Tea Quotations

• If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. -- Japanese proverb - Lu Tung
• Enjoy life sip by sip not gulp by gulp. - The Minister of Leaves
• Tea is wealth itself, because there is nothing that cannot be lost, no problem that will not disappear, no burden that will not float away, between the first sip and the last. -The Minister of Leaves
• Tea had come as a deliverer to a land that called for deliverance; a land of beef and ale, of heavy eating and abundant drunkenness; of gray skies and harsh winds; of strong nerved , stout-purposed, slow-thinking men an women. Above all, a land of sheltered homes and warm firesides - firesides that were waiting - waiting, for the bubbling kettle and the fragrant breath of tea. -Agnes Reppiler

Tea Terminology

• "Congou" is a general term for all Chinese black tea.
• "Flush" refers to the time of year when the tea bush was harvested. First flush is a spring harvest, and second flush is a summer harvest. Occasionally you may see an autumnal flush for a fall harvest. The tea leaves will have different characteristics at these different times, so the final beverage will taste accordingly. For example, first flush Darjeelings are notoriously light and flowery, while second flush Darjeelings are more full-bodied and fruity.
• "Tisane" is a French word referring to herbal infusions as opposed to black or green tea.
• "Withering" is a step in the tea-making process. Freshly cut leaves are spread out on trays for about 24 hours to reduce the moisture content of the leaves before further processing. The leaves will lose approximately half their weight in this time.

Tea and Health
Black and green tea both fight cancer: Researchers from a recent study led by the US Department of Agriculture looked at the ability of green and black tea polyphenols to induce death of human cancer cells in vitro. Nine green tea catechins, three black tea theaflavins, and theanine were evaluated and found to reduce the numbers of human breast, colon, prostate, and liver cancer cells. The anti-carcinogenic effects of the tea polyphenols varied widely and were concentration dependent. "Because tumor promotion may be the only reversible event during cancer development, its suppression is regarded as an effective way to inhibit carcinogenesis," said M. Friedman, study leader. "The findings extend related observations on the anti-carcinogenic potential of tea ingredients and suggest that consumers may benefit more by drinking both green and black teas." J Agric Food Chem, January 24, 2007.

Tea and Health News provided by: TheTeaTable.com

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