by Mike Burns, Product Placement Manager
Plants are incredible. We would not exist as we know it without them—for many reasons. But some plants are more revered than others and have become intricately intertwined with human evolution far beyond producing oxygen and sustenance. For thousands of years, humans have had a unique and deep-rooted relationship with a particular plant, Camellia sinensis, commonly known as tea. Tea has been used for just about everything from medicinal uses, to household cleaners, to filling for bedding, to paper and even money.
The tea plant originated in Southeast Asia (most likely the Yunnan region of China) and provides the leaves for all major styles of tea: green, oolong, black, dark, yellow, and white. This excludes what is ambiguously called “herbal” tea, which is essentially all other teas that do not use Camellia sinensis as a base. Beyond the tea plant, cultures across the globe have their own varieties of plants that have been utilized much like Camellia sinensis but without the global dominance the plant has established. When most people around the world now think of tea, they are thinking of Camellia sinensis, but tea can be made from a large array of different plants.
Health benefits
Tea is a powerful beverage with many touted health benefits. Not only is tea well-established as anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants, but the presence of health-promoting polyphenols also makes our little buddies in our gut healthier too. Our microbiome benefits greatly from these polyphenols as many studies have shown. Historically tea has been used for just about every ailment and recent studies have supported a great deal of them lining up age-old wisdom with modern science.
No matter if you are using a Camellia sinensis-based tea or any number of herbal varieties like chamomile or peppermint, making tea generally follows the same process. Take your tea medium and add water, usually hot water, and let it sit for a determined amount of time. You can then strain, press or just straight up drink the goodness that has been pulled from the plant. Tea brewing/steeping is a whole art in itself.
There are countless ways to make tea and all kinds of parameters to make “the perfect tea,” which of course depends on what plant you are using. Green tea, for example, is delicate and can become quite bitter quickly, so its usually steeped for a short period of time and with a slightly lower temperature than say black tea. Medicinal teas utilizing a number of herbs are usually steeped much longer to pull out all of the various phytonutrients. Some are even boiled with the plant matter in it, like with medicinal roots. Each process is unique and has been perfected over the centuries. I highly encourage folks to research the process of making the tea for whatever it is you plan to make, it really does make a difference.
Whether you are a more traditional tea drinker or looking for an herbal blend or maybe something with some kick, Willy Street Co-op has a number of great tea brands to checkout. I’ve included three of my personal favorites to get you started.
Rishi Tea is a great local company headquartered in Milwaukee that imports traditional teas from around the world. I personally have not found better quality green and oolong teas than the ones I have tried from Rishi. The company is also focused on organic and direct trade sourcing which adds another level of quality you can feel good about supporting. Rishi has taken part in a number of firsts in the organic world, including being among the first to earn organic certification in 2002 from the USDA as well as the first direct trade importer of many EU certified organic teas and botanicals. They offer herbals teas, but I turn to them specifically for their greens and oolongs. You can also purchase a number of these teas in bulk at each of our stores.
When it comes to local herbal/medicinal teas, there is no company I enjoy more than Four Elements. Located in North Freedom, WI, the 130-acre certified organic farm was founded by Jane Hawley Stevens in 1987 to produce herbal wellness products, including tea. The farm is truly beautiful and well cared for, surrounded by large swaths of protected land preserves working towards establishing the surrounding area to its pristine native ecological wonder. All of their products are amazing but I especially love their herbal teas. Minus Sinus is their best seller and for good reason, its a wonderful tea for cold and flu season. Try out all of their teas, tinctures, and the rest of their body care product line and feel good about supporting your neighbors.
Traditional Medicinals is a long-standing herbal tea company founded in 1974 by Drake Sadler and the godmother of modern herbalism, Rosemary Gladstar. Although both are no longer with the company, their values and quality herbal blends still remain. If you are looking for specific herbs or herbal blends that are a bit more traditional (see what I did there), then I would look at what Traditional Medicinals has to offer as they have an extensive line of teas.
There are a number of other tea companies and offerings at our stores, including bulk herbs often used as teas and provided by Rishi, Frontier, and Oregon’s Wild Harvest, among others.
From traditional matcha and green teas to sweetened iced tea in the summer to herbal blends when you are feeling under the weather, there is nothing quite like tea to lift the spirits. If you have never had the opportunity to try some tea, do yourself a favor and give it a try.