“We are like Tea, we don’t know our own Strength until we’re in Hot Water”
~Sister Busche
Whether enjoyed with breakfast, or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, tea has been enjoyed for centuries for its flavor and health promoting effects. Different methods for growing, picking, drying, and curing lead to final products that provide a variety of health benefits… or, at the other end of the spectrum, to products that provide a collection of toxins and antinutrients to the unsuspecting drinker.
Before we dive into the types of tea, the quality of tea, and the things you can do to ensure you are getting the most delicious and beneficial beverage, let’s take a quick look at what tea is and a small glimpse into its history.
A Brief History
True tea is a beverage made from pouring boiling or hot water over fresh or cured leaves of the Camellia sinensisplant that has been enjoyed (according to legend) since 2737 BC when a leaf of the evergreen shrub blew into a cup of boiling water that the Emperor Shen Nung was drinking. He decided to try it and lived to tell the tale. Although infusions from other botanicals have been called “teas,” they can be better characterized as tisanes, herbal “teas,” or herbal infusions.
The first reference to the cultivation of tea was during the Han Dynasty in China (206 BC – 220 AD). Buddhist monks introduced the beverage to Japan and Korea in the 8th century, and it continued to spread across the globe through travel and trade. It arrived in England in the 1600s,and was soon introduced to British colonies in America and beyond. In the nineteenth century, Britain began growing tea in India – in Assam, Ceylon, and Darjeerling – to compete with the Chinese monopoly. India was the top tea producer in the 20th century.
In the US, teabags were introduced around 1908, when a New York tea merchant began sending samples of his teas in silk pouches. His customers assumed they were to be used like infusers and complained that the mesh was too fine. This led the merchant to develop a gauze pouch, which later evolved into the paper pouch we know and love today. The US tea market underwent a huge expansion in the late 20th century when specialty teas, herbal teas, and tisanes became popular. The US specialty tea market is now estimated to be around $1 billion per year.
The Different Teas
The earliest form of tea was green tea. Lu Yu, a Buddhist monk in the 8th century, wrote “The Classic of Tea” which laid out all specifics of tea culture including how to grow, how to prepare, and how to drink. The tea leaves were steamed, ground, and shaped into a cake, and then dried and strung. To this day, green tea is made by steaming (or pan-frying) the leaves, then quickly drying to prevent oxidation.
Oolong Tea is said to have been “discovered” during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when a tea-picker named Wu Liang mistakenly allowed the leaves he was picking to oxidize. In present day, it is produced by allowing the leaves to partially oxidize, giving them a flavor somewhat between green and black tea.
White Tea was introduced in China in the 1700s. It is a delicate tea, harvested before the first leaves begin to unfurl, when fine white hairs cover the buds. It is the least processed of all the teas, with the new growth picked by hand and dried quickly so the leaves don’t oxidize.
Black Tea was invented in the middle of the 17th century in China. It is prepared differently from green and white tea, in that leaves are exposed to air to fully oxidize after harvest, before heat-processing and drying. This treatment produces a more shelf-stable product, and a richer, “malty” flavor.
Red Tea (rooibos) is not a true tea, in that it’s a caffeine-free herbal beverage (tisane) made from the dried leaves of the redbush plant in South Africa.
Herbal Teas. There are a number of herbal teas that are made from dried flowers, leaves, and fruits of different botanicals, each providing different flavors and health benefits. Check out our posts on hydration and bedtime sips for sound slumber to learn more about a few of these herbal teas.
Health Benefits of Tea
Green tea is filled with antioxidants and antiinflammatory polyphenols and has many health-promoting benefits. The caffeine and l-theanine have synergistic effects on boosting brain function, but the smaller dose of caffeine plus the modulatory effects of l-theanine produce a gentler “buzz” than from coffee. Green tea can also help burn fat, boost metabolic rate, and protect against free radical damage and cancer.
White, black, oolong, and other tea varieties also provide many of the same health benefits as green tea. However, the more processed the tea leaves, the lower the concentration of polyphenols, so black and oolong tea would have fewer polyphenols than green and white tea, but they do still possess antioxidant activity.
Rooibos, while not a true tea, is also rich in antioxidants and some unique health-promoting polyphenols.
What is really in your cup?
While tea does have many health benefits, if you are not careful in your tea selection, your tea may come with a hefty side of toxins.
Most tea is contaminated and should not be consumed. Most tea contains mold (mycotoxins), toxic minerals, microplastic, biocides and other harmful chemicals. This is unfortunate, to say the least.
The teabag. Did you ever wonder why, if teabags are made of paper, they don’t dissolve in water? A compound called epichlorohydrin is used to hold the paper together, and it can leach out into your tea. It is a known reproductive toxin and potential carcinogen. The polyacetic acid teabags derived from cornstarch contain a type of plastic, as do the fancy tea “sachets,” allowing microplastics to leech into your tea. The solution – buy loose teas and use a tea ball or stainless-steel strainer to diffuse your tea.
The tea. Teas contain high levels of pesticides. Other toxins and carcinogens have been found in tea, including heavy metals, plastics, and molds. Lower grade teabags include tea “dust” which is a lower grade product than the actual leaves found in loose leaf tea.
How to choose better
ALWAYS choose organic/biodynamic tea products. Select loose teas and use a stainless steel infuser.
Healthier single needle white organic or biodynamic or herbal combination or single teas like hibiscus or rose petal teas are medicine in a cup. Notice we keep the single needle white tea in a glass container as we do for the rose petal tea. Biodynamic hibiscus and organic mint are commercially sourced. We grow lemongrass from which we make hebal tea. Delicate teas including India Spice Tea are best brewed at 175-180ºF so that the delicate healthful aromatics can be appreciated.
Better choices improve aroma and flavor as well as the healthfulness of the beverage.
Aromatic biodynamic rose petals suitable for herbal tea.
Our tea maker adjusts the brewing time and temperature for the tea you tell it you are brewing.
We also steep tea in a glass tea maker with a screen that keeps the leave from getting to you.
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