It’s started wars, been used as currency, and–aside from water–it is the number one most consumed beverage in the world. What is it?
Tea, of course!
Tea may seem simple at first. It is, after all, just steeping leaves in hot water. But the history and scope of tea and its influence is much greater than you probably realize. This simple drink has crossed continents, transformed societies, and given birth to countless traditions. So what is it? Where does it come from? And how did it make its way all the way to us?
What is Tea?
Believe it or not, all tea–black, white, green, oolong, pu-erh–comes from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. Technically a tree, it is kept trimmed between 3-6 feet to allow for easy harvesting of its leaves. Left unpruned, these trees can grow much taller, with some varieties reaching over 50 feet! The Camellia sinensis plant thrives in crisp, high, mountainous regions with well-drained, acidic soil. It originated in Southeast Asia, particularly where Southeast China meets Northeast India, and this region is still the source of the most premium teas today.
Now, we say, ‘all tea’ comes from this plant, but that doesn’t include tisanes, or, herbal teas. Because here’s another interesting fact: herbal teas are not technically ‘true’ teas. ‘True’ teas are only those that come from the Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas, while still called teas because they’re brewed in the same way, are crafted from a variety of other, different botanicals.
But if all true teas come from the same plant, how do we get such a wide range of teas? The answer is that it all comes down to how the tea leaves are processed!
What is Tea Processing?
Once the leaves are harvested, the tea leaves go through four steps of processing to different extents: withering, rolling, oxidizing, and drying. Throughout this process, science and chemistry turn plain leaves into something flavorful and magnificent.
First, the leaves are withered. In this stage, they are spread out for a few hours so that they begin to soften and lose some of their moisture, priming them for the next stage: rolling. Whether by hand or machine, this step involved rolling and bruising the leaves (or the CTC method: crush, tear, curl). This step is absolutely vital because it starts to break down the cell structure of the leaves, releasing juices and enzymes that are essential to developing flavor in the next step: oxidation.
In oxidation, as the leaves are exposed to air, or oxygen, for a certain amount of time, a really fascinating chemical reaction occurs. The leaves’ enzymes react with the oxygen to produce different flavor compounds. This process is also what changes the color of the leaves from green to black. Finally, the leaves are heat dried. Some kind of heat is applied to the leaves–either pan-frying, steaming, or roasting– stopping the chemical reaction and finishing the tea.
How long each tea spends in these steps is what separates the green teas from the blacks in the tea world.
Green tea spends the least amount of time withering or being rolled, and all but skips the oxidation step. It’s heat dried (a process also known as ‘kill-green’) as quickly as possible in order to stop the chemical reaction and preserve the chlorophyll that gives the tea its name. White tea is also minimally processed. It’s withered but not rolled, and then dried with heat.
Black tea spends the most amount of time in each of these phases. It’s fully withered, rolled, oxidized, and dried. Because of its extended oxidation, it can be preserved for longer periods of time–a particularly delightful discovery back in the days of no refrigeration.
Oolong is kind of like the Goldilocks of tea since it sits in between green tea and black tea. Its process looks very similar, but instead of being hardly oxidized or fully oxidized, it’s semi-oxidized. And the range of how oxidized oolong is varies wildly–anywhere from 8-80%! Thus, oolong tea is hardly standardized in flavor, making for an exciting array of different flavors within the same category of tea.
Pu-erh tea is also in a category all its own since its processing adds a step the other teas don’t have–fermentation! Rather than its flavors being developed by a chemical reaction with oxygen, Pu-erh tea’s flavors are developed through microorganisms fermenting the leaves over time. This process not only prevents spoilage, but actually allows the tea’s flavor to deepen and improve and develop over time. Again, a welcome revelation in pre-ice-pack days. Speaking of pre-ice-pack days, just how did tea find its way over from China–where it originated–to the West?
History of Tea
To begin with, people have been steeping herbs and plants in water for thousands of years–specifically for their medicinal benefits! The Sumererians recorded on cuneiform tablets the medicinal application of herbs such as thyme, myrrh, and opium as long ago as 3000 B.C. Ancient China has similar records listing over 300 herbs and their medicinal properties, some of which were extracted through infusions, or steeping them in hot water.
Legend has it that in 2737 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shen Nong was just minding his business under a shade tree one day when he accidentally discovered tea by leaves from the Camellia sinensisplant drifting into his boiled water. Voila!--tea. Tea became popularized as a part of Chinese daily life and writings during the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.). But it wasn’t until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 A.D.) that it began to be enjoyed purely as a beverage–no injury or disease required. Back in those days, the most common teas were green, oolong, and pu-erh. But in the 17th century, black tea was discovered. It was a revelation then and it remains a top contender in the tea industry today, accounting for over 75% of the global tea consumption!
Tea may have gotten its start in China, but as word began to spread of this delicious beverage, so did the tea itself. As early as the 6th century, Japanese buddhist monks brought tea seeds back with them from their pilgrimage to China. Fun fact: it was Japanese monks who first popularized matcha to help keep them awake during periods of long meditation.
In the 17th century, Catherine of Braganza, originally from Portugal, popularized tea as a royal beverage when she married King Charles II of England. Once tea gained popularity in Europe, it could not be stopped. Tea production began in the 18th and 19th centuries in places like India and Sri Lanka, both under British colonial rule at the time, and a global industry was born. Taiwan also began their own production of tea and is today renowned for their flavorful oolong teas.
Keep in mind that for centuries as tea was becoming popular, it was a very expensive commodity, enjoyed mostly by the wealthy and elite classes of its day. This is partly what led to tea being used as currency in the East for many years. Compressed into bricks, tea was durable, portable, standardized, and highly demanded everywhere in most parts of Asia. Once tea production grew, this delicious beverage became available to everyone!
What Are the Health Benefits of Tea?
While ancient civilizations hypothesized about the health benefits of tea, we can actually quantify them under a microscope and through clinical studies! Take antioxidants, for example. In your body, certain processes (like turning food into energy) create unstable molecules called free radicals. Left unneutralized, these molecules can cause damage to your cells. Enter antioxidants: the microscopic heroes we never knew we needed!
Antioxidants act as natural defenders of our cells, neutralizing free radicals before they can cause harm. Antioxidants are found in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate, and–you guessed it– teas! Some common antioxidants found in herbal teas in particular are vitamin C, vitamin E, and flavonoids. Antioxidants can help lower inflammation and heart disease risk, but they can also improve your immune system, help with digestion, and even improve your skin!
And, good news! Antioxidants are plentiful in every ‘true’ tea that derives from the Camellia sinensis plant, as well as in most herbal teas.
Herbal teas, depending on their ingredients, offer some unique advantages when it comes to healthiness. Turmeric has been shown to help with arthritis. Ginger has been shown to help with nausea. Other ingredients like peppermint, hibiscus, and chamomile are sought after for their stress-relieving, blood-pressure-lowering, sleep-aiding assistance. Plus, the flavors in herbal tea are plentiful! Earthy, floral, citrusy, minty, spicy–take your pick! They’re also usually caffeine-free–an added bonus.
But on the flip side, traditional teas have caffeine, which can be its own benefit for cognitive functioning. Its caffeine also doesn’t result in a caffeine-crash since its antioxidants slow the absorption of caffeine into the bloodstream, resulting in a win-win for everyone!
Rich in history, abounding in health benefits, and bursting with flavor, it’s easy to see why tea is the most consumed beverage in the world today outside of water. While the U.S. is not particularly adventurous when it comes to tea (84% of the tea consumed here is black tea), it is not for a lack of reasons to go out and try every kind of tea there is!
