Fascinating Facts About your Favourite Beverage

Arguably, one of the most popular beverages in the world, tea has a rich and varied history across the globe. It started out as a medicinal drink in most countries, but slowly gained popularity as a leisure drink. While the transition from medicine to beverage was made smoothly in some countries, the ride was bumpy in a few, with tea losing its popularity due to some sinister facts that emerged during different eras in different countries.

Some fascinating facts about tea are:

Around 165 million cups of tea are drunk each day, 95 per cent of which are from tea bags
Shen Nung, a toxicologist, discovered it by accident in central China around 2737 BC. Apart from thinking it a nice drink, he used tea as an antidote to 70 or so poisonous herbs. His stomach exploded after his final experiment because the tea obviously wasn't effective against that particular herb.
Catherine of Braganza, queen of Charles II, introduced it to England as part of her dowry; when she landed at Portsmouth in 1662 she asked for a calming cup of tea; none could be found so we gave her a flagon of beer instead.

In China they used monkeys to pluck loose leaf tea from the trees: annoy the monkeys up in the trees and they will angrily shake the branches bringing the tea floating down to you.
In the 17th century Dr Simon Paulli, a German, warned that tea-drinking ‘hastens death', particularly in the over-forties. His claim was, however, soon disregarded, much like his other studies.

Ireland has the highest per capita consumption of tea in the world: 75 per cent of the population are avid tea drinkers drinking on average six cups a day. In 1910 tea was considered to be a bigger public health problem than alcohol in Ireland. Russia ranks second in tea drinking – presumably to dilute the effects of vodka.

Britain became a nation of tea drinkers due to the monopoly held by the East India Company on China tea and our exclusion from the Mediterranean Sea and the coffee exporting countries bordering it during our wars with France and Spain.

High taxation meant that tea was often adulterated with brick dust and other toxic stuff (second hand tea) ; some tea contained no tea at all. For most of its history more tea has been smuggled than sold legitimately.
John Wesley, founder of Methodism and a tea-totaller, believed that tea brought us close to the ‘chambers of death' and should be avoided, even though he imbibed himself.

Tea was responsible for the rise of the women's suffragette movement; tea rooms such as ABC and Lyons gave them somewhere respectable to go un-chaperoned.

In 1914 the 320,000 men and 12,000 officers of the Army Service Corps were catering for 5 million British troops – their ration included 5/8 oz of tea. In 1940 Churchill said that ‘tea was more important than bullets'

Green Tea- Super Food or Just Another Fad?

Everyone has heard of green tea, whether or not they are a tea drinker. It is the latest addition to every health freak's diet. From weight loss to blood pressure control, this super food claims to do it all. But does it really help? Or is it just flavoured, mildly caffeinated hot water? One cannot trust everything that is found on the internet. So let me give you on a comprehensive guide to the truth about green tea- super food or fad.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the polyphenols in tea have been shown to decrease tumour growth in laboratory and animal studies and may protect against damage caused by ultraviolet UVB radiation.
In countries where green tea consumption is high, cancer rates tend to be lower, but to link that to green tea may be far-fetched since there are other lifestyle factors to consider. One large-scale clinical study compared green tea drinkers with non-drinkers and found that those who drank the most tea were less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, particularly women, who were 50% less likely to develop the disease. Many studies, on the other hand, have shown that there is no link between the green tea and cancer. In 2005, the FDA stated that "there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea consumption and a reduced risk of gastric, lung, colon/rectal, oesophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, and combined cancers.

A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease. The study followed over 40,000 Japanese participants between the ages of 40 and 79 for 11 years, starting in 1994.The participants who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day had a significantly lower risk of dying (especially from cardiovascular disease) than those who drank less than one cup of tea per day.

An analysis of published studies in 2011 found that consuming green tea, either as a beverage or in capsule form, was linked to significant but modest reductions in total and LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Another study found that consuming 10 cups of green tea per day can lower total cholesterol, however, consuming 4 cups or less had no effect on cholesterol levels.

Studies concerning the relationship between green tea and diabetes have been inconsistent. Some have shown a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes for green tea drinkers than for those who consumed no tea, while other studies have found no association between tea consumption and diabetes at all.
 
Green tea may promote a small, non-significant weight loss in overweight and obese adults; however, since the weight lost in the studies were so minimal, it is unlikely that green tea is clinically important for weight loss.
Research published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2014 suggests that green tea can enhance our brain's cognitive functions, particularly the working memory. The research team said their findings suggest that green tea could be promising in the treatment of cognitive impairments associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as dementia.

