History of Tea
Tea drinking is believed to have originated in China about five centuries ago. The word 'tea' itself comes from the Chinese 't'e', pronounced 'tay'. Legend holds that the Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, "The Divine Healer", discovered tea in 2737 BC when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of water he was boiling. Upon tasting the beverage, the Emperor pronounced it "heaven sent", and soon tea drinking spread not only through China but through Japan and throughout the Far East.

How To Brew Tea
Start with a quality blend of tea. Use fresh cold water. You may want to use bottled water. The purer and softer the water, the better the tea will taste. Pour some boiling water into the tea pot or cup to warm it; discard the water and add a teaspoon of loose tea . As soon as the water starts to boil, pour it over the tea leaves. Oxygen releases the full flavor of tea. As water boils, it loses oxygen and over-boiled water makes tea taste flat.

Steeping Herbal Tea
Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes for black tea, and a minute or two for green tea, and 8 to 12 minutes for herbal teas. Choose the proper brewing method based on the kind of herbal tea you are brewing. When using leaves, flowers or seeds to make an infusion simply pour boiling water over the tea and steep. When using bark, roots or harder seeds and berries, the plant material is tougher therefore requires boiling on the stove for longer periods to release the volatile oils. Start by placing the plant material in cold water, bring to a boil and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-third.


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