Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Korbin_Newlyn - By Korbin Newlyn

Tea, which is the second most preferred drink in the world, is created by steeping a tea leaf, or more frequently, a group of prepared tea leaves that are in boiling water. Individuals love teas of all different varieties and the procedure by which they utilize the tea leaf to create their flavorful drink differs depending on the location or merely even on the drinker themselves, for that matter.

The history of each individual tea leaf, though, and its journey to transform into tea is dependent upon the country from which it came, as well as the variation of plant from which it came from and the way in which the tea leaf itself was (more…)

Article by Jessica Leventhal

Custom Leaf brings you…tea you can custom blend yourself!!!

What are the different teas and how do I brew them?

GREEN- Green tea is made from the unfermented leaves of the camellia sinesis plant. Green tea leaves are withered, fried, rolled, and dried to produce their unique taste. Green tea tastes similar to white tea (sun-sweetened leaves) but a bit more robust. Green tea has a moderate amount of caffeine and anti-oxidants. Green tea is delicious hot or cold. To brew: Bring water to 160 degrees F and steep for 1-3 minutes.

BLACK - Black tea is made from the fully fermented tea leaves of the camellia sinesis plant. They produce a strong-flavored dark tea. Black tea is delicious hot or cold, plain or with cream and sugar. Black tea has the highest caffeine content of the teas. Black tea also has some anti-oxidants. To brew: Bring water to a boil and steep for 3-5 minutes.

WHITE- White tea is made from the unfermented leaves of the (more…)

Article by Steve Hill, Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Hill

The latest figures suggest our nation drinks around one hundred and sixty five million cups of tea a day. This goes to show just how much the average British person loves the taste of this drink but most people would not be aware of the actual health benefits that drinking tea can give. In this article I am going to write about some of these benefits.

I have to say that on average I will drink around four or five cups of tea a day. I am not really sure why but I actually thought that this was a bad thing but I have recently been reading about the many health benefits it can give you. This new found knowledge has pleased me no end and I can now enjoy drinking this tea even more than I ever did before!

One of the many health benefits of drinking tea is that it can offer some protection against heart disease and cancer, it has also been reported that it can protect against some age related memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s. This is because of the fact that tea is a good source of flavonoids. What are flavonoids you may be asking. Flavonoids are the type of compounds that occur in most vegetables and fruits, they have very powerful antioxidant properties similar to those of antioxidant vitamins C and E. Tea itself is supposed to have twice the antioxidant power in just one cup compared with one apple.

As you can already see, tea can be of great benefit to people. This has come as a bit of a shock to me as you never really here reports in the media of these health benefits. Advice to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables is regularly reported but nothing about tea. I am sorry but I am not a lover of fruit or vegetables but I do like a good cup of tea.

These are some of the many health benefits of the antioxidants in tea:

Anti-viral benefits

Anti-inflammatory benefits

Anti-bacterial benefits

Anti-allergenic benefits

There are other benefits from drinking tea, it can help to increase levels of concentration and therefore improve ones performance. This is due to the the fact that the average cup of tea contains a moderate amount of caffeine in it.

Tea can also help with our teeth and can help to prevent things such as gum disease and tooth decay, this is because tea is a natural source of flouride.

As you can see drinking tea is good for you, therefore I am now off to make myself another cup!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Hill

Article By Rosy Vohra

Leaves of the bush called Camellia sinensis is popular by the name ‘tea’ enjoyed the world over as the most relished beverage. It is prepared by steaming the leaves of this bush in water for a few minutes before topping it with sugar and milk/lemon as the case may be depending upon the taste of its consumers. Besides rejuvenating drained out energy levels, tea is a natural source of caffeine, amino acid Theanine having micro-level psychoactive properties to the extent of reducing stress. It has a significant role to play in increasing brain dopamine, serotonin and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). Theanine also promotes the generation of alpha waves in the brain indicating its role in boosting alert. Tea also has a significant role in uplifting the immunity indicated by the presence of greater anti-bacterial proteins in the systems of tea-drinkers.

