Tea is an amazing drink that comes in a rainbow of flavors with a multitude of uses. Important to note that "tea" and "herbal tea" are two fundamentally different products. Tea (Camellia sinensis) falls into the broader category of herbal tea, as one variety of herb commonly consumed as a tea infusion. Herbal tea has no typical use as some use it socially, medicinally, as a part of tradition, or as a form of habit; teas versatile use is documented in history throughout the globe. Fundamental cultural principles concerning tradition, health, and medicine often find their roots within the herbal teas of the world.The transport of various plants across the earth throughout history is a very interesting subject. Tea plants are native to East and South Asia with a large portion of their history set in China, and Tibet. The exact origin of tea as a beverage can not be definitively known. The tea trade originating between the Chinese and Western nations in the 19th century brought the world tea for the first time. Tea was imported to Europe during the Portuguese expansion of the 16th century, at which time it was termed Chá (which is the actual pronunciation of the word tea in Portuguese). Tea and herbal teas are still grown today in Portugal on the islands of Azores. Interestingly Portugal is its own major supplier of tea still to this day. It was not until the 19th century that Britain adopted tea as the common drink it is today.
The world of herbal tea has all the social and even trade functions implicated above but to better understand our infatuation with tea, their composition including medicinal properties should be looked at from a scientific and medicinal perspective. For a fairly extensive beginners list of herbal teas check out the following list of HERBAL TEAS from Wikipedia. Some of my personal favorites for tea include: Ginseng, Ginger, Hawthorne Berry, and Rose Hips. If bulk tea and tea balls are not your cup of tea then try out some formulations from TRADITIONAL MEDICINALS available in most stores. 
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This following section dedicated to TEA (Camellia sinensis) in the forms of Black Tea, White Tea, Green Tea, and Matcha Green:
Matcha is a fine ground, powdered, high quality green tea and not the same as tea powder or green tea powder. Unlike traditional tea, consumed throughout the world, Matcha is most popularly consumed in Japan. The tea leaves are not even grown conventionally, as they are "shade" grown, away from direct sunlight, allowing a different amino acid composition, sweeter taste, and distinct color. It can take quite a long time to grind a fairly minute amount of Matcha, one of many reasons behind its high price. In 2003, researchers from the University of Colorado found that the concentration of the antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate EGCG available from drinking Matcha is up to 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from other commercially available green teas. Matcha is also said to boost metabolism, and help reduce cholesterol levels when drunk regularly. It delivers a high potency of antioxidants, catechins, and chlorophyll. By weight it contains more antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates. PREPARATION: Half a tea spoon in about 100ml of water makes a decent batch. It is an acquired taste and is very different from conventional green tea, adding sea salt makes it more tasty.
Next up is Traditional Green Tea:
This is the type of green tea that most people are familiar with. It is considered to be a healthier choice when compared to black tea, or white tea, due to its lower caffeine content. The flavor and aroma of green tea is pleasant, and unless strongly brewed is less powerful than black and white tea. Traditional Chinese Medicine has many uses for this tea including as an aid in asthma, angina, and other vascular conditions.
White Tea and Black Tea, by contrast to Green Tea, have a stronger more noticeably bitter taste. Their consistent strong flavor is probably what makes them popular. These teas as well as green tea have a mild antibiotic effect, increase metabolic rate, and provide a nice drinkable amount of nutrients and antioxidants. The drawbacks to tea should not be overlooked in spite of all the benefits discussed. Essentially by nature Tea leaves (NOT most herbal tea) contain a good amount of fluoride, and caffeine. Two commonly consumed substances that have the implication of cumulative toxicity to all of us. Considering the caffeine in coffee and the fluoride in just about everything but most insidiously in our toothpaste and tap water, tea can be considered beneficial for almost everyone.
