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What is Tea?
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True "teas" are made from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, which was first cultivated in China and found growing wild in India. Chinese monks and European traders introduced it to Japan, Sri Lanka and other countries. Today there are more than 3000 varieties of tea, each having its own distinct character and named for the district in which it is grown. Green tea is produced by steaming fresh-picked leaves before heat-drying. Black tea is produced by allowing picked tea leaves to completely ferment before firing. Oolong teas are only partially fermented. And rare white tea is the least processed. It is not oxidized or rolled, but simply withered and dried by steaming.
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What are "herbal teas" and "herbal infusions"?
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Herbal "teas" contain no true tea leaves, but are created from an international collection of herbs and spices such as Moroccan rosebuds, Oregon mint, tropical hibiscus, cinnamon from Indonesia and more. These all-natural botanical ingredients are combined to create exciting flavors and aromas in a rainbow of colors from pale yellow to deep red.
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How do I brew a perfect cup of tea?
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Good quality water and proper brewing time are essential for a flavorful cup of tea.
- Start with a preheated pot or cup (simply fill your teapot or cup with very hot water and let it stand for a moment).
- Use fresh cold water. In areas with poor tap water, use bottled or filtered water. Never use water from the hot water tap. Let the tap water run for a few seconds until it is quite cold; this ensures that the water is aerated (full of oxygen) to release the full flavor of the tea leaves.
- Bring water to a rolling boil. Don't let it boil too long, as it will boil away the flavor releasing oxygen and result in a flat tasting cup of tea. Pour boiling water on tea leaves or tea bag.
- Brew 3 to 5 minutes (for green teas, water should be a bit cooler and only steep for one to three minutes).
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How much loose tea should I use to make a cup of tea?
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To make an 8 ounce (250 ml) cup of tea, use the following chart as a guideline. Adjust to taste.
White tea 2 tsp. (20 ml)
Green tea 1 tsp. (10 ml)
Oolong tea 2 tsp. (20 ml)
Black tea 1 tsp. (10 ml)
Herbal "tea" Start with 1 tsp. (1 gm), and increase to desired taste.
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Are there really any health benefits gained from drinking green tea?
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Green tea has a high content of vitamins and minerals. It contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in amounts comparable to a lemon. Green tea also contains several B vitamins which are water soluble and quickly released into a cup of tea. Five cups of green tea a day will provide 5-10% of the daily requirement of riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. The same five cups of green tea also provide approximately 5% of the daily requirement of magnesium, 25% of potassium, and 45% of the requirement for manganese. Green tea is also high in fluoride. A cup of green tea provides approximately 0.1 mg of fluoride, which is higher than in fluorinated water. Scientific studies have shown strong evidence that green tea may help reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease, and may also prevent some cancers.
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What is white tea and is it better for me than other teas?
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White tea is a very rare, expensive connoisseurs tea that is produced in China, mainly Fukien (Fujian) Province. Once harvested, white tea is not oxidized or rolled, but simply withered and dried by steaming. White tea requires an experienced palate already initiated into the exquisite, subtle flavors of green and oolong teas. Its name, a literal translation from the Chinese, probably comes from the very pale color of its liquor. This tea has a very mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. Researchers speculate that the processing of tea determines its cancer fighting potential. Because white tea goes through the least amount of processing, it theoretically has the most polyphenols (as some polyphenols are oxidized or destroyed during processing). These polyphenols have been linked to cancer prevention. While experiments have been conducted on laboratory rats, more studies are needed in order to determine whether white tea protects humans against cancer. white tea might have the strongest potential of all teas for fighting cancer, especially colon cancer. Stash Tea offers several different types of white tea including: Mutan White, Flowery Pekoe White, Darjeeling White, White Pearls, Exotica China White, Fusion Green & White Tea, Chai White and Earl White tea blends.
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How much caffeine does tea contain?
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Tea contains anywhere from 8 mg to 110 mg per 6 ounce (200ml) cup.
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Do you h ave any information about the history of tea cozies (also spelled "cosies")?
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The English, Irish, Norwegians and Danish have, at one time or another, all been credited with the invention of the cozy. The generally accepted version of how the cozy was invented goes back to the 1600s and the Irish. Farmers in Ireland would typically have a large pot of tea with dinner each evening. The story goes that one evening a farmer was having dinner when he reached across the table and his hat fell off, covering the tea pot. Later when he went to pour more tea and removed the hat he discovered the tea was still very warm. His wife decided to make a cover for their tea pot and called it a "cosy".
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Do you know the history of tea balls, tea eggs, and tea spoons?
