[rysmommy]

I decided to try lipton's green tea collection I have no idea why but i just did lol.. im having the mixed berry right now does anyone know of any benifit's of drinking tea or something i should know like is it bad for me? high in cals or fat..? I have no clue just thought i'd try asking... Why do people drink tea anyways? why am I drinking tea? lol I have no idea...

[DishyFishy]

I'm English, and drinking tea is in my blood! I drink gallons of the stuff.

Current favourites are Da Zhang green and Russian black. I also like some of the pure fruit infusions, but they're not really teas.

Tea has no kcals as long as you don't add milk or sugar, and less caffeine than your average coffee unless you over-mash it. There have been all sorts of claims made about the benefits of drinking tea. I just love the stuff!

[suzisonthemovetolose]

Some research has shown that green tea can boost your metabolism and help decrease your blood pressure. See the UMD Medical Center website for more info: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/GreenTeach.html

[rysmommy]

Great link thanks suz!

[MlleOdile]

Then there's roiboos or red bush tea. My favorites are from Mariage Freres, a French company which I mail order from the Cultured Cup - www.theculturedcup.com

The Vanilla Bourbon is my favorite red tea - red tea is as good or better for you than green tea. No caffeine. It is said that African mothers use red tea to soothe their babies... now if I can just kick my addiction to Tab...

[DollyR]

There is something else in green tea that makes it good to drink before a long flight. (12-14 hour flight) I can't remember quite exactly but I think it has to do with antioxidants??? Anyway they serve it on all the asian bound flights and the flights coming out of asia. I also know they serve it because many asians drink it. Asian tea is awesome. I have a box of ginger tea that I swear will knock a minor sore throat right out of you.

[shrinkingchica]

Green tea does have antioxidants (which are v v healthy for you) and some studies have shown that it can help with weight loss.

[synger]

(Herein follows more than you ever wanted to know about tea...)

Green tea and black tea (and oolong and white) are all the same plant, just processed differently. They all have the same antioxidants. White and green, because they are processed quickly after picking to stop any fermentation, have more of the antioxidants. If it is half-fermented, you get oolong tea. Black tea is fully fermented. They all have caffeine.

The two big places for tea are India and China, so the major branches of tea are called Indian teas -- Assam, Nilgiri, and "the champagne of teas": Darjeeling -- and Chinese teas -- Ceylon (which is really from Sri Lanka), Yunan, and Keemun.

It is the different times of fermentation, the different areas of the world where the plants are grown, the size of the leaf, and the different other flavors added that mean they're named different things. It's likened to grape growing for wine, and coffee growing, for a reason. Same basic plant... but where it grows and how it's processed makes a world of difference to the final taste.

Blackberry tea, for instance, is a black tea with blackberry leaves added. Earl Grey is black tea with oil of bergamot (a citrus fruit). Earl Green is the same thing with green tea instead of black. Jasmine is green tea with jasmine leaves (the "chinese restaurant tea" that you usually get). Gunpowder tea is a green tea that has been rolled into tiny "pellets" (hence the name). Pu-erh is an oolong tea from one small province in China. Lapsang Souchong is a strong black tea that has been smoked to give it a rich, almost tar-y scent. Russian Caravan is a brand name for a tea that is a mixture of Lapsang Souchong and a milder tea. Irish Breakfast is a hearty mixture of Assam and Ceylon teas. English Breakfast is a different mixture, of mostly Indian teas.

Many of these teas come decaffinated. Even if they don't, you can rid yourself of 80 percent of the caffeine (and a small amount of flavor) by double-steeping. Caffeine is very water soluble -- more so than the flavors of tea. You can steep your tea for 10-15 seconds, then pour it off. That first steeping will have the majority of the caffeine in it. Then fill the pot again and steep for the 5-7 minutes called for for your tea. This is a way to enjoy a special tea with less caffeine when you can't find the tea you want in decaffinated form. However, I'm not sure if the beneficial flavonoids and antioxidants will all remain.

Rooibos is not true tea. It is a completely different plant, and hence should be called a "tincture" or an "herbal infusion". "Herbal tea" is the common name for any preparation of non-tea herbs steeped in hot water like tea would be.

[rysmommy]

Thanks for all the info! love it, Im just curious since im new to the whole tea thing in every aspect...! What does steep mean i've read this alot and have no clue what it means thanks for all the info!

[synger]

Steeping is how you make tea or herbal infusions (http://coffeetea.about.com/cs/teabre...t_brewcup.htm). It's dunking your tea bag into hot water, or pouring hot water over loose leaves. You "steep" the tea in the hot water for a certain time (4-8 minutes depending on the type of tea), then you remove the tea leaves -- you take out the tea bag, or the tea ball, or you pour off the tea into a separate container leaving behind the loose leaves. Then you drink the resulting liquid. If you keep the tea leaves in the water too long, it gets strong and bitter and rather acidic.

There's a lot of paraphernalia that can be involved in tea drinking. But most Americans just stick with tea bags. Easy to use, no muss-no fuss. You don't need a pot, or a tea ball/infuser, or a strainer, or a cozy (a kind of "sweater" for your tea pot to help keep it hot) or anything. Just a cup/mug and a tea bag.

Some folks like to use "loose tea" which means it's not pre-packaged into bags. You can get a lot of varieties loose that you can't get in bags. You can put it in your own tea ball, or use a special tea pot with an infuser basket, or just use the tea loose in the pot as long as you plan to pour off the liquid when the steeping is done.

There's even a special kind of brewing done in China in very small tea pots. They look like they hold only enough for one cup of tea. But you use the tea over and over. You fill the little pot with tea leaves, and pour over your water. After it steeps, you pour it into your cup and drink. Then you put more water into the pot, with the same leaves. You steep, pour, and drink. Oolong tea, especially, is enjoyed this way, as each steeping results in a different strength and character of tea. When I lost 30 pounds, I bought a Yixing-style tea pot as my reward. It's the loveliest little thing. (http://funalliance.com/tea/yixing_all.htm)

"Brewing" coffee is different, as it is often done over heat -- boiling the coffee with the water, or percolating it up and through the grounds. You can get "coffee bags" that you can steep in hot water like tea bags, but most people I've talked to think it makes really sucky coffee.

[rysmommy]

wow what neat looking tea pots! I just buy the tea bag's I really like the tea though so i might get more into it, Does it alway's have little or no flavor though? I've found i have to add a little honey to make it taste decent but i love the heat and aroma of it I really am not sure how to make it either the tea gods would probally be mad at me if they knew how i did it lol, I just got water in a cup and put it in my microwave until really hot then just add the tea bag and stir it till it looks blended... maybe that's why it doesn't taste all that great lol... I have bought some lipton green tea collection with the different flavored green teas in the little bags and then i got some sleepytime tea from celestial seasonings i know they are not that great but im so new to all of this what's some good tea to buy at the store? and if you don't have a kettle how do you make the tea right? thanks for explaining everything to me it's slowly making sense...

Update: I went to the link on how to make tea, I see that you can do it on the stove top with a regular pot and you add the hot water to the cup with the tea bag in it, how do you keep the tea in the water do you use a spoon to hold in down because mine float's on top lol... and you just time it? because i never can tell if it's done so to speak?