Tea

Tea leaves steeping in a Chinese gaiwan

Tea pickers at work in Assam, India

Tea is a caffeinated drink made from steeping the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.^[1] Tea can have other herbs, spices, or fruit flavors in it, like lemon.

Overview

Sometimes, tea is used for other drinks that have been made by soaking fruit or herbs in hot water, like "rosehip tea" or "chamomile tea". These are called "herbal teas". After water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world.^[2]

Types

There are three main types of tea: black tea, oolong, and green tea.

Black tea

To make black tea, leaves are dried with hot air until they turn brown or black. Next, they are broken into pieces and put into a room where they absorb oxygen, or oxidize. Chemical reactions change the taste and style of the tea.

Most black tea comes from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and eastern Africa. Another name used for black tea, especially in China, is red tea. That is because when black tea leaves are brewed in boiling water, the tea made from them looks deep dark red.

Oolong tea

Oolong tea is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea. It is produced by withering the leaves under strong sun.

Green tea

Green tea is made by steaming freshly picked leaves. This keeps them green. Then they are crushed and dried in ovens. India is the biggest maker and user of green tea.^[3]^[4]

Distribution

Tea is mainly grown in China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan, Nepal, Australia, Argentina and Kenya.

Brewing

Green tea is usually steeped for 2–3 minutes in water at 175 °F (79 °C), while black tea is steeped for 3–5 minutes in boiling water.

Blends

Earl Grey tea is black tea with bergamot oil
English afternoon tea is medium-bodied, bright and refreshing
English breakfast tea is a full-bodied, robust blend that is made to go well with milk and sugar
Assamese and Kenyan teas are blended with Ceylonese teas which adds a light, brisk quality to the blend

Gallery

Tea bags
Dried Oolong tea leaves
Tea from Scotland
Tea from Paris, France
A white mug with gyokuro tea with a kyusu tea pot to the right of it

Tea Media

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) from Köhler's Medicinal Plants, 1897
A 19th-century Japanese painting depicting Shennong: Chinese legends credit Shennong with the invention of tea.
Tea with ingredients, China
Tea-weighing station north of Batumi, Russian Empire, before 1915
The Raymond, Hugh Mckay Commander. The first vessel direct from China to Hull on her arrival on 14 October 1843 with a cargo of tea.
World map of tea exporters and importers, 1907
Fresh tea leaves in various stages of growth
Tea plantations around Mattupetty lake near Munnar, India
Women picking tea in Kenya
Tea plantation near Sa Pa, Vietnam