Tea

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tea

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Tea?China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, and Iran
2. What is the botanical species?Camellia sinensis. This single species yields all true teas
3. What is the primary region of origin?The area encompassing Southwest China, Northern Myanmar, and Northwestern India
4. What is tea made from?Tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub that grows in parts of China, Myanmar, and India.
5. Why do different teas taste so different?The taste changes because of how the leaves are processed after picking, especially how much they are allowed to oxidize. White tea is barely processed, green tea is heated quickly, oolong is partly oxidized, and black tea is fully oxidized.

Oxidation: A chemical reaction involving leaves and air that alters their composition, color, and flavor profile.
Catechins: Antioxidant compounds found abundantly in green tea, believed to offer health benefits.
Theaflavins and Thearubigins: Polyphenolic compounds formed during the full oxidation of black tea, contributing to its color and flavor.
Post-fermentation: A process involving microbial fermentation after initial processing, characteristic of teas like Pu-erh.