Having a nice cup of tea is truly a pleasure. Relaxing with tea smoothes out a hectic day and rejuvenates the spirit. Any of the Big Three – black tea, oolong tea, or green tea – will do the trick. Knowing what makes them different can help you decide which one you like best.
What Is Tea?
This may seem like a silly question. However, many kinds of herbs can be made into tea. The general agreement is that true tea comes from only one type of plant. It goes by the scientific name, Camellia sinensis. All true tea is made from this plant. It is one of the many species of camellia that are otherwise known as beautiful flowering shrubs.
True tea is sometimes distinguished from herbal teas by its caffeine content. A small number of other herbs do contain caffeine, though. The most common is a type of holly called Yerba Maté (Ilex paraguariensis). Herbal teas may also contain another caffeine-producing plant called guaraná (Paullinia cupana).
Black Tea Benefits
The Big Three of true teas differ by how they are processed after harvest. Making black tea involves the most oxidation, which turns the leaves to a deep black color. Black tea is typically laid out to dry for 8-24 hours, then rolled to get the leaves to crack open and allow more internal contact with oxygen. Oxygen reacts with enzymes to drive the oxidation of phenolics in the cells, which darkens the leaves.
Leaves are dried once more after oxidation has been completed. The overall result is the strongest flavor of all the teas. One of the important black tea benefits is that, by being completely oxidized, it will keep its rich flavor for many years.
Oolong Tea Benefits
In contrast to black tea, oolong tea is only slightly shaken in baskets after initial drying. This causes slight bruising that limits the amount oxygen entering the leaves. The partial oxidation process is halted by adding heat after a couple of hours, leaving crisp, dry leaves with a red-brown color.
Oolong is considered to be among the finest teas in the world. Oolong tea benefits come from the delicacy of its floral-fruity quality. This is why it is often referred to as the “champagne of teas.”
Green Tea Benefits
The health benefits of green tea are widely known and well-researched. They derive from a rich array of antioxidants that remain intact after a post-harvest process that does not involve oxidation. Leaves are quickly heated to dryness, which inactivates enzymes and enables leaves to retain a greenish or greenish-yellow appearance.
Green tea retains an astringent quality and a light, grassy flavor that you might expect from the lack of oxidation. The delicate flavor is often enhanced by the addition of jasmine flowers, which makes for a popular tea to accompany Asian styles of cooking. Jasmine green tea is often referred to as jasmine tea, although it is really a mixture that is comprised primarily of green tea. The powerful antioxidants and anti-cancer properties found in Green tea combine with some amazing effects, take a look at this Hydrating Gel Mask with Green tea
Which Will It Be for You?
Selecting one tea may be easy – a black for its richness, an oolong for its floral-fruity quality, or a green with jasmine for its sweet aroma and light flavor. Of course, having all three on hand would keep your options open for different situations. Black tea is a great way to start the day. Oolong tea, the “champagne of teas,” is wonderful as a relaxing special treat any time. Green tea, with the lowest caffeine content of all, is ideal as an all-day staple from morning until night, through dinner and afterwards.
Once you decide on which tea or teas you want to have, one more consideration is quality. In fact, this is perhaps the most important factor for deciding on which brand of tea to purchase. The possibilities seem to be endless.
The Smacha Tea Company stands out in this regard. Their teas are imported from their own tea gardens overseas. The company does its own harvesting, processing, and importing. It keeps strict control of every step in tea production. This is the foundation for their guarantee of having only top quality teas.
Three of the most popular of the Smacha Teas – #27 Red Black, Bai Hao Oolong, and Yin Zhen Jasmine Pearl – are now available online here at NaturalSkinRX.com. Go ahead and check them out. You deserve the goodness that these teas will give you.
