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Did You Know?

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. The first is water.

All tea comes from the same plant, known as Camellia Sinensis. The different categories of tea (black, oolong, green, white) are the result of variations in the way the leaves are processed after they are harvested.

The Camellia Sinensis (tea tree) is an evergreen plant native to China. It can grow to a height of 30 feet, but is usually pruned to a height of 2-3 feet in cultivation.

As legend has it, tea was accidentally discovered around 2737 B.C by a Chinese emperor who was sitting beneath a tree waiting for his water to boil when a few leaves fell into his pot. The invention of the tea bag was also an accident. In 1904, Thomas Sullivan, and American tea importer, began sending tea samples to customers in small silk bags to avoid the high cost of using tins. Rather than cutting open the bags and pouring the tea into tea pots as Sullivan had anticipated, his customers left the tea in the sachets for steeping. Sullivan's "invention" was a hit, and orders for tea in the sample bags came rolling in. In the 1920's gauze was substituted, followed by paper.

 


All true teas (black, white, green, oolong) contain flavenoids, which are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants protect healthy cells from damage-causing free radicals, which are unstable molecules thought to contribute to cancer and heart disease.

All true teas are naturally caffeinated. Caffeine levels in tea vary depending on the region where the plant is grown and how the leaves are processed. The size of the leaf, temperature of the water, and how long you brew the tea are also factors. Brewing your tea longer and using hotter water yields a more caffeinated cup. You can eliminate 97% of the caffeine if you brew your tea pod once, discard the liquor, and then brew the pod a second time and drink the resulting infusion.

According to the USDA, an 8-oz cup of brewed tea contains 25-50 mg of caffeine. Generally speaking, an 8-oz cup of green tea has about 30 milligrams of caffeine, and black tea has around 40 milligrams.

Coffee beans contain less caffeine than tea leaves when measured in their dry form. However, the caffeine content of a prepared cup of coffee is about three times that of a prepared cup of tea. Still, many tea enthusiasts claim that tea gives an equivalent caffeine boost without the jitters. Even decaffeinated tea is not 100% caffeine free. In the US, as long as the caffeine content is not more than 2.5% the product can be labeled "decaffeinated." Moreover, the decaffeination process is said to remove some of the potentially health promoting compounds found in the leaf.

You may already appreciate the satisfying taste and relaxation benefits of tea, but did you know tea can be used to....

Sooth Skin — The tannins in tea leaves are said to have soothing properties for the skin. Try applying a cooled, infused pod to sunburns, rashes, mosquito bites, and even shaving nicks to ease discomfort.

Treat your Plants — Tea can be used as a fertilizer for both indoor and outdoor plants. Leftover brewed tea can be cooled and used to "water" houseplants on occasion, and infused tea leaves can be distributed in your flower garden for a nutrient boost.

Tidy Up — Because tea absorbs moisture and odors, you can place dry tea bags in shoes and other unpleasant smelling places to remove odors. Infused tea pods can be placed in your refrigerator to help keep food odors in check.

Clean Your Mirrors — Leftover brewed tea can be cooled and used to get mirrors squeaky clean. Use a soft cloth to buff away the tea after cleaning.
Did you know. . . that White tea contains a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate. This flavonoid has recently been shown to calm the brain and reduce anxiety. It works by activating the organ’s most protective system against anxiety — the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. This aids sleep as well. White tea has a higher level of this flavonoid and much less fluoride than green tea.
  About Oolong Tea

There are several kinds of tea and Oolong is one of them. Tea has a long history and culture The difference in teas is due to their production methods.

Oolong tea is loved in both China and Japan. The history and culture of oolong tea. There are different types of oolong tea. Its home is Fujian Province in China. About tea masters. (Called "honorary" tea masters in Japan.)

How Oolong Tea is produced:
Everything regarding the two production stages is important.

Manual production reflecting tradition and outstanding craftsmanship in China; where as enjoying delicious oolong tea is also an art in Japan.

Another secret of Oolong Tea is it has surprising health benefits. Why is oolong tea good for the health? What is the substance "polyphenol" found in oolong tea? Free radicals and polyphenol. . . Oolong Tea's health promotion benefits extracts from reports on health benefits of controlling obesity.

Oolong tea originates from about 400 years ago. It is said that oolong tea first began to be produced at Mt. Wu Yi Shan in Fujian Province at the end of the Ming Dynasty about 400 years ago.

