What is Tea?
By pouring hot water over leaves and buds from the tea bush Camellia sinensis you make the drink called tea. People have probably been drinking tea for thousands of years, and it is a very popular drink that is spread around the world. Since tea has been around for so long it is not known when, how and who first invented tea drinking. Historians also argue whether the tea bush originates from China or India.
The Tea Bush Camellia Sinensis
All types of tea are made from the same kind of plant that is called Camellia sinensis. It is often called the tea bush, but it is actually a tree that can reach 20 meters in height, when growing freely in the wild. However, when it is cultivated it looks more like a bush. It is less than two meters high, and often not more than one to one and a half meters, because it should be easy to pick the leaves, which is often done by hand.
Its flowers look like those of the cherry tree, and they are white and pink. The leaves are leathery, shiny and dark green. It is often the young leaves that are used for tea production. The Camellia sinensis likes a hot climate with a mean temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius. Since it is sensitive to cold the winters must be mild.
Different Types of Tea
Tea can be categorized into three main groups: green tea, oolong tea and black tea. The main thing that separates them is the fermentation process during production. This is where black tea gets its dark red color.
Green tea is unfermented. In the beginning it was used as a medicine and it is still regarded as a healthy drink. It has been mentioned often in the press because of this, and science has proven it to be good for your health. But the other types of tea are good healthy alternatives for those who don't like like green tea.
Black tea was developed much later. It is produced by letting the leaves go through a fermentation process that changes the character of the tea leaves. The color darkens and the taste becomes less astingent.
The third type of tea is called oolong, and it is also a fermented tea, but the process has been stopped before it becomes black tea. It is therefore often called semi-fermented. The color is orange to red, depending on the level of fermentation.
Read about tea in Swedish: Te.