Tea processing is the most important quantifier when determining or producing a tea type. Green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea and post-fermented teas all begin as fresh camellia sinensis leaves and go through different processing steps. While there are an infinite number of variations that result in an infinite number of [...]
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Have you ever wondered why Japanese green teas are so green? And why Chinese green teas are not as bright green, but are typically yellower? The reasoning lies in the processing steps for each tea and in particular the “kill-green” step of the processing some tea types. The term kill-green is derived from the Mandarin [...]
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The definition of green tea in it’s simplest and most generalized form is a tea that is made up of leaves that were prevented from oxidizing, shaped and then dried. However, green teas are not unoxidized. No tea is truly unoxidized because tea leaves begin to slowly wither and oxidize the moment they are plucked, something [...]
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Oxidation is a chemical process that results in the browning of tea leaves and the production of flavor and aroma compounds in finished teas, oxidation is also responsible for the browning of some fruits and vegetables when they are cut open including potatoes, apples, and avocados. Controlled oxidation usually begins after tea leaves are rolled [...]
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The moment a tea leaf is plucked from the tea plant, it begins to wither or wilt. The amount of this unavoidable, uncontrolled wither the leaves experience depends on how much time elapses from the time the leaves are plucked in the field until the leaves reach their destination and they are further processed and the [...]
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Why re-steep? Why not? Re-steeping tea really brings out the value of a tea, you can get many servings of tea from just one serving of leaves. More bang for your buck, and you get to taste the tea as it develops from steep to steep. Before you re-steep: If you are going to be [...]
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Yerba mate is a tree. Not a tall one, but a moderately tall tree. In the farms they are not that big because they are pruned to make it easier to harvest, a similar method is used with the camellia sinensis plant for harvesting tea. The natives of this area, the Guaranies, discovered that they [...]
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So many times I meet people that have been told erroneous information about tea. I have met countless people searching for certain teas that will cure certain disorders, from sleep apnea to arthritis. I drink tea because it tastes good, tea is not a medicine to me, and I don’t believe in selling tea as [...]
read more »Tea Geek Basics of Tea: 6-Part Course – April 3, 2011 Michael J. Coffey of Tea Geek joins us in April for this one-day, 6-part tea primer course. Enroll now, as there are only 12 spots. Every student receives a gaiwan, a yixing pot, and tea samples. Sign up here. A Course on Steeping Chinese [...]
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From Wonderlane’s Flickr Monks have been drinking tea for thousands of years to maintain a state of “mindful alertness” during long periods of meditation. But only in the last few years have studies shed light on why tea has this effect on the mind. The two elements responsible for this are caffeine and L-theanine, and [...]
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