By Valerie Tort

Tea is a great morning starter and a calming herbal concoction to cater people from different age groups. Tea is the next most popular drink to water. Just like morning or mid-afternoon coffee breaks, drinking tea is usually associated with healthy and satisfying rituals or get-togethers.

Different researches show that drinking approximately two to four cups of tea per day may cut down the risk of developing cancers and heart disease, and at the same time increase the level of antioxidants in the body. In addition, a cup of tea can lessen the cravings for high fat and sugar laden foods.

Oolong tea is commonly served in Chinese restaurants

However, the health benefits of tea can be reduced since the notion of “tea time” is usually associated with wonderful jam or marmalade sandwiches and butter or chocolate chip cookies.

Tea time is also the perfect hour for you to enjoy and indulge in special food treats such as a muffin while mingling and catching up with the latest happenings from your friends and colleagues. Aside from muffins, cookies, cakes, and chocolate desserts can be prepared to accompany your tea.

On the other hand, it is best to accompany tea with light, fat-free, and sugar-free gourmet snacks such as a clubhouse sandwich, pansit canton or bihon, or your choice of siopao fillings. Eventually, tea time evolves into a ritual to be cherished on a regular basis.

The glory of brewing tea leaves can be done at the comfort of your own home with the fraction of a cost from the coffee shops around the metro. This soothing beverage can be an alternative for java lovers who prefer to cut their caffeine consumption by one-third or more. The less time the tea leaves are brewed in boiling water, the less caffeine it would contain.

There are so many kinds of tea leaves sold in the market. Despite the different tea varieties, it only came from the same source: Camellia Sinensis.

Black tea is the well-known tea variety in the United States. When brewed, black tea has amber to deep brown color served with calamansi or honey to dilute its robust and toasty taste. Different breakfast teas sold in supermarkets are considered as black tea. Some flavored teas like black currant is also regarded as black tea. Among the tea variants, black tea has the strongest caffeine content (but still half of the caffeine content in a cup of coffee).

Green tea is popular for its weight loss properties and high levels of antioxidants than black tea. It differs from the black tea by the process of the oxidation of its leaves. Green tea is shortly oxidized, therefore giving off a sweet to smoky flavor with a light green to golden brown color when brewed in boiling water for a few minutes. Jasmine tea is also green tea infused with dried jasmine flowers to give a perfume-like aroma.

Oolong tea is the traditional Chinese tea known for its delicate and subtle flavor. Oolong tea is usually taken with meals or after since it aids digestion and the metabolism of the fats in a serving of food.

To get the most flavor and delight out of your tea, be sure to pour in boiling water over the tea leaves, steep it for three to five minutes, and invite your friends over for a memorable mid-afternoon.

Tags: types of tea, green tea