In a study published in 2011, researchers tested the effect of a component of green tea, CAGTE, after it had been digested, to see how it affected a key protein in Alzheimer's disease. The study showed that at high concentrations, CAGTE protected the cells from the toxic effects of the protein amyloid-beta.

The Alzheimer's Society commented that, "this study adds to previous research that suggests green tea might help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, the researchers used a far higher dose of the active green tea chemical than would ever be found in the human body. More research is needed to see whether green tea is protective at a much lower dose, and to understand the mechanism involved.

Thus while green tea does help in treating many conditions, there is not enough evidence to support its claim for other diseases. It certainly is not a bad addition to your diet!

Prepare Hibiscus Tea at Home

Everyone has heard of Hibiscus Tea, whether or not they are a tea drinker. It is the latest addition to every health freak's diet. From weight loss to blood pressure control, this super food claims to do it all.
Made with the beautiful hibiscus flower petals, hibiscus tea is a herbal infusion, wonderful to drink during a hot summer afternoon. It can be prepared either hot or iced, a delightfully red colored drink to fulfill your soul.
It is quite a strong tea and not many leaves are required to prepare it. Only about 3-4 teaspoons of dry or 6-7 teaspoons of fresh hibiscus petals are needed to make a liter of tea.
To make the tea, boil around 200 ml of water and add half a teaspoon of dried petals or one teaspoon of fresh petals. Let the tea brew for around five minutes before serving. Add sugar or honey to your taste and enjoy immediately. If you want to drink an iced hibiscus tea, simply steep the tea with double the quantity of petals as when making hot tea. Add honey or sugar to the brew. Top a tall glass with ice and pour over the brew into the glass.
When preparing for a large group, steep the petals in a teapot. As it is herbal, you can just leave the leaves in the pot. It will not grow bitter, just slightly stronger in strength.
When you prepare hibiscus tea using the fresh petals of the hibiscus flower, be sure that the flowers are pesticide free and are also not sprayed with any sort of insecticide. It is best to use home grown flowers for such a brew, as you can be sure what has gone into its growing.
Hibiscus tea is made from less oxidized leaves and is one of the less processed types of tea and therefore contains one of the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.
It's a very smooth tea that is more thirst-quenching than some other fruity teas. Some people say it is tart, like cranberry tea, but it has a softness about it that is more fruity than tart.
Hibiscus tea, like most tea, is good for you. It is said to be good to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and to strengthen the immune system.
The hibiscus plant is indigenous to North America and grows almost everywhere from Southern Canada right down to Mexico. The flowers are gorgeous, similar to mallow flowers. They can grow to be very big and beautiful.

Information About Tea Brewing

Many different factors affect their flavor including climatic changes, and even minor changes in its processing. Loose teas are far less processed than the tea in teabags and thus the even subtle changes in its flavor are pronounced. The gardens try to maintain a consistency as far as they can, but a lot depends on the brewing of the tea. Individual tastes account mainly for how a tea is brewed but a comprehensive guide assures that the true flavor of the tea shines through.

Teapots are an important piece of equipment in tea-brewing. A good ceramic or glass pot works well, but metallic ones are usually avoided lest they give a metallic taint to the tea. Tea enthusiasts keep separate pots for different teas as ceramic pots absorb the flavor of the tea. The fine black teas of Darjeeling deserve a teapot set aside just for them and never used for herbal infusions, for perfumed teas such as Earl Grey, or for other teas of pronounced flavour such as Lapsang Souchong.

Teas are, however, the main focus for a good cup.  As they easily absorb moisture, smells, and tastes, tea should be kept separate from spices, perfumes, and even other strong-smelling teas. Some Japanese teas are stored in fridge or freezer but for most teas this is unnecessary and may cause damaging condensation to form inside the tea container. A good tea retains excellent flavor for about a year, just long enough to keep us going until the arrival of the next year’s crop. The springtime thrill of drinking First Flush Darjeeling tea as soon as they come from the factories of the tea gardens has an extra novelty, as the flavors have not completely stabilized. In the factories, an oxidation, called “fermentation” in the trade, takes place, creating much of the tea’s character. It is then dried to about 3 percent moisture, enough to preserve it, but sufficient to allow a very slight continued oxidation, known as “mellowing,” which can last up to three months. During this period, when the tannins continue to darken and form the body of the liquor, and before the oxidation has achieved its full taste, the fresh “green” perfumes are at their strongest.
Roughly around a heaping teaspoon or 3 grams of tea is used for each cup. Loose leaf teas vary greatly in size and weight, so a teaspoon measure may not always give a correct estimate. With experience, a tea drinker is easily able to determine how much tea is to be used. White teas, for example, are bigger in size and lighter in weight than Darjeeling teas as they are less processed. In the end, it is a personal preference. The ideal brewing water is probably pure mountain spring water. Short of that, plain tap water is fine.  But in some municipalities, bottled spring water is preferable; different bottled waters will give different results and a certain amount of mineral content is essential to release the flavors.
At somewhere between three and five minutes of infusion, the flavor peaks and the tea is ready to serve. A few light teas might even take up to seven minutes to fully develop their flavor. At this point milk, sugar, or lemon might be added but a pure liquor is best to understand the flavor. The subtleties of delicate, whole-leaf Darjeeling are best considered without the distraction of milk, sugar, or lemon.

