Terrior is defined in the French Wine Guide as ³a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine-making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.² This term also applies to teas.

Much like wine, tea allows us to experience the Œterrior¹* of the many exotic and interesting places of its origins. Tea leaves are exposed to the breezes, rainfall, soils and cultural differences of each location where they are grown. That open exposure allows tea leaves to absorb the character of the sea salt air of Japan, the high mountain meadows of Darjeeling, the lowland jungles of Sri Lankan forests and the many extraordinary climatic and cultural regions of China, Taiwan, Africa, South American, Viet Nam, Indonesia and the plethora of other places where teas are grownŠand we experience the character of each of these locations in every cup of tea we drink. Even the different cultural practices and beliefs around teas are brought forward into each cup of tea, each cultural difference evident in every cup we drink.

Most of us know that tea is brimming with antioxidants and health benefits–or is it? A recent study found that bottled tea contains very low levels of antioxidants when compared with brewed tea.

Bottled Tea: What’s Missing

It is no coincidence that tea is the second most widely consumed drink in the world, after water. In recent years numerous studies have touted antioxidant-rich tea as an effective aid in combating cancer, reducing heart disease, and preventing other illness risks. In response to these findings, tea sales in the United States have increased fourfold in the past two decades. With the increasing demand for tea, manufacturers began supplying bottled teas as a health-conscious alternative to soft drinks and sugary juices.

But how healthy is bottled tea? Research presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society revealed that health-savvy consumers of bottled tea may not be getting their antioxidant bang for their buck. The healthy antioxidants–called polyphenols–that are responsible for tea’s ability to protect our cells from free radical damage are barely present in most bottled teas.

This recent study tested six brands of bottled tea purchased from the supermarket, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure the polyphenolic content. Shiming Li, Ph.D., who reported on the research, was surprised by the low pholyphenol content and stated: “Someone would have to drink bottle after bottle of these teas in some cases to receive health benefits.”

Would You Like Tea with Your Sugar?

Bottle tea-makers know that taste matters. The healthy polyphenols in tea are what give tea its bitter and astringent taste. Since not everyone is a fan of these flavors, manufacturers respond in kind by using less tea and adding more sugar per bottle. Now you have added sugar and extra calories, and you have lost significant antioxidant content.

Keep in mind that while bottled tea often lists polyphenolic content on its labels, the amounts may be incorrect; there are currently no industry or government standards for listing the polyphenolic compounds of a given product.

The bottom line is that there is no bottled tea out there that is going to bring you more benefits than the fresh tea you brew at home.

If You Want Something Done Right, Brew It Yourself

Get all the antioxidant benefits at a fraction of the cost when you brew your own tea. In the study mentioned above, of the six bottled teas, the best-case scenario of antioxidant content was just over 80 milligrams of polyphenols per 16-ounce bottle; the worst was a mere 3 mg of polyphenols. Compare this to home-brewed tea (black or green), which can have 50 to 150 milligrams in just one cup.

To make your own tea in bulk, simply bring water to a boil, then pour into a separate bowl and steep 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh tea or herbs per cup of water. To extract the most beneficial compounds, cover it and let it steep for three to five minutes. Then strain into glass pitcher and put in the refrigerator, where you can drink at your leisure or pour into a thermos for traveling. Prefer tea bags? Use one tea bag per cup of water.

Some tasty tea options that bring many benefits to the table include:

• Green tea: increases mental acuity and protects against heart disease; just add a twist of lemon to help absorb the antioxidants into your bloodstream

• Mint tea: settles the stomach and alleviates gas

• Ginger tea: soothes digestion and fires up your energy

• Chamomile tea: calms the nervous system and relaxes the muscles; drink an hour before bedtime.

Add a twist of lemon, a sprig of mint, rosemary, or a handful of fresh basil for an aromatic flavor burst. The possibilities for combination are endless! To add sweetness, use a little honey, stevia products or a stick of cinnamon.

Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com

Published in April 2008

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. Among all varieties of tea – black, green, white, oolong, red, herbal – which one offers the most health benefits?

Benefits of Tea
Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant polyphenols. Some studies have suggested that tea’s polyphenols may reduce the risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers, if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. Another study showed that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women. Other studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. One Japanese study found that green tea lowers death rates from heart disease.

Tea: Black, Green, White or Oolong?

Black, green, white, and oolong teas derive their leaves from a warm-weather evergreen tree known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves from this tree contain polyphenols. The more processing tea leaves undergo, the darker they will turn. Green tea and white tea are the least processed tea. They are simply steamed quickly. According to Dr. Doug Balentine, Director of Nutrition Health with Lipton, white tea is derived from the young new leaves from the Camellia plant in early spring. These young leaves contain no chlorophyll, so they are silvery white. Black and oolong teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. As we have mentioned before, regardless of the processing method, black, green, white and oolong teas all contain polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

What about Herbal Tea and Red Rooibos Tea?

Herbal tea is not derived from the leaves of the Camellia plant and so does not have the particular health-promoting properties. Indeed, most herbal teas in the market are NOT tea at all. They are only infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plants. The proper term for this type of beverage is “tisane.”

The recently popular South African red Rooibos tea also falls within the herbal tea or tisane category. “Red Rooibos tea is not really tea as it is not derived from the Camellia plant,” Dr. Balentine said. They may not contain the same beneficial flavonoid compounds as found in black and green teas. In fact, Dr. Balentine said that “no scientific evidence yet has shown the health benefits of red Rooibos tea.”

Although tisane does not contain as any polyphenols, it does promote other various health qualities such as relaxation and calming effects.

Tea: Caffeine content

According to the American Dietetic Association, a cup of tea contains an average of 40 mg of caffeine, compared to 85 mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

What about Decaf Tea?

We do not know whether decaf teas have the same polyphenols, and thus the same health benefits. It is not yet known if removing caffeine also removes polyphenols in the decaffeinating process.
The Bottom Line

Tea is a healthy beverage offering many health benefits (if you skip the cream and sugar). Brew your tea for at least 3 – 5 minutes to bring out the beneficial polyphenols. Enjoy the aroma of tea!

Preparing Iced Teas at home is really easy and iced teas can make any day seem like a weekend or summer vacation day. Here are a few easy methods that we suggest at Shangri La.

Using Shangri La Iced Tea packets:
- if you have our filter paper iced tea packets (Shangri La Retail Iced Teas) you can simply bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the packet, cover for 4-5 minutes, add an additional 4 cups cool water, remove the filter packet and pour over ice. Could that be easier?

Tip: fill the glass nearly to the top with ice before pouring the tea over this ice. This will give you the perfect dilution.

Our Shangri La Retail Iced Teas also steep well in a home coffee maker but personally, I would never use any vessel used for coffee for my teas ­ the coffee flavor seems to get into the tea way too easily. If you do use your coffee maker please wash it well before use for tea.

Iced tea from scratch:
- preparing iced tea from loose teas is also fun and can be very interesting. Many of our customers like using our loose leaf teas in this manner. Every one of them makes a delicious iced tea, I prefer the black and green teas and sometimes the oolongs but on occasion I use the mint to make an herbal iced tea.

When preparing iced tea from loose teas I suggest this method: Place a heat proof bowl with a large strainer suspended in this in your sink the bring 4 cups of pure water to a near boil on the stove. Once the water is at the near boil pour stir in 1/4 cup of your favorite tea, cover the pot and steep for 4-6 minutes depending on the strength you prefer. Add an additional 4 cups of cool water to the pot and pour the resulting tea through the strainer and into the bowl without delay.

Transfer tea into a pitcher and when ready to indulge, pour tea over glasses filled with ice.