In addition to caffeine, tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine.
Several studies from Japan and the UK have shown that consumption of 50mg of L-theanine increases alpha wave activity in the brain, with the maximum effect occurring about 80 minutes after consumption.
This amount is equivalent to approximately three cups of tea.
Alpha waves correspond to a relaxed-but-alert mental state, and are believed to be an important part of selective attention (the ability to choose to pay attention to something and avoid distraction by other stimuli)" [http://www.teageek.net].
L-theanine in tea produces a type of "mindful awareness" not evident in coffee. This is what prevents the 3pm "coffee crash."
This makes tea an important tool for maintaining mental perspicacity for hours of coding, late night performance, or for getting through those bleak morning hours.
Often times tea is low quality, blended, and sometimes contains cheap flavorings.
There are countless tea shops out there that buy directly from small farmers that produce small crops each season and likely process the tea by hand.
Making the perfect cup of tea requires two things the quality of tea and the amount of steeping (also known by many names such as brewing or mashing) for more about tea making look at:
How to make the perfect cup of Tea
