Ten Important Things about Loose Tea

Loose tea is becoming more popular now, due to the health benefits that it brings and with the added media attention. Many of us drink tea regularly but I can assume that most of us drink tea from a teabag, now loose tea or known as gourmet tea is coming to the front.

Here are ten facts that you never knew about loose tea:

1. Herbal and fruit teas alike are not really teas as such but infusions. These types of teas can have health benefits and teas such as peppermint is known to settle upset stomachs. A certain tea from South Africa called Rooibos has a calming effect and will help you relax more. Herbal infusion teas are drank a lot by people who like to have natural cures for certain illnesses.
2. White teas have a fruity and sometimes nutty taste to them, and white teas get there name from the fresh tea leaves and the buds are dried instead of fermented.
3. Loose teas will give a better taste then a tea bag as usually loose tea is of a higher grade of leaves than the tea bags and this will allow it to be brewed better.
4. Different types of loose teas will require different ways of being made. Some will need boiling water where as others only need hot water. Some will require to be brewed for longer and others need only be brewed for a short time. By getting the brewing time or the water temperature wrong will result in a poorly made cup.
5. Certain black varieties like English breakfast and earl Grey are an excellent way to start the day and can be a form of pick me up when you are feeling sluggish. These teas can also be drunk after a meal to aid you body’s digestion.
6. Pu erh teas are aged for many years and this will result in a mellow brew which has a unique flavor. These teas have many health benefits and in Chinese medicine are classed and used as a medicine.
7. Loose teas such as black and green varieties are known to assist existing arthritis suffers from getting diabetes and also many other common illnesses and diseases.
8. Different teas can be drank at different times of the day, like English breakfast can be drunk in the morning to pick you up, a green tea during the day would be good after a meal to aid digestion and a herbal type that is good for relaxing during the evening before sleeping.
9. Different teas are produced in different countries are much like a good wine, each region or country will have its own unique taste and aroma. As the climates and soils are different we are offered so many different choices in the teas we drink.
10. Loose teas generally take longer to make and with this extra effort comes the satisfaction of having a better quality tea. Gourmet teas are more available than ever so why not try one today.

As you can see loose or gourmet teas are here to stay, they have different health benefits and some wonderful and aromatic smells, so go try a new gourmet type today.

Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is a caffeine free herbal tea made from the flowers of the Hibiscus sabdariffa or "Roselle" plant. The tea is made from the sepals or calyces (the petal-like structure at the base of a flower), and not out of the actual petals. Hibiscus tea is a popular beverage in many countries from Asia through Africa to the Caribbean, and different countries have their own unique ways of preparing the drink.

In some areas, including parts of China, hibiscus is blended with black tea. Although not as well-known in the U.S., hibiscus is a very common ingredient in herbal teas. Hibiscus imparts a tangy flavor and a deep purplish-red color to blends of which it is a part.

Health Benefits of Hibiscus and Hibiscus Tea

The traditional uses of hibiscus include the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension), the lowering of fever, and treatment of liver disorders. Unlike many herbs, hibiscus has been studied fairly extensively and there are even some fairly conclusive human studies establishing not only its effectiveness for various treatments, but comparing it to widely-used medications and exploring side-effects. Although most of the studies use standardized extracts of hibiscus, hibiscus tea has been studied to some degree and shows promise that the tea itself can be useful as a treatment in some cases.

Lowering blood pressure - On top of a number of animal studies supporting its use for hypertension, human studies have validated that hibiscus, including hibiscus tea can effectively lower blood pressure. Hibiscus sabdariffa extract has been compared to the drug captopril, and was found to be equally effective. A more recent study compared it to lisinopril and found that it was less effective than that drug, but showed an absence of intense side effects.

Lowering fever - Hibiscus has been shown in laboratory animals to have fever lowering (antipyretic) properties. There is evidence suggesting that its mechanism of action is different from that of aspirin, which also lowers fever.

Protecting the Liver - The effects of different chemicals on the liver are much more complex and poorly understood, but there is nonetheless some evidence that hibiscus can protect against liver damage caused by a number of different chemicals

Safety and Side Effects

Hibiscus tea is widely used as a beverage and generally recognized as safe for regular use. In addition, the few human clinical studies that have explored side effects have found a noticeable absence of strong side effects. However, as with any medicine, caution should be warranted with its use. The acidity of teas containing hibiscus can make them unpleasant for some people to drink, and people suffering from heartburn or otherwise wanting to avoid sour or acidic food and drink may wish to avoid it. Also, since it is known to lower blood pressure and thought to act as an ACE inhibitor it should be used with caution by those who already have low blood pressure.

