Since most completely pure teas are never the same, almost all teas available today are blends. A fine black tea plucked on a certain date from a particular estate or region will vary from year to year. Each year will have its own unique combination of taste and flavor.
There are two reasons for developing premium tea blends. Number one is to try to create a standard quality for a particular tea. A cost-conscious but quality tea blend can be created by mixing a small amount of high grade tea with a large amount of a lower grade tea. The other reason to develop a premium tea blend is to create a new flavor.
Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant, can be found in areas of both China and India. In the wild these plants can grow upwards of 90 feet in height. In the old days monkeys were taught to climb the plants to pluck the leaves and throw them to the bottom for collection. Today’s modern plants are maintained at about three feet in height to accommodate easy picking and cultivating of the leaves. All premium tea blends are stored out of the sunlight in an air tight environment to maintain the integrity and flavor of the tea leaf.
Tea has many great health benefits, tastes good and warms the spirit. Tea is produced in more than 25 countries and there are over 2000 types and varieties. China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are the major tea producing countries.
The three main categories of tea are: Black, Green, and Oolong, each with its own varieties. Black and Green teas originate from the same tea plant, but are being processed differently. Black tea is oxidized for several hours before drying. And Green tea is steamed immediately after picking. Oolong (green/black) tea is also partially fermented to preserve some of the delicate flavor of the black tea. Green Tea has long been known as a health tonic, elixir, and satisfying beverage. Many scientific researches today have proved that fact.
Tea became the beverage of choice throughout China during the years of the Tang Dynasty. Prior to the Suez Canal’s establishment in 1869 it was a long arduous journey to get to from China to Europe, taking several months by land or sea and including expectation of lower quality tea upon arrival. There were two types of tea one that came by land routes and was known as ‘Caravan’ tea, and one by sea known as ‘Canton’ tea. ‘Caravan’ was the higher quality and more desirable tea in those days.
So many people love tea that it has quickly become a huge business. There are a lot of tea related items sold in various stores. In addition to the premium tea blends, tea kits make great gifts! These kits might include the following items: tea gift baskets that relate to a theme, tea and chocolate, tea chests, teapots, Yuletide gift baskets, teacups, etcetera, etcetera. The Internet provides a great resource for learning all about tea. You can start by reading several tea blends reviews.
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