How to make the best tea you will ever taste....!!

How to make the best tea you will ever taste

A subject of great debate for centuries has been what is the best way to make tea. As a long time tea drinker here is my formula and how to make an excellent cup of tea.

Make sure you use fresh water if possible. Spring water is the best due to the fact that it is pure and does not have any additives such as fluoride or chlorine which usually affect the taste. If you plan on using tap water then let the tap water run until water is cold and fresh. The quality of your water is an essential part of the formula for perfect cup of tea.
-Using a teapot made of earthenware or China is preferable. When he spots made out of metals such as copper or enamel Silver there is an impact on the flavor of the water.
-Warm up the pot using a little bit of hot water.
-Make sure you add at least 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup of water you use. The best way for tea to infuse properly is to add loose tea in the teapot while it is boiling.
-Let the tea settle for a couple of minutes.
-Remove the leaves to avoid over brewing.
-The quality of the cup that you drink out of can affect the taste of the tea greatly, so choose wisely. Use good quality cups made out of China, this will definatley enhance your tea drinking experience. Wide shallow cups called the tea to cool quickly so I avoid them as much as possible.
-If you're going to add milk to your tea, it is best to pour the milk into the cup first because it causes a better distribution and mix quality. Some people argue that there should be added last, but tea is hotter at the surface so it heats up the milk causing it to taste a bit sour.
-Finally, drink your tea without adding sugar. I admit to being ia reformed sugary tea drinker, if you know what that means ;P. now I am passionately against the notion of adding sugar to tea. Sugar masks the taste of tea. Not only that but too much sugar is bad for your health. And what is the point of drinking the world's greatest health drink and ruining it with sugar. When I stopped adding sugar to my cup of tea it took some time to get used to, however now I wouldn't go back to adding sugar ever again.
And there you go the perfect cup of tea!

And don't forget to invite me for a healthy cup - Anil Kr. Singh.

Top Ten Tea Facts!

Tea has been around for centuries and is the second most-consumed beverage in the world, after water, with literally thousands of varieties in existance. Nowadays we seem to be finding more reasons to drink tea every day, whether it be black, white, green, herbal, Chinese or any other type. The anti-oxidising and cleansing abilities of the tea leaf make for a healthy choice, so say the scientists, but what else is tea good for? Here are 10 facts that you might not have previously known about tea.

1. The origins of tea: Legend has it that tea originated well over 5000 years ago in ancient China. The innovative and science-curious emporer Shen Nung insisted that for hygeine purposes, all water in the palace must be boiled. When he was out visiting his kingdom one day, him and his men stopped to boil water to drink and it was said that leaves from a nearby bush fell into the water. Apparently the brew that resulted was so refreshing, the emporer ordered samples of the bush to be brought back to the palace for analysis. Afterwards, word got out and this new phenomenon became fashionable.

2. From the Camellia bush: Both black and green teas are made from the Camellia sinensis bush and have similar quantities of antioxidants and caffeine.

3. Antioxidant: Tea contains catechins, a type of antioxidant which has been found to reduce people's risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Catechins can also be found in cocoa and dark chocolate.
Santosh Katiyar, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham found that the antioxidant also known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate can protect the skin from harmful UV rays.

4. Vitamins and minerals: When combined with milk, tea can offer an array of vitamins and minerals including calcium, vitamin B6, Riboflavin B2, Thiamin B1, manganese for bone growth and repair, and potassium, important for neuron and brain function.

5. Puffy eyes and sunburn: Teabags can be used to reduce the swelling of puffy eyes. Lie on your back and place a moist teabag over both eyes and leave on for around 20 minutes, this leaves your eyes feeling fresher, brighter, and looking revitalised. Also, a wet teabag can be used to soothe burns and sunburn. By either placing the teabag straight onto the burn or pouring tea into cool bathwater, it has been known to take away the burn's sting and help the skin heal faster.

6. Tea reduces risk of heart attacks: Research conducted in the Netherlands suggests that tea can help people avoid heart attacks, especially women. Johanna M Geleijnse, PhD from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam led a study which followed 4807 Dutch adults over the age of 55 who had no heart problems in their previous medical history. After 5 years it was found that the volunteers who drank 375ml of black tea per day had a 43% reduction in the risk of having a heart attack and a 70% reduced risk of having a fatal attack. Johanna commented on the team's findings: "We observed a strong inverse relation between tea intake and incident myocardial infarction(heart attack), and the relation was stronger in women than in men. Our findings suggest a protective effect of tea and flavonoid intakes against MI."

7. Odour absorbant: It has been found that tea can work as an odour absorbant, removing bad smells especially from your skin. Pouring a cup over your hands is said to work wonders for all kinds of bad odours!

8. Warts and all: Tea can be used to treat warts as the tannin present in tea is acidic. This element makes tea as effective at removing warts as creams and ointments. Leaving a moist teabag on the wart for 15 minutes, 3 times per day, will cause the wart to shrink and disappear.

9. Caffeine: The caffeine content of tea is approximately half of the amount that you'd find in a cup of brewed coffee. Whereas coffee provides around 100mg per 190ml cup, tea provides just 50mg, leaving you without the caffeine "drop" so familiar to coffee drinkers.

10. Oral Health: A report issued by the UK Tea Council in 2006 stated that the fluoride content of tea makes it a potent defender of oral health. Fluoride binds to the tooth enamel, slowing down the tooth decay process and preventing cavities. Also, the instance of tannins in tea inhibits the growth of certain plaque-forming bacteria.