Buying Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is widely available through a number of online retailers. It is sometimes sold under the name Roselle tea. In addition to pure hibiscus teas, it is frequently blended with other teas, and there are a large number of herbal blends in which it is either the main ingredient or one of the primary ones.

Start Your Tea Drinking Experience with Buying Loose Leaf Tea

As more and more studies about the power of tea come into the mainstream media, it's no surprise that people are becoming much more interested in drinking tea than ever before. However, if you've only had cup after cup of bad tea, you might be a little skeptical about trying tea again. This is a very natural thing, and the good news is that it truly doesn't have to be that way at all. In fact, you truly can have a great cup of tea if you just take a closer look at the process of making good tea.

In a nutshell, buying loose leaf tea is the start of what makes a truly delightful tea-drinking experience. One reason why people don't get into buying it is that they believe that it's too hard, but that's not the case at all. In fact, it's quite possible to not only get quality loose leaf tea, but make it with enough ease to have it every day you want. Like any other food and drink decision, there are a few things you will need to keep in mind in order to buy good loose leaf tea.

First, you will want to make sure that you have the right materials. Indeed, you don't want to end up getting a great tea that really matches up to your own unique tastes and still not have what you need to really take advantage of all of it. Thankfully, there are only a few tools you'll need to get the perfect cup of tea: an infuser, a teapot, and a filter for the loose leaf tea to go in.

Next, you will want to focus on the loose leaf tea itself. It may sound like common sense that you should think carefully on what tea to start out with first, but that's exactly what you will want to do. A common mistake that ends up turning people away from tea is selecting the wrong starting teas. Of course, you're more than welcome to pick up any tea that sounds really good to you, but there are a few classics that many people stick to.

If you're concerned about having more energy, you may want to look into starting with it tea such as green tea. On the other hand, if you want to work on sleeping better through the night or just needing a way to wind down after a long day, you might want to look into getting a chamomile tea.

No matter what tea you get, you want to make sure that you get loose leaf tea from a reputable source. Despite popular opinion, there are plenty of online sites that sell quality one. Once you've experienced the convenience of ordering your own loose leaf tea, you'll be completely hooked!

All things considered, getting great loose leaf tea is just a matter of having the right tools, and being willing to try a few different teas before you settle on your signature tea. If you're willing to do that, then you should have no problem buying loose leaf tea at all!

Myths about Tea

Tea has been a part of our routine since ages. More common in Britain and Europe, tea has been a very popular drink among people. Whether it is for starting your day or getting green tea health benefits, tea is common to nearly every kitchen. Moreover, health conscious people have seen healthy tea as a helping hand in losing their weight and maintaining a healthy living. Whatever may be the reason, after coffee, it is the most popular drink across the world.

The origin of tea dates back to 2700 BC. With such a long journey, it has gone through a lot of myths and stories about it. Even today there are a lot of modern myths associated with tea and its types.

1. Many consider white leaves as the baby leaf. This is not true. All leaves, white, green, and black, are young when they are used to make tea. White tea may be defined as the leaves that are uncured or unfermented. Sometimes it is also known as the steamed part during the drying process.
2. A common myth is that air is good for tea. This may not always be true. While air may be good for a few, it may not be good for the rest. Teas like pu'er are deeply fermented and carefully oxidized.
3. Many may think it would taste best when it is old. This may not be true. Many lose their original flavor when they are exposed to air for long.
4. A myth might also say that some might be caffeine free. This is not true. All tea will contain natural caffeine, called as theine. However, do not confuse this with herbal teas. Teas like chamomile are not derived from the tea plant; therefore the rule does not apply to them.
5. Some might also say that ice tea is same as hot tea. The reason why this is not true is that ice tea is usually served as a ready-to-drink beverage and is prepared by acidifying tea with ascorbic acid or citric acid. Later, the mixture is heated at higher temperatures. Furthermore, studies have shown that caffeine levels are more enhanced in drinks when they are chilled. Ice tea would therefore have higher sugar and caffeine content and lower antioxidant properties.
6. White is perceived to be healthier than green. However, latest researches have proved green tea to have the highest levels of antioxidants.
7. A very common myth is that green has lower caffeine content than black. Lab tests have proved this myth wrong because green tea has shown higher levels of caffeine as compared to black tea, and higher caffeine levels than coffee as well.
8. White and black teas are also thought to be derived from different plants. This is not true because both of the types are derived from Camellia Sinensis. The difference lies in their preparation. Black is fermented, whereas green is heated in ovens. Some types of green tea may only be partially fermented.

