Gourmet Tea
The Perfect Teatime Teas
A fine meal is often ended with a fine drink. Many people enjoy a glass of good wine or even a cup of their favorite coffee. But, both can be replaced with a steaming cup of gourmet tea.
Tea not only tastes good, but is also known for having wonderful health benefits. So, because of its fine qualities, teas are now replacing other beverages more and more often.
Gourmet tea can be found loose or in bags. Anyone who truly loves tea will tell you that loose tea can offer a better flavor, although bag tea is pretty tasty, too. Tea can be consumed hot or cold, depending on the weather and your preference.
Over the years, many tea varieties were fairly generic. However, today, consumers are offered a wide array of gourmet teas and flavors.
If you plan to purchase gourmet tea, the most common types available are green tea and black tea. However, white tea and rooibos tea are also gaining in popularity.
Green tea is most popular among those living in Asia, although people in North America are enjoying it more and more. The unfermented leaves from tea plants are used to produce green tea. The most familiar types of green tea are Gunpowder tea, Longjing tea and Matcha tea
.Black tea is made from dry leaves that are actually reddish in color. Popular black teas include Lapsang Souchong, Assam tea, Ceylon tea, and Darjeeling. Popular varieties of black tea blends include English Breakfast tea, Irish Breakfast tea and Earl Grey tea.
Both black and green teas are often used as a base for fruit tea and herbal tea. However, herbal tea, or tisanes as they are called, can be made using just the plants after which they are named. A large variety of herbal teas are available and many are associated with health benefits. Herbal teas are a great beverage substitute for those that cannot have caffeine.