Tea comes from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. White tea, green tea, oolong and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are differently processed to attain different levels of oxidation. The name "sinensis" means Chinese in Latin. Older names for the tea plant include Thea bohea, Thea sinensis and Thea viridis. Camellia sinensis is native to mainland South and Southeast Asia but is today cultivated across the world, in tropical and subtropical regions.
Tea has many legendary stories and folklore. The most popular one was the discovery of tea by an emperor in China. Legend has it that in 2737 BC, tea was discovered by a traveling emperor named Shen Nung. While resting under a tree, his servants boiled water for drinking. A breeze went by and leaves from the tea fell in the boiling water. When the emperor drank the water, he refreshed and revitalized. Shen Nung, meaning "Divine Farmer", also is the Father of Medicine in China.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TEA?
Tea (Camellia Sinensis) goes through different kinds of processing to produce a variety of flavors and aroma.
Oolong Tea-Semi-fermented; also known as Blue-green or Wu-Long
Black Tea-Post-fermented; Known as Pu-Erhs (loose-leaf and compressed)
HOW TO BREW A CUP OF TEA?
Use 1 level teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every 6 oz. cup of water. We recommend using either spring or filtered water. City tap water is often slightly chlorinated and will affect the taste of tea. The ideal water temperature varies according to the type of tea. White and green teas are at their best when made with water around 170°F. If exposed to heat higher than this, the leaves are "burned", thus spoiling the aroma and could result in a bitter taste. For the other teas, the water should be around 203F (95C). If the water is not sufficiently hot, it will produce a flat liquor, preventing the leaves from unfurling properly and as a result, from releasing their full flavor.
