Tea
What's better than a
tea, and a few hints for picking out a few that you're sure to love.
Though botanical history has it that India and China were the first countries in the world to harvest tea, it is now loved all over the globe: worldwide, the beverage is second only to water in popularity.
Intro to Tea
Start at the beginning:
tea refers to infusions made from the leaves of just one plant, the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis''. Other botanicals or flavorings are sometimes added.
* A few popular additions include flowers, especially
lemongrass.
* By preparing and aging the leaves for varying lengths of time, different types of teas can be created. Tea is sold either as
decaffeinated options.
*
nuts, extracts, or other ingredients.
Tea leaves contain chemicals and essential oils that are the basis for the delightful flavor of tea. When the leaves are broken up, those oils can evaporate, leaving a dull and tasteless tea. Typical tea bags are filled with the tiniest pieces of broken leaves, called fannings. Loose teas are typically whole leaves or at least large pieces of leaves.
'''Leaves vs. Bags''': The main difference between loose teas and bagged teas is the size of the leaves. Tea found in bags usually consists of smaller pieces of tea leaves or tea fannings (also referred to as dusts) that may give a quicker brew, but which lack the subtlety and full flavor of the larger loose leaf teas. In fact, some loose leaf teas, like
Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea, can even be resteeped, yielding multiple cups of flavorful and healthy tea. Tea bags can also release more tannin (the chemical compound responsible for the drink's flavor and color, as well as some health properties) than loose teas, thus giving a harsher flavor.
!
White Tea
Green Tea
Oolong Tea
Black Tea
You Say "Herbal Tea," I Say "Tisane"
More commonly known as herbal tea, tisanes are made with a wide variety of botanical ingredients. Many of them have medicinal properties.
The Spice of Life
Accessories
What good is tea without a teapot? A number of gadgets and accessories are available to enhance the brewing and enjoyment of
tea.
Related Guides
International Resources
For this resource in your home country, please see:
!
DE: Tee
ES: Té
