An Introduction to Tea
By Ron Campbell, Owner of Merkaba
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The English word tea derives from the pronunciation of the Chinese word tê. Tea is a common beverage made by processing the leaves or buds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. It is made by steeping the processed leaves in hot water for a few minutes. The flavor of the raw tea is developed by various processes. Tea is a natural source of caffeine and theophylline.

It is an interesting fact that the Indian, Ceylon, African, Chinese and Japanese teas all come from the same plant. They look, taste and are classified differently because of the variations in the manufacturing process. Soil conditions, weather and altitude also play a substantial part. It does not include herbal teas or tisanes (other tea type drinks that do not include the real tea leaves).

Today, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. A total of 3,200,000 tons of tea were produced worldwide in 2004. India, China, Sri Lanka and Kenya, in that order, are the major producers of tea leaves.
The term herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs containing no actual tea leaves, for example or chamomile tea mint tea. Alternative terms for this are tisane or herbal infusion, which lack the word tea.

Tea grows wild in subtropical monsoon climates with wet and hot summers and relatively cold and dry winters. Today, it is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. In tropical regions, the best conditions are at higher altitudes. In the wild, the tea tree may grow from 5 to 15 m, and sometimes even to 30 m. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5–4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals. The wild distribution is in the foothills of the Himalayas, stretching from northeast India to southwest China. Cultivated tea shrubs are usually trimmed to below 2 m (six feet) to stimulate the growth of leaves and to ease plucking. Many insects, including the green leafhopper, mites, caterpillars, and termites, are natural enemies to tea plants.

The seeds of Camellia sinensis and Camellia oleifera can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetic purposes and originates from the leaves of a different plant.

When mature, the tea plant produces a flush (growth of new shoots). Each shoot consists of several leaves and a bud (or tip). The bud of the plant provides the best tea, but most commercially sold teas are a mixture of tips and leaves. Usually two leaves and a bud are plucked from the plant. Most harvesting is still done by hand called the “Orthodox“ method), which is very labor intensive. Machines have been used, but are incapable of discriminating between the high quality tip leaves and the coarser leaves toward the bottom of the branch.
Tea plants may grow several flushes during the year with two flushes in Summer and Autumn being possible. Springtime flushes are considered the best.

It spread to the east and south by human cultivation rather than through natural means. They were cultivated differently depending on the climate, geographical conditions, and cultivation methods used. Teas cultivated in eastern regions are short bushes with small leaves, whereas those grown in southern regions are tall trees with large leaves. Layering and cutting are the normal modes of cultivation. Layering is more efficient and is the most common method used today. Teas are usually categorized into two types: Chinese (Variety Sinensis) and Assam (Variety Assamica). All teas come from tea leaves that are picked and processed from the same type of tree. The specific method of processing differentiates the various types of teas into green, black, and oolong tea.

Tea is often enjoyed at social events, such as afternoon teas and the tea party. It may be consumed early in the day to heighten alertness. There are tea ceremonies which have arisen in different cultures, Japan's complex, formal and serene one being the most known. Other examples are the Korean tea ceremony or some traditional ways of brewing tea in Chinese tea culture.

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Ron Campbell and his wife Kathy own and operate Merkaba, which features a wide variety of teas and tea items, and gifts for all your spiritual and cultural needs. Their teas come from all over the world and include organic herbal teas, healing teas, Yerba Mate, green teas, black teas, oolong, white teas, pu-erh, flavored tisanes, chai teas, flavored and blended teas. You'll find all kinds of tea products including filters, thermometers, tea bag squeezers, tea cozies, gourds, tea pots and tea sets, mugs and cups, mesh tea infusers, bombilla and even coffee and tea scoops. For more information about Merkaba's retail shop in Idyllwild, CA, or online store visit: http://www.southwestblend.com/merkaba/index.htm