Premium Tea Blends: Quality 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.
Premium tea blends are created for two different purposes. A common one is simply to create an economical blend of a given quality by mixing a costly high grade tea with a lesser grade to achieve the correct level of quality at the optimum price. But the other chief reason for blending premium teas is to produce an entirely new flavor for the taste alone.
Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant, can be found in areas of both China and India. In the wild these plants can grow upwards of 90 feet in height. In the old days monkeys were taught to climb the plants to pluck the leaves and throw them to the bottom for collection. Today’s modern plants are maintained at about three feet in height to accommodate easy picking and cultivating of the leaves. All premium tea blends are stored out of the sunlight in an air tight environment to maintain the integrity and flavor of the tea leaf.
More than 2000 different kinds of tea exist in the world. While over 25 different countries make it, China, India, Japan, and Nepal are the primary ones. Not only is tea healthy, it also has a good flavor and improves one’s spirit.
Black, green, and oolong teas are the most popular main varieties. Black and green teas are actually derived from the same plant; they are just prepared differently to give them distinct flavors. Black tea undergoes several hours’ worth of oxidation before it’s dried, and green tea is steamed right after being picked. Oolong tea is also halfway fermented so that the intricate flavor of the black tea is preserved. Green tea has been touted for years as a natural health tonic as well as a tasty beverage.
It was during Tang Dynasty in China (6816-906 B.C.) that tea became the national beverage of choice. Until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the way of tea from China to Europe had been very long. Tea could be shipped by sea or by land and it took several months to deliver it with an unavoidable loss of quality. The tea shipped by sea was called “Canton” tea, and the tea delivered by land got the name “Caravan” tea. The Caravan tea was of better quality and had a longer delivery time and was highly valued.
Today, tea is a major industry. In addition to premium tea blends, you can buy many tea related products and gift kits that would be greatly appreciated by members of your family, friends and co-workers. For example, themed tea gift baskets, tea and chocolate packages, tea chest and pots, holiday gift baskets, and many other types of tea related gifts are available. To find the perfect tea gift, go online and read some tea blend reviews.
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. Recent scientific studies have shown that green tea has many health benefits. Tea gift baskets make an excellent gift that can be appreciated by just about anyone. Many tea blends reviews are available online.
- Sveinung Skoglund