Drink to your health: Even though the region loves its coffee, tea is one of the world's top drinks

Coffee may be king in these parts, but tea reigns supreme as the most-consumed beverage in the world -- after water, that is.

Tea also has thousands of years of tradition behind it -- legend says the beverage was discovered by a Chinese emperor in 2737 B.C., when some leaves from the Camellia sinensis blew into a pot of boiling water.

Asian cultures have long viewed tea drinking as fostering good health -- it's considered a way to cleanse the body from the inside, explained Chinese native Mako Carlson, who, with her husband Robert, owns Xiu Xian Tea (pronounced Shu Shein) in Kent. ``You shower every day, you're very clean, but who helps clean your insides? It's not sugar, it's not beer,'' said Carlson, whose shop specializes in traditional Chinese loose leaf tea.

Tea that comes from the Camellia sinensis plant has a much higher level of antioxidants than coffee does, and typically much less caffeine, so many people consider it a healthy beverage.

Some studies indicate that tea may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and perhaps osteoporosis, according to Consumer Reports magazine.

Researchers in the United States and elsewhere are trying to determine if there's a definitive link between tea and reduced cancer risk. Other studies indicate tea may lower cholesterol levels, boost immune function, and increase bone and oral health.

Carlson says tea aids weight loss, and recommends drinking tea throughout the day, as well as before and after meals. ``No matter what you eat, try to drink tea'' with it, she advised.

With consumers learning more about these potential health benefits, it's no surprise that they want to give different teas a try. The Tea Association of the USA says the interest in specialty, or premium, teas is strongest in the Pacific Northwest; even Starbucks offers tea on its menu.

Traditional British-style tea establishments -- with their delicious but calorie-laden scones, clotted cream and finger sandwiches -- are still popular (especially for special occasions and holidays), but the new emphasis is on tea as a healthy beverage, enjoyed with a good book or conversation.

For Americans who are most familiar with simple black and green teas, the breadth of choices in a tea shop can be intriguing or overwhelming.

``We have over 100 types of tea here,'' said Jill Vertz, manager of the Teavana shop at Bellevue Square. ``Most people who are familiar with tea are familiar with teabag tea,'' something they won't find at Teavana, Vertz said. ``With loose leaf tea, you get much better taste and health benefits.''

Consumers can choose from true teas -- those made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant -- which include white, green, oolong and black teas. Other options are rooibos teas (pronounced royboss or roybus), made from a South African red bush, and herbal teas, which aren't tea at all. Instead, they're an infusion of leaves, fruits, flowers, roots, bark or seeds of other plants.

Teas of any type are available in their natural flavor -- like wine, teas have different flavors depending on the regions where the plants are grown -- or with any of a multitude of flavorings added. At Teavana, Vertz said coffee drinkers gravitate to the Mate Vana herbal blend, which includes almond bits, crushed cocoa beans, cactus blossoms, sunflower and cornflower petals.

It also includes matteine, a natural stimulant similar to caffeine, but without the sudden jolt or jitters. ``It breaks down slower in your system (so) you can have energy that lasts all day,'' Vertz said.

With so many choices available, how do the uninitiated select the right tea? Fortunately, both Teavana and Xiu Xian Tea offer advice and samples; Teavana varies its choice of samples daily. At Teavana's full-service tea bar, a cup of tea costs $2 to $3.50, while tea smoothies and tea lattes run about $4 apiece, Vertz said.

Although Xiu Xian's selection of teas is less extensive, Carlson invites customers to sit down with her at one of her traditional carved wood tea tables, where she brews samples for them to enjoy while chatting with them. When a customer finds a tea she likes, $1 will buy a cup of it to enjoy in the shop or to go.

Customers can buy tea in bulk to take home, but they don't have to buy large quantities of a single tea. It doesn't take much raw tea to brew several cups. ``One little pinch of tea can make six to seven cups of tea,'' Carlson said.

At Teavana, the minimum purchase is 2 ounces; Carlson sells tea by the gram (50 grams is a little less than 2 ounces). At Teavana, teas priced under $10 for 2 ounces will make 25-30 cups; those priced over $10 will make 60-80 cups, Vertz said.

At Xiu Xian, a 50-gram packet that can make about 100 cups of tea averages $8, while the same amount of the exclusive white tea costs $22.50.

Once a customer has settled on a tea to take home, it's important to know how to prepare it to bring out the best flavor.

For starters, make sure to have the right equipment.

Cast iron, clay, glass and ceramic teapots are available; beautiful matching tea sets add an elegance to tea drinking, but aren't essential. Carlson recommends using a ceramic pot to get the tea's true flavor.

Cast iron will keep the tea hotter for a longer time; clay pots will absorb the flavor of the tea, so use a different pot for each type of tea.

Many teapots have built-in infusers, but separate infusers that sit in a pot or cup are available. Avoid metal tea balls, because they don't allow the tea leaves to fully expand. ``You don't get the same tea flavor,'' Carlson explained.

Different teas require different water temperatures and brewing times. ``Tea has tannins in it. If you overbrew tea, it can get bitter,'' Vertz said. For instance, green tea leaves only need to be steeped for a minute or less, in water that's up to 185 degrees, rather than a rolling boil. Herbal teas can be brewed for five to 10 minutes, while black teas only need to be brewed for about three minutes, Vertz said.

Although true teas are naturally low in caffeine, tea drinkers can consume even less caffeine by steeping the leaves for just 20 to 30 seconds, then pouring the water off, Carlson said. ``We want to rinse out at least 80 percent of the caffeine,'' she said. Besides, she added, ``the best flavor comes from the second time.''

Tea leaves can be reused -- ``I use them more than six or seven times,'' Carlson said -- but they need to be steeped longer each time. Discard the leaves when the tea begins to taste weak.

Asian tea drinkers typically don't add sweetener to their tea, but for people who prefer sweetener, Vertz recommends something like Teavana's German rock cane brown sugar, which is unprocessed and has half the calories of white sugar. ``It enhances the natural flavor of the tea,'' she said.