All teas are made from the top two leaves and bud of the Camellia sinensis plant. The way and length of time they are processed determines whether they are known as White, Green, Oolong or Black. Various fruits, herbs and other flavorings may be added, but they are still teas. However, your favorite “tea” may have no tea plant in it, but may be made of flowers, herbs or even roots. These are technically called “tisanes” even though Americans still call them “tea.” Second to water, tea is the most widely-consumed beverages in the world. It has almost no carbohydrates, fat or protein. Tea is a source of theanine, caffeine, theobromine and antioxidants. We’ll discuss caffeine at a later time. However, let me say that studies show that while there may be more caffeine in a tea leaf than in a coffee bean the way these two are processed results in less caffeine in the brewed tea than in coffee. Herbal tisanes usually have no caffeine.
There is no right or wrong tea to drink, unless you have some health issues. The idea is to drink what you enjoy. If your physician has recommended you refrain from caffeine you may want to explore your tea options a bit more. There are some wonderful herbal and decaffeinated teas. Talk to your local tea pervayor or spend some time reading the labels in the tea aisle of your grocery store.
Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild 