3 Simple Tea Facts (That Most People Don't Know)

If you know these 3 things about tea, you'll know more than most people out there.

1.All tea comes from the same plant. This is a bit of an oversimplification, like saying all [grape] wine comes from the same fruit. There are different strains and varietals, but the point is that all true tea; black, white, green, oolong, comes from the same plant species, Camellia sinensis. The distinctions between the different categories are a function of the processing the leaf undergoes after it is plucked, not inherent properties of the leaf itself. Tea processing includes rolling, withering, oxidizing, and drying. The extent to which the leaves are subject to these processes determines a tea's final classification. While farms typically produce or specialize in only one of these, it is technically possible to create all styles of tea from the same leaves.

2. White tea contains more caffeine than its green or black counterparts. Caffeine is naturally occurring in the tea (Camellia sinensis) plant, and is produced as a function of self-preservation to ward off insects. White teas are produced of the newest, youngest leaves of the tea plant (read, nutrient dense and most delicious to leaf-eaters), where nature puts most of her defenses, including caffeine. Tea contains other natural compounds including one, L-theanine that promotes focus and relaxation, and white tea's proportionately high abundance of these balances the effect of caffeine in our bodies, so we experience it differently than we do in other brewed teas. As white teas are wholly unprocessed, they often are larger, bulkier, fluffier resulting in less "leaf" in a given serving. Combine this with the fact that whites are typically steeped at a lower temperature, all contribute to less caffeine in the steeped cup. The final exact milligrams one imbibes are influenced by all these factors together making for a very inexact science.

3.Tea leaves have been plucked by hand, just the top 2 leaves and a bud of new growth, for thousands of years (written records of tea consumption date back to 10th century BC). It takes about 3000 little leaves to make a pound of tea, and one bush will produce just this much in a good year. Darjeeling, India, producing region of the eponymous teas, has a short, slow growing season. Here, a bush produces small, flavorful and prized leaves- only 3oz or so, or about 45 cups of tea. Today, many orthodox teas are cut and processed mechanically, though premium varieties are still produced by hand plucking each and every leaf with care and meticulous precision.

Already a leaf-eater and interested in more in-depth info? We have Tea 101 broken down into sip sized chapters and easily accessible online where you may track your progress at teaclass.com

We're always here to help! If we can address specific areas of interest, or help train your pallet to pick out muscatel from apricot, send us a note. Cin cin!