Monday, December 14, 2009

Great time to have a beverage tea

Tea ranks second only to water as the planet’s preferred drink. It transcends each border, from jungle to desert to big city. In some cultures, Tea is a ritual.
Despite its broad variety, all tea begins the same, as green leaves. Processing determines its fate, from black to white to smoke to flavored. The worth depends on the skill of the tea maker.
As leaves are picked, they were immediately begin to oxidize (wilt and decompose). This is fermentation, and how far it goes determines tea flavors. Packaging is dangerous. Tea left in air ultimately produces a fungus that causes bitterness.
In the United States, it is strictly a beverage. Elsewhere it is that plus a condiment, used in the flavoring of food.
One of the reasons rice tastes good in Chinese restaurants is it may be cooked in excess tea. The teas produce a delicate flavor. Try Oolong tea with Basmati rice.

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