The Science Behind Tea, the Second Most Popular Beverage in the World | What’s Eating Dan

Did you know all types of tea come from the same plant (camellia sinensis)? Tea is complex, fascinating, and it could change your life! After this video, you'll be just as enthralled by the science behind tea and its many varieties as Dan is.
Get the recipe for the best iced black tea: cooks.io/3wtKj8K
Watch Mei Leaf to learn more about tea: / meileaf
Check out CC Fine Tea: ccfinetea.com/
Check out In Pursuit of Tea: inpursuitoftea.com/
Catch up on the last episode of What's Eating Dan: • 2 Surprising Ways to U...
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[@TooLittleInfo]

This needs to be a whole sub-series. I could definitely nerd out on tea.

[@jhoughjr1]

I called the number on the back of the Lipton box back in high school. Ive been a tea nerd for years.

[@bs-vo1ii]

There are a few tea channels on here I've come across but don't remember their names

[@lindatisue733]

Mae Leaf tea KZbinr will be your cup of tea 😉

[@haneefbowens87]

Me too! I drink tea everyday! ❤❤❤🍵🍵🍵

[@zissimus8462]

You can either watch Mei Leaf or Teahouse Ghost(So Han Fan from Westchinatea)

[@kevinpenfold1116]

OK, you can tell how obsessed Dan is with tea. Kudos to him for the self-control it took to wait this long to do an episode on it 😂

[@jong2359]

Trust me, if he is as obsessed as his teaware suggests... you have only seen the very surface of the problem =)

[@mostlypureorange]

Or rather the self control to not make a 30 minute episode, for sure needs a part 2

[@adrianmeneses5309]

Im a tea aficionado, and I’ve gone through countless videos about tea, made by more mainstream channels as opposed to the real tea experts. This is the first time I see a not tea dedicated channel that provides the right information to its viewers. No myths, fake facts or click bait here. Highly appreciate it 👍🏻

[@imgadgetmanjim]

In the mountains of northern India I visited a facility that made black tea. It smelled so good in there I could have licked the drying tea leaves. I came home with kilos of black tea. I can still smell it.

[@michaelanderson2881]

What was your experience through Customs? Any issues?

[@imgadgetmanjim]

@@michaelanderson2881 I had no issues at all. I spread it across bags of other family members. I gave a lot away as I couldn’t finish it.

[@vandykebeard2216]

@@imgadgetmanjim also next time ask them which season of harvest was the best and which hill received the appropriate rainfall. Now you can get those information from internet, and you can get tea from south Indian hills, north east indian hills too. Tea planted on a particular hill also affects the taste of the tea. That's what I learnt as an Indian myself recently.

[@aliali-ce3yf]

what's it smell like?

[@user-et3xn2jm1u]

For anyone who wants to learn more about Tea: Mei Leaf runs a channel where they both have great background info, AND do deep dives onto individual brewing methods, individual strains, sampling sessions, everything you could ever want to know. I HIGHLY recommend Mei Leaf's channel for anyone passionate about tea.

[@sandrawallace1001]

I find this fascinating because I've always been the tea-drinker in the family and also because when I was a kid, my mom was always searching for a way to make iced tea that wasn't cloudy. She finally found it at a local diner where the owner told her he poured strong brewed tea into a pitcher containing ice water. I've been making iced tea like this for most of my life but I had no idea that the end product was much less bitter - as well as clear! - because the cold water stopped the enzymatic action. So you can, and did, teach an old dog a new trick. Thanks!

[@Pickmanna]

As an avid tea drinker, I really appreciate this video! Thank you Dan for your excitement and your knowledge about tea! Well done!

[@borderlineiq]

I love how many times he said delicious. Word!

[@lindacgrace2973]

Fun Fact: The high-ratio-of-leaves to water with multiple infusions is a recipe that can be found in "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy," by the incomparable Hannah Glasse, published in 1805! She recommends going for as many infusions as possible (recommending a minimum of six and advising that 8 to 10 is usual with good strong leaves) and halting when "the brew lacks any more virtue." She sounds an awful lot like an early 19th century ATK chef!

