Different Kinds of Tea

Your Cup of Tea

The different kinds of teas can be confusing, but most often we go by what we like and how it tastes. Tea contains antioxidants and polyphenols that help our bodies protect against inflammation which can lead to many diseases. What are the types of tea? Well, it depends on how the tea is produced during the oxidation process. For instance, white tea is the least oxidized tea. The process of oxidation allows the leaves to wither and air-dry after being picked. Black tea is the most oxidized tea allowing the leaves to wither then they are rolled or crushed to start rapid oxidation.

Process of Oxidation

White tea is pale with a subtle, sweet taste and, as I said, the least oxidized of the teas, but it has a high amount of antioxidants. Caffeine count per cup is approximately 15-20 mg.

Green tea has a high concentration of polyphenols. It has about 20-30 mg of caffeine per cup.

Oolong is partially oxidized and studies show that it can help stabilize blood sugar levels. The leaves once withered are bruised to stimulate more oxidation and then fired to remove the moisture. It is 30-50 mg of caffeine per cup.

Black tea is the most oxidized tea with 40-60 mg of caffeine per cup.

So no matter what your taste and preference, tea is a healthy way to go if you want to prevent disease and build immunity. The roomier the tea bag, the better flavor due to more circulation of the leaves. Bulk is best and will yield the best tea as the leaves can unfurl and release more flavor.

How to Brew a Great Cup of Tea

Bulk Tea

Brewing a great cup of tea doesn’t take rocket science, but it does take patience. As you probably know, there are many tools to help brew a cup of tea if you purchase bulk tea. However, it takes some knowledge of quantity and quality of the tea leaves, the amount of water and temperature of water, and the time for infusion. Making a mistake on any of these elements can lead to a strong, bitter taste that will give you a less than positive experience with tea.

Purified water is best to use versus distilled water. Purified water will still have some of the coveted minerals which can actually enhance some teas. The water should also begin by being cold rather than a warm or hot water. Furthermore, bringing it to a gentle boil is crucial to a good cup of tea. Boiling the tea at a gentle bubble will help to purify the water further.

Green tea requires a more gentle boil to bring out its delicate flavors. Conversely, black tea needs a heavier boil in order to enhance its baked sweetness due to being fully oxidized. Secondly, the length of time it takes for green teas is generally shorter while the time for heavier, black teas could be longer.

Types of Containers and Tea Strainers

Tea strainers range in type and style. There are tea balls, tea spoons, and tea infusers for every preference. Comically, some are fashioned into shapes like dolphins, deep sea divers, and tea bags just to appeal to the tea user. They range from stainless steel to silicone styles.

Tea pots can also impacts the tea when brewing. Green tea needs less temperature, therefore, porcelain or glass tea containers are good. Black tea requires a hotter temperature. Hence tea pots made of iron or Chinese yixing ware retain heat over longer periods of time than porcelain or glass.

General Tea Preparation Guidelines

Bring fresh, cold water to a boil in a kettle.
Remove from heat when it reaches a gentle boil.
Poor into a warm tea pot or tea cup (poor hot water into container prior to the tea water to keep temperature more consistent)
Add proper amount of tea to the pot or cup determined by number of people drinking the tea.
Poor water over the tea leaves and strain later or use a tea strainer to infuse the tea into the container.
Steep for required amount of time, usually five minutes, for preferred flavor and strength.

A cup of tea is a symbol of hospitality all over the world. There is nothing like drinking a fresh, brewed, flavorful tea with a friend. Enjoy!

Marshmallow Root

I opened up Boston Harbor to share marshmallow root with everyone. It is one of my favorite herbs because everyone benefits from this plant. Althaea officinalis is its latin name.

It helps with many different things like reducing inflammation, immunity, anti-aging, disease resistance, kidney weakness, lowers blood sugar levels, shrinks and softens growths, and had protein to build muscle.

Marshmallow is also filled with many nutrients like vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, oxygen, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. The list could go on and on.

This plant is amazing!

Marshmallow grows in yards all over. Growing to around 4 feet in length with stems that have jagged edged leaves that are covered with fine hair. The flowers that can grow up to 2 inches wide with colors the vary from white, light red, or purple. You can harvest marshmallow yourself and use all of it’s parts. The roots can be dried and used for tea, the flowers are good for dry chapped skin, and the leaves can be put into a salad and eaten.

Caution:

However, if you use chemicals on your lawn, you do not want to use those. These plants have been tainted by the chemicals. If you do decide you want to start harvesting the marshmallow plant, wait two years after your last lawn treatment and you should be able to harvest them the third year.

When marshmallow root is dried it can be white and fluffy or chunky with a little bit of fluff. It all depends on how it is prepared. When making the tea, it has a faint yellow color if any at all. Marshmallow does not have much of a flavor, it’s not sweet or bitter so if you mix it with another tea or flavor it’s not going to ruin the taste of your drink.

Here is this fun rhyme to help you remember the uses of marshmallow:

Dry places are moistened
Hard conditions are softened
Inflammation goes away
Tissues resist decay.
-Cathie-