Fighting Bacteria

When it comes to fighting off bacterial viruses, Chinese green tea is an excellent option.  However, new studies also show that white tea and white tea extract have an antiviral effect on people, specific to pathogenic viruses.  In fact, this type of healthy tea extract is now being added to some toothpaste brands, serving as an oral antimicrobial for better health.

Green tea, loose black tea, oolong tea, and Chinese white tea all come from the Camellia sinensis plant.  For white tea, the leaves are harvested while still very young, a time when the buds are covered with a white “hair like” substance, thus the name.  This Chinese herbal tea is grown and harvested primarily in China, specifically the Fujian Province, where this form of tea has actually been grown for hundreds of years.

Growing Environment of White Tea

This plant grows throughout China where they receive a significant amount of sun and rain.  Because of the perfect environment in which the Camellia sinensis plant is grown, white tea ends up with outstanding properties.  One of the best varieties known is called Silver Needle, which is made from the buds only.  Every bud is handpicked from the plant but only during March 15 and April 10, a time when the buds have become ideal for the most incredible flavored tea.

Other types of white tea are made with the buds and leaves, which are first withered for a few hours and then dried in the open air.  The outside temperature and moisture content in the air also work to produce amazing flavor and healing properties of this specialty tea.  Tea growers understand the balance that must take place for indoor and solar withering so the tea comes out to perfection.

The benefits of Chinese white tea is that it can be enjoyed any time day or night, hot or cold, and in the summer or winter.  More and more people have discovered the beautiful balance of this exotic tea, which promotes peace and relaxation.  Just sitting down with a cup of tea creates a tranquil atmosphere or it can be enjoyed while sitting around with friends.  White tea also helps improve concentration and improve overall mood.

Keep in mind that tea is made by leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant, each hand picked to maintain integrity.  The people that spend hours each day plucking the leaves look for the most tender and youngest the plant produces.  With that, they know they can produce the finest quality possible, whether the best green tea, black tea, white tea, or oolong tea.

Tea Processing

Tea is processed with the CTC method, which involves crushing, tearing, and curling.  In this case, tiny pieces left over are used to make green tea bags, black tea bags, and so on, as well as concentrate for ice tea.  The large leaves and pieces are used for making quality loose leaf tea, which is the best you can buy.

Once the tea has been harvested and processed, it can be blended with other types of tea or flavorings, herbs, and flowers that enhance flavor and aroma, as well as color, texture, and body.  Because of this, you can choose any blend you want, finding one or several to enjoy daily.

Incredible Flavors for Tea

You can choose subtle or bold green and black tea blends depending on your preference.  For instance, Chai green tea and Kashmiri Chai are excellent options that have a spicy flavor.  This type of tea comes from the northern part of the India Himalayas, which is typically enjoyed with a little fresh cream and honey.

Amazingly, just four ounces of quality loose leaf tea can produce more than 50 cups.  However, if you were to purchase bulk green tea, bulk black tea, or some other type of bulk tea, from a single pound, you would get 200 cups.  That means you are paying just a few cents for each cup of delicious tea you enjoy.

For a smooth flavor enjoyed in the afternoon, Nepalese Afternoon Tea blend is great.  This grows in the Himalayan country of Nepal just at the base of Mount Everest.  This tea is simply delicious with subtle flavors of honey, sandalwood, and lotus.

Rose Tea is also a beautiful choice, which has a rich flavor and aroma.  In this case, the tea is made from quality loose leaf black tea that has been enhanced with rose petals.  Because of this, you end up with a type of tea that is light and refreshing, while producing a hint of floral.  Rose Tea is versatile in that it is excellent hot or cold.

Classic Tea

If you prefer a more authentic type of tea, one with rich flavor then Shinharaja is a consideration.  This tea comes from loose, dark leaves that are carefully grown in the hill country of Ceylon.  The finish of this loose black tea is carmelized, which gives it a unique consistency of molasses.  Since it is so rich, most people will add a little cream and sugar but on a cold day, this is the perfect choice.

Then, Earl Grey is smooth with a classic flavor that people love.  Named after a 19^th century Prime Minister, this blend is made with lavender and bergamot.  While deep, it is also subtle.  The high quality of Earl Grey can be enjoyed winter or summer, and most people that try it fall in love.

Tea for Emotions

Just as different specialty teas are chosen for flavor, others are chosen based on mood.  Because black tea is so versatile, it works well for anyone and any emotion.  Again, once you try Chinese black tea, you will likely move on to sampling different blended tea, finding several you simply cannot live without drinking daily.

