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Tea is one of the fastest growing drinks in the world. In terms of consumption, it's behind only water. The good news is, tea is actually better for you than many of the leading drinks. Why? Well, it's because Tea contains a mixture of vitamins and antioxidants that help fight disease and slow the aging process. Tea can also be enjoyed by people of all ages, so it's good for the whole family. The best part is, it's refreshing and tastes great! The classic definition of tea is the brew made from the infusion of water and the leaves of an evergreen plant of the Camellia family. In the tea industry, tea is defined as the dried processed leaves of Camellia sinensis, or Thea sinesis. Commercially, there are three major varieties of Camellia sinensis: the China type, the India (Assam region) type, and the Hybrid type (a cross breed of the China and India types). The China type tea plant has small leaves and usually grows well at higher altitudes. The India or Assam type has larger leaves and cultivates best at lower elevations. The Hybrid falls somewhere in between the China and India types. There are four major types of tea: White, Green, Oolong and Black. Interestingly, all these teas come from the raw leaves of the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. What distinguishes each category is the method used when processing the tea leaves. The way the leaves are processed-steamed, fermented (oxidized), dried, or bruised-gives the tea the special characteristics of its category. Tea spin offs, such as scented, flavored or blended teas, are produced using one of the four major types of tea as a base. Tossing jasmine flowers with either black or green tea makes a scented tea such as jasmine tea. A flavored tea such as Earl Grey is mainly the combination of bergamot oil and a strong black tea. English Breakfast tea is usually a combination of different black tea leaves from India and Sri Lanka. One term that has become part of our everyday lingo is "herbal tea." Since you now know that tea only comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, you may be wondering how a tea can be herbal. It can't be. A product has to be either herbal or tea-based. In the tea industry, beverages made with herbs or flower parts instead of tea are often referred to as tisanes, or herbal infusions. The evergreen tea plant, also known as Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Assamica, comes from the genus Camellia, which dates back before the great ice age. If left wild, the tea tree can grow as tall as 60 feet, depending on the climate. There is even a 1700-year-old tea tree in the Yunnan Province of China that stands over 100 feet tall. Today, the tea plant, also known as the "tea bush," is pruned and harvested, and its height is maintained at about three feet. This tea bush is the standard for most of today's tea cultivation due to its richer and fuller leaves. There are even some people who say that tea is the oldest cultivated plant, having been nurtured for over 1000 years. Affecting the thousands of varieties of tea are variables such as soil, altitude and weather. Some teas crave high mountains and cool mist, while others grow better in lower terrain.

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