What a fascinating plant, Camellia sinensis, the plant from which all tea derives. Its five thousand year history is filled with facts and myths, offering limitless hours of enchantment and research. Here are some basic facts and tea lore to get you started in your search for information about tea and tea culture.

What does tea culture mean?

Tea is more than just a beverage.  It is a phenomenon. Tea culture is used to describe this unique marvel.  Over it’s five-thousand-year history, tea has been the impetus of poetry, art, storytelling and war, as well as fueling economies and influencing the social aura and etiquette of whole nations.  Its reputation as an agent of healing and meditation also underscored its value and mystery as it moved from continent to continent across the world.  In each culture it enters, tea seems to influence the social, religious, creative and economic framework of the region, taking on different expressions and inviting new traditions.  At the same time, in every expression of tea, one will find common threads:  community, vitality, poetry, sanctuary, and ritual. We in the United States are just embarking on the creation of our own new tea culture, the beginnings of which can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area, which embraces and adds upon all the tea traditions of the world.  

What are Tea people?

Tea people are people who love and devote a good portion of their lives to the study and/or offering of tea. More than just tea aficionados, they appreciate the full richness of tea culture and its lore and traditions.

What is tea? Is rooiboos a tea?

All “real” teas come from one plant species, Camellia sinensis. Any plant or spice—like peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, or rooiboos-- can be infused, but these are considered to be infusions or tisanes, not real teas. 

How many kinds of tea are there?

There are more than 300,000 different teas in the world, but there are only about five main tea types: Black (called “red” in the Chinese tea world), Green, White, Oolong, and Pu-erh (called “Black” in Chinese tea culture).  Pu-erh teas are really a subtype of green and black teas.  They are molded into cakes, bricks and mushroom-shaped balls, and are considered a tea type because of the distinctive way in which they are processed.  White teas are really a subcategory of green teas, but have earned a place of their own in the world of tea discernment. Yellow tea is extremely rare and few people ever have a chance to see it, so it is not often mentioned as a tea type.

Are teas fermented?

With only a couple of exceptions, teas are oxidized not fermented. Oxidation is a chemical process, which takes place when tealeaves are exposed to air or oxygen. When tealeaves are exposed to air, the polyphenol enzymes in the leaves are broken down, influencing the color and nature of the tea. Oxidation is halted when teas are exposed to heat, such as pan firing. The degree to which a tea has been oxidized determines the tea type.  Black teas are fully oxidized, oolongs partially oxidized, and green and white teas have undergone little or no oxidation.  Pu-erh teas are the only teas that are fermented (which is a bacterial process) and aged after being oxidized.

Do all teas contain caffeine?

Yes, all teas contain caffeine, in varying amounts, however, many people tolerate the caffeine in teas better than they can with coffee or other substances that contain caffeine, like sodas and chocolate.  It has been suggested by various tea aficionados that the caffeine in a tea can be greatly reduced by doing a 30-second rinsing of the tea (in hot water) before steeping it for its intended steeping time.

How long should a tea be steeped?

Different teas require different steeping times.  As well, many high quality loose-leaf teas can be steeped multiple times and each steeping might require a different duration.  It's best to buy quality teas from local tea vendors who can share their knowledge of the best ways to steep the teas they sell.

What is a “master plant” and is tea a master plant?

Indigenous healers around the world recognize certain plants as being able to heal many people of many different maladies—physical as well as spiritual and emotional.  These plants are called “master plants”.  Some healers actually rely on only one such plant to heal all the people who come to them, each with a different malady.  Generally the healer is an adept practitioner who has a very deep spiritual and material understanding of the plant and its medicinal offerings. While I make no claim for tea as a panacea or even as a medicine for any particular malady, I think of tea as a master plant because of its very strong influence on the general health and vitality of individuals as well as whole societies. For more information on plant medicine, consult your local herbalist or seek out information on herbal- or plant spirit medicine.

What are the best places to go for tea in the Bay Area?

The San Francisco Bay Area is truly the epicenter of the new American tea culture.  There is no better place in this country—or perhaps in the world-- to explore the many expressions of tea. Chinese, Japanese, and British tea traditions all influence our local tea scene, which is hosted by some of the most outstanding tea masters, practitioners and educators in the world. Buy The Way To Tea as your invaluable guide to San Francisco Tea Culture and the “tea people” who are our gracious hosts.