Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea

Author: Bamboo Tea House
Original Source: Tea as a Way of Life - High Tea

Afternoon Tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner.

The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her. This pause for tea became a fashionable social event in which the whole of England indulged. During the 1880's the upper-class and society women were changing into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon teas.

High Tea is served around six o'clock and is in reality a hearty evening meal. It was started in England as a ploughman's or workingman's supper of strong tea served with ham, roast beef, leg of lamb, bread and butter, pastries, custard and cakes. Many think that High Tea is the elegant tea and confuse it with the afternoon tea.

Tea Preparation

Author: Eastern Teas
Original Source: Whole Leaf Teas, Organic Teas, Loose Leaf Teas

What devices are used to make loose leaf tea?
Tea balls:
Tea balls, often steel, mesh chambers attached to a small chain, allow infusions for individual cups. Simply place the leaves within the tea ball, set in cup, pour in the water, and allow it to steep. Remove when steeping time is complete. Included below is a picture of the tea ball.

Spoon Tea Infuser:
Similar to a tea ball, these allow for single cup infusions. Often spherical in shape, they can be easily used. Simply place the leaves within the infuser, set in cup, pour in the water, and allow it to steep. Remove when steeping time is complete. Included below is a picture of the spoon tea infuser.

Cup Infusers:
These infusers are placed directly in the tea cup or mug and allow for a single cup brew. They are also simple to use. Set the strainer in your tea cup, place the leaves within, and pour in the water. Allow it to steep and remove when steeping time is complete. Included below is a picture of a teacup infuser.

Teapot infuser:
Similar to a teacup infusers, these filters are placed within teapots. These can used for single cup brews and are also advantageous for larger brews. If you wish to brew a large amount for a group of friends, the use of these infusers may be easier than preparing individual cups. Simply set the strainer in the pot, place the leaves within, and pour in the water. Allow to steep and then remove when steeping time is complete. Included below is a picture of a teapot infuser.

How do I prepare green tea?
Recommended water temperature for green tea is 170-180 degrees Fahrenheit. This is short of boiling and may be achieved by turning off the heat once small wisps of steam begin to escape the tea kettle. Allow a steeping time of 3-4 minutes. It is important to note that this is a recommended range and individual tastes vary- experiment with what you like. However, if you allow the tea leaves to steep too long, the taste of the tea can become bitter.

How do I prepare black tea?
To prepare black tea, bring water to a roaring boil. For optimal results, allow to steep between 3-5 minutes. It is important to note that this is a recommended range and individual tastes vary- experiment with what you like. However, if you allow the tea leaves to steep too long, the taste of the tea can become bitter.

How do I prepare white tea?
White tea usually requires a water temperature of 185-190 degrees Fahrenheit. This is slightly more than green tea and also slightly shy of boiling. Steeping time for white tea is recommended in a range of 3-6 minutes, while many white teas require a steeping time toward the lower end of that range. It is important to note that this is a recommended range and individual tastes vary- experiment with what you like. However, if you allow the tea leaves to steep too long, the taste of the tea can become bitter.

How do I prepare oolong tea?
To prepare oolong tea, you may bring water to a boil. Allow to steep between 2-3 minutes. It is important to note that this is a recommended range and individual tastes vary- experiment with what you like. However, if you allow the tea leaves to steep too long, the taste of the tea can become bitter.

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.

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.

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