Mentha,also known as mint,is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist,but the exact distinction between species is unclear. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species' ranges overlap. Many hybrids and cultivars are known.
Spearmint,scientific name Mentha spicata,also known as garden mint,common mint,lamb mint and mackerel mint,is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia,extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world,including northern and southern Africa,North America,and South America. It is used as a flavouring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil,called oil of spearmint,is also used as a flavoring and sometimes as a scent.
Herbal teas,also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes,are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs,spices,or other plant material in hot water;they do not usually contain any true tea. Often herb tea,or the plain term tea,is used as a reference to all sorts of herbal teas. Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine. Some herbal blends contain true tea.
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China,and since then its production and manufacture has spread to other countries in East Asia.
A tea infuser is a device in which loose,dried tea leaves are placed for steeping or brewing,in a mug or a teapot full of hot water;it is often called a teaball or tea maker,and sometimes a tea egg. The tea infuser gained popularity in the first half of the 19th century. Tea infusers enable one to easily steep tea from fannings and broken leaf teas.
A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts of the plant genus Mentha. Mints sometimes contain derivatives from plants such as peppermint oil or spearmint oil,or wintergreen from the plant genus Gaultheria. However,many of the most popular mints citing these natural sources contain none in their ingredient list or contain only trace amounts.
Maghrebi mint tea,also known as Moroccan mint tea and Algerian mint tea,is a North African preparation of gunpowder green tea with spearmint leaves and sugar.
Tea culture is how tea is made and consumed,how people interact with tea,and the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking.
Milk tea refers to several forms of beverage found in many cultures,consisting of some combination of tea and milk. The term milk tea is used for both hot and cold drinks that can be combined with various kinds of milks and a variety of spices. This is a popular way to serve tea in many countries,and is the default type of tea in many South Asian countries. Beverages vary based on the amount of each of these key ingredients,the method of preparation,and the inclusion of other ingredients Milk tea is the default type of tea in India and Pakistan and referred to as chai.
Peppermint extract is a herbal extract of peppermint made from the essential oil of peppermint leaves. Peppermint is a hybrid of water mint and spearmint. The oil has been used for various purposes over centuries.
Tea blending is the act of blending different teas to produce a final product that differs in flavor from the original tea used. This occurs chiefly with black tea,which is blended to make most tea bags,but it can also occur with such teas as Pu-erh,where leaves are blended from different regions before being compressed. The most prominent type of tea blending is commercial tea blending,which is used to ensure consistency of a batch on a mass scale so that any variations between different batches and seasons of tea production do not affect the final product. Commercially,it is considered important that any batch of a particular blend must taste the same as the previous batch,so a consumer will not be able to detect a difference in flavor from one purchase to the next.
Lotus tea is an infusion made from lotus leaves,flowers,roots,fruit,seeds,or embryos. It is known as liánchá in Chinese and yeoncha in Korean. It is also known as tràsen in Vietnamese.
Ginger tea is a herbal beverage that is made from ginger root. It has a long history as a traditional herbal medicine in East Asia,South Asia,Southeast Asia,and West Asia.
Noon chai,also called Kashmiri tea,pink tea,gulabi chai,Namkeen chai,and Sheer chai is a traditional tea beverage originating in Kashmir. It is made with gunpowder tea,milk and baking soda. It has become popular in Pakistan,India and the Caribbean.
Brazilian tea culture has its origins in the infused beverages,or chás,made by the indigenous cultures of the Amazon and the Río de la Plata basins. It has evolved since the Portuguese colonial period to include imported varieties and tea-drinking customs.
Gugi-cha or goji tea is a traditional Chinese and Korean tea made from dried goji berries or leaves. Traditionally,the tea was made with young goji leaves. Today,mature leaves or,more commonly,berries are used. The tea made with berries may be called gugija-cha or goji berry tea,while the tea made with leaves is referred to as gugiyeop-cha or goji leaf tea.
Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia,originating in India. It is made by brewing black tea in milk and water,and then by sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai,although chai is often prepared unspiced.
Arabic tea (Arabic:شايعربي,romanized: šāy ʿarabiyy,(pronounced shay,is a variety of hot teas popular throughout the Arab world. It is commonly served to guests and business partners at meetings and social events,and has been drunk by Arab people for centuries.
Madame Flavour is a tea and tisane company based in Australia. It was established by Corinne Noyes in 2007 after she found a market gap for high-quality loose leaf tea.
