Tea Time for the Garden

I love tea. (No news there).

I also love to garden organically, started a compost pile a few years back, and have an on going love affair with not only my camellia bushes (the cousins to the tea bush camellia sinensis) but with my roses as well.

2 weeks ago (with the help of a friend/geologist) we planted 29 Double knockout rose bushes along the perimeter of my yard to make a natural barrier/fence. Next year it should be a spectacular display of fushia-red.  I also have 2 climbing rose bushes up against the house making their way up an iron trellis that leans against the fireplace. They will be relocated in the spring to the back garden to (hopefully) grow up my new deck/pergola. I can’t contain my delight at the idea of tea on the deck, under my pergola with roses and grape vines (and anything else I can get to grow and climb) hovering overhead like a green and red umbrella.

Double Knockout Rose

I haven’t had too much trouble with my roses and I believe it is in part due to the enormous amount of tea they drink. That’s right, I’m not the only tea drinker in the house. My roses bushes enjoy tea time as well and must be benefiting from the polyphenols and antioxidants in the tea leaves. Actually, what they are receiving is a boost of nitrogen. I sprinkle my mass amount of dry and wet tea leaves around the base of my acid loving plants, including tomatoes and watch them grow and bloom joyfully. Did you know that roses and tea had a natural affinity for each other? It’s true.

I have been known to secretly feed my neighbors roses with tea leaves and left over brewed tea from my farmers markets. Needless to say, he’s got some of the most amazing blooms on the block as well. I fancy myself the pied piper of tea and secret midnight rose feeder. I’m like a tea/rose super hero… by day sipping cups and cups of tea… by night tea-watering and sprinkling used tea leaves wherever I find a rose bush. Maybe I could parlay that into some kind of Halloween costume? But what would it look like? Ideas welcome.

Anyway… we can all do our part with sustainability and recycling so don’t throw those hard working used tea leaves in the trash or down the sink! Step outside and feed your garden. Even nature deserves a tea break.

Sip tea. Tip toe through the rose bushes. Feel happy!

The Skinny on Green Tea and Weight Loss

I’m asked all the time: “Will drinking Green tea or Oolong tea help me lose weight?” My answer has been: “There is some evidence that they can assist in the metabolism of fat in the body. I can say with certainty that if you stop eating and only drink tea, you will lose weight.”

Here is the more scientific version recently published by the British Journal of Nutrition, FirstView Articles. Copyright © The Authors 2011. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511003849 (About DOI) Published online: 2011

“Tea has been consumed across the globe for centuries, comprising a significant proportion of the habitual diet of many far eastern countries. While its origins have been traced to China, it is now thought to be the second most consumed beverage in the world^(1,2). It is manufactured from the leaf and bud of the plant Camellia sinensis, with the manufacturing process determining the type of tea produced, ranging from ‘fermented’ black and red teas, through ‘semi-fermented’ Oolong, to ‘non-fermented’ Green tea.

The black colour and bitter taste in black tea results from the oxidation of a group of chemicals termed ‘polyphenols’ (also known as catechins) by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. This oxidative reaction is avoided in green tea where the drying and steaming processes employed inactivate this enzyme⁽¹⁾. Sparing these polyphenols is thought crucial to the many health benefits attributed to green tea over the centuries. A growing body of literature has emerged in the last three decades on an apparent plethora of benefits supposedly hidden in this relatively widespread and inexpensive beverage, included among which are anti-obesogenic⁽³⁾, anti-diabetic⁽⁴⁾, anti-carcinogenic⁽⁵⁾, anti-bacterial⁽⁶⁾ and anti-viral properties⁽⁷⁾. In the present review I will concentrate on the first of these: the effects of green tea ingestion on energy expenditure (EE) and fat metabolism. In 1999, a paper was released demonstrating an apparent increase in EE in human subjects over 24 h, resulting from green tea administration⁽⁸⁾. Publications such as this have since led pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers to rush to incorporate green tea extract (GTE) into ‘fat-stripping’ weight management pills and protein shakes aimed at gym goers, athletes and the general public. The value of such a discovery was immediately apparent, both medically and within the domain of sports nutrition and gym use, with sports and fitness magazines such as Men’s Health relaying this information to their readers⁽⁹⁾. Were this property of a very cheap commodity verified, it would imply a lucrative market in weight management supplements.

In the present review I aim to evaluate the validity of the evidence which seeks to corroborate these ‘fat burning’ and anti-obesogenic properties of green tea, considering its potential applications, along with a synthesis of putative modes of action…”
READ THE ENTIRE STUDY HERE…

Sip green tea. Feel happy… and skinny?

