1. All tea is derived from the one plant known as Camellia Sinensis, which is an evergreen shrub.
2. The taste of a cup of tea, its aroma, strength, and color will vary depending on its variety, the location it’s grown, the time of year it is picked and processed, the specific farming techniques used to grow the crop, how the leaves are harvested, and how the leaves are turned into finished tea. That’s why Camellia sinensis grown in Darjeeling tastes noticeably different than Camellia sinensis grown in Sri Lanka.
3. The English word tea and its variations (e.g. tay, thé, tey) trace their roots back to the name for tea in the Chinese Amoy dialect: Te (pronounced “tay”). Cha —the Mandarin Chinese word for tea — gave birth to cha, chai, char and related names in use today.
4. You can brew more than 200 cups of tea from one pound of loose tea leaves. That works out to less than ten cents a cup, even adding in the cost of heating the hot water.
5. A cup of brewed tea typically contains less than half the caffeine of a cup of coffee.
6. Legend has it that a New York City tea importer named Thomas Sullivan became annoyed at the high cost of the tin boxes he used to send tea samples to customers. So in the early 19002 he switched to small cloth bags. One of the recipients brewed a pot of tea by simply pouring hot water over the bag — the rest is history.
7. It’s said iced tea was invented in 1904, at the St. Louis World’s Fair, by a British tea merchant named Richard Blechynden, however “tea punches” — alcoholic ancestors of the drink — were served decades earlier in the United States, and at least one late 19th century cookbook includes a recipe for iced tea. About 80 percent of the tea served in the United States today is iced tea.
8. Tea tasting, much like wine tasting, uses similar steps; visual, smell, taste and touch. You can tell a lot about a tea by examining the dry leaves. Gently press some dry leaves in the hand. Most new teas are a little springier and less likely to crumble than an older teas. Look for fibers, dust or stalks and note the leaf size.
9. Oolong and Green teas help speed calorie burning. Green tea has a high content of vitamins and minerals. Black and green teas are full of antioxidants. Tea helps fight cancer, heart disease and regulate cholesterol.
10. Store your tea in a cool, dry, dark place, preferably in an opaque tin or jar. Store no longer than a year to prevent spoilage, deterioration, or loss of flavor.
11. Use tea as a foot refresher by soaking your feet in tea.
12. Keep a tea bag in your first aid kit to soothe insect bites. Soothe a sunburn with a tea soaked compress.
13. Tea parties span generations and will be enjoyed by your most sophisticated friends or giggling little girls of your acquaintance. Other than teaspoons, no cutlery should be required at tea. All sandwiches and sweets should be dainty finger-food.
And in Shelley’s upcoming release news: Coming next week…
Lies and secrets have a way of returning to bite a girl in the butt…
Hayley Williams thought she was past the screwing-up stage of her life. These days, she wears her good girl persona well—except when she moonlights as a gypsy tea leaf reader in order to earn money to buy her own home. There’s something about Sam Norville, though, that prods her inner imp back to life. A chance meeting, a margarita…okay, two…a stolen kiss, and suddenly she’s back in hot water.
Sam, a successful businessman, doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Not anymore. For him, involvement with any woman means risking a run-in with the tabloid press. But his mysterious gypsy lover keeps him coming back, keeps him prodding her for more…like the truth. Of course it’s not love. No, sir. Sam only does lust.
Hayley knows she shouldn’t want Sam, especially since she lied to him. The right thing to do? Shove that naughty imp off her shoulder and come clean. But at pesky imp just won’t budge…
TEA FOR TWO – available at Samhain Publishing on 14 October 2008.
Are you a tea person? What is your favorite way to drink tea? Have you used tea as part of your first-aid kit before?
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I do love tea. Earl Grey, black and no sugar. YUMMMMM!!! Oh and preferably in a cup and saucer!! It doesn’t taste the same in a big mug!!
by Christina Phillips October 9th, 2008 at 12:57 amWow. I love tea, but I didn’t know all this stuff about it. :)
BTW — I love your cover!
by Nadia October 9th, 2008 at 2:32 amChristina – I used to really like Earl Grey but I’ve gone off it a bit recently. I like Lady Grey tea though. I have to agree that the right cup makes all the difference!
