leaf must be chemically altered before you can steep it into a good tea. For black tea, tea-processors

first crush then heat the leaves to convert the original group of chemicals into aromatic molecules

and tannin. This gives the tea its body and astringency. The next step, called fermentation in the tea

trade, is not fermentation in a strict sense, because there is no microbial action in the process. The

tea master steeps the leaves at 80°F (27°C) for several hours to develop the tannin and flavor. Then

he dries the fermented leaves at a high temperature to reduce the moisture content. At this point the

dried leaves are ready to be graded, blended, shipped and brewed.

Green teas skip one stage—fermentation. Instead, they go through steaming to destroy the

enzymes that cause the leaves to continue maturing. This produces a thinner, paler drink with

weaker body, less astringency and aroma, and a lower tannin and caffeine contents.

Oolong teas fall somewhere between black and green teas. The leaves undergo only brief

fermentation, and the resulting brew is not as strong as black tea but not as mild and gentle as green

tea.

People drank most herbal teas originally for their curative properties, but in recent decades

they have also become popular as a soothing, relaxing hot beverage to replace coffee or regular tea

for those who prefer a caffeine-free drink. Sometimes they brew the leaves, as in mint tea, or the

fruit as in rose hip tea. Even roots as in fennel tea, flower petals as in marigold tea, and seeds as in

angelica tea, may infuse into a pleasant-flavored, often calming, soothing, peaceful hot beverage.

Many herbal teas are too bland or too subtle by themselves, so blending several aromatic

herbs adds complexity to the flavor and some heft to the body. Commercial herb teas are often

blends of several types of herbs, or just one herb with the addition of flavoring, orange peel, for

instance.

Commercially available black and green teas are also blends, sometimes of teas from many

different growing regions. Blending is an art with twofold reasons. First, it allows a reasonably

consistent quality and flavor year after year, even when adverse weather conditions or political

incidents affect the availability of tea from some growing areas. If tea from a particular area is not

available, the tea master may create new blends from other growers to approximate the flavor of the

accustomed standard blend customers prefer.

The second reason is price. High-quality tea is expensive and too costly to use by itself for

brewing, except by connoisseurs who are willing to pay the premium price. In commercial

operations, they blend high-priced, high-quality teas with weaker, lower priced teas to bring their

quality up to a more acceptable but still affordable level.

Tea planters always reserve a sack of tea from the slowest-growing, best crop of the year for

their own use and as gifts for friends and visitors. This quality of tea is virtually unavailable to

anyone else—the best of the best. I could not believe how incredibly good tea can be until I received

a pound (half kilo) from one of those reserved private stock while visiting a Ceylonese tea planter. It

has such a concentrated, intense flavor that you can brew a mere teaspoon of the tea leaves into a

large pot of the most delicious tea you will ever taste.

Making a perfect cup of tea

There is little controversy over tea brewing techniques. The centuries-old English way gives

you a perfect cup of tea every time. Clean, fresh water, a clean, preheated pot and good-quality tea

are all that are essential. The water must be freshly boiling, but not boiled for any longer than

necessary or it loses its oxygen content and becomes flat.

Always preheat the tea pot with boiling water, then add measured amounts of tea leaves into

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