In The Beginning... There Was Tea
From old trading records and writings, we know that tea has been consumed for over three thousand years. The oldest record of tea comes from China so its reasonable to speculate that tea originally came from China. China is still known today to have some of the best varieties of tea. Japan is known to have some of the best green tea and Taiwan is famous for its oolong tea.
The British started drinking Chinese tea and loved it. They began trading tea with other countries. To maximize profits, the British set up big tea plantations in India and cut the chinese out. Sri Lanka and India produce a large amount of the world's supply of tea.
So What Is Tea?
Tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis or Thea sinensis plant. Tea is usually made with hot water. Most people just call the leaves that make tea, tea leaves. The name tea is also the name for a lunch type meal served in the middle of the day in which tea is served with a variety of dishes.
Tea can be broken into 3 main groups: oolong, green tea, and black tea. These 3 main types of tea all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). What makes these types of tea different is how long they are oxidized in the processing phase. Oolong tea gets less oxidation than Black tea which is allowed to oxidize for a couple of hours. With green tea, the leaves are not oxidized at all.
Within these three main types of tea exist many variations.
What Exactly Is Herbal Tea?
Herbal tea is tea mixed with herbs. Many people, to avoid confusion, do not call Herbal tea "tea" but instead use names like:
1. Herbal infusion, which simply means a drink made by steeping an herb in hot water. (Tea itself is an infusion of tea leaves.)
2. Tisane which in French means any herbal drink.
Tisane usually has the following herbs: lemon verbena, peppermint, rose hips, and chamomile. Some companies specialize exclusively in herbal blends.
Some exaggerated claims have been made for the medicinal properties of herbal infusions. Even so, some herbs do have generally recognized benefits. For instance, rose hips contain vitamin C; chamomile helps many people relax; and peppermint has a noticeable soothing effect on the stomach. Herbs can also cause problems. Chamomile, for example, can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed. - 14130
From old trading records and writings, we know that tea has been consumed for over three thousand years. The oldest record of tea comes from China so its reasonable to speculate that tea originally came from China. China is still known today to have some of the best varieties of tea. Japan is known to have some of the best green tea and Taiwan is famous for its oolong tea.
The British started drinking Chinese tea and loved it. They began trading tea with other countries. To maximize profits, the British set up big tea plantations in India and cut the chinese out. Sri Lanka and India produce a large amount of the world's supply of tea.
So What Is Tea?
Tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis or Thea sinensis plant. Tea is usually made with hot water. Most people just call the leaves that make tea, tea leaves. The name tea is also the name for a lunch type meal served in the middle of the day in which tea is served with a variety of dishes.
Tea can be broken into 3 main groups: oolong, green tea, and black tea. These 3 main types of tea all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). What makes these types of tea different is how long they are oxidized in the processing phase. Oolong tea gets less oxidation than Black tea which is allowed to oxidize for a couple of hours. With green tea, the leaves are not oxidized at all.
Within these three main types of tea exist many variations.
What Exactly Is Herbal Tea?
Herbal tea is tea mixed with herbs. Many people, to avoid confusion, do not call Herbal tea "tea" but instead use names like:
1. Herbal infusion, which simply means a drink made by steeping an herb in hot water. (Tea itself is an infusion of tea leaves.)
2. Tisane which in French means any herbal drink.
Tisane usually has the following herbs: lemon verbena, peppermint, rose hips, and chamomile. Some companies specialize exclusively in herbal blends.
Some exaggerated claims have been made for the medicinal properties of herbal infusions. Even so, some herbs do have generally recognized benefits. For instance, rose hips contain vitamin C; chamomile helps many people relax; and peppermint has a noticeable soothing effect on the stomach. Herbs can also cause problems. Chamomile, for example, can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed. - 14130
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