Teas are among three kinds of plants that are historically and commercially relevant to many cultures – the others being coffee and cacao. What these three plants have in common is the presence of xanthine alkaloids – naturally occurring compounds that have special biological effects to the body. Among these xanthine alkaloids that are present in these plants, the most popular are theophylline (tea), theobromine (cacao) and caffeine (coffee).
The tea plant has its scientific name come from the Jesuit missionary Georg Josef Kamel (“Camellia”) and from its country of origin, China (“sinensis”). The word “tea” is of Chinese origin from the Hookien pronunciation of this Chinese character 茶. The plant itself is indigenous to the East Asian region, particularly in China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Tea as a beverage can be argued as the most widely consumed drink in the world (ironically, China is the most populated country in the world and tea is a staple drink there).
Culturally, tea is important in Asian cultures. In China, Japan and Korea, tea is very culturally rooted, with tea ceremonies being one of the practices that are traditionally practiced by families. With regards to religion, tea plays an important role in Zen Buddhism. Despite the cultural rootedness of tea in the Asian region, it also became part Western culture particularly in England and Russia. It is important to note that tea is not an exclusive commodity among the rich, but is also drunk by other levels in society.
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There are three basic kinds of tea: Black, Green and Oolong. These three types of tea differ by the flavor that they have. It is important to note that these three basic kinds of tea do not differ by the ingredients used, but rather in the way that they are prepared.
· Black tea is prepared by oxidizing its constituents through fermentation.
· Green tea on the other hand is prepared by drying the freshly picked leaves over mild heat skipping the oxidizing process.
· Oolong tea is unique such that it only goes through a partial oxidation, getting a flavor that’s a mix of Black and Green tea.
· It is important to note that herbal and medicinal teas are completely different from the three mentioned, for the fact that herbal and medicinal teas do not contain any tea leaves at all, but instead are made out of flowers, berries, peels, seeds, leaves and roots from other plants.
Teas – particularly Green tea – is good for human consumption such that it contains vitamin C, vitamin B and other essential compounds that promote good health such as riboflavin, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid. Moreover, minerals are also present within Green tea such as magnesium, potassium and manganese. Moreover, the xanthine alkaloid present in tea – theophylline – is used as a diuretic, mycocardial stimulant, and smooth muscle relaxant, making tea have good pharmacological effects in moderate consumptions.
Did you know?
· That tea was once considered to a prized commodity that it reached up to $100/lb
· Milk tea was first invented in 1680 by the Dutch
· That there’s a “correct” way of brewing tea
o Black tea for 3 to 5 minutes
o Green tea for 1 to 3 minutes with cooler water than black tea
o Water used must be aerated (oxygen is needed to release full flavor of tea)
· Five cups of green tea can provide decent amount of magnesium, potassium and manganese into the diet in relation to the daily averaged requirement
· A cup of green tea has more fluoride than the average fluorinated water
Reference:
Dayrit, Fabian. Alkaloids in Health and Commerce, (2010)
“Chinese Tea Ceremoy: It’s Importance.” Available from http://blog.elitedresses.com/2009/06/chinese-tea-ceremony-its-importance.html. Accessed on 08 October 2010.
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