Tea

Introduction

A centuries-old beverage originating in China, tea is simple and quick to prepare and is currently enjoyed by all cultures in a variety of forms. Medical research has found tea to offer considerable health and therapeutic benefits, and it is today recognized as a Superfood.

History

Tea, or the practice of brewing leaves in water and consuming the resulting drink, came from China over 5,000 years ago (the oldest surviving record of tea is dated 2000 years ago). The practice spread to Japan during the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century) when the first seeds were brought from China. Europe did not learn of the elixir until the mid-17th century, during which time tea was also being exported to America. The practice of tea time and tea ceremonies exists in all cultures but are most prevalent in China, Japan, and England.

Types of tea

It is important to note that all teas come the same plant, scientifically named Camellia Sinensis. The difference in how the leaves are processed after harvesting determines classification: white, green, oolong, and black. The more oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb, the darker they become and the more their flavor is intensified. Unprocessed leaves are considered white teas.

Black

Black Tea is the most popular form consumed in the United States. It was produced out of necessity by Europeans who found that the only way to preserve green teas long enough during the long trip from Asia was to oxidize it. Examples of popular black teas include Golden Monkey, Darjeeling, and Irish Breakfast.

Oolong

Oolong is the second darkest type of tea. Considered a semi-fermented tea, it is produced primarily in China and Taiwan. Oolong has a very distinctive light golden color and is sometimes called Fermosa.

Green

Green tea is unoxidized and has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity due to recent medical findings announcing its health benefits. The tea is particularly useful in reducing the occurrence of cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Examples of popular green teas include: Genmaicha, Dragonwell, and Sencha.

White

White tea is considered by many to be a premium choice in teas, as it is produced from only the best leaves and buds of each plant that is harvested. It is picked before the buds have fully opened and is still covered by fine white hairs. White tea is the least processed of all tea forms, having been neither steamed or pan-fired. Examples of popular white teas include: Silver Needle, Snowbud, and White Pearls.

Herbal

The final type of tea worth mentioning is not technically a tea at all. When herbs or plants are steeped in water, a tisane is produced that can be similar in taste to traditional tea. These drinks are not teas, because they do not come from the tea leaf, but they are often mislabeled as such. Popular tisanes such as peppermint, chamomile, and rooibos have gained increased interest, as they offer alternatives to tea, which is sometimes difficult to obtain. Such herbal drinks also offer the added benefit of being completely free of caffeine (see below).

A Note on Caffeine Content: Although both coffee and tea can be used for a boost, the latter has considerably less caffeine. It should be no surprise that the darker the tea, the more caffeine it has, with white tea containing the least, at two milligrams per ounce. At the high end, black tea has as much as five milligrams per ounce. Compare this to coffee, which has 16 milligrams per ounce, and it's easy to understand how it's possible to drink multiple servings of tea in one sitting and still come out consuming less caffeine than coffee.

The Perfect Cup of Tea

Like any quality drink, tea is best enjoyed only if it is brewed properly. The steps involved in making a superior cup of tea are precise but quite easy to follow.

• Use Quality Loose Tea: It is important that you have a proper brewing setup to allow the tea leaves to fully bloom and have room to move around. Tea cannot properly steep inside a tea bag (although there are new tea bags on the market that are pyramid shaped to address this problem). Tea bags should be used only as a last resort. Recycle the tea when you are done.
• Measure Properly: As a good rule of thumb, use 1 teaspoon per cup (8 oz.) of water. However, different varieties of teas, such as whites and most tisanes, would benefit from twice the amount of tea.
• Use Clean Water: Do not trust tap water, as the impurities will have a very noticeable and negative effect on the taste of the tea.
• Water Temperature: The main two temperatures for brewing tea are boiling (212F) and less-than-boiling (180F). Dark teas, such as black, dark oolong, and herbals, are tough and are able to withstand the higher temperature. On the other hand, light oolongs, whites, and greens are more delicate and should be brewed at less-than-boiling. One way to obtain the 180F if you don't have a thermometer handy is to boil water, pour it into a cup, and let it sit for a few minutes before joining it with your loose tea leaves.
• Steeping Time: Time is perhaps the most important factor in brewing the perfect cup of tea. Proper time monitoring and adjustment can (nearly) compensate for temperature variances. Black teas should generally be brewed for a maximum of five minutes. Even 30 seconds past this point will result in an inferior taste. Err on the side of caution, because it is much better to have an under-brewed cup than an over-brewed one. White and dark oolongs can be steeped for up to seven minutes. Green and light oolongs are delicate and can be enjoyed after three minutes.

Enjoying the Perfect Cup of Tea

Aside from the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremony, perhaps the most popular way to enjoy tea involves the tradition of English afternoon tea time. The practice occurs daily between 3PM and 5PM and serves an afternoon period of relaxation and conversation while providing an snack between meals. It is often served with small finger sandwiches and bite-sized cookies and cakes. In the past few years, tea rooms have opened in many cities across the U.S., bringing this tradition to Americans.

A Nice Cup of Tea

A tea Wiki is perhaps not complete without a mention to George Orwell's essay on the subject; "A Nice Cup of Tea" which is easily found on the internet.

In the essay Orwell outlines the 11 steps which he considered golden:

One should use Indian or Ceylonese tea.

Orwell shows some prejudice here. Having served in India and the trade links between the UK and India meant that the tea would be of a higher quality to the Chinese teas available.

Tea should be made in small quantities.

This rule will probably not apply to readers as this is a pot vs urn issue. He does, however, insist that a china or earthenware should be used; silver or stainless steel should be avoided.

The pot should be warmed beforehand.

Preferably on a hob rather than rinsing with hot water.

Tea should be strong.

"I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes"

Tea should be put straight into the pot.

No attempt should be made to restrain the leaves. Swallowing the leaves will not kill you and how can you have your tea leaves read if they are no leaves in the cup?

One should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way about.

The water must be boiling at point of contact.

After making the tea, one should stir it.

Even better than stirring, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves to settle.

One should drink out of a good breakfast cup.

What Orwell's getting at here is to use a cup which will retain the heat.

One should pour the cream off the milk before using it for tea.

These days this isn't so much of an issue as most people used semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.

One should pour tea into the cup first.

Orwell's reason for this is that you can judge the amount of milk added. He actually missed a trick here. Adding the milk second showed that you had good-quality china which could with stand the heat so there is a (slight) class dimension to this.

Tea--unless one is drinking it in the Russian style--should be drunk without sugar.

Tea is meant to be bitter, adding sugar is effectively missing the point.