Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Interesting Tea info !!


1.  All types of  tea (white, green, black, and oolong) comes from the same plant, the ‘Camellia Sinesis’ and It takes a  three to five years for a tea bush to grow and be ready for harvesting.
2.  Herbal tea is not really tea, but a tea-like drink made from flowers, fruits and herbs. Most herbal teas are distinguished by their ability to stimulate or relax the tea drinker.
3.  Research outcomes have shown that tea can provide over 15% of the minimum daily requirement of calcium, as much as 10% of folic acid, and 45% of manganese (promotes healthy bones).
4.  There is only one working tea plantation in the USA and it is located on Wadmalaw Island just outside Charleston, South Carolina. It also has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
5.  If a lemon slice is kept at the bottom of a cup before pouring tea, it will help to keep any residue from tea leaves or minerals in water from forming on the top of the cup.


Sunday, December 23, 2012

How to brew Green Tea


Brewing perfect cup of Green Tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly, those same 'polyphenols' that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste "gassy." It's particularly important not to over brew. While it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for each variety of green tea, here are some general instructions:
  • Use 2 - 4 grams of tea * , per cup.
  • Fill a kettle with cold water and bring to a boil.
  • After unplugging the kettle, allow it to stand for up to 3 minutes.
  • Pour the heated water over the tea, and allow it to steep for up to 3 minutes.
  • Allow the tea to cool for three more minutes.
*One to two teaspoons, depending on the variety of green tea you are brewing.

Although Green Tea is taken alone without any added flavorings , not everyone will appreciate drinking it in this manner. Infact some people would like to add a touch a sugar, or honey, ginger or even a slice of lemon to give that added taste.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Indian Tea Industry


The Indian tea industry is nearly 200 years old. Robert Bruce, a British national discovered tea plants growing in the upper Brahmaputra valley in Assam and adjoining areas. In 1838, Indian tea that was grown in Assam was sent to the UK for the first time, for public sale. Tea in India is grown primarily in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Apart from this, it is also grown in small quantities in Karnataka, HP, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Meghalaya. India has a dual tea base, unlike most other tea exporting countries. Both CTC and Orthodox tea is produced in India. The tea industry is agrobased and labour intensive. It provides direct employment to over 1 million persons. Through its forward and backward linkages another 10 million persons derive their livelihood from tea. In Northeast India alone, the tea industry employs around 900,000 people on permanent rolls. It is one of the largest employers of women amongst organized industries in India. Women constitute nearly 51% of the total workforce. The tea estates in the North Eastern India are located in industrially backward areas. Tea being the only organised industry in the private sector in this region, people outside the tea estates has high expectations from the industry.   

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Green Tea - An healthy drink


What is Green Tea?

Green tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. It is prepared in the same way like other types of tea are prepared barring a few processes.  It has recently become more widespread where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where they are grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture,production processing, and harvesting time.




Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting that regular green tea drinkers may have a lower risk of developing heart disease and certain types of cancer.Although green tea does not raise the metabolic rate enough to produce immediate weight loss, a green tea extract containing poly-phenols and caffeine has been shown to induce thermogenesis and stimulate fat oxidation, boosting the metabolic rate 4% without increasing the heart rate.


According to a survey released by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2007,the mean content of flavonoids in a cup of green tea is higher than that in the same volume of other food and drink items that are traditionally considered of health contributing nature, including fresh fruits, vegetable juices or wine. Flavonoids are a group of phytochemicals in most plant products that are responsible for such health effects as anti-oxidative and anticarcinogenic functions.However, based on the same USDA survey, the content of flavanoids may vary dramatically amongst different tea products.