A World in a Teacup

 

Anyone who is asked what their favourite cup of tea is, always knows!  It could be a passing whim, but usually it’s the old faithful.  Maybe you have a penchant for going green or maybe you like it light?  Or perhaps you are one of those who can’t go past a nice strong cup of tea (often a tea bag will do) with milk and sugar to sink one’s teeth into or stand a teaspoon in!  Sometimes one might choose a tea that suits their mood?  Or even more sophisticated, one that suits their food! 

I can’t quite go past a Darjeeling from India – it’s not quite black but not quite green either but has characteristics of both.  It’s got oomph but it’s also delicate.  It’s refreshing but has substance. It has depth but is light. 

Darjeeling has elegance and style.

Tea is such an individual but universal thing – it can be enjoyed in quiet solitude, or shared with a colleague, close friend or a lover.  It means lots of things to lots of people and carries you across the globe within seconds of taking your first sip.  Are you able to inhale the mist from a rocky outcrop?  Perhaps you can imagine yourself in a cafe in Paris dunking madeleines in a cup of thick syrupy tea?  Maybe you might find yourself drinking in the downpour of a hot Monsoon rain and running for cover to the smell of boiling milky chai?  Or you maybe you can escape amidst a field of jasmine flowers enjoying all the heady senses?

Hint: Next time you sit down to your favourite cup of tea, drink it with all your senses.  Make it a sensorial experience.  Each cup offers you a worldly adventure – see it as a ticket with no set destination as having already been paid.

Words and image contributed by Tea Master, Suzi van Middelkoop from Tea by the Sea  

Tea - A Taste Sensation

Tea is one the most consumed beverages in the world and comes from every lush corner of the world.  It is harvested under strict conditions and the way it is processed ensures the integrity of the leaf and flavour remains.  Sometimes you can taste the rain, the warmth, the dew and mist.  Sometimes you taste the moist earth and cool rock from where it has grown.  If you are lucky you might even taste the ocean spray from a few miles away.  This is what is referred to as terroir  - a French word used to describe the "geography, geology and climate" of where the tea is grown. 

If you are after a robust and malty cup, try an Assam from India.  This is a tea that offers a smooth palate with no rough edges or hint of tannin – you can taste the sun and monsoon rain.  If you are after a light floral perhaps you might like to try a delicate Tie Kuan Yin from China or a milky oolong from Thailand – you can taste the lush, green flowery notes.  Or maybe try the shade grown Kyroguro from Japan and enjoy its vibrant, marine tinged savoury profile.

Hint: Next time you are choosing a tea – close your eyes while taking in the smell of the dry leaf and then drink in the aroma of the brew.  See where it takes you...

-  Words and images from Tea by the Sea – Tea Master, Suzi van Middelkoop

It's All In The Leaves

 

One of the lovely things about reading leaves is the opportunity to sit quietly with your cuppa.  There is a sense of calm and a feeling that comes over you much like your soul taking a deep breath from the inside.  You cradle the cup in your hands and feel its warmth extend from your fingertips to the palms of your hand. You drink in the aroma and watch the steam rising elegantly from the cup, coming somewhere from its source.  From a moment of reverie you look up at the person you are reading for and note as they hold the cup to their heart, their eyes are closed and a relaxed expression on their face.  Sometime even a smile.  The tea does that to you.

Tea leaf reading is a dying art so one I feel very privileged to have been taught. My teacher and mentor taught me the ancient ritual of turning the cup.  The cup is turned several times for love, money and wishes and then turned over to reveal an array of wonderful pictures.  It never ceases to amaze me the pictures the leaves are able to create which all help us put things into perspective.  Sometimes there are lots of pictures.  Sometimes there is only one predominant image.  Each cup is as unique as the person being read for.  I am always in awe that I am there to share that with people.  Reading and receiving a reading is special. 

Hint: Try reading your own cup at home and learn to see the pictures.  It’s like cloud watching – see what wonderful image forms in yours.  Use a large leaf tea with golden tips for the best results.

