Tea

Overview

Tea is a Caffeine-containing beverage made by steeping leaves (or other plant parts) in hot water. 

Botanical Name

 Camellia sinensis

 Tea is from the Camellia (Theaceae) family.

Parts Used

 Leaves and Buds

Digestive System

 Excessive consumption of Tea may cause Constipation (due to Tannic Acids).

 Excessive tea consumption may cause Foot Odor.

Black Tea

 Black Tea is produced by permitting enzymatic oxidation of the fresh Tea leaf to occur (in other words, the enzymes that are present in the Tea leaf that cause auto-oxidation are not inactivated, as for Green Tea).  This enzymatic oxidation (auto-oxidation) is responsible for the characteristic strong flavor and color of Black Tea:

 Many texts claim that for Black Tea, leaves are fermented, which accounts for the black color.  This is incorrect.  The black color of the tea leaf is due to the process of auto-oxidation, not fermentation.