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Cultivated primarily in Asia (China, India, Japan, Ceylon, etc.) and in Africa (Kenya and Malawi), the tea leaf, or Camelia Sinensis, offers a wide range of flavours depending on its origin, quality and how it is transformed in to tea. Tea grows naturally in the mountainous regions of southern Yunnan in China, Burma, Assam in India and the northern parts of Thailand and Laos. Higher the altitudes produce more perfumed and better quality teas, like Darjeeling teas from India. There are generally three times of the year when the tea is harvested; the spring when the harvest produces the finest quality tea followed by summer and fall harvests. The harvest may be done either by hand or mechanically. This plays a role in the quality of tea collected as does the way in which the tea is handled. Each type of leaf produces its own quality of tea; yellow leaves are the most tender while those closest to the stem, the largest and the oldest, give darker, stronger teas. High quality teas are collected with great care and are usually made from the most tender leaves and tea buds. The many virtues of tea Tea has always been known for its therapeutic virtues. The caffeine is released from the leaves during the first few minutes of infusion. As a result, you can make caffeine-free tea by discarding the first bit of water used to infuse the tea. Consequently, tea that is infused for a very long time does not have higher levels of caffeine, however the more full-bodied taste is an indication of more tannin. Caffeine stimulates the brain and affects cardiac rhythm. The presence of tannin naturally slows you down. This explains the sensation of being relaxed when one first drinks tea, followed by the sensation of being alert. Tea aids in digestion and activates renal circulation. In addition, tannin is beneficial to the circulatory system and the intestines. |
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