It's been ages since I've posted anything, but I'm afraid that several large events in my life left me with little down time to devote. I've just picked up a new tea from Adagio called Dragon Pearls and I'm incredibly interested to try it out.
I've tried a few display teas before, but not the pearl variety in particular. I can't wait for it to arrive.
Showing posts with label variety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label variety. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tisanes
Author: Sensational Teas
Original Source: Tea 101
Tisanes or herbal teas are not actual 'teas' but are made of herbs and do not have the same health benefits as actual tea. However, they provide other benefits, from relaxation to stimulation, without caffeine. Plus, most pack a lot of flavor. They usually need to be infused longer than regular tea and it's a good idea to ask your doctor before taking any unfamiliar herbs.
Original Source: Tea 101
Tisanes or herbal teas are not actual 'teas' but are made of herbs and do not have the same health benefits as actual tea. However, they provide other benefits, from relaxation to stimulation, without caffeine. Plus, most pack a lot of flavor. They usually need to be infused longer than regular tea and it's a good idea to ask your doctor before taking any unfamiliar herbs.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
White Tea
White tea is produced in a different way to all other teas. The leaves come from special varietal bushes and are not processed but are dried in the sun. Only special leaves are selected, the ideal is two leaves wrapped around a new shoot. After drying the leaves are again selected and sorted by hand.
White tea is especially potent in that it is has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag. Some of the world’s top cosmetic companies are becoming very interested in white tea for skin creams and the result is that high grade white tea is becoming even more rare than before.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Chinese Green Tea
Author: Cup of Green Tea
Source: Chinese Green Tea
Cultivation of tea plants in China dates back thousands of years, and today green tea makes up over 50% of the teas produced in China. It is produced in all of China's tea growing provinces, and several Chinese green tea varieties known by the name of the province in which they were grown. Dozens of Chinese green tea varieties are available in the United States and other countries.
Numerous varieties of green tea are produced in China. Some of the Chinese green tea varieties are:
Source: Chinese Green Tea
Cultivation of tea plants in China dates back thousands of years, and today green tea makes up over 50% of the teas produced in China. It is produced in all of China's tea growing provinces, and several Chinese green tea varieties known by the name of the province in which they were grown. Dozens of Chinese green tea varieties are available in the United States and other countries.
Numerous varieties of green tea are produced in China. Some of the Chinese green tea varieties are:
- Dragon Pearls, a nutty, sweet tea with balled leaves that unfurl as they steep.
- Dragon Well, the most popular green tea from China, is aromatic with a full-bodied flavor.
- Jade Spring is somewhat sweet, and can be re-steeped without becoming bitter.
- Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea is a blend of old and new tea leaves, and to avoid a bitter flavor it should not be overbrewed.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Japanese Green Tea
Author: Cup of Green Tea
Source: Japanese Green Tea
Green tea was introduced from China to Japan, and today, nearly all teas produced in Japan are green teas. Green tea is the most popular tea drink in Japan, and is even sold in vending machines. Green tea harvest begins around the start of May every year in Japan.
There are many varieties of Japanese green tea. Japanese green tea can be divided into three grades: Gyokura, Sencha, and Bancha. Some of the most popular Japanese green tea varieties are:
Source: Japanese Green Tea
Green tea was introduced from China to Japan, and today, nearly all teas produced in Japan are green teas. Green tea is the most popular tea drink in Japan, and is even sold in vending machines. Green tea harvest begins around the start of May every year in Japan.
There are many varieties of Japanese green tea. Japanese green tea can be divided into three grades: Gyokura, Sencha, and Bancha. Some of the most popular Japanese green tea varieties are:
- Gyokuro green tea, an expensive variety with a sweet flavor, considered to be the most superior variety.
- Sencha green tea, which is the most common Japanese green tea, used for everyday drinking.
- Bancha green tea is a more coarse grade of tea, yellow in color, with a full and refreshing flavor.
- Houjicha (Hojicha) is pan fried or oven roasted, and is aromatic with a roasted flavor and very little bitterness.
- Genmaicha is a roasted tea blend of rice and Bancha green tea. Because it has a roasted, full-bodied flavor, it is favored by many who don't like the taste of other green teas.
- Matcha is green tea powder, made of ground Gyoduro leaves. This is the green tea used in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Oolong Tea
Author: Tea Tea Tea
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Oolong, which in Chinese means "black dragon," is relatively new compared to green and black teas.