10 facts about Teas from Kenya

“Kenya has a love affair with their land and takes great pride in farming” – David Walker

If you haven’t tried tea from this part of the world, you are missing out on something special. I had the pleasure of attending a World Origin Tea Tasting at the World Tea Expo East in Philadelphia and Kenya was represented. Here are 10 interesting facts you may not have know Kenya and its teas:

1. 1903  – Kenya tea production begins
2. Assamica is the varietal used and it produces a beautiful red color in the cup as opposed to a golden color
3. 300 tons of CTC tea is produced a year
4. Tea is the #1 foreign exchange for Kenya
5. $67 billing shillings earned from tea export
6. Tea is mainly grown by small scale farmers
7. There are 550,000 tea farmers in Kenya
8. Tea affects 3 million people in Africa
9. Orthodox teas are better for farmer wages
10. Best paid tea farmers in the world are Kenyan.

I tried a few teas during the tasting but the two that stood out was a brilliant white tea called White Whisper and Grandpa’s Anytime, CTC Black tea.

White Whisper dry and wet leaf

“White Whisper” Orthodox White Tea: An absolute delight. Light and floral with hints of fruit, there was no bitterness or astringency. The color in the cup was almost clear which made it even more surprising when I tasted the liquor and was surprised by the lovely flavor. “This tea placed in the top 5 at the 2011 North American Tea Championship. White Whisper ranked 5th as the only white orthodox tea from Africa to be placed . “White Whisper” was rated as “Very Good: a tea with superior characteristics.” -Joy Njguna, Royal Tea of Kenya

Arthur, the oldest tea man in the world

Grandpa’s Anytime Tea, CTC black tea: The name of this tea is in honor of Arthur, the oldest tea farmer in the world (111years).  His life story about how his family contributed to political and economic change in Kenya is humbling and I believe is being considered for a book and/or documentary. Grandpa’s tea is simply out of this world. Strong, bold and without bitterness – amazing flavor for a CTC.  Though I dont take tea with milk, this tea can hold its own. Its just the kick one needs to get the day started and makes for a lovely breakfast tea.

We feel fortunate to be among the few who will be carrying these two teas, which should be arriving any day so keep checking back on our site!

Support farmers. Sip tea. Feel happy!

All TeaTravlers Are Not Created Equal

The best "to-go" infuser mug we've tested

You know how picky I am about anything related to tea (though many of my peeps would argue that Im that way about everything).

I recently came across what I believe is the best TeaTraveler anywhere. And Ive tested many. Maybe even every single one on the market. Am I obsessive about tea-to-go? I think we all know the answer to that question. What I like about this one is that you can stop the brewing of the leaves by simply lifting the lever which raises the mesh basket. Brilliant!  With many of the others, the leaves just sit in the water and keep steeping making the tea stronger and at times more bitter. And for me, that’s just not a fun cup of tea.

So, here’s the low-down on this super-fabulous-super-functional-meets-excellent-form TeaTraveler that I adore so much, I’m not going to carry it on our Pearl Fine Teas website.

The leak-proof infuser lid with stainless mesh basket and silicone gasket brews loose tea perfectly because you can stop the steeping!  Cup keeps beverages hot or cold for up to one hour, and fits most car cup holders.

• Polycarbonate exterior
• BPA-free Eastman Tritan interior
• Polypropylene, stainless mesh and silicone lid
• Body is dishwasher- and microwave-safe; lid is top-rack dishwasher-safe
• Do not microwave lid, in fact, do not microwave water for tea. It kills the oxygen in the water leading to a dead cup of tea.
• Made in China (of course)
• Retail: $20.00

Our quantities are limited, so order now and we’ll ship when they arrive. You won’t be unhappy with this fabulous product. I’ve been carrying mine everywhere I go…

Sip tea. Feel happy with your new infuser!

