Tea

Did you know iced tea (at least the version we know today) was “invented” in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair?  In an effort to entice fair-goers to try samples of his tea, the Commissioner of Tea for India added ice to hot tea.  Attendees, who were seeking cold beverages because of the unseasonably warm temperatures, could not get enough of the cold drink.  For his ingenuity, Richard Blechynden is forever credited with “inventing” iced tea.

Did you know during World War II, you could only find black tea, primarily sourced from India, in the United States?  Most sources of green tea, primarily Japan, were banned from dealing with the United States.  By the end of the war, Americans were exclusively drinking black tea.  As a result, green tea all but disappeared for decades, and only recently found a resurgence in the United States.

Did you know ALL tea leafs, no matter the color, come from the same plant – Camellia Sinensis? As amazing as it may sound, the leaves that sprout at the top of this plant (and ONLY this plant) transform into all types of tea (black, green, white or oolong).  The difference between the “color” of tea comes from the way the leaves are processed after they are plucked from the branches.  The amount of time leaves are oxidized, or exposed to air, determines the color and flavor of tea.

Like grapes used in winemaking, differences in the soil, elevation and climate all affect the character of tea leafs.  A significant portion of tea’s character comes from the choice of leaves picked and how they are processed after being harvested from the plant.

Herbal “teas” and red “tea” (rooibos), aren’t teas by definition because they do not come from the tea plant.  They are properly known as infusions.

Would you like to know more?  Check out this article written in Summer 2009.