Most people try a large variety of teas before they find three or four that stand out.  This tasting process is important since everyone has different preferences regarding flavor.  In fact, many tea companies will send small samples for a small fee so you do not have to pay full price for something you end up not liking.

With so many remarkable blends of black tea, you can find a flavor that is smooth and light or one that is deep and rich.  Even aromatic qualities vary depending on the exact blend.  For years, you were limited to black tea blends from local companies but now with the internet, an entirely new world has been introduced.

All you need to do is conduct an online search through any of the major search engine and in response you will find a long list of possibilities.  Remember, it may take a few samples to find what you like but with such incredible choices, you will find black tea blends that are perfect for your personal taste.

Therefore, cutting down on calorie intake is the first step.  Obviously, you still need to eat enough food to provide the body with nutrition so you need to cut calories but without putting your body at risk.  A great way to burn calories is with exercise.  Just 30 minutes a day would boost metabolism so you lose weight.

For long-term increase of the body’s metabolic rate, lifting weights is an excellent option.  Remember that muscle uses a high amount of calories, even when not being used.  Therefore, to continually burn calories, it helps to increase muscle mass.

Increasing Metabolism

If you are working on dropping unwanted pounds, boosting your metabolism is essential.  Now, as mentioned, you want to reduce calorie intake but not too much.  The reason is that when you reduce calories significantly, the body automatically slows down and begins saving the calories as fat since it believes it is being starved.  In fact, the more you cut out calories the slower you will lose weight.

Instead, the key is losing weight is to reduce your calorie intake a little and then use exercise to burn additional calories.  Remember, exercise increases the body’s metabolic rate, which makes burning calories more efficient.

Losing Weight with Tea

Another secret that many people are still unaware of for losing weight is by drinking healthy tea.  Study after study show that some types of tea, such as Chinese Black tea increase metabolic rate.  Additionally, various forms of herbal tea eliminate the absorption of fat coming from your diet.

Reducing the amount of fat your body stores helps with weight loss and drinking tea accomplishes that.  In addition, this means cholesterol levels are also lowered.  After all, when triglycerides, which are a type of fat begins to increase, your cholesterol level would also increase.

However, the greatest quality tea has associated with weight loss is increasing metabolism.  It has been believed that drinking Chinese tea, green tea, loose white tea, oolong tea, and loose black tea helps with controlling weight.  While more studies are needed, it appears there is a direct correlation between the two.

Other benefits of drinking tea that have been identified include slowing down the aging process and preventing disease.  Because of this, a tremendous amount of research has gone into research specific to tea.

Beneficial Antioxidants

A number of studies show that Chinese green tea helps prevent cancer and heart disease.  The reason is that green tea is loaded with antioxidants, which are vital to good health.

Antioxidants fight free radicals, which are the result of a byproduct associated with the digestive system.  Carrying oxygen that contains molecules to the cellular structure of the body and DNA is what free radicals do.  However, if you were to eat a diet containing antioxidants, damage caused by free radicals would be eliminated.

Many plant sources contain antioxidants such as fresh fruits and vegetables and while beneficial, tea is by far the best way of getting antioxidants into the body.  This is why tea has become increasingly popular over the years.

Japanese Study

In Japan, the University of Tokushima conducted a study to determine the effect of tea on the way the body burns calories.  This particular study focused on men that were stopped from drinking tea containing caffeine and antioxidants for four days.

Prior to the study, the men were examined to determine the number of calories they typically burned on a daily basis.  Then, for a period of three days, these men ate a standard American diet.  In addition, four groups were created, each being given a different regime that includes:

1. Water
2. Water, with 270 milligrams of caffeine (similar to what tea contains)
3. Tea, at full strength
4. Tea, at half strength

The study then compared the men who drank water with those that drank the full strength tea.  The results showed an increase of energy expenditure of 2.9%.  However, men that drank the water containing caffeine saw an even greater increase of 3.4%.

Now, for the group of men that drank the full strength tea, fax oxidation was also increased, 12% more than men that drank only water.  Interestingly, fax oxidation at this level was not seen in the men that were given the water containing caffeine.

The study suggests that while caffeine can boost the body’s metabolism, it is not enough to help with weight loss.  However, tea, which contains caffeine, as well as antioxidants, shows a significant connection with weight loss.

