tea term glossary
AFTERNOON TEA - A term used for a mid-afternoon meal snack that features
different types of sandwiches and sweets, and tea is the main beverage served.
ASSAM - A region in India known for its intense tea.
BLACK TEA - Green tea leaves are picked, dried, and then crushed to release the
leaves juices (fermented or oxidized).
BROKEN PEKOE - A full-bodied black tea consisting of broken segments of tea leaves without tips.
BRICK TEA - A blend of Chinese and Japanese teas mixed and molded into bricks under high pressure. It was once used as a form of currency.
CAMELLIA SINENSIS - The botanical name for the tea plant.
CEYLON - Former name of Sri Lanka used when referring to tea grown on the island.
CHUNMEE - Green China tea, so called due to its resemblance to the shape of human eyebrows.
CONGOU - The general term used to refer to all black teas from China.
DARJEELING - A province in northern India that produces black tea famous for its exquisite bouquet.
DUST - The smallest broken leaves left over after all manufacturing processes are finished.
EARL GREY - A black China tea scented with oil of bergamot.
ENGLISH BREAKFAST - A name originally applied to Congou and now used to include blends of black teas in which the China flavor predominates.
ESTATE - The property or plantation where the tea is grown, an estate may have more than one garden.
FLUSH - Young tealeaf shoots. The term also refers to the various harvests ㉥ "first flush" is the early spring plucking and "second flush" is harvested in late spring and early summer. A "second flush" has a stronger flavor than the first flush.
FP - Whole-leaf black tea with the leaves rolled lengthwise.
GARDEN - The name of a specific plantation used to identify fine harvest produced solely from that garden.
GREEN TEA - Unfermented tea that is immediately heated (or steamed) to kill the fermentation enzymes. It is then rolled and dried. Naturally low in caffeine, the brew if very light in color. Green teas range from a light, fragrant taste to a very bold vegetal flavor.
GUNPOWDER - A type of young green tea, each leaf of which is rolled into a ball.
GYOKURO - Japanese for "pearl dew", it is a high-grade tea grown under the shade and made by a special process in the Uji district of Japan.
HERBAL INFUSION ㉥ Contrary to popular opinion, it is actually not a tea but an herbal mixture containing no caffeine. It is also sometimes called ㉥herbal tea.
HIGH TEA - An afternoon or evening meal with meat and other dishes at which tea is the main beverage.
HYSON - Chinese for "flourishing spring". A type of green China tea, formerly drunk extensively in Europe. "Young Hyson" is a type of China tea plucked early.
LAPSANG SOUCHONG - A smoky China tea dried over smoking pine needles.
MATCHA - Powdered green tea from Japan, used in the tea ceremony.
OOLONG TEA - Semi-oxidized tea from China or Formosa; a diplomatic tea in that oolong is a compromise between black tea and green tea. They are more delicate than black tea and stronger than green tea. The floral Ti Kuan Yin produces a clear mellow brew and is famous for its light fragrance.
PEKOE SOUCHONG - Black tea, each leaf of which is rolled in a ball, produced by a coarse plucking of the third leaf on the bush.
SCENTED TEA - Tea that has had flavors added to it like fruit, flowers, or essential oils. Usually the tea used is black or green tea. A popular example wiukd be Earl Grey, a scented black tea.
SENCHA - This is the most popular type of green tea in Japan.
TANNIN - The astringent part of tea.
TEA CADDY - A small container for tea. The term comes from ㉥catty, the Chinese word for "pound" (the amount of tea a caddy used to contain).
TIP - The bud leaf found on a tea plant.
TIPPY TEAS - Teas that have white tips.
VINTAGE - These are leaves that are a part of the same harvest.
WHITE TEA - A very rare tea that is produced from adult buds of "Big White" tea bush. They are not rolled to produce the tea; they are only steamed.
YUNNAN - Black tea from the Yunnan province of China. Along with Assam, this region was the original site of wild tea plants.
did you know?
- In 2005, Americans consumed over 50 billions serving of tea. That equals 2.25 billion gallons!
- On a daily basis, about one half of all Americans drink tea.
- Tea is nearly 5,000 years old; it was discovered in 2737 BC by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, when, legend has it, some tea leaves accidentally fell into his pot of boiling water.
- The Boston Tea Party happened in 1773.
- Tea is considered to be one of the healthiest things out there, with no sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar, and is almost calorie-free!
- Tea contains flavornoids, which are believed to have antioxidant properties that contribute to overall good health.
- Despite rumors, tea is naturally low in caffeine. A cup of Black Tea only contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine.
tea & health
Recent research studies reveal the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
An Iowa Women's Study followed post-menopausal women for eight years and found that participants who drank two or more cups per day had a reduced risk of developing digestive urinary tract cancers.
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Studies found an average estimate of 11 percent lower rate of heart attacks among study participants who drank 3 or more cups of tea per day.
A study involving people diagnosed with coronary artery disease reported that subjects who drank four cups of black tea per day showed improved blood vessel function.
BONE HEALTH
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that older women who drank tea actually had higher bone mineral density measurements than women who did not drink tea.
ORAL HEALTH
Drinking one cup of tea a day (green or black) may inhibit the plaque-forming ability of oral bacteria and tea's naturally occurring fluoride may support healthy tooth enamel.
Source: Tea Association of the U.S.A.
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