The history of tea

According to the legend, a simple mistake would have made it possible to discover this delicious drink which today fills all the teapots of the world! 

At the time of the harvest, the tea leaves are green, and at the beginning the infusion was prepared from these leaves. It was in the 17th century, during a boat trip to bring tea from China to England that the miracle happened. In the boat, exposed to humidity and heat, the green tea would have oxidized and become a black tea!

Once in England, this tea would have intrigued the English who decided to taste it anyway! To everyone's surprise, they loved this beverage and recommended it to China! 

And this is how black tea was born! 

However, the true origin of this transformation is not very clear. The Chinese also saw in the fermentation of green tea the possibility of reducing its volume, and thus facilitating its transport. 

There are other "colors" of tea, such as white tea, blue tea. These "colors" are due to the harvest period or to the different drying methods used after the harvest.

Where is the tea produced? 

Originally, as you may have guessed, black tea came from China, hence its Latin name "camellia sinensis". Later on, tea cultivation developed and today India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Iran and Japan also produce it. 

What is unflavoured tea? 

Unflavoured tea, whether black, white, green, etc. .... is a tea without any added flavouring, or other fruits, flowers, spices that could perfume it.

If in France and in Europe the tea market is still dominated by flavoured teas, unflavoured teas or estate teas are taking an increasingly important part of the market.

These teas often bear the name of their country of origin. You can find Darjeeling, Ceylon, Yunnan, Assam etc. ..... At Compagnie & Co, we also offer unflavoured teas that come from house blends such as China Extra or Breakfast.

What food to pair with unflavoured tea? 

Wine lovers know that not just any wine can be associated with any dish. And this is also true when you enjoy tea and want to play as well as possible with the flavours! A Ceylon tea, ideal for the morning, can be served with red meat against all odds. And if you want to prepare a dish based on white meat, you should prefer Darjeeling black tea or Yunnan Green tea.

Tea can also be served with a cheese platter, as long as you know the right combinations. Black teas go particularly well with pressed or cooked cheeses and green teas with soft cheeses.

For dessert, Darjeeling tea is an essential base to accompany all fruit-based recipes. 

Black tea can also be cooked to add flavor to all kinds of dishes: for example, a black tea bag can be placed in the broth of a meat dish to add flavour. There are also recipes for sweet tea cakes: black tea cake, for example. It naturally contains black tea, but also milk, butter, sugar, eggs, honey, flour, baking powder and a hint of salt... It is baked in the oven at 180°C for 50 minutes.

What are the benefits of tea? 

Unflavoured tea has many benefits for your body! 

It is rich in antioxidants, tannin, catechins etc....

Unflavoured black tea is higher in theine, while green or white tea is higher in antioxidants.

At what time of the day should I drink tea? 

Tea is rich in theine. A natural stimulant that boosts your energy, concentration and alertness. Unlike caffeine, which releases an instantaneous but very short-term stimulation (which often leads to a "sluggishness" a few hours after consumption), theine spreads a diffuse energy over the long term. 

Thus, we advise you to consume your tea in the morning or early afternoon to avoid that theine impacts your sleep. 

How to prepare the tea? 

To prepare the tea, we advise you to let it infuse for about 3 minutes in simmering water between 85°C and 90°C. 

Be careful with the temperature of the water: boiling water will burn the tea leaves! 

Some people like it with a dash of milk and a little sugar. Add your own flavour to your tea: the important thing is to enjoy yourself!