Indian Teas: Facts and Personality Traits

While at the World Tea East Expo in Philadelphia we learned some interesting facts from Devan Shah, President of ITI. Did you know that…

1. Tea bushes were discovered growing wild in Assam in 1836
2. 12 chests of tea were sent as the very first shipment to London in 1839
3. First tea auction was held in India in 1861
4. India became the largest exporter of tea to Britain in 1899

Devan described the teas of India like its regions and the people who live there. Very interesting concept…

Assam: The Strong One “If strength is your weakness, Assam is your tea”

• The teas are like the people: bold, robust, harsh and aggressive
• Birth place of Indian Teas
• Worlds single largest tea growing region
• Worlds most used tea
• 900,000,000 lbs of tea is produced yearly
• Is a very large leaf like the teas in Yunnan, China

Darjeeling: The Exotic One

• Known as the Champagne of Teas
• The people of Darjeeling are peaceful, are low spoken, soft and feel like they live in Nirvana on top of the world
• 80 + tea gardens located in the misty section of North-East India
• Himalaya Mountains
• Borders Nepal
• 7500 ft elevation
• 1st Flush is called “Easter Flush”
  • Europe/Germany are the largest buyers of 1st flush teas but Japan is showing strong interest as well
  • Flavors are often vegetal, green, mild, and astringent
• 2nd Flush (Spring)
  • Rains start to arrive until June/July
  • Some of the best Darjeelings are produced during this time of year
  • The green leaf hopper (similar to Taiwan) is part of what makes Darjeeling have the muscatel flavor
  • Very attractive tea with purplish browns, greens and silver tips
  • Coppery infused leaf has a penny color like a fine wine
• Monsoon Flush
  • Rain teas, produced and picked every 4 days
  • Enormous leaf
  • Produced from Mid-July to October
  • Has more color and strength then other flushes
  • More abundant and often used in blends
• Autumnal Flush
  • Light copper, brownish with a malty aroma
  • Produced late October – November

Nilgiri (Blue Mountains): The Forgiving One

• First teas planted in 1859
• Like the people of South India: intelligent and peaceful
• You can’t over steep a Nilgiri tea
• One of the best teas to use to make a chai concentrate
• Less tannins and doesn’t cloud which makes it perfect for iced tea
• Has overtones of a 2nd Flush Darjeeling but cost is less
• 8500 ft altitude and grown year round but best time is Oct – Mar
• Nilgiri is the only Communist state left in India

Which tea region do you most associate with? Are you a bold Assam character? Are you more gentle like a Darjeeling? More forgiving like a cup of tea from the Nilgiri region? Something to think about as you brew that magical cup of Indian tea.

Sip tea. Feel Happy!

An Obsession with Teacups…

…who’s with me?

I absolutely love a beautiful teacup. The minute I see one, I begin to visualize what tea I’ll be sipping and the mood I’ll be in as I look down at that sweet work of art. I recently purchased a stunning cup from a vendor on eBay out of Canada who has just about the best collection of vintage cups I’ve seen. Have a look at my growing collection below, and if you are a collector as well… post some of your favorites to our Facebook page!

Spode, Camellia (England,Produced from 1962-1985)

Coalport Ruby Fuchia Floral (England)

Shelley, Black Fawn Print by Late Foley. Pattern #8414 (England)

Royal Bayreuth (Germany)

Minton “Sinclair” Pattern – Reg.#696314 (England c.1923)

Crown Staffordshire

Aynsley Art Deco with Small Flower Bunches (England c.1934+)

Minton Bute (c.1878)

Double Warrent Marking Paragon, H.M. Queen Mary (England, c.1938-1952)

Paragon Roses & Daisies

Aynsley, Bird of Paradise (England c. 1934)

Aynsley Pagoda Rose (England c.1922) Registration#694635.

Paragon (England)

Crown Staffordshire, Rare Ellesmere pattern in Pink (England)

Star Paragon “Paisley” (England c.1921)

pro·cras·TEA ·nate

procrasTEAnating with a cup of rooibos

Procrastinate: (verb)
1. to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
2. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

ProcrasTEAnate: (verb)
1. to defer action; delay; put off till another day or time; defer; in order to enjoy and spend time with tea.

I’ve coined a new word. And I’m going to use it every chance I get to explain why I am behind or delayed: I am merely spending time with tea… a rather lovely noun whos company I prefer to other things. Even the important things.

I realized today that I had never looked up the word “tea” in the dictionary. Below is what I found out. (notice numbers 6 and 9).

tea (noun)

1. the dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, Camellia Sinensis,  from which a somewhat bitter, aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water.

2. the shrub itself, extensively cultivated in China, Japan, India, etc., and having fragrant white flowers.  Compare tea family.

3. the beverage so prepared, served hot or iced.

4. any kind of leaves, flowers, etc., so used, or any plant yielding them.

5. any of various infusions prepared from the leaves, flowers, etc., of other plants, and used as beverages or medicines.

6. beef bouillon.