Words and photo contributed by Suzi van Middelkoop
Certified Tea Master and owner of Tea by the Sea

Tea Tastes Better in a Teacup

When most people think of tea – they usually think about a nice strong cup of black tea (usually English or Irish Breakfast) with a touch of milk and two sugars. The kettle boils, the trusty teabag goes in the mug and is left there while the brew gets stronger and darker. The teabag is rescued after about five minutes and every last drop of water squished out of the bag as it is wrapped around the teaspoon and squeezed to an inch of its death. Usually a slurp or two is taken while we madly rush around doing other things at the same time.

Tea has made a long and sometimes arduous journey to offer you its brew. Wouldn’t it make sense to take the time to really enjoy that cup? In order to do that, let’s start with a cup, not a mug. Maybe you already have a favourite one hiding in the cupboard that you never use, or it only comes out at special occasions? Make today a special occasion! Drinking real tea out of a cup and saucer brings life to your tea. If you don’t own one, make it your mission to find the perfect one for you. Find yours at a market, the op shop, a department store, online or maybe even ask your gran – she’d be delighted.

Hint: Surprise yourself, and enjoy a new ritual - brew a pot, sit down and drink in a moment of calm – just you and your cup.

Words and photo by Suzi van Middelkoop
Certified Tea Master and owner of Tea by the Sea.
 

For the Love of Tea

I have a love affair with tea. I love how it looks, I love how it smells, I love how it tastes. I even love the ritual of getting there.

I can hear the water coming to a soft rolling boil. Languid, enlarged bubbles rise to the surface of the kettle. There’s a slow anticipation but hurried desire not to miss the precise moment in which to remove the heat in order to capture its essence.

My olfactory nerve is overwhelmed by the sweet smell of dew, honey and misty mountain air. I touch the delicate leaves with my finger tips – under the fine soft fur I sense the moisture within the leaf plucked at sunrise.

The cup I choose is pink and round as the leaves sway and swirl while the water encourages them to dance. It is then I give thanks as my cup overflowth. Tea trancends time and place and gets to the heart of things. Where will your tea take you today?

Hint: Respect the tea and handle with care and it will love you right back...

Words and photo by Suzi van Middelkoop
Certified Tea Master and owner of Tea by the Sea.

Keep Calm and Drink Tea

Stressed, over worked, everyone wanting a piece of you? At boiling point? It's time for a break!
A real tea break we mean. Learning the art of taking tea may just you offer more than you think.  

Did you know tea is said to have almost 10x the amount of antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables? Antioxidants protect your body from physical damage caused by mental or emotional stress. They reduce signs of aging, help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, are great for the skin and boost immunity.

Tea also contains an amino acid found in its highest concentration in green tea, called l-theanine which is proven to reduce anxiety. When consumed with small amounts of caffeine (a combination only found in tea) keeps us alert while maintaining a sense of calm, without the jitters and the instant hit you get from a cup of coffee.  

L-theanine stimulates Alpha brain activity, scientifically known to be induce a meditative state - relaxed but effortlessly alert and able to tackle tasks.  Studies show it can improve mood, reduce stress and help keep us focussed for longer periods of time as well as improve mental clarity. This can take affect within 20 minutes and can last up to 5 hours.

Hint: Take a tip from a Buddhist monk – next time you need to work out the world’s biggest problem, reach for a cup of green tea. It might just give you the solution, or at worst make you feel like you can.

Words and photo contributed by Suzi van Middelkoop
Certified Tea Master and owner of Tea by the Sea

Cup of Gold

There is no reason why customers should have to pay a lot for a good cup of tea.
Tea is a relatively inexpensive product and you can get an excellent quality loose-leaf tea for roughly the same price as a quality coffee.
Some inner city tea shops are charging their customers up to $1000 a cup! This came as a huge shock to us. No tea costs enough to warrant charging that much per cup.
We want tea to be accessible, not an exclusive subculture.
Regularly we have seen tea shops charge up to $20 for the same teas that are elsewhere being sold for $4 a cup. Why is this so? And who benefits from this?
Not only will it limit the amount of people seeking specialty tea but it will put off the ones who are.
The point of this story is to encourage people to "shop around" for good tea.
Just because a tea shop is on a main street and has lovely teaware, it does not mean they have the best tea in town - or the cheapest.
If you want to sip your tea surrounded by smoke and mirrors, then you might have to pay five times the amount for the same brew as you would from the quiet tea house down the road.

