About Tea

Green Tea

Green tea is "true" tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea got its popularity from China and Japan since the beginning of its history 5,000 years ago, and recently has become more popular in the United States due to the health benefits and factors that have been raised in studies.

Health Benefits
Many studies have investigated a link between the consumption of green tea and a lower incidence of a range of cancers in populations. The wealth of plasma antioxidants that green tea provides contributes to the connection it has as a cancer-fighting product. Beyond the antioxidants that have been revealed, Catechin, the active ingredient in green tea has also been found to outperform Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Weight Loss
In addition to the health benefits that green tea studies have shown to provide, recent studies also claim that contents in green tea also provides help in weight loss.

While some studies support possible preventative or curative properties of tea, other studies have found none. One should consult a doctor before using high concentrations of tea for disease prevention, as this can cause serious health problems.

Black Tea

Black tea is a "true" tea made from leaves more heavily oxidized than the white, green, and oolong varieties. It is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than more lightly oxidized teas. Black tea tends to preserve its flavor for several years unlike green tea and therefore blends and mixes well with various plants in order to obtain a variety of flavors.

Processing
After the harvest, the leaves are withered by blowing air on them followed by 1 of 2 processes. The CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) or orthodox method is used for lower quality leaves that end up in tea bags and are processed by machines. This method is efficient and effective for producing a better quality product from medium and lower quality leaves. Orthodox processing is done either by machines or by hand. Hand processing is used for high quality teas. While the methods employed in orthodox processing differ by tea type, this style of processing results in the high quality loose tea sought after by many connoisseurs. Next, the leaves are oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity. This process is also called fermentation, though no fermentation takes place. The level of oxidation determines the quality of the tea. Since oxidation begins at the rolling stage itself, the time between these stages is also a crucial factor in the quality of the tea. The leaves are then dried to arrest the oxidation process, and then finally, the leaves are sorted into grades according to their sizes (whole leaf, brokens, fannings and dust), usually with the use of sieves. The tea could be further sub-graded according to other criteria. After sorting, tea is ready for packaging.

White Tea

White Tea is a young tea, made from new growth buds and leaves, which have been steamed or fired to inactivate the oxidation process and is then dried. White tea is rich in catechins similar to green tea, however, the small buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance. The leaves come from a number of varieties of tea cultivars and buses. It is a specialty of the province Fujian and is almost entirely produced in China. White tea has very limited processing, which gives this tea its added benefits.

Health
Similar to the health benefit of the green and red teas, recent studies have demonstrated that it could eliminate cancer cells. While some studies support possible preventative or curative properties of tea, other studies have found none. One should consult a doctor before using high concentrations of tea for disease prevention, as this can cause serious health problems.

Red Tea

Red Tea, also known as Rooibos (ROY-BOSS) is an herbal tea originating in the Cedarberg mountains of South Africa. It is exclusively grown in the Cedarberg Mountain region due to the specific climatic and geological conditions of the region.

Essence
The flavor, cut length and color all contribute to the grade that it is given. The fermented type of rooibos leaves a sweet, fruity taste, where as the unfermented variety has a very mild, more "green" taste. Regardless of the process type, rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and is rich in antioxidants.

Health
Similar to the health benefits of green tea, researchers have also found that fermented rooibos tea suppressed and reduced cancerous formations and transformations of cells. Benefits of teas red and green alike are probably from the antioxidants naturally grown in teas based on studies.

Brewing Information

Tea District's Directions before Sipping
  • Begin your brew by bringing cold water to a boil in a tea kettle.
  • Place 1 tea bag or 2 grams of loose tea in an infuser into a large cup. Pour your just below boiling water into your cup over your Tea District tea.
  • Infuse for three to five minutes or until you find your desired taste.
  • Sip and Enjoy!

Caffeine Content

Coffee 80 mg
Black Tea 40 mg
Flavored Tea 40 mg
Green Tea 20 mg
White Tea 15 mg
Decaf Tea 5 - 10 mg
Red Tea/Herbal Tea 0 mg