A scorching cup of tea could make you are feeling heat and comfy on a chilly day. Even higher, tea is a wholesome, low-calorie drink that has a variety of vital advantages to your well-being. Consuming tea could even aid you reduce weight.
Tea is the world’s second most consumed drink (after water), in accordance with the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations. In lots of locations, tea is extra than simply refreshment. In international locations akin to Japan and the UK, making ready and consuming tea are a necessary a part of ceremonies and day by day rituals.
Tea looks as if the only of drinks, however not all tea is alike. There are numerous several types of tea, every with a novel origin, taste and dietary profile. Determining which is greatest for you may be complicated, so we put collectively this deep dive into the extensive world of tea.
What’s Tea?
True tea, derived from the Camellia sinensis shrub native to Asia, has a wealthy historical past of cultivation in China, India and neighboring international locations. In keeping with the tea specialists at ArtfulTea, there are two major varieties: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, recognized for its mellow style and common in East Asia, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, with a extra sturdy taste, generally present in India.
It’s vital to notice that natural teas, whereas also known as tea, are literally infusions. Mint, chamomile and hibiscus are among the many crops used to create natural teas, infusing their leaves and flowers with flavorful important oils. All through historical past, natural teas have been utilized in people drugs for his or her therapeutic advantages in treating numerous illnesses.
Completely different Sorts of Tea
Tea producers make use of totally different processes to arrange camellia leaves and flowers after harvesting, which in the end results in the distinct flavors and colours of every tea variant. Right here’s a information that will help you choose the proper tea that fits your preferences. Uncover the artwork of tea preparation and discover quite a lot of flavors and forms of tea!
Black
Black tea is probably the most generally discovered selection, usually related to well-known tea manufacturers. It undergoes a course of the place harvested leaves are allowed to wilt and oxidize within the presence of air for a day or extra, leading to a metamorphosis from inexperienced to a wealthy brownish-black coloration and a hearty style.
Notably, black tea boasts the best caffeine content material amongst all teas, roughly half the quantity present in a cup of espresso. Its infusion yields a charming darkish, coppery hue, accompanied by a strong and full-bodied taste.
Oolong
Oolong tea is crafted by partially oxidizing the leaves, giving them a brown hue, although not as deep as black tea. By means of rolling, the tea leaves are gently bruised, unlocking the enzymes and important oils that create pleasant flavors. When brewed, oolong tea reveals a charming orange to amber coloration, presenting a milder style in comparison with black tea.
White
White tea, beloved by tea connoisseurs, delights with its delicately nice taste. Crafted from the recent suggestions and buds of the camellia plant, it undergoes minimal oxidation earlier than being rigorously dried, able to be brewed. Notably, white tea yields solely hint quantities of caffeine and imparts a pale yellow hue when steeped.
Inexperienced
Inexperienced tea leaves are rigorously processed proper after harvest to protect their vibrant inexperienced coloration and stop oxidation. In Japan, the leaves are steamed, whereas in China, they’re pan-fired. The result’s a lightweight inexperienced or yellowish tea with a fragile floral taste. Some pan-fried inexperienced teas even provide a refined smoky observe. Moreover, inexperienced tea comprises roughly half the caffeine content material of black tea.
Matcha
Matcha, a well-liked kind of inexperienced tea in Japan, is derived from crops which are shaded for no less than three weeks earlier than harvesting. This shading course of enriches the crops with chlorophyll, leading to a vibrant inexperienced hue. Furthermore, it imparts a pleasant umami taste to the tea, setting it aside from different inexperienced tea varieties, whereas additionally offering a mild caffeine enhance.
To create matcha, the tea leaves endure a meticulous grinding course of, remodeling them right into a high-quality powder. Other than being brewed as a standard tea, this versatile powder may be included into smoothies and utilized in numerous baked items. Indulge within the delectable flavors of our Matcha Cookies recipe and savor the refreshing mixture of this Orange Ginger and Matcha Protein Shake.
Pu-erh
Pu-erh tea, pronounced “poo-air,” is gaining recognition amongst tea fanatics in the US. Much like black tea, it undergoes oxidation after which fermentation, very like sauerkraut or wine, adopted by ageing for a number of months and even as much as 20 years.
Throughout the fermentation course of, the tea develops a easy and subtly candy taste. Simply as with wine, ageing enriches and deepens the flavors. The ensuing tea is a darkish brown or black hue, with some noting hints of plum in its style.
Purple
Purple tea has been making headlines and showing on retailer cabinets currently. Whereas it comes from the identical plant species, its leaves have a definite purple hue. This stunning coloration is attributed to anthocyanin, a robust antioxidant present in different meals like blueberries, pink onions and wine.
Much like oolong tea, purple tea leaves endure partial oxidation. On the subject of taste, purple tea has been described as a pleasant mix of inexperienced and black tea. Its distinctive style is really a deal with for the senses.
