Cha Thé Tea

記者黃其豪╱專題報導 石門鄉茶葉產銷班班長謝國村三代都是製茶名家，製茶技術繼承祖父謝泉、父親謝木得，15歲開始接觸種茶，承接製茶工廠38年，從事製茶產業超過半世紀。 謝國村曾獲87年台灣省10大傑出專業農友，專業領域便是茶葉，論起製茶稱得上家學淵源，祖父謝泉為石門草里茶廠師傅，與蒙日本天皇召見的製茶名家許李君同時期。謝泉在日治時期擔任甲長（等同鄰長 )，專精製茶教學，獲官方聘為巡迴教師，經常到南港、沙帽山、汐止等地教農友種茶，獲頒「製茶巡迴教師」證明。 謝泉以石門所產的茶葉製成粗茶，再扛到台北販賣所，進一步製作，留給兒子謝木得約卅公頃茶園，當時石門全鄉除少數林地、田地，舉目所及幾乎都是茶園，製茶工廠包括金記、德利、阿里荖等十餘家，其中有兩家為甲級製茶廠。 謝家在製茶高峰期，家中有5名以廠為家的長工，青少年時期便與茶葉為伍的謝國村回憶說，當時手工製茶年代，製茶業經營起來特別辛苦，因市場需求量龐大，製茶量比質更重要，工人分兩班制趕製，老闆又比工人辛苦，不僅自己要做，還必須緊盯著工人作業。 為了維持品質，機器開關一開，一個多月不曾停機，在採收茶菁後便開始與時間賽跑，由室外日光萎凋、室內萎凋、回軟、揉捻、初乾、布巾揉等，到採菁至殺青為止，至少15個步驟要接續完成；白天做不完就得連夜趕工，消耗的體力非一般工作所能比擬，由於做多、做久了，後來遇到不順手的地方，便會想辦法改良機器，甚至自行研發茶葉整形機。 茶農除了勞力，還必須費心思才能把茶葉賣得好價錢，因為早年交通不便、產銷制度不健全，石門茶農必須背著葉茶走到台北賣給大盤商，商人挑三揀四壓低價格，茶農礙於背回鄉內找不到買主，只得賤價在台北販售，這種不公平現象直到農會介入輔導才獲改善。

【大紀元6月13日訊】自由時報記者黃其豪╱專題報導 台灣台北縣石門鄉位於北海之濱，地處偏僻，居民早年以討海、務農為生，百餘年前引進「硬枝紅心」品種鐵觀音茶樹後，揭開石門製茶產業新頁，早期主要製成綠茶、紅茶外銷；民國70年後，改以鐵觀音茶做法製作「鐵觀音茶」，茶湯甘潤厚醇，一舉成名。 石門鄉農會總幹事許玉郎指出，鄉內茶園多數位在海岸台地的背側，由於不會受到海風直吹，加上大屯山優良的水質、山區雲霧繚繞，年均溫在攝氏18度至20.5度間，採茶時期溫差約5至7度，相當適合茶樹生長，好環境配合當地紅棕壤土質，使石門鐵觀音茶別具風味。 許玉郎說，石門製茶史追溯到百餘年前引進中國福建四大名種之一的「硬枝紅心」品種鐵觀音茶樹，該品種茶樹直立枝幹結實，芽少葉厚，製茶老師傅傳承中國安溪製茶技法，日治時代初期，國際茶葉市場需求殷切，當時以鐵觀音茶樹製作成綠茶及紅茶，搶攻國外市場，由於品質、口感均不亞於錫蘭紅茶，尤其受到日本人青睞。 耆老印象中，石門鄉老師傅許李（或稱許里 )製作紅茶技術超群、揚名國際，曾獲日本天皇召見的殊榮，並遠赴日本與當地一流製茶師傅交流，返國後進一步激勵鄉內茶農。 農會推廣股長李昌烈說，日治時代石門製茶業相當活絡，茶園佔地達一千多公頃，鄉內有多座大型製茶廠，最著名的有所謂「八大家」，如草里製茶廠、重門茶廠、金記茶廠等，阿里磅紅茶名聲響亮；台茶外銷為國家賺取不少外匯，但這種榮景因二次大戰有了重大變化。 許玉郎指出，戰爭期間台茶幾個主要消費國經濟開始走下坡，加上戰敗國日本消費市場萎縮，使外銷受挫，茶農轉而搶攻國內市場。 不過，因內銷市場供過於求，加上獲利遠不如外銷，供需失調下，造成鄉內茶廠一家家結束營業，生存下來的茶農改以小規模的家庭式經營，相對品管、製茶技術參差不齊，行銷通路也出現瓶頸。 由於「硬枝紅心」品種的茶樹較適合製作鐵觀音茶，而非早年的綠茶、紅茶，石門鄉農會也發現到這個問題，農會總幹事許玉郎70年到任後，開始與台灣省製茶改良場合作，輔導茶農以鐵觀音茶的做法製作「鐵觀音茶」，由於泡出來的茶湯甘潤醇厚，還散發出陣陣果酸香味，一炮而紅，石門鐵觀音也因此得名。 許玉郎說，目前鄉內茶樹面積約300公頃，春茶、冬茶年產量仍有30公噸，農會並於每年春、冬兩季舉辦優良茶比賽，得獎茶農除獲頒獎牌，所焙製的茶葉也變得炙手可熱，冠軍茶更是身價百倍。 石門鐵觀音 果酸茶香一泡紅

