What is Tea?  Tea is a plant (Camellia sinensis) that grows in
wet tropical and subtropical climates;  from this same plant
comes Green, White, Oolong, Puerh, and Black teas, which are
simply processed differently.  Other beverages which are often
referred to as tea are not really “tea” at all, but tisanes (or
herbal infusions–not to be confused with shampoo or
conditioner).  These dried and often flavored leaves, buds,
petals, fruit, etc. are then steeped in hot water to create a
refreshing drink.   Who drinks this stuff anyway?  Despite the
fact that Americans drink more coffee than tea, tea is actually
second only to water in the rest of the world.   Why drink tea?
Tea has its start thousands of years ago as a beverage that was
consumed for medicinal purposes.  Today, tea offers a wonderful
source of antioxidants and some with a moderate amount of
caffeine (to be discussed in a later post).  Most of all, enjoy
it for the taste!   How do I make tea?  Each kind of tea will
require slightly different water t