Coffee 2 Tea

While there are thousands of different tea varieties, one tends to stand out as the most often quaffed.  While Earl Grey tea is popular around the world, the black tea from which Earl Grey is derived is the favorite amongst dozens of different cultures.  Earl Grey tea is standard black tea complete with the addition of bergamot oil, which gives the tea its natural citrus taste.  But black tea had been around for centuries upon centuries before the invention of Earl Grey tea.  While the exact location is not known, most speculate that black tea was first invented somewhere in ancient China, Mongolia, or Tibet.  The tea was renowned for retaining is flavor for several years, and was even used as a dye for clothing at some points throughout history.  Black tea accounts for more than 90% of all tea sold in the West.

While green tea has seen a revival in demand because of its renowned health benefits, black tea is still the choice of millions of people around the world.  In addition, black tea has a more distinct flavor and you can find premium discount tea due to its widespread availability. You can even find many tantalizing varieties of flavored black tea online or in your local grocery store.

Many coffeehouses are now selling chai tea or chai lattes, but what is chai exactly? In many countries, chai is actually the word for tea. In the U.S., chai has become synonymous with masala chai, which is a beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of spices and herbs. There is no set recipe for chai, but the spices usually consist of cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, pepper and ginger. Chai is usually served hot and sweet; the sweetness helps bring out the full flavors of the spices.

Chai tea can be brewed with black tea, the aforementioned spices, milk and sugar. It can also be found in prepackaged tea bags that are ready to brew. It’s also available as loose leaf and can be brewed with the help of a tea strainer. No matter how you drink chai, you’re sure to enjoy its sweet, distinct flavor – try a cup today!

There are six types of tea– Black, Green,White, Oolong and Scented and Compressed.

Black tea includes Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri form India: Ceylon and from Sri Lanaka; and keemun and Lapsang Souchong form China. Each has its own distinctive flavor and aroma. The leaves undergo four processing stages: withering (which happens when the leaves are laid out to dry), rolling, fermenting (a process that makes the leaves turn their familiar brownish color and imparts a healthy flavor), and drying. Darjeeling – considered to be the Premier of teas – is grown at varying altitudes in the Himalayas; the higher up it is grown, the lighter the tea. Especially prized by connoisseurs is the new season’s tea, the light and fragrant first flush Darjeeling, picked in April.

Green tea, which is paler and milder than black tea, was the first to be enjoyed throughout the world, but its popularity waned as peopled showed a preference for a stronger brew. There are only two processing stages involved in producing green tea: rolling and drying. Varieties include gunpowder form China and Matcha and Sencha from Japan.

White tea is produced in very small quantities in China and Sri Lanka and is available from specialist tea suppliers. A tea for the connoisseur.

Oolong tea is semi-fermented and is generally the most expensive type of tea. The best varieties are produced in Taiwan and include the exclusive Monkey picked.

Scented teas are made from green, oolong, or black tea flavored with fruits, herbs spices and flowers, such as roses, orchids, and jasmine.

Compressed teas are formed into ball, brick, hest, and cake shapes. These are produced in China.

Blended Teas

Blended teas have an important place in modern tea-drinking, particularly the English Breakfast tea blend. Originally a mix of black Indian and Chinese teas, today Assam, Ceylon, and African teas are blended to provide drinkers with the three elements they require – strength, flavour and colour. More exotic sounding is the blend of Chinese tea called Russian Caravan tea, which is named after the camel caravan that bought Chinese tea to Europe along the silk and spice trade route.

Earl Grey, so called after Charles, the second Earl Grey who was the Prime Minister of Britain between 1830 and 1834, is a popular blend. Made with Indian and Chinese teas, flavoured with bergamot oil, it is a refreshing tea, best served black or with lemon.

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of years drinking tea knows that there are so many different ways to prepare a basic cup of tea. And it seems like everyone has their own special way of preparing it. It’s almost as unique and distinctive as a fingerprint! To that end, the major ways are straight, with a sweetener, with milk, or with a sweetener and milk.

That sweetener can range from honey to varying amounts of granulated white sugar. The milk can also vary in quantity and form. Some enjoy the richness of cream while others can’t stand anything but a dash of skim milk. Some black tea connoisseurs cut the bitterness of straight tea by adding a small wedge of lemon. However you prefer your cup to be brewed, though, tea drinkers can rejoice in the fact that there are numerous health benefits to all kinds and varieties of tea.