Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia.^[1] After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world.

There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content.

History[edit]

Tea drinking may have begun in the region of Yunnan, where it was used for medicinal purposes. It is believed that in Sichuan people began to boil tea leaves for consumption into a concentrated liquid without the addition of other leaves or herbs.

Tea was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century, at which time it was termed chá. In the early 17th century, a ship of the Dutch East India Company brought the first green tea leaves to Amsterdam from China.²

Tea became fashionable among the British upper classes in the late 17th century, and by the 19th century it had become a daily drink for people of every class.

Preparation

The traditional method of making a cup of tea is to place loose tea leaves, either directly or in a tea infuser, into a tea pot or teacup and pour freshly boiled water over the leaves.

Steeping times

• Green tea is steeped for one to two minutes at about 80 °C.
• Black tea is steeped for three to five minutes in water just off the boil.
• Oolong tea sits between the two, at around 90 °C for two to three minutes.

Tea is quiet, and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.

water = 250 ml
leaves = 2.5 g