Lisa McDonald

Article / Updated 03-23-2023

Although you may hear that green tea is better for you because the catechins (the most common flavanol — a tannin and antioxidant) haven’t been converted into more complex forms, don’t immediately throw out the black tea that you love and switch to green tea! Both green and black tea have antioxidant properties. Let’s take a look. The benefits of green tea The catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that’s found in green tea is often called a “natural drug” and is the golden child of current research. Laboratory studies suggest that this strong antioxidant may, indeed, be helpful to treat or prevent many chronic diseases, including those that damage the brain. Intriguingly, EGCG also may have some of the same advantages that theanine offers. Preliminary research suggests that EGCG may promote alpha, theta, and beta wave activity in the brain, helping us calm down and focus. However, even though it’s delicious, and even if you drink copious amounts of it, green tea is not guaranteed to give you all the benefits of EGCG that have been demonstrated in the lab. The tea may be loaded with polyphenols, but there may not be enough to have a measurable effect, or your body may be unable to access them. The upshot? If you like green tea, drink it. Green tea has lots of polyphenols. The benefits of black tea Like catechins, the theaflavins and thearubigins (types of tannins) found in black tea are antioxidants. The conversion from simple to complex polyphenols does not appear to change their antioxidant properties in any substantial way. Although numerous studies focus on the catechin EGCG found in green tea, plenty of work also supports the similar antioxidant capacity of theaflavins and thearubigins. Moreover, many of the health benefits suggested by studies of green tea are also supported by research on black tea, including possible protection against dementia, cancer, viruses, and bacteria. Note, however, that whole leaf teas appear to contain more robust antioxidants than cut-tear-curl (CTC) processed teas. (For more about this, check out our book Tea For Dummies.) teas. But, as mentioned in the previous section, consuming polyphenols isn’t a promise that health effects are tangible. In a nutshell? If you like black tea, drink it. Black tea has lots of polyphenols. Does it matter which tea you drink? So many teas! And so many voices out there telling you to drink this or that tea. But tea shouldn’t be this difficult. Instead, you should drink tea only because you like it, and you should drink only those teas that you like. Because it really doesn’t matter which tea you drink. All tea contains polyphenols, and all tea polyphenols are antioxidants. It doesn’t matter whether you’re drinking tea that contains mostly catechins (green tea) or mostly theaflavins (black tea). This is a win-win situation for tea drinkers! Note also that if you want to drink the tea that contains the most polyphenols, just drink the tea that you love. (Bonus: You’ll end up drinking more of it because you enjoy it.) Calculating the number of polyphenols in any given tea is futile, just like figuring out caffeine levels. Every individual tea must be tested in a lab, and generalizations are challenging. For example, some studies have demonstrated that white tea contains more polyphenols than green, whereas other studies have shown the opposite. Levels vary widely even within a type of tea. As with caffeine, polyphenol quantity depends on a plethora of factors including: Type of tea plant Geographic location Growing conditions and stress on the plant Time of harvest Which leaves are harvested How the tea is produced How you brew your leaves Why green tea held the spotlight for a while Green tea was originally thought to be healthier than black tea for numerous reasons: Early studies came out of primarily green tea-drinking countries such as China and Japan. Green tea-drinking countries were ideal for studies involving large groups of people. Researchers could find communities in which most people were drinking the same tea — grown and produced from the same tea garden and brewed and consumed in a similar manner. EGCG is undeniably a potent antioxidant, and, to our knowledge, green tea contains more EGCG than anything else we ingest (remember, though, that polyphenol quantity doesn’t always translate into concrete health benefits; see Chapter 14). Extensive studies of black tea began relatively recently; therefore, a larger body of work exists for green tea. However, as research continues, we’re learning how much more we need to learn. Although thearubigins aren’t well understood and EGCG continues to reveal surprises, results for all types of tea continue to be promising. In the end, all tea contains polyphenols, and all polyphenols contribute to your health. Drink the tea that makes you happy!