Oolong teas are only partially fermented, which denotes a tea that is stronger in flavor than green teas, but softer, lighter, and more subtle than black teas; it has characteristics of both. The leaves are processed in the same manner as black teas (below), but they are not allowed to ferment as long.
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Oolong, which in Chinese means "black dragon," is relatively new compared to green and black teas.
Oolong teas are only partially fermented, which denotes a tea that is stronger in flavor than green teas, but softer, lighter, and more subtle than black teas; it has characteristics of both. The leaves are processed in the same manner as black teas (below), but they are not allowed to ferment as long.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Black Tea
Author: Tea Tea Tea
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Black teas are not steamed like green teas; instead they are placed in a room for about a day to wilt or "wither." By the end of this time, the leaves are soft enough to be rolled, by hand, into little balls. This breaks the cells in the leaves, releasing enzymes that cause them to ferment.
The rolled leaves are then spread out, and left to ferment for a number of hours until proper smell and color are achieved. Next is "firing." This dry heat halts the fermentation process by killing the active enzymes.
During this firing, the leaves turn dark (actually brown, not black), and lose all but about 2% of their moisture. If the firing is not done correctly, and the leaves are too dark, the resulting cup of tea will taste weak (This type of tea is common in commercial teas in our part of the world). The tea is now ready for packing and export.
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Black teas are not steamed like green teas; instead they are placed in a room for about a day to wilt or "wither." By the end of this time, the leaves are soft enough to be rolled, by hand, into little balls. This breaks the cells in the leaves, releasing enzymes that cause them to ferment.
The rolled leaves are then spread out, and left to ferment for a number of hours until proper smell and color are achieved. Next is "firing." This dry heat halts the fermentation process by killing the active enzymes.
During this firing, the leaves turn dark (actually brown, not black), and lose all but about 2% of their moisture. If the firing is not done correctly, and the leaves are too dark, the resulting cup of tea will taste weak (This type of tea is common in commercial teas in our part of the world). The tea is now ready for packing and export.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Matcha Green Tea - Part 1
Author: Aiya America
Original Source: Matcha Tea
What is Matcha?
Matcha is the oldest variety of shade-grown Japanese green tea, traditionally used in Zen Buddhist ceremonies for over 800 years. Ground into a fine, jade-green powder using granite grinding wheels, Matcha is whisked with water to create a unique, beautiful and richly flavorful drink.
Today, Matcha is also being used as the raw material in green tea flavored products, including ice cream, gelato, smoothies, lattes and chocolates.
History
According to 3rd Century A.D. Japanese literature, green tea was first used as an elixir to remedy swelling, fever and other symptoms. The Japanese envoy is thought to have introduced green tea seeds to China during the Tang Dynasty to be used by nobility and Buddhist clergy as a medicinal tonic.
In 1191, the Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Eisai returned from China with a new way to drink green tea. He poured the stone-ground powdered tea into hot water and stirred it together – just like today’s Matcha – then consumed it as a beverage rather than as a medicine.
Recreational tea drinking in Japan later spread beyond the nobility to the samurai class. The samurai, sworn protectors of their retaining lords, eventually developed a green tea ritual meant to bring peace and harmony to their often violent lives.
Health Benefits
Unlike regular green tea leaves, which are removed when brewed, Matcha leaves are whisked with water and consumed entirely. This ensures that Matcha drinkers consume a higher concentration of green tea antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers.
Matcha also contains high amounts of L-theanines – a unique set of natural amino acids found almost exclusively in green tea – as well as tea caffeine theophylline. Together, these substances are thought to help provide increased mental clarity and energy.
Original Source: Matcha Tea
What is Matcha?
Matcha is the oldest variety of shade-grown Japanese green tea, traditionally used in Zen Buddhist ceremonies for over 800 years. Ground into a fine, jade-green powder using granite grinding wheels, Matcha is whisked with water to create a unique, beautiful and richly flavorful drink.
Today, Matcha is also being used as the raw material in green tea flavored products, including ice cream, gelato, smoothies, lattes and chocolates.
History
According to 3rd Century A.D. Japanese literature, green tea was first used as an elixir to remedy swelling, fever and other symptoms. The Japanese envoy is thought to have introduced green tea seeds to China during the Tang Dynasty to be used by nobility and Buddhist clergy as a medicinal tonic.
