Of historical note, tea is nearly 5,000 years old and was discovered, as legend has it, in 2737 b.c. by a Chinese emperor when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water. In the 1600s tea became popular throughout Europe and the American colonies. Since colonial days, tea has played a role in American culture and customs. Today American schoolchildren learn about the famous Boston Tea Party protesting the British tea tax -- one of the acts leading to the Revolutionary War. During this century, two major American contributions to the tea industry occurred. In 1904, iced tea was created at the World's Fair in St. Louis, and in 1908, Thomas Sullivan of New York developed the concept of tea in a bag.
Tea breaks down into three basic types: black, green and oolong. In the U.S., over 90 percent of the tea consumed is black tea, which has been fully oxidized or fermented and yields a hearty-flavored, amber brew. Some of the popular black teas include English Breakfast (good breakfast choice since its hearty flavor mixes well with milk), Darjeeling (a blend of Himalayan teas with a flowery bouquet suited for lunch) and Orange Pekoe (a blend of Ceylon teas that is the most widely used of the tea blends). Green tea skips the oxidizing step. It has a more delicate taste and is light green/golden in color. Green tea, a staple in the Orient, is gaining popularity in the U.S. due in part to recent scientific studies linking green tea drinking with reduced cancer risk.
Oolong tea, popular in China, is partly oxidized and is a cross between black and green tea in color and taste. While flavored teas evolve from these three basic teas, herbal teas contain no true tea leaves. Herbal and "medicinal" teas are created from the flowers, berries, peels, seeds, leaves and roots of many different plants.
(Click on the following herbs to learn about them!)
Marjoram Stevia Mallow Flower Rose/Rose Petal Lover Carefree Lemongrass Peppermint Chrysanthemum Lavender
(European Diet Tea)
Marjoram
is the graygreen leaf of Majorana
hortensis, a low growing member of the mint
family:
Ease stomach upset,
eliminates fat
(Herbal
Tea)
Natural
sweetener and flavor enhancer.
Great to drink along or add in to other floral
teas , black or green teas as sugar substitute
Mallow
was known as a cure-all in the 16th century. It has the ability to soothe:
Coughs, Sore Throats
The
rose has a long history of medicinal use including:
Blood and skin tonic
Tonsillitis, insomnia
Prevent constipation
(Fruit-Floral
Tea)
Contain
natural Vitamin C and Folic acid, Ingredient:
Apple and
Rose / dried
Black Chestnuts / dried
(Fruit-Floral
Tea)
Including
the ingredients:
Hibiscus / Vitamin C
Strawberry / dried
Rosehips / Vitamin C 60
times more than lemon
(Herbal
Tea)
Lemongrass
adds a pleasant citrus taste to tea.
Excellent
digestive herb.
Help those who have
trouble sleeping.
Drink Hot before going
to bed .
(Herbal
Tea)
Refreshing
& cleansing to the mouth.
Effective
antispasmodic.
Treat morning sickness
& other forms of nausea.
Can be drink hot or Iced
(Floral Tea)
Is
both sweet and bitter, and has a slightly cooling effect on the body.
As a result, it is wonderful to drink on its own on Hot, Stuffy days.
(Floral Tea)
Has many therapeutic properties
that help to relax the body during stressful situations such as headaches,
low spirits, muscle tension, and nervous debility
