Tea - A Popular Beverage With Health Benefits to Boot
Tea has been consumed for over
5,000 years and is the second most popular beverage in the world, playing second
fiddle only to water. It is in almost every culture, and there are more than
thousands of varieties. Loose-leaf tea is superior in both flavor and health
benefits. Whole, intact leaves retain the full components of the teas which are
diminished with the chopping, grinding and sifting that prepares tea for tea
bags. Loose-leaf teas unfurl while steeping and release their full aroma, taste
and goodness.
Types of Tea
There are four main types of
teas - white, green, oolong and black. The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis gives us
all four of these common tea types. What determines a type of tea is color,
taste and the processing the newly-picked leaves will undergo before they reach
your cup. Camellia is native to most of Southeast Asia, but is cultivated
throughout the world. Depending on where it comes from, flavors and varieties
vary enormously.
Black Tea
Black tea is the most commonly consumed tea in the United States. Black teas are
produced by subjecting the freshly plucked leaves of Camellia sinensis to a
process of withering, rolling and drying. This processing oxidizes the leaf and
allows many unique aroma and flavor elements to form. Black teas can be malty,
floral, biscuity, smoky, brisk, fragrant and full-bodied. The robustness of
black tea lends itself to the addition of sugar, honey, lemon, cream and milk.
While black teas have more caffeine than green or white teas, they still have
less than you would get in a cup of coffee.
Green Tea
Green tea leaves are not
fermented and benefit from amazing antioxidant properties.
Green tea leaves are
plucked, withered, rolled and dried before any curing or oxidation takes place.
Green teas have the least caffeine of all true teas and help to flush your body
with oxygen, especially decaf and organic varieties which will also aid your
digestion.
Oolong Tea
Oolong is
semi fermented so it's somewhere between black and green tea. Before the leaves
are fully cured, a quick drying preserves the flavor and aroma elements of the
green leaf and combines them with black tea characteristics that arise from the
partial curing. Oolong has slightly less caffeine than black tea, but slightly
more than green teas.
White Tea
White teas are made from young tea leaves or buds and are not fermented. As
soon as the leaves are harvested, they are withered and dried. The delicate
young leaves and buds are covered with soft, silvery white hairs…thus “white”
tea. White teas are generally uncured in the style of green teas and are
similarly very low in caffeine.Herbal Teas (Tisanes)
Herbal teas contain no caffeine and are a healthy alternative to caffeinated
teas or coffee. True herbal teas are brewed from herbs (or combinations of
herbs) other than Camellia sinensis are technically "tisanes", but are commonly
referred to as "herbal teas." The herbs are blended to create unique flavors
and/or desired health benefits. Herbal teas do not contain caffeine, and have
extra layers and nuances of flavor that are not attainable with true tea. These
teas can be refreshing, calming, invigorating - or simply a delight to the
senses.
Grades of Tea
Tea grading is based on the size of the leaf and types of leaves included in the
tea. Though leaf size is an important quality factor, it is not, by itself, a
guarantee of quality. Teas are often designated as OP or FOP. These designations
are part of the grading system used for whole leaf black teas and refer to the
leaf size and amount of tip in the tea. Pekoe means teas picked as 2 leaves & a
bud. OP, or Orange Pekoe, is a full-leaf tea with no tip or buds. FOP, or
Flowery Orange Pekoe, is a longer leaf than an OP and has some buds. Grading
systems and terminology vary with tea type and country. Generally, the more
whole the leaf is and the more buds it contains, the higher the grade of tea.
Black Tea Leaf Grades
|
P |
Pekoe |
smaller, shorter leave than OP |
|
OP |
Orange Pekoe |
long, thin, tightly rolled leaves
|
|
FOP |
Flowery Orange Pekoe |
longer leaf than an OP but not as tightly
rolled |
|
GFOP |
Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe |
FOP with some golden tips |
|
TGFOP |
Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
|
GFOP with more golden tips |
|
FTGOP |
Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
|
Better quality TGFOP teas |
|
BOP |
Broken Orange Pekoe |
OP leaves that are broken |
|
FBOP |
Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe |
FOP leaves that are broken |
To brew the very best cup
possible, you should steep the tea in freshly boiled water for three to five
minutes for a mild tea. Or if you prefer a more robust flavor, you can steep for
five to ten minutes. Experiment to find the perfect balance for you, but be
careful as over-steeping can eliminate the subtleties of herb blends.
Make Tea a Part of Your Diet
To brew the very best cup
possible, you should steep the tea in freshly boiled water for three to five
minutes for a mild tea. Or if you prefer a more robust flavor, you can steep for
five to ten minutes. Experiment to find the perfect balance for you, but be
careful as over-steeping can eliminate the subtleties of herb blends.There really is nothing quite like the delicious, fresh taste of a
perfectly-brewed loose-leaf tea, not to mention, all the great health benefits.
For starters, tea has high antioxidant levels which help boost your immune
system and can lower cholesterol levels. Although tea has about half the
caffeine content as coffee, it does not cause nervousness or insomnia. Many
studies show health benefits, including cancer prevention, in only 1 to 2 cups
of tea daily. Choosing the correct form of tea is also important. Brewed tea,
either hot or iced, offers the most potent cancer-fighting activity. Instant
iced tea and bottled tea beverages offer little health benefit.
The key to realizing the potential health benefits of tea is consistency.
Consumed regularly over many years, white, green, oolong, and black teas can
offer substantial protection against cancer and other diseases. When combined
with a mostly plant-based diet, the catechins from tea could have an even
greater effect as all the plant chemicals work together to safeguard your
health.