Let’s be honest! What do you understand by stimulating drinks? Only nourishing drinks and refreshing drinks?
Yes it is true but let me add two more stimulants in this list. They are Tea and Coffee. Question may arise in your mind –seriously they are stimulating drinks? The answer is YES.
So basically, stimulating drinks are non-alcoholic beverages. Today we will learn some interesting facts about the two popular stimulating drinks-tea and coffee.
Without further delay let role the intro! Scroll down the article. Have a happy reading.
About Tea
It is believed that tea was first discovered by Emperor Shennong of China about 2737 BC. However Chinese literature first mentions it in 350 AD. The East India Company introduced it into India around the seventeenth century and tea became popular in India too. Today, India is the largest producer of tea in the world followed by China and Sri Lanka.
The tea plant grows in tropical climates at elevations at 3000-7000 feet. The more height, the better is the tea flavour. Quite erotic! Right! Tea plants can grow to a height of 30 feet. The selection of tea leaves is done by tea-tasters while the blending is done by tea-blenders.
Types of Tea
- Black tea: It is produced by drying with air-blowers, leaves on shelves called withering racks. The dried leaves are soft and flexible when are crushed in rollers to release their flavours. It is then fermented to a coppery colour. The leaves are finally dried in ovens to become brownish black.
- Green tea: It is steamed so as not to lose its colour before it is crushed and roasted in ovens.
- Oolong tea: This tea is made by the same process as green tea but its leaves are partially fermented to give it a greenish brown colour.
- Instant tea: It was introduced in 1904 in US. Instant tea is made by removing the moisture content in leaves by a special drying process leaving a power. It is also very convenient to use.
- Iced tea: It was also introduced in US in 1904. Ice tea is prepared as regular tea except that is cooled and chilled and drunk with milk.
Tea is graded by size and not quality, of leaves. The largest leaves are sold loose and classifies in size by terms as orange pekoe, pekoe and pekoe souchong. Smaller leaves are suitable for tea bags are classifies as broken orange pekoe, broken orange pekoe fannings and fannings.
Service of tea
Tea service is an art and people go to great lengths to perfect it. In the service of tea, one has keep in mind the following accounts:
- Tea is served at breakfast or during evening tea-time
- Traditionally is tea is served with a tea set consisting of a tea pot filled with warm and cozy tea, sugar pot, milk jug, saucers, teaspoons and pot for sugar cubes.
- A variant of tea service is iced tea which is both stimulating and refreshing and an ideal drink in warm climates.
Tea is known as the finest stimulating drinks in warm climates because it energises and also provides certain minerals to our body.
About Coffee
Coffee is a drink made from roasted or grounded beans of the coffee plant. Coffee beans come from the plant called Coffea Arabica originally grown wild in Ethiopia. It was used as wine and a medicine before it came to Turkey during the 1500s and to Italy in 1600s that made it a popular drink. Yes, you all heard it rightly! It was used as wine and for medicinal purpose.
The coffee plant is an evergreen shrub that grows 14 to 20 feet but in plantations is pruned to 12 feet. The plant grows in tropical climates at altitudes of 3600-8000 feet. The coffee fruit is a berry and grows when the plant is ripening, and changes colour from green to yellow to red.
Types of coffee
- Instant coffee: It can either powdered or freeze-dried and is the most popular because it can be made by just adding hot water.
- Ground coffee: It captures the best essence of coffee beans and is made by boiling it with water in a closed still.
- Turkish coffee: It is made by the common method of making coffee, boiling water and adding a teaspoon of coffee powder and drinking it with or without milk or sugar.
- Black coffee: Coffee that is prepared without milk is the black coffee. It has a plenty of health benefits and is rich in anti-oxidants.
- Espresso coffee: It is made by infusing steam, milk, and water in an espresso machine that gives a frothy texture to the coffee when served, Sugar is added to taste.
- Cappuccino: It is the same espresso coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
- Cold coffee: Cold coffee is chilled and is served with a dollop of ice cream.
Coffee is drunk throughout the day and ends a dinner meal well. We cannot forget that coffee is best enjoyed with coffee beans brewed in percolators, dip-pots or vacuum coffee-makers.
Services of coffee
- The service of coffee is much the same as tea except that instead of tea leaves, coffee powder is used.
- Coffee pots have longer spouts than tea pots.
- Espresso coffee and Cappuccino are served in coffee cups as they come straight from the machine.
- Turkish coffee is served in the traditional style as tea using coffee pots and coffee cups.
It is one of the best stimulating drink that is rich in anti-oxidants and has power to cure certain disorders like-mood swings, energy loss and helps in strong memory power.
The consumption of non-alcoholic beverages has become a way of life. We start with the morning bed tea, move through the morning and afternoon with cupfuls of coffee, refresh ourselves with a carbonated drink at sunset and finally end the day with a warm nourishing drink like cocoa before going to bed.
This article is a guide to the two best finest stimulating drink. Hope you enjoyed it. Stay connected with us for more interesting updates.
