Tea

As you expand your tea palate, one of the most useful things you can do is to record your impressions when you taste a tea. For one,

Awhile back I posted some info about a very Asian style of teapot: the Kyusu. I have also written about a distinctive style of clay teapot from the Yixing area of China. But others abound. They speak of hundreds, and possibly thousands, of years of craftsmanship building up and being preserved as an object of delight to tea drinkers today.Read the rest of the article on The English Tea Store Blog.Thai tea set as seen on Facebook© 2013 A.C. Cargill photos and text

Awhile back I posted some info about a very Asian style of teapot: the Kyusu. I have also written about a distinctive style of clay teapot from the Yixing area of China. But others abound. They speak of hundreds, and possibly thousands, of years of craftsmanship building up and being preserved as an object of […]

The World Tea Expo has come and gone, but I am still reveling in my memories of all of the wonderful people I met and the tea I slurped.  I had a Japanese puerh for the first time, met with fellow bloggers who I have “known” for years and finally met in person, and was able to sit in on what I consider to be an epic and groundbreaking gathering – the first meeting of The United States League of Tea Growers.  Fifty-eight people were in attendance, ranging from growers to retailers to consultants.  Led by Nigel Melican (Teacraft) and Jason MacDonald (FiLoLi Farms), the gathering was to gauge interest in U.S.-grown tea and begin the conversation that will organize the growers.   Here’s a little background on the U.S. tea-growing scene: Tea is currently grown in the following states: California, Hawaii, Alabama, Mississippi, Washington, Michigan, Oregon, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina There are 30+ tea gardens in Hawaii alone Tea was first grown commercially in the U.S. in 1890 in South Carolina There are more and more small tea farms growing in non-traditional regions.  The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia are a few that have recently entered the niche tea market.  A trend to localism (buying from local farmers), a booming tea market here in the U.S., and a distrust of foreign markets have created the “perfect storm” for U.S. farmers.  Projected tea sales in the U.S. alone are expected to reach $15 billion by 2014 and our tea growers have the opportunity to make a splash with high-end teas, diverse tea offerings (geography alone being a major player), and exclusivity due to smaller batches being created.  All in all, tea growers have an excellent chance to be competitive with world markets in the category of artisan teas.   The meeting felt pretty epic to this tea nerd!  The excitement of being a fly on the wall for that first meeting still has not worn off.  It will be interesting to re-examine how the US tea-growing industry will have morphed and changed over the next 5-10 years.  I will be examining ways I, as a retailer, can support the industry and I encourage tea drinkers to do the same!  The post U.S.-grown tea appeared first on T Ching.

If you are anything like me, there are always teas that you would like to try, or have sampled once or twice and have always meant to go back to. Here are five such teas that I would like to explore some more: 1 Yellow Tea – This is a more unusual type of tea, and […]

This Spring 2012 tea is from Lishan, otherwise known as Pear Mountain. The main thing I love about T-Oolong Tea is that they have quality oolongs at accessible prices, especially important for teas with a reputation as esteemed as Lishan. I don’t mind paying top dollar for top quality, but I find few things as disappointing as paying a premium price for a tea that has a premium name but is actually pretty average. So I find companies whose pricing I trust and stick with them, like these guys. The leaves are yellow and green and surprisingly dull rather than vibrant with the pleasant sheen I like to see on high mountain oolongs. I steep at 180° for 2.5 minutes. The cup is creamy and oily, coating the mouth and leaving a lingering mineral flavour. Overall, it’s not particularly exciting, but it’s satisfying, a great everyday oolong. My 3-minute second steep is less oily and coating, but it’s more interesting. The mineral flavour is stronger now, accented with notes of steamed spinach and a hit of acidity. My third and fourth steeps are similar to the second, leading gently into the mild, simple fifth steep. I doubt this tea will stick in my memory for long; it just doesn’t stand out overmuch. It was, as always from T-Oolong Tea, quite satisfying.

Tea plantation images from around the world, including Japan, India, Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and more.

Here's one of the more offbeat tea commercials loosed on the public. For more on the (dubious?) connection between tea and boobs see this brief post I wrote a few years ago. Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

This tea was produced in Fuding, located in the Chinese province of Fujian. The leaves were scented up to 6 times, for 6 to 7 hours each round. Teavivre’s informative website is worth a visit for more details on the production of this tea. Looking at my sample, the silver and grey leaves are very downy. They are mostly whole, with a few broken bits here and there. Their aroma is predictably floral, bordering on soapy. I used the instructions posted on Teavivre’s website, infusing 3 grams of leaf in 8 ounces of water heated to 80 degrees Celsius for 1 minute. My sample’s package recommends a temperature of 85 degrees, but 80 seems safer. A pale gold cup ensues. It’s scented with a sweet jasmine perfume, obvious but not overwhelming. The jasmine and the leaves’ flavours mesh well, the tea being smooth, slightly buttery and floral. There are also some thirst-quenching cucumber, honeydew melon and mineral notes. All in all the results are good but not great. I much prefer the following steep. Following a 2 minute-long infusion, the tea’s flavour is more focused around the leave’s contribution than the jasmine’s. Slightly astringent grass and green bean notes have developed, giving the cup a more substantial feel. The finish is less sweet but somehow more filling. I steep the leaves again for 3 minutes. The flavour profile is more astringent and mineral still. The cup is less pleasant overall but definitely still drinkable, especially since strong jasmine notes chime in for the finish. I try a fourth infusion, thinking that it will be my last. After a 4 and a half minute-long brew, the tea is smooth, sweet, floral, with a hint of honeydew melon and honey. It becomes a bit more astringent as it cools, but the results are quite good – somehow even better than the previous steep. I can’t help but try a fifth steep, clocking in at 6 minutes. The leaves are definitely passed their prime now, but not in any unpleasant way. While it’s a bit bland, the jasmine still kicks in a bit of smooth floral sweetness. There is no bitterness or astringency present. This is a very pleasant example of a jasmine silver needle. It strikes a good balance between the leaves’ buttery contribution and the jasmine’s sweet, juicy notes. It is a bit pricey but the leaves have an amazing amount of staying power. Taking into account the number of possible infusions reduces the cost significantly. My one pet peeve is the discrepancy in the brewing instructions between the website and the package, but that’s a minor detail. This is a good bet for white tea and jasmine lovers alike.

It’s easy to see tea as a simple commodity; a utilitarian item you keep on hand for occasional enjoyment and/or health benefits. It’s so easy to forget what went into giving you the perfect cup of tea that you may … Continue reading →