We’re inextricably wrapped up these days in coils and swathes of information about Healthy Elixirs that generally fall under the heading of ‘Teas’. But the beverage that started it all – classic Black Tea – has been eclipsed by the likes of Camomile and Bay Leaf…
King Charles III: Perhaps the world’s foremost advocate of Black Tea!
The question I often get is, “What’s so special about plain old Black Tea? The answer is, quite a lot, actually!
A little history
Black was brought to Western society from Asia by spice traders and British colonialists in The 18th and 19th centuries.
European soldiers and diplomats posted in India at the height of the British Empire really got the ball rolling. They soon learned from the locals that the best way to stay cool(ish) on a hot day was to drink hot tea. It made one perspire. And when the perspiration evaporated, it cooled the skin.
But that wasn’t good enough for the Europeans. The British managed to develop a grading system for tea leaves, and standards for handling them.
“The highest grades for Western and South Asian teas are referred to as ‘orange pekoe’, and the lowest as ‘fannings’ or ‘dust’. Pekoe tea grades are classified into various qualities, each determined by how many of the adjacent young leaves (two, one, or none) were picked along with the leaf buds.” Wikipedia explains. “Top-quality pekoe grades consist of only the leaf buds, which are picked using the balls of the fingertips. Fingernails and mechanical tools are not used, to avoid bruising.”
And the tea ‘thing’ just got bigger and more complex from there.
What Black Tea can give you…
You’ll be surprised how good for you plain old everyday, teabag tea can be for you!
- Supplies Antioxidants
- Proven Heart Health benefits
- May reduce risk of Stroke
- May lower Bad Cholesterol
- May improve Gut Health
- May reduce Blood Pressure
- May lower Blood Sugar levels
- May reduce risk of Cancer
- May improve Mental Focus
- Easy and cheap to get
- Easy to make…
My take
There you have it!
As you may have guessed, there’s still a lot of research into tea going into tea. And you may rest assured tht we’l bring you rhe results as they are released by the scientists.
Remember: You don’t have to imbibe expensive, hard-to-find specialty ‘teas’ to enjoy the benefits of ‘tea culture’! Find a Black Tea variety you like and go with it. I personally love Darjeeling and Earl Grey…
~ Maggie J.