The History of Ceylon Tea

Under Dutch rulers, Ceylon started out as a country with cinnamon plantations. However, when Britain took over the country, private cinnamon plantations were prohibited. This change was made for financial reasons to create a monopoly for the East India Company, owned by Britain.

When cinnamon plantation owners lost money in economic bad times in 1833, the cash crop became coffee. This ended in 1869 when a fungal disease called Coffee Rust Disease wiped out the coffee crop. But bad fortune is just an opportunity in disguise.

Tea plants were brought to Ceylon as early as 1824 by the British but it wasn't until 1867 when James Taylor, a British planter started the first tea plantation at the Loolecondera estate in Ceylon. His plantation was 21 acres. Five years later, he built a complete factory and one year after that, he began selling tea in London.

Opportunity Knocks and Ceylon Grabs It

Shortly after that, coffee plantations were turned into Ceylon tea plantations. By 1888, tea plantation acreage increased by 21000%. Tea plantation owners sent representatives to make a debut at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and sold a record one million tea packets. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Ceylon Tea Traders Association were formed in the late 1800s and these two organizations still exist as a resource for Ceylon tea businesses. Businessmen realized that research is always the cornerstone of innovation and soon established a Tea Research Institute that would give the best tips at growing and harvesting Ceylon loose tea and tea bags.

Worldwide Demand

In 1903, Ceylon loose tea was being transported to worldwide destinations. The process of reaching Australia, England, America and other countries that wanted the gourmet tea was slow. Ceylon loose tea was first packaged in tea chests. Bullock carts, two-wheeled carts pulled by oxen, carried the tea chests down railroad tracks to the railroad station. The train puffed and puffed at 6 mph through the hills until it got close to its destination where the tea was to be auctioned. Next, the tea chests were boarded onto steam ships sent to their final locations.

Fast Forward to Ceylon in the 1960s

By the 1960s, Ceylon tea plantations were exporting over 200,000 metric tons. In 1965, Ceylon gained worldwide recognition as the world's largest tea exporter. In 1972, Ceylon officially became Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka government took over the industry and decided that no cultivator could have 50 acres in 1975. Despite this, Sri Lanka gained more world fame when they supplied tea to the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games. The industry seemed to flourish again but the government decided to sell 23 state-owned plantations and privatize the industry.

What is Ceylon Tea?

Ceylon black, green, and white teas are all are produced in Sri Lanka. Ceylon black tea however is the country's specialty. It has a rich taste and strong aroma and has a golden yellow color. Sometimes it can be flavored with spices or orange-flavored.

Authentic Ceylon tea, whether Ceylon loose or Ceylon tea bags, have a logo of a lion carrying a sword. The logo tells you that the tea has been grown and harvested in Sri Lanka. Loose tea is always the better purchase because the leaves give you a more complex and sophisticated tasting tea.

Ceylon tea plants are grown on mountainsides at various levels above sea level. Pesticides are not used. Ceylon loose teas can include Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green, and a variety of green teas combined with fruity flavors and flower flavors.

The Art of Blooming Tea

If you're not familiar with the whole culture surrounding tea, then you're probably unfamiliar with the term, "blooming art tea". It's a pretty neat concept and is something that can amaze your party guests of all ages. You'll never grow tired of serving blooming teas.

Most likely, it was the Chinese that came up with the idea of a flowering or a blooming tea because the flowers used in these teas are commonly found in China and shipped around the world.

What is a Blooming Art Tea?

A flowering or blooming tea is exactly as it sounds. It is a bundle of dried flowers and tea leaves that expand and "bloom" in the hot water in your personal teapot. When the bundle blooms, it looks like a little bouquet. For this reason, it's good to have a glass teapot whereby the blooming can be "experienced" in real time right at the table you're sitting at. The amount of size difference of the finished bloom can be five or six times that of the dried flowering tea ball. It takes about 5 minutes to bloom.

The flowers used in flowering blooms include jasmine, chrysanthemum, amaranth, hibiscus, lily and osmanthus. They smell great and lend a little aromatherapy to the tea party. Flowering teas don't get bitter even though they may steep for extended periods of time. (Remember, the average green tea only steeps for 5 minutes.) The mild flavor of the flowers neutralizes any bitter taste of the steeped green or black infusions.

