Tea Origins & Varieties
Tea Quality
Tea Value
Tea and Health Benefits
Where Tea Comes From
Tea and Caffeine
Tea Storing
Tea Terms
Tea and Food
Tea Brewing
Good Water
Iced tea
TEA FAQ’s
TEA is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water.
Tea Origins and Varieties:
Tea is grown in thousands of tea gardens and estates around the world. Like wines, teas acquire their names from the areas and the estates they are grown. Each tea has its own unique flavor and charm. Teas are graded by leaf size, season they are picked, and how they are processed. The three basic kinds of teas are Black, Green, and Oolong. In the United States, about 94% of the tea consumed is Black; Green accounts for about 5% and Oolong the remainder. The White Tea is very rare and is produced exclusively from the buds or tips of the tea bush. Herbals teas are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of other herbal plants.
Quality of Tea:
Many varieties of pre-packaged tea–bags you normally see are made from “fanning” from tea processing operations. These are the smallest broken pieces of tealeaves during mass tea processing operations. This tea fanning does give you the color but not the full body flavor of real tealeaves. The teacup brewed from loose-leaf premium teas is much more superior in taste and flavor than a ordinary tea bag. Once you try our teas, you will never go back to regular tea bags.
The Tea Leaf Difference:
Premium loose leaf teas are processed from most tender buds from the top of the tea plants. Usually these tea buds and youngest leaves are plucked by hand. The new leaves produce a full body flavorful and gentle tea with wonderful taste.
Tea & Health:
So many people love this ancient beverage. TEA is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. Recent research has discovered that much of the primitive folklore about the health benefits of tea is actually true.
• Green Tea and Rooibos are loaded with antioxidants. The antioxidant properties of tea flavonoids may play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing lipid oxidation, reducing the instances of heart attacks and stroke.
• Tea is a natural source of fluoride and delivers 45% of your daily requirement, if you drink 3 to 4 cups per day.
• Tea-drinking has been associated with oral health and bone health.
• Tea without milk has no calories.
• Average cup of black tea contains half the level of caffeine than coffee.
Spice Hut carries over 150 premium teas and tea blends and flavors with teas from all major tea producing regions of the world for your taste and choice!
Caffeine levels of various beverages:
Tea is Lower in Caffeine than Coffee and Cola
Coffee 80 mg
Cola 45 mg
Black Tea 40 mg
Flavored Tea 40 mg
Oolong Tea 30 mg
Green Tea 20 mg
White Tea 15 mg
Decaf Tea 5-10 mg
Rooibos 0 mg
Herbal Tea Trace to 0 mg
Cost of a Cup of Premium Tea:
After water, tea is the most commonly used beverage in the world. One ounce of tea leaves make 10-12 teacups (8 oz) and one pound of tea leaves will make almost 200 cups. So most of the premium teas, offered at Spice Hut, cost less than a quarter per cup. What a bargain for a healthy and flavorful cup of premium tea.
Storing Tea:
The basic rule to store tea is “keep the air and light out”. Most teas can be stored for up to a year. Use an airtight opaque container to store tea. It is not necessary to refrigerate the tea, just store it in a cool unheated cupboard or drawer.
Good Water for Good tea:
Good water makes a great difference in the taste tea. Even the finest of tea varieties will taste ordinary, when prepared with poor water. Unfortunately, about a fifth of American taps dispense water, which cannot be labeled “good drinking water”. And such water definitely doesn’t add to the flavor of tea. As a healthy, and great-tasting alternative, we recommend chlorine free water or 100% pure spring water to brew your teas.
Iced Tea is Easier Than You Think:
Forget the tea powders and ready to mix pouches for Iced Tea. Real tea leaves make a great tasting Iced tea. And it is very easy to make. Simply double the amount of tea leaves (making it two teaspoons per cup of water), and steep as usual (five minutes in most cases). Once tea is ready, add an equal amount of ice. Add turbinado sugar or other sweeteners to your liking. Garnish with mint or lemon, and enjoy the great taste.
Milk in your Tea:
The British custom of drinking tea with milk has its roots not in taste but economics. The long journey from the Orient made tea prohibitively expensive. Milk, on the other hand, was cheap and became the condiment of choice for economic reasons. Many people actually enjoy a dash of milk in their tea.
Health Benefits:
Following references are for major research finding and publications outlining the health benefits of tea.
Scientific Sources
Tea saves your arteries Arts IC, Am J Clin Nutr 2001 Aug; 74(2): 227-32. Vita, J, Circulation, July 10, 2001.
Tea tames inflammation Haqqi TM, Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences, 1999; 96;4524-4529. Zuo-Feng Zhang, International Journal of Cancer 2001; 92:600-604.
Tea wipes out viruses Chou CC. Int J Food Microbiol 1999; 48:125-130. Interview with Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University. Kansenshogaku Zasshi 1997 Jun; 71(6): 487-94. Jack F. Bukowski, Harvard Medical School, Science News, August 21, 1999. p. 127.
Tea burns calories Dulloo, AG. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 70:1040-5.
Tea vs. cavities Touyz LZ, Quintessence Int 2001 Sep; 32(8): 647-650.
Tea vs. cataracts Thiagarajan G., Exp Eye Res 2001 Sep; 73(3): 393-401.
Tea vs. Parkinson's-like brain damage Levites Y. J Neurochem 2001 Sep; 78(5): 1073-82.
