Tea

Main Types of Tea: Flavors and Characteristics

Tea. The world’s oldest beverage, second only to water, and considered in Asia to be an essential elixir of long life. There are numerous and varied types of tea, classified according to their origin and how the leaves are processed—from the refined green tea to black tea, from semi-fermented teas to iced tea, right down to the small but excellent production of Italian tea.

Despite the challenging climate conditions in Italy, attempts have been made to grow “Camellia sinensis“, the one most closely associated with S. Andrea di Compito (Lucca). Every Italian loves iced tea, thanks to its excellent thirst-quenching properties during the summer, and that’s precisely why it’s easy to find numerous brands of it even in large retail chains.

It is a shrub with small, fragrant leaves, grown primarily in China, India, Russia, and Turkey. Its polyphenol content varies depending on the fermentation process used, but it remains a delicacy rich in fluoride, zinc, potassium, copper, iron, vitamins (B1, B2, C, E, P), and antioxidants. Some less-fermented blends also boast a good manganese content, which is excellent for weight-loss diets, while the red variety is recommended for its intestinal cleansing properties.