From that first cup of English breakfast that gets you going in the morning to your nightcap of chamomile to help you wind down, there is nothing quite like a good cup of tea! For extensive information about the history, cultivation and preparation of tea, check out this Wikipedia article.
Properly, tea refers to infusions made from the leaves of just one plant, the tea plant Camellia sinensis, sometimes with other botanicals or flavorings added. Popular additions include flowers, especially jasmine, and peppermint. Infusions made without tea leaves are properly known as tisanes (see below). Different kinds of tea are made by preparing and aging the leaves for different lengths of time. Tea is sold either as loose leaves
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Often known as "herbal tea," tisanes are made with a wide variety of botanical ingredients. Many of them have medicinal properties — for example, ginger is well known as an excellent remedy for nausea or other stomach problems. Check out Wikipedia's list of popular tisanes.
Teas by Brand |
Green Tea is very popular in Eastern cultures where it has been consumed for thousands of years. Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rejected claims of its health benefits, many people swear by the medical benefits of green tea. It has been claimed that green tea can increase metabolism, lower cholesterol, treat arthrititis, and cause increased brain and mental function. This is due to the high content of antioxidants in green tea, specifically the potent catechins.
Black tea is more often consumed in western cultures than green tea. It is also stonger and contains more caffeine than green tea. Black tea is traditionally served with milk.
White tea is the mildest variety of tea made from the tea plant. It is harvested very early in the spring, before the leaves have unrolled. The leaves still have a dense coating of very fine, white hairs, hence the name "white tea". Because they are so young, the leaves retain a strong concentration of antioxidants. White tea is not fermented like other teas, keeping the concentration of antioxidants high. The resulting tea has a very mild and subtle flavor, a pale, golden appearence, and up to three times as much antioxidants as green tea.
What good is tea without a teapot? There are lots of gadgets for brewing and enjoying tea.
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