A Kettle Watched, Boils to Perfection

Did you know that you should vary the temperature of water depending on the variety of tea you are making?
 

It comes as second nature to put the kettle on and wait until it boils right? Next time you do that, you might just want to watch the kettle boil!
 

The only teas which require boiling water for infusion are black teas, herbals and aged puerh teas. Whites, greens and oolongs require varying temperatures from 80 – 95 degrees.
 

It comes down to personal taste, which comes from experimenting, however the following is a good guide to follow:

White tea: 80 – 85 degrees

As white tea is extremely delicate and the least processed of teas it makes sense to use a lower water temperature to bring out the subtle flavours. Often when tea is allowed to cool, the fruit and floral notes are more prominent.

Green tea: 85 – 90 degrees

To avoid scorching the tea and ruining the nuances, use water that is just off the boil.  This is what is referred to as a soft roiling boil or “crab eye water” which has large bubbles forming in it.

Oolong: 90 – 95 degrees

As oolong has some green and black characteristics, so it makes sense to use water just before it boils – this is a slightly more rapid movement than green tea known as “fish eye water” which is made up of smaller bubbles.

The more you watch and listen to the water as it is about to boil in your kettle, you will learn when to pick the right temperature. A clear kettle or jug is perfect for learning. Failing that, we are now spoilt for choice as a number of electric kettles available on the market now have pre-set temperatures - perfecting for sampling all types of tea.

Hint: When tea is brewed at the right temperature, you will start to develop your palate and detect subtle flavours that would otherwise be lost if boiling water was used.

- Contributed by Certified Tea Master and guest blogger Suzi van Middelkoop from Tea by the Sea

It's True! Tea Blending Training is Coming to Oz

Off the back off our awesome Certified Tea Blending course in Las Vegas earlier this month, we are excited to announce that the course will be coming to Australia.
We are so pleased to be bringing this brilliant curriculum to Aussie shores. Now budding tea blenders can bask in the knowledge that certification in this specialist area is just around the corner.
The date will be confirmed shortly, but you can register your interest in the course by emailing info@australianteamasters.com.au. That way, you'll be the first to know and have the opportunity to book into the limited-capacity class.
The Las Vegas course was amazing. We met a special group of enthusiastic people interested in tea, and helped to develop their skills to blend tea proficiently.
They had fun identifying various herbs and flowers in the 'mystery blend' and cupping a variety of different blends of their own.
They are now working on a specialist project which they must pass to become a Certified Tea Blender.
We look forward to seeing some great results.

This photo is the Las Vegas class and tea blending tutors.

Back on Solid Ground

Phew! Our feet are back on solid ground after a huge trip to America for World Tea Expo and to conduct our Certified Tea Blending course.
We'll talk about the course in a separate blog (it was so brilliant it deserves its own ramble!) but first, we would like to debrief about the biggest tea expo in the world.
World Tea Expo, recently held in loud and outrageous Las Vegas, is the tea event that professionals from around the globe attend.
It was a flurry of tea excitement and a fascinating experience to be part of. Connecting with so many passionate tea people has to be our number one highlight, but these were a few other things that really stood out for us:
- Tea and beer pairing. Wow. What a brilliant concept and one we utterly intend to replicate in this corner of the world. It will no doubt go down well in the land Down Under. The art of wine and beer tasting is quite similar to the art of tea tasting, and those with an appreciative palate can apply their cupping skills to both beverages. Bliss!
- The Hi-Spirits Extractor. This wonderful little machine extracts the goodness from plants (coffee leaf, tea, power leaves, etc) making potent elixirs that are fit for kings! Seeing this groovy little wonder-machine in action and meeting the super Hi-Spirits crew from New Zealand was great. Oh, and just so you know, if you want to get your hands on one of these bad boys, then contact us by emailing info@australianteamasters.com.au. We'll hook you up.

