Tea Lover's Guide

How should I brew tea?

When brewing tea, always start with fresh, cold water and high quality tea. For hot tea: Heat water to just below a boil (boiled water tastes flat) and pour over tea. Use about 1 teaspoon of tea (or 1 teabag) for each 6 oz. of water. Allow tea to steep for 3–5 minutes, strain, and serve. For hot brewed iced tea: Brew tea, using 2 tsp. of tea (or 2 teabags) for each 6 oz. of water, and then dilute with an equal amount of cold water. Refrigerate and serve over ice. For cold brewed iced tea: Pour cold water over tea, refrigerate for 4–10 hours (check occasionally for strength), and strain. Use 1 tsp. of tea (or 1 teabags) for each 6 oz. of cold water. This tea will stay clear, unlike hot brewed iced tea which often clouds as it cools.

How should I store tea, and how long will it stay fresh?

Tea is sensitive to oxygen, time, moisture, light, and heat. These will make the tea stale. Tea should be stored in an airtight, opaque container to limit exposure to oxygen and light. The container should be kept away from heat and moisture. Tea should not be exposed to any extreme temperatures, and should not be frozen or refrigerated. Flavored and scented teas should be kept away from nonflavored teas to prevent the nonflavored teas from picking up the flavors and scents. Most tea will be stable for about six months to a year. Darker colored or more tightly rolled teas will stay fresh longer than lighter colored or more loosely rolled teas.

Where does tea come from?

Black, green, and oolong teas all come from one plant—the Camellia sinensis. Tea is an evergreen shrub that can grow to 60 feet tall in the wild. Tea is indigenous to China, Tibet, and northern India, but grows now in many parts of the world from the equator to about 42°N. Tea grows best in tropical and subtropical climates with warm temperatures, shade, and 80–100 inches of rain each year. The best teas grow at an elevation of 3000–6000 feet above sea level where the slightly cooler temperatures cause the leaves to grow more slowly, giving them better flavor. Tea is cultivated on farms called tea plantations or tea gardens. In the gardens, the bushes are kept pruned short for the convenience of the workers. A flush is when new leaves and buds appear on the tea bush. Tea will have different numbers of flushes depending on where it is grown. In areas that are warm all year, the tea will flush all year long and can be harvested every week or two. In cooler and dryer areas tea might only flush once each year. A tea bush needs to be at least three years old and three feet tall before it can be harvested. Tea pluckers will take only the top two leaves and the bud when they harvest the tea. The larger, older leaves beneath this new growth have a much harsher taste and should not be picked. All teas must be processed immediately after the leaves are picked to prevent them from rotting, so tea gardens usually each have their own processing facilities so the tea does not need to be transported any further than necessary before it is processed.

Why do teas taste different from one another?

Different teas taste different because of the local conditions where they were grown and because of differences in processing and manufacturing. The basic difference between the three processing methods is that green teas are unfermented, the oolongs are semi-fermented, and the black teas are fully fermented. In appearance, the green teas will generally have the lightest color, both as loose tea and brewed. Green teas will generally have the mildest, most grassy flavors, oolongs will have stronger flavors and fuller body, and black teas will usually be the strongest tasting. However, due to differences in growing and processing, there can be tremendous variation in flavor even within a category.

How are green teas produced?

Green tea is produced by first panfiring or steaming the leaves. This process exposes the tea to heat that destroys the enzymes that would otherwise have caused fermentation and the leaves become soft and wilted. They are then rolled into the desired shape and are finally fired to remove excess moisture. Green tea has only 2% of the original moisture of the leaf.

How are black teas processed?

To prepare black tea, workers begin by withering the leaves to make them soft and rolling them to bruise them, breaking cell walls and allowing enzymes within the leaves to have contact with the surrounding air. The enzymes interact with the oxygen in the air in a process called oxidation or fermentation. During fermentation, chemical changes occur in the leaves that cause them to change to a darker color and to have the flavor of black tea. A skilled worker in the tea factory will determine when the tea is sufficiently fermented by its look, feel, and smell, taking into consideration how that particular sort of tea should taste when it is finished. To stop the fermentation, the tea is heated in a process called firing. Firing can be done by means of a mechanical dryer, or by using baskets or metal pans over a heat source, which could even be actual fire. Firing not only stops fermentation, but also dries the tea leaves and makes them stable and ready for sorting, grading, packing, and finally shipping to their purchaser.

How are oolong teas processed?

Oolong tea is prepared by a relatively new process developed on Formosa (Taiwan) in the middle of the 19^th century. The tea is placed in shallow baskets in the sun for a combined withering and fermentation. The baskets are shaken periodically to bruise the edges of the leaves and release enzymes so that the edges of the leaves ferment more quickly than the centers. When the tea has oxidized enough, the process is stopped by firing, just as in preparing black teas.

What are herbal teas?

Herbal teas are not truly teas. They do not come from the Camellia sinensis, but instead come from many different herbs. Herbal teas can also be called herbal infusions or tisanes. They can be brewed and enjoyed in the same manner as tea. They can also be blended with tea. While all true teas contain caffeine, most herbal teas do not.