Tea 101

What exactly is Tea anyway?

Tea is a beverage that is produced by infusing processed leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant in hot water. The Camellia sinensis is a close relative of the flowering Camellia plant that is popular with many gardeners. Tea is most often consumed hot although it is frequently iced and enjoyed as a cold refreshment. Although leaves from other plants (such as herbs) are also infused in hot water and given the label “tea” only infusions of the Camellia sinensis plant are actually tea (there is no “tea” in herbal tea). A drink produced by steeping herbs in hot water is most accurately referred to as an herbal infusion or tisane.

Tea grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates. If left on its own the tea plant can grow in excess of ten feet high; however, for harvesting purposes the tea bush is kept to approximately three feet in height. During harvesting only the top two leaves (the youngest) and a bud are plucked; this is done to maximize the quality of the tea produced.

The Brief History of Tea

Tea is a 5000 year old beverage that has it’s origins in China . Though the tea plant is indigenous to China , Tibet , and Northern India ; China is considered to be the birth place of the first cultured tea gardens. Tea was originally prepared as a medicine; raw leaves were boiled to produce a drink that was quite bitter. Tea was used for trade in the form of bricks; leaves were crushed and combined with plum juice as a stabilizer.

The cultivation and use of tea changed over the centuries as different dynasties came into power. During the Song dynasty tea began to be produced in powdered form and fine tea ware began to be produced. An aesthetic ritual began to evolve and tea was consumed by the elite and even in high court. Tea houses began to spring up making tea more readily accessible to everyone. These tea houses became important places to socialize and conduct business. Tea production eventually changed again and tea began to be produced in leaf form.

It was during the Ming dynasty that the process for creating black tea was developed. Green tea was still the drink of choice by the Chinese but black tea (or red tea as it is called in China ), because it proved to be more resilient during long journeys, was favored to trade. Black tea is the tea most commonly consumed in the United States today. Special tea wares and brewing methods were also developed. There are more types of tea produced in China than anywhere else in the world.

Tea arrived in Japan when a monk brought tea seeds upon his return from a trip to China . A Japanese tea culture began to develop that focused on aesthetics and social grace. Eventually an artistic expression called the “Chanoyu”, which means “The way of tea”, was developed. The Chanoyu is a ritual that incorporates aspects of tranquility, respect, balance, and harmony.

As the Dutch traded with China and brought goods to the west they included tea in their manifests. The Dutch brought tea to Holland and exported it to France , Germany , Portugal , and England . Eventually tea was in high demand throughout Europe , but it was the British who developed a particular fondness for the leaf, developing a tea culture of their own. As in China tea houses became very popular and important gathering places for business and pleasure.

The Dutch were also the first to export tea to North America as they sent quantities of tea to their colony of New Amsterdam , which became New York under the English.

Tea was important enough to be chosen as the vessel the American colonists chose to express their frustration with the taxation laws; the result was the famous Boston Tea Party. The American tea culture adopted many customs from the English; however; this expression is unique in its adaptation, incorporating American influences.

The British brought large scale tea production to India . Prior to this tea was produced on a relatively small scale using an indigenous varietal of the tea plant. Today some of the most famous teas come from India being named for their regions where they are produced. Darjeeling , Assam , and Nilgiri are just a few examples of famous teas from India . Eventually tea was cultivated in Ceylon (today known as Sri Lanka ). Today India is the world’s leader in the volume of tea production.

Basic Types of Tea

There are three basic types of tea, they are black, oolong (pronounced whu-long), and green. Interestingly, all three types of tea are created from the same Camellia sinensis leaf (although there are many varietals of Camellia sinensis); it is the process by which the tea is manufactured that determines whether a tea leaf will become black tea, oolong tea, or green tea. Black teas are referred to as fermented teas and oolong teas are referred to as semi-fermented while green teas referred to as unfermented.

Major Tea Growing Regions

Tea is second only to water in its world wide consumption. Tea thrives in tropical and sub-tropical environments. In order to flourish it requires abundant rainfall, plenty of sunshine, and an appropriate amount shade. Differences in soil, elevation, and climate can greatly affect the characteristics and flavor profile of the tea produced. Tea is grown in countries such as China , India , Japan , Russia , Africa , Sri Lanka , and Taiwan.