Would You Like A Cuppa Tea?
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Growing up, all I knew about tea was that it came in two forms: chai tea and iced tea. Little was I aware that this seemingly plain beverage had its roots deep in thousands of years of history, culture, traditions, and industry. And I learned that not all teas are the same. The healthiest teas to drink contain a lot of antioxidants.
Teas have been a major trade product for the world. Originally from the land of Tibet, where it was concocted as a medicinal drink, it only got popular in Britain in the 17th century.
Today, with over 20,000 different kinds of teas cultivated and enjoyed all over the world, the art of tasting tea is a highly sophisticated skill that takes several years to perfect.
What is Tea and What are the Healthiest Teas to Drink?
The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are used for making tea. The leaves are either steeped in water and brewed into tea, or hot water is poured over them. Tea tastes range from bitter, nutty, floral, and grassy to sweet and minty.
What is surprising is that the exceedingly popular Herbal tea is not really a tea in the right sense of the word. This kind of tea doesn't stem from the camellia sinensis plant, but is usually a blend of herbs, flowers, roots or even bark from different edible plants.
Tea is mainly classified into:
White tea
Green tea
Black tea
Oolong tea
Fermented tea
Yellow tea
Although all teas originate from the same plant, each of them has their own distinct characteristics giving them different types of tea flavors. The special distinction comes from the process of oxidation. Once the leaves are plucked, they are exposed to the air for varying degrees of time. This process is actually what determines the tea’s eventual classification.
White Tea
If you could think of a fuzzy little pea shoot, that is what a tea plant looks like when the picking season has just started. For the white tea, only the very first pick of the year can be considered. It is picked at a very young stage and undergoes almost no oxidation. This gives it a soft, gardeny flavor and aroma.
Green Tea
Green tea is one of the healthiest teas to drink. Its leaves undergo slight oxidation after being picked. It is also the variety that contains the most levels of antioxidants. ECGC, a catechin or a phenolic compound found in green tea that is high in antioxidant activity. Despite the popularity green teas have gained as a weight loss supplement and an anti-inflammatory, there is little scientific evidence, if any, that green tea can indeed help in any health benefits.
Fermented Tea
Fermented tea is made when the tea leaves are exposed to air and moisture. This causes the tea to be oxidised and also become microbially catalysed. Fermented teas are mostly darker in color but shouldn’t be confused with black tea. Fermentation affects the smell and taste of the tea as well, making it more mellow and reducing its bitter after taste. Kombucha is a fermented tea that is rich in probiotics that promote our healthy gut environment.
Temperature Matters
A lesser known fact is that boiling water temperature isn’t always best for brewing tea. If you have had green tea and all you remember about it is its bitter metallic taste, it is enough to keep you from having it again.
When you are playing with lighter teas like a white or an oolong tea, you don’t want to burn their delicate leaves. Pouring boiling hot water right off the stove onto them will only draw out too much of its caffeine and tannins. This automatically gives it the bitter flavor that we're not looking for. What we want are the sweet, fresh, vegetal notes that only come out beautifully at a temperature of about 80 to 85 degrees centigrade. Basically, the more oxidized your tea is, the more heat it can withstand and still keep its character.
What are the Best Beas to Drink?
The most common and popular tea varieties you will find in the market are:
Green Tea
Longjing: Pan roasted tea from Zhejiang province of China. Well known for its sweet and rounded flavor.
Gunpowder: Slightly smoky tea also from China are tightly rolled pellets of leaves that look like gunpowder grains.
Sencha: This very popular bright green Japanese tea is a whole leaf tea with various subtypes.
Matcha: Highly caffeinated Japanese tea that is ground to a fine powder. Matcha is dissolved into the liquid rather than steeped.
White Tea
White Peony: a floral, full bodied tea that is made from the buds and the cotyledon of a young plant.
Silver Needle: A very prized aromatic golden white tea with a woodsy flavor. It is mainly found in China's Fujian province.
Black Tea
Lapsang Souchang: This Chinese tea is smoke dried over pinewood to give it a sharp smokey and woodsy flavor and aroma.
Assam: Earthy, malty and full-bodied tea from Assam in North East India.
Darjeeling: A light body tea with a floral aroma and tannic spiciness.
Ceylon: This is a honey colored tea has light tones or rich notes depending upon the growth.
Oolong Tea
Red robe tea: A dark orange tea from China’s Wuyi mountains. It has an intense smokey and caramely flavor and is also quite costly to procure.
Milk Oolong: Creamy and simple, this tea originates from Taiwan.
Tea is a Wonderful Equalizer
Despite the disputes tea has experienced throughout its history by so many cultures and traditions, the healthiest teas to drink remained a great way to start a conversation. Tea lovers will find endless hours of contentment holding a cuppa freshly brewed tea. I for one, love beginning my mornings with a nice blend of spicy sweet masala chai tea! Have tea as a healthy late night drink, and you will not be disappointed!
