Tuesday Tea Time

Did You Know...

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world next to water?

Tea was discovered by accident nearly 5000 years ago?

Tea contains naturally occuring plant compounds that may be good for your health?

Tea is an ancient beverage that is loved by people around the world. Green Tea is most popular in Asian countries, while Black Tea is the brew of choice in the US and Western European countries. All tes comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is a warm weather evergreen. The types of tea are determined by the freshness of the tea leaves at processing and the amount of time they are in contact with oxygen. There is a wide variety of flavorful variations of both Green and Black, as well as White and Oolong Teas, because each tea takes on the name of the district in which it is grown and each district is known for producing tea with unique flavor and character. Additionally tea is divided into different grades, determined by the leaf size.

Herbal teas do not come from the Camellia Sinensis, but are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of a variety of plants. Although Herbal teas lack many of the unique characteristics of the traditional teas and are not linked to the research on potential health benefits of such, many believe these herbal infusions have potential health benefits all their own.

According to legend, the custom of drinking tea began around 2737BC when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water belonging to the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. Whether enjoyed hot with milk and sugar or honey, or sweetened and served in a tall glass over ice as we southerners prefer it, tea's popularity continues to grow. Always savored as a flavorful refreshment, ancient people believed that the brew cured a variety of ailments. Today, scientist continue to find a variety of health benefits may indeed be linked to this beverage, and that the natural compounds found in tea may, in fact, help to maintain good health.

If any of you would like to learn more about TEA I would invite you to participate in a 'Professional Tea Tasting' event. For more information you can contact Dea at The Baron York Tea Cafe... www.baronyorkcafe.com