After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. It’s got a storied history throughout Asia, then making its way to the British Empire and points farther West.
It’s so ubiquitous now that most kitchen cupboards have at least a bag or too many varieties of tea. Black, green, white, or herbal tea benefits run the gamut.
With so much variety, it can be hard to know the difference between teas and which one might be the best choice for you.
That’s why we decided to create this guide to help you understand the different types of tea and their benefits.
Let’s jump right into it!
What Is Tea?
Tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis, which produces six main types of tea:
White tea:
The least processed of all teas. White tea leaves are harvested and then immediately dried outdoors in natural sunlight. It has a high level of antioxidants since the drying process takes days at low temperatures. It has a mild flavor and fruity floral undertones.
Green tea:
Green tea leaves are harvested and then withered to reduce moisture content. The leaves are then pan-fired or steamed at high temperatures to induce drying. It contains high levels of antioxidants, and the flavor is nutty, roasted, and grassy.
Yellow tea:
The leaves are picked in early spring when they are still very young and delicate. The leaves are then cooked to begin the drying process but at a temperature and duration low enough to retain some moisture. This slight oxidation gives yellow tea a smoother and less earthy taste than green tea without creating the dark flavors found in oolong and black teas.
Oolong tea:
Goes through a similar processing method to green tea, but it is semi-oxidized with a flavor profile that is stronger than white tea but milder than black tea. It has floral notes and is similar in taste to green teas.
Black tea:
It undergoes a process of withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying that results in a dark brown color. It is fully oxidated after a long period of whitening. It is the most consumed tea worldwide, and it has a bold, intense flavor with an earthy aroma.
Dark tea (post-fermented tea):
A class of tea that has undergone microbial fermentation for up to several months to many years. While dark and black tea may seem the same, they aren’t; dark tea goes through a process similar to green tea and a microbial fermentation process.
While they come from the same tea leaves, they are all different from each other due to their fermentation and drying processes.
For example, white is the least fermented and black the most. Green tea is the second stage after white tea, and oolong is between green and black.
These different stages alter the antioxidant compounds available in tea as well as the flavor profiles.
While green tea may be best known for its antioxidants (and their purported cancer-fighting benefits), all tea brings varying benefits.
Additionally, tea only really applies to the six states of the camellia plant. Other herbal tea types such as rooibos, yerba mate, rosehip, mint, chamomile, etc., aren’t considered “tea.”
They come from different plants and are technically ‘tisanes,’ a French word for ‘herbal infusion.’
Benefits of Tea
If it brings us no other benefit than a few moments to slow down, sip something warm, and take a few reflective breaths, tea is an excellent experience. Is it liquid enlightenment? That might be going too far.
But it’s close. But, of course, teas of all kinds offer us several benefits beyond the contemplative sipping. While its cousin green tea gets all the hype (they come from the same plant), the more common black tea brings loads of benefits, too.
Keeps Your Heart Healthy
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Reduces The Risk Of Cancer Cell Development
While consuming black tea won’t cure cancer, studies have shown that it may help decrease cancer cell development and the risk of certain cancers.
This is mainly because black tea contains polyphenols, which may help fight cancer cells in the body.
High In Antioxidants
All tea derivatives are loaded with antioxidants, including several polyphenols, catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins.
Antioxidants are beneficial for you because they help remove free radicals, decrease cell damage in the body, and ultimately can help decrease the risk of chronic diseases.
Support A Healthy Gut
Black tea may contain antimicrobial properties that kill off harmful substances. It also improves gut bacteria and immunity by helping repair the lining of the digestive tract, promoting the growth of good bacteria, and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.
Can Improve Focus
Black tea contains caffeine and an amino acid called L-theanine. This amino acid increases alpha activity in the brain, which can help improve alertness and focus.
Reduces Blood Sugar
Insulin is a hormone that is secreted when you consume sugar. Studies show that black tea may help enhance the use of insulin in the body, and drinking black tea may help lower your blood sugar following a meal or snack.
Herbal Teasan Benefits:
Herbal teasans are loaded with a variety of benefits too. For example:
- Chamomile promotes restfulness, improves sleep, and reduces stress
- Rooibos improves blood pressure and circulation
- Peppermint is an excellent aid for conspiration and motion sickness.
- Ginger helps to fight morning sickness (especially during pregnancy) and may help to reduce inflammation
- Hibiscus can lower blood pressure and reduce cravings
- Licorice can soothe a sore throat
Which Tea Is Vegan?
Most teas are vegan, and any tea made from plants and plants alone is vegan-friendly and can be safely consumed as part of a vegan diet.
Those that aren’t vegan usually contain – dried milk powder, crystallized honey, or flavorings derived from animal products.
Easy Vegan Tea Recipes:
While you can enjoy your tea with minimal add-ins — sugar, lemon, or cream — you can take your tea game up a notch, or several, with some extravagant and seasonally apropos vegan tea recipes. Here are a few crowd-pleasers.
1. Vegan Chai
Chai is the favorite Indian mix of black tea leaves (but sometimes rooibos), loose spices including ginger, clove, cinnamon, anis, black pepper, milk, and a sweetener.
To make it vegan-friendly, you can add to the mix frothy dairy-free milk, like oat or almond. Check out this recipe here:
2. Matcha Latte
Matcha is full of green tea leaves powdered. A matcha latte is when you use green tea powder instead of espresso; it has a vibrant green color and lightly bitter flavor.
Wisk up some matcha with a bit of water, and you can add a variety of spices like ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cardamom, or cloves, to enhance the flavor.
Then, mix with milk of choice – soy, almond, or oat will be great options. You can drink it both cold or warm. The taste of matcha is smoother and more refreshing when the matcha is cold. When matcha is hot, it is much sweeter, creamier, and nuttier.
Since it can be a bit bitter, you can add a pinch of sweetener to make it taste better. To make an ice matcha latte, follow the video below, or check how to make warm matcha late here.
3. Taro Root Milk Tea
Taro milk tea combines the starchy root taro or taro powder with black tea, creamer, and a sweetener, and if you want to make it like bubble tea, you can also add tapioca pearls.
Some recipes also use a purple sweet potato. It has a delightful taste, with a slight hint of vanilla, and is much sweeter than eating the vegetable on its own.
4. Bubble Tea
As the name suggests, Bubble tea is a tea-based drink from Taiwan. It comes in many flavors and toppings ranging from chewy tapioca pearls, grass jelly, or aloe vera.
You can try one of these variations of Bubble tea here:
5. London Fog
Earl Grey is a popular tea choice because of its distinct and robust flavor, thanks to the rinds of the Italian bergamot citrus fruit.
It’s an excellent base for a latte, too, as this creamy vegan London Fog recipe proves. It is warm, cozy, comforting, and excellent with almond or oat milk. If you like it sweet, you can add a sweetener, such as brown sugar or maple syrup/agave.
Get the recipe here:
Summary
Tea is a unique, healthy, warm, and cozy drink you can enjoy anytime, anywhere.
There are many blends and options; if you want to explore more, you can subscribe to Vegancuts!
Vegancuts curates monthly premium-quality Discovery Snack Boxes
Each month, you can get a Discovery Snack Box, which includes carefully selected products and brands that are always 100% vegan, including teas, superfood smoothies, vegan chocolate, avocado chips, hummus crackers, and much more.
Merilin Vrachovska
The post Top 5 Vegan Tea Recipes & The Unique Tea Benefits appeared first on Vegancuts.