記者黃其豪╱專訪 石門農會總幹事許玉郎將石門當成第2故鄉，民國70年擔任總幹事以來，帶領茶農主攻鐵觀音茶，為石門鐵觀音打下口碑，讓石門鐵觀音、石門陳年老茶揚名海內外；農友擅長製茶、農會很會賣茶，是石門鐵觀音歷久彌新的關鍵。 許玉郎認為，在講究行銷的年代，不僅要會製茶，更要會賣茶，產品才不會被淘汰，所以不定期率產銷班成員出國參加農特產品展售，蒐集市場情資，也了解台灣茶葉國際競爭力在哪裡，還曾到中國安溪觀摩最道地的製茶方法。 鐵觀音傳統口味較重，但年輕族群喜歡帶有淡淡茶香的清香口味，於是他建議茶農烘焙口味較淡的鐵觀音茶，這種顛覆傳統的做法 在推行時受到不少阻力，最後由於市場反應不錯，茶農觀念也逐漸改變。 推易開罐 趨近市場 另一方面，為因應都會繁忙生活，消費習慣趨向便利性，農會也自意大利進口全自動茶袋包裝機，每台機器一天可生產4、5萬包茶袋，並研發易開罐茶品飲料，方便消費者選購。 陳年老茶 攻伴手禮 除了開拓年輕一代的市場，農會並集多年製茶經驗，推出鐵觀音陳年老茶，陳年老茶強調傳統香醇的風味、重視喉韻，而且要儲存10年才能上市販售。第1批石門陳年老茶收購自民國71年的上等鐵觀音比賽茶，經妥善儲存，每年視天候狀況進行4、5次焙火程序，待第10年期滿加以精製，才以瓷醰包裝上市，屬於特級茶製品，首批老茶84年推出後即廣受品茗行家歡迎，加上包裝精美，成為送禮自用兩相宜的伴手禮。 許玉郎說，石門鐵觀音茶採布巾揉的製作程序，是與眾不同之處。農會花5年時間研發改良焙茶爐，結合電爐、電焙爐及傳統挖地窖木炭焙茶精華，成功利用木炭熱能折射穿刺功能，讓茶葉緊結條索並達到卷結的外形，老師傅利用保溫箱熱茶葉，讓茶菁在溫熱中充分達到催化作用，再以布巾反覆至少18次包裹搓揉、掀開動作，使茶香濃郁持久，滋味醇厚爽口，常飲不傷胃。

