According to legend, Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea around 2700 BC when a gust of wind blew tea leaves into some boiling water. Although the Emperor enjoyed the resulting "brew", tea was used largely for medicinal purposes in China until the 3rd or 4th Century when it became a beverage for the wealthy and powerful. In fact, it took another 400 years for tea to reach the Chinese masses and displace wine as the beverage of choice for the common person.

It wasn't until the 17th century (a full millennium later!) that the Western World was introduced to tea. The Dutch East India Company began transporting the leaves to Holland while Russia began importing tea on what was known as the Silk Road.

Today, India produces approximately one third of the world's crop - or about 870 million kg of tea a year. India is followed in production by China, Kenya and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

TYPES OF TEA
All teas come from the same plant - camellia sinensis and are classified in four major categories - Black, Green, Oolong or White. The colour of tea is the result of the chemical changes that take place when the leaves are given time to oxidize before drying.

BLACK TEA
Black tea represents approximately 90% of the tea consumed in the Western world. It sets itself apart from green teas through a different processing method. The process for making black tea involves withering, rolling, fermenting (oxidation) and firing.

First the leaves are spread out and exposed to hot air for several hours in order to reduce their water content by 50% to 60%. This step starts to free up the enzyme responsible for oxidizing the leaf. It also softens the leaves, preparing them to undergo subsequent operations without breaking. Next the leaves are rolled (by hand or mechanically), allowing the essential oils to spread and impregnate the buds. The aroma of the tea depends on these essential oils. A screen is used to sort the tea. The smallest leaves go directly to the next stage, while the larger, tougher ones undergo a second rolling. Oxidation or fermentation describes the chemical reaction of the leaves and their components (polyphenols) with air, humidity, and heat. The length of the oxidation determines the colour and flavour of the tea. The process of oxidation or fermentation is brought to a halt by "firing" the leaves.

Lastly the leaves are categorized into grades based on the method and season of harvest, the style of production and the leaf size of the finished product. In addition, a black tea can also be designated as "Orthodox" (picked and processed by hand) or as "CTC" (processed by mechanized production lines favored in the Anglo-Indian tea producing regions). Tea traders will agree that the best Orthodox black teas come from China, Sri Lanka and India. It is commonly believed that orthodox tea is superior to CTC processed teas.

GREEN TEA
China is the world's largest exporter of green tea, supplying 90% of that sold on the international market followed by Japan and Taiwan. It is not surprising, therefore, that green teas are the teas that are primarily consumed in Asia.

Like black tea, green tea also comes from the camellia sinensis plant and is processed in a similar fashion except for the fact that it is NOT fermented. Directly after withering, the green leaf is steamed or pan fired in order to prevent it from fermenting and turning black. Then, the leaves are rolled and shaped. As for black tea, the smaller and more tightly rolled the leaf, the more robust the tea, as more components are released. The drying process allows some evaporation of the water contained in the leaves to prevent mould. Finally, sorting is the step where the grades are separated out. Just as for black tea, the process uses sieves or screens to accomplish this task.

Green tea has been subject to extensive medical research and is reputed to have many health benefits. It is effective in counteracting fatigue and mental exhaustion, and contains considerable amounts of vitamin C, zinc, and calcium. Furthermore, it is said that green tea helps fight cancer, counteracts high blood pressure, boosts immunity, and helps in the reduction of cholesterol levels and blood fats.

OOLONG
The name oolong is derived from the Chinese word "Wu-lung", meaning "Black Dragon". Oolong is a semi-oxidized whole leaf tea that falls between fully oxidized black teas and unfermented green teas. While black teas are fully oxidized, oolongs are oxidized anywhere between 20 - 80%. The result is a delicious fruity, nutty tea that balances the flavours of black and green beautifully.

Many historians believe that oolong tea originated in the latter part of the 17th century, during the end of the Ming Dynasty, in the Mountains of Northern Fujian. Today, oolong is grown almost exclusively in Taiwan, which produces over 18,000 metric tons annually. In Taiwan, the making of oolong teas is regarded as a precious art, one that requires years of expert training. It takes years of dedicated study and practice, combined with the unique nature of the Formosa tea leaves to produce the exceptional quality oolongs that have made tea famous.

Oolong tea is divided into many sub-categories based on the tea plant variety, the growing region, and the degree of enzymatic oxidation. Additionally, subtle controls practiced during the stages of withering, leaf-cell disruption, fermentation, the timing of enzyme deactivation with heating, the method of rolling, shaping, baking and the various other stages of processing impact the categorization of a tea.

WHITE TEA
White teas are China's rare tea treasures and are comprised of only the buds of an extremely rare tea plant that is carefully picked during a short three day "first flush" of the year. The plants are indigenous to a very small area in south eastern China in the Fukien (Fujian) Province, where ideal growing conditions exist.

During the Song Dynasty white teas were developed from green tea. They became Imperial Treasures from the Song Dynasty through the Great Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 A.D.). As a result, they were sometimes referred to as the Emperor's Tea. True white teas are lightly fermented and can only be made according to a unique withering process which is documented in the Ming Dynasty tea books. The most prized specialty white tea is "Silver Needle Pekoe" which emerged in 1885. The production of Bai Mu Dan began in 1922.

White tea has seen a recent increase in popularity. As a result, many teas on the market are being sold as white tea, but are not from the proper region in Fujian. Furthermore, the processing and tea plant varieties used to make the white teas of India, Sri Lanka and other regions of China are not the same and do not possess the distinct character of white teas from northern Fujian. The absence of withering, rolling and oxidation leaves the appearance of the leaves essentially unaltered. The white down of the unprocessed leaves is clearly visible and gives the final tea leaves their sliver-white appearance. As a result, authentic white teas appear to be covered with a silvery-white down coating, resembling the skin of a ripened peach.

When infused, white tea has a pale yellow cup color and a delicate, fresh flavor. The two most popular white teas are the White Peony (also called "Pai Mu Tan" or "Bai Mu Dan") and the treasured Silver Needle.