| | | | | All About TeaSo, you want to find out more about Tea and what it is... This may be for several reasons. You may: 1. have tried some really lovely teas and want to find something similar.2. be tired of all these flavourless teabags and want to experience real tea that uses the leaf and actually does taste.3. have heard of some less common types of tea such as oolongs or white tea.4. have read about the health benefits of drinking tea, especially green tea.5. want to reduce your consumption of caffeine. | 1. I want to find some fabulous tasting teasLarge leaf teas release a more complex set of flavours into your teapot, making a more satisfying tea. The resultant drink is less dominated by the easily absorbed and more strident tasting elements of the flavour such as tannins. Teas do have distinctive characteristics, dependent upon where they are grown, how and when they are picked, the climate and how they are processed after picking. There are light teas such as China black teas. Keemun is the best known and can be drunk with or without milk. These are known as the 'burgundy of teas' and have been around for several centuries, although made originally for the European market. Yunnan is also black but is slightly sweeter and more earthy in flavour.All the teas of ChinaChina is best known for its green teas which are traditionally drunk by the Chinese. There is great skill in making some of these teas and their leaves can be quite beautiful. Green teas should be drunk without milk. Jasmine and Pinhead Gunpowder are well known China green teas. There are however green Keemuns, also from Anhui Province, which are wonderful as is Tian Mu Qing Ding form Zhejiang Province in the south east of China. Today there are even green versions of popular blends such as Earl Grey.Where would tea be without India?Darjeelings, from India's Himalayan foothills, are known as the 'champagne of teas' with their characteristic muscatel aroma. There is often a great colonial history to such famous Darjeeling gardens as Margaret's Hope, Castleton or Soom. Somewhat stronger are Nilgiris which are produced in the Nilgiri hills of southern India. It is the strongest Indian teas, Assams, which are widely appreciated as a key part of a good breakfast blend, being well rounded and malty. However, try a single garden tea such as Harmutty or Bukhail. Also in the Himalayan foothills Nepal's Ilam Valley and India's kingdom of Sikkim produce some excellent teas.The fragrance of CeylonBeyond China and India Ceylon teas have for long been of exceptional quality and distinctive fragrance. The famous tea growing areas are the central highlands of Dimbula, Uva, Nuwara Eliya and Dickoya as well as the medium altitude area of Kandy.These days most of our everyday teas are grown in East Africa, such as Kenya. These tea are mostly only suited for blending as they tend to be strong and less complex in flavour. There are however some notable exceptions, Milima, a traditionally made, orthodox tea, being one. | 2. Say no to the bagGood tea cannot be made using teabags. This is because there is a limit to the size of leaf that can be contained in the bag. Some loose leaf grades can be very large and need space to unfurl when brewed. A large leaf is often a sign of a good quality tea as it allows the flavours to infuse gradually giving a balanced flavour to the tea. The latest nylon bags are better as the flavour of the paper is avoided but there is still a limit to the size of leaf and they are very expensive per serving of tea. Finally, try some good loose teas and appreciate the appearance of different teas. | 3. Be adventurous, explore the lesser known quality teas of the world.Oolongs are between green teas and black teas, being only slightly oxidised. They traditionally originate from Formosa, what is now Taiwan. They have real character and have a distinctive appearance too. White teas are increasingly popular for they contain very little tannin or caffeine, being processed to a minimal extent. The name comes from the downy whiteness of the bud and emerging leaves. Essentially these leaves are just dried, withered and then rolled. They are expensive however for the pickings are very select and they are picked for only a few days each year, largely in China's Zhejiang province. Some do however come from Fujian and Yunnan provinces. They produce a very mild and delicate tea, traditionally prized by Chinese emperors. | 4. Go on, be good to yourself!Green teas are especially high in anti-oxidants which are known to have good anti-carcinogenic effects. Tea generally is also known to have good cardio-vascular properties. The fluoride naturally present in tea is also surprisingly good for your teeth. | 5. Want to sleep better?Tea is acknowledged for its refreshing qualities. This is achieved because the caffeine in tea is about half that of coffee and furthermore it is released into the body slowly so avoiding a sharp spike as experienced with coffee. |
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