There is so much interest in weight loss and oolong tea, a.k.a. wulong tea, that we are going to look at research supporting the connection. Let's start at the beginning All tea comes from one plant Camellia Sinensis if it doesn't come from that plant it is not tea (herbs come from a variety of plants). Over time, the plant has protected itself from photosynthetic stressors by forming chemical compounds known as polyphenols. Polyphenols, which include flavonoids, have the same beneficial class of compounds, antioxidants, that make fruits and vegetables good for you. The difference in green tea and oolong tea is processing. All tea is green when picked. Green tea is heated in order to halt the natural enzymatic reaction (oxidation) of the leaf. Once dried, green tea leaves are then rolled intentionally breaking the cell structure. Oolong tea leaves are plucked, kept under carefully controlled conditions and allowed to oxidize. These leaves are not intentionally broken, leaving most of the cell structure intact. These processing differences make each category of tea beneficially different even though they come from the same plant. The Weight Loss Connection The two main ways to reduce food related body weight are; increase energy expenditure (EE) and inhibit the absorption of nutrients, including fat and carbohydrates. Caffeine is a stimulant so it is widely accepted that the caffeine in tea increases metabolism, hence increasing EE. So the question becomes, is it only the caffeine or are other compounds in the tea contributing to that increase? The Research The Chinese have long believed that oolong tea is beneficial in reducing and maintaining weight. A Chinese study, in 1998, of 102 females showed that continuous consumption of oolong tea for six weeks resulted in a reduction of body weight. This study, along with the question of other compounds contributing to tea's weight loss benefits, spurred further research. In 2001, Physiologist Dr. William Rumpler, of the US Agriculture Research Services' Diet and Human Laboratory, investigated the ancient Chinese belief that oolong tea is effective in controlling body weight. The study measured how tea influences energy expenditure (EE) and included 12 male volunteers who were given 4 separate beverage formulas over three consecutive days. The beverage formulas consisted of; 1) full strength oolong tea, 2) caffeinated water with caffeine equal to full strength oolong tea, 3) half strength oolong tea and 4) non caffeinated water. The participants 24 hour EE was measured and resulted in;

EE levels of about 3% higher when they drank either the full strength oolong tea or the caffeinated water versus the non caffeinated water.

Participants burned an average of 67 more calories per day when drinking the full strength oolong tea.

Participants increased fat oxidation (fat burning) by a whooping 12% after consuming the full strength oolong tea versus the caffeinated water.

This data confirms that a component other than caffeine is responsible for promoting the preferential use of fat as an energy source.

The increase in fat oxidation in this study is amazing! Drinking oolong tea can actually tell your body to burn fat for energy! Scientists then speculated that caffeine combined with EGCGs worked together to increase fat oxidation. A Japanese study, conducted in 2003, went one step further comparing the benefits of oolong tea and green tea on weight reduction. Eleven healthy young female students participated in this well controlled study. Participants received three different beverage formulas;

oolong tea,

powdered green tea leaves and

water.

Both teas were prepared with boiling water. The oolong tea steeped for five minutes and the powdered green tea leaves were dissolved.
After measurements were taken, the results determined;

Oolong tea had higher EE levels from beginning to end and at intervals of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes.

EE levels peaked at 90 minutes for both oolong and green tea and remained at their respective levels until 120 minutes.

These results indicate that after consuming oolong tea you will expend more energy then if you were to drink green tea or water and that it can last up to two hours.

The concentrations of caffeine, individual catechins and other polyphenols were also measured producing these interesting findings;

The caffeine and EGCG content was much higher in the green tea versus the oolong tea.

The concentration of polymerized polyphenols was significantly higher in the oolong tea versus the green tea.

