Coffee and tea are drunken for reasons varying from staying up late to the enjoyment of the beverage. Coffee and tea share many commonalities and differences. For example, coffee and tea both contain a stimulant, that blocks sleep-inducing chemicals, called caffeine. Although, based on the way they’re harvested, processed, and brewed, the amount of caffeine and taste varies.
Camellia Sinesis is a plant that’s used to make non-herbal tea. First, the Tea Manufacturers harvest the leaves and buds, then they dry and roll the tea leaves to start the oxidation process. (‘What Is Tea, H.P’) During the oxidation process that leaves get darker and the flavor gets stronger as time goes on. The type of tea being made depends on how dark the leaves are. For example, if the tea leaves are very dark, or fully oxidized, then leaves are considered to be black tea leaves, meanwhile, for teas like white and green tea with no oxidation is very light and have similar appearances to the tea plant. (H.P, ‘How Tea is Made’)
On the other hand, Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta are the two main strands of coffee plants used in the coffee industry. (H.P. ‘What is Coffee’) Coffee cherries are first picked and are immediately processed through the dry method that’s similar to the tea drying method, or the wet method to remove the pulp and some of the parchment layer of the bean. Once the new-born coffee beans are dried to approximately 11% moisture, they sent to the Hulling machinery to remove the entire dried husk revealing a green bean. The green coffee bean is then roasted turning the bean brown and allowing for the caffeol oil in the bean to emerge giving the beans its flavor. (H.P, ’10 Steps from Seed to Cup’)
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A roast comes in four color categories: light, medium, medium-dark, and dark, and based on the roast color dictates the amount of caffeine it has. Usually, the lighter the roast is the higher the concentration of caffeine it has but lacks a strong and rich flavor vise Versa for a darker roast.
Tea brewing revolves around these three main factors: type of tea, temperature, and time. When brewing tea, first choose the type of tea then according to the tea type boil water in tea’s ideal brewing temperature. For example, White tea has an ideal brewing temperature of 160 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Notice that the water that is used in the tea making process can affect the taste. Then use a steeping vessel to soak the tea in hot water for the ideal range of time to boil tea. Steeping vessels range from Teacups to French presses to coffee makers. Tea can be enjoyed with milk, sugar, and lemon. (H.P, ‘How to brew tea’)
Although, the brewing process of coffee is identical to the brewing process of tea. For example, Coffee brewing, like tea brewing, revolves around the type of coffee roasts, temperature, and time, and the quality of water can affect the taste. Coffee brewing requires the brewer to be more attentive to the coffee to maintain its flavor. Depending on how well the brewer grinds the coffee beans to a certain course affects the taste of the coffee. Meanwhile, during brewing time, the brewer can encounter problems like over-extracting and under-extracting the flavor of the beans during the brewing time. (H.P., ‘How to Brew Coffee’)
Coffee and Tea share many things in common like How they harvested, processed, and brewed. Many use coffee and tea for many purposes like obtaining caffeine to feel less tired or just drink it because it tastes good. Although, Coffee and Tea may have differences, it enjoyed by many.