What on Earth is a Tea Master?

Some people have said that when they hear the words "Tea Master" they envisage an ethereal, richly-robed monk mediating on a misty mountaintop. But this is not quite the case.
In the modern world, a new type of Tea Master is emerging: one that is confident in their knowledge of all things tea, and of course, can make a good cup.
There are three main points that are crucial in being a Tea Master. Here they are:
- A Tea Master has superior knowledge about tea, the different regions it comes from, and how it is processed.
- A Tea Master knows the best way to prepare each tea, whether it be white, green, oolong, black or puerh,  and does so with skill and confidence.
- A Tea Master is extremely passionate about tea, its health benefits and its cultural significance.
Mastering the art of tea is not something that comes over night, it is something that is earned through ongoing respect for tea and its practices.
And as one of our recent graduates, Renee Creer from Perfect South green tea company so eloquently puts it: "I feel like this certification is just the beginning of the journey, one that I hope I never master in a way, because it's always nice to learn something new."
To read Tea Master Renee Creer's blog, click here. To read more about becoming a Tea Master, click here.

Blending It Up

Tomorrow marks the first day of the Australian Tea Masters Certified Tea Blending Course.
Set with the backdrop of loud and lovely Las Vegas, the course is set to be an inspiring lead-up to the World Tea Expo, also on in the city this week.
Tea blending students and their trainer, Australian Tea Masters' founder Sharyn Johnston, will have their heads down in a quiet corner of the city to study the art of blending during the three-day intensive course.
Enrollment for the course was teeming tea professionals and Sharyn is over-the-moon to have the opportunity to share her tea wisdom with these aspiring tea blenders.
If you want to learn more about our Certified Tea Blending course, visit our website www.australianteamasters.com.au

Tea Meets the Big Smoke

Well, here we are: Australian Tea Masters' founder has landed in the bright lights of Las Vegas to take in all that the World Tea Expo has to offer.
And though it would seem and odd and contrasting partnership - tea and Vegas - there is so much excitement surrounding this brightly-lit city, that one can't help but be swept up in the energy of it.
There will no doubt be all sorts of wonderful new tea news to share, so keep posted for updates on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages as our founder Sharyn Johnston unearths the latest tea technology and taps into the tea world.
During the three day expo, from June 7 to 9, tea specialists from around the globe will share ideas, products and take part in educational seminars and workshops.
It will be a feast for the tea lover! Stay tuned...

Announcing: Tea Apprentice Training

The founder of Canadian Tea Masters has sprouted a new concept that is just superb.
Trainer and director of the organisation, Sylvanna Levesque, has designed a Certified Tea Apprentice course.
The course is designed for anyone keen on developing their tea skills and practice, but who feel they are not yet at the 'mastery' level of training.
It is a great, hands-on, practical course that sets aspiring tea masters in good stead for a  tea-inspired life.
The course consists of two parts:
The first is a three-day in-person comprehensive tea course, which gives apprentices students core skills, structures, taste-testing protocols, and a tea philosophy grounding.
Part two is an apprenticeship at a tea establishment. Here, students will be immersed in what it is like to run a tea business and serve tea professionally.
Each apprentice will spend no less than 24 accumulative hours with the business in supported learning situations.
This structure of course gives tea enthusiasts a unique opportunity to take the next step in their tea journey.
Once all course requirements have been met, each student will be awarded the title of Certified Tea Apprentice.
Tuition for this course costs US$995 and you can learn more about it at www.teamasters.org

Modern Take: The Urban Billy

We recently stumbled across an amazingly brilliant and beautifully handcrafted piece of tea ware to set your tea-loving heart on fire.
The custom-made Urban Billy is designed to enhance the experience of sharing a cup of tea.
It is designed by Elliat Rich, an inventor, designer and part-time explorer based in Alice Springs, Australia.
Elliat takes an approach to design that she calls "slow-motion-seeing", identifying small things in everyday moments that either deserve contemplation or help facilitate it.
Her Urban Billy grew from an awareness of the way people use the offer and acceptance of a cup of tea as a way to spend time together.
Wanting to enhance this everyday ritual, Elliat brought transparency to the relationship between the water and the flame.
The glass vessel is made is Sydney, Australia, with five pieces of hand-formed glass as well as turned and bent mountain ash wood for the sleeves and lids.
This kind of goodness does come at a cost: the Urban Billy will set you back $1290.
But people, this is not your average tea infuser; it is a piece of art.
Visit www.elliatrich.com for more information.

