Black Tea
Black tea undergoes a full fermentation process composed of four
basic steps - withering, rolling, fermenting, and firing (or drying).
First, the plucked leaves are spread out to wither. The withered
leaves are then rolled, in order to release the chemicals within the
leaf that are essential to its final color and flavor. The rolled leaves
are spread out once more to absorb oxygen (oxidize), causing the
leaves to turn from green to coppery red. Finally, the oxidized leaves
are fired in order to arrest fermentation, turning the leaf black and
giving it the recognizable tea scent.
White Tea
Workers start picking early in the day and usually return to the
processing factory around mid-day. These freshly harvested leaves
are spread out on racks and left to wither for 14 to 24 hours. During
this withering process, the leaves become soft and pliable loosing
much of their water weight due to evaporation.
Green Tea
Green tea is often referred to as "unfermented" tea. The freshly
picked leaves are allowed to dry, then are heat-treated to stop any
fermentation (also referred to as oxidation). In China, traditional
hand-making methods are still employed in many places, particularly
in the manufacture of the finest green teas you'll find offered here.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is generally referred to as "semi-fermented" tea and is
principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (often called
Formosa, its old Dutch name). For the manufacture of oolongs, the
leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then shaken in bamboo baskets
to lightly bruise the edges. Next, the leaves are spread out to dry
until the surface of the leaf turns slightly yellow. Oolongs are always
whole leaf teas, never broken by rolling. The least fermented of
oolong teas, almost green in appearance, is called Pouchong.
Pu-erh Tea
In ancient times of China, Pu-erh Prefecture (now Pu-erh County)
included Xishuangbanna, Simao and Lincang areas of Yunnan,
where many famous tea mountains were located. Pu-erh was an
important town in southern Yunnan and also the largest market for
tea trade. Tea produced in these areas was therefore called “Pu-erh
Tea”.
Pu-erh tea is made by using the tender leaves of large leaf tea as its
raw material. This variety of tea has large leaves and grows high. Its
inner quality is the best. Pu-erh tea can be picked almost all the year
round. The best ones are those picked in the spring and autumn.
According to its different processing methods, Pu-erh tea can be
divided into three groups: Pu-erh special tea, Pu-erh green tea and
Yunnan black tea. It also can be classified into two types by its shape:
Pu-erh compressed tea and loose tea.
Most of our teas are hand made and organic teas. They come from
the south west mountain regions of Yunnan, where fertile soil and
misty condition are suitable for growing large leaf tea. The unique
traditional techniques from ancestors in tea preparing makes our
teas taste different and great.
Chai
Chai is virtually the mainstay of Indian Culture. Even when fresh
cold drinking water cannot be found you will inevitably encounter a
"chai wallah", or chai seller yelling, "Chayee! Chayee!" On a personal
level, Chai produces a warm soothing effect and engenders a
wonderfully calming aspect on the body. Brew Chai piping hot with
some sugar so that you can experience the incredible flavor of all
the exotic spices. 4 oz makes approx. 40-50 cups loose Chai.
Rooibos
Rooibos is only grown in a small area in the Cederberg region of the
Western Cape province. Generally, the leaves are oxidized or
fermented to produce the distinctive reddish-brown color, but
unfermented "green" rooibos is also produced. In South Africa it is
more usual to drink rooibos with milk and sugar, but elsewhere it is
usually served without. The flavor of rooibos tea is often described as
being sweet (without sugar added) and slightly nutty. Preparation of
rooibos tea is essentially the same as black tea save that the flavor is
improved by longer brewing. The resulting brew is a reddish brown
color, perhaps explaining why rooibos is sometimes referred to as
"red tea." Rooibos is becoming more popular in Western countries
particularly amongst health-conscious consumers, who appreciate it
for its high level of antioxidants and lack of caffeine. Recently in
South Africa several coffee shops began selling red espresso, which
is concentrated rooibos served and presented in the style of ordinary
espresso (which is normally coffee based). This has given rise to
rooibos related variations of coffee drinks like red lattes and red
cappuccinos.
Mate
A very healthy herbal beverage from Argentina What do you get
when you combine half the caffeine of coffee with a powerful dose
of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutirients? You get an
effect known as mateine. Someone who drinks mate is said to be
‘mateado’. The possible translations include happy, awake, and
energized. All you need is a straw, a gourd, and a community of
friends and family. Yerba Mate is an evergreen shrub of the holly
family, “Ilex Paraguariensis” is a native plant to Northern Argentina,
but from Brazil to Patagonia Mate is the drink of choice for
stimulation, nutrition and social gatherings.many It’s name literally
means, “Herb of the Cup”. It has a very “earthy” flavor and texture to
it.
Herbal Tea
A tisane, ptisan or herbal "tea" is any herbal infusion other than from
the leaves of the tea bush (Camellia sinensis). The English word
"tisane" originated from the Greek word πτισάνη (ptisanē), a drink
made from pearl barley.
Tisanes can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or
roots, generally by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and
letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be
boiled on a stove. The tisane is then strained, sweetened if so
desired, and served. Many companies produce herbal tea bags for
such infusions. The term is most often used to refer to linden (lime
leaf) tea.
Many blends of real tea are prepared by adding other plants to an
actual tea (black, oolong, green, yellow or white tea); for example,
the popular Earl Grey tea is black tea with bergamot. Such
preparations are varieties of tea, not tisanes.
| Types of Tea |
