Enjoying Teas At Home

Tea Photo & Free Image Found Here @Pixabay
   What is tea and why is it good for you? Is it really worth all the hype it gets with regard to weight loss? Tea has made a huge rise in western culture. You'll see it advertised in weight-loss markets, in supplements, as a popular healthy latte (aka matcha), suggested use for it's antioxidant health benefits, and then even more suggestions with holistic medicine in herbal decoctions. I love to have a cup of tea at bedtime or sip on iced herbal or green tea during the day. It's refreshing, cleansing, and can make a great night cap. It's also a sweet gesture to offer visiting guests. Because tea is something dear to my heart, I wanted to give you a better understanding of how it's made, what it is, and some varieties. I enjoy growing a few herbs in my garden just for drying and making into my own herbal decoctions* (*A term used to describe the process of using boiling water to draw out the volatile oils and essences of a plant.) Below you'll find answers to questions about tea and tips for making your own. 

What is tea?

   The majority of tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. It is known to have originated in now southern China. Tea is grown mainly in China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The leaves are hand harvested from the top of the plant. The newer growth is preferred. The different types of tea that you’re used to, green, black, oolong, and white teas all come from the same plant, harvested at the same time, but go through a different process from the time they’re picked to the time they reach your cup.

   Here is a basic summery of the process: the tea is first picked, then withered to remove excess moisture, it goes through a basic fermenting process called oxidation, and then possible steaming, more oxidizing, then drying, shaping, and packaging. There can be a lot more involved with the individual processes so if you’re interested in learning more of how it’s made, may I suggest YouTube for some really awesome videos.

Popular Types of Tea:

   Green Tea (My personal favorite)- A lighter tea compared to black teas but traditionally still caffeinated. It's color can range from yellowish to green to lighter brown. Green tea tends to be considered healthier because of the lack of processing it goes through. It is favored for high amounts of antioxidants. Green tea is typically flavored and infused with other herbs and oils to create a ton of different varieties. Matcha is made from the same process of green tea but is then ground into a fine power. 

   Black Tea- The most widely consumed and popular tea in the world. It is harvested, rolled, and oxidized the most of all the teas, baked and/or dried, and sometimes ground or shaken finely into what you would find in tea bags. It contains the most caffeine and usually has more caffeine than most coffee. I think it makes a great coffee substitute too. Black tea also has varieties like Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling (cue Buzz Lightyear as Mrs. Nesbit #unashameddisneyreference), and Breakfast Tea. Black tea has a good amount of antioxidants as well and boasts of heart health benefits. 

   Oolong Tea- A happy medium between green and black tea. The leaves are semi-oxidized and subjected to high temperatures. It is also known as wulong tea in China. 

   White Tea- The least processed of the teas, is basically only sun dried, using the most delicate leaves. It's considered by some as the most natural. It's flavor tends to be lighter and more delicate. I personally love white tea mixed with fruit flavors. White tea is said to have hair and skin benefits. 

   Herbal Tea- Herbal tea is a pretty general name because it can be a mixture of so many things. It can be a blend of any of the teas above coupled with herbs, fruits, flowers, roots and spices. However, an herbal tea can also contain no actual tea leaves and solely be a decocotion of herbs, flowers, roots, or spices. Traditional herbal teas have either small amounts of caffeine or no caffeine at all. These kind of teas are more popular in medicine for they can be tailored to the needs of the subject drinking them per the ingredients. For example, if you have an uncomfortable stomach, mint tea or ginger tea is great for calming it. Herbs that are used to aid in medicinal practices is a long time interest of mine and something I enjoy tinkering with. It is just so much fun to study the healing uses of herbs, and then to dry my own, and mix flavors. I will warn you though, teas do affect your body and need to be taken with care and understanding of what specifically you are consuming #diureticsarereal. Pregnancy comes with the most warnings of which teas, herbs, and things to avoid. So please ask your doctor if you are pregnant and unsure. A simple white tea with mint would be my favorite pregnant tea recommendation, one that is not caffeinated. 

Tea Products To Buy:

• When buying teas from the store or online do check the ingredients. Sometimes a mandarin orange green tea can just be a flavoring sans actual mandarin. There are also unknown additives in some teas.  The less ingredients the better and the more words you understand in the ingredients the better.

• Loose leaf teas tend to be healthier due to less break down of compounds and higher amounts of the good stuff. It's also nice to see the actual leaves. I love watching them unroll and twist open in a cup of hot water. It's so awesome how it infuses into the water. At some point you should get one of those blossoming teas to try out and witness the beauty of it blooming in the water. Makes a great gift idea as well.

• Research the company you're buying tea from, seems funny, but a more reputable tea company will most likely have better tea. 