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The tea ball, or tea egg as it is called in Europe, evolved during the first half of the nineteenth century. It is a perforated metal ball-shaped container in which tea leaves are placed. The ball is immersed in boiling water so the tea can steep without the leaves escaping into the water. The earliest tea balls were sized to make a pot of tea. Today there are both pot and cup size tea balls. The most recent evolution of the tea ball is the perforated tea spoon which takes only one hand to fill and empty.
Tip: When using a tea infuser be sure to fill it only 1/2 full so the tea leaves have enough room to infuse (expand) properly.
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What is a Tea Press?
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A tea press is a tea pot that is cylindrical in shape and usually made of glass. The pot has a plunging apparatus attached to the lid which is designed to force the tea leaves to the bottom of the pot and stop infusion. After the tea is finished, the lid and plunger are removed and the tea leaves discarded.
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What is a Tea Brick and is the tea drinkable?
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Centuries ago the inventive Chinese, who created the earliest banking system with coins and paper bank notes, found that their currency had no value when trading with people in far away Mongolia and Tibet. Their solution to this problem was to turn their most valued product, tea, into bricks. The tea bricks were even scored so they could be broken to make change. Today, these sculpted tea bricks with traditional Chinese motifs, are mainly used for decoration as the quality of the tea is very poor. They make very unique gifts and interesting conversation pieces. Tip: If you choose to purchase a tea brick you may want to apply a coat of clear lacquer to protect it from humidity.
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How do you brew the Matcha tea?
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Matcha tea is used in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. For the ceremony the powdered Matcha is measured with a chashaku (bamboo spoon) and is placed in a chawan (serving bowl). Hot water is added, then whipped with a chasen (bamboo whisk) until frothy. The thick, frothy tea is consumed straight from the bowl.
Tip: For home use, add 1/2 teaspoon Matcha to 8 ounces of freshly boiled water, stir vigorously and enjoy.
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So what exactly is Chai?
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Chai means tea in many languages. In India, the generic word for tea is chai. The word is derived from the Chinese word tea, cha, which the British turned into tay, which then evolved into tea. Indian Chai is enjoyed in both cities and the smallest of villages, and is offered to every visitor to a home. In Northern India, where Chai is the beverage of choice, tiny tea stalls line the streets where all day long chaiwallas (tea vendors) brew and serve tea. Chai is usually brewed very strong with lots of sugar and milk and often concentrated. Traditional Indian Chai combines very black tea that is boiled in milk and flavored with local spices such as sweet cinnamon, sharp clove, penetrating cardamom, and occasionally black peppercorns, pungent ginger and hot red chilies, and sweetened with sugar. This spicy tea is brewed in a samovar-type vessel and is always served very hot. Chai has become very popular in recent years capturing the crowd that is beginning to feel over stimulated by too many tall lattes and shots of double espresso. There are many variations and preparation choices for Chai, but fresh brewed (vs concentrate or ready-to-drink) delivers the best tasting Chai as it unlocks the black tea and spice flavors immediately upon infusion. Stash fresh brewed Chai is blended from a traditional recipe which captures the authentic flavors of this classic Indian drink. Stash offers several different versions of chai - in convenient, individually wrapped tea bags and in loose teas. All 100% natural and Kosher certified.
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What are the Flavor Characteristics of Green Tea varieties?
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There are more than 3000 varieties of tea. Each has its own distinct character and is named for the area in which it is grown. Producing black tea requires 5 steps - withering, rolling, oxidation, drying/firing, and sorting. Green tea skips the oxidation process and is sometimes referred to as the "virgin of tea" as it is closest to the tea plant in its natural state.
Sencha: Sencha is the most popular type of tea in Japan today. This tea has a mixture of subtle sweetness, bitterness and fresh green scent. The color is light green. Sencha has a wide variety in both quality and price. This is a good afternoon tea.
Gyokuro (Precious Dew): This tea is considered the most refined of Japanese teas. While Gyokuro looks like high quality Sencha, it has a darker green color. Each tea leaf is also thicker. It has a smooth taste which remains long in the mouth, and has less bitterness than Sencha. It is usually a little more expensive compared to other green teas.
Matcha Uji (Froth of liquid jade): This is a powdered tea which is made from Gyokuro leaves and is used in the Japanese tea ceremony. The Matcha Uji has a jade green color in the cup that is concentrated and nourishing. It makes a great iced tea.
Genmaicha (Japanese Rice): This tea is a medium quality green tea and is mixed with toasted rice. It is a typical Japanese specialty. Bancha: This tea is the lowest grade of Sencha. The size of the rolled tea leaves is also larger than Sencha and the color is the same as Sencha.
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What does SFTGFOP1 mean?
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A tea graded as 'SFTGFOP1' is a Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - grade 1 (to put it simply).
