The majority of teas that are purchased today are blends. This is due to the fact that truly pure teas are never duplicated. A fine black tea will taste differently due to variances in where the tea is grown and the time of year that it is harvested.

There are two distinct reasons for creating premium tea blends. The first reason is to help reduce the costs of producing tea while preserving the quality. With this method a premium tea is typically blended with a standard tea. The other reason for creating these blends is to experiment with new flavors to satisfy the consumer.

The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, is usually referred to both China, and parts of India. Wild tea plants can grow more that 90 feet. In the past they trained monkeys to pick the leaves and throw them down, where they were collected. Today plants are kept to a height of about three feet for easy picking and cultivated as a plantation crop. All premium tea blends are then stored in airtight containers out of direct sunlight, so that they do not loose their flavor or take on foreign aromas.

More than 2000 different kinds of tea exist in the world. While over 25 different countries make it, China, India, Japan, and Nepal are the primary ones. Not only is tea healthy, it also has a good flavor and improves one's spirit.

The three main categories of tea are: Black, Green, and Oolong, each with its own varieties. Black and Green teas originate from the same tea plant, but are being processed differently. Black tea is oxidized for several hours before drying. And Green tea is steamed immediately after picking. Oolong (green/black) tea is also partially fermented to preserve some of the delicate flavor of the black tea. Green Tea has long been known as a health tonic, elixir, and satisfying beverage. Many scientific researches today have proved that fact.

It was during Tang Dynasty in China (6816-906 B.C.) that tea became the national beverage of choice. Until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the way of tea from China to Europe had been very long. Tea could be shipped by sea or by land and it took several months to deliver it with an unavoidable loss of quality. The tea shipped by sea was called "Canton" tea, and the tea delivered by land got the name "Caravan" tea. The Caravan tea was of better quality and had a longer delivery time and was highly valued.

So many people love tea that it has quickly become a huge business. There are a lot of tea related items sold in various stores. In addition to the premium tea blends, tea kits make great gifts! These kits might include the following items: tea gift baskets that relate to a theme, tea and chocolate, tea chests, teapots, Yuletide gift baskets, teacups, etcetera, etcetera. The Internet provides a great resource for learning all about tea.

About the Author

Troa Barton writes for http://www.saladebatepapo.org where you can find out more about News and other topics.