Origin Of Tea

The legendary origin of tea drinking has been traced back to the Chinese Emperor Chen Nung of 2737BC, who was also a scholar and herbalist, who discovered this detectable drink when he was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling a pot of water. A few leaves from a tea plant (Camellia Sinensis) dropped into the pot of water, gave an excellent aroma and he found it tasted as good when sipped.

The tea plant is essentially tropical and sub-tropical and therefore has wide climatic range. It is found at varying altitudes and classified accordingly.

 

Tea Chemistry

When you pour boiling water over black or oolong tea leaves you are releasing the results of some truly wonderful chemical developments that occur during the processing, which is known as fermentation. Green tea is not fermented.

The three most important chemical substances in the fresh tea leaf are caffeine, aromatic or essential oils, and polyphenols (popularly but incorrectly known as tannins). Caffeine, are found in many plants in nature. The essential oils are important constituents of the aroma of the beverage. These substances are sometimes known as volatiles, which means that they will totally evaporate in strong heat. When tea is kept a long time, these disappear, reducing aroma. Both tannins and oils aid digestion by stimulating peristalsis of the intestinal tract. There is some evidence that tea counteracts the effect of fats by emulsifying them in the digestive tract. The polyphenols are the most interesting elements and the ones which do the greatest good for human health.

Read more on the importance of Caffeine, Polyphenol and Essential Oil.