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A cup of tea soothes worries about weather patterns.

3/14/2015

6 Comments

 
With the news of thousand's fleeing Chile's forest fire, and a cyclone devastating the Pacific island of Vanuatu comes the surprising announcement that a tea grown amid the splendour of the Scottish Highlands will today be crowned the finest in the world.

That's the thing about Earth's weather fluctuations—we humans constantly balance the good with the bad, and face an uncertain future with tenacity.
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Dalreoch Estate Smoked White tea, grown in Amulree, Perthshire, has won the Gold Award of the Salon du Thé in Paris, an achievement both impressive and improbable. But at £10 a cup at Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel, you need to be among those to shop at the prestigious Fortnum & Mason to buy the loose tea.

Traditionally grown in India and China, the Scottish producers say its plantation benefits from the clean Scottish air, fresh spring water and good soil. The Wee Tea Company planted 2000 tea plants (Camelia Sinensis), making it one of the largest commercial tea plantations in Europe, and the only one in Scotland.

In its wild state, tea grows best in regions which enjoy a warm, humid climate with a good rainfall. Ideally, the plants like deep, light, acidic and well-drained soil.

The plucked leaves are collected in a basket or bag and after weighing are taken to the factory for processing, or "making", as tea manufacture is known in the tea trade.

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But white tea differs from black tea because of the fermentation process. As I'm originally from Australia, and now living in the UK, I follow the English tradition of drinking tea. Not too much, mind you—about three cups a day of the fermented brew we know as a 'cuppa'. Imagine my delight when further research brought up the health benefits of black tea. As far as black tea is concerned, one cup of tea has about half the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee.

Black tea, renowned by its liquid called red by the Chinese, is actually dark amber or orange in colour. After being plucked, the leaves are set out to dry. When they whither, the leaves are rolled either manually or with the help of machines through exposure to high temperature.

Fermentation defines the quality of the tea and produces healthy substances.

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Thearubigin, a kind of golden pigment produced in fermentation, has many health benefits. It can combine with cholesterol in stomach and intestines to reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food, helping to protect your heart from hyperlipidemia and heart disease.

Black tea contains higher amount of flavone than other kinds of teas. Flavone is able to protect the heart and vessels. Source: Health Benefits of Black Tea.

I'm sipping a cup of tea with milk this morning as I pass on my message to you. The pleasant bitter tang on my tongue soothes me. No wonder English hospitals serve tea to ward patients. With the passing years, I've learned to take catastrophes in my stride. The weather constantly causes havoc with people's lives. Whilst I send my sympathy to all those suffering the tragic events today, I'm safe in my home, sipping tea. I wish I could share my well-being, my state of mind, my good fortune, even my tea. 

'Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.'


6 Comments
Corinne Rodrigues link
3/13/2015 10:15:31 pm

I've just had my first cup of evening tea - we have orange pekoe with milk and sugar! The British brought tea to India from China, I'm told.

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Amy link
3/13/2015 11:20:12 pm

Francene, I'm grateful for you and your quiet analysis of the daily events of our days. I'd love to sit down for a cup of tea with you.

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Alana link
3/14/2015 12:06:36 am

I've visited the first commercial tea plantation in the United States (it's been around for years) near Charleston, South Carolina. But I am amazed to know there is a tea plantation in Scotland. A woman is trying to start a tea plantation in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, perhaps an hour and a half from where I live. That will be an amazing thing indeed. When younger, I used to drink a lot of tea, both hot and iced. I take mine straight - no sweetener, no dairy. But, as I age, I seem to be more attracted to coffee. I will think of you, Francene, the next time I drink tea.

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Joan Harrington link
3/14/2015 02:41:52 am

Hi Francene,

Interesting post on how a cup of tea will soothe worries in weather patterns, did not know about this :) Thanks for sharing!

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K.Lee Banks link
3/14/2015 12:04:00 pm

I'm also a tea fanatic - just finished a cup of Bigelow's Constant Comment, one of my favorite flavored teas (hint of orange). I also like green tea with honey and lemon, and I bought a peach-flavored one today that I plan to try tomorrow.

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Raji link
8/19/2020 10:48:38 am

<a href="https://teaswan.com/blogs/news/black-tea-health-benefits">Black Tea Benefits</a>A true classic and world-renowned. Black tea is unique because of the way the leaves are processed after the drinks are harvested. Unlike green teas that aren't oxidized at all, black teas go through a process of oxidation or fermentation. Because of this oxidation, Black tea gets better with age and is suitable even after years. Easily the most famous type of tea amongst tea lovers, our black teas have a base for well-known classics such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Indian Chai, and many more.

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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