All about Black Tea

Black tea is the most popular tea in the Western world. It is a favored choice whether served hot and over ice. The brew features a deep reddish-brown liquor and full-bodied taste with notes that range from flowery to fruity and from spicy to nutty. The tea may also come infused with fruits, flower petals, and natural flavorings to add a unique taste and sipping variety.

To satisfy each individual's palate, black tea can be enjoyed straight from the teapot, blended with spices, complemented with lemon, sweetened with honey or sugar, and/or mixed with milk or cream. It also serves as the tea base for traditional Indian Chai tea recipes and other enticing tea blends.

Processing

Black tea is the most extensively processed of all teas, which are derived from the Camillia sinensus bush. After picking, the leaves of the plant go through a withering process where they are dried on racks for up to 18 hours until all excess moisture is removed and the leaves become supple enough to roll.

They are then rolled and cooled, which breaks down the membranes of the leaves and creates a chemical change that allows the natural juices to emerge - and the leaves to darken. Finally, the tea leaves are "fired" and heat is applied to halt further oxidation and seal in the distinctive flavor and aroma.

Types and Taste

Following are some common types of black teas and the tastes with which they are associated.

• Assam -- rich, dark, slightly malty
• Ceylon -- medium-strength
• Darjeeling -- light, with a slightly flowery aroma; also made with green blends
• Earl Grey -- light with a slight fruity flavor
• English Breakfast -- medium classic blend
• Irish Breakfast -- more robust than English Breakfast
• Keemun - smooth Chinese black blend
• Jasmine tea -- scented with Jasmine flowers
• Lady Grey -- like Earl Grey with added lemon and orange oils
• Lapsang Souchong -- infused with pine smoke
• Nilgri -- robust flavor
• Russian Caravan -- rich, hearty taste
• Yunnan -- peppery flavored variety

Health Benefits

Flavonoids, which are highly concentrated in the tea, have been associated with a number of health benefits that include reduced the risk of stroke and heart disease.

There are research studies that link flavanoids, which are present in all blends, to lowering cholesterol levels, reducing inflammations, improving blood flow, and even helping the body maintain proper blood sugar levels. According to the USDA flavonoid database, both black and green contain 150 to 190 milligrams of flavonoids per cup. They also provide trace amounts of healthful minerals such as potassium and fluoride.

Popularity

More than 90% of the world's black teas can be found on grocery store shelves, specialty tea shops, restaurants, and gourmet food outlets.

The invention of the tea bag in the early 1900s is said to contribute significantly to the tea's popularity and consumption.

Explain about Wu Long Tea

Wu Long tea, also known as oolong tea, is a Chinese tea that has been served for centuries. Most people who have frequently visited Chinese restaurants are familiar with its flavor, as it is one of the most popular choices of tea to be served in restaurants due to its pleasant flavor and aroma.

The flavor and aroma exist partway between that of green tea and black tea. The reason for this is that the green tea leaves do not go through the entire oxidation process necessary to process them into black tea. Instead, the oxidation level tends to run anywhere up to about 70%. The grassy tones that define green tea have been done away with, and its bitter flavor is followed by an aftertaste that is much sweeter than might be expected. Still, it has the fresh, strong punch that you would normally find in a black tea.

It is best procured in the whole leaf form, and the long, thin leaves tend to come in tight curls instead of the near-sawdust consistency that you find in tea bags. You will spend more money for the whole leaves than you would for the tea bags because of the higher quality intact leaves. The tea that goes into tea bags tends to be the broken remnants that are left over after sorting out the whole leaves. There is nothing wrong with using tea bags, per se, but you run the risk of over extracting during brewing, which brings out various unpleasant characteristics that would be left behind if the intact leaf had been brewed instead.

The Health Benefits of Tea

For literally thousands of years, humans have extolled the nutritional and health benefits of tea. The tea plant Camellia Sinensis is the source of all teas in the world. These include green, oolong, white, and black tea as well as the Chinese Tea known as Pu-erh Tea, which is prepared by fermentation of tea leaves. Both formal scientific studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that tea really can work wonders for the body. Here’s how:

Tea May Boost the Metabolism
Whether you are looking to burn off a few extra calories or simply get a little more energy during your day, drinking tea may be a good solution. Of course, it’s important not to add sugar to your tea, or you will undo the positive metabolic effects. Instead, add a sugar free substitute, like Splenda, Equal, or Sweet N' Low for taste.

Tea Improves Focus and Brainpower
Tea leaves contain an important protein building block called L-Theanine, which stimulates cerebral activity but doesn’t over-stimulate like the caffeine in coffee.

Tea Can Relax the Body and Help You De-Stress
A hot cup of decaffeinated tea can soothe the body and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream.

Tea Can Hydrate the Body Effectively and Efficiently -- Without Adding Extra Calories
In a world packed with energy drinks, colas, fruit juices, and other sugary beverages, tea offers a low calorie, low-carb alternative -- and a tasty one at that. Mounting evidence supports the hypothesis that obesity may be caused by too many simple sugars and carbohydrates in the diet. By switching from soda or fruit juice to tea, you can substantially cut out your daily intake of simple carbohydrates and improve your prospects for long-term good health.

Tea Supports the Immune System
Whether you are battling an infection or simply trying to stimulate the immune system, tea can be an important arrow in your immune system’s quiver.

Tea Is an Effective Digestive
The Chinese have known about tea’s positive postprandial effects for over 2,000 years. Scientists suggest that the tannins found in tea may improve the digestive process.

Tea May Be Very Heart Healthy
Studies suggest that drinking oolong tea or green tea can lower blood pressure, protect against heart disease, and guard against stroke and blood clotting.