An art was developed in order to enjoy delicious oolong tea, and it became popular. In order to enjoy the flavor and rich aroma unique to oolong tea, an art of drinking it delicately was developed. This involves drinking oolong tea by using a tiny teapot and a tiny teacup. Chinese people have adopted this style for generations right up to the present day.

A breakthrough in oolong tea came in the 20th Century. Some have felt it difficult to make delicious oolong tea. However, since canned oolong tea arrived on the scene which allows consumers to enjoy delicious oolong tea easily was launched some 18 years ago, it has attracted an increasing number of Japanese aficionados and penetrated the Japanese lifestyle.

More About Oolong Tea
~Oolong tea is enjoyed in both China and Japan.~
There are several different types of Oolong Tea. Oolong's home is Fujian Province in China.

Oolong tea has been described as "Yu Xiang Hui Wei " as it goes through so many different production stages in order to generate a good flavor and aroma. The tea consists of several dozens of kinds of leaves that have different flavors and aromas due to differences in the leaves, the production area, and the harvest time. Among them, Tie Guan Yin, Shui Xian, and Oolong are well known, and many renowned oolong teas are produced in Fujian Province. Oolong tea produced in the Province is exported throughout the world as the tea that is representative of China, the home of tea.
Three types of Oolong:
Tie Guan ~ Yin Shui ~ Xian Oolong
Click here for more information about Oolong Tea
Oolong Tea from A - Z
MSNBC.com
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Sipping tea may lower your skin cancer risk
Antioxidants may help limit damage from UV radiation
Reuters
Updated: 2:06 p.m. CT May 4, 2007
People who unwind with a cup of tea every night may have a lower risk of two common forms of skin cancer, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 2,200 adults, researchers found that tea drinkers had a lower risk of developing squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, the two most common forms of skin cancer.

Men and women who had ever been regular tea drinkers — having one or more cups a day —were 20 percent to 30 percent less likely to develop the cancers than those who didn’t drink tea.

The effect was even stronger among study participants who’d been tea fans for decades, as well as those who regularly had at least two cups a day, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

However, the findings do not mean it’s OK to bake in the sun as long as you have a cup of tea afterward. The researchers found no evidence that tea drinking lowered skin cancer risk in people who’d accumulated painful sunburns in the past.

Nor did the study look at the relationship between tea drinking and malignant melanoma, the least common but most deadly form of skin cancer.

Still, the findings support the theory that tea antioxidants may limit the damage UV radiation inflicts on the skin, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Judy R. Rees of Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, N.H.

In particular, a tea antioxidant known as EGCG has been shown to reduce burning on UV-exposed skin.

The current findings are based on interviews with 770 New Hampshire residents with basal cell carcinoma, 696 with squamous cell carcinoma, and 715 cancer-free men and women the same age.

Tea consumption was linked to a lower skin cancer risk, even with factors such as age, skin type and history of severe burns considered. However, tea drinkers who’d suffered multiple painful burns in the past did not have a lower risk of skin cancer.

It’s possible, the researchers explain, that the antioxidants in tea are enough to limit skin damage caused by moderate sun exposure, but not the “more extreme” effects of sun exposure, such as cancer-promoting damage to the DNA in skin cells.


Tea is the second most common beverage, next to water, drank in the world! Tea is also one of the world’s most affordable luxuries!

But what most people don’t know is that all true “Teas” comes from one plant: Camellia sinensis. This includes white, green, oolong and black teas.

Herbal Blends &
Tisanes
Beverages commonly referred to as tea such as chamomile, mint or rooibos are not real teas, but herbal blends or tisanes. Tisanes are often caffeine-free.

Tea Compares to Wine
Describing tea can often be paralleled to wine. As all wine is made from grapes, tea is made from Camellia sinensis. And like grapes, Camellia sinensis comes in many varieties. I compare teabag tea to wine in a box. Some teas are reminiscent of fine rare wines, hard to get and very expensive. And then there is everything in between!
It is the variety, oxidization process, growing climate, soil quality, manufacturing methods; season and much more that give teas their distinctive qualities.

White Tea 
White tea is the least processed of all teas, and is picked from the downy premature leaves of the tea plant. Authentic White teas are from the Fujian Province of China.

Green Tea 
Green tea is minimally processed. Green tea is steamed or pan fried to stop oxidation.

Oolong 
Oolong or sometimes referred to as Wulong tea is semi-oxidized. Oolong teas range from light and floral to a darker fuller flavor profile.

Black Tea 
Black teas are fully oxidized teas.

 

 


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