User:El Sandifer/Tea2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tea is a product made by processing the leaves or buds of the tea bush Camellia sinensis. [citation needed] It is commonly consumed in the form of a beverage made by steeping the processed leaves in hot water for a few minutes. [citation needed] Tea can refer both to the brew thus produced or to the material used to make it. [citation needed]The English word tea derives from the Min Nan dialect pronunciation tê of the Chinese word 茶.{{fact} The flavour of the raw tea is developed by processes including oxidation, heating, drying and the addition of other herbs, spices, or fruit. [citation needed]Tea is a natural source of caffeine and Theophylline. Tea is also diuretic.[citation needed]
The term herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs containing no actual tea, for example rosehip tea or chamomile tea. [citation needed]Alternative terms for this are tisane or herbal infusion, which lack the word tea.[citation needed] This article is concerned exclusively with preparations and uses of the tea plant.
Tea is often referred to by one of its many slang names, including cuppa (short for cup of tea), cha (Japanese for tea), and brew. [citation needed]
A total of 3,200,000 tonnes of tea were produced worldwide in 2004 FAO figures.