Mychoyce.com San Francisco Restaurant Blog

Tea drinking eases the mind, relaxes the body and encourages social life. It is a simple pleasure with a long and rich tradition. More tea is consumed than any other beverage in the world. Rituals focusing on tea are very common in the East and West. The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) has existed for over 500 years. Afternoon tea, formal or informal, is a fixture of English life.

There are many kinds of tea:

Besides herbal teas, all teas come from the plant Camellia sinesis. Most are grown in India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Africa. Teas fall into categories according to their degree of fermentation. Green tea is unfermented and mild, pale in color; it is ceremonial in Japan and often served in Oriental restaurants. Drinking green tea may cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. Oolong tea is semifermented; it brews light brown and has a distinctive flavor. Black tea is completely fermented and requires a good deal of attention during the process.

Distinctive blends and flavors include:

Assam - from India, a strong, wake-up tea.

Black Currant - Oriental teas with black currant.

Darjeeling - fruity taste, the ‘Champagne of teas’ from India.

Earl Grey - blend of black China and Darjeeling, with oil of bergamot.

English Breakfast - blend of teas from Ceylon and India.

Flowery Orange Pekoe- a black Ceylon (Sri Lanka) tea with subtle flavor.

Formosa Oolong - brown tea with a peachy taste.

Gunpowder - very delicate Chinese tea.

Jasmine - green or black-green blend, with jasmine flowers.

Keemun - a delicate tea from China.

Lady Londonberry - black blend.

Laspang Souchong - from China, smoky and rich.

Rose Pouchong - Chinese tea with rose petals.

Russian Caravan - China and Taiwan blend

Yunnan - strong but subtle Chinese tea.

KiyaSama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kiya_Sama