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But what IS tea

Greetings from blog-land.  It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to drop in weekly and explore the wonderful world of tea with you. I’ve been studying tea for more than a decade and have been writing about it for the past 2 1/2 years. Billy asked if I’d be willing to spend some time with you once a week, sharing some of what I know about tea.  Off we go.

I thought it made sense to start with the basics. What do we mean when we say “tea”?

To truly be “tea,” the leaves must be obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis.  There are two varietals of the plant: the Chinese subspecies, Camellia sinensis sinensis, and the subspecies that grows more commonly in India (and other locations), Camellia sinensis assamica.  It is from these plants that ALL tea is made: black, white, green, p’uerh, and oolong.  (I should also note here that there is no such thing as an “herbal tea.”  If it is an herbal blend of leaves and fruits and does not include Camellia sinensis, it is not actually tea.) One plant, five types of tea. It all sounds simple, right?  Not exactly.

Tea production is influenced by many factors: the land on which the tea is grown, altitude, the process by which it is picked and processed, and even the individual style of the person who processes the tea.  There are literally thousands of types of tea and, like wine, they vary from year to year.  The beauty of this diversity is that you have at your disposal a never-ending supply of teas to try.  Certainly it also means that there is a tea out there for everyone.  I hope that over the coming weeks and months I can help you find your personal bliss.

One of the first things you will want to learn about are the five kinds of tea and how they differ.  I’ll delve into that next week.  In the future the blog team will explore a wide variety of topics—the hundreds of locations where tea is grown, some history, tea in literature, entertaining, ceremony, and more. We also encourage you to submit your questions and ideas.

What is your favorite tea type? What is it that you reach for first?

Now go make yourself some tea.



Events

World Tea Expo
June 13-17, 2016 Las Vegas, NV

Natural Product Expo East
Sept 22-24, 2016 Baltimore, MD

Natural Product Expo West
March 10-12, 2016 Anaheim, CA