All about tea
BLACK TEA
Of the five types of tea that are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (the others being oolong, yellow, white and green teas), black tea is the most oxidized and has the generally strongest flavour. Black tea is notably used for breakfast teas and these teas are generally consumed with milk.
Did you know: Black tea is the most popular tea in the world and it was so valuable in the 18th century that it was kept in a locked chest – which we now call a tea caddy.
Fun Fact: It takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make 450g of finished tea.
GREEN TEA
With a very long history in China, green tea is now widely renowned for its natural goodness which results from its relative lack of processing compared to black tea.
Did you know: Green tea was called 'bullet tea' because it resembled bullets when shipped.
Fun Fact: You can put add green tea leaves in with the cat litter box as the tea has deodorising effects and is safe for your cat.
SENCHA GREEN TEA
Sencha green tea is the most popular tea in Japan. In contrast to Chinese green tea (which is subject to dry heat), sencha is steamed to prevent oxidization of the leaves, which are then rolled, shaped and dried.
Did you know: Sencha is a great fat burner. The many antioxidants that it has can help burn extra calories. And, the caffeine in this green tea can boost your metabolism so giving you more energy throughout the day whilst burning fat in the background
Fun Fact: This tea can fetch more than 30 times its weight in gold!
WHITE TEA
White tea is produced from the Camellia sinensis plant by harvesting very young buds and leaves and then minimally processing them to produce a very special, delicate tea.
Did you know: It is jam packed with health benefits and this tea is often made only from the first flush (harvest) of the year.
Fun Fact: White tea is a curious phenomena as it is simultaneously a young and old tea.
OOLONG
Oolong is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea, falling somewhere between black and green teas in some of its characteristics.
Did you know: Oolong tea has greater caffeine content than green tea and lower caffeine content than black tea.
Fun Fact: Oolong tea is said to be good for our skin as it suppress various allergic reactions and heals damaged skin.
INFUSIONS
ROOIBOS
Rooibos is not a true tea, but in fact a herb. A brew is made from the dried leaves of the Rooibos bush and is therefore a herbal infusion, known as a tisane. Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) is Afrikaans for 'red bush' and describes the South African plant and the product from which it is made. A popular, caffeine-free infusion with an earthy flavour.
Did you know: It is graded according to colour, flavour and cut length.
Fun Fact: Rooibos can be used in dyes.
YERBA MATE
Yerba mate is a South American plant making a caffeine-containing infusion which is extremely popular in Paraguay and Argentina.
Did you know: yerba mate has almost the same caffeine level as coffee.
Fun Fact: It keeps a cowboy on his horse - Argentinian cowboys, or gauchos, are never far away from a warm cup of yerba mate.
FRUIT TISANE
Fruit tisanes are infusions with fruit as the major ingredient, although they often also include herbal, floral and other natural ingredients.
Did you know: Lemon & Ginger tea strengthens your immunity from coughs and colds
Fun Fact: Camomile tea is thought to bring about calm and relaxation.
HERBAL TISANE
Herbal tisanes are infusions with herbs as the major ingredient, although they often also include floral and other natural ingredients.
Did you know: Peppermint tea improves digestion.
Fun Fact: They detoxify the body.