Article / Updated 03-23-2023

Tea. It’s as simple as boiling water, pouring it over leaves, taking a couple minutes to relax, and straining out the leaves. One cup of the perfect tea can hook you for a lifetime. But if you are trying to get into tea, you’ll probably want to hold off on some teas. Lapsang souchong, Japanese green teas like sencha or matcha, and white teas may not be what you are expecting. You may want to ease into these types after you’re more accustomed to tea and its various flavors. So then, where do you begin? For many people, their journey into the world of tea starts with something more familiar, like earl grey or a teabag from a box. Although teabags have gotten better throughout the years, they will never be what tea is meant to be. In this article (and in my book, Tea For Dummies) we focus on loose-leaf tea. Great teas to start with At our store, we have seven different versions of loose-leaf earl grey, one of which is our number-one-selling tea. In fact, three of our best-selling teas come from our earl grey collection, and they generally rank within the top ten teas every year, which speaks to their enduring popularity. Once you have a cup of high-quality loose-leaf earl grey, you will never teabag again. Another commonly known tea is chai. This spiced and often sweetened tea is a popular starting point in coffee shops and cafes. Fruity flavored teas are another great entry tea, especially iced. Even as a tea sommelier, I never judge if someone’s favorite is a pineapple-mango tea or a sweetened caramel tea. I like to look at these teas as gateway teas. You should always drink what you enjoy the most and then branch out every so often. You might find a new favorite. How to choose a black tea Things to consider when picking a black tea is how strong and bold you want it, how much astringency (that dry feeling in your mouth) you want, whether you prefer a tea that is simply strong versus something that has layers of flavor, and whether you like earthy or smoky notes. For a less intense black tea, there are plenty of options. Ceylon teas are full-bodied and brisk, but not overly so, and they have just the right amount of astringency. They are what many people think of when they envision black tea. Ceylon is great iced and works well with lemon, sugar, milk, and so on. Assam teas pair particularly well with food, so they can be nice with a snack or meal, and they hold up to a little cream and sugar. If, however, you want a strong tea, breakfast teas are a good match — and you have a lot to choose from: Irish, Scottish, English, Russian, and East Frisian blends, among others. Every tea blender will use a different ratio of teas, so you may find that you prefer some breakfast blends over others. Yet, all of them are robust enough to stand up to milk and sugar. Just take care in brewing these teas so that they don’t become bitter. For coffee lovers who are used to deep and complex flavors, consider an Assam from India or the many pu-erh and Yunnan teas from China. Some wild-grown teas would also make this list. Although these aren’t in-your-face bold like the breakfast blends, they are intriguingly full-bodied and multilayered in flavor. Note that teas that have been processed by the cut-tear-curl (CTC) process (these teas are in tiny bits) will release caffeine more quickly than teas composed of intact or largely intact leaves, especially if those leaves have been tightly rolled. However, this isn’t to say that you will get more caffeine overall. Going green To start your green tea journey, Chinese green teas are more common and recognizable, so they are often our first recommendation. Japanese teas tend to be grassier or “seaweed”-like in flavor, so, for some, it takes a bit getting used to. Often, people’s first experience with green tea is with a sweet matcha latte in a coffee shop or the tea served at their favorite Asian restaurant. Green tea is as nuanced as black tea, but it may take a bit more time to find your favorite. Oolong, pu-erh, some white teas, and other tea types can also be great first-time teas as well, but we often recommend starting with the basics when first steeping into the world of tea. Herbal tea choices abound If you aren’t sure you’re ready for tea, but want a healthy or caffeine-free beverage, we suggest you start with some of the many herbal teas available. Fruit teas, which consist of fruit and other herbals, are a terrific substitute for high-calorie juice. You can find just about any fruit you want, and they are usually fantastic iced. Low in sugar but filled with flavor, these are wonderful for everyone in the family. Kids generally love fruit teas! Rooibos and honeybush blends are also both kid- and adult-friendly options. You can readily find fruity, floral, earthy, or other blends, so you’re sure to find something you enjoy, and they are naturally caffeine free. Where to buy tea When shopping for tea, it's important to know how and where a store sources its teas. You needn’t know the exact gardens or time of day your tea was harvested, but it is important to know that the tea store sources teas from gardens that go above and beyond to ensure the highest quality. This is not to say that grabbing a teabag tea in the hotel lobby is a no-no, but buying quality loose tea is worth the extra penny. Plus, not all high-quality loose-leaf teas are expensive. A very high-quality loose-leaf breakfast blend may not cost much more per gram than a box of teabags at the grocery store. Single-estate, handpicked, and rare teas from small gardens may seem a bit pricey, but keep in mind that a 50-gram bag of tea can make 15 to 20 cups, and some teas can be brewed several times. A $30 bag of tea that can yield 20 cups makes the per-cup price only about $1.50, which is well under the cost of a hot drink at most cafes or restaurants. How much tea to buy Tea may be sold by the ounce or gram. Most teas require about 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of leaves to make an 8-ounce cup, giving you the following general guidelines: 50 grams (1.8 ounces) of leaves yields 15 to 20 cups of tea 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of leaves yields 30 to 40 cups of tea 200 grams (7 ounces) of leaves yields 60 to 80 cups of tea 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of leaves yields 150 to 200 cups of tea Many types of tea leaves can be brewed a second time (or more), which doubles the number of cups you get! Storing your tea leaves It's important that your tea is stored in an area free of moisture, strong odors, and light. For this reason, we recommend you avoid glass jars. Although it's so tempting to stock up on teas when you go to a beautiful tea and spice store that has rows and rows of jars filled with teas and spices, remember that the teas (or spices) probably won’t be of great quality because of how they were stored and displayed. Metal tins are good if they have a tight seal, but be aware that tins will absorb aroma so keep similar teas in each tin (for instance, if you’ve stored a smoky tea in a tin, keep that tin for smoky teas, or if you have an earl grey tin, keep it an earl grey tin).

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-10-2023

Although there are literally thousands of teas and herbal teas, figuring out where to start doesn’t need to be daunting! All tea is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis; everything else is an herbal tea. There is so much to learn about each of these types — but there truly is something for every taste.