Canned tea is a relatively recent method of marketing tea which has been sold traditionally as leaf tea and also, for the last 100 years, in tea bag form. It utilises the canning process to produce a ready made drink. Perceived advantages includes ease of use (minimal or no preparation time) and the possibility of additives (such as flavours or sugar); the disadvantages are the cost of shipment (and therefore the price of the product) and a lack of freshness. [1]
Tea is a beverage made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the plant Camellia sinensis in hot water for a few minutes. The processing can include oxidation (called "fermentation" in the tea industry), heating, drying and the addition of herbs, flowers, spices and fruits. There are four main types of tea: black, oolong, green, and white. Tea is a natural source of caffeine, theophylline, theanine, and antioxidants; but it has almost no fat, carbohydrates, or protein
Tea has been consumed in China for around 5,000 years.
Canning is a method of preserving food by heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars, cans, or pouches. Patented in the UK in 1810, this method of preservation was not used extensively for soft drinks until the pull tab version was patented in the USA in 1963
In 1981, the first canned tea product, unsweetened oolong, was introduced in Japan by Ito En. The introduction very quickly led to more than one hundred variations, offered both in cans and in bottles. The oolong variety was well suited as the canned tea proved stable even at temperatures up to 50° - 60 °C in vending machines. The tea also appealed to consumers inclined to use vending machines for convenient access "on the street." Further, there are perceived health benefits to canned tea, as opposed to other canned soft drinks, due to tea's portrayal as an aid to maintaining a slim body build. [2]
The introduction of oolong was quickly followed by the development of canned teas based on other tea varieties, including green and black teas. Additional flavor options also included the addition of sweeteners, sugar, milk and lemon, along with other fruit flavors. By 1991, the canned tea market was grossing US$325 million annually, after having doubled in each of the ten years since its introduction. [2]
Black tea, the most oxidized of the four main varieties, is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized varieties. It is the traditional tea of the western world where it is known simply as "tea".
Oolong (Chinese : 烏 龍 ; pinyin :wūlóng) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere between green and black in oxidation. [8] Although it has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea, it does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. The best Oolong has a nuanced flavor profile. It is commonly brewed to be strong and bitter, yet leaving a faintly sweet aftertaste. The first commercially canned Oolong tea was available in Japan in 1981. [9]
Green tea (simplified Chinese :绿茶; traditional Chinese :綠茶; pinyin :lǜchá) has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. It is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently it has become more widespread in the West. The first commercially canned green tea was available in Japan in 1985. [9] Subsequently, other brands have been launched in many countries due mainly to the claimed health and diet benefits of green tea.
Bubble tea is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1990s, initially in California through regions including Los Angeles County, but the drink has also spread to other countries where there is a large East Asian diaspora population.
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies and soft drinks. Traditionally warm beverages include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Caffeinated drinks that contain the stimulant caffeine have a long history.
Oolong (, ; Chinese: 烏龍茶 is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation to occur before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation, which is controlled by the length of time between picking and final drying, can range from 8% to 85% depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular in southeastern China and among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia, as is the Fujian preparation process known as the gongfu tea ceremony.
Sweet tea, also known as sweet iced tea, is a popular style of iced tea commonly consumed in countries such as the United States and Indonesia. Sweet tea is most commonly made by adding sugar or simple syrup to black tea while the tea is either brewing or still hot, although artificial sweeteners are also frequently used. Sweet tea is almost always served ice cold. It may sometimes be flavored, most commonly with lemon but also with peach, raspberry, or mint. The drink is sometimes tempered with baking soda to reduce its acidity. Although sweet tea may be brewed with a lower sugar and calorie content than most fruit juices and sodas, it is not unusual to find sweet tea with a sugar level as high as 22 degrees Brix, or 22 g per 100 g of liquid, a level twice that of Coca-Cola.
Tea, or cha, is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content.
Iced tea is a form of cold tea. Though it is usually served in a glass with ice, it can refer to any tea that has been chilled or cooled. It may be sweetened with sugar or syrup. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink that can be mixed with flavored syrup such as lemon, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, peach, orange, strawberry, and cherry.
