Tea Time: Cool Down with a Hot Trend
An article courtesy the Toronto Star, May 2008.
Canadians are mad about tea. We drink 7 billion cups of it per
year, and we’re the third heaviest consumers of iced tea (right behind
Japan and Austria). And is it any wonder? With the top-grade quality of today’s
teas, as well as the wonderful range of tasting opportunities for tea aficionados,
the perfect cuppa, whether in a mug or on the rocks, has never been more appropriate.
The versatility of tea is something that appeals to many Canadians, like Helen
Racenelli, who kicks off her morning with a refreshing green tea, then switches
to black tea in the afternoon. “A cup of tea is the ultimate comfort drink
for me in the middle of a busy afternoon at work or having a long day of running
errands. Nothing centres me like taking a break and having a tea.” As
a frequent traveller, Toronto-based Racanelli says a cup of this universal beverage
remains a part of her routine on the road. “Wherever I go and no matter
how busy I am, I always make time for a cup.”
The restorative aspect of a nice cup of tea is, as Chinese legend has it, what
led to its discovery by one Emperor Shen Nung back in 2737 B.C. According to
lore, the scholar and herbalist was boiling a pot of water in order to purify
it, when leaves from a wild tea bush happened to fall into the pot. He liked
the resulting brew, particularly its refreshing effect - and the rest is history.
Tea has been cultivated, traded and enjoyed globally for millennia. It’s
also currently undergoing a surge in popularity as consumers recognize its unique
benefits.
All tea - black, green, oolong and white - comes from one plant species, the
Camellia sinensis. (Red, or rooibos tea, is actually, like mint, chamomile and
yerba mate, a tisane, or herbal infusion, and not true tea.) Teas contain unique
compounds called polyphenols, which also occur naturally in fruits and vegetables.
Polyphenols are potent antioxidants, compounds that are believed by health experts
to neutralize naturally occurring but cell damaging free radical molecules in
humans, All tea is rich in polyphenols, although quantities will vary based
on processing and preparation.
Tea Party: Mingling with the tea types
Teas are hot (including the iced ones). Even if you have a favourite
tea that you sip one a regular basis, so many tea varieties have become widely
available that its worth expanding your repertoire. In fact, given all the blends
on the market nowadays, choosing which to try first can be a challenge. Here’s
a guide to the most in-demand teas - look for them in restaurants and tea shops
and on your grocery store shelves.
BLACK TEA - fast facts:
• Black tea accounts for 78% of all teas consumed worldwide.
• Brewed, black tea is actually crimson-hued; the “black”
refers to the colour of the dried leaves.
• The Camellia sinesis leaves are fermented and oxidized, resulting in
the flavour and aroma that tea lovers associate with the beverage.
• Black tea contains antioxidant polyphenols.
• Common blends: Assam, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Russian
Caravan, among others; flavoured teas with berry or other infusions.
OOLONG - fast facts:
• The mellow oolong is popular in China.
• As a black tea, the Camellia sinesis leaves for oolong are also fermented
and oxidized, but for a shorter period.
• Oolong contains more antioxidant polyphenols than black tea.
• Common blends: Black Dragon, Chinese Oolong and Formosa Oolong.
GREEN TEA - fast facts:
• Japan's traditional tea, green is now extremely popular
on our side of the pond, too.
• Second only to black tea in popularity, green tea accounts
for 20% of the tea consumption globally.
• Brewed tea has a pale green colour because the Camellia sinesis leaves
are not fermented.
• Green tea is richer than black and oolong.
• Common blends: Gunpowder, Dragon Well, Hyson, Jasmine, Sencha and Pi
Lo Chun.
WHITE TEA - fast facts:
• White tea is the hottest "new" specialty tea.
• The Camellia sinesis leaves are handpicked while still immature and
covered with a fine silvery white "down," hence the name white tea.
• White tea actually has a pale straw colour due to its being a brew of
unoxidized leaves.
• Of all the teas, white is the richest in antioxident polyphenols.
• Common blends: Silver Needles, White Peony, Golden Moon or White Cloud.
|
