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“Tea warms the depths of the heart, soothes the mind and sustains the soul” Deidre R. Bissonette |
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The tea plant produces white, green, black and oolong teas. |
V&Z Tea Company Newsletter
October 2007 October is here with beautiful fall colors all around us. Rivers flow under a crisp cool sky. Pumpkins sit in folk’s gardens and ghosts decorate windows for trick or treating. Now is the time to stock up on tea, perhaps favorites or new blends. Follow your tea ritual or explore new ones. While the kettle steams you contemplate life, and each minute of life counts, when tasting tea. “I don’t care about immortality, just the taste of tea.” (Lu T’ung, Chinese poet, eighth century). Whatever you include in your tea experience-one thing is true- you love tea-and and you will sip your blends in the ambience of your fireplace, or curl up in your great grandfather’s favorite chair.
Tea History Fact: At the end of the 18th century, handles on teacups became popular. Apparently the idea for handles came from the English mugs used for hot wine and beer. The Europeans broke free from the Chinese model of teacup, and than discovered many other forms of tea services. “Mustache” cups for example, were designed with an inner ridge in which to keep elegant mustaches dry.
Four new teas to be added to V&Z’s exclusive list for November include:
English breakfast- Is made from Assam Tea and Ceylon Tea, strong blends for breakfast. They boast a strong liquer flavor and a malty taste, best taken with a splash of milk.
Darjeeling- Is a prestigious and rare black tea, originating from wonderful tea gardens in India, is light and perfect for an afternoon tea. Whole leaf Darjeeling teas are best. The taste of tea will differ depending on the season it is picked in. They should be taken without milk, unless the leaves are broken leaves.
Specialty Earl Grey blend- A black tea from Sri Lanka. An exotic blend of chrysanthemum blossoms, violet blossoms, and orange peel. This blend tastes wonderful, and is richer than the traditional oil of bergamot blend.
Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea- This tea yields a jade colored liquor, and is rich in vitamin C. Is one of the highest quality green teas. Rest and rejuvenate as you sip this tea.
Tea Articles :
About the tea leaf
In China where huge tea gardens grow, tea leaves are picked by hand. Women are given the job of picking the leaves because their fingers are very suitable for the plucking process. The leaves are very delicate and the process requires great precision. The leaves are shaped like a spearhead, and the best leaves are at the top of the shoot. The other leaves on the shoot are called “flags” and are considered a lower quality tea. Green tea comes from the first flags, and black tea from the other leaves on the plant.
The quality of the leaves depends on the time of year they have been picked. Spring time gives the best tea leaves, and the other months produce a lower quality tea. The leaves are picked all through the year most times, but often tea leaf pickers pluck the leaves during the first part of the year, and than will rest for the fall and winter months. This also gives the leaves time to renew themselves.
The best time of day for tea leaf picking is before 7am, and between 7-9am will also suffice. Farmers also choose after sunset to pick the leaves. The sun is not as strong at these times, and so the tea will be of higher quality. Some farmers dislike early morning picking, because the moisture in the leaves ruins the quality of the teas. According to the farmers, the drying process is more difficult with the moisture, and so they pluck the leaves in the afternoon. Farmers have to keep the tea plants free of fungi and insects. They prefer not to use pesticides, as pesticides ruin the flavors of the teas. Crops need to be re-planted when they become damaged, and processed immediately after picking for the highest quality in tea. The quintessential teapot Drinking great tea should be enjoyed in just the right teapot. After pouring fresh hot water over your tea leaves, they will unfurl and steep for a wonderful flavor. There are different types of teapots and each one is meant for a specific tea, whether the tea is black, green, or flavored. If you are a tea connoisseur or a new tea drinker, choosing the right teapot will make your tea experience that much more fulfilling. You can have three types of teapots for each tea, one for strong, one for mild and one for flavored and scented teas.