We know that tea is a healthy beverage, which is why people all over the world drink it.  However, using tea to lose weight is not only effective but it is also safe.  Therefore, including tea as a part of your weight loss program would help you drop unwanted pounds faster.

Along with these two Asian countries, we also see other countries now growing white tea to include India and Sri Lanka.  The challenge is that while many people understand white tea grown in Asia, they are unfamiliar with this kind of tea coming from any other country.  However, as the popularity of white tea continues to expand, it will not be long before white tea from all countries is recognized.

Tea from Ceylon Sri Lanka

The colonial name of Sri Lanka is Ceylon, which is a country ranked as the third largest producer of tea.  While loose black tea is the most common type coming out of Sri Lanka because of the more than one million people living there that love it, we are now seeing new varieties produced.  Known as Ceylon tea, it accounts for almost 20% of tea consumed around the world.

In the highlands of Sri Lanka, tea has been grown for 4,000 years.  One of the things that make black tea from Sri Lanka different from Chinese black tea is that it can be harvested all year.  For white tea, this is grown near Adam’s Peak near the region of Nuwara Eliya, which is about high above sea level.

Flavor of Ceylon Tea

Another unique aspect of Ceylon tea, regardless of type is that the flavor is very distinct from tea grown in Asia and India.  For one thing, Ceylon tea has a mild flavor and aroma.  Then for white tea grown in Ceylon, the color is also unique, being more of a gold or copper color and the flavor has a hint of pine and honey.

The harvesting process of Ceylon white tea involves all of the leaves being hand rolled.  This process includes the leaves being laid out to dry and wither in direct sunlight.  Keep in mind that while this type of exotic tea is grown in Ceylon, only a very small part of the country is involved, which makes it rare and expensive.  Unlike other countries where white tea is produced in mass quantities, it is farmed very little in Ceylon, making it the costliest of all white tea grown.

Tea from Darjeeling India

In the northeast part of Indian is a region called Darjeeling, which is situated in the Himalayas foothills sitting in between Bhutan, Nepal, and Sikkim.  Of all places in the world that produces tea, Darjeeling is one of the best known, producing tea with a wonderful and distinct flavor.  With more than 80 tea gardens spread out, approximately 52,000 people from Nepal work the fields and an additional 15,000 help plucking in the spring part-time.

Teas produced in Darjeeling are often referred to as “Champagne of Teas” because the flavor is so different from other types of exotic tea.  With the cool and moist climate of this region, the rich, fertile soil, heavy rainfall, and gently sloping hills, these gardens produce some of the most distinct, healthy tea in the world.

If you have ever had a cup of black tea from Darjeeling but were unimpressed, chances are the tea was labeled as being from this part of the world but a blend and not solely black tea leaves.  Today, some 10,000 pounds of Darjeeling tea is produced but tea sold with labels of Darjeeling tea account for about 40,000 pounds.  Therefore, when you purchase this type of tea, make sure you pay close attention to the label so you know exactly what you are buying.

When looking at black tea from this region versus white tea, you will find that white tea is rarer.  The flavor is delicate and mild, and with a hint of sweetness.  When brewed, Darjeeling white tea turns a light gold color.  Keep in mind that this type of tea is not as compacted as other loose leaf tea so to make a cup, you would need more leaves but without causing the strength to be greater.

Interestingly, most people that love black tea from this region also love the white tea, finding that when compared to white tea from other parts of the world, it has more body and flavor.

You can sample Darjeeling white tea to see for yourself, which is recommended.  We recommend the first tea you try is Darjeeling White tips, which is slightly sweet and delicious.  Do not be discouraged if you have tried white tea from other parts of the world only to feel the flavor is lacking because with Darjeeling tea, you get something completely different.

Value of Ceylon and India Tea

Unfortunately, herbal tea from Ceylon and India is overlooked because many people still believe they can only purchase white tea from Asia.  The truth is that while all white tea is amazing, tea that comes from Ceylon and India is believed to be among the best.  Therefore, as you begin looking to buy tea online, try samples from several different regions to include Ceylon and Darjeeling so you can experience this type of tea to the fullest.

The bold flavor and aroma are different from green tea, making it a fresh new choice loved by millions of people.

Preparing Black Tea

For loose black tea, leaves are plucked from the Camellia sinensis plant and then allowed to dry.  Once completely dry, the leaves are rolled up and fermented.  Then in about two hours, the leaves are heated to make sure all the moisture has been extracted.  Keep in mind that the quality of Chinese black tea or black tea from any other country depends on various factors.

