup and still manage a restful night’s sleep. Can be iced in summer. KENTISH ‘Pluckley’ TEA As with most brand name teas this tea is a blend of Assam and Ceylon tea. Assam is a district of North East India forever associated with British tea, and the distinctively flavoured Ceylon tea is grown in Sri Lanka. HAMPSTEAD TEAS Grown at a 125 year old heritage tea estate in Darjeeling, India, which was also the first biodynamic estate in the world. Biodynamic ( certified ‘Demeter’) is the highest standard for sustainable agriculture and is often called ‘Organic plus’. Absolutely no use is made of any artificial sweeteners and flavourings, and their tea bags are made from non-chlorine bleached paper, unglued and do not contain staples. |
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