Posted by editor Fri Feb 23, 2007 16:21:41 PST
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What beverage has started wars, inspired explorations, saved lives, defined the nations that drank it, but still remains one of the least expensive drinks in the world? The answer, of course, is tea.

No one knows when the leaves of the camellia plant were first steeped in hot water to create a beverage but it was certainly before the first century BCE. The Chinese recognized that it was a delicious, refreshing beverage that helped purify water and increase energy. The English knew of tea earlier but they fell in love with the drink when it was introduced to the royal court by Catherine of Braganza, a princess of Portugal who married Charles II in 1662.

The rest, as they say, is history. Tea is a popular beverage worldwide but its popularity in the United States was on the wane until recently. Tea is now enjoying a revival and many people are discovering that gourmet teas are both healthy and delicious.
Tea is divided into two main types: black and green. Black tea is oxidized or fermented while green tea has minimal oxidization. In addition, there is also white tea, which uses only buds and new leaves; and oolong, which is semi-oxidized. Herbal tea is not really tea at all but a blend of herbs. The most popular herbal tea ingredient currently is rooibos (ROY-boss) an African herb that has a similar flavor to tea but has no caffeine and more antioxidants.

Speaking of caffeine, many people are curious about which drink has more, tea or coffee. The answer is yes. Tea has more caffeine per pound but coffee has more caffeine per cup. Tea is better for anyone limiting their caffeine intake since it gives more beverage for the amount of caffeine consumed. Black tea has the most caffeine, white tea has the least.

Tea flavors can be affected by where the tea is grown, the way the tea is processed and what is added to it. For example, the cave-aged Yunnan Pu-erh has a non-acidic, earthy flavor while Lapsang Sounchang, which is smoked over a pine fire, has rich and smoky taste. Assam tea is grown at sea level in India and is malty and robust while high-grown Darjeeling is floral and musky.

Traditionally, teas from different regions can be blended for a unique flavor (such as the famous English Breakfast). The Russians mix black and green tea together for their astonishingly wonderful traditional tea blend.

Of course, good tea will be of no use if it is not properly brewed. Loose leaf tea is the best but there are many high quality tea bags available. If you are brewing loose leaf tea, it is best to avoid teaballs since they crush the leaves and prevent them from unfurling, resulting in a weak, bitter cup. A better choice would be a mesh infuser basket or disposable paper filters, both of which give the leaves space to unfurl and as a result make superior cups of tea.

Teapots come in all shapes and sizes.  Porcelain and earthenware make excellent pots of tea. Better leave the novelty pots on the shelf, they are generally made for decoration rather than actual tea brewing.

For more information of tea, both The Book of Coffee & Tea by Joel, David & Karl Schapira and The History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage are excellent reads. You can find more information on the Web at www.booksandcrannies.net, where you can find listings of locally available gourmet and organic teas.