These findings show that it's the polymerized polyphenols, highest in oolong tea, that link tea to burning fat, not just the caffeine or just the combination of caffeine and EGCGs. Furthermore, the rest of the compounds compared in the teas were similar or equal to one another with no marked differences, reinforcing the results. We have shown that oolong tea significantly increases EE for up to as much as 120 minutes and can even promote preferential use of fat as an energy source making it a healthy tool for reducing and maintaining weight. So what about absorption of nutrients? Oolong tea's effect on blocking the absorption of fats and carbohydrates is thought to play a key role in its weight reducing benefits. While more studies need to be done, initial studies indicate that oolong tea has absorption blocking potential. There are proven methods for losing weight and keeping it off; exercise, getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet. Oolong tea can enhance these positive changes and garner faster results. Let's Face It

Oolong tea is not a quick fix despite the recent advertising claims by slick marketing "professionals."

Oolong tea does not have to be expensive to be effective.

$39.95 is too much to pay for a 30 day supply of low quality oolong, get what you pay for.

These studies do not indicate that oolongs grown in a specific area are better fat burners than other oolongs. It's the processing that counts.

Losing 20 lbs in 30 days by adding two cups of oolong tea to your daily routine is nothing more than hype. If this were true, I'd be a size 2.

If you were dieting, drinking oolong and exercising it would be hard to achieve that much weight loss in 30 days.

If it sounds too good to be true, then it is to good to be true!

Oolong - The Facts

Oolong teas taste great and are delicious hot or cold.

There is a tremendous variety of affordable oolong tea.

Enjoy a cup of oolong 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to your walk, workout or yoga session and reap the rewards!

Drink oolong in the afternoon to stave off late day sweet cravings and energy slumps.

All of these aid in healthy weight loss and maintenance.

  Oolong Tea and Weight Loss

行政院農業委員會茶葉改良場研發茶葉新製品
~ 佳葉龍茶(GABATEA)~
蔡永生 陳國任 林木連 一、什麼是佳葉龍茶?
佳葉龍茶是一種含豐富r胺基丁酸(r──aminobutyricacid)的純天然茶葉新製品;r──胺基丁酸英文簡稱GABA，所以佳葉龍茶又稱GABA茶或GABARON茶(日本人稱)，或譯為佳寶茶，中國大陸稱為金白龍茶。佳葉龍茶在日本早已是商品化大量產製之新型態茶，其發現最早是由前日本國立茶葉試驗場津志田博士所發現;1987年津志田博士於研究茶樹胺基酸代謝時無意中發現，當茶菁原料精長時間厭氧處理後，胺酸(G1utamicacid)會大量轉化為r──胺基丁酸而天門冬鞍酸(Asparticacid)會轉化為丙胺酸(Alanine)。由於含豐富特殊胺基酸r一胺基丁酸所以特命名為GABA茶。 二、佳葉龍茶加工簡易具發展潛力?
佳葉龍茶之加工遠比傳統包種茶及烏龍茶之製造更為簡易且省工，只要茶菁原料經適當之厭氧處理即可製成佳葉龍茶，新研發出來的產製技術以多次反復厭氧有氧發酵可大幅提升佳葉龍茶 沖之r──胺基丁酸含量鑒於佳葉龍茶是一加工簡易又良好的新型態茶，行政院農業委員會茶葉改良場為促進臺茶之多元化發展與利用，期以提升臺茶經濟價值，近幾年積極利用省產茶菁為原料，試製佳葉龍茶，目前已試驗證實其產製之可行性，為增進臺茶之多元化發展與利用，擬提供相關產製技術予業界參考。
▲限於篇幅，本簡介內容有限，如欲進一步了解「佳葉龍茶」的妙用，可至搜尋網站搜尋更多相關研究資料與科學文獻。
(資料來源：行政院農業委員會茶葉改良場　　蔡永生 陳國任 林木連著) 梅山鄉農會全球資訊網 - 佳葉龍茶簡介

