Tea Info

   Introduction

   Welcome to West Lake Tea House's Tea Info Center.

   Green-Tea-Shop is an online tea store offers a variety selection of fine Green tea, Black tea, Pu-erh tea,

   Oolong tea, White tea, Yellow tea, Flower & Herbal tea, Fruit tea, Organic tea, Tea accessories, Coffee and more.

   Direct from the source to every corner in the world.

    About Tea

    Tea, a traditional beverage made from steeping the processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush (Camellia sinensis) in water.

    After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It has a cooling, slightly bitter, astringent flavour which many

    people enjoy.

    Different varieties of teas only vary by the region it was grown, the time of year picked, and the processing method.

    Teas can generally be divided into categories based on how they are processed. There are at least six different types of tea:

    white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and post-fermented teas, of which the most commonly found on the market are white, green,

    oolong, and black. Some varieties, such as traditional oolong tea and Pu-erh tea, a post-fermented tea, can be used medicinally.

    Tea is traditionally classified based on the techniques with which it is produced and processed.

• White tea: Wilted and unoxidized
• Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow
• Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized
• Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized
• Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized
• Post-fermented tea: Green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

    Tea Preparation

    The traditional method of making a cup of tea is to place loose tea leaves, either directly or in a tea infuser, into a tea pot or

    teacup and pour hot water over the leaves. After a couple of minutes the leaves are usually removed again, either by removing

    the infuser, or by straining the tea while serving.

    The best temperature for brewing tea depends on its type. The higher temperatures are required to extract the large, complex,

    flavorful phenolic molecules found in fermented tea, although boiling the water reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the

    water.

    Tea Benefits

    1. Tea contains antioxidants. Antioxidants can help slow down the aging process, and help cells regenerate and repair.

    2. Tea protects your teeth. Compounds in tea are capable of killing or suppressing growth and acid production of cavity in

       our mouths.

    3. Tea keeps you hydrated. Every cup of tea you drink, especially low or no caffeine varieties, counts as a cup of water with

       the added bonus of providing antioxidants as well.

    4. Tea may reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Tea can help prevent formation of dangerous blood clots which are

       often the cause of strokes and heart attacks.

    5. Tea can help lower blood pressure. Drinking green tea daily can reduce your risk of hypertension by up to 50%.

    6. Tea may help prevent diabetes. There is some evidence to suggest that green tea and black tea may help prevent

       Diabetes.

    7. Tea aids your immune defenses. A study comparing the immune activity levels of coffee drinkers vs. tea drinkers found

       the tea drinkers to have levels up to five times higher.

    8. Tea protects against cancer. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential

       protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages.

    9. Tea helps to lose weight. Tea doesn't have any calories, unless you add sweetener or milk. Consuming even 250 fewer calories

        per day can result in losing one pound per week. 

    10. Tea protects your bones. Drinking tea regularly for years may produce stronger bones. Those who drank tea on a regular basis for

         10 or more years had higher-bone mineral density in their spines than those who had not.

    Storage Tips

    Tea has a shelf life that varies with storage conditions and type of tea. Black tea has a longer shelf life than green tea.

    An exception, Pu-erh tea improves with age. Tea stays freshest when stored in a dry, cool, dark place in an air-tight

    container. Black tea stored in a bag inside a sealed opaque canister may keep for two years. Green tea loses its freshness

    more quickly, usually in less than a year.

    Gunpowder tea, its leaves being tightly rolled, keeps longer than the more open-leafed Chun Mee tea. Storage life for all teas can

    be extended by using desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets, and by vacuum sealing.

    When storing green tea, discreet use of refrigeration or freezing is recommended. In particular, drinkers need to take precautions

    against temperature variation.

    Improperly stored tea may lose flavor, acquire disagreeable flavors or odors from other foods, or become moldy.