PageDump: Tea

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!!Introduction
----
A centuries-old beverage originating in China, tea is simple and
quick to prepare and is currently enjoyed by all cultures in a
variety of forms. Medical research has found tea to offer
considerable health and therapeutic benefits, and it is today
recognized as a [Superfood | Superfoods].

!!History
----
Tea, or the practice of brewing leaves in water and consuming the
resulting drink, came from China over 5,000 years ago (the oldest
surviving record of tea is dated 2000 years ago). The practice spread
to Japan during the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century) when the first
seeds were brought from China. Europe did not learn of the elixir
until the mid-17th century, during which time tea was also being
exported to America. The practice of tea time and tea ceremonies
exists in all cultures but are most prevalent in China, Japan, and
England.

!!Types of tea
----
[Upload:robert/613080e236845a93fa10b8a377a3cd7d_tn.jpg align=right
hspace=5 vspace=5 pop=yes]It is important to note that all teas come
the same plant, scientifically named _Camellia Sinensis_. The
difference in how the leaves are processed after harvesting
determines classification: white, green, oolong, and black. The more
oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb, the darker they become and
the more their flavor is intensified. Unprocessed leaves are
considered white teas.

<b>Black</b>

Black Tea is the most popular form consumed in the United States. It
was produced out of necessity by Europeans who found that the only
way to preserve green teas long enough during the long trip from Asia
was to oxidize it. Examples of popular black teas include Golden
Monkey, Darjeeling, and Irish Breakfast.

<b>Oolong</b>

Oolong is the second darkest type of tea. Considered a semi-fermented
tea, it is produced primarily in China and Taiwan. Oolong has a very
distinctive light golden color and is sometimes called Fermosa.

<b>Green</b>

[Green tea | Green Tea] is unoxidized and has enjoyed a resurgence in
popularity due to recent medical findings announcing its health
benefits. The tea is particularly useful in reducing the occurrence
of cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Examples of popular
green teas include: Genmaicha, Dragonwell, and Sencha.

<b>White</b>

White tea is considered by many to be a premium choice in teas, as it
is produced from only the best leaves and buds of each plant that is
harvested. It is picked before the buds have fully opened and is
still covered by fine white hairs. White tea is the least processed
of all tea forms, having been neither steamed or pan-fired. Examples
of popular white teas include: Silver Needle, Snowbud, and White
Pearls.

<b>Herbal</b>

The final type of tea worth mentioning is not technically a tea at
all. When herbs or plants are steeped in water, a tisane is produced
that can be similar in taste to traditional tea. These drinks are not
teas, because they do not come from the tea leaf, but they are often
mislabeled as such. Popular tisanes such as peppermint, chamomile,
and rooibos have gained increased interest, as they offer
alternatives to tea, which is sometimes difficult to obtain. Such
herbal drinks also offer the added benefit of being completely free
of caffeine (<i>see below</i>).

<i>A Note on Caffeine Content</i>: Although both coffee and tea can
be used for a boost, the latter has considerably less caffeine. It
should be no surprise that the darker the tea, the more caffeine it
has, with white tea containing the least, at two milligrams per
ounce. At the high end, black tea has as much as five milligrams per
ounce. Compare this to coffee, which has 16 milligrams per ounce, and
it's easy to understand how it's possible to drink multiple servings
of tea in one sitting and still come out consuming less caffeine than
coffee.

!!The Perfect Cup of Tea
----
Like any quality drink, tea is best enjoyed only if it is brewed
properly. The steps involved in making a superior cup of tea are
precise but quite easy to follow.

*Use Quality Loose Tea: It is important that you have a proper
brewing setup to allow the tea leaves to fully bloom and have room to
move around. Tea cannot properly steep inside a tea bag (although
there are new tea bags on the market that are pyramid shaped to
address this problem). Tea bags should be used only as a last resort.
[Recycle the tea | Recycled Tea] when you are done.
*Measure Properly: As a good rule of thumb, use 1 teaspoon per cup (8
oz.) of water. However, different varieties of teas, such as whites
and most tisanes, would benefit from twice the amount of tea.
*Use Clean Water: Do not trust tap water, as the impurities will have
a very noticeable and negative effect on the taste of the tea.
*Water Temperature: The main two temperatures for brewing tea are
boiling (212F) and less-than-boiling (180F). Dark teas, such as
black, dark oolong, and herbals, are tough and are able to withstand
the higher temperature. On the other hand, light oolongs, whites, and
greens are more delicate and should be brewed at less-than-boiling.
One way to obtain the 180F if you don't have a thermometer handy is
to boil water, pour it into a cup, and let it sit for a few minutes
before joining it with your loose tea leaves.
*Steeping Time: Time is perhaps the most important factor in brewing
the perfect cup of tea. Proper time monitoring and adjustment can
(nearly) compensate for temperature variances. Black teas should
generally be brewed for a maximum of five minutes. Even 30 seconds
past this point will result in an inferior taste. Err on the side of
caution, because it is much better to have an under-brewed cup than
an over-brewed one. White and dark oolongs can be steeped for up to
seven minutes. Green and light oolongs are delicate and can be
enjoyed after three minutes.

!!Enjoying the Perfect Cup of Tea
----
Aside from the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremony, perhaps the most
popular way to enjoy tea involves the tradition of English afternoon
tea time. The practice occurs daily between 3PM and 5PM and serves an
afternoon period of relaxation and conversation while providing an
snack between meals. It is often served with small finger sandwiches
and bite-sized cookies and cakes. In the past few years, tea rooms
have opened in many cities across the U.S., bringing this tradition
to Americans.

!!A Nice Cup of Tea
----
A tea Wiki is perhaps not complete without a mention to George
Orwell's essay on the subject; "A Nice Cup of Tea" which is easily
found on the internet.

In the essay Orwell outlines the 11 steps which he considered
golden:

<b>One should use Indian or Ceylonese tea.</b>

Orwell shows some prejudice here. Having served in India and the
trade links between the UK and India meant that the tea would be of a
higher quality to the Chinese teas available.

<b>Tea should be made in small quantities.</b>

This rule will probably not apply to readers as this is a pot vs urn
issue. He does, however, insist that a china or earthenware should be
used; silver or stainless steel should be avoided.

<b>The pot should be warmed beforehand.</b>

Preferably on a hob rather than rinsing with hot water.

<b>Tea should be strong.</b>

"I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak
ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it
a little stronger with each year that passes"

<b>Tea should be put straight into the pot.</b>

No attempt should be made to restrain the leaves. Swallowing the
leaves will not kill you and how can you have your tea leaves read if
they are no leaves in the cup?

<b>One should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way
about.</b>

The water must be boiling at point of contact.

<b>After making the tea, one should stir it.</b>

Even better than stirring, give the pot a good shake, afterwards
allowing the leaves to settle.

<b>One should drink out of a good breakfast cup.</b>

What Orwell's getting at here is to use a cup which will retain the
heat.

<b>One should pour the cream off the milk before using it for
tea.</b>

These days this isn't so much of an issue as most people used
semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.

<b>One should pour tea into the cup first.</b>

Orwell's reason for this is that you can judge the amount of milk
added. He actually missed a trick here. Adding the milk second showed
that you had good-quality china which could with stand the heat so
there is a (slight) class dimension to this.

<b>Tea--unless one is drinking it in the Russian style--should be
drunk without sugar.</b>

Tea is meant to be bitter, adding sugar is effectively missing the
point.