Some of the factors important to the quality of black tea include origin, growing conditions, and the expertise of the workers and management team overseeing the tea garden.  This means that for a tea garden to be successful, producing fine herbal tea, the soil, temperature, and moisture, along with management all play a vital role.

The best growing conditions for quality black tea is regions with altitudes between 3,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level.  While tea grows slower when at a high altitude, the flavor is much better.  For instance, in Sri Lanka Uva’s region and India’s Darjeeling region of 6,000 feet, tea gardens do quite well.  Additionally, black tea does best in dry conditions although some moisture is needed for the plant to produce healthy leaves.

Varieties of Black Tea

The great thing about black tea is that you have so many wonderful varieties to choose from, all delicious and unique.  One option is called Honey Pear, which has a fruity flavor from the pear tree coupled with honey.  Because of this, Honey Pear is a favorite choice that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Nepalese Afternoon Tea is another type of loose black tea, which grows in Nepal at the base of Mount Everest.  This variety is a wonderful blend of sandalwood, honey, and lotus, making it simply delicious.

Pu-er is yet another type of black tea grown in Asia.  Its earthy and sweet flavor is heavenly, a variety that people all over the world love.

Outstanding Flavor of Black Tea

Without doubt, the distinct flavor of black tea varieties is what makes this type of tea so popular.  Black tea can be processed to produce both caffeinated and decaffeinated forms, both exceptional in flavor and aroma.  Now, some people state that black tea takes time to acquire a taste but once you find a variety you like, you will be hooked for life.

Medicinal Properties

In addition to flavor, black tea also provides a number of medicinal properties such as improved airflow to the lungs, which means people with bronchitis and asthma would benefit.  In fact, the polyphenols found in black tea are antioxidants, which have been shown to prevent and support treatment for various types of cancer.

New studies are showing that black tea can also prevent things such as heart attack and cavities.  Then, some studies indicate that memory is improved, as well as level of alertness.  Even being able to prevent osteoporosis from drinking black tea is on the table and results of studies done are promising.

Black Tea – Safe and Delicious

Remember that herbs and supplements are not monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.  For this reason, before you start drinking any type of tea on a daily basis, especially a heavier tea such as black tea, you should first talk to your doctor.

If you have any type of reaction or allergy to tannin or caffeine, then you might skip black tea to avoid the development of hives or rash.  This type of tea can also produce more urine, lower potassium, and sodium levels in the body, and make existing problems of incontinence worse.

Of course, in some people, caffeine of black tea can increase stomach acid, which could result in increased sugar levels in the blood and ulcers.  For that reason, people with diabetes should avoid black tea unless given permission from the doctor.  Even people with liver disease should avoid black tea, choosing green tea or white tea, which are lighter and have little caffeine.

To buy black tea of any variety, you will find that most tea companies carry everything you want.  Remember, once you acquire a taste for this type of tea, you will likely make it your favorite drink.  As you drink black tea daily, all the benefits will be enjoyed even more.

Even fussy tea drinkers that have tried quality black tea are amazed at the rich flavor.  Many people refer to black tea as the “beverage of champions” and for good reason.  Not only is the deep flavor wonderful but you also enjoy all the health benefits.

Processing of Green Tea

Interestingly, the same plant called Camellia sinensis that produces loose black tea, white tea, and oolong tea produces green tea.  The only difference is the processing method used.  For instance, all tea is fermented except green tea.  Instead, after the leaves are hand plucked, they are laid out to dry, which can take up to 24 hours.  Once the drying is done, the leaves are pan fried or steamed so the leaves do not ferment.  At that point, the leaves are tightly rolled, followed by a second drying process.

Due to the way in which loose green tea is processed, it has a unique flavor and aroma from other types of tea.  When brewed, the color is light green and if green tea is enjoyed without cream or sugar, it has a slightly grassy flavor.  Because green tea is not fermented, it has a unique flavor over Chinese black tea, oolong, or white tea.

Benefits of Antioxidants

The process used for oolong and black tea involves fermentation, which means the antioxidants, known as epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG are oxidized.  In this case, antioxidants are converted into different compounds.  However, without green tea being fermented, EGCG is not touched.  For this reason, green tea has the highest level of antioxidants, giving it incredible healing properties.

For one thing, EGCG can fight off free radicals, which carry molecules carrying oxygen through the body, wrecking havoc, specifically to the digestive tract.  If free radicals are not controlled, they cause significant damage to DNA and the body’s cellular system.  When cells become damaged, serious disease is common, which includes heart disease, high cholesterol levels, and even cancer.