Different Tea Choices
Many individuals around the globe brew drinks from different crops moreover camellia. These are just a few of the alternatives.
Natural Tea
Ginger and lemon balm are beautiful examples of fragrant herbs that yield pleasant teas. These herbs are usually unoxidized, minimally processed, and might even be cultivated at residence. Once you’re able to get pleasure from a cup of tea, merely pluck just a few leaves. It’s value noting that natural teas are typically low in caffeine or fully caffeine-free, making them an ideal alternative for a soothing beverage.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos (pronounced “roy boss”) is an more and more common kind of tea derived from a shrub indigenous to South Africa. The plant’s inexperienced leaves and yellow flowers endure oxidation and fermentation, leading to a definite reddish hue and a carefully candy taste paying homage to vanilla. Notably, rooibos tea is of course caffeine-free, making it a pleasant alternative for these looking for a soothing and refreshing beverage.
Chai
Ever come throughout “chai” on a espresso store menu and questioned what it truly is? Opposite to common perception, it’s not simply one other kind of tea. Chai is a pleasant mix of strong Indian black tea, wealthy milk, and a medley of fragrant spices like cardamom, ginger and cloves. Give it a try to let your style buds embark on a flavorful journey!
Well being Advantages of Tea
You might say that tea is simply flavored water. And that’s factor. Plain tea has no energy, sugar or fats. It retains you hydrated whereas additionally perking up your style buds.
Consuming tea, nonetheless, affords you worthwhile well being advantages which you could’t get from water. As an example, normal and natural teas could offer you small however worthwhile quantities of potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, copper and zinc. Past diet, consuming tea may give your well being a lift in quite a lot of methods.
Most cancers
Teas constructed from the camellia plant include compounds referred to as catechins and theaflavins that “could cut back the danger of varied forms of cancers in people,” in accordance with a report from the journal Present Pharmaceutical Designs.
Strokes
In the identical report, the researchers observe that people who drink three or extra cups of tea a day have a 21 p.c decrease danger of stroke than those that drink lower than one cup per day on common.
Ldl cholesterol and Blood Stress
Consuming the catechins in inexperienced tea led to a discount in physique fats, systolic blood stress and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ldl cholesterol in a research, printed within the journal Weight problems.
Irritation
Black tea comprises flavonoids that may assist cut back irritation, in accordance with a research printed in Important Care Medication.
Tooth
White tea is wealthy in fluoride, catechins and tannins that may strengthen your enamel, safeguard towards plaque, and improve resistance to acid and sugar-induced put on, says a report from the College of Pennsylvania Well being System.
Stress
An amino acid plentiful in inexperienced tea referred to as L-theanine, together with the low dose of caffeine, was related to enhancements in “temper, cognition and a discount of stress and anxiety-like signs,” in accordance with a research printed within the journal Phytomedicine.
Mind
A College of Pennsylvania Well being System report highlights that l-theanine could assist forestall the onset and progress of cognitive illnesses akin to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s illnesses.
Physique Fats
Individuals who consumed purple tea for 4 weeks had a big discount of their “weight, physique fats mass, belly fats, physique fats ratio, waist measurement, hip measurement, and belly and proper higher arm fats thickness,” in accordance with a research within the Worldwide Journal of Biomedical Science. The researchers theorize that the dietary compounds within the tea inhibited the absorption of fats from meals.
Selecting and Brewing
Unfastened Tea vs. Tea Baggage
Tea luggage are handy to retailer and to make use of. If you happen to purchase luggage, test the expiration date. Stale tea has a flat style. For the perfect taste from a tea bag, search for manufacturers that use muslin material or silk slightly than paper, which may seep into the flavour of the tea. Premium manufacturers use complete tea leaves, slightly than crushed leaves.
With complete leaves, you get the total flavors and aromas. For that cause, tea lovers usually choose brewing with free leaf tea. All you want is an infuser to your pot or cup to make use of free leaves. When purchasing for free leaf tea, give it a sniff earlier than shopping for. It ought to odor shiny and recent, not pale or funky.
Heating and Steeping
Identical to there are several types of tea, there are other ways to arrange them. Once you’re prepared to arrange your tea, you need the new water to launch the tea’s flavorful and fragrant oils, however not scald the leaves. For black, Pu-ehr, rooibos and most natural teas, the water needs to be simply in need of boiling. Oolong tastes greatest brewed at 195 levels F. Warmth the water to about 180 levels F for inexperienced, white or purple tea.
The method of soaking within the scorching water, or steeping, extracts the flavors, aromas and vitamins from tea leaves. Black tea and herbals teas typically attain their peak of taste after steeping for about 4 minutes. Inexperienced and white tea are greatest after three minutes.
If you happen to like a stronger style, you possibly can let each go for an additional minute or so, however any longer dangers the tea creating a bitter taste. A wonderfully brewed cup of tea is an easy pleasure that may make any day just a little cozier.