7. British. any meal, whether a light snack or one consisting of several courses, eaten in the late afternoon or in the evening; any meal other than dinner, eaten after the middle of the afternoon.

8. an afternoon reception at which tea is served.

9. Slang. marijuana.

It’s important to know that I have procrasTEAnated with my blog posts lately, but managed to finish this today. However, I am now procrasTEAnating with a cup of Rooibos (which is not tea) as I review the growing pile of things on my desk that need to be completed today and not put off until tomorrow… What do you think I’ll do?

… sip… sip… sip….

“Where theres tea theres hope.”

Our hearts are heavy with sadness and worry for the people Japan from the recent  earthquake/tsunami rampage. Having met so many wonderful people on our tea buying trip last fall, it is especially upsetting to see the level of devastation. We’ve reached out to many of our friends and most (but not all) have let us know that they are ok.

If you follow us on Facebook, you already know our pledge to donate 20% of sales from our Japanese Green teas to the American Red Cross and  searchdogfoundation.org. Given the magnitude of the crisis, we will increase our donation to 40% from now until May 11, 2011. We hope you will consider purchasing from us and we ask that you please pass this email on to others who may be interested in tea and in helping us help Japan.

Arigatou gozaimasu. (Thank you.)

White Tea and Caffeine

Im pausing and digressing for a moment instead of posting Day 4 of my Taiwan/Japan tea adventure. Here is why…

There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there on white tea and its caffeine content. Most people, it seems, believe that it has the lowest. This is simply not true. It can be quite a challenge as a Tea Purveyor to tell people that white tea does, in fact, have a very high amount of caffeine. But because we can do a quick Google search and find information to the contrary, people believe it. Here is an example: http://www.whiteteacentral.com/caffeinewhitetea.html

My first encounter with the “white tea – caffeine” debate was a few years back while I was at an expo. A gentleman had come up to my booth and asked to buy some white tea because he only drank teas without caffeine and herbals because of his religion. He was a Mormon. I tried to explain to him that it did have a lot and that he should stick to herbals. He insisted he was right and went home to look it up on the web, came back the next day and said I was wrong. What could I do? Argue with a Mormon and force him to buy herbals?

My next experience was recently at a local shopping mall. I stepped into a tea store to grab some hot tea. It was around 7pm and I needed something hot and herbal. I tried a couple of samples and decided on one but asked them not to include the white tea that it was blended with. I only wanted the Rooibos blend. Here is how this played out:

The salesgirl, who had extensive training in tea (she said a week) said: “Why not have the white tea? It will relax you.”
I said, “If its white tea, it has a lot of caffeine. I doubt Ill be relaxed.”

She said, “No white tea has the lowest caffeine of all the teas because of how its made. The steaming takes the caffeine out.”
I seriously just blinked in disbelief.

I said, “I’ll just take the herbal infusion.”
She said, “Are you sure about that? You wont get any health benefits from just herbal tea.”
I said, “Why is that?”
She said, “Because herbal teas only have vitamin C.”

I felt like Daffy Duck, looking at the camera with that stare of disbelief. I said, “I think Im fine with just having Vitamin C tonight.” I glanced up at the wall of tea and asked her what the most expensive one was.  She said that it was a Monkey Picked tea and brought it over for me to smell.

I said, “Ah yes, Monkey Picked…”
She said, “Yes the reason its called that is because Monkey Picked means that its won championships.”

The Monkey Picked comment I’ll just skip for another blog post and just keep on track with the White Tea – Caffeine Debate. I decided to go the one man I knew would have the correct information: Nigel Melican of TeaCraft. My question to him was:

“Nigel, what is the latest word on the caffeine levels in white tea? Im getting bombarded with questions and conflicting information about this. So many are saying its the lowest. I remember you saying its quite high. Can you help?”

His response is below. Take heed people. Nigel knows his stuff.

“No, despite those who would prefer otherwise, white tea is the highest in caffeine content – the younger and smaller and fresher the bud and the less processing – the higher the caffeine, whatever the color of the tea. It’s facts. It’s sci…ence. It’s indisputable!