[@Eiroth]

"Halting when the brew lacks virtue" is such good advice. Sometimes you might stumble upon a tea that you still enjoy after 14 infusions, and in that case, why stop at 10? Similarly, sometimes a tea just isn't doing anything for you after 5, and in that case there's no reason to force yourself to brew more.

[@ivankleinpeter2857]

check out Gong Fu Cha

[@OrdinaryEXP]

Japanese also enjoy their gyokuro tea in similar way, although they only brew 2 to 3 times and the temperature is much lower (around 60C).

[@David-lq2xg]

just brew your tea in a large pot, most of the tea is not worth the trouble, you can barely get more than 2 infusions. Only medium or top-grade tea gets 6+ infusions. Top grade Puer fetch more than $2000 USD per kg from villagers, medium grade Puer cost around $400 USD per kg. to get it in North America, there is probably 100-200% markup. I don't think there is a market in North America.

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@David-lq2xg Interesting. I never heard of Puer tea before. Not enough of an aficionado to spend that kind of money, however.

[@minsungso4698]

Slightly sweetened and shaken Iced oolong tea that I had at a random tea parlor in Taiwan on a hot humid day was the best tea I've ever had

[@bonniewylie3287]

You just wrote a beautiful thing! 💛

[@matthewsmith6931]

What tea was it? If not do you remember the flavor notes? Vegetal and roasted? Sweet and floral? I NEED TO KNOW MAN!

[@HorrorshowEU]

@@matthewsmith6931 I'd have to guess anything but roasted if it was iced, although that could perhaps work too! Some good TGY like Iron Goddess perhaps? A creamy Alishan could be great too for sure, just guessing!

[@minsungso4698]

@@matthewsmith6931 I believe it’s dong ding!

[@lauralynn4504]

The Art of Tea without any the oft associated teasnobbery. Kudos for this delightful video.

[@ethelryan257]

Yes, the hysterical people iwth their thermometers and only - swirl - clockwise - nonsense.... Sheesh.

[@zuckmedic]

@@ethelryan257 I agree geeks can sound snobbish but here's my defense on the thermometer. Brewing tea is like brewing coffee. Brew too hot and you cook it, over extract, and whatnot. Brew too cold and you underextract and miss out on alot. Temperature is important, specially when dealing with specialty teas. Its like toasting a slice of bread too hot, too cold or just right. A thick slice of bread needs longer time and lower temperature to crisp the whole thing (eg. croutons). Thinner slices like wonderbread, toast high to get crisp top but still chewy middle. (or am i the only one who geeks out on toast...) The swirling tho is just to make sure everything is even. Clockwise counter clockwise, stir with a metal spoon or straw or wooden chopstick, doesnt really matter.

[@anydugen]

I spent 2 years teaching 4-hour tea workshops all over the planet. People paid good money to come learn about tea from me. This 9 and a half minutes is absolutely brilliant. This is basically all that I covered in my workshop, in a short KZbin video. Soooooo good!

[@Mechyuske]

Never thought I'd see Dan doing a deep dive on tea that's so accurate. Never thought I'd hear about high mountain oolongs or pu-erh here. Great content!

[@mndlessdrwer]

Also his little teapot is actually very well made. No leakage around the lid during pouring and a nice even laminar flow from the spout. Dude spent some time to find a good pot. It also looks like an unglazed pot from China, but it doesn't appear to be made of yixing clay, though the principles of unglazed pots still hold. Many people believe that unglazed pots help to augment the flavor of the tea, though the method of action and realistic effectiveness are debated. I just like that it's cute and shows excellent craftsmanship.

[@kyle_8036]

Fun fact: I learned a lot about tea in this video.

