Food Glossary

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world - whether it is drunk in the traditional English style - strong with a dash of milk at breakfast, with a slice of lemon in the afternoon or simply straight from the pot to accompany a Chinese meal.

There is a wide range of different types of tea, from black teas including the popular Darjeeling and Ceylon and green teas such as jasmine or blended teas such as Earl Grey. Major tea-producing countries include China, India, Africa and Japan. Tea is sold in Waitrose either as loose tea or as teabags, some of the varieties stocked include:

Assam tea

A strong, full-bodied black tea with a malty flavour from the Assam province of north east India.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year. Assam tea teabags and loose tea are foiled sealed for extra freshness.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one teabag or a spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring and serve. Milk brings out the pungency of this tea and it is best served at breakfast or mid afternoon.

China tea

A fragrant and aromatic blend of three teas - yunnan (a black tea from the mountainous, sub-tropical Yunnan province), jasmine (a green tea with the fragrances of jasmine flower) and lapsang (a black tea with a smoky aroma and taste).

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year. China tea teabags and loose tea are foiled sealed for extra freshness.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one teabag or a spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring and serve. China tea is traditionally served black, without the addition of milk or lemon.

Darjeeling tea

Pure, high-grown Darjeeling tea from the foothills of the Himalayas with a delicate flavour.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year. Darjeeling tea teabags and loose tea are foiled sealed for extra freshness.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one teabag or a spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring and serve with milk or lemon.

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Earl Grey tea

A black China tea blended with fragrant oil of bergamot. Earl Grey was first drunk in the 18th century and was one of the very first blended teas.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year. Earl Grey tea teabags and loose tea are foiled sealed for extra freshness.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one teabag or a spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring and serve with milk or lemon.

English breakfast tea

A classic blend of black tea from Ceylon and India, English breakfast tea has a full bodied and brisk flavour - an ideal drink to start the day with!

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year. English Breakfast tea teabags and loose tea are foiled sealed for extra freshness.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one teabag or a spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring, it is best served with milk but can also be served with lemon.

Herbal teas

Although known as herbal teas, this variety of beverage should really be referred to as infusions or tisanes - due to the fact that they don't actually contain any tea! Most infusions are made from a blend of fresh or dried leaves, the root or flowers of plants are occasionally included. Their recent increase in popularity may be accounted for because they are deemed to be healthier than traditional tea or coffee because they are caffeine and tannin-free. A variety of different flavours and types are available, including:

Jasmine tea

A delicately flavoured light and fragrant Indian tea flavoured with jasmine flowers which are picked just as they begin to bloom. Waitrose Seasonal Wuchun Jasmine Tea is available. Jasmine tea is best drunk on its own, without milk or lemon and is traditionally served with meals.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 1-2 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring.

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Lapsang Souchong tea

A large-leafed strong Chinese tea, with a sweet and highly aromatic flavour. Waitrose Lapsang leaf tea is specially selected and blended for Waitrose and is an authentic Lapsang Souchong from the mountains of Wuyishan. It has a distinctive smoky flavour, which is balanced with an underlying sweetness. The unique Lapsang Souchong flavour is produced by lying the tea leaves on bamboo trays and allowing smoke from pinewood to pass through them. Twinings Lapsang Souchong tea bags are also available from Waitrose. Lapsang Souchong is usually served with lemon rather than milk.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year.

To prepare: Warm the pot and use one spoonful of tea per cup. Pour on fresh boiling water and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir the tea before pouring.

Organic peppermint tea bags

Made from 100% peppermint leaves which are from selected farms where they are grown without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides and have been certified to the organic standard by the soil association.

To store: Keep in a dry place for up to 1 year and once opened store in an airtight container.

To prepare: Use one bag per person. Place the bag in a cup, mug or teapot and add freshly boiled water. Leave to infuse for 3-5 minutes, until the desired strength is reached. Serve hot or chilled with a slice of lemon or a little honey.

Rosehip tea bags

A blend of rosehips and hibiscus flowers give this infusion a rich and refreshing flavour and an attractive deep red colour.

To store: Keep in a cool dry place for up to 1 year and once opened store in an airtight container.

To prepare: Use one bag per person. Place the bag in a cup, mug or teapot and add freshly boiled water. Leave for 3-5 minutes until the desired strength is reached and serve. Serve with a little honey to sweeten if desired.

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