Iced coffee is a coffee beverage served cold. It may be prepared either by brewing coffee normally and then serving it over ice or in cold milk or by brewing the coffee cold. In hot brewing, sweeteners and flavoring may be added before cooling, as they dissolve faster. Iced coffee can also be sweetened with pre-dissolved sugar in water.
Gunpowder tea is a form of tea in which each leaf has been individually rolled into a small pellet. Its English name comes either from some resemblance of the pellets to gunpowder, or from a phrase in Chinese that phonetically resembles the word "gunpowder". This rolling method of shaping tea is most often applied either to green tea or to oolong tea.
Tea culture is defined by how tea is made and consumed, how people interact with tea, and the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking.
Thai tea is usually known as a Thai drink made from Ceylon black tea, milk, and sugar. Thai tea as it is consumed in Thailand is not typically brewed with spices, though many English language recipes inspired by Thai tea include ingredients such as star anise or cardamom to enhance the flavor. It is served either hot or cold. Thai tea is popular in Southeast Asia and is served in many restaurants that serve Thai food. When served cold it is known as Thai iced tea. Although Thai tea normally refers to Thai iced tea, there are also other kinds of tea which can be referred as Thai tea. For instance, the Thai traditional herbal teas which is formulated based on Thai traditional medicine can also be called Thai tea. Thai Oolong tea, which is oolong tea steamed with ginger, lemongrass, and celery, can also be referred to as Thai tea.
Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd is a soft drink company founded in 1982 and headquartered in the Azuma-bashi district of Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is a subsidiary of Asahi Breweries. The company sponsors the Asahi Soft Drinks Challengers, an American football team in the Japanese X-League, as well as a futsal team.
A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of these countries. The word kopi is an Indonesian and Malay term for coffee and tiam is the Hokkien/Hakka term for shop. Traditional kopitiam menus typically feature simple offerings: a variety of foods based on egg, toast, kaya, plus coffee, tea, Horlicks and Milo. Modern kopitiams typically feature multiple food stalls that offer a wider range of foods.
American tea culture encompasses the methods of preparation and means of consumption of tea within the context of the culture of the United States.
Coffee preparation is the process of turning coffee beans into liquid coffee. While the particular steps vary with the type of coffee and with the raw materials, the process includes four basic steps: raw coffee beans must be roasted, the roasted coffee beans must then be ground, and the ground coffee must then be mixed with hot or cold water for a specific time (brewed), the liquid coffee extraction must be separated from the used grounds, and finally, if desired, the extracted coffee is combined with other elements of the desired beverage, such as sweeteners, dairy products, dairy alternatives, or toppings.
Drink mixers are the non-alcoholic ingredients in mixed drinks and cocktails. Mixers dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol by volume in the drink. They change, enhance, or add new flavors to a drink. They may make the drink sweeter, more sour, or more savory. Some mixers change the texture or consistency of the drink, making it thicker or more watery. Drink mixers may also be used strictly for decorative purposes by changing the color or appearance of the drink. They also simply increase the volume of a drink, to make it last longer.
Gold Peak Tea is a brand of ready-to-drink iced tea manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in 2006 while a chilled version was launched in 2009. Past formulations of the product had won the ChefsBest award for best taste when it was made with tea leaves from the Kenyan Rift Valley. As of 2019, Gold Peak tea is no longer made from concentrate and is now brewed and bottled in their juice plants.
POKKA SAPPORO Food & Beverage Ltd. is a corporation headquartered in Sapporo, Japan, which sells canned or bottled coffee, flavored tea and an assortment of other beverages.
Tea is an important part of Russian culture. Due in part to Russia's cold northern climate, it is today considered the de facto national beverage, one of the most popular beverages in the country, and is closely associated with traditional Russian culture. Russian tea is brewed and can be served sweet, and hot or cold. It is traditionally taken at afternoon tea, but has since spread as an all day drink, especially at the end of meals, served with dessert. A notable aspect of Russian tea culture is the samovar, which was widely used to boil water for brewing until mid-XX century.