Gourmet tea

Gourmet tea, or specialty tea, is tea that is characterized by its high quality and purported health benefits. Gourmet tea is mostly sold in the gourmet, natural food, gift, and hospitality industries, although it has experienced a surge in mainstream popularity. The term “gourmet” refers to high quality, premium food products while “tea” refers to the agricultural product of the leaves and buds of the Camellia sinensis plant.
Gourmet tea is an umbrella term for high quality teas. Gourmet tea varieties include premium grade tea, hand-picked tea, and organically-grown tea. Many gourmet tea merchants sell proprietary blends of gourmet teas.
Herbal infusions are sometimes referred to as gourmet teas, but technically, herbal tea is not tea at all because it doesn’t come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas are infusions of leaves, flowers, roots, bark, seeds, and other plant materials. They are not linked with the same health benefits as traditional teas and do not possess the same characteristics. Green tea is unoxidized whereas black tea is left to oxidize for two to four hours. Oolong tea falls somewhere in between green tea and black tea as it is partially oxidized. White tea is made of buds and young tea leaves that are uncured and unoxidized.
Media coverage regarding the health benefits of high quality, whole-leaf loose tea has led to a rise in its popularity. It is anticipated that the gourmet tea industry will experience strong growth over the next five years. Another issue with tea bags that affects flavor is the fact that the tea leaves in tea bags do not have enough space to swell and expand. Tea leaves need good water circulation for optimal flavor.
Loose gourmet teas contain large, whole leaves. Loose gourmet tea is characterized by its delightful flavor. Gourmet tea is also virtually calorie-free, and drinking it is thought to contribute to good health.<ref name="multiple"/>
Tea contains naturally-occurring compounds called flavonoids that have antioxidant properties.<ref name="multiple"/> Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are known to contribute to aging and disease.
Scientists constantly discover health-giving properties of gourmet tea.<ref name="multiple"/> Studies show that drinking tea regularly can benefit heart health and bone health in addition to preventing a variety of cancers.<ref name="multiple"/>

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