Nadia – thanks! I love the cover for Tea For Two as well.
by Shelley Munro October 9th, 2008 at 2:44 amI love tea!!! It’s my favorite drink. Great list! Happy Thursday! *hugs*
by Stephanie October 9th, 2008 at 4:16 amWe are huge ice tea drinkers here. Seriously huge. Like 2 gallons a day huge.
http://talesfromthecrit.wordpress.com/
by Inez Kelley October 9th, 2008 at 4:17 amOh, man… Must. Have. Some. Tea!
You’re working my tea jones, here…
My favorite, though? Either a milky “English” tea (as they call it here), or a nice savory cup of chai, sweetened with condensed milk (like my ex’s mum used to make it). Oooohhhh, sooooo goooood!
And now I’m off for a cuppa!
Ciao!
by MsMenozzi October 9th, 2008 at 4:22 amI have a cup of tea every night . I wish you a ton of sales with Tea for Two! Happy T13!
by Adelle Laudan October 9th, 2008 at 4:23 amI love tea in the evening, with honey and a twist of lemon.
by J.K. Coi October 9th, 2008 at 4:40 amHow clever. I’m interested in tea and your book “Tea for Two”!
by Brenda ND October 9th, 2008 at 4:59 amI have to agree with the teacup and saucer bit. And i usually add a spot of sugar…
OMG, somebody stop me!
by Bethanne October 9th, 2008 at 5:28 amI LOVE this Shelley. I used to drink tea all the time. I should switch from coffee to tea. After all, it’s cheaper AND better for me.
by Jennifer McKenzie October 9th, 2008 at 5:52 amGreat post and your books sounds terrific.
Tea is from an EVERGREEN bush? Whoah. Learn something every day.
by Alice Audrey October 9th, 2008 at 6:46 amI seriously LOVE tea! Green tea is my favorite, but I also enjoy herbals. We used to live right down the road from Celestial Seasonings…did quite a few “tastings” when the company was testing new blends. Great fun!!
by Debbie Mumford October 9th, 2008 at 6:57 amEver since going to China Town in San Francisco to this family owned loose tea leaf store and learning the proper way to brew tea I’ve become a tea snob.
Tea on it’s own if fresh or dried and still good, can be drunk with sugar, honey or lemon. It has it’s own flavor. It’s like wine tasting.
Boy I’m such a snob that I buy my leaves loose now.
by Amy Ruttan October 9th, 2008 at 7:37 amWow, that’s a lot about tea I didn’t know. I’ve never been a tea drinker… But then again, I prefer my drinks to be cold so maybe that’s why.
by Mel (silentdreamer) October 9th, 2008 at 7:53 amHi Shelly!
Great topic and I love your cover. It looks like a great story and very romantic!
I love tea! All kinds, herbal, green and black.
A medicinal purposes I can think of is for mums nursing their babies. A cooled teabag over cracked skin can be helpful and healing.
Also, if you have puffy eyes, cooled tea bags can help, though I haven’t tried it, friends have with good results.
Happy Friday Eve!
by Colleen Love October 9th, 2008 at 8:49 amC~
Interesting. I’m not a tea drinker. I’m like Mel, I prefer my drinks cold.
My mother loved tea and I often tried hers but never found any to my taste.
by LA Day October 9th, 2008 at 9:06 amGreat topic, Shelley! Not only informative, but an excellent tie-in to your book. I’ve never had a taste for tea myself, iced or hot. Yuck!
by Heather October 9th, 2008 at 11:03 amCool TT! We love chai tea! Congratulations on the new release!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://tinyurl.com/4zejcp
by Paige Tyler October 9th, 2008 at 11:10 amI didn’t realize you had to store tea properly. I love this list.
by Jane October 9th, 2008 at 11:45 amNow that it’s cooling down here I’ll start drinking tea again during the day. I prefer it hot to iced. I do in fact have a red tin full with about a pound of tea leaves. Happy TT.
by pussreboots October 9th, 2008 at 12:35 pmThanks for the interesting bits about tea! I love your new cover. It’s gorgeous!
by Nancy Henderson October 9th, 2008 at 4:11 pmI’m not a tea person…. unless it’s peppermint tea…. or a coffee person…….
by Sara Hantz October 9th, 2008 at 9:11 pm