Steamy or iced, chai or green, bottled or not: Tea is hot, and getting hotter. Tea drinkers can be as passionate and picky about their drink of choice as the most snobby oenophile is about her wine. There are more and more choices. And annual tea sales in the United States have jumped from nearly $2 billion in 1990 to $5.5 billion last year, says Joseph Simrany, president of Tea Association of the USA Inc.
What you’ll see in restaurants
Chefs across the country are weaving tea into signature dishes and specialty drinks. Munch on tea-smoked chicken at New York City’s Yumcha (“drink tea” in Cantonese), or sip green-tea martinis infused with pear at Jack Falstaff in San Francisco. And the first green-tea liqueur—Zen—hit the U.S. market this summer and is being served up in hot spots like New York’s Sushi Samba.
Even rock stars are getting in on it
After electronic-music king Moby opened his own New York teahouse, Teany, he decided to get even more creative. “He was a mad professor behind the counter,” says partner Kelly Tisdale, experimenting with different flavors and launching the Teany line of chilled bottled teas, like the new white tea with pomegranate, carried in New York and the U.K.
Tea as wine
At the chic tea boutique Le Palais des Thés in Beverly Hills, sections of the store are devoted to teas from different regions, similar to the way most wine shops are organized. Increasing numbers of tea snobs are seeking out teas sourced from a single place, like Darjeeling Puttabong, the first tea estate in the Himalaya and the mother of the Darjeeling tea industry.
The coffee comparison
While many people still want their Starbucks coffee fix, a growing crowd is looking for a leafier sip. “The difference between people who drink coffee and those who drink tea is similar to the difference between beer and wine drinkers,” says Le Palais des Thés’ David Barenholtz. Tea drinkers are looking for a relaxing experience, while coffee drinkers tend to slug coffee for a jolt of energy.
The payoff
Beyond its pure enjoyment, tea is packed with health perks. The heart-health and cancer-preventive benefits of black and green teas are well-publicized. And more research is under way; some studies suggest tea may also increase bone-mineral density, boost immunity, fight cavities, combat diabetes, and reduce body fat. (Read why green tea may also help prevent Alzheimer’s.)
What makes it so healthy? Scientists point to a group of natural antioxidants called catechins present in all teas, but not in coffee. Certain antioxidants can protect against exposure to ultraviolet light and its consequences, such as sun damage and skin cancer. And while coffee’s caffeine is known to sharpen concentration, tea has caffeine too, sometimes as much as or more than coffee.
Some of our favorite sources for tea:
- In Pursuit of Tea, 866-878-3832, www.inpursuitoftea.com
- Mighty Leaf Tea Co., (sells whole-leaf teas), 415-491-2650, www.mightyleaf.com
- Numi Organic Teas and Teasans, 866-972-6879, www.numitea.com
- Le Palais des Thés, 310-271-7922, www.palaisdesthes.com
- Teavana, 877-374-6583, www.teavana.com
Our guide to the most common tea leaves, their flavors, health benefits, and other characteristics.
Comments (11)
I drink my tea with milk, actually about half skim milk and half black tea. Does milk affect the nutritional value of tea?
Yes. Milk does offse the nutritional value of tea. Adding sugar does not help either.
Is there any health benefit to eating tea leaves? Does that also help boost immunity?
Should those who have a tendency to produce
kidney stones be forewarned consuming tea?
It is my understanding those who do should stay
away from drinking tea. Linda
iS TEA GOOD WITH SPLENDA AND NON FAT CREAMER
Is there any tea out there that can help with a diet and to clean you out of the poisins in the foods and the air? If so what is it called and how and where do I gat it?
There are countless teas out there engineered/marketed as ‘detox’ teas, but I would be wary of their claims. All teas will help in the detox process, I would suggest finding teas you like drinking, and drinking them often. But if detox is your only reason for drinking tea…try a Puerh, this is a Chinese tea that has long since been believed to help in the detox process. Google Puerh, or goto: http://www.savvyt.com
anybody who drinks tea with milk might as well drink DISH water best is to put a dab of lemon in or a dash of wine ENJOY
I have tea bags for several years now. Are they
still good?
Compared to fresh loose-leaf tea, your years-old tea bags have have lost most of their nutrients and health benefits. The problem with most store-bought tea bags is that you can’t be sure how long they’ve been stored, and under what conditions. Tea degrades rather quickly
Jason Walker
Walker Tea Review
I gave up coffee years ago and switched to tea. I agree that tea is much better for you than coffee. I make sure to include green & white tea in my diet every day. It is loaded with antioxidants and helps increase the thermogenesis (fat burning) for my weight management. There is an informative article about how green & white tea is helpful for cancer prevention, weight loss and overall health. It is called “Weight Loss, Cancer Protection & Great Health with Green & White Tea”.