Cloth Tea Bags

Author: About.com
Original Source: Tea Strainers

There are a few different kinds of these little do-it-yourself teabags. You can get them in reusable cloth or disposable paper. Simple to use, just fill them with tea and pop them in your pot or cup.

French Press

Author: About.com
Original Source: Tea Strainers

Made for coffee, but can be used for tea as well. When your tea is steeped to your liking, you just press the plunger and the leaves are pressed to the bottom. Like the pots mentioned above, these are the best ideas when making several cups at a time.

Bamboo Strainers

Author: About.com

Original Source: Tea Strainers

Bamboo-type strainers are more traditional and very inexpensive. They are similar to the bowl strainers, as you pour your steeped brew through the strainer into your cup to filter out the leaves. These usually don't sit in your cup, but have a handle for you to hold while you pour.

Ball-Shaped Strainer

Author: About.com
Original Source: Tea Strainers

These are the most common and popular way to use loose tea. They come in different shapes and styles, but they are typically a perforated metal ball that you fill with tea. Let the ball steep in your hot water, and then you pull it out. The most basic ones are a wire mesh ball on a short chain. Tea balls are usually used for single-cup brewing, but you can get larger ones for a whole pot.

Tea Strainers

Author: Wikipedia
Original Source: Tea Strainers

A strainer is a device that is placed over a cup and catches particles is poured through it.

Example: When tea is brewed the traditional manner in a teapot, the leaves are not contained in teabags. This means they are freely suspended in the liquid. As the leaves themselves may be distasteful, it is usual to filter them out with a tea strainer.

Strainers usually fit into the top of the cup and hold the leaves as the tea is poured through them, when you brew in a pot. Tea strainers of this kind are usually either sterling silver or china. Most strainers come in a set, with the strainer part and a small saucer for it to sit in between cups.

Not many tea strainers are used today because of the teabag launched in 1953 by Tetley tea.

Iced Tea

Author: Arbor Teas
Original Source: Traditions

According to the USDA, Americans consume more than 2.2 billion gallons of tea per year, about 80 percent (around 1.75 billion gallons) of which is iced. That's an average of nearly 6.5 gallons of iced tea per person! Iced "sweet tea" has been consumed in the south for a hundred years or more, but with the rise of fast food restaurants (nearly all of which sell iced tea), America has watched its tea consumption double in the past 30 years.

Moroccan Mint Tea

Author: Arbor Teas
Original Source: Traditions

As with many cultures across the globe, the consumption of tea holds great significance in Moroccan life. This is demonstrated in part by the highly ornate teapots (often engraved silver), trays, and crystal glasses used in its preparation and service. Traditionally, tea is prepared in a samovar which brews strong, highly concentrated tea. Usually a gunpowder variety of green tea is used. After brewing, the tea is heavily sweetened with sugar and flavored with a touch of mint. The teapot is held high in the air while pouring the tea into the small, delicate glasses. This showy feat is made possible by the long and slender curved spout on the Moroccan teapot (and a lot of practice!). Moroccan mint tea is an excellent accompaniment to their rich and flavorful cuisine!

Matcha Green Tea - Part 2

Author: Aiya America
Original Source: Matcha Tea

How to Use
Because Matcha is a pure, natural finely ground powder, its uses as an ingredient are virtually unlimited. Popular uses include green tea ice cream, gelato, smoothies, lattes and chocolates.

In beverages:
Two grams of Matcha per 500ml drink is sufficient for a brilliant green color and flavor. This amount also provides enough theophylline and L-theanines for the three to six hour “uplift” often associated with Matcha, minus the “drop” often associated with caffeine alone.

In ice cream and gelato:
For Matcha green tea ice cream and gelato, a 1.3% to 2% Matcha concentration blended into the white liquid base is sufficient to produce a rich, green tea flavor and color.

In energy bars:
Matcha can either be blended into the grains or into a yogurt/white chocolate glaze enveloping the bar. A 1% to 2% concentration is sufficient to produce the desired green tea color and flavor.

Matcha Quality Spectrum
The three elements that distinguish Matcha from regular green tea in powder form are:

1. Flavor:
Matcha is sweet and smooth with just a hint of astringency. The sweetness comes from the naturally occurring L-theanine amino acids and plant fibers. Green tea powder, on the other hand, tends to lack active amino acids, resulting in a comparatively flat and abrasive taste.

2. Color:
Matcha is resiliently emerald green while green tea powder is often yellow-brown. This is because quality Matcha is ground into a fine powder using slow-turning granite grinding wheels. Friction is minimized and tea leaves are not “burned” in the process, allowing the leaves to retain chlorophyll. In contrast, regular green tea powder is often pulverized using air pressure. The friction caused by this process “over-cooks” the leaves, rendering them yellow-brown.

3. Nutritional Profile:
With its high concentration of L-theanine amino acids, Matcha provides most consumers with a delicate energy “boost” lasting from 3 to 6 hours. However, with green tea powder, the amino acids are comparatively fewer and do not have the same functional properties.

Tea Terms

Author: Barry's Tea
Original Source: Tea Fact Sheet

Like wine, tea has its own vocabulary of tasting terms. Tea can be:

• Brisk: a lively taste in the liquor
• Pungent: bite and astringency but without bitterness - most desirable
• Grey: teas which have a grayish appearance caused by too much abrasion during sorting.
  
• Even: teas true to their particular grade and which compromise particles of leaf which are even in size.
• Bright: a good bright color is an important indicator of quality in a tea.
• Body: indication of strength of tea, a lack of body would indicate a weak insipid tea