• Check out the reviews for flavor. Sometimes a more sensitive palate might not prefer the bitterness of some teas and it's helpful to read how others perceive the tea purchased. 

• My personal favorite place to buy tea is at tea and spice shops where you can see the leaves, smell and sample the freshness, and get the amount you need. Loose leaf teas tend to taste better in my opinion.  Like a floral loose Jasmine Green Tea is so much brighter and has more depth in flavor, verses the ground tea bag version. Amazon and Thrive Market also have some really great online options.

• Don't buy into a tea gimmick that promises you results in your health or personal fitness. Nothing is 100% or you would see everyone doing it and reaping the results. More on that with health benefits of tea below. 

Is Tea Good For You And Does It Have All The Benefits As Advertised:

   Seriously, you can find tea extracts and tea products everywhere. Tea has been used as a medicinal plant and drink since the 2nd and 3rd Centuries in South West China. The Native American Indians have used herbal decoctions and medicinal brews from generation to generation. For something to last this long throughout the ages, there has to be some stock to it. Right? As far as I've found in my research, the simple answer is yes they are, however not in all the ways you would think. Research done in medical journals, at Harvard, and weight loss studies have shown that tea is helpful and can aid in the benefits of good health or weight loss but it cannot be solely relied upon. Tea can help you lose weight, but not because it's a miracle elixir. The antioxidants in green tea especially are said to help increase your metabolism. However, if you're drinking it with added sugar and other calories you can easily be canceling out those health benefits. Moreover, tea is basically helpful in weight loss mostly due to the hydration and flush of your system. It works a lot like water when it is plain. The caffeine can help you to have more energy for workouts, and can also replace a sweet craving by drinking a cup at night instead of eating a bowl of ice cream. Drinking tea solely instead of balancing it with water intake isn't helpful for the body either. It does carry in it antioxidants which are helpful in moderation. I wouldn't recommend taking green tea supplements unless your doctor explicitly suggests it. Just like with other supplements (and don't judge me for my views on this one) they can easily be abused and ignored on the amount your body actually needs as well as the amount your body already makes on its own. The best sources of vitamins and minerals come from the natural sources themselves (IE eating broccoli or citrus when possible instead of just popping vitamin C. This is because very high doses of vitamins and supplements can actually cause physical health problems.). 

   I don't say all of this to discourage any tea drinking. I personally have about two cups of it a day. My favorite way to enjoy it is by making a large pitcher of herbal green tea and keeping it in the fridge to enjoy over ice and possibly with a tsp of raw wild flower honey. There are all kinds of tea flavors that can be so helpful in using to curb sweet dessert cravings. Below I have a list of random helpful tea hints for enjoying and making tea. 

•  Do not over boil the water for tea. It can actually scald the leaves and give you a more bitter flavor. Right at 200 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect. If it does boil all the way just let the water sit for a minute before adding in the tea. 

• Steep your tea from 3-5 minutes, there is usually a time recommendation on the tea package instructions. Herbal teas will steep a little longer than black teas. 

• I will purposefully steep my green tea for a pitcher for about an hour to make it strong. Then add in a half tea to half water ratio. 

• You can make tea just like you can cold brew. Cold steep it, and then add about the same amount of water as tea. 

• Use regular tea bags and throw in a couple of herb leaves for more flavor and health boosts. Just know what those herbs are used for before adding them in. Like how dandelion roots are great for digestion as a tea. 

• Make your own mixed tea flavors by mixing teas with herbs. The ratio for me seems to be 2/3 tea and 1/3 herbs. Unless I'm making a strictly herbal tea. 

• Store your mugs upside down, on a clean surface, so no dust settles in them. 

• Boiling water in a kettle tastes better than in the microwave for some reason. 

• Cooking tea over a campfire is a fun way to try out a more rustic tasting tea. 

• Try not to clean out your tea kettle or tea pots with a heavy dish soap or chemical cleaners. Hot water and vinegar is best for when they need a good cleaning and it won't change the teas flavors after they have dried. They won't leave a residue like soaps will. 

• Have fun and be adventurous with new teas. There really is a world of tea out there to try and it's so fun learning about each culture and their take on teas. 

   Hope this discussion on tea was informative and helpful. I'd love to hear any comments or questions you might have. Also, tag me in your Instgram tea posts @RosemaryandGrace Thanks so much for reading along! 

Annnnd that's the Tea! 

Sincerely, 

Sarah Grace 

Dandelion I collect from my yard for grounding into tea.

Homemade tea brew made with lemon grass, lemon balm, lemon zest, lemon verbana, and green tea. 

Different tea blends I have on hand right now from the garden.