冬山鄉茶農參加「九十七年度『宜蘭茶』春季優良茶品級鑑定競賽」，表現傑出。 日期：2008-05-07     發佈人：本所農業課 本鄉茶農參加「九十七年度『宜蘭茶』春季優良茶品級鑑定競賽」，表現傑出。 本鄉茶農日前參加由宜蘭縣茶葉發展協會主辦之「九十七年度『宜蘭茶』春季優良茶品級鑑定競賽」，歷經激烈競爭，仍突破重圍，大放異彩，表現相當優異。本鄉茶品向來以品質精良聞名，此次參賽果然不負眾望，林帛江君及林煌國君分別於「烏龍茶組」及「新品種茶組」競賽拔得頭籌，獲得「特等獎」殊榮；陳秀蔥君亦於「新品種茶組」競賽脫穎而出，獲得「頭等壹獎」之肯定。此次競賽，本鄉獲獎無數，張鄉長及鄉民代表會謝主席，特於五月五日舉行之頒獎典禮出席授獎親予肯定，除恭喜得獎茶農外，亦感謝每位茶農製茶之用心。本鄉得獎名單如下： ◎ 新品種茶組
●特等獎：林煌國
●頭等壹獎：陳秀蔥
●頭等獎：江淑真、李振幅、林思瑜、游春城、登科茶園、劉鴻恩、劉景源、志亮茶園等，計八名。
● 貳等獎：蕭阿粉、黃添桂、林于瑄、林文彬、曾碧雲、天然茶園、明星茶園、林志亮、大誠茶園、王碧芬、簡碧琳等，計十一名。
●參等獎：謝淑雲、陳碧萍、游正福、林文德、陳珮綸、黃美華、洪浩綱、洪珮瑜、黃清鈿、劉厤登、黃明輝、游四維、李基煌、林志明、劉睿全、黃進益等，計十六名。 ◎烏龍茶組
●特等獎：林帛江
●頭等獎：林文彬、雪山茶園等，計二名。
● 貳等獎：金谷茶園、林志明、林月惠、林登科等，計四名。
●參等獎：林志亮、林雅娟、林怡君、健椿茶園、藍秋雄、天然茶園等，計六名。
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東方美人清雞凍 東方美人清雞凍 以茶湯搭配雞湯做成的雞凍，清香而不膩口。
材料：東方美人茶5克、煮熟雞胸肉50公克、吉利丁2.5片、雞湯20c.c.、水200c.c.、蘆筍1把、美奶滋少許、綠茶粉少許，番茄少許 東方美人茶 準備工作：
1.將吉利丁放入冷開水中，浸泡至軟。
2.雞胸肉切成薄片；蘆筍汆燙備用。 1.沖茶
將東方美人茶以開水泡開後，取茶汁混合雞湯、吉利丁備用。 2.做層次
將少量做法1放入模型，冷卻凝固後，鋪上一層雞肉薄片。 3.覆蓋
再淋上一層做法1使其凝固，反覆至滿，即可扣出擺盤，淋上美奶滋、綠茶粉，以蘆筍、番茄裝飾即可。 Tips 若無東方美人茶，可改用烏龍茶取 朴爾雅食譜筆記: 東方美人清雞凍

聖誕節前 設立茶葉專賣店 有專人泡茶 全面推廣茶文化 【多倫多訊】傳承茶文化，應變新潮流，前來多倫多考察業務的「天仁茗茶」集團副總裁李瑞賢19日透露，「天仁茗茶」又有創新的拓展，決定今年聖誕節前進軍多倫多主流購物商場─Fairview Mall，設立茶葉專賣店，有專人泡茶葉，向主流人士全面推廣茶文化。 在海內外擁有138間店鋪的「天仁茗茶」不斷求新求變，尤其多倫多「天仁茗茶」具「開路先鋒」的總經理張宏成，在其一貫要求的改變求進中將天仁的茶葉、茶食、茶具帶入本地市場。歷經20年的不斷變通探索，利用所屬的「輕鬆小站」(Ten Ren's Tea)打開了主流的消費大門，首先進軍大型購物商場，包括目前在Yorkdale商場，士嘉堡購物中心掛起了天仁輕鬆小站的旗號，深受年輕西人歡迎，主流客源節節高升。 天仁副總裁李瑞賢表示，天然、健康、人情味是「天仁茗茶」經營方針，打入主流市場是其最大目標。茶文化在西人市場前景無限，但市場發展很快，必須不斷變招，調整市場經營方法才能在市場立足及拓展，「天仁茗茶」所屬的「輕鬆小站」已建立起主流年輕人對茶文化的喜愛及信心，所以進軍主流商場建立天仁專櫃，開拓新天地。 「天仁茗茶」(Ten Ren's Tea)在Fairview Mall設立的新據點將是一個複合式的新店，除了保持原有的各式泡沫紅茶外，另有專人泡茶，讓顧客品嘗茗茶，成為天仁在主流商場第一家茶葉專賣店。該店目前已積極籌備中，即將於今年年底前正式開張營業，為「天仁茗茶」展開新的一頁。 世界日報──工商服務

