A fragrant hot drink. A luminous-coloured liquid. A pleasing aroma.
But what's really behind this beverage which has managed to retain - and indeed increase - its popularity over millennia?
Information taken from the book: "Thirsty for knowledge: a guide to tea" published by the German tea marketing board. Available from all good tea retailers.
The plant:
The tea plant is a species of tree related to the camelia.
Its flowers are yellowy-white and its fruits small and
hard-shelled, similar to a hazelnut. The evergreen leaves
are leathery, dark and slightly serrated. Given minimum
annual temperatures of 18° C, moderate and infrequent
frosts, a uniform annual precipitation of 1600 l and a
good balance of sunshine, a tea plant can easily grow
to become 100 years old. Wild tea plants are indeed reputed
to reach an age of up to 1,700 years.
Two original tea plants are known today:
Thea sinensis (or Chinese tea). A shrub-like plant which reaches a maximum height of 3-4 m and can even survive frosts.
Thea assamica (or Assam tea). A substantial tree reaching a height of 15-20 m which grows exclusively in the tropics.
The constant crossing of these two original plants forms the basis of all the tea cultures in the world today.
Active ingredients:
The cheapest drink in the world after water is also one of the most valuable in terms of its chemical composition: approx. 32 % of its ingredients pass into the infusion.
Tea contains:
Caffeine (teine)
Tannins
Amino acids
Proteins
Trace elements and minerals: fluoride, potassium, calcium, manganese
Vitamins: niacin, vitamin B1 and B2
"Tea both stimulates and calms."
Tea owes its stimulatory effect to its caffeine content; the caffeine in tea does not act on the circulation via the heart, however, but directly on the brain and central nervous system, as it is bonded to the tannins and is not released until it reaches the intestine. This explains the demonstrable capacity of tea to increase concentration and responsiveness.
Cultivation:
Tea is propagated vegetatively, i.e. by taking cuttings from parent plants. The tea plant is kept in the vegetative phase by regular pruning to prevent flowering and fruit formation. This also makes it easier for the tea pickers to gather the 2 uppermost leaves and the newest bud (only these are relevant for the tea harvest). Most picking is still done by hand in order to preserve the quality of the harvest. Some countries have developed mechanical picking methods, however, which greatly simplify production processes.
Tea is cultivated in large plantations such as those of the Indian district of Darjeeling, e.g. on the 2,000m high slopes of the Himalayas . Much lower lying is the Assam region of Northern India, the biggest continuous tea cultivation area of the world, siutated on either side of the Brahmaputra.
On the island of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), a bitter, aromatic tea is produced in the three cultivation areas of Dimbula, Nuwara Eliya and Uva which has become famous throughout the world. The Chinese produce a distinctly smoky, mild tea in various provinces such as Yunnan and Zhejiang. The Chinese are known for their tea specialities, such as tea bricks or tea roses.
Japan produces exclusively green tea, most of which is consumed by the Japanese themselves. Other tea-producing countries are Africa, Indonesia, Taiwan and Argentina as well as Thailand, Russia and Turkey, though these are relatively insignificant in terms of production volume. See also statistics.
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