A delicious aromatic blend of peppermint leaves and slow-roasted green tea.
Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.

Peppermint flowers

Peppermint was first described by Carolus Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England; he treated it as a species, but it is now universally agreed to be a hybrid.

Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually sterile, producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetatively, spreading by its rhizomes.
Peppermint is sometimes regarded as ‘the world’s oldest medicine’, with archaeological evidence placing its use at least as far back as ten thousand years ago. Peppermint has a high menthol content, and is often used as a flavouring in tea, ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum, and toothpaste. The oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate. It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured confectionery. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos and soaps, which give the hair a minty scent and produce a cooling sensation on the skin.

In 2007, Italian investigators reported that 75% of the patients in their study who took peppermint oil capsules for four weeks had a major reduction in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, compared with just 38% of those who took a placebo.

A sweet blend of fresh jasmine blossoms with organic green tea
Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown.
Jasmine tea is consumed in China, where it is called jasmine-flower tea (茉莉花茶; pinyin: mò lì huā chá). Jasminum sambac flowers are also used to make so-called jasmine tea, which often has a base of green tea, but sometimes an Oolong base is used. Flowers and tea are “mated” in machines that control temperature and humidity. It takes four hours or so for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavour of the jasmine blossoms, and for the highest grades, this process may be repeated as many as seven times. Because the tea has absorbed moisture from the flowers, it must be refired to prevent spoilage. The spent flowers may or may not be removed from the final product, as the flowers are completely dry and contain no aroma. Giant fans are used to blow away and remove the petals from the denser tea leaves. If present, they simply add visual appeal and are no indication of the quality of the tea.

Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea has also been claimed as useful for “weight loss management” – a claim with no scientific support according to medical databases such as PubMed

Most teas can be categorized as one of three types: green, oolong, or black.

Green tea is completely un-oxidized and baked while fresh to lock in a sweet grassy flavor.

Oolong is semi-oxidized retaining many of the health benefits of green tea but resulting in a deliciously fruity tea that evokes the qualities of both black and green teas.

Black tea is fully oxidized producing a tea with higher caffeine content and a rich smoky flavor.

All tea was originally cultivated in Fujain, China, starting around the fourth century. Dutch explorers brought the marvels of tea to the west and since then, tea drinking customs have become common throughout out the world. :

Chinese Tang dynasty poet Lu Tong explains the magic of tea drinking best in this poem

“First cup moistens mouth and throat;
Second cup dispels loneliness and boredom;
Third cup makes the brain quick and lively, capable of writing five thousand volumes;
Fourth cup brings mild perspiration, draining all lifelong grievances through the pores.
Fifth cup refreshes muscles and bones;
Sixth cup brings communion with immortals;
No sooner has one drunk the seventh cup, than a cool breeze lifts one up from below one’s arms.”

Brewing Overview;
Advice on Brewing Fine Teas, Water is a critical element to brewing a good cup of tea, experts recommend using fresh filtered water. Bring water to a full boil and remove from heat. Water that is boiled too long loses oxygen and becomes flat. Filtered tap water is preferred over bottled water because it contains more oxygen.

Only the proper temperature will draw out the best flavors of the leaf. Tea should never be boiled. While boiling water can be poured directly onto black tea, water for green tea should be cooled slightly before added to the tea as to not bring out too much bitterness. On the other hand very hot temperatures bring out the subtleties of oolong teas. Traditionally, a small unglazed clay teapot, called a gungfu pot is used. The pot is first pre-heated by letting boiled water sit in the pot for a few minutes then removing this water and beginning to brew tea.

In the whole process of producing fine teas the tea has never been washed so the first step in brewing a delicious pot is washing the leaves. This is done be first pouring boiled water onto the dry leaves and quickly dumping out this first infusion letting the clean leaves remain in the pot for the next drinkable brew. The Chinese call this first infusion ’foot water’ and consider this tea only suitable for washing feet. After the initial washing, most teas can be infused three to five times. With oolong teas the second or third infusion is considered the choicest.

Tea leaves need to be fresh in order to deliver the true character of a tea. If stored properly, teas will keep their full flavor for many months. Teas should be kept in airtight containers in a cool dry space away from direct light and odors.

Health Benefits of Tea

Polyphenols and flavonoids

The ancient Chinese considered tea medicine. Ancient Chinese proverbs describe tea ‘as a miraculous way to prolong life.’ Today science is confirming much of what Chinese folklore has known for millennia. Studies all over the world have reported that tea, especially green and oolong tea, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowers bad cholesterol levels, prevents many of the cancers common in the modern era, lowers blood sugar levels, raises metabolism reducing body fat, and prevents tooth decay and bad breath.
Tea, especially green and oolong tea, contains large amounts of polyphenol, a naturally occurring antioxidant compound. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals, which are implicated in a host of chronic illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. Studies indicate that the polyphenol found in green and oolong teas have an antioxidant effect more powerful than vitamin E. Polyphenols are also known to keep the influenza virus in check.
Tea naturally contains the minerals fluoride and manganese, as well as vitamins C, B2, D and K and a number of amino acids. Clearly, tea is one of those earthly wonders, delicious and good for one’s health.
Health Benefits of Tea: Green, Black, and White Tea
From Web MD

Tea is a name given to a lot of brews, but purists consider only green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea the real thing. They are all derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to China and India, and contain unique antioxidants called flavonoids. The most potent of these, known as ECGC, may help against free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries. All these teas also have caffeine and theanine, which affect the brain and seem to heighten mental alertness.

