all about tea

[Manfred_Man]

Health Benefits

Tea doesn't just taste great, it's good for you!

Most people have experienced the joy of a delicious cup of hot tea on a cold damp day or the refreshing lift of a thirst quenching glass of iced tea on a hot humid afternoon. But beyond great taste, a cup of tea is beneficial to your health. Numerous books and articles have been written about tea's health benefits, some in depth and some in simple terms. But the bottom line is, studies have shown tea promotes good health in the following ways:

Tea contains phytochemicals that help the body fight certain cancers. Tea can also help you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting oxidation of LDL (low density lipoproteins, or "bad cholesterol). Tea can also help boost your immune system.

Specific polyphenols such as catechins, found naturally in tea, may have even stronger antioxidant properties than many fruits and vegetables. Again, antioxidants are believed to neutralize free radicals that scientists believe play a role in development of certain types of cancer and heart disease.

Tea is also rich in fluoride, and contains approximately the same amount as fluoridated water.

Drinking tea may help your tooth enamel remain healthy and inhibit the formation of cavities and plaque. Fluoride is also essential for keeping your bones strong and healthy.

Finally, drinking tea contributes to maintaining your daily fluid balance.

[Manfred_Man]

just your cup of tea
by Alex Lee

When it comes to tea drinking, the United States is centuries behind the rest of the world. Perhaps our addictive love of and strong economic ties to the drinking and production of coffee has distracted us from the subtler benefits of tea. Or maybe we just rebelled against what the British were drinking (our most historic act involving tea, you remember, was the time we dumped loads of it in the Boston Harbor). Whatever the reason for our past disinterest in tea, Americans are now making up for lost time. In the past decade alone, tea consumption in the United States has shot up an astounding one hundred percent! Americans are now discovering what people around the world have long treasured: the personal tranquility, pleasure to the taste buds, and health benefits of drinking a cup of tea.

You can easily enhance your tea-drinking experience by understanding the basics of tea and the art of brewing it. Our lesson begins with the four major types of tea: Whites, Greens, Oolongs, and Blacks. Interestingly, all these teas come from the raw leaves of the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. What distinguishes each category of tea is its processing method. The way the leaves are processed: steamed, fermented (oxidized), dried, or bruised gives the tea the special characteristics of its category. Tea spin offs, such as scented, flavored, or blended teas are produced using one of the four major types of tea as a base.

One term that has become part of our everyday lingo is "herbal tea". Since you now know that tea only comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, you may wonder how a tea can be herbal. It can’t. A product has to be either herbal or tea-based. In the tea industry, beverages made with herbs or flower parts instead of tea are often referred to as tisanes or herbal infusions.

Now that we’ve covered the basic varieties of tea and tea-related beverages, let’s talk about the difference between loose-leaf tea and tea bags. Loose-leaf teas are usually made up of whole leaves or broken leaves, while tea bags are usually filled with fannings or dust. During processing, raw tea leaves are graded from best (the bud and the first two leaves of the shoot) to worst (fannings). Many tea connoisseurs consider brewed whole-leaf tea the best tasting. A whole leaf does have more surface area for water to extract the flavor characteristics of the tea. Fannings and dust, on the other hand, do not have much surface area for this extraction. Of course, the tea drinker may also enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the whole tea leaf unfolding in the cup while infusing.

After you’ve decided what kind of tea you want to make, you don’t want to ruin it by overlooking the other major ingredient in your beverage. Yes, the water is very important! Start with fresh, filtered, cold water in your tea kettle or electric boiler. Bring the water to a rolling boil (approximately 203 degrees F) and then take it off the heat immediately. Over boiling depletes the oxygen in the water and will make your tea taste flat. Before pouring, make sure the water is the correct temperature for the type of tea you are brewing. Check the tea packaging for instructions, or use the following temperatures and steeping times as a guideline:

[IMG]temperatures & steep time for teas[/IMG]

When the desired water temperature has been reached, carefully prepare the dry teapot by putting in the correct amount of tea leaves. The general rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of tea for 6-8 ounces of water, but make adjustments to suit your personal tastes. Pour the boiled water into the teapot and let the tea leaves steep according to the suggested steeping time for that tea. Be sure not to over steep your tea, as this will make it bitter.