Monday, 08 September 2008 By Elin Headrick The term “sommelier” from the world of wine is seeping into the tea experience. So, how does one become a tea sommelier and, if you’re a restaurateur, how do you hire one? Of French origin, sommelier means “wine steward” and has come to be associated with a high level of expertise. It makes sense to apply the term to tea, many believe, because of the cultivated palate required to discern subtleties in different varieties of tea. Some of the best known tea sommeliers in the United States today are found in large, cosmopolitan hotels: the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, the Phoenix Ritz Carlton and the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C. They educate guests on the hotels’ extensive selections of tea and help develop an appreciation for the drink. Asked what it takes to succeed in their emerging field, these tea sommeliers agreed that it requires a mix of knowledge about tea – acquired through travel and study – and hospitality skills. Cynthia Gold, tea sommelier at Boston Park Plaza Hotel, said her role is to bridge the culinary and tea worlds, offering support to both the chef and guests. Tea sommeliers “should be comfortable with choosing teas to properly support the menu and the service styles of the establishment, creating new tea blends, cooking with teas and creating tea cocktails,” she said. Phoenix Ritz Carlton tea sommelier Jeffery Hattrick believes “it is the primary role of a sommelier to personify and colorize something as simple as a cup of tea.” He added the tea sommelier must understand hotel guests, have a sense of their likes and needs and “deliver the perfect experience within a teapot.”  Elizabeth Knight of teawithfriends.com and former tea sommelier at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City believes traveling to origin is important. Before formal training was readily available, Knight educated herself. Building on a cheap winter airfare to London, she set up meetings with employees of Harrods, the Ritz, Fortnum and Mason, Claridges and Taylors of Harrogate. She asked endless questions and learned about tea selection, service and preparation. “In addition to tea basics it is important to know about the culture that produced the tea,” Knight added. She ventured to India, Japan and Tibet, because she “wanted to smell tea leaves and to feel the sun on my back in Darjeeling.” Gold agreed that traveling to the source is a plus: “My first time in Zhejiang province in China, being allowed the privilege of helping to harvest the leaves, bring them through the wither and then wok fire them was a truly life changing experience.” All this is what Hattrick described as the “practical and educational foundation” necessary to be considered a sommelier of any kind. Gold sees similarities with wine and tea sommeliers and is optimistic that formal training and regulation for the latter is on the way. For now, no formal certification is required. “The individuals who use the title by and large have extensive backgrounds learning about tea and tea service domestically and directly at the source in Asia,” she explained. A few training programs are available to hone one’s tea expertise: • The Specialty Tea Institute (STI) offers a multi-level certification program. • The American Tea Masters Association offers a 13-Week course, which culminates in a Certified Tea Master designation. A few culinary schools are also adding tea seminars to their curriculum. George Brown University in Toronto, for example, is in the early stages of developing a Tea Appreciation Certificate program. For now, sources said, hotels interested in having a tea sommelier should look for a candidate with both knowledge of tea and understanding of hospitality and service. Check references, and keep in mind that a person with a background in public relations or marketing can help promote the hotel’s or restaurant’s tea services. “Tea is a plant, a beverage, a meal, a ritual, a part of religion and a social venue,” Knight noted. Who are the superstars in the field? Gold remembers Helen Gustafson: “In my mind, Helen was the first true tea sommelier. Gustafson was the woman who convinced Alice Waters at Chez Panisse that, if she was breaking new ground with the quality, freshness and respect paid to her culinary ingredients, why was she not looking towards the teas served in her restaurant with the same expectations.”