Processing of Darjeeling Tea – Art in Making

Instead it follows a delicate and intricate procedure which produces one of the best tea in the world. Darjeeling Black Tea goes through all the stages discussed below. If a green tea or white tea is being produced, all the steps may not be followed.

Plucking tea leaves from the gardens: For Darjeeling tea, there needs to be only selective plucking of two leaves and the bud that makes a shoot. To make a kilogram of tea about 22,000 shoots are required. On an average a plucker is given a target of 4 to 5kgs per day, and during the high plucking season the target increases and can get doubled. While tea plucking season is from March to November, bulk of the tea leaves are plucked during the monsoon time. Mostly the teas are plucked in the morning when the morning dews are still there on the tea leaves.
Withering: The next step is withering which is a way of drying the tea leaves in the factory. It is essentially removing the moisture content of the leaves. Initially the tea leaves have 70 – 80% moisture. The leaves are placed in a trough (long wooden box) and covered with a wire mesh. Strong air is blown through the boxes with the help of fans placed at one end. This helps drying the tea leaves uniformly.
Rolling: After withering is completed, the tea leaves are taken to the next stage of rolling. Here mechanical rollers twist and press the leaves. Usually the tea leaves are subjected to two rolling of 40 minutes each and the rolling pressure varies. In between the rolling, sifting takes place where the coarse leaves are separated from the finer leaves with the help of machines. The step is carefully monitored so that leaves do not break and overheating does not take place.
Fermentation: The third step is to ferment the leaves. In this stage, the leaves are kept on thin and clean trays in a cool and humid environment. Through bio-chemical process the fermentation takes place. Usually the process lasts between 2-4 hours depending on the quality of tea being produced. It is at this stage when the tea leaves actually start developing their natural aroma and flavor.
Drying: After fermentation, the tea leaves are once again dried in large mechanical dryers. They are fed in through conveyor belts from one end. The belts continuously vibrate and then take the tea through a temperature range of 115-120°C and bring out ready tea from the other end. The process lasts for about 20-30 minutes. At the end the tea is almost completely moisture free.
Sorting and Packing: The final stage is to sort or separate the different grades of tea leaves based on their size and then pack them. There are automatic sorting machines that sort the tea leaves based on their sizes (full leaves, broken, fanning and dust).
Processing of Black, Green and White Darjeeling Tea: Note that all types of tea do not go through the same processing steps. In fact depending on the flavour and quality of tea, within each step delicate variations are made. The Black Darjeeling Tea usually goes through all the steps mentioned above. In case of Darjeeling Green tea, the leaves are first withered. The withering takes place between 8 to 24 hours to remove the moisture. After that they are steamed, as a result the oxidation is prevented to take place and the enzymes are neutralized. Then the leaves are rolled to different degrees and again dried.  Processing of White tea is somewhat similar to that of green tea. White tea is only steamed and then dried. There is no withering, rolling or oxidation done keeping all the natural ingredients and the chemicals almost intact.

The Tea Growing Regions of India

India is one of the largest tea growing nations in the world. Producing nearly 30 percent of the global output, it is the second largest exporter of tea. The teas of Darjeeling and Assam top every list in the ‘best teas’ category. But there are many other tea growing regions in India besides Darjeeling and Assam. They are the following:

• Dooars and Terai: The first plantation in Terai was named Champta, and it was set up by James White in 1862. Subsequently, the Dooars region saw its first tea plantation in the form of Gazeldubi. In Dooars, the Assamese tea plant was found to be more suitable. Today, Dooars and Terai have a combined annual production of 226 million kg of tea, which accounts for around 25 per cent of India’s total tea crop. Tea from Dooars is described as clear, black, and heavy. The first flush has a fresh virgin flavour, good brightness and fragrance while the second flush is more brisk. Terai tea on the other hand is known for its spicy and slightly sweet taste.

