Premium Tea Blends: Variety, Taste, And Value

Since most completely pure teas are never the same, almost all teas available today are blends. A fine black tea plucked on a certain date from a particular estate or region will vary from year to year. Each year will have its own unique combination of taste and flavor. There are two distinct reasons for creating premium tea blends. The first reason is to help reduce the costs of producing tea while preserving the quality. With this method a premium tea is typically blended with a standard tea. The other reason for creating these blends is to experiment with new flavors to satisfy the consumer. The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, is usually referred to both China, and parts of India. Wild tea plants can grow more that 90 feet. In the past they trained monkeys to pick the leaves and throw them down, where they were collected. Today plants are kept to a height of about three feet for easy picking and cultivated as a plantation crop. All premium tea blends are then stored in airtight containers out of direct sunlight, so that they do not loose their flavor or take on foreign aromas. There are over 2000 types and varieties of tea. Although tea is produced in more than 25 countries, the major tea producing countries include: China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Tea has many health benefits. It tastes good and warms the spirit. The three main categories of tea are: Black, Green, and Oolong, each with its own varieties. Black and Green teas originate from the same tea plant, but are being processed differently. Black tea is oxidized for several hours before drying. And Green tea is steamed immediately after picking. Oolong (green/black) tea is also partially fermented to preserve some of the delicate flavor of the black tea. Green Tea has long been known as a health tonic, elixir, and satisfying beverage. Many scientific researches today have proved that fact. During the Tang Dynasty in China, which lasted from 6816 to 906 B.C., tea transformed into the nationally acclaimed beverage. Tea delivery prior to those times was a very lengthy and arduous process, since the Suez Canal had not yet been opened. Receiving tea all the way from Europe, whether by ocean or land delivery, took months and usually meant weak tea that had suffered loss of quality. When sent by boat, tea was called "Canton" tea, and tea delivered by land was called "Caravan" tea. Caravan tea was usually favored because of its better quality. Teas today has become a very popular and profitable industry. Along with the premium tea blends, you can purchase many products as well as gift kits that would be truly appreciated by you friends and family as a gift for any occasion. Themed teas gift baskets, teas chests, Christmas teas baskets etc. usually come with beautiful mugs, spoons and other goodies. Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com About the Author: Most teas currently available on the market are blends because pure teas can vary significantly from year to year. Premium tea blends are created for enhanced and consistent taste. The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, is grown in over 25 countries around the world. The three main categories of tea are black, green, and oolong. The differences between them lie in the processing. Tags: food-and-drink, coffee, premium tea blends, tea gift baskets, tea blends reviews