Richard Enticott (President & CEO of Martin Bauer US, Inc.) spoke at World Tea Expo 2010 and presented data for caffeine content based on 30 years of caffeine analyses of tea (tens of thousands of actual analyses on actual tea). He says caffeine in China white needles tea is typically over 7% – and this matches my own findings.For another treatment of caffeine with some typical amounts in black tea see:

http://chadao.blogspot.com/2008/02/caffeine-and-tea-myth-and-reality.html

For a comparison of black, green and white tea caffeine – the best single reference I know is “Characterization of White Tea – Comparison to green and black tea” Y Hilal and U Engelhardt. J. Verbr. Lebensm. 2 (2007) 414-421. The authors are in the Dept. Food Chem, University of Braunshweig, Germany. Around 160 tea brands were sampled from across the German retail market  They show for caffeine:

• Black tea (50 teas) average 3.5% (range 2.0 – 5.4%)
• Green tea set 1 (50 teas) average 3.4% (range 1.5 – 5.2%)
• Green tea set 2 (30 teas) average 2.9% (range 1.7 – 2.9%)
• White tea (30 teas) average 4.9% (range 3.4 – 5.7%)

A rare website that has accurate data is: http://ratetea.net/topic/caffeine-content-of-tea/21/ on this basis I commend it to you. – Nigel at Teacraft

Thank you Nigel!

Taiwan Day 3: Oolong Bootcamp, Buddhist Lunch and a Typhoon

Tzu-Xin Tea Farm in Pouchong Tea District

Don’t let the photos of the upcoming week fool you. This is not a tea tour. This is oolong bootcamp. Proper shoes, dress, electronic equipment, notebooks, hats, bug spray, extra vitamins, (and for me… dramamine) is in order.

We officially kicked off the 3rd Annual TOST: Taiwanese Oolong Study Tour (my 2nd time) last night with a welcome ceremony by the TTMA and it fearless tea leaders: Jackson Huang, Norman Shu, Ted Fan, and Thomas Shu. We all introduced ourselves and talked about our passion for tea and why we signed up for this kind of adventure. (Little do these TOST: Rookies know, but the week ahead will be filled with long bus rides, mounds of information and late nights processing tea.) After introductions and a look at the different cultivars we are studying, we headed out to our welcome dinner, which will be one of the many enormous, sometimes lavish meals we will have during the week. Of the 17 of us in the group this year, only 3 of us are TOST: veterans: me, Bob Krul and my pal Ken Rudee, Chairman of STI.

In the garden learning from Thomas and Mr. Yang

So this lovely Monday morning begins (for me) with a little hotel room yoga, High Mountain Oolong tea and a hot bubble bath. It gets better… Breakfast is next and includes rice, bok choy, eggs, apple banana’s and miso soup. It gets even better…

As we pile into our giant rock-star sized bus, our first stop is: Tzu-Xin Tea Farm in Pouchong Tea District which I believe is managed by the Taipei County Tea Farmers Association. Basically, the association makes sure to promote and educate the public about Pouchong Teas and the benefits of organics in tea.  As we arrive, it’s a bit misty and there are sprinkles of rain from the approaching typhoon – which means its time to pull out the umbrella. (Because an umbrella always works in a typhoon, right?)

Buddha's Palm Leaf

We were greeted by the friendly and knowledgeable Mr. Yang and spent the morning in the garden learning about proper tea bush propagation and looking at different types of cultivars. One of my favorites (because of the size) is called Buddha’s palm. Did Siddhartha have giant hands? I wonder…

Tasting organic teas during the presentation

After further exploration and working up an appetite, we were invited to lunch. It was heartwarming to be greated by volunteers of a Buddhist organization working with the Tzu-Xin (mercy heart) Tea Farm who worked to create wonderful vegetarian dishes, many of which were prepared with tea. It was hard to control myself and not go back for 2nds and 3rds!  “Mercy Heart” encourages members to promote the benefits of a healthy environment (ie: organic teas) and live a life that is happy, healthy and promotes charity in line with their mission. They support local tea farmers and conversion to organic practices. I loved the spirit, energy and overwhelming generosity of these people.

As we sat and listened to their presentation about how all of this is accomplished, we were greeted with building wind and rain. Yes, the first typhoon was heading our way. The sound of the rain coming down onto the trees and leaves was soothing to me. Yes, the danger of a typhoon loomed, but the magic and mystery of an afternoon exploring tea fields, dining on a glorious vegetarian lunch prepared by Buddhists and sipping organic tea trumps the rain.

Saying "XieXie" and goodbye to one of the lovely volunteers

That very rain is what caused us to skip our scheduled walk through a converted organic tea garden, but quite frankly, I didn’t mind. I never tire of far away tea gardens. I never tire of meeting new TeaPeople in far away places. And I never take for granted the good fortune that lead me into this weird, wonderful world of tea.

Sip tea, people. And feel the love and happiness from the people who made it… just for you.