Today, doctors suggest that people eat foods high in antioxidants, specifically EGCG.  With this, the person would live a long, healthy life.  If you look at people that live in Asia, you would notice that they have much lower incidences of disease because they consume so much green tea.

Varieties of Green Tea

As you begin looking at one or more tea companies, you will quickly realize that green tea comes in wonderful varieties.  In fact, this particular type of tea can be found not only in China but also throughout Japan and even in India, Kenya, Korea, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Vietnam.  Therefore, opportunities for green tea are tremendous.

Of course, you should try a variety of blends, as well as the best green tea that has not been blended so you can determine the one you like best.  Then when you purchase bulk green tea, you need to make sure you are buying the current year’s crop grown only in the finest tea gardens.

Buying Quality Green Tea

Quality tea gardens are found around the globe but the quality of tea produced varies.  The process associated with growing and harvesting tea requires a lot of time, much of the work being done by hand.  For this reason, if a worker were to take any type of shortcut, it would be noticed in the tea purchased.  The leaves should only be plucked by hand and the tealeaves processed on the same day plucked.

The highest quality green tea comes from tea gardens that are run by skilled artisans.  These workers are highly skilled in plucking tea and know what to pluck, as well as how long the leaves should be steamed, which is anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds.  This simple step is essential, which determines the flavor, as well as softness or thickness of the tealeaves.

Along with tea coming from the finest tea gardens, you should always purchase tea that is from the best pluckings in the current year.  Workers pluck leaves during the spring, which is the first harvest, until the first frost.  Because of this, some tea, such as green tea is harvested four, sometimes five times in a single year.

One particular time of year for growing green tea is in the summer but again, the first pluckings during the first growing season in the spring ensures the highest quality possible.

The better tea gardens work hard to grade later plucking with a lower grade than tealeaves plucked early and some will actually use words such as “first plucking” on the label.  While you would pay more money for tea from the first plucking, you will also enjoy the most amazing flavor and aroma.

Buying Green Tea Online

If you want to buy tea online, you will find a better selection although you could also shop locally.  Many of today’s teashops are trying to put first plucking tea in their list of teas offered and choose the highest grade they can find.

Some local teashops also let customers know when a shipment of first plucking green tea or other type of tea has arrived.

Because green tea plucked early limits available quantity, it can be challenging to find.  Typically, this tea would hit the market for customers to buy sometime in May to June.

While you can still purchase excellent green tea that is not from the first plucking, the key is to purchase from a reputable source.

Since white tea is only harvested once a year, it is rare.  Traditionally, loose white tea was for special occasions, such as the tea ceremony but today, it is enjoyed by people around the world as a daily beverage.

White tea has a delicate flavor but it is also known for its many health benefits.  In addition to plain white tea, it can also be created as blends, one of the favorites being White Persian Melon Tea, which has the flavor of white tea coupled with melon.

All tea comes from the same plant known as Camellia sinensis but the way loose black tea, loose white tea, loose green tea, and loose oolong tea is processed produces a unique flavor.  For white tea, harvesting is early in the year, just prior to the leaves opening completely.

In fact, the buds on the Camellia sinensis plant are still covered with a fine, white hair, which is where this white tea gets its name.

Unlike Chinese black tea, white tea is not fermented, which means all the antioxidants are untouched.  This also creates the delicate flavor that makes this such a great tea.  The antioxidants in white tea have been studied and shown to slow down the aging process, as well as prevent and fight a number of major illnesses.

Precise Harvesting and Processing

For White Persian Melon Tea to be made it requires very precise harvesting and processing.  Then, white tealeaves are fried or steamed, followed by being infused with melon nectar

Even so, to ensure production of the finest White Persian Melon Tea is excellent, a number of things need to happen.

For starters, the leaves must be plucked at a very specific time, just prior to them opening and a time when buds are undamaged and still covered with white hair.  For the best white tea, only the two top leaves would be plucked.  If any of the buds are damaged, it could cause fermentation, thus compromising flavor.

Next, the buds are only produced during the months of March and April, when the climate is perfect.  It is essential that no rain occurs on the day of harvest and that no frost existed the night prior.  Even the morning dew on the day of harvest must be dry.  All of these factors are essential to growing white tea so White Persian Melon Tea can be made.

Another step involves the leaves being dried and steamed or fried perfectly and in some cases, this process occurs in the field.

