White tea is so named because of the whitened or silver colour of the leaves. In ancient China, because of its scarcity, only the nobility were permitted to drink it. Legend has it that the buds of the unopened leaves were picked at sunrise from selected... Continue reading
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Category: Tea
Green Gunpowder tea is one of the most popular green teas available and it is often used as the base to blend flavoured teas such as Moroccan Mint. Although its name sounds threatening, the reason it is called ‘gunpowder’ is because the rolled leaf style... Continue reading
Some companies in Australia claim to supply ‘Australian produced tea’. The tea plantations in Australia which are run by these companies in Queensland are relatively small in acreage compared to the plantations run in the traditional tea producing countries. The yield (the amount of leaf) from... Continue reading
The only common factor between tea and coffee is the use of boiling water to infuse or brew them. Even that is not quite the same as the correct water temperature for infusing teas varies with type of tea being infused. Tea leaf versus coffee... Continue reading
Tea is an essential part of fine living and dining…..an integral part of the overall gastronomic experience. Just as wines are selected to enhance certain foods, teas can also be selected and brewed to match sweet, savoury or spicy foods and the various hours and... Continue reading
Contrary to popular opinion, teabags do not necessarily make a bad cup of tea. Teabags are here to stay, convenience being their main advantage. The quality of the tea made by a teabag depends on the QUALITY OF THE TEA IN THE TEA BAG. The majority... Continue reading
Organic Teas have been sold since the 1980s when the Organic craze began. In spite of this the take up has not been as big as was expected. Many suppliers use the Organic claim in the hope that it will generate more sales of their... Continue reading
Learning to evaluate tea (or examine and taste it as the experts do), is not difficult. However it will require the use of all your senses, except hearing! The 7 step process: Visual appearance of the dry tea leaf. It must generally be uniform in... Continue reading
Although all tea is derived from species of the Camellia plant (mainly Camellia Sinensis), as distinct from fruit and herbal infusions, the method of processing the leaves gives rise to six types, colours or classes of tea. Black Tea: produced by the orthodox (drying, rolling,... Continue reading
There is a myth being circulated by some marketers of tea that large leaf teas are always better than small leaf tea. This is not so. The truth is that there are some teas, particularly those which are strong and aromatic, that are enjoyed better... Continue reading
Storage of tea in clear glass jars, especially if they are kept outside of pantry cupboards, results in the tea leaves ‘breaking down’ and losing their quality. Proper storage of tea is important if you want the tea to retain quality, aroma and character. The... Continue reading
While the ideal water temperature for different types of tea varies, the practical reality is that in everyday situations such a level of perfection may be hard to achieve. However, as general rule, whatever the tea being infused, the temperature should never be more than... Continue reading