Tea also contains theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate which has an active role in serving as vasodilator, diuretic and a significant heart stimulant besides the catechins, the polyphenolic antioxides loaded with anti-cancer and anti-tumor forming properties. Furthermore tea has a role in reducing weight for it contains no fat, carbohydrates or proteins. It can rather be placed some what in the category of vitamins or a medicinal herb, considering its role in the general well being of an individual. Tea contains flavonoids that inhabit formation of plaque on teeth besides guarding from various cancers of the gastrointestinal types. It also tones up cardiovascular health, has role in lowering cholesterol and probable protection against Alzheimer disease.

Depending upon the degree of processing, tea can be classified as-

• Black tea
• Oolong tea
• Green tea
• White tea

Leaves are made to undergo drying and false fermentation soon after picking which commemorates the break down of the green chlorophyll and release of tannins which is responsible for giving tea leaves the black color which it acquires. The process is referred to as false fermentation because the enzymatic oxidation is not driven by any microbe and is taken up under regulated temperature and moisture control conditions. If this is done properly, fungus may infect the tea leave and contaminate it making it unfit for human consumption.

Following this process, the oxidation process has to be stopped by heating to deactivate the action of enzyme causing release of tannins. The essential difference between black tea and green tea lies in alteration undertaken during this stage. The process of drying and enzymatic oxidation takes place together in case of black tea and is for a prolonged duration. In fact black tea means that its leaves have been completely oxidized. However the process of enzymatic oxidation is stopped very soon in case of green tea by application of heat in varied forms. Anti-cancerous and other beneficial properties are best considered in case of green tea.

In case of oolong tea the duration of oxidation and its subsequent inhibition is some where in between the standards set for black tea and green tea. Oolong tea is therefore also referred to as semi-oxidized tea.

White is referred to as tea leaves that have been harvested in the still bud stage when no chlorophyll formation has taken place and no following process of subsequent oxidation.

Rosy Vohra works for online bookstore India Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosy_Vohra

Australian Fruit Tea Company is operated under the careful guidance and passion of Noelene Wilson who is the founder and owner. Like you, Noelene is a self confessed avid tea drinker.

Concept
While living in Malaysia in 1994 Noelene collaborated with a horticultural research company to perfect the concept of the perfect fruit tea. The brief - to use only ingredients of the highest standard. The tea had to be of the best quality with the addition of real fruit and natural fruit flavouring containing essential oils extracted from the skin of the fruit. In other words, it had to be a natural product and it had to be unique. Thus the Australian Fruit Tea Company was born.

Carter Holt Harvey Food Award
The product was quickly rewarded for its unique concept in 1995 at the annual Carter Holt Harvey Food Awards, where it received accolades for overall Excellence in Food Science.

Article By Jason Hobbs

The process of maintaining the colon clean is described as an extremely crucial march toward a fine and vigorous health, and is certainly an essential factor to start certain halted activity in a dynamic manner. Several people are unaware of the simple and trouble free methods that are required to preserve the colon in its best condition, and the colon cleansing tea is one of them.

Benefits:
For cleansing the colon, there are several various products that are available in the market, but the colon cleansing tea is considered as the most popular. The colon cleansing tea ultimately helps to eradicate intestinal plaque and frees the body from the unessential harmful toxins.

Colon cleansing tea is an essential factor that improves the digestive system of a body, as it eradicates the unwanted mucoid plaque from the walls of colon that mounts up on the colon walls, at the time of the digestion process. It is quite easy to understand that whatever that is consumed is stored in these regions only, this is because the oily and sugary stuffs are more likely to glue on the walls of colon, which is not a good sign. Hence, it is suggested to maintain a vigorous health along with a fine intake of the colon cleansing tea.

The colon cleansing tea is of great use, as it helps to eliminate these unwanted stuffs that gets stored on the colon walls, if it is not treated for a long period of time. These stuffs transforms into a solid heavy matter, which is quite harmful, here the colon cleansing tea comes in action.

The colon cleansing tea is considered as a trouble free and a natural product to clean the colon, which effectively backs up the body to detoxify and create a healthy immune system. Hence, it is firmly suggested to consume the colon cleansing tea many times per day to successfully treat the colon disorders, even though the quantity of intake suggested by the doctor may differ.

