Tea Facts

Whenever you’re considering enjoying a freshly brewed cup of tea, remember these four essential tea facts.

First consider the composition of the tea leaf. About 80% of a tea leaf is water, 10% is non soluble material, and 2.5% is made up of tannins. So the remaining portion of your cup of the tea offers a healthy dose of vitamins A, B and the ever-lauded vitamin E with its antioxidants. Tea is also rich in minerals including trace minerals, fluoride for strong teeth and sodium for clear brain function.

Next, consider the conditioning of the tea that you’re drinking. If you’re dunking a tea bag, then you are by definition drinking an inferior quality of tea. Since typical tea bags are too small to hold a whole tea leaf, the leaf must be crushed which creates more bitter tea than a whole leaf tea. Many people who prefer the convenience of tea bags have actually grown to prefer the more bitter taste of the broken leaf.

If you find a cup of tea brewed with a traditional tea bag too bitter, take heart. Many manufacturers are offering larger, hand sewn muslin tea bags, so you still get the convenience while maintaining quality taste. The hand-sewn bag does not break the tea leaf, and muslin does not alter the taste of tea.

Now, think about conservation. Tea leaves are delicate and proper precautions must be taken to maintain their freshness and flavor. A tightly sealed, odor free, opaque container will help protect the leaves from the damaging effects of light, air, odors and dampness. Temperature is also a concern, and if you cannot find a cool, dry place in your house, then you can always refrigerate your airtight container.

And, finally, you need to think about consumption. With tea being a popular worldwide drink with over one trillion cups consumed every year, the only thing left for you to do while you are considering these tea facts is to pour yourself a freshly brewed cup and enjoy. So make that one trillion and one cups per year!