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Black Tea – Rich, Healthy & Aromatic

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are you a fervent drinker of tea? Is there a particular kind of tea that you have a liking for? Herbal teas are all the rage, but have you ever thought of trying out black tea? This particular kind of tea contains more caffeine and has a rich, aromatic flavor. Black tea, popularly called Camellia Sinensis is in fact an evergreen shrub, widely cultivated in China, and has a spicy or sweet taste, but at times, there is a slight trace of chocolate or perhaps some floral additives. Black tea originated in China, possibly 4000 years back.

In 1773, black tea gained notoriety due to the well-known Boston Harbor Tea party. As a defiant sign of independence, colonists tossed tea straight into the harbor. The 18th century saw the rise in popularity of tea across England with the now familiar tea and crumpets being regularly served in the afternoons.

Tea thrives best in tropical climates, especially in rain forests. Generally, tea is cultivated in countries in the South American or Asian continent. Places with high altitudes are the best for the growing of tea. Black tea, which is highly popular, constitutes about eighty percent of total tea sales. Black tea retains its flavor for a long time. Although the tea shrub can attain heights of more than forty feet, it is usually trimmed to about 3 to 4 feet.

The first flush or the initial tea buds that burst forth are considered the finest quality tealeaves. After these leaves are carefully picked, others soon grow back, and this chain is maintained until the Fall. The mature leaves, found nearer to the base of the stem are not of good quality and hence are not picked.

Quite a few people like to take pure, black tea without adding anything to it. There are others, who favor the addition of lemon or milk, and sugar or perhaps may even put in cinnamon and cloves. A few have a fondness for a steaming hot cup of tea, whereas others love sipping iced tea on a sweltering afternoon.

The tealeaves are withered in order to process black tea. After that, the tea is crushed, shredded, and rolled for further processing. The tealeaves can be processed either by hand or by machines. Next, the leaves are left to ferment, followed by drying. Subsequently the leaves are separated, based on their size. These tealeaves can be intact, broken, or crushed to dust. Afterwards the tea is sent for packaging.

In general, tea is made by first bringing water to a boil, adding the tea and then letting it steep for about four minutes. Many people prefer spicing up their tea by adding nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. A further regularly used additive is honey and most people use it in place of sugar.

Drinking tea daily helps one unwind and chill out, besides bringing down stress levels. Many people discover that tea has a calming and comforting effect and it enables them to loosen up and take things easy. Tea is enriched with antioxidants that help resist disease. According to research, tea leads to a rise in metabolism, thus resulting in weight reduction. Tea is absolutely free of calories, unless honey or sugar is added. Therefore, savor your tea without going on a guilt trip. Enjoy as many cups of tea in a day!

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Spice Things Up With Chai Tea

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Just loosen up, shut your eyes, and breathe deeply. As you inhale, take in the tantalizing flavor of freshly prepared tea that you are going to sip. Now this hot beverage is really calming and heart-warming. It conveys a very invigorating aroma that helps settle your nerves as well as lets you unwind after a hard day’s work.

All it takes is black tea, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper; put in hot water, honey, milk, and you have a remarkably delightful form of Chai tea. This in fact is a healthy option to your regular mug of morning coffee.

In the word Chai, the first two letters are pronounced like “church” while the last two letters rhyme with “sky”. In America, Chai is actually an abbreviated form of Masala Chai. The term “masala” denotes an assortment of spices. Tea lattes, which are actually tea with milk, are some other derivatives. In fact, Chai is in no way a particular variety of tea; it just signifies a certain way of making tea with milk as well as spices.

Now Chai tea is considered the brainchild of the Hindus, who had mastered the naturally healing technique, which relied heavily on herbs and spices, and is believed to possess natural curative properties.

Tea is referred to as Chai in Asian terminology. Generally, it is prepared by boiling water and milk along with tea. Based on an individual’s tastes, an assortment of additives like lemon, honey, and spices like cinnamon can be put in. In fact tea is more widely favored than coffee in certain countries.

The strong aroma of tea can definitely be a refreshing and a pleasant experience. Following an extremely taxing day, there is certainly nothing more inviting than settling down, unwinding and savoring a piping hot beverage. In freezing winters, snuggling cozily in front of a cheerful fire and sipping hot tea, surely beats anything.

Usually, Chai is made from black tea in combination with cardamom, molasses, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. In India, the best way of preparing chai is by boiling the tealeaves along with milk in order to obtain a rich flavor.

Now, the spices that are added to the Chai have numerous health advantages like containing antioxidants, which aid in warding off cancer. Besides, tea also assists in reducing cholesterol levels as well as reducing blood pressure levels. Further, cloves facilitate the production of body heat and hence you feel all warm in the winter months as well as during the viral infections’ season. Ginger has a favorable influence on the respiratory and digestive system. Every single drop of this particular tea has a beneficial effect and therefore drink a couple of cups of Chai and let the warm, good feeling spread all over you! A 5-ounce mug of coffee contains more than 100 mg. of caffeine while tea contains half that amount.

People who sell Chai tea are called Wallahs. The tea is prepared in very large kettles placed over the fire. Once made, the Chai tea is then served in tiny containers known as ‘kullarhs’ that are actually unglazed pots. Now a part of this Chai drinking ceremony is to destroy the container after consuming the tea.

Thus, whenever you wish to have a hot beverage, opt for a hot cup of the aromatic Chai tea. You will feel good that you went in for it!

