tea types

Iced tea (or ice tea) is a form of cold tea, usually served in a glass with ice. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. Common flavors including lemon, peach, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, strawberry and cherry. Iced tea is sometimes made by a particularly long steeping of tea leaves at lower temperature. This drink has gained recognition in all countries due to its cold and refreshing flavor along with same taste of tea.

Also called artisan or flowering teas, these teas actually 'bloom' as they steep. Hand tied by tea artists, they include some type of flavor or scent along with the beautiful design.

A traditional chai is a flavoured tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs. Originally from South Asia, chai has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and tea houses. Although traditionally prepared by decoction, there are a variety of ways to prepare the chai, tea bags for infusion, instant powdered mixtures, and concentrates. Chai is a Hindi word for tea and can be prepared black, with milk, without sugar, etc.

Tea Tonics are a selection of infusions, specifically blended to improve well-being according to Ayurvedic practices. The infusions are said to improve health and well-being by addressing various minor ailments such as indigestion, insomnia, stress, weakened immune system, anxiety and are blended in accordance with Ayurvedic recipes from Kerala.

Rooibos, or Redbush, is grown in South Africa. Naturally caffeine free, it contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as anti-ageing properties.

Mate tea is considered the coffee lover's favorite tea. Made from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant, mate teas give the same energy as coffee. They curb your appetite as they contain 21 vitamins and minerals. Morning Mate is a particular favorite of coffee drinkers because it tastes like coffee.

The word "tea" is a beverage made with the leaves of a plant. But true "tea" is made from the Camellia sinensis ? and everything else isn?t "tea" at all. Connoisseurs and tea professionals will tell you that all leaf-derived drinks other than true "tea" should be referred to as tisanes or herbal infusions. Tisane (tee-ZAHN) is what many people think of as "herbal tea," a drink made by steeping herbs, spices, flowers, etc. in boiling water. The term "herbal infusion" is pretty much the same thing: a drink made by steeping an herb in hot water. These herbal drinks are commonly associated with physical and mental health, and are consumed for their soothing or rejuvenating qualities. Common herbal beverages are chamomile, peppermint, fennel, rose hip, and lemon verbena.

Blends are the mutts of the tea world, possessing mixed heritages. Blends are made by combining different types of teas, often in order to achieve flavor consistency from one season to the next. Common blends include English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, and Caravan.

Tea easily absorbs other aromas and tastes. Thus tea drinkers the world over have long enhanced their tea with additional flavors, from flowers and oils to herbs and spices. Flavoring tea is a well-established tradition in China, where, for centuries, people have brewed tea with onions, orange peel, peach leaves, and berries. The Chinese are also known for their flower teas - popular varieties include jasmine, orchid, rose, and magnolia. In India, the spicy "masala tea" is a popular beverage. It is made by boiling black tea with spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black or white pepper; milk and sugar are usually added as well. Beyond herbs and spices, the flavor craze has more recently spurred manufacturers to produce tea with just about every flavor imaginable, from banana to toffee pudding.

"The champagne of teas," oolongs are considered to be among the finest ? and therefore most expensive - teas in the world. Most oolongs hail from Taiwan; but also referred to as pouchongs. Oolong tea is "semi-fermented," meaning that it goes through a short period of oxidation (fermentation) that turns the leaves from green to red-brown. The liquor is pale yellow, with a floral, fruity quality and a hint of smoke. Due to the delicacy of the flavor, connoisseurs prefer drinking it without milk, sugar or lemon.