Tea harvesting season begins in late February and lasts through September or October, depending on the region. Tea plants experience multiple growth spurts throughout the year. Three or four flushes occur within a single crop year in some areas. The winter months are dormant, but nutrients are stored in the roots and new growth during the spring. The spring harvest is typically the most prized of the year. In addition to being a daily devotion to relaxation, tea has helped fuel intellectual revolutions and encouraged global trade. But what exactly is tea, and why does it taste so good? Read on for some basic information about the production of tea.
Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO
What is tea?
Tea is a hot, brewed beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Native to Asia, the tea plant has been cultivated for over 1500 years. Since its first appearance, tea has spread worldwide, resulting in over thirty different varieties.
Most of the health benefits of tea are associated with the high concentration of antioxidants found in tea leaves. Polyphenols make up around 30% of the dry weight of tea leaves. Green tea leaves are the least processed tea, while white tea leaves are dried, sealed, and stored at cold temperatures. This method removes many of the nutrients and minerals found in raw tea. On the other hand, White tea contains the highest concentration of simple polyphenol antioxidants.
History of the tea trade
The Dutch dominated the tea trade until 1678 when the British began commercially importing the beverage from Eastern Africa and Asia. The British Royal family chartered the East India Company, which gained monopoly rights in the region. The company became one of the world's most powerful monopolies, with the power to acquire territory, coin money, maintain armies and forts, and punish lawbreakers. It also formed foreign alliances and declared war.
While Chinese surveys indicate that Chinese tea was first sold regularly by Buddhist monks during the Tang dynasty (618-907), these early methods were labor-intensive, including grinding tea leaves into a fine powder and packaging them in cakes. This process is still used for Yunnan Pu'er tea and Japanese matcha. The earliest documented roasted loose-leaf tea dates to 1539, although the practice began much earlier.
Classification
There are six types of tea: green tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, black and dark. Each of these has a different taste and brewing process. The classification of teas is based on their processing methods and the degree of fermentation and oxidation of the polyphenols found in the leaves. Green tea is usually nonenzymatically oxidized, while the oxidation process of black tea is mainly done with the help of enzymes.
The Chinese were the first to think about tea classification - Photo by Emile Guillemot
The Chinese were the first to think about tea classification. They established the Imperial Tea Department in China to oversee tea classifications. This was done not for fun and beauty but rather for trade purposes. The Chinese used tea as their primary object of commerce, and the non-classification of tea would hinder trade. In addition, the process of processing tea varies from region to region. While it may be nice to enjoy a cup of green tea produced from leaves that have been picked in different locations, teas that are not classified are not as enjoyable as those that have been processed under other conditions.
The benefits of tea
The antioxidants in tea have many benefits. These compounds protect your body from chronic illnesses, including cancer. The most abundant catechins in tea are found in white and green teas. Green tea is also rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound with health benefits for your brain and heart. Both catechins and caffeine are beneficial for your heart, so drinking tea regularly can prevent many diseases. Also, tea is a safe source of caffeine.
Researchers have begun to understand what compounds are involved in the calming effects of tea. They have found that l-theanine and EGCG contribute to the benefits of green tea, which contain 42% and 3% of the dry weight of brewed green tea, respectively. Both substances have improved attention and mood, although these effects are not based on any particular single component. Studies have shown that drinking tea regularly can reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing.
Harmful effects
The harmful effects of tea consumption have been disputed for several reasons. For instance, studies of a Japanese cohort found that the women who consumed black tea daily had an increased risk of stomach cancer compared to those who drank less than a cup per day. However, more recent meta-analyses have found no association between tea consumption and the risk of developing stomach cancer. Some case-control studies suggest that the temperature of tea may be a factor. In addition, researchers have speculated that the caffeine in tea may stimulate the gastric acid secretion and increase the risk of stomach cancer.
Despite these risks, a study published in 2007 concluded that tea consumption was more dangerous than coffee. Drinkers are likely to suffer from headaches if their tea consumption is excessive. Additionally, excessive consumption of tea can result in lightheadedness or dizziness. Although these effects are rare, they can occur if someone drinks too much tea. To counteract this risk, it is best to drink tea that contains less caffeine or use other methods of reducing your intake.
