Though both green and black teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, the difference between them lies in how the leaves are treated after they are picked. Green tea has a simpler drying process, whereas black tea leaves are oxidised as well as dried out. This gives a stronger taste, with a higher caffeine level, and also means the tea can be stored for years without losing flavor. By far the most popular way to drink it in the West is ‘black tea’ – your everyday cup is made from this kind.

Teas are usually named after the province or area where they are grown. The soil, climate and landscape all affect the flavor, which means different regions produce teas with distinct characteristics. Famed as the birthplace of tea, China has been cultivating and drinking tea for around five thousand years. A large proportion of the world’s tea still comes from China, although you can now buy varieties from South America, Turkey and Nepal as well as India and Africa. Here are just a few of the better-known black teas:

China

Lapsang Souchong is probably the best known china tea, Lapsang has an aromatic, smoky taste from the pine wood fires used to dry the leaves. Yunnan is another well known tea, from the south west of China. It has a rich, malty flavor and blends well with milk. Keemun tea produces a rich brown color with a delicate nutty flavor, and is made with great skill and discipline, the leaves dried without breakage to preserve the flavor.

India

The most famous Indian tea is Assam, a full bodied and strong tea with a particularly malty taste. This is often drunk in the morning as a wake up brew! Darjeeling, from the foothills of the Himalayas, is often considered the ‘champagne’ of teas – with a light and delicate flavor. Sri Lanka gives us Ceylon tea, known for a clean and bright, full bodied taste. Because of the unique climate in Sri Lanka, tea can be grown year round.

Africa

Around a third of the world’s tea now comes from Africa, from countries like Kenya, Malawi and Zimabwe. Kenyan teas are highly bright and colorful, with a pleasant flavor. Although tea has only been grown in Africa since around 1900, the climate and advances in scientific know-how mean that African teas are used in many of the more common blends available today.

Be adventurous and try some teas from around the world. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover new flavours and you may just find your new favourite tea.

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If you love to drink tea then you are in luck because tea is actually very healthy for you. It is a great substitute for sugary fruit drinks and soda and it is even a good substitute for water when you just what something with a little taste. Through out the years tea has been shown to have antioxidants in it. These antioxidants are thought to help lower your cholesterol level, improve your cardiovascular health, and even help prevent some cancers. Just knowing those few things makes you want to grab a glass of tea right away! Even certain teas can prevent different things. Like Green Tea for example has links to lower the risk of some cancers, like skin cancer, and heart diseases. Green Tea has very strong antioxidants, even higher than blueberries.

It can even help with weight loss and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Green Tea also helps with rheumatoid arthritis, infection, and impaired immune systems. The benefit of drinking tea is not only the health benefits but it also does not cause certain problems like caffeinated products would. Things like coffee and soda can cause insomnia, nervousness, and irritation in the stomach. Scientist have noticed through studies that tea an immediate boost without a crash later. Tea is great and can relieve fatigue and help clear the mind and event he digestive system.

Another type of tea is called Black Tea. This tea contains flavonoids that are natural vitamin-like compounds. These vitamin-like compounds can prevent clotting of blood. In studies of men who drank about four cups of tea a day had a sixty-nine percent reduced risk of having a stroke compared to those who only drank about two cups of tea a day. Flavonoids in tea are also thought to prevent tooth decay. This is because tea contains fluoride and the flavonoids in the tea fight against bacteria that eventually cause people to loose their teeth. It also fights against and kills the biggest cavity-causing bacteria.

So if you are ready to try something different and become healthy try something outside your comfort zone and drink something tea. The one thing to remember though is not to pile in a bunch of sugar because then you are just reducing the benefits of the tea. If you do not like the flavor of regular tea there are many more flavors out there to try, so find the one you like the most and stick with it.

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