Alright, so you wanna know about this “orange peco” tea, huh? I tell you what I know, but don’t expect no fancy words from me.

What is this orange peco stuff anyway? I heard some folks callin’ it “orange pekoe,” sounds all highfalutin to me. Don’t you go thinkin’ it’s got oranges in it, though. Nope, no oranges at all. It’s just a kinda tea, you know, like the regular black tea but…different, I guess. They say it’s all about the leaves, gotta be the young’uns, the fresh ones, just sprouted out. That’s what makes it “orange peco,” or so they say.

My old man, he used to say somethin’ about the “flush,” the tea leaves gotta be from the “flush.” Don’t ask me what that means exactly, but it sounds like them leaves gotta be somethin’ special. Not just any old leaf will do, you see.

• It’s gotta be young leaves, fresh and new.
• They say it’s graded, like eggs or somethin’.
• Don’t go thinkin’ there’s oranges in it, silly!

Now, some folks, they get all worked up about the caffeine. “Oh, it’s got too much caffeine,” they whine. Well, yeah, it’s got some, but it ain’t gonna make you jump out of your skin, least not that I ever seen. It’s kinda like coffee, you know? Gives you a little pep in your step, but not too much. My neighbor, Martha, she drinks this stuff all day long, and she’s as calm as a cucumber, well, most of the time anyways.

And then there’s this other thing they talk about, “L-thee-a-nine” or somethin’ like that. Sounds like a made-up word to me, but they say it helps you relax. So, you get the pep from the caffeine, but this “L-thee-a-nine” stuff keeps you from gettin’ all jittery. Makes sense, I guess. Like havin’ a cup of coffee with a side of calm, if you know what I mean.

Is it good for ya? Well, that depends on what you mean by “good.” It ain’t gonna cure all your ills, that’s for sure. But it ain’t gonna hurt you none either, unless you drink too much, I reckon. They say it helps with swelling and stuff, you know, like when you bang your knee on the table. And it might help with a cold, too. My grandma used to say, “A cup of hot tea will cure just about anything,” and she lived to be a hundred, so maybe she was on to somethin’.

And then there’s the tummy troubles. You know, when your stomach feels all rumbly and upset? Well, this tea might help with that too. It’s like it soothes your insides or somethin’. I ain’t no doctor, mind you, but I know what works for me, and a warm cup of this “orange peco” tea always makes me feel a little better.

So, there you have it. That’s all I know about this here “orange peco” tea. It ain’t magic, but it ain’t bad neither. It’s just tea, plain and simple. But it’s got to be them young leaves, remember? The fresh ones, straight from the “flush,” whatever that means. You go try it for yourself, see if you like it. And if you don’t, well, that’s just fine too. More for me, I guess.

Just remember this, if you go lookin’ for this stuff, don’t let them fancy names fool ya. It’s just tea, made from leaves. And drink it slow, enjoy it. That’s the best way to have it, in my opinion.

And don’t go spillin’ it on your good tablecloth, it stains somethin’ awful!

Tags: [orange pekoe tea, black tea, tea leaves, caffeine, l-theanine, health benefits, tea grades, flush]