• Kangra: The Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh was deemed as a potential loose leaf tea growing region by Dr Jameson in 1829, following a feasibility survey. He brought in Chinese tea plants from Almora and Dehradun and had them planted at Kangra, Nagrota and Bhawarna. Tea is now cultivated across an area of 2,063 hectares in Kangra and Mandi districts. Due to the favourable natural climate that’s free of pests and insects, tea is grown organically in the Kangra valley. The Kangra region is famous for its range of green (Hyson, Young Hyson and coarse grades) and black teas (Pekoe, Pekoe Suchong, Coarse teas and Fannings) with their exquisite flavours.

• Nilgiri: In 1823, John Sullivan, who was then the British Collector of Coimbatore, built his stone house in Ootacamund. Initial experiments for tea cultivation commenced in the Ketti Valley in 1853, and commercial production was first undertaken in the Thiashola and Dunsandle Estates in 1859. Nilgiri tea is named after the Nilgiris, or Blue Mountains. The weather conditions provide Nilgiri teas with a characteristic briskness, exceptional fragrance and exquisite flavour. The liquor is golden yellow in colour, provides a creamy taste in the mouth and has notes of dusk flowers. Nilgiri tea has also been registered as a GI in India, and around 92 million kg of this tea are produced every year – around 10 per cent of India’s total tea production.

• Annamalais: Today, the Annamalais, a range of hills with altitudes from 900 to 1,600 metres between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have around 12,000 hectares under tea cultivation. The tea from Annamallais generates a brisk and bright golden saffron liquor in the cup. It has a strong flavour and a medium to high tone fragrance with biscuit to floral notes.

• Wayanaad: The first tea plantation was set up over a few acres at the New Hope estate in Ouchterlony Valley in 1874. Tea from Wayanad is medium toned with a clean fragrance and produces an earthy reddish, full bodied liquor in the cup. The liquor is light on briskness and mild and mellow with biscuit notes.

• Karnataka: The state is the coffee hub of India, but also produces around 5 million kg of tea every year. Teas from Karnataka produce a golden ochre liquor with a fair amount of briskness and body. They have a simple, balanced character and are medium toned.

• Munnar:  Tea was first grown in Munnar by A H Sharp in the 1970s. Tea from Munnar produces a golden yellow liquor with strong body, refreshing briskness and a hint of fruit. It has a clean, medium toned fragrance.

•  Travancore: Coffee production was started by J D Monro in 1862, and tea production started two years later. After the dreaded leaf disease began to hit coffee plants in 1875, the focus shifted rapidly towards tea cultivation. This tea has medium fragrance with reddish liquor and yellow tinge.

The Art of Blending Tea

Over the years, many new and different varieties of the world’s most popular beverage have been cultivated and processed. Beginning with simply green teas, tea makers have now slowly graduated on to many different varieties. Even a simple black tea comes with multiple options for picky tea drinkers everywhere. But even with so many tea options, we cannot stop craving for more! We still look for new ways to have a new tea drinking experience better and more enjoyable from the last.  

 We are all aware of the many health benefits that tea has to offer. Even black tea (which has the highest caffeine content of all teas) has lower caffeine content than coffee, making it a healthy choice for anyone wanting a kick of caffeine early in the morning. However, not many like the taste of tea, or enjoy tea far more with added flavours.  

There is quite a spread available if one chooses to blend tea with flavours. Some teas like English breakfast tea, Moroccan Mint Tea, Russian Caravan, Earl Grey, and so on are popular blends that have been enjoyed for years. However, if you do not like these flavours, you can simply create a blended tea of your own by picking flavours you like and adding them to your cup of tea. Or you can even a herbal blend which does not contain any tea leaves if you are looking for something caffeine free.

To add flavour to your tea, simply pick a fruit, flower, herb, or spice of your choice and add it to your tea while brewing it. The flavours can be fresh, dehydrated, or freeze dried. Do steer clear of artificial flavourings as they do not give an authentic taste and do not add any value to the tea either. With pure flavours, the tea benefits from the additional health points that the flavours provide.

The first step in creating a blended tea is to pick the tea base. Choose black tea  if you are looking for a robust flavour of tea, green tea if you want an earthy, grassy feel, or white tea for something light on the actual tea flavour and can act as a medium for the flavour of the fruits, flowers, herbs, or spices.

Second, pick the flavours you like. Jasmine (most commonly used to flavour green teas), osmanthus, rose, chrysanthemum, lotus, mint, pandan, citrus peel,  spices such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon,  cassia, black pepper, clove, anise, fennel, Indian bay leaf and sometimes vanilla, nutmeg and mace are popular choices for flavours. Some more unconventional choices are now also available at the markets. So pick the flavours you like best.

In the third step, you can determine how strong you want the flavour to be. You can blend tea leaves and flavours in equal quantities, or keep a ratio you find suitable to your taste. Remember, you may not like the first blend you create, so you need to keep experimenting till you find the best blend for you. So get blending!