Beau-Tea-Full

From green to ginger, mint to matcha, black to blueberry, there’s an abundance of teas to tempt anyone’s taste buds. The good news is that not only is tea refreshing, it’s a readily available natural beauty product.

- Carrol Baker

While tea has been enjoyed for centuries, of late there’s been a surge in its popularity in its many and varied incarnations. You can grab a cuppa on the go with an iced tea, drink to good health with fermented kombucha, join devout foodies who drink infused gourmet teas or sip an indulgent tea cocktail.

It probably comes as no surprise that tea was first discovered in China. The legend goes that almost 5000 years ago Chinese emperor Shen Nung was relaxing under the leafy branches of a Camellia sinensis tree, heating water in a pot. A few leaves drifted in on the breeze, landing in the pot. He scooped them and some of the water up and let it cool a moment before taking a sip.

Shen Nung is a mythical figure but it is very easy to imagine an unknown ancestor having a similar experience in which leaves, either accidentally or experimentally, were added to heated water. The rest is beverage history.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. As a drink it’s second only to water. It is grown in many parts of the world including China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Turkey and Vietnam. And, just like a fine wine, each tea from each different area will have unique flavour notes and character.

By definition, traditional teas are derived from Camellia sinensis trees. It is processed into more than 3000 varieties that fall broadly into six categories: oolong, black, green, white, pu’er and yellow tea.

A new incarnation, matcha, is a powdered form of green tea that’s gaining traction with culinary devotees because it’s higher in antioxidants than green tea (the leaves are shaded before harvest so are bright green) and you can add it to milk drinks and baked goods.

In most cases, tea is mass-produced. However, artisan teamakers are springing up all over the place offering tea lovers the chance to enjoy delicious bespoke brews.