Only a highly skilled tea artisan would produce white tea, knowing the precise time when the leaves should be steamed, which ensures the finest quality.

Once the white tea is ready, it would be infused with melon nectar, which is what makes White Persian Melon Tea.  Of course, just as the white tea should be of the highest quality, the melon nectar used should also be quality.  Then, the artisan would need to be skilled regarding infusions, knowing the right balance and appropriate time.  That way, the final product is the perfect balance of white tea and melon nectar.

By using only high quality nectar, the flavor of the white tea is protected.  However, this ensures the tea also provides the same level of health benefits.  Although white tea is loaded with antioxidants that support a healthy body, melon is also antioxidant rich.  This is why of all tea blends on the market White Persian Melon Tea is the best.

The specific antioxidant found in melon is called GliSODin, which works by neutralizing free radicals.  This antioxidant is very special in that studies show it has the ability to encourage production of antioxidants within the body.  In fact, GliSODin can also protect against oxidative and cellular damage.

Considering that this antioxidant is so powerful and that antioxidants found in white tea are beneficial, you get a double advantage by drinking White Persian Melon Tea.  Of course, if the melon nectar were low quality, the entire beverage would be compromised.

Highly Skilled Artisans

Without doubt, the difference between average White Persian Melon Tea and high quality tea is the artisan that handles the infusing process.  This involves the following processes being done at the right time and in the right manner.

Only the most tender leaves are plucked to make white tea during early spring

Skilled artisans do all plucking by hand and pulling only the leaves that are ready while ensuring no buds are damaged in the process

These workers would also know the exact amount of time needed for steaming leaves

Along with quality white tea, only the finest melon nectar would be used for infusion

The time of melon infusion must be exact

Artisans take great care of the Camellia sinensis plants, weeding in summer, fertilizing and pruning in the fall, and making sure the plants are not damaged by cold

If you want tea that has a delicate flavor but also provides tremendous health benefits, you should try White Persian Melon Tea.  While you might need to look at several tea companies, the goal is to choose only the finest.

Starting your Day

One of the best ways you start your day is with a hot cup of herbal tea.  This helps clear the mind and prepare the body for the busy day ahead.  In fact, many people feel they cannot accomplish much without having their cup of tea with breakfast.

As with anything, the higher the quality of tea the more wonderful the experience will be.

Enhancing the Experience

Okay, so what is the best way to experience tea at its finest?

Most importantly, find a type of tea that you enjoy.  This might be something like Chinese green tea, Jasmine tea, loose black tea, genmaicha tea, or some other type of exotic tea.  Keep in mind that while thousands of varieties exist, they are all extensions of four primary types that come from the same plant called Camellia sinensis.  The four basic types of tea include green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea.

Tea is grown throughout the world, although a large volume comes from China.  However, the geographical location, as well as the way the tea is grown, plucked, dried, and processed determines the final product.  Therefore, you may need to try several types of tea before narrowing your choices down to a few that you love.

Once you have found quality tea that leaves you feeling warm inside, you will find each cup brings satisfaction.  Of course, expect to pay a little more for the higher quality tea but it is well worth the price.  However, even high quality tea is not considered expensive.

Quality Tea Benefits

What type of benefits would you get from drinking high quality tea?

The first thing you would notice is flavor.  When looking at high quality, fresh tea from store bought tea bags, there is simply no comparison.

Additionally, the tea you choose should provide some type of tea benefit.  Quality tea from fresh leaves helps by fighting off free radicals that do damage to the cellular level of the body, reduces stress, and promotes overall good health.

You will also find that high quality tea would quickly become a natural part of your daily regimen.  As you taste the wonderful flavor, smell the aroma, and enjoy the medicinal benefits, you will want to consume two to four cups daily.

Without doubt, tea is versatile.  This one beverage is delicious served hot or cold and in fact, tea can be used for cooking.  In fact, if you were to look online, you would be shocked at the hundreds of recipes available that include tea as an ingredient.

To enjoy the greatest benefits and flavor, you want to choose only loose leaf tea.  The flavor is much better and often, if the leaves are kept moist, they can be used four or five times to produce a perfect cup of tea.

Ensuring Quality

To ensure you have the most amazing experience while sipping on tea, remember, always purchase high quality loose leaf, and make sure the tea is properly prepared.  You will find the best tea from tea companies, locally or online.  These specialty companies sell nothing but tea and tea products so they can assist you in choosing.  The important thing is to purchase your tea only from guarantees that each shipment of tea received from its country of origin is carefully inspected and tasted.  This type of quality control is imperative.