  by Marian Segal As legend has it, one day in 2737 B.C. the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was boiling drinking water over an open fire, believing that those who drank boiled water were healthier. Some leaves from a nearby Camellia sinensis plant floated into the pot. The emperor drank the mixture and declared it gave one "vigor of body, contentment of mind, and determination of purpose." Perhaps as testament to the emperor's assessment, tea--the potion he unwittingly brewed that day--today is second only to water in worldwide consumption. The U.S. population is drinking its fair share of the brew; in 1994, Americans drank 2.25 billion gallons of tea in one form or another--hot, iced, spiced, flavored, with or without sugar, honey, milk, cream, or lemon. A serving of tea generally contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine (less than half as much caffeine as in coffee), but the actual levels vary depending on the specific blend and the strength of the brew. Decaffeinated tea is also available. Many tea drinkers find the beverage soothing, and folk medicine has long valued it as a remedy for sore throats and unsettled stomachs. Recent studies have shown that certain chemicals in tea called polyphenols may help reduce the risk of far more serious illnesses, including atherosclerosis and some cancers, although the data are not conclusive. (See "Tonic in a Teapot?") Black, Green and Oolong Two leaves and a bud at a time--This is the secret of fine tea picking. The work is done chiefly by women, who carry light bamboo baskets strapped to their backs. Tea comes in black, green and oolong varieties, all produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a white-flowered evergreen. The method of processing the leaf distinguishes the three types. (Herbal teas are made from leaves of other plants. FDA requires that herbal tea labels carry the name of the plant the product derives from, such as chamomile. For more on herbal teas, see "Herbal Teas and Toxicity" in the May 1991 FDA Consumer.) The traditional method of producing black tea begins with withering. The plucked leaves are placed on shelves called withering racks, where excess moisture is removed. They are then rolled in special machines that release the leaves' enzymes and juices, which give tea its aroma and taste. Next, the leaves ferment in a room with controlled temperature and humidity; finally they are dried in ovens. More recently some processors have forsaken the traditional method to speed production by using machines that finely chop the leaves, thereby cutting the time for withering and fermenting. Green tea is made by steaming or otherwise heating the leaves immediately after plucking to prevent the fermentation that makes black tea. Then the leaves are rolled and dried. Oolong tea is fermented only partially--to a point between black and green. While the leaves wilt naturally, enzymes begin to ferment them. Processors interrupt the fermentation by stirring the leaves in heated pans, then rolling and drying them. Different varieties of Camellia sinensis grow in different geographic areas and produce leaves that vary from a very small China leaf, perhaps one-half to three-quarters of an inch long, to the Assam leaf, which may be 3 or 4 inches long. Certain varieties are better suited than others for a particular processing method. For example, the China leaf from China and Formosa produces the best oolongs. Scented and spiced teas are made from black tea. "Scented teas look just like any other tea," says FDA chemist and tea expert Robert Dick, "because the scent is more or less sprayed on. They're flavored with just about anything--peach, vanilla, cherry. The spiced teas, on the other hand, usually contain pieces of spices--cinnamon or nutmeg or orange or lemon peel--so you can see there's something in there." What about orange pekoe? Orange pekoe refers to the size of the tea leaf. Processed tea leaves are sorted into sizes by passing them over screens with different size holes. The largest leaves are orange pekoe, pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken leaves are classified as broken orange pekoe, broken pekoe souchong, broken orange pekoe fannings, and fines (also called "dust"). In brewing, flavor and color come out of the larger leaves more slowly than out of the broken and fine grades. The broken grades, which make up about 80 percent of the total black tea crop, produce a stronger, darker tea. The grades have nothing to do with the quality or flavor of tea; they simply refer to leaf size. "Technically, except for fannings and fines, the terms should apply only to black, or fermented, tea," Dick says, "but