The more processed the tea leaves, usually the less polyphenol content. Polyphenols include flavonoids. Oolong and black teas are oxidized or fermented, so they have lower concentrations of polyphenols than green tea; but their antioxidizing power is still high.

Here’s what some studies have found about the potential health benefits of tea:
Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.

Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.

White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.

Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims.

Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol.

Can Tea Be Bad for Your Health?
from Web MD

Most teas are benign, but the FDA has issued warnings about so-called dieter’s teas that contain senna, aloe, buckthorn, and other plant-derived laxatives.
The agency also warns consumers to be wary of herb-containing supplements that claim to kill pain and fight cancer. None of the claims is backed by science and some of the herbs have led to bowel problems, liver and kidney damage, and even death.
The FDA cautions against taking supplements that include:
Comfrey
Ephedra
Willow bark
Germander
Lobelia
Chaparral
These cautions aside, nutritionists say to drink up and enjoy the health benefits of tea.
“You want to incorporate healthy beverages in your diet on a more regular basis to benefit from these health-promoting properties,” says Diane L. McKay, PhD, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants. “It’s not just about the foods; it’s about what you drink, as well, that can contribute to your health.”

Our best black tea is a scintillating composition of Pure buds that are hand harvested from Yunnan’s ancient tea trees. Incorporating delicate processing and even fermentation to present a lovely leaf style tea that yields a smooth, sugary flavor. Experienced tea drinkers will note nuances of baked sweet yams and raisins. When brewed, Golden Needle Organic Black Tea has a very beautiful red color with spicy, floral qualities.

This magical hand picked, handmade black tea is from the protected Jing Mai ancient tea forest of Yunnan, China. Many of the tea trees are over 1300 years old and the forest is rich in bio-diversity and ecological balance. The ancient tea trees are the backbone of local minority Dai and Bulang villages’ economies. This is a world-renowned black tea imparting all the mysteries of the oldest tea-growing region in the world. In China, Golden Needle Organic Black Tea is reputed to relieve arthritis and is naturally very low in caffeine. The Jing Mai mountain villages are home to many centenarians, attesting to the health benefits of these leaves.
Golden Needle Tea, the most superb black tea, hails from Wu Yi Mountains of the Fujian province in China, whereas the province is one of its most prolific in teas. This region accounts for one-fifth of China’s total tea output. And the high quality of its teas keeps them in high demand. This region’s exports of tea used to be accounted for a quarter of the country’s total. Fujian teas benefits from an excellent climate, combining mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and mountainous terrain. This tea shapes like shiny golden needles with one leaf and one bud. It has a long history of cultivating tea over one-thousand years and has been stepping in to a organic category

This smooth and mild liquoring China black tea is infused with the sweet essence of tropical lychee fruits. This classic Chinese flavor, is often served in Hong Kong cafes as a strong brew that is blended with pieces of canned lychee and ice for a cool summer drink

A major early Chinese historical reference to lychees was made in the Tang Dynasty, when it was the favourite fruit of Emperor Li Longji (Xuanxong)’s favoured concubine Yang Yuhuan (Yang Guifei). The emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial messenger service’s fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express-like manner, to the capital. (Most historians believe the fruits were delivered from modern Guangdong, but some believe they came from modern Sichuan.)
In the Chinese classical work, Shanglin Fu, it is related that the alternate name, meaning leaving its branches, is so-called because once the fruit is picked it deteriorates quickly.
The lychee was first described in the West by Pierre Sonnerat (1748–1814) on a return from his travel to China and Southeast Asia.
It was then introduced to the Réunion Island in 1764 by Joseph-Francois Charpentier de Cossigny de Palma. It was later introduced to Madagascar which has become a major producer.

The lychee (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration spelling) or laichi and lichu is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family Sapindaceae. It is a tropical fruit tree. It is primarily found in China, India, Madagascar, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Southern Africa and Mexico. It is a fragranced fruit with a sweet taste.
It is a medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 15–20 m tall, with alternate pinnate leaves, each leaf 15–25 cm long, with 2-8 lateral leaflets 5–10 cm long; the terminal leaflet is absent. The newly emerging young leaves are a bright coppery red at first, before turning green as they expand to full size. The flowers are small, greenish-white or yellowish-white, produced in panicles up to 30 cm long.

The fruit is a drupe, 3–4 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed. They are eaten in many different dessert dishes. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C, with a texture somewhat similar to that of a grape only much less moist. The edible flesh consists of a highly developed aril enveloping the seed. The center contains a single glossy brown nut-like seed, 2 cm long and 1–1.5 cm in diameter. The seed, similar to a buckeye seed, is not poisonous but should not be eaten. The fruit matures from July to October, about 100 days after flowering. There are two subspecies:
Litchi chinensis subsp. chinensis. China, Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). Leaves with 4 to 8 (rarely 2) leaflets.
Litchi chinensis subsp. philippinensis (Radlk.) Leenh. Philippines, Indonesia. Leaves with 2-4 (rarely 6) leaflets.
Lychee Red Tea and others available at http://omnitea.com/tea/shopexd.asp?id=13