Tea

What is Tea?
Tea is the second most consumed beverage behind water. Tea is the dried and processed leaves of plant called camellia sinensis. There are approximately 1,500 different varieties of tea. There are three main types of tea: Black, Green and Oolong. Each tea differs in the method used to process the leaves before they are sold and shipped. Tea is a natural source of caffeine. Tea is also diuretic.

Herbal teas or herbal infusions are not really teas, but simply dried flowers and/or herbs.

Black Tea
Black teas are by far the most popular teas in the West. Black tea is the most common type of tea worldwide. Black tea is fully fermented or oxidized.

Green Tea
Green teas are very popular in Asia. Green tea makes up approximately 10% of the world’s tea. Green tea is made by preventing the tea leaves from ever oxidizing at all. The leaves are steamed right after the withering stage, which destroys the enzymes that would otherwise cause the darkening. The steamed leaves are rolled and immediately fired. The dried tea leaves remain green. This process retains many of the polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids that are associated with the health benefits of drinking green tea.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is "semi-fermented" tea. Oolong tea is a mix between black and green tea in both its taste and appearance. It is processed the same way that black tea, but it is not allowed to oxidize fully. Oolongs ferment longer, about half as long as a black tea.

Herbal tea
The term herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs. Herbal teas contain no actual tea. These "teas" are most often consumed for their believed healing capabilities. An assortment of ingredients can be used when creating herbal tea. Some of these include, flowers, leaves, bark, roots, nuts and fruit. Common herbal beverages are chamomile, peppermint, fennel, rose hip, and lemon verbena.