Coffee, Tea? Tea Would Do You Good
Wu Long Tea
Have you ever watched the movie Working Girl? It is a rather old movie yet, when I think about tea, I can see Joan Cusack, pretending to be Melanie Griffith’s secretary and asking Harrison Ford in a scene of the movie “Coffee, Tea, Me?”
I can ask you the same thing, yet referring to tea only.
So, how about a cup of tea? We can sit down and approach almost any subject and at the same time enjoy sip by sip a cup of tea. It comes in all colors, white, green or black, all sorts of fragrances and aromas, making your life more beautiful, enchanting your gustatory papillae and bringing enormous benefits to your body.
Most of us simply enjoy its taste and don’t think about the benefits they bring to our bodies. Considered to be the second most consumed beverage in the world, after water which has also proven to be vital in our lives, it has somehow developed a whole culture of tea. We can find a whole variety of teas, coming from all the corners of the world.
It has been with us for a long time, yet we seem not to know for how long exactly. Some say that its beginnings go back to China, and to one of its emperors, mainly Emperor Shen Nung, who accidentally happened to discover tea. As it seems that at that time he had already discovered the benefits of drinking hot water, as he did so, enjoying nature at the same time, a leaf found its way into his cup with hot water. This happened 5000 years ago. The emperor clearly enjoyed the refreshing beverage as he went to find more things about the phenomena taking place in his cup and as such we are able to taste this unique drink.
Interesting legend, even more interesting beverage.
Interesting enough is the fact that all the four main types of tea – white, green, oolong and black – come from the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis. The color of the tea is to be determined by the process the leaves undergo before reaching your cup.
Man’s companion during hot and cold times, it can be enjoyed in the morning, afternoon or evening, whether you feel ill or good, therefore it can be considered a loyal friend.
As the source of all teas is the plant called Camellia sinensis, and as this one is mainly cultivated in India, Japan and China, it is no wonder that these happen to be the countries which have developed some kind of tea culture.
All these countries provide us wonderful tea types. China offers us white and green teas, Japan welcomes our tea demand with “sencha” and”gyokuro”, tea like beverages, and last but not least important India which brings us the world’s most consumed tea, the famous Indian black tea, like Assam tea and Darjeeling tea.
India is also considered to be the world’s largest tea producer, as it is said that 850000 tons of tea are being processed each year in this country.
What type of tea would you like to drink? You may choose as there is a wide variety of teas.
When it comes to green tea, this is mainly consumed in China and Japan. It is believed to contain far less caffeine than the others and to carry on more healthy benefits as well. It is believed that it brings endless benefits to our immune system, and surprisingly enough if you want to have beautiful teeth you should give it a try. According to U.S. scientists drinking green tea may help prevent tooth decay as well as bad breath. The chemicals existing in the green tea contribute to the destruction of bacteria and viruses, and as such prove to be very effective.
This may be considered another helping hand coming from nature. You should accept the help.
In case you want to lose a few pounds, or perhaps you wish to make disappear all those wrinkles on your face, or at least decrease the aging process undergone by your skin, you should taste Oolong tea, also known under the name of wu long tea. If you like sweet, floral teas then this is the perfect choice for you.
Rich, earthy and malty taste? You must be referring to black tea. Being widely consumed for its taste, it is what everyone calls a must in terms of teas.
Have you heard about the so called 5 o’clock tea? Well British made this tea their “afternoon tea”. They usually drink it with milk, honey, sugar or lemon. Therefore it can be considered to please everyone’s taste.
So, what are you waiting for? Go have your cup of tea and come back in front of your computer.
The most refined type of tea proves to be the white tea. Being considered the”younger” brother of the other types of teas it is considered to be loaded with the most health benefits. Carrying on a fruity aroma, a very light drink, tasting sweet, this type of tea boosts the immune system, helps improve oral hygiene, fights cholesterol, blood pressure and has proven to be an excellent ally for the heart.
Its name derives from the fact that the leaves are picked before they fully open, and as such have a whitish aspect.
If all these information haven’t convinced you, then most certainly its taste will.
If you happen to be a tea fan and you have one cup of tea in front of you just now, then it is probably one of the three billions cups of tea which are said to be consumed daily worldwide.
Were you ever interested in finding out the benefits tea brings into your life?
In case you haven’t been so keen on teas, you should find out that tea contains catechins, a substance which is said to reduce people’s risk of heart disease and diabetes as well.
If you think about reducing the caffeine then the best thing to do is to start your day drinking a cup of tea instead of coffee. The amount of caffeine that you can find in a cup of tea goes half of the amount that you could find in a cup of coffee.
And in case you happened to try and find a solution to the bad smells that sometimes may surround you, then tea is the answer. It has been discovered that it is odour absorbent, being able to remove bad smells especially from your skin. All you have to do is pour a cup over your hands.
Another use of tea is connected to skin, better looking skin around your eyes. If you happen to have had a harsh night, without much sleep in a long period of time, and you have swollen eyes or what some call puffy eyes you should consider using teabags.
In case you have fallen asleep while sitting in the sun, tea soothes your skin and helps it heal faster.
Therefore, these are just a few of the numerous, fantastic uses of tea.
Yet, if you thought this was all about tea, then you are mistaken.
Have you ever heard or seen a Russian Samovar or perhaps a traditional Yixing Chinese Tea pot?
If you didn’t know, the Russian expression “to have a sit by samovar” means to have a talk while drinking a tea. You can find samovars in all shapes: cylindrical, barrel, spherical or Ornate Urn shaped. It appears that like the Chinese, Russian people have developed a Tea culture thus making necessary the existence of a device for keeping the tea hot. And what better device if not the unique samovar. It has often been mentioned when talking about the Czar and the Russian elite. Interesting enough is also the fact that the Russians are not use to drink the tea from the traditional cup of tea, yet they use instead what they call stakans or podstakanni, that is a glass with metal holder.
On the other hand, when serving tea Chinese people use traditional pots called Yixing Tea Pots. These pots are highly valued as they are made from a clay which being porous allows the pot to absorb the flavor of each pot brewed. It has been also said that being aged enough, such a pot could brew a pot of tea without adding any leaves.
Therefore, there seems to be a whole tea ritual. You should make one for yourself too, trying to find out which one of these teas you like best.
You may try and relax out on your house’s porch, or in your apartment, slowly sipping the sweet tea from your small nice cup.
How does this sound to you?
If you decide to do so, then you should also play on some appropriate music. And as such you may be able to set your mood for the whole day.
And in time you might say the same thing that Samuel Jhonson said ” I am a hardened and shameless tea drinker, who has for twenty years diluted his meals only with the infusion of this fascinating plant;whose kettle has scarcely time to cool;who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes the evening.”
11