When looking to buy tea online or locally, the following should be considered:

Tea Garden – Geographic Location and Reputation

Environment – Factors such as Humidity and Temperature

Plucking – Time of Year Tea is Plucked

Processing – Quality and Method of Processing Tea

Flavoring – Recipe and Method of Blending and Flavoring Tea

As long as the tea company you buy from tests each shipment received, you would have greater confidence that the quality would be consistent.

Quality Preparation

Just as you need to purchase only the finest tea, the method of making the tea is just as important.  Some people think of this as a type of science but in fact, it is more of an art, something you can learn.  For starters, always use bottled watered, which could be purified or mineral.  Then, you never want to brew the tea longer than four minutes, especially green tea.  The reason is that tea that brews longer becomes bitter because tannic acid is released in greater quantity.  Finally, always enjoy your tea in a gorgeous cup or use your finest tea set when entertaining friends.

Popular Flavored White Tea

Although you would love many of the flavored white tea options now being made, one that has made a huge impression on people all over the world is white licorice tea.

Just as we know that healthy tea is great for the body, keep in mind that licorice is also healthy.  Keep in mind that Chinese white tea is processed different from other types of tea so the level of antioxidants left is higher than in loose black tea or loose green tea.  With this, white tea helps prevent and even fight serious diseases such as heart disease and even cancer.  Therefore, whether loose white tea is consumed with or without flavoring, it offers medicinal properties.

If you are just now learning about tea, it can be confusing as to the way quality differs among the various types of tea.  The key is the tea garden in which the tea is grown.  When tea is grown and harvested by a skilled worker, the quality would be higher.

Importance of the Tea Garden

The tea garden where any tea, especially white tea is grown is critical to overall quality.  The leaves and buds used to make white tea must be carefully plucked by hand and then properly harvested.  Then for white licorice tea, only the finest star anise should be used.  Even the blending or infusing of the two must be done correctly.

White tea, black tea, green tea, and oolong tea all come from the Camellia sinensis plant.  The difference is the way the tea is harvested and processed.  White tea takes more time and it is harvested much earlier in the year, a time when the leaves have not opened fully and the buds are still covered with white hair, thus the name.

Unlike Chinese black, green, or oolong tea, white tea is not fermented.  Because of this, the flavor is delicate and slightly sweet, as well as higher in antioxidants.

Tea Garden Facts

For quality white tea, the leaves and buds must all be plucked by hand and even then, only unopened leaves and undamaged buds are used.  Typically, this involves using only the top two leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.  In addition, the worker harvests leaves and buds in March and April, a time when the climate is perfect.

Additionally, the time when white tea is harvested, it cannot be raining and the night before there should be no frost.  Even on the morning when harvested, the dew should be dry.  These environmental factors are crucial to harvesting white tea.

Once hand plucked, the leaves would be dried and steamed and the time steamed would be something that only a highly skilled artisan would know.

Infusing of Star Anise

To create white licorice tea, high quality white tea would be blended with star anise.  The best tea gardens in the world use whole pieces of star anise, as well as the appropriate combination of leaves, buds, and anise to produce an amazing flavor.

After processing, white tea is carefully stored and then packed for export.  This type of tea is grown only once a year but keep in mind that other types of tea are also processed, keeping tea garden workers busy.

Importance of the Gardeners

The goal of gardeners of the best tea gardens is to work throughout the year to maintain the garden so the finest tea is grown, harvested, and processed each year.

In the summer, weeds must be eliminated from the tea garden.  This time of year is when black tea and green tea are harvested and processed.  Unlike white tea that is grown just once a year, black, oolong, and Chinese green tea is grown three to four times each year.

The fall is when the Camellia sinensis plant grows the most so this is the type when gardeners will fertilize and new plants go into the ground.  Then by the month of October, pruning is required so the plants are ready for the upcoming winter.

Throughout the winter, gardeners provide a lot of attention to the Camellia sinensis plants four years old and less.  If the winter were harsh, then extra protection would be provided to help the plants get through the cold months.

By the latter part of February and the early part of March, pruning is needed to help the plants get ready for springtime.  Once harvested, the entire process would start over.

Without doubt, gardeners of tea gardens have a lot of work to be done all year long.  They must work hard to harvest and process each type of tea accordingly.  Obviously, tea gardens that are tended to best will produce the best, oolong, white, black, and the best green tea possible.