nowadays I often see oolongs labeled "orange pekoe," and even some green teas are labeled pekoe or flowery pekoe." Tea tastes vary, and one aficionado who squirts lemon in his cup may cringe at the sight of another pouring milk or honey. But no matter how the tea may be doctored, in the United States the odds are overwhelming that it starts out black. Nearly 95 percent of all tea consumed here is black, according to the New York City-based Tea Council of the U.S.A.; 4 percent is green, 1 percent oolong, and 1 percent flavored. That wasn't always the case, and our proclivity for drinking black tea over green or oolong may have been influenced by events in history. Sixty years ago and more, the amount of black and green tea Americans drank was split fairly evenly--each accounting for about 40 percent of the market--with oolong constituting the rest. During World War II, however, the major sources of green tea--China and Japan--were cut off from the United States, leaving us with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India, which produces black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking nearly 99 percent black tea. With the Korean War in the 1950s, uncertainties about tea supplies resurfaced, and the United States began to look for other suppliers. "Argentina filled the bill," Dick says, "because tea could grow very fast there. Although the country didn't produce an outstanding tea, it produced a good average tea." Today, most of our tea comes from Argentina, China (which got back into the U.S. market in 1978), and Java. Thirty years ago most of it came from India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Argentine black tea is the kind most used for iced tea, and that's another reason black tea dominates the U.S. market. Some Like It Cold America is unique in its tea consumption habits, the Tea Council says, in that approximately 40 billion of the 50 billion cups consumed here each year are over ice. Iced tea debuted in 1904 at the Louisiana State Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Mo. According to the Tea Council, "The temperature was soaring and the staff in the Far East Tea House couldn't get any fair-goers to even look their way, let alone sample their tea. So they poured the hot tea over ice cubes and the drink quickly became the exposition's most popular beverage." The tea bag was born the same year as iced tea, and its arrival was equally serendipitous. A Boston tea merchant began sending samples of tea in small silk bags for customers to try. Eventually, the convenient pre-measured sacks came to dominate the tea market. In 1994, according to the Tea Council, approximately 60 percent of tea brewed in the United States was prepared from tea bags; just over 1 percent was brewed from loose tea. Iced tea mixes accounted for another 25 percent of prepared tea, and the rest was made from instant tea. These statistics attest to the importance of the "convenience factor" in tea's growing popularity in this country. The demand for convenience that led to the introduction of the tea bag and the creation of instant tea and iced tea mixes led also to the more recent packaging of ready-to-drink iced tea in cans, bottles, and plastic containers. Ready-to-drink teas are the fastest-growing tea products and the fastest-growing new product in the supermarket, according to the Tea Council. The Tea Council estimates total U.S. tea sales for 1994 at $3.75 billion, up from $1.8 billion in 1990. On any given day, the council says, about half the population drinks tea, with the greatest concentration of drinkers in the South and Northeast. Keeping teacups full in the United States and around the world takes a lot of tea. In 1993, 2,581,317 metric tons of tea were produced and 1,142,650 metric tons exported, according to the International Tea Committee's 1994 Bulletin of Statistics. This billion dollar business got its start centuries ago from a plant that once grew quietly undisturbed in a far corner of the world. William H. Ukers, in his comprehensive 1935 tome All About Tea, writes: "Mother Nature's original tea garden was located in the monsoon district of southeastern Asia. Many other plants now grow there, but specimens of the original jungle, or wild, tea plant are still found in the forests of the Shan states of northern Siam, eastern Burma, Yunnan, Upper Indo-China, and British India. ... Before any thought was given to dividing this land into separate states, it consisted of one primeval tea garden where the conditions of soil, climate, and rainfall were happily combined to promote the natural propagation of tea." Marian Segal is a member of FDA's public affairs staff. Tea: A Story of Serendipity