Tea


The beverage tea was discovered, so folk lore has it, by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung in 2737BC. While boiling water under the shade of a Camellia tree, leaves fell into his pot and the resulting infusion pleased the man. From China the popularity of the brew spread with Buddhism to Japan and to South East Asia. Much later, the British planted out parts of the, then, empire; from India to Sri Lanka and East Africa tea sprouted over a period of about 100 years starting in the mid 19th century; these origins flourish today with India the largest Producer.

The camellia tree responsible for the famous “cuppa” is “Thea Camellia” whose name is suffixed with original statements such as “Assamica” for the broad leaved variety that hails from the North eastern part of India and “Sinensis” the delicate small leaved variety from China.
 

From this one plant all true teas can be made, White, Green, Oolong or Black. The type and the quality is determined by topography, soil, climate, the part of the bush that is harvested and the production technique used, oxidation being the main difference.

Most teas are made from the top two leaves and fresh unfurled bud which hold the majority of the goodness in tea. This “Goodness: is derived from a group of molecules collectively called “Polyphenols” and it is these that are responsible for the flavor in tea and also the many health giving properties associated with this favorite brew, including antioxidant benefits. A cup of tea also contains caffeine but only about a third the quantity as a cupof coffee.

Green tea is unoxidised tea where the original constituents of the leaf remain in tact, hence it’s vegetative character and green liquor color. Black Tea is oxidized tea where some of the original constituents join together to form larger molecules that give rise to a change in liquor color to red and give the cup more body and smoothness.



Many other plants are used to make infusions that sometimes are called tea but these are truly herbal infusions, Tisanes, and while they are an important part of the Mother Parkers product Family they are not true teas; some of the more popular ones include peppermint, chamomile and Rooibos.
     

 

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