Colour and flavour
What makes it so popular? Ask any tea drinker why it's their favourite drink and they're likely to mention a variety of factors – it's thirst-quenching, revitalising, energising, refreshing, relaxing… and lots more.
Tea is made from the fresh green leaves of Camellia sinensis, a small tree native to Asia. Depending on what happens after the leaves are harvested, you can obtain all kinds of different flavours. If heated immediately, the green colour and flavour of the leaves is preserved. If left, then oxidisation occurs, bringing a richer, darker colour and flavour.
What's in, what's out
Tea doesn't just taste great, it has many additional qualities. For example, it's naturally rich in flavonoid antioxidants known as catechins. It is also a great source of fluoride in the diet and is the major dietary source of L-theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid. On the other hand, brewed tea contains on average half the level of caffeine found in a cup of brewed coffee.
Make it part of your daily routine
We all need a certain amount of fluid every day. Tea's great taste and variety makes meeting this requirement enjoyable. When drunk on its own, without milk or sugar, it contains virtually no calories.
Milk, lemon or nothing?
How you drink your tea is up to you, but you will always get a better-tasting drink by using clean utensils, fresh leaves and boiling water. Purists might argue that you should spare the milk and sugar - and drink your tea au naturel.
Sustainable
What's more, by 2010 all the tea plantations where PG tips buy their tea will be Rainforest Alliance Certified, which means that the tea inside every single PG tips tea bag - including yours - will have been given the thumbs up by the chaps at the Rainforest Alliance.
By choosing PG tips, you and I will be supporting them in improving the incomes and livelihoods of tea farmers and their families. So every time we make a cup of PG tips we'll get a lovely warm glow inside, knowing the tea we're enjoying is all sourced in a sustainable way.
