Tea Time 101

Posted by in News

cup of teaEvery cafe and coffee shop in America seems to know extensive knowledge about coffee.  But when it comes to tea, there seems to be a huge lack of knowledge and that makes me sad and frustrated because I am an avid tea drinker and a coffee avoider.  To make my life easier, I’ve decided to post a summary version of tea knowledge in hopes that the knowledge will spread and I will no longer be uncaffeinated, over-caffeinated or served tea that tastes like dirt ever again.

Summary:
Tea all comes from the same plant.  The time that it is picked and its processing determines if the tea is green, black, white or oolong. Herbal tea is actually not a tea but an infusion with other herbs, fruits, … and is called tisane.

Caffeine Content
Tea comes in caffeinated (~40mg/ cup) and decaffeinated, just like coffee. You would never switch it on a coffee drinker, tea drinkers expect the same respect.

Herbal tea is always (I’m sure there is an exception somewhere) caffeine free.

Taste
Now you aren’t going to please everyone and although you may not notice it, there is a difference in taste.  Offering a couple of choices, aside from generic and iced tea bags, is much appreciated.

Temperature
I enjoy a nice hot cup of tea but when the water is near boiling, not only do I have to wait 45 minutes to sip it, but this also scorches the tea. You don’t like burnt coffee, do you? If the water MUST be that hot, please give the tea bag separately and maybe even offer to top the cup off with cold water or a couple of ice cubes.

Benefits
Tea contains polyphenols (antioxidants), which help to rid the body of free radicals and therefore may help to fight or prevent disease.  These properties are present in all caffeinated teas, are not present in herbal teas and are their level of presence is undetermined in decaf teas.

More info:
Dr. Tea is a great source for tea tips.
How healthy are decaf green teas… – CNN

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