The traditional equipment for home tea brewing is the teapot. Asian tea drinkers typically use small clay teapots, one of the most renowned being the Yixing clay teapot. Connoisseurs may assign each tea its own clay teapot. That way, the teapot is "seasoned" and retains the flavor of that particular tea. In the West, the British-style porcelain "Brown Betty" teapot is probably the most famous and widely used for brewing tea.

Aside from the teapot, there are other less effective brewing vessels, such as the French presses that are normally used for brewing coffee. The problem with the French press is that they do not hold heat very well, so the tea leaves keep infusing and the tea is easily over steeped. Another tea-brewing device is the tea infuser, which is typically a circular mesh ball the size of a tablespoon that you drop in your individual cup. Unfortunately, most tea infusers are too small to allow for whole leaves to expand and infuse, thus limiting the extraction of flavors.

Now that you can appreciate the subtle selections and techniques that go into tea brewing, I’ll share with you a little trick for making a great cup of loose-leaf tea. Instead of pouring all the boiled water over the leaves at once, pour just enough of the boiled water onto the tea leaves to cover them. Then, pour out the resulting brew immediately, but not the leaves. This way, the water cleanses the tea leaves and stimulates aromatic production allowing for full flavor extraction. If you’re concerned about caffeine, do this "pre-infusion" cleansing technique for longer and wait about 45 seconds before discarding the brew. You may lose some of the tea’s flavor, but you’ll also lose at least three quarters of the caffeine content. When you pour the full amount of boiled water over the leaves for the second time, allow the tea to steep for the recommended time.

Now that you’ve learned the art of tea and tea brewing, it’s time for you to relax and sit back… with just your cup of tea.

[Manfred_Man]

Tea & Food
by Tomislav Podreka

I would like to tell you that pairing food with tea is a science, but in reality, pairing relies greatly on an individual’s "informed" opinions. The ability to understand and relay these opinions is the crux of why pairing any sort is important. Pairing illustrates that you have explored the natural interplay between food and tea. It is a marvelous way to heighten a dining experience and expand the universe of profiles that define tea. To be able to enhance the presence of food or emphasize the flavors of a given tea is a truly rewarding challenge.

When I discuss the importance of pairing tea and food in foodservice environments, I always stress that the best that can be offered is a guideline—a helping hand to achieve a nicely balanced list of tea that complements the food offered by your establishment. Whether your menu consists of foie gras or bagels and cream cheese, I don’t believe the process has to be any more complex. Rather, pairing tea with food should be an enjoyable step in designing your overall menu.

Before you begin, you must realize that tasting doesn’t require an extremely sophisticated knowledge of food or tea. If you already enjoy food on any level, then you probably have a tasting vocabulary, however expansive or limited it may be. Never be afraid to express what comes to mind when you are tasting tea, because no impression is too slight, and all observations lead to Rome, so to speak.

To illustrate my point, let’s take a complex but marvelous example---oolong. When tasting a lightly oxidized Tung Ting, you will notice many different characteristics. Initially, you will probably take in the aroma, the single most influential element of tea. The range of bouquet should immediately lead you to a floral impression. Soon your senses will target a more specific fragrance, perhaps white flowers of some sort. Finally, you might pinpoint that wonderful aroma as that of a gardenia.

After you smell the tea, you’ll experience its texture and taste. The texture of this Tung Ting Oolong will probably impart a buttery feel—a coating sensation. Beyond texture lies taste. With this tea you should notice fruity notes—perhaps flavors of coconut, pineapple and peach—and then there will be earthy notes, predominantly of fresh cut wood and nuts. Bring the taste of the fruit, specifically peach, together with the wood and nut notes, and imagine sucking on the pit of a peach after you have eaten the flesh of the fruit. Now you have a peach-pit flavor. This is the ideal flavor profile of an oolong, especially a Tung Ting.

