Beverage
Tea
Tea is the leaf of Camellia sinensis, not a herbal infusion. How the leaf is withered, oxidised, rolled, and aged splits the same plant into green, white, oolong, black, and dark pu-erh, and the cup can be grassy, floral, malty, smoky, or earthy. Cultivar and place matter as much as colour: Longjing is not Sencha, Assam is not Darjeeling. Matcha is stone-ground shaded green tea eaten as a powder; most other teas are infused and the leaf discarded. Use the right style in the kitchen—Lapsang in a brine, matcha in a tart, a strong black tea in a marinade or a punch. Boiling a delicate gyokuro for a stew is a waste. Herbal "teas" (mint, rooibos, chamomile) are different ingredients. Water quality shows in the cup more than in almost any other drink.
Also known as: Cha, Cha, Chai leaf, Ceylon Tea, Oolong
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A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles. Showing 10 of 20.
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Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 4.64 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Total Carbohydrate 8.94 g
- Dietary Fibre 0 g
- Total Sugars 8.09 g
- Complex / starch 0 g
- Protein 0.48 g
- Water 92.7 g
- Energy 39 kcal
- Water 92.7 g
- Carbohydrates 8.94 g
- Sugars 8.09 g
- Monosaccharides 5.66 g
- Disaccharides 2.42 g
- Protein 0.48 g
- Fat 0.1 g
- Vitamins 25 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.02 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.05 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 0.45 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.09 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.02 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 0.4 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 1.7 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin E 0.04 mg
- Vitamin K 0.2 µg
- Minerals 219 mg
- Major Minerals 213 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.3 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.01 g
- Bioactive Compounds 64 mg
- Caffeine 64 mg
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.02 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.05 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 0.45 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.09 · vitamin-b6: 0.02 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 0.4 · vitamin-b9-folate: 1.7 · vitamin-e: 0.04 · vitamin-k: 0.2 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 4.64 · Potassium: 154 · Calcium: 54 · Iron: 0.9 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Beverage bases range from near-water teas to sugar-dense cordials; alcohol adds energy when present.
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Chinese cultivation and drinking of tea leaves established tea as a cultural staple.
Buddhist exchange carried tea to Japan, later refined into matcha and sencha traditions.
European trade companies globalised black tea drinking and plantation production in Asia.
Assam and Darjeeling estates expanded industrial black tea for imperial and global markets.