June is Iced Tea Month

On a hot sunny day there is no more pleasurable cold drink than a glass of quality iced tea. Iced tea is a thirst quencher as well as one of the healthiest drinks you can consume. It has polyphenols and anti-oxidants and iced tea is consumed in almost every restaurant in the United States.

Iced tea is so popular during the summer that an entire month, June is dedicated to the consumption of iced tea. And, the amount of iced tea that Americans consume is growing rapidly.

One problem with iced tea in the past however was that all iced tea tasted the same and the flavor was at times flat. This is because most iced tea was made from lower quality bagged tea.Now, however, specialty loose leaf teas are starting to enter the market and offer better flavor as a robust drink. These specialty teas usually don't cost more that iced tea based on cheaper bagged tea but they certainly deliver more taste, refreshment and satisfaction.

Next time, instead of ordering a cheap iced tea based upon weak bagged tea, ask your waiter if flavorful iced tea like Coconut Pouchong, Jasmine Mint, Honey Pear, White Persian Melon or other great flavors are available.

A nice refreshing, flavorful iced tea can refresh you and make your day!

White Persian Melon Iced Tea

White tea is one of the newest tea trends in the United States. The tea itself is far from new. Tea drinkers in China have been fans of white tea for centuries. However, very few people outside of Asia knew there was such a thing as white tea. Nowadays, the word is out, and it seems that those who have been introduced to this tea variety have nothing but good things to say about white tea. It has been predicted than once more people America have gotten acquainted with white tea, it will become “the” tea for everyone to enjoy.

The reason that most people have never heard of white tea is that for a time, it was relatively rare. And, only those who have made it a priority to learn more about tea realize that all tea comes from just one type of bush, which is called the Camilla Sinensis tea bush. Tea is made from the leaves of this bush, and once picked, the leaves can be processed in different ways to create different types of tea such as green, oolong, or black.

Black tea is made from tea leaves that have been crushed, partially dried, and then fermented. Green tea is made from tea leaves that are not fermented at all, but simply allowed to wilt just a bit and them steamed dry, rolled, and heated one final time to set the flavor. Oolong teas can be thought of as the middle tea. The leaves to create this variety are just partly steam dried and fermented.

Very little processing is done to the tea leaves to create white tea. In fact, white tea is probably the least processed variety of tea made. It is made from immature, young tea leaves that have not even fully developed yet. The leaves are hand picked before their buds are fully opened up, and are still covered with a silver colored downy fuzz. This fuzz turns a white color after the tea leaves have been dried, and this is where the name “white tea” is derived from.

There are several varieties of white tea, and these are based on how many tea leaf buds are mixed in with the tea leaves. Some have more buds than leaves, and some have more leaves than buds. The variety that is called White Peony contains one tea bud for every two tea leaves. The white tea, Silver Needles, is made entirely from buds that can only be picked during two days in the early spring. If the buds are picked at any other time, the tea is not considered to be the Silver Needles variety.

White tea has a very interesting, naturally sweet taste, and the aroma can be described with only one word - exquisite! White tea should appeal to those who claim that black tea is too strong in taste, and green tea is too “grassy” and “raw”. It is best to prepare white tea in a similar way to how green tea should be prepared. You definitely do not want the water to be too hot when making white tea, for these tea leaves are quite delicate. Boiling hot water will actually cook these tea leaves, and make white tea have a taste that is not at all pleasing to the palate.

One of the reasons why white tea has grown so much in popularity in the United States are reports of the health benefits from the consumption of it. It is said that white tea has more antioxidants than green tea, and can also help strengthen the immune system. There is talk of white tea also having the ability to help prevent cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol readings.

Many people who are fond of white tea do not realize how absolutely delicious it can be when prepared and served as iced tea. A variety of white tea known as White Persian melon is one of the more delicious varieties. It has more flavor than plain white tea, and and added bonus in the form of the goodness of melon. All varieties of melon are full of antioxidants, too.

Combined with the antioxidant power of the white tea alone, White Persian melon iced tea may well be just about the best tasting and the best for you tea in existence. The type of antioxidant contained in White Persian melon iced tea is a little different from the ones in plain white tea. The melon antioxidants can cause our bodies to produce antioxidants of their own, necessary for healthy body cells and damage to existing cells.

It is very easy to prepare White Persian Melon iced tea. Simply prepare the tea as if you were making hot tea, only make more than one cup, of course! Sweeten if desired while the tea is still hot, and allow the tea to cool before pouring it over ice. Enjoy!

Since white tea is still relatively new to this country, it may be difficult for you to find the delectable White Persian melon tea in one of your local stores. However, you should have no trouble at all locating it online from one of the better tea vendors like

White Persian Melon Tea

How Did Tea and Sugar Help Promote Slavery?

Slavery of any kind is bad and everyone knows it.

But one of the most powerful forces driving slavery was the combination of tea and sugar. Tea by itself was originally grown exclusively in China.The crop was labor intensive but labor was inexpensive and plentiful.

As tea became a trade good and eventually reached the shores of England and other European countries, sweeteners were required to meet European tastes. In England honey was used but disappeared because honey was produced in Catholic monasteries and these institutions were decimated when Henry the Eight formed the Church of England.

The British turned to cane sugar which was produced in abundance in the British dominated Caribbean Islands like Barbados and Jamaica. The crop of cane sugar was also in demand for the production of rum and molasses.

Harvesting and processing cane sugar was backbreaking work and the English resorted to slavery to fulfill the demand for sugar. The African slave trade boomed and eventually became institutionalized in the English colonies in America.

The net result was that tea sales grew dramatically and ships carried the tea west to Europe and England.Many of the same ships made the return voyage with a stop in the Caribbean full of slaves.

How to Ruin a Nice Evening

How many times have you gone to a five star restaurant for a delicious meal with someone special or to celebrate a special occasion and had the enjoyment ruined by a bad cup of tea.?

It seems in America, no one knows how to brew a fine cup of tea. Usually you are presented with a tea box with a limited selection of bagged tea and then that sorry looking bag is slopped into a luke warm cup of water.

The end result is a terrible cup of tea and a disappointing evening.

Even the best restaurants use bagged tea and fail to steep the tea properly and a large amount of your money is wasted.

Now, when I make a reservation at a five star restaurant the first question is what type of tea do they prepare and how do they prepare it. I hang up on a lot of restaurants.