[@jamievarni1530]

Absolutely.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Ok, I think we can all agree by Dan’s excitement about Tea that we need a Part 2. Dan, I loved this episode 👏🏾

[@hotsauce7709]

Yeah, Dan! Talk about smokey Lapsang Souchang or Earl Grey or the fine ceremony of making perfect macha with the whisk.

[@christianmall]

I've never learned so much about tea in such a short amount of time before. Really great video. I absolutely love this series!

[@hopegold883]

Surprised he didn’t talk about water temperature for the different types. I know he said he was just skimming the surface. But that seems pretty much fundamental.

[@elizabethshaw734]

Ikr?! Tea is also a diuretic so it is not hydrating just as coffee is

[@christianmonson5560]

This is easily my favorite series. More Dan please! A day with a new Dan video is always a good day.

[@stephenparker4083]

Fantastic introduction. Am in Taiwan every couple of years and my students have gifted us some of the most wonderful high mountain oolong. My fave: Quanyin Iron Goddess of Mercy.

[@sanachanto]

Iron Goddess is hands down my favorite type of oolong!

[@Krossfyre]

This is officially my favourite episode of What's Eating Dan. As an avid tea drinker it's always so delightful when someone introduces others to the hobby.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

6:08 Shoutout to Dan’s Tea Station which I’m eyeing right now.

[@mrpassion242]

I am definitely watching this a second time.

[@kirbyd]

Im surprised it took this long for dan to bust out the gong fu. as a tea head , I learned nothing new , but this one makes me happy

[@gregoryvozar6236]

At last, someone else who is crazy for tea! I’ve more tea brewing vessels and contraptions than pots & pans in my kitchen.

[@ch890333]

As a daily tea drinker from Taiwan, I can say everything in this vid both informative and correct. Tea drinker approved!

[@kewpiechiu]

Gotta try Red Oolong from Taitung, Taiwan. It has the savoriness of oolong and the lingering sweetness of black tea. So, so good.

[@herbertfrischke7921]

The only reason is subscribed is back ❤️

[@mikedrop4421]

OK, the fact that all tea leaves are from the same plant is crazy.

[@rhekman]

that is a fun fact

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

I was thinking about he same thing ! But I guess brewing “tea” from chamomile, hibiscus, nettle, dandelion and so on isn’t considered tea 🤷🏼‍♀️ My garden plants love compost “tea” and that’s made from a little of everything 🤣

[@mikedrop4421]

@@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123 yeah, I imagine that's where the "herbal" designation comes in.

[@ariez84]

I thought i knew everything there is to know and today this little factoid shook me.

[@danielfarber4297]

yeah, it's all the same species, Camellia sinensis, but there are 2 main subspecies: C. sinensis sinensis, which is used for most Japanese, Korean, and Chinese teas aside from puer; and C. sinensis assamica, which is used for tea in hotter climates, especially India, as well as for puer. Within each subspecies are several cultivars. Traditionally a certain type of tea principally used a specific subset of cultivars, but many tea producers are experimenting with using non-cultivars. For instance White2Tea makes several great black teas from puer tea cultivars

[@coleschmitt8767]

Dan! I want to learn about Yerba Mate!! I've been trying to find scientific articles to learn more about the research, but it's far and few between. It has so many interesting properties behind it. The Test Kitchen should crack the case!

[@pattyayers]

I’ve been drinking Yerba mate literally every single day for 7+ years. It tastes wonderful, and gives me calm steady energy for hours and hours.

[@mndlessdrwer]

Yerba Mate is an incredibly interesting plant with some deep cultural ties to south and central America. It's also another example of a plant that produces caffeine in commercially viable quantities for extraction. It comes in roasted and raw formats and the flavors are markedly different, with a market preference for roasted. It is, unfortunately, not my preferred beverage, but the traditional preparation method involves putting several teaspoons worth in the bottom of a metal-rimmed dried gourd cup and letting it sit for a couple minutes to cool and infuse, then using a straw with a metal strainer on the end to sip the beverage through. The flavor is quite polarizing. It is usually intensely bitter, like an espresso made with robusta coffee, with grassy and roasted flavors if you're using a roasted yerba mate. It's definitely a beverage that you either like or you don't, as it takes quite a long time to grow accustomed to its unique flavor.

