The New Complete Book of Food

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r Tea

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Low

Protein: None

Fat: None

Saturated fat: None

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: Low

Fiber: None

Sodium: None

Major vitamin contribution: Folate

Major mineral contribution: Fluoride, magnesium

About the Nutrients in This Food

White tea, green tea, black tea, and oolong tea all come from the same

plant, Camellia Sinensis. What differentiates one tea from another is the

way the tea leaves are processed. White tea (which actually brews up

slightly pinkish) is made from tea buds and very young leaves which are

steamed or “fired” (heated) and then dried. Green teas are brewed from

slightly more mature leaves, which are allowed to wither before they are

steamed or dried. Oolong teas are made from teas allowed to dry in the

air for a longer time than white or green teas (but for less time than black

teas) before being steamed or fired. Leaves meant for black teas are rolled

and broken up to allow full drying before they are processed. During

fermentation polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme in the leaves, hastens the

oxidation of phenols in the leaves, creating brown pigments that darken

the leaves and intensify their flavor.* (Souchong, pekoe, and orange pekoe

are terms used to describe grades of black-tea leaves. Souchong leaves are

round; orange pekoe leaves are thin and wiry; pekoe leaves are shorter and

rounder than orange pekoe.)

The tea plant is a good source of the B vitamin folate, and it is high

in fluorides. It is not uncommon to find a tea plant with a fluoride concen-

tration of 100 ppm (parts per million). By comparison, fluoridated water is

* Polyphenoloxidase is the enzyme that turns fruits and vegetables brown when

you slice or peel them. (See, for example, apples or potatoes.)