A silver plated teapot and a terracotta or clay teapot are suitable for strong teas such as an Assam and a Ceylon tea. Clay and silver plated teapots retains the taste or “seasoning” of the tea. The terracotta pot has a large clay filter inside in which the leaves will unfurl gracefully for a strong cup of morning tea. There are many designs in terracotta; some are more traditional and usually made by hand. Cast iron teapots and pewter can also be used for strong teas.
Lovely Japanese cast iron teapots are also used for green and semi fermented teas. These teapots come in rich earth colors such as browns, greens and purples. Green teas taste superb, such as Lung Ching Dragon’s Well, when steeped in these teapots. There is enamel inside the teapot, which retains the heat well. A built in metal filter inside the teapot helps control the infusion time. Pretty glass and opaline teacups are traditionally used, which have the same light color of enamel as is inside the teapot.
Earthenware and porcelain teapots are used for an afternoon tea. There are many traditional designs to choose from with beautiful patterns, shapes and colors. The porcelain teapots are used mostly for an English afternoon tea; taken from the early tea parties lavishly given in Britain in the 19th century. These teapots do not have a built in filter so one can use a paper filter or a textile filter. When preparing the tea, one can also let the loose leaves unfurl loosely inside the teapot without a filter, and than settle to the bottom. Muslim sachets made of pure cotton or regular teabags may also be used for convenience and to the taste of the tea drinker. Muslim sachets do not alter the taste of the tea, as there are no wires or staples attached to the sachet. Mesh wire tea balls should not be used as they do alter the taste of the tea. They also do not allow the tea leaves to expand nicely for that perfect cup of tea. Glass teapots work well for flavored and scented teas, in which fruits and flowers are added to the tea leaves. These teapots are beautiful and crisp, and the color of the tea is seen through the glass, as the leaves unfurl delicately within the glass filter. The teapots are very classic and pure looking, and are soothing to the eye. Glass does not retain the flavor of the teas, making them the ideal teapot for all special blends or flavors. Glass tea warmers with candles can be used to place the glass teapot on to keep the tea hot.
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History of Tea Part II
In modern times tea became popular between the east and west. The 1800s saw England becoming addicted to tea. Tea and Opium smugglers were the head of trade. The opium war from 1839-1842 was between England and China, and China had to sign a free treaty. Soon, however, England would create tea production in India, and China became less popular for tea cultivation. Tea consumption really began in the east and was introduced to the west through trade. In 1618 Russia was introduced to tea, but tea was difficult to obtain, because they could not trade with China. In the eighteenth century Russia formed a caravan route of camels that would journey for many months. They would meet at a neutral zone between Russia and China, and than take the tea back to the aristocrats of Russia. Russian peasants would use a “Samovar,” an urn that stores hot water, and was used for tea. England at one time thought tea was unhealthy and so tea became a controversial issue. Tea was also taxed very highly. Queen Elizabeth I thought tea to be a valuable investment, and in 1600 she formed a pact of trade in the East with the East India Company. The company was involved with the rise and fall of the British Colonial Empire for over 250 years. Tea became an afternoon affair in England in the 1700s. Cakes, pastries and sandwiches accompanied the precious pot of tea. Tea gardens flourished all over England. In America, colonists tried to copy England by having tea gardens similar to those in London. Tea was still misunderstood and unfavorable among Americans, but by the American Revolution tea was being drunk by trappers, early settlers and soldiers. People in high society traded tea for liquor. Tea became a political issue when Westminster Parliament decided to tax tea. Britain’s East India Company was not doing well financially and in order to help the company, Britain decided to tax the tea. The company would not have the regular duties and tariffs, and this would cause American merchants to be undersold. The American colonists wanted representation with the taxation, and thus the famous Boston tea party occurred. This happened when three ships carrying tea were sent by the East India Company, but were turned away by all ports except for Boston. Men dressed as Indian Mohawks stormed the ships and destroyed them using hatchets and axes, and all of the tea was dumped into the ocean. Sri Lanka and India now provide 70% of the world’s tea. Kenya is also producing tea, and America is now the second biggest importer of tea. |
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Tea contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. |
©Copyright 2006 V & Z Tea Company