All About Tea

The beverage of choice for most Asians. Green tea is steamed or fired before rolling to prevent oxidation/fermentation. In recent years, green tea has garnered much media attention for its health benefits. Black and oolong teas are also found to offer some health benefits.

Green tea is most identified with delicate, exquisite aromas, but of course the quality and taste can differ significantly. It is invigorating, aids digestion, and is mildly stimulating, thus helping to clear the mind.

The caffeine level of green tea depends on production methods, steeping time, steeping temperature, plant variety, soil chemistry, and many other factors that contribute to the end product. Green tea has less caffeine in the cup than black tea, mostly due to the lower brewing times.

Antioxidants are a general classification of biochemical compounds that can prevent or fight cancer-causing cells. Compounds in tea:

Source: The Book of Green Tea by Diana Rosen, 1998.

The Journal of Nutrition reports: Consuming between 30 and 32 ounces of tea every day over a period of time (the fluid equivalent of 2.5 cans of soda) may reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by more than 10% and decrease DNA damage caused by smoking.

In Japan, matcha is considered an integral part of the very essence and soul of the country itself. Matcha is also Japan’s most important tea since it is the tea used in the famous tea ceremony, or Chanoyu. This ceremony is an elegantly rigid affair that developed over the centuries as a transformative and meditative practice. It was originally conceived by the ancient samurai, the noble class of warriors famous for their elaborate costumes and highly regimented lifestyle.

The samurai learned the fine art of brewing matcha from Buddhist monks sometime in the 13th century. Japanese monks believed the tea possessed qualities conducive to meditation and drank it during religious ceremonies. The samurai learned that meditating through the drinking of matcha could restore them physically and prepare them mentally for battle. Drawing on their strict code of conduct, they developed an elaborate framework called wabi within which to brew and consume matcha. Wabi loosely translates as follows: quiet, sober refinement characterized by humility and restraint that celebrates the mellow beauty that time and care impart. Over the centuries, this philosophy, developed by the samurai, gave birth to the Japanese tea ceremony we are familiar with today. It is in reverence to their noble way of life that we present this amazing tea.

*Taken from the Certificate of Analysis #021068-1 Japan Measure Certificator Constituent Breakdown: Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 5th Revised Editions

Gunpowder tea comes from the province of Zhejiang in China and from Taiwan.

When the tea is made, the tiny pellets jingle and tinkle in the bowl or cup. Boiling water causes them to open up like flowers and sink slowly to the bottom in graceful patterns, which add a dimension of visual pleasure to tea drinking. This gunpowder produces a reasonably strong dark-green brew with a memorable fragrance, a slightly bitter but not unpleasant flavor, and a long-lasting finish. Gunpowder is denser than other teas, so one or two teaspoons for a teapot is all that is required.

Legend has it that during the 1400s, an important samurai warlord in Hakone on the Izu Peninsula of Honshu Island (the Izu Peninsula is near the Shizuoka area) was having tea in the morning discussing a battle strategy with his patrol leaders. A servant by the name of Genamai was serving hot tea to the group. Leaning over to give tea to the warlord, the rice that he had surreptitiously taken for a morning snack fell out of his pocket into the steaming hot tea. Some popped upon hitting the hot tea. The warlord was incensed, jumped up brandishing his samurai sword, and promptly cut off Genamai’s head in one fell swoop. He then sat down to continue the meeting. Despite the fact that the tea had been tarnished, he drank it anyway. The flavor was very unique, and he enjoyed it tremendously. In honor of poor Genamai, he pronounced that this rice and tea be served every morning and be called ‘Genmaicha’ (cha being the name of ‘tea’ in Japanese).

Oolong tea (brown tea) is semi-fermented compared to green tea (unfermented) and black tea (fully fermented). Oolongs are easily recognized by the appearance of the leaves, which are stout and crinkled, and when infused, often tend to be greenish with reddish edges. The process to yield oolong is the most complicated – with repeated wilting and shaking in bamboo baskets to arrive at the perfect state that captures the fragrant essence of the leaf. Oolongs have the widest variety of color, from pale orange to brown liquors to dark, richer liquors. The flavor profiles can vary tremendously according to the tea maker’s skills and the soil conditions of the tea bushes.

Black tea is the most commonly used tea in the United States, accounting for 96 percent of annual tea consumption. Black tea undergoes four major stages of production – withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. The oxidation stage differentiates the black tea from other tea types.

The longer the tea is exposed to oxygen – between 45 minutes and three hours, although two to two and a half hours is most common – turns tea from a green color to a copper red to a brown and finally to near black. Also referred to as fermentation, oxidation gives black tea its hearty flavor.

White tea is extremely rare and not often found outside of China. This delicate tea is plucked before they open and are withered to allow the natural moisture to evaporate and then are gently dried. Only special “two leaves and a bud” are selected, with the ideal being two leaves wrapped around a newly developing shoot. The curled-up buds have a silvery/white appearance. The flavor is subtle and should be appreciated. The health benefits are similar to green tea.