[@borderlineiq]

Excellent job. I've taught friends to make great iced tea from New Mexico to Alaska to Connecticut. Soooo many people don't think they like it because they've only had it badly made. I love tea so much that I remember ordering hot tea AND iced tea with meals for both sensations. When eating out, badly made tea is enough of an offense that it can ruin a great meal.

[@HannahMattox]

Dan! 😍😍 And tea! 😍😍

[@mimim6857]

I ❤ tea! My mother bought me an electric tea kettle with different temperature settings for different teas and I was in love. The best present ever.

[@melpinay]

I have missed What's Eating Dan, thanks for bringing it back! ❤️

[@dorothyharding5535]

I LOVE TEA, especially Oolong and green. This video/tutorial was great. I'm 82; been drinking tea my whole life!! THANKS, DAN!! ♡D

[@Back2SquareOne]

Perhaps the most important thing people need to know when exploring white and green teas is that temperature of the brewing water is extremely important. Black tea lovers often blithely douse their tea with boiling water straight from the kettle. This can yield unpleasant results when applied to more delicate teas such as whites and greens. Also, the length of brewing time can have a very significant impact. 30 seconds vs 60 seconds can create a very different result. Serious white and green tea drinkers will often buy a digital electric tea kettle that allows a precise desired water temperature to be selected. Tea aficionados will often include time and temp in their tasting notes in tea forums to help others have the same experience with a given tea. It is an amazing sensory journey to explore the world of tea, but be advised it can be a bit more involved than you might initially think.

[@benjaminparent4115]

And if you are absolutely mental you also include notes about the mineral content of your water, because this also influence greatly the taste of tea.

[@v7ran]

I love tea and I’m so glad you covered gongfu style brewing! Super underrated. Also is that a purple clay teapot?!

[@iangrace2168]

When you say underrated do you mean it's underrated in the West? Cause from what I know it's rather common in here prolly because my dad is Hokkien/Hoklo (a Han Chinese subgroup originating from Fu Jian which is also where the brewing method came from)

[@lindalin9844]

High mountain Oolong tea all the way. Even within that category, there are so many choices. It’s like wine... find the taste you enjoy, and go with the price you can afford. It can get very expensive vey quickly. Personally, I would skip the basket in the teapot for brewing. Excellent video!

[@mndlessdrwer]

Oriarm teas are sold on Amazon and I've been impressed by their honesty in marketing and the quality within each category that they offer, and they do offer a pretty decent spread. My current favorite of theirs is the Taiwanese Milk Tea, which has buttery aromas that fade away to honeysuckle and orchid and then progress finally to a pleasant minerality before you run out of steeps. Truly a lovely tea. It isn't cheap, but it also isn't exorbitantly expensive when .25oz gets you six to eight steeps, easy. They also sell some of their teas in different grades, so you can buy what you can afford and splurge on a better version when you have the cash.

[@spicemasterii6775]

Yep. Wu long tea is amazing. Especially Taiwanese.

[@bholmquist11]

Been exploring this gong fu method, so good! This method has (1) a high ratio of tea to water and (2) a shorter steep time. For those wondering why it tastes different, each second that a tea extracts brings different flavors, e.g. the first minute of brewing tastes one way, the second minute another. Traditional brewing for 2-3 minutes blends that evolution together into one cup. This method allows you to have a cup that features just the first 20 seconds of the steeping profile, and you achieve this by amping up the weight of tea you use so that you get enough strength even in just a 20 second steep. So this method allows you to explore the evolution of the tea more intimately on a phase by phase basis

[@pepperco100]

The best tea can't be found in a supermarket. I am lucky to visit a large city's chinatown a few time a year. Jamon puro de bellota is the best Spanish ham; but, try an authentic Chinese ham if you get the chance!

