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I found some interesting information about my new favorite beverage at Republic of Tea. It's a commercial Web site, but it's chock-full of great tea trivia. Who knew there were so many kinds of tea? I have to confess, before I really started reading boxes and experimenting with different brands and flavors of tea, all I really knew about tea was that you could drink it hot or iced!

I was amazed to find that virtually every kind of tea -- black, red, green, white and oolong -- comes from a single plant. The difference is in the processing. And, I also didn't realize that "herbal teas" are technically "infusions" of herbs, spices, flower petals and the like -- everything BUT tea.

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Chai
For example, Chai has its origins in India, Nepal and Tibet. Traditionally, it's tea brewed with a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns and topped with a little milk and honey. In India, the ubiquitous chai is sold by vendors known as "wallahs." Unglazed clay cups are fired in the open flames used for brewing the tea. After the beverage is finished, the cups are smashed on the ground and returned back to the earth.

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Red tea
According to Republic of Tea, researchers have discovered that red tea, or Rooibos, which is indigenous to South Africa, is full of polyphenols and flavonoids, which help protect the body from free radicals that cause aging. Red tea is caffeine-free and also naturally contains trace amounts of calcium, manganese, fluoride, zinc, alpha-hydroxy acid and magnesium.

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Black tea
Black teas go through a fermentation or oxidation process in which the enzymes in the leaf are released by crushing, which turns the leaf black. The longer a tea is oxidized, the darker it gets. Oolong teas are partially fermented.

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Green tea
Green tea appears to contain a higher concentration of polyphenols, or antioxidants, than other teas. Scientific evidence points to green tea's role in cancer prevention, cholesterol control, blood pressure reduction and inhibiting dental plaque. Who knew?

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White tea
Research also shows that white tea actually has more good stuff -- antioxidants -- than any other kind of tea. Scientists have also found that white tea has 10 times the antioxidants found in vitamin E and 20 times more than vitamin C! White tea is the most minimally processed of all teas, which preserves the health benefits.

Again, the most amazing thing to me, is that black, red, green, oolong and white tea all come from the same plant -- the only difference is in the way they are processed.

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Processing
To create black tea or red tea, the leaves are plucked and then treated in a four-step process. First, "withering" removes moisture from the leaf so it can be rolled, which releases enzymes and begins the fermentation process. Firing, the second step, stops fermentation and further reduces the moisture content.

Leaves intended for green tea are plucked in the same manner as black tea and processed in three stages during a single day. First they are steamed; then, rolled and fired to reduce their moisture content. Oolong tea combines elements of both processes.

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Free project

I know, I know ... sometimes I do rattle on about things. But all this tea talk really does relate to the subject of this newsletter, which is, of course, plastic canvas! This tissue topper called "A Spot of Tea," features four teacup-shaped coasters attached to the sides with ribbons. This kitchen accessory will come in very handy when you invite your best stitching buddies over for tea!

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Reader letters
I always love getting letters from readers -- and I'm always pleasantly surprised by the fact that people on the other side of the world read this little newsletter. For example, Liz in Adelaide, South Australia writes:

"This is the first of your e-newsletters I have received, and I've really enjoyed it as I live in Australia and we are in the middle of a heat wave. The lovely cold winter picture you conjured up for me helped enormously! I have not yet tried plastic canvas work, so I'm going to use Nancy Dorman's beautiful 'snowy cardinal' as my first project. Thanks to you both for sharing such a lovely design. I am so grateful for the generosity of crafters around the world, and the technology available now to make sharing so easy."

I wrote about an activity called "jarping" in a recent newsletter, and was again surprised to find that someone else knew what it was! Joanne describes her experience:

"Jarping anyone? I am Armenian by ancestry and we do this on Easter morning after church. It's called 'Cracking Eggs' (LOL!). We have been doing it in my family for generations, and when our grandson was very small he was given an advantage by Grandma (me!). I had some beautiful colored wooden eggs, so I cleverly gave our Danny Boy one. He was laughing, not really knowing what was up. But now, at age 7, he loves to have me tell the story all the time."

And Joyce, from Lubbock, Texas, wrote:

"I have a dear friend named Sue Reeves, so you can imagine my pleasure when I saw your name in the 'from' column in my e-mail in-box. However, I was not disappointed when I read your chatty, friendly letter. You made me feel like I was getting a note from a 'new' dear friend named Sue. Keep up the good work. If I never do another piece of plastic canvas work, I will always read your e-mails just to keep up with what's going on in your life."

Thank you all for the kind words, and do keep the comments coming. I'll feature more of them in future newsletters.

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