How are Flowering Blooms Made?

There's a special art to the making of flowering teas. They are hand sewn by women in tea gardens far away from civilization in the southwestern Yunnan province of China. This area is near Laos and Vietnam. The types of tea leaves generally used in flowering teas are white, green and black. While the leaves are still somewhat wet, it's easy to flatten them and sew them together into a bundle. Each one is handcrafted and some may take up to 10 minutes to craft. Some are sewed together in long garlands that can look absolutely beautiful in the teapot.

Making Artisan Teas Part of Your Memories

Blooming teas really deserve their own glass teapot. You can buy blooming tea sets that include a blooming tea pot, hand painted small cups and assorted blooms.

Blooming teas make excellent gifts! You can continually add water to the teapot, increasing the steeping time to get more flavor with each cup of tea. The aroma smells best when you drink the first cup.

One way to present a blooming tea at your party is to give everyone their own large glass with a wide base. This will allow the tea ball to fully bloom. Imagine a party where everyone has their own flowering tea with a completely different flower, aroma and taste. It's the foundation for one of the most memorable tea parties your friends will ever experience; guaranteed!

Weight Loss or Diet Tea

The best tea for weight loss is those that are from China and Japan. Why is that so? This is because there tea product is proven to work all through the years, some said over centuries but other would say three thousand years. Nonetheless, if you look at Chinese and Japanese people, they have lean body, beautiful skin and are healthy people. Of course, these only refer to people who incorporate tea in their daily meal.

Let us understand that people's lifestyle have been changed through the years. So, some have been introduced to a different diet from other cultures. Acculturation is happening everywhere across the globe. This is especially internet plays a big part in educating people all over the world the different lifestyle. But in the southern part of China, you can still see that tea is served every meal time.

Anyway, tea has different types based on how they are processed. But these types of tea use Camellia Sinensis. Based on the studies conducted, this plant contains antioxidants, polyphenols, essential nutrients, theaflavins, and epigallocatechin gallate. These substances found in the tea make it beneficial to the human body, thus it enhances metabolic rate, reverse the effect of obesity, and other health benefits.

There are only two clinical studies conducted which have Japanese men as the subject. The first study revealed the result that catechins present in tea can really control the person's body from becoming overweight. The Second study gave a conclusion that green tea has the thermogenesis effect in the body thus it boosts the heat production in the body at the same time improve the metabolic rate.

Other health benefits that a person can reap in drinking tea are controlled cholesterol levels and high blood sugar levels. Since the tea has antibacterial properties it also protects your gums from antibacterial infection and your teeth from having cavities. The best tea for weight loss is not only effective in trimming down excess weight but also in improving your overall wellness.

The Best Herbal Tea

Chances are you are trying to select form the various varieties such as Wuyi Cliff, Oolong or Wu-long, Pu-erh and Sencha.

No doubt, such varieties are good and provide immense health benefits but the best herbal tea is not any of the above. 

The best herbal tea is a potent combination of various varieties including Wuyi Cliff, Pu-erh, Sencha and Oolong.

These are some well known varieties of tea and you can well imagine the health benefits you are likely to get from a combination of all such varieties packed in one package.

Some of the benefits of such tea include:

1.Natural Weight Loss

Such a tea that is made with full leaves of various varieties of tea rather than tea dust, can ensure very fast and quick weight loss. Such tea tends to lower the production of Insulin after ingesting carbohydrates and sweet foods. Since it is the hormone that is responsible for storing fat in your body, its reduced secretion can affects fat accumulation.

Hence, it is a good idea to have a cup of such tea after meals.

Such tea not only prevents fat accumulation but also helps speed up your metabolism. This helps your body burn more fat quick and fast. In addition to the above, it also helps suppress your appetite and reduce food cravings.

It is needless to say that such tea is the most effective weight loss product available. One of the biggest advantages of using such tea to lose weight is that there are no side effects as is the case with pills and other diet supplements.

2. Improved Immunity

Such tea also helps provide a boost to your immune system and increases your body's resistance to diseases and infections. It can also improve your overall health and longevity.

3. Increase Energy levels

Such tea also helps lower cholesterol levels in your body. This helps improve cardiac function and one of the most immediate effect of improved cardiac function is an increase in your energy levels.

4. Calms Body and Mind

Another health benefit of such tea is that it provides a soothing effect and helps calm down both your body and mind.