[@danielfarber4297]

Great video! I especially appreciate the clear explanation of oxidation vs. fermentation, which is so often misunderstood when it comes to tea.

[@1babysag]

I just love this guy. His passion and knowledge are mesmerizing.

[@Swordphobic]

Dang, its been almost a year since I last saw Dan on my feed and when he appears, its my favourite beverage! Thank you lots Dan, I love your research.

[@robertdavis1783]

Tea is a passion for me, and this video does an amazing job introducing it. Seeing gongfu brewing described and recommended warms my heart, and big kudos for shouting out Mei Leaf! Great info all around.

[@15halerobert]

The last tea you made was yankee tea. I learned the hard way being from the south that if you ask for iced tea anywhere north of Richmond VA you need to also ask for sugar, with your iced tea

[@gabinrichter3330]

This all sounds so tealicious

[@lynnstlaurent6789]

Here I am, happy to drink my third mug of Typhoo for the day.

[@josephgitter]

So much awesome information!

[@windsorsa]

As someone who has seen some version of this tea lecture a few times, I really loved the examples you used for the different oxidation levels! I was like: oh! I get it now!

[@alextrollip7707]

I feel like im behind on this series. But man i love this. Getting nice specific bite sized facts on foods. The mushroom one was the one that really got me to try watch them all.

[@Civ2boss]

Wow so many facts about tea packed in 9 minutes in this video, so much I didn't know about despite drinking tea all my life.

[@hvacdr]

I love my home made lipton black tea. Delicious .

[@abercrombie4lyfe]

In 2019, my office went to 100% loose leaf tea and my obsession for tea was sparked. Thank you Dan for the brewing advice!

[@Geeoorrgeee]

As a person working at Mei leaf, this was a beautifully clear and concise introduction! And we appreciate the shout out! :-) also nice pot!

[@archeofutura_4606]

Much appreciated! Tea is probably my favorite drink. My personal favs are second flush darjeelings (there’s still loads of floral aroma even in this flush) kabusecha (like Gyokuro but the second harvest) and high mountain Taiwanese Oolong. Every once in a while a masala chai or a moroccan mint green is nice too

[@POBAllstar46]

Do a part 2! Or mini series

[@troyclayton]

I love the teas from Mei Leaf. I had no idea what a journey I was embarking on when I started drinking loose leaf tea.

[@Moley1Moleo]

I don't even like tea, but Dan is so captivating that I couldn't avoid watching this video.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I loved tea as a kid and I remember loving Darjeeling Tea. I’ve visited the place as well, and nothing compares to it.

[@jengus1951]

Love love love tea!!! Thanks!

[@LilYeshua]

Yep,I bring my tea to a rolling boil and immediately take the pot off the burner and place a saucer on top and steep for four minutes then I pour it into a partially filled up pitcher with ice and squeeze the tea bags dry then fill the pitcher the rest of the way with water and stir and let it sit for a few minutes. That's the perfect steep with no bitterness

[@kimtodd1803]

I love tea!! I trying to understanding matcha green tea. I have some but I need to learn to make. I drink lot of black orange tea like lipton and bigelow green tea. At night hit green tea with raw honey mixed in it. Yum!!! Since I was a child tea always calms me down. I rather have tea over sodas any day

[@johnsomers8269]

Dan, it is so good to see you! I have always loved you on ATK. Now I can learn from you here. Thanks!😍

[@kianalin2333]

Love this video! The tea suggestions are wonderful!

[@sunshinesue4131]

very informative, thx!

[@caraeuler2927]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@user-yb1co5fj1c]

There are more than enough videos that go on and on about the culture & history behind tea, so it's refreshing to see something so straight to the point with tea itself. And thank you for not shoehorning tisanes in haha I live in Japan and Gyokuro is my absolute favorite. One of the most interesting green teas I've tried here is Hikozou, a sencha that's matured in cold, pitch-dark wine cellars. I wish you'd briefly touched on Chinese black teas like Keemun because they're so distinct from Indian and Sri Lankan ones. Nonetheless I loved this video.

