Premium Tea Blends: Variety, Taste, And Value
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Since most completely pure teas are never the same, almost all teas available today are blends. A fine black tea plucked on a certain date from a particular estate or region will vary from year to year. Each year will have its own unique combination of taste and flavor.
There are two reasons for developing premium tea blends. Number one is to try to create a standard quality for a particular tea. A cost-conscious but quality tea blend can be created by mixing a small amount of high grade tea with a large amount of a lower grade tea. The other reason to develop a premium tea blend is to create a new flavor.
Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant, can be found in areas of both China and India. In the wild these plants can grow upwards of 90 feet in height. In the old days monkeys were taught to climb the plants to pluck the leaves and throw them to the bottom for collection. Today’s modern plants are maintained at about three feet in height to accommodate easy picking and cultivating of the leaves. All premium tea blends are stored out of the sunlight in an air tight environment to maintain the integrity and flavor of the tea leaf.
In addition to being warming and having a great taste, tea is very beneficial to your health. Over 25 different countries produce tea, the key players including China, Nepal, India, Japan and Sri Lanka. Thus there are at least 2000 varieties of tea.
Tea comes in three main types: Oolong, Green, and Black, with each one having its own variations. Green and Black tea are both derived from the same tea plant, but undergo separate processing to be created. The Black tea is created by oxidizing the leaves for several hours prior to the drying process, and the Green is created by steaming the leaves immediately upon picking. Oolong is of either Green or Black variety and is partially fermented to keep some of delicate flavors associated with black tea. Green tea has long been considered to be beneficial to your health for a variety of reasons and recent science has borne out that fact.
Tea became the Chinese national beverage of choice during the Tang Dynasty (816-906 B.C.). Prior to the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869, shipping tea from China to Europe was extremely expensive. Sea could travel by sea around the Horn of Africa, or overland through the Silk road, but it took months of transit time, and the tea lost some of it’s freshness along the way. Tea shipped by sea was known as “Canton” tea, and tea shipped overland was known as “Caravan” tea. Caravan tea was more highly valued as it was of better quality.
Today, tea is a major industry. In addition to premium tea blends, you can buy many tea related products and gift kits that would be greatly appreciated by members of your family, friends and co-workers. For example, themed tea gift baskets, tea and chocolate packages, tea chest and pots, holiday gift baskets, and many other types of tea related gifts are available. To find the perfect tea gift, go online and read some tea blend reviews.
Most teas currently available on the market are blends because pure teas can vary significantly from year to year. Premium tea blends are created for enhanced and consistent taste. The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, is grown in over 25 countries around the world. The three main categories of tea are black, green, and oolong. The differences between them lie in the processing. Recent scientific studies have shown that green tea has many health benefits. Tea gift baskets make an excellent gift that can be appreciated by just about anyone. Many tea blends reviews are available online.
- Sveinung Skoglund
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