PHOTOGRAPH: CORBIS
Te art of tea drinking is an ancient Chinese practice that is still part of Eastern culture. You might think this is far removed from the infamous mug of builder’s, but even our everyday cuppa is derived from its healthier cousin – green tea.
Tea comes in many varieties but all ‘real’ tea comes from the species camellia sinensis. It’s how the leaves are processed that transforms them into the types that are available to buy, and it’s usually the process of oxidisation that dictates this. Green tea has the minimal amount of processing or fermentation, hence it retains its original leaf colour. Factors such as climate, soil, weather and time of harvest will change the flavour.