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Classic Cocoa Tea – Taste the Difference

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Is cocoa tea really tea or is it hot chocolate? Or, is it a little bit of both?

Well… tea is prepared from tealeaves while this particular tea is not.

The origins of cocoa tea can be traced to St. Lucia, situated in the Caribbean. However, even though it is not actually a tea, it bears a very close resemblance to tea as it contains a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf. The stick and leaf are kept immersed in water, just the method by which tea is prepared.

The time-honored method of preparing cocoa tea may include water, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Besides, additional flavors may be added like nutmeg and cinnamon. In the good old days, floured dumplings were also included so that the beverage becomes more filling.

A simple recipe requires a cocoa stick, milk, water, sugar for sweetening, cinnamon, a bay leaf, vanilla, and cornstarch. The bay leaf and the cinnamon are added to water and boiled. It is best to boil these ingredients for about ten to fifteen minutes. Put in the cocoa stick. Boil for a further five minutes. Next, add the milk and the sugar. Slowly stir in the cornstarch and bring to boil once again. Every now and then, stir to prevent lumps from forming. Lastly, add vanilla essence and serve. To lower calorie intake, use soy or skim milk and an artificial sweetener instead of sugar.

Cocoa tea is a filling, appetizing beverage and can be relished either in combination with a meal or as a dessert. It has a distinctive taste and is not as strong as hot chocolate. However, it is the closest to hot chocolate that any beverage can get.

Cocoa has many beneficial aspects. It contains antioxidants that ward off cancer, heart disease as well as minimizes the effects of aging.

Now, cocoa tea is in fact not the regular tea nor does it even come close to it. Nevertheless, it is a lovely, appetizing beverage, which can be had for breakfast, or lunch or supper. It can be best indulged as a dessert delicacy or a taken in combination with the main course. In addition, you can have cocoa tea along with dumplings, which are quite wholesome.

According to recent studies, tea, chocolate and red wine has many beneficial properties and hence holds a lot of promise. It is believed to be good to start the day with a mug of cocoa tea, to savor a cup of hot tea in the afternoons and to round off the day with a glass of sparkling red wine. In this way, you will tend to derive from all the three drinks, their respective health benefits.

Now, cocoa plants are actually small trees and they contain seeds that are cracked open and cleaned. Then the seeds, which are very bitter tasting, are left to ferment. Later, the seeds are roasted, broken, and then ground. It is heated to dissolve the fat and generate cocoa liquor that can be formed into chocolate. Then cocoa is extracted by pressing out the fat. Subsequently, by treating the dry powder, cocoa is produced.

If you wish to try something unusual and special, then cocoa tea is the right choice. It is a remarkable, tasty beverage!

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A Whiff of the Exotic – Jasmine Tea

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Occurring in hues of deep green, the jasmine leaves are imbued with the floral scent of jasmine. This floral perfume is a slightly dry and mild smelling one. It is suggested that jasmine tea be flavored with a little bit of a sweetening agent.

Tea, whose origins can be traced back to China, was actually made use of to lend a flavor to their bland-tasting water. The tea plant was grown more than 5000 years back. It was the Americans, who came up with the ingenious tea bag. While every single one of the tea plants comes from the very same species, the differences in soils and climates give rise to subtle changes in flavor.

Globally, China is the leading tea producer. Tea requires a tropical environment with plenty of rainfall in order to thrive.

In America as well as worldwide, tea has attained the most favored status. In fact, in certain areas, tea is mostly preferred to coffee. There are numerous tearooms and tea cafes springing up all over the country, which deal exclusively in a diverse range of teas.

Chinese green leaves, which are imbued with the scent of jasmine flowers, are used in the preparation of jasmine tea. These jasmine flowers are plucked and kept in a cool spot. The flowers blossom during the night and are then put on top of the tealeaves. Around 4 hours are required for the aroma of the jasmines to permeate the tealeaves.

More than two hundred species of jasmine plants exist. The flowers of these plants occur in colors of yellow or white. They carry a sweet-smelling perfume. It is believed that this sweet perfume heightens all the senses, leaving one with just pleasing and calming thoughts.

Now, jasmine tealeaves can be discovered in numerous places, which enjoy a tropical climate and are at high altitudes. These jasmine leaves are widely found all across the globe.

Jasmine teas come in 17 different varieties and belong to an exclusive category of teas because of their distinctive smell. Jasmine tea derives its unique taste from the perfumed flowers and not from any plants or oils. Jasmine, popularly called “queen of flowers”, imparts its fragrant perfume to add to the aroma and taste of this exotic tea.

Jasmine is believed to have medicinal properties to treat depression as well as having soothing qualities. It is an excellent remedy for dry skin.

The different kinds of tea available are classified based on grade and color. People belonging to the Middle Eastern countries prepare tea with water and tealeaves; the use of tea bags in these countries is negligible. People of these regions like taking their tea with honey, sugar, lemon, mint, or apple flavor.

The Fujian province is famous for the growing of the jasmine-flavored tea. It is in spring that the tealeaves are carefully picked and rolled into the shape of a ball by hand. Then they are stored until autumn. Subsequently, the tealeaves are imbued with the scent of jasmine and gently rolled into a tiny ball, the size of a pearl. Following this, the tea is enveloped in silken mesh and then left to dry.

Tea is naturally enriched with antioxidants and caffeine. It contains no carbohydrates, cholesterol, or fat. So relish the unique flavor of jasmine tea!

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