Effects:
The colon cleansing tea primarily fights back the issues of body, as it successively wash outs or clears the immune system. Clearance of colon is the initial and crucial step, prior to its maintenance. To make a good impact, it is always suggested to maintain a vigorous and well-maintained diet chart, which includes protein rich vegetables, fruits, and intake of ample amount of water.

The intake of upright quantity of fiber along with colon cleansing tea will frequently assist the body to tackle the toxins and its unwanted creations from the walls of colon. But, it needs to be noted that the intake of fiber needs to be compensated by an equal or ample amount of drinking of water, to avoid any further problems.

If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of Colon Cleansing and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.coloncleansingsupport.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Hobbs

Article By Hannah Wing

You can make a great cup of tea with almost any old teapot, but you can’t do it without great tea.

There are no two ways about it: a great up of tea begins with great tea. What you do with that tea - how you brew it - is important, too, but there is absolutely no substitute for great tea.

So how do you know one tea from another? For most of us, it is a matter of taste. Some folks prefer black tea, others oolong, and others green or white. But there’s much more to it than that.

Great tea begins with great tea leaves, preferably grown at high altitude and process to bring out the leaves’ unique flavor and character.

Here are some tips for finding great tea:

Look for loose tea leaves. Some of the best varieties are sold by the ounce (or grams) or by the pound, for those who know what they like and want to purchase a lot. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive the tea, the higher quality it may be. Taste, however, factors into it, and some expensive teas are simply produced in limited quantity, and price reflects both supply, and, in many cases, quality.

For oolongs, I prefer fairly light ones, made from whole leaves that unfurl during the brewing process. “Jade oolong” is a good example of a moderately priced loose-leaf tea that brews to a fine potion that’s fragrant, almost sweet, and invigorating. For white teas, I prefer “silver needle”, a relatively expensive tea whose leaves look like light gray-green needles and make a “grassy”, fragrant brew. I also like “snow buds”, a less expensive white tea with a slightly more roasted flavor and aroma. As for green teas, I favor the robust hoji cha, whose needle-like leaves brew a strongly roasted flavor and an earthy aroma or gunpowder tea, whose leaves unfurl in hot water, yielding a smoky, rich brew. Green tea can also have a grassy, fresh flavor and aroma - a typical example is sen cha. Some folks like black tea. It’s my least favorite, but I have to admit that Lychee Noir (black tea flavored with lychee nuts) can hit the spot on a cold winter afternoon.

As for tea bags, if you want a great cup of tea, my advice is, “don’t even think about it.”

So what about tea pots, brewing cups, and such. I think the most important thing, whether you brew in a pot or a cup is to have enough room in the pot or tea strainer for water to circulate freely around the leaves. Brewing a great cup of tea is more about technique than it is about equipment.

Simple rules: use the right amount of tea for the effect you want; use just-boiling water, and pour or remove the tea strainer from the tea at the right time. ” The volume of tea leaves you use and how long you brew have more to do with your personal preference than any right or wrong way. Most days I brew my tea in a bamboo tea “basket” or strainer that I put in a mug.

I put the strainer in a small bowl between infusions and re-infuse the leaves until they are without flavor. The number of infusions I get per strainer varies with the type of tea and how much I use in the first place. By afternoon, however, when I want a fine cup of jade oolong, I brew my tea in a small, unglazed Chinese pot that makes two small Asian-style cups (those things that look like small bowls). Here, too, I reuse the leaves until they no longer have flavor.

Glazed ceramic tea pots have their place, too, and they’re certainly worthy of great tea leaves. Unless you’re making tea for a big group and pouring it all at once, I don’t recommend brewing tea in a large pot. Leaving the leaves to infuse for long periods can yield a bitter brew, and microwaved tea that has been brewed earlier in the day just doesn’t do it for me.

If you’re looking for more information about tea, visit teatigress.com, where the old Tea Tigress offers descriptions of tea types, brewing instructions, and her very strong opinions. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hannah_Wing