In 1191, the Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Eisai returned from China with a new way to drink green tea. He poured the stone-ground powdered tea into hot water and stirred it together – just like today’s Matcha – then consumed it as a beverage rather than as a medicine.
Recreational tea drinking in Japan later spread beyond the nobility to the samurai class. The samurai, sworn protectors of their retaining lords, eventually developed a green tea ritual meant to bring peace and harmony to their often violent lives.
Health Benefits
Unlike regular green tea leaves, which are removed when brewed, Matcha leaves are whisked with water and consumed entirely. This ensures that Matcha drinkers consume a higher concentration of green tea antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers.
Matcha also contains high amounts of L-theanines – a unique set of natural amino acids found almost exclusively in green tea – as well as tea caffeine theophylline. Together, these substances are thought to help provide increased mental clarity and energy.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Types of Tea
Author: Adagio Teas
Original Source: Varieties of Tea
All teas come from the same plant. The differences stem from how they are processed.
How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. Much oxygen produces dark-colored black teas. Little oxygen results in green tea. Unprocessed leaves are called white tea.
Black tea undergoes a full fermentation process composed of four basic steps - withering, rolling, fermenting, and firing (or drying). First, the plucked leaves are spread out to wither. The withered leaves are then rolled, in order to release the chemicals within the leaf that are essential to its final color and flavor. The rolled leaves are spread out once more to absorb oxygen (oxidize), causing the leaves to turn from green to coppery red. Finally, the oxidized leaves are fired in order to arrest fermentation, turning the leaf black and giving it the recognizable tea scent.
Green tea is often referred to as "unfermented" tea. The freshly picked leaves are allowed to dry, then are heat-treated to stop any fermentation (also referred to as oxidation). In China, traditional hand-making methods are still employed in many places, particularly in the manufacture of the finest green teas you'll find offered here.
Oolong tea is generally referred to as "semi-fermented" tea and is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its old Dutch name). For the manufacture of oolongs, the leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the edges. Next, the leaves are spread out to dry until the surface of the leaf turns slightly yellow. Oolongs are always whole leaf teas, never broken by rolling. The least fermented of oolong teas, almost green in appearance, is called Pouchong.
White tea is produced on a very limited scale in China and India. It is the least processed of its many varieties. The new tea buds are plucked before they open and simply allowed to dry. The curled-up buds have a silvery appearance and produce a pale and very delicate cup of tea.
Scented tea is created when the additional flavorings are mixed with the leaf as a final stage before the tea is packed. For Jasmine tea, whole jasmine blossoms are added to green or oolong tea. Fruit-flavored teas are generally made by combining a fruit's essential oils with black tea from China or Sri Lanka.
Original Source: Varieties of Tea
All teas come from the same plant. The differences stem from how they are processed.
How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. Much oxygen produces dark-colored black teas. Little oxygen results in green tea. Unprocessed leaves are called white tea.
Black tea undergoes a full fermentation process composed of four basic steps - withering, rolling, fermenting, and firing (or drying). First, the plucked leaves are spread out to wither. The withered leaves are then rolled, in order to release the chemicals within the leaf that are essential to its final color and flavor. The rolled leaves are spread out once more to absorb oxygen (oxidize), causing the leaves to turn from green to coppery red. Finally, the oxidized leaves are fired in order to arrest fermentation, turning the leaf black and giving it the recognizable tea scent.
Green tea is often referred to as "unfermented" tea. The freshly picked leaves are allowed to dry, then are heat-treated to stop any fermentation (also referred to as oxidation). In China, traditional hand-making methods are still employed in many places, particularly in the manufacture of the finest green teas you'll find offered here.
Oolong tea is generally referred to as "semi-fermented" tea and is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its old Dutch name). For the manufacture of oolongs, the leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the edges. Next, the leaves are spread out to dry until the surface of the leaf turns slightly yellow. Oolongs are always whole leaf teas, never broken by rolling. The least fermented of oolong teas, almost green in appearance, is called Pouchong.
White tea is produced on a very limited scale in China and India. It is the least processed of its many varieties. The new tea buds are plucked before they open and simply allowed to dry. The curled-up buds have a silvery appearance and produce a pale and very delicate cup of tea.
Scented tea is created when the additional flavorings are mixed with the leaf as a final stage before the tea is packed. For Jasmine tea, whole jasmine blossoms are added to green or oolong tea. Fruit-flavored teas are generally made by combining a fruit's essential oils with black tea from China or Sri Lanka.
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