[@ConsiderItHealth]

This was a fantastic episode! I learned a bunch. Thank you Dan!

[@barbararoyal6139]

Love watching your videos!!🌿

[@hummersd]

These vids are the best! So educational, fun, informative. We all love Dan!!!

[@paulzurnieden6761]

Dan, you’re always amazing! Great segment on tea. Learned so much in just a few minutes!

[@veraxis9961]

Excellent and accurate presentation.

[@NE-BO]

Thanks Dan!

[@judyh3017]

So informative! Thx, Dan!

[@robwsur]

Another fantastic video. Thank you so much.

[@SpiderslidePics]

Awesome! Keep bringing the goods, Dan!

[@ce8084]

Such good information and delivered with HUMOR! Love it! Also, I had no idea what all is involved making tea!! Thanks you so much!

[@stephenhetzel8437]

Thanks for an informative video.

[@tetsuei5928]

tieguanyin is absolutely my favorite type of tea!!! I love that you featured it and this entire episode. Learned a lot!

[@corcaightowner8881]

Prince of Peace Oolong is my favorite.

[@albertesteva9684]

I love these type of videos. i love facts, and learning. Dan is cool dude. I don't even like tea but now i have a different appreciation for it and will give it a second try.

[@howardli9513]

LOL that he's wearing AirPods at 8:38

[@huahindan]

Thank you

[@tea.andagoodbook]

Clear and concises

[@faithnelson6069]

great video. you taught me some new things.......the iced tea recipe sounds terrific. i'll give it a whirl.

[@eleanorbertuch135]

Always interesting and informative. Entertaining as well. Thank you 😊

[@dansantospirito5310]

Thanks. This is good stuff. I like (among other things) the steeping techniques and the iced tea instructions.

[@ritabowen8302]

That was incredible. Left me drooling

[@ThanawatWongsrisathaporn]

Super fun and educational video. Cheers

[@marshab4983]

Thank you for the recipe for iced tea! I appreciate that the tea is more flavorful and smooth, and less bitter.

[@3MasterG]

Great, great, great, Dan!! Thanks!

[@noreenconstantine4612]

Tea means peace to me My family shared a pot every evening and it makes everything ok 😊

[@grrmtthgrrmtth3000]

Your a great spokesman for anything you do

[@kikiriki8887]

I have been drinking tea (all kinds) for years and I know a lot about it. I also recently started a blog (and still have a lot to learn about blogging). When I saw the title of this video I thought tjah, another “tea expert” ... but when I watched it, I changed my mind. Short, concise, right to the point... Anyone who has no idea about tea in these 9 and a half minutes can find out the most important facts. Congratulations .... and you have one new subscriber

[@mrpassion242]

I love tea. Depending on the kind is so healthy. Green tea is my favorite. Very informative.

[@131dyana]

I too love tea. Thank you for the info.

[@lbaltimore33]

I LOVED THIS! I have been a tea drinker since my childhood with my paternal grandmother. As an adult when World Market had loose tea counter I really learned and enjoined their varieties of loose teas.. Miss that!

[@SeattleLuna]

We LOVE your videos, Dan! Informative, entertaining, great clips, and just the right length. Two comments about this one: we would have appreciated learning about the importance of water temperature related to tea type. Also, the recipe for iced black tea is behind a pay wall.

[@elisacoffey5140]

Yes. More tea videos please.

[@paulbeebe9182]

A most excellent video to teach the Laowai about tea. I learned when I lived in Taiwan and it took a few years to perfect tea brewing...

[@debbralehrman5957]

Thanks for the ice tea recipe.

[@LuZhang87]

Wow, thank you Dan! I grew up drinking Gong-fu Cha and I really appreciate how you have made it relevant here!