So what does it all mean? Well, now that you have broken down the complex profile of a single tea you should understand how important it is to match that profile with complementary smells, textures and flavors of food. For example, the floral bouquet of the aforementioned oolong would make it the perfect counterpart to a spicy dish. At the same time, its buttery texture would combine well with baked goods and chocolates, and its fruity notes would work with various types of fish and meat. This may seem like quite a lot for a single tea to handle, but tea is deliciously versatile. You’ll know when you’ve discovered the perfect marriage of flavors; simply let your palate be a guide.

Sometimes a laundry list can best illustrate the art of pairing tea with food. On the following pages is a suggested pairing table. If what you are looking for is not listed, look for a similar item and ponder the possibilities.


Fresh Fruit
I would recommend sweeter greens and lighter black teas, such as First-Flush Darjeeling or a lightly oxidized oolong. Late autumnal oolongs are also pleasant with fruit

Chocolate
A surprising array of tea presents itself with chocolate, depending on the strength of chocolate. With dark chocolate, try Pu-erh, Assam, Darjeeling, Oolong (any), or Gyokuro. With milk chocolate, try Yunnan, Dragonwell, Sencha, Darjeeling, or Oolong (any).

Dessert Pairings
Baclava: Darjeeling, Pouchong, Oolong (any), Ceylon Black and Green
Carrot Cake: Sencha, Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam
Cheesecake: Sencha, Dragonwell, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling, Keemun
Crème Brulee/Caramel: Darjeeling, Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting oolong, Dragonwell, Assam, Ceylon Green and Black
Crepes: Darjeeling, Oolong (any)
Dessert with Apples: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin
Dessert with Apricots: Oolong (any), Darjeeling
Dessert with Bananas: Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Ceylon
Dessert with Black Currants: Dragonwell, Darjeeling, Oolong (any)
Dessert with Coffee: Yunnan, Assam, Pu-erh, Formosa, Oriental Beauty and Buddha’s Finger Oolong
Dessert with Rasberries: Darjeeling, Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green and Black
Dessert with Strawberries: Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin
Fruit Compote: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Yunnan, Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin
Pecan Pie: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon
Pumpkin Pie: Dragonwell, Ceylon Green and Black, Darjeeling
Vanilla: Keemun, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Nilgiri

Herb & Spice Pairings
Basil: Oolong, Darjeeling, Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Qui Ding Cha
Capers: Qui Dind Cha, Vietnamese Green, Gunpowder, Ceylon UVA
Chilies: Assam, Yunnan, Keemun, Formosa White Tip Oolong
Cinnamon: Yunnan, Assam, Autumnal Darjeeling, Formosa White Tip Oolong, Pu-erh
Garlic: Sencha, Gunpowder, Gen Mai Cha, Dooars
Ginger: Tung Ting Oolong, Jasmine Pouchong, Darjeeling
Mint: Darjeeling, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Gunpowder
Mustard: Gunpowder, Chun Mee, Nepalese and African Varieties
Nutmeg: Assam, Darjeeling, Yunnan, Ceylon
Vanilla: Keemun, Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Vietnamese Black, Kenyan


Mushroom Pairings
Chanterelles: Assam, Nilgiri, Ceylon, Pu-erh
Common: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri, Dooars
Morels: Assam, Tung Ting Oolong, Autumnal or Second-Flush Darjeeling, Pu-erh

Cheese Pairings
Asiago: Keemun, Pai Mu Dan
Brie: Dragonwell, Ha Giang, Darjeeling, Tung Ting Oolong
Camembert: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder, Ha Giang, First-Flush Darjeeling, Sikkim
Cheddar: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling
Cream Cheese: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Cameroon
Edam: Ceylon, Autumnal Darjeeling, Buddha’s Finger Oolong
Gorgonzola: Chun Mee, Ha Giang, Ceylon, Pouchong
Muenster: Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong
Provolone: Ceylon, Nilgiri