The Polyphenols in Tea Can Act as Anti-Inflammatories
These polyphenols can be particularly effective in combating diseases and irritations of the intestines, such as irritable bowel syndrome. An agent in Rooibos, found in red tea, may also act to reduce stomach cramping.

Tea Can Fight Tooth Decay and Plaque
While tea can also stain your teeth if you are not careful, the beverage supplies the body with both tannins and fluoride, which can support good dental health. To get these benefits without the cost (staining), rinse your mouth with water after you drink black or oolong tea.

Tea Can Be Good For the Skin
One study showed that tea functioned as well as or better than benzoyl peroxide in treating patients with acne. Many moisturizers, hair products, and other dermal solutions contain green tea extract. One of the reasons why green tea is so popular in these skin products is that the natural antioxidants contained in green tea can salve skin damage and guard against future damage.

Tea Offers Protection against Numerous Diseases and Conditions, Such As Parkinson's Disease, Influenza, Arthritis, and Diabetes
While tea is by no means a panacea, the beverage contains a host of compounds (discussed above -- tannins, antioxidants, polyphenols, etc), which can simultaneously boost the immune system’s capacity, enhance metabolism, reduce stress, and simultaneously invigorate. Tea also boasts a compound called alkylamine antigen, which may partially explain why regular consumption of tea is so well correlated with better health. A recent paper in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported another surprising finding: that regular tea drinking may inhibit the proliferation of the HIV virus in infected patients.

Avoiding Over Treatment with Tea
While tea offers a veritable cornucopia of health benefits, anything when taken to excess can cause health problems. Drinking too much tea can lead to jitteriness and insomnia, and the oxalates contained in some teas can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys.

If You Experience Insomnia or Kidney Stones, See Your Doctor and Consider Taking Time off from Your Daily Tea Regimen
Similarly, the milk, sugar, and other additives you put into tea can cause negative health effects. A typical chai tea latte drink, for instance, may contain 50 grams of carbohydrates or more -- enough to cause blood sugar spikes and subsequent insulin crashes. The journal New Scientist also reported that putting milk in tea can reduce the nutritional benefits outlined above.

Oolong Tea for Health and Wellness

From time immemorial, the health benefits of tea have been acclaimed across countries. Most is the tea types fall under the category of Camellia Sinensis plant and has its own unique features and properties. Some of the most popular ones include Green tea, Black tea, Oolong tea, and more.

Oolong tea happens to be an interesting tea variety that exhibits traits of both Green tea and Black tea. The leaves are large in appearance and its sweet aroma makes a delicious connoisseur when brewed with proper ingredients. Oolong comes in all varieties including White Tip Oolong tea to Formosa Oolong variety with amber streaks. Oolong tea goes though a shorter oxidation process unlike its counterparts and thus is capable of retaining most health properties.

The tea is recognized as a beneficial health drink and acts as an anti-obesity agent. During the process of oxidation, the level of Catechins is reduced. During the fermentation process, the level of Polyphenols and Flavanoids are increased. Polyphenol augments the process of fat-metabolism in human bodies. Foods rich in carbohydrate when consumed synthesize together to form Triglyceride, which flows through blood veins and capillaries of human bodies and release energies for sustaining life. However, excess deposition of Triglyceride is counterproductive to human health and form fat tissues. Polyphenol reacts directly with Triglycerides and dissolves them smoothly and thus helps in encountering obesity to a large extent.

Apart from its function as a cure to obesity, strong antibacterial and antiviral properties develops a strong immune system in the body which is capable of encountering harmful diseases. The antioxidant properties of Polyphenol coupled with Epigallo Catechin Gallate (EGCC), a substance contained in Oolong tea can prevent unwanted DNA mutation from cells. While buying Oolong tea, it is recommended to go for the organic variety available in loose tea bags. The variety is cultivated without using pesticides and the intermingling of chemicals is far less.

The health benefits of Oolong tea have made it one of the most popular connoisseurs cross the globe. Few centuries back, some religious groups in China believed that Oolong tea carries with itself some potions of immorality. It goes without saying that this belief was inculcated mainly due to its one of kind contribution in the area of health and medication. Till today, Oolong tea is regarded as one of the most accredited health drink that runs parallel with conventional science and its significance remains intact in the annals of medicine.

Green Tea and Its Benefits

Have you recently found that as the inception of springtime arrives you are inclined to catch more colds and virus then you normally would? This may conceivably be due to the brisk changes that we are experiencing with the weather. In my region of the country we undergo warm daytime temperatures while our evenings abruptly plunge to the 30's or 40's. This kind of shifting temperature changes are likely to bring about cold symptoms rather hastily.

As they say there is nothing that we can do about the weather conversely there is plenty that we can accomplish towards improving our immune system. Green tea has been reputed to combat virus in the plants grown by the tobacco farmers of the south. It appears that one of the active constituent found in the green tea averts crop damage that results from the tobacco mosaic virus. This component of the tea is none other than catechin which provides us with the antioxidant for which the tea has become synonymous with.

During research tests it was revealed that the catechin has a very strapping effect upon the influenza virus as well. It seems to attach and deactivate the virus causing it to appear dormant. For us it means we are quickly over the dreaded flu or virus that we inadvertently caught. By merely drinking a daily cup or two of green tea we can drastically improve our immune system to the point where we are virtually virus free.

It was an encouraging situation when this virus fighting attribute was discovered for it tended to unlock several additional avenues towards possibly resolving the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS virus. By all indications this much feared infectious disease may perchance be heading to in the direction of many other previously conquered diseases.