It requires a lot of time, patience, and skill to garden a tea garden.  Typically, gardeners come from generations of gardeners, learning from the parents whose family has been associated with tea gardens for years.

As you can see, the single cup of tea you enjoy such as white licorice tea takes a tremendous amount of work to achieve the great flavor and aroma.  Therefore, the next time you enjoy the distinct flavor of white tea or white licorice tea, think about the hard work that was dedicated to give you an amazing cup of tea.

Interestingly, Chinese white tea is grown from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is the same plant that loose black tea, loose green tea, and loose oolong tea come from but white tea is only harvested once a year, early in spring.  In addition, white tea leaves are harvested prior to the leaves opening all the way and it uses the buds, which are covered with “white hair”, thus the name.  Because of this, white tea is very mild and since it goes through minimal processes, this kind of tea is unfermented.

Flavor of White Tea

To process white tea, the leaves are steamed and the dried.  Depending on the grower, sometimes the leaves are steamed in the fields and then left out to dry in sunlight.  With this, the delicate flavor is even better.

While people love black tea and green tea, white tea is very delicate and it offers a smooth aroma.  When brewed, the color is very pale and the taste is slightly sweet.  Because of the flavor, which is not grassy like green tea or bold like black tea is it considered the perfect in between choice.

The delicate, sweet flavor and soothing aroma has made this a very popular choice, appealing to a large number of tea drinkers.

Health Benefits of White Tea

Along with the delicate flavor that white tea offers, it is also one of the healthiest.  Numerous studies have been done on this type of healthy tea and the results prove that it is actually much healthier than green tea is.  With the medicinal properties, white tea can slow down the aging process and even prevent and fight a number of serious health problems to include heart disease and cancer.

Studies show is that because of the way white tea is processed, it contains a high level of antioxidants, even more than green tea so it has more healing power.  Therefore, the antioxidants found in the loose leaves and without white tea being fermented, it is highly effective and contains low levels of caffeine.

Not being fermented like green, black, and oolong tea, the level of antioxidants are much higher.  This helps white tea to prevent and fight disease.  When you consider all the research about green tea and its health benefits, you can see that white tea is even more effective.

Another benefit of white tea is that it boosts the body’s immune system.  This means that different types of bacteria and viruses are prevented.  Then, it has also been found that white tea contains a high level of fluoride.  Because of this, it can fight plaque and tooth decay.

Buying White Tea

If you have never taken the opportunity to taste white tea, this is the time.  Remember, you can purchase quality tea in many varieties and blends from top tea companies online.  With white tea being grown in fewer tea gardens than green or black tea and with it only producing one crop a year, opposed to three or four crops for other types of tea, it remains one of the rarer types of exotic tea.

Even if you have a great, tea store near your home, you would find better quality and more options of white tea when you buy tea online.  Two of the more popular choices include White Peony and Silver Needles.  Both are delicious and are excellent for hot or cold beverages.

Popular Blends

In addition to purchasing plain white tea, you can also look at options for blends.  In this case, quality white tea would be the base but flavors would be added.  The way the tea is flavored is with flowers, herbs, essential oils, and even other teas.  For instance, the following are some of the better options:

Ginger White Tea – Using white tea as the base, ginger is added, which gives it a spicy flavor.  The health benefits are also incredible.  Remember, white tea increases the body’s immune system but then ginger also offers medicinal properties such as calming stomachaches, reducing or eliminating nausea associated with morning or motion sickness, and even sickness that come along with chemotherapy.  These healing properties combined make a great drink for you or as a gift to someone you know having a baby or going through cancer treatment.

White Licorice Tea – Another popular option is again, white tea as the base with star anise added.  The added health benefit of star anise is that it too helps calm down stomachaches, reduces and eliminates coughs, and works as a natural expectorant.  For the best quality, you want to buy white tea that contains whole pieces of star anise, which gives you the boldest flavor and aroma.

White Persian Melon Tea – This type of white tea blend is refreshing and delicious.  Along with the health benefits of white tea, melon adds a nice fruity flavor that is refreshing.  In addition, the melon makes the tea slightly sweeter.  While White Persian Melon Tea can be enjoyed hot, it makes an excellent blend for cold tea.

When looking for white tea online, remember that you will find many additional blends from the three we mentioned.  Just be sure you buy the highest quality you can find and if possible, a company that would send out small samples for a nominal fee so you can determine the exact blend you love most.