Tea Primer

Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.

- Yogi Tea quote


Types of Tea

Green Tea - has the most potent antixodants; is somewhat cooling; is the least caffeinated

White Tea - delicate (because made from buds); the least processed; a cooling tea; has the most antioxidants and slightly more caffeine than green tea

Oolong Tea - has fewer antioxidants (because it's partly oxidized); tends to raise spirits and inspire, whereas green and black tea are more grounding; somewhere in between warming and cooling; has more caffeine than green or white tea but less than black


Black or Red Tea - 100% oxidized; has less-potent antioxidants (or flavenoids); a warming tea

image from McDuff's Tea Room

Active Ingredients in Tea

Antioxidants - These molecules prevent free radicals from causing cell decay, deterioration, and destruction. They help us live longer and enjoy greater health.

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) - Has been found to be over twenty times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing the lipids that create free radicals. One cup of tea is the antioxidant equivalent of a cup of blueberries. It's been shown to relax blood vessels, inhibit blood clots, improve blood cholesterol levels, block the production of an enzyme (urokinase) that accelerates tumor growth, and assists in the production of healthy DNA.


Theaflavins and Thearubigens - Found in oolong and black tea, they come into contact with the enzyme polyphenol oxidase during the rolling process and are joined together with it. These oxidized polyphenols seem to have a calming effect on digestion.

Gallic Acid (GA) - An antioxidant with anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.


Theanine - A rare amino acid found in tea and one form of mushroom. L-theanine promotes relaxation without drowsiness by stimulating GABA and serotonin (inhibitory neurotransmitters) and dopamine, a neurotransmitter that reduces blood pressure and enhances mood. L-theanine also appears to improve memory and learning performance, and it may reduce PMS symptoms. Theanine also primes the immune system against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and it appears to exhibit anti-tumor activity.


Caffeine Content

Black tea contains roughly half the amount of caffeine found in coffee. Green, white, and oolong tea usually have lower amounts of caffeine: oolong has more than white and white has more than green.



If a stranger say unto thee that he thirsteth, give him a cup of tea.
-Confucius



Resources
Blofield, The Chinese Art of Tea (1985)
Chow and Kramer, All the Tea in China (1990)
Mitscher and Dolby, The Green Tea Book (1998)
Pratt, New Tea-Lover's Treasury (1999)
Tizer and Fellman, Tea Here Now (2005)


A special thanks to Ms. Fellman for her delightful and informative presentation, "Tea Here Now" (from which this information is derived), at Miraval.

Best Chai in New York City

I found it! It's brewed at a place called The Bean near Union Square, right across the street from Strand. They use David Rio chai, and you can drink it hot or iced with regular, soy, or almond milk. They pride themselves on their Dirty Chai (with a shot of espresso), which I didn't try, not being a coffee person myself. My iced soy chai was refreshing and sweet!

Kir Royal Hibiscus tea

Took a long stroll outside yesterday since it was a beautiful spring day, and I stumbled into Spices and Tease. I ordered iced "Kir Royal Hibiscus" tea, and it was delicious. With hibiscus, blueberries, papaya, raspberry, strawberries, and rose petals, how could it not be good?

Chai Latte

Anyone who knows me well knows I love chai lattes. I've tried making them myself, but they never seem to come out right. The balance of spice, milk, and honey (or any sweetener of choice) is a delicate one, and my $10 milk frother doesn't seem to be up to the challenge. Perhaps one day I'll give it another go, but for now I'm content to let Oren's and Joe's brew my chais.

What most of us think of as chai is really "chai masala latte," spiced tea with milk (chai = tea; masala = mixed/spiced; latte = milk). "Chai" itself is really just a generic term for tea in the Indian subcontinent. The chai lattes sold in the West today derive their inspiration from this original, simple beverage but deviate from it quite a bit and are usually over-sweetened, in my opinion.

Oren's brews its own chai from scratch, mixing tea, cardamom, cinnamon, anise, peppercorn, and cloves (or some variation on that theme). I order it with soy milk and honey.

If your only option is Starbucks, I'd recommend ordering it with less of the chai mix than they normally use, cutting back on sweetness and calories. Also consider asking them to make it without water--tastes infinitely better when it's just milk and chai.

Enjoy!

Ginger Peach Longevity Tea

Quite simply, I want to recommend this tea. I'd been looking for a way to wean myself off of chai tea lattes when I spotted Ginger Peach Longevity Tea and decided to try it. The ginger is very subtle--I'm not convinced I taste it at all--and the peach is soft and delicious, the black tea exquisite. What also strikes me is the smoothness of the blend. It's perfect in the morning with breakfast; as a black tea it contains more caffeine than most teas, though not as much as coffee. And I like it with a bit of honey (to brighten the flavor and cut any hint of bitterness, particularly if you've over-steeped). Tastes best when it's cooled a bit to a gentle warmth, not steaming hot. It's also supposed to be excellent iced, though I've only tasted it hot. Enjoy!