Health benefits of tea
Interesting article about the health benefits of many different types of tea:
“Though Jamaicans have their own definition of tea, the original comes from the camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub that may grow up to 60 feet in the wild. When cultivated for harvest, the bushes are kept at a height of about three feet. There are over 3,000 varieties of tea, each with its own specific characteristics.
What determines the classification of black, oolong, white or green is how the leaves are processed. The main difference in the varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. A lot of oxygen produces dark-coloured teas, but little oxygen results in green tea and unprocessed leaves are called white tea.
For Jamaicans, tea is any bush, root or leaf that can be used to make tea and green tea is any tea bag (popular brands being Lipton and Twinings). However, green tea makes up approximately 10 per cent of the world’s tea.
Production Process
The production process starts with withering, followed by pan-frying or steaming to prevent fermentation. Between steaming and drying, green tea leaves are rolled to give them the desired shape.
In China, this consists of eyebrow-shaped or twisted pieces, tight balls, flat needles, or curled whole leaves. Japanese green tea leaves are shiny green blades with reddish stalks and stems. Green tea is greenish-yellow in colour, with a grassy, astringent quality reminiscent of the fresh leaves. ”
DAAN carries a number of different teas, including:
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