Chicken Pairings
Curry: Darjeeling, Pouchong, Dragonwell, Jasmine Green
Fried: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri, Kenya
Lemon: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Gunpowder
Roast: Ceylon, Gunpowder, Assam
Fish PairingsFried: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder
Grilled: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Gunpowder, First-Flush Darjeeling
Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Dragonwell
Ham PairingsBaked: Ceylon, Assam, Kenya
Smoked: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Dragonwell

Miscellaneous Food Pairings
Anchovy: Ha Giang, Ceylon Green, First-Flush Darjeeling, Gunpowder, Chun Mee, Pouchong
Antipasto: Dragonwell, Pouchong, Ceylon, Dooars, Nilgiri
Avocado: Tung Ting Oolong, Pouchong, Darjeeling, Sencha
Bacon: Assam, Gunpowder, Ceylon
Baked Beans: Ceylon, Assam, Kenya, Yunnan
BBQ Fish: Gunpowder, Hojicha, Chun Mee
BBQ Meat: Ceylon, Yunnan, Gunpowder
Beef: Ceylon, Yunnan, Formosa Oolong, Kenya, Nilgiri, Gunpowder
Blinis with Salmon: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling
Buffalo Wings: Ceylon, Darjeeling
Carpaccio: Tung Ting Oolong, Darjeeling, Ceylon
Clam Chowder: Dragonwell, Chun Mee, Ceylon Green
Corn: Sencha, Hojicha, Chun Mee
Corn Bread: Ceylon, Assam Kenya, Yunnan
Couscous: Ceylon, Assam, Nilgiri, Yunnan, Gunpowder
Curry: Darjeeling, Jasmine Black or Green
Eggplant: Ceylon, Darjeeling
Eggs: Darjeeling, Oolong (any), Keemun, Assam, Ceylon, Kenya
Hamburgers: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kenya
Lamb: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Yunnan
Lasagna: Assam, Ceylon, Nilgiri
Macaroni and Cheese: Sencha, Ceylon
Meat Loaf: Yunnan, Keemun, Nilgiri, Kenya
Mexican: Assam, Ceylon
Pizza: Ceylon, Yunnan, Keemun
Polenta: Darjeeling
Pork: Darjeeling, Ceylon, Oolong (any), Hojicha, Lapsang Souchong, Dragonwell, Gunpowder, Chun Mee
Potato Salad: Oolong, Pouchong, Darjeeling, Dooars, Nilgiri, Ceylon
Prawns: Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin, Dragonwell, Ha Giang, Ceylon Green
Quiche: Darjeeling, Ceylon, Sencha, Dragonwell, Chun Mee
Salami: Ceylon, Nilgiri
Salsa: Vietnamese Green, Ceylon Green
Turkey: Oolong (any), Darjeeling, Ceylon, Yunnan
Vegetables (raw): Ceylon, Nilgiri, Chun Mee, Sencha

[Manfred_Man]

link originally posted by Old_Fart2:

http://www.celestialseasonings.com/r...a/research.php

[descarado]

hi manfred_man,

as an avid tea fan (four types of tea floating around in my house), gotta say this was a great and VERY useful read. i feel enlightened now.

[Old_Fart2]

Hey, Manfred, I should have linked back to this post, also.

[Manfred_Man]

i know what you mean!

english breakfast (refreshing)... earl grey (hot & strong)... orange pekoe (delightful & relaxing)... ceylon green (delicious)... gunpowder (invigorating)... sencha green (my personal favourite!)

[Manfred_Man]

Originally Posted by Old_Fart2

Hey, Manfred, I should have linked back to this post, also.

great minds think alike! i guess mine thinks faster...? (just joking... it's usually you who beats me to the proverbial punch...)

[Doughboy]

I should drink more tea. I havent had 95% of the teas you have listed there

[descarado]

back in the US, and with three new types of tea to boot. one of them is translated as "oriental beauty tea," which is just a type of oolong tea (half fermented, as opposed to green non-fermented or black completely fermented), and two are "taiwan high mountain tea", which are green. they are great!