Tea Time

Tea refers to a hot infusion drink and stimulant prepared from the leaves and leaf buds, sometimes also the stems (kukicha), of the tea plant. Tea contains about 25-75 mg of caffeine per cup (250 ml), depending on the part of the plant brewed. In a broader sense, "tea" also refers to a hot infusion beverage prepared from leaves, buds, flowers, stems, barks, or even roots of other plants, especially herbs or fruits.

The original method of preparing tea drinks is the use of fresh tea leaves, plucked directly from the bush and placed in hot water. Prepared in this way, tea tastes significantly different than with dried leaves. Fresh tea leaves cannot be stored for long, ferment on their own or spoil due to the activity of undesirable microorganisms. Therefore, selective fermentation and drying was developed to make the tea storable. In this process, depending on the procedure and the starting material, many different qualities of taste are obtained.

The best-known teas in Europe are the black tea varieties Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling, named after their growing regions. However, tea is produced in many other areas. The East Indian Assam tea comes from the largest growing region in the world and is a typical highland tea with a strong aroma. The tangy Ceylon is grown in Sri Lanka, the world's third largest growing region. Both varieties are often found in tea blends and are resistant to hard water. The delicate, yellow Darjeeling grows on the southern slopes of the Himalayas around the district capital of the same name in northern West Bengal at an altitude of over 2000 meters. It is more sensitive to hard water. Formosa usually refers to green or oolong teas from the island of Taiwan.