Australian Tea Masters Hits The Airwaves!

Our founder Sharyn Johnston spoke on ABC Adelaide today about what it is that makes a perfect cup of tea.
For anyone who missed it, the radio show was Afternoons with Sonya Feldhoff and we will post a link to the podcast as soon as it becomes available.
On the show we discussed how water temperature, heating the pot, and using clean water and high quality tea can all contribute to the brew.
Heaps of people called in to offer their top tips on 'the perfect cup' and it was a great thing to be part of.
We look forward to sharing the audio with you. In the meantime, let's continue the discussion about what makes a perfect cup...What are your thoughts?

Caffeine and Camellia Sinensis

A lot of people who drink or study tea ask how much caffeine is in their cup.
Now, of course, this would vary from tea type to tea type and heavily depends also on the strength and size of your cup. But yes, there is caffeine in tea.
Another question which commonly comes up is, what is the difference between caffeine and theine?
Well, chemically speaking, they are both alkaloids. But, the way they affect us can be quite different.
This is because the antioxidants found in tea - which are known as polyphenols - can join forces with caffeine and change our body's experience of it. This partnership is called theine.
Caffeine mostly affects our cardiovascular systems and theine mostly affects our nervous system.
That explains why coffee, which is without tea's polyphenols, gives us that lift - and subsequently can let us down with a thump.
Tea, on the other hand, gives us a gentler, more mild lift and also the ability to calmly focus over long periods of time.

Tea Terminology

In the world of tea there are many different words and interesting terminology.
If you intend on pursuing tea as an interest or a profession then learning the basic terms will set you on your way.
Agony of the leaves: This is a term used to describe the unfurling of the leaves after boiling water has been added to the vessel holding the tea. A more romantic expression is "ecstasy of the leaves".
Body: Body is used to describe the fullness and strength of a liquor. If the liquor is described as thin then it has little body and is somewhat watery.
Coarse: Coarse is used to describe the tea liquor when it has unfavourable characteristics. It is also used to describe the metallic, unpleasant taste which can come from irregular firing.
Dull: Dull is used to describe liquor which is not clear and bright in colour.
Earthy: Earthy is used to describe the liquor from tea that has been stored in damp conditions. It can be found in aged teas that have not been fermented properly.
Full: Full-bodied is strong flavoured tea where the liquor is not bitter and has good colour and substance.

White on White

During the Song Dynasty in China an Emperor named Hui Zhong said that white tea was the coming together of all that is elegant.

White teas are the first flush pick of the spring. Their liquor is fresh, slightly sweet and very subtle.
White teas were once reserved for the privileged elite and they are recognisable by their luminous straw-coloured liquor.
Traditionally they come from the Fujian Province. It was here that the style of tea has developed into what it is today.
There is a growing movement of tea drinkers who favour the subtle and delicate brew of white tea.
It is now produced in other areas of China and elsewhere, including in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka as well as other nations.
You may wonder why white tea is considered so special. It is because its harvest season is so short - just a few days.
The leaves are handpicked from special areas and plants and then closely processed with extra time and care. For this reason, there is only a tiny amount of white tea produced in the world, so enjoy every sip.

'Umami' or More

You know when something is moreish; you go back for another sip or bite or lick.
Well, tea has that special taste property that keeps us keen, and it is called 'umami'.
Umami is a Japanese word which translates roughly to mean "delicious" or "savouriness" and is used to describe a taste which leaves you wanting more.
The other tastes we can decipher on our palates are sweet, salty, sour and bitter, but umami is elusive and is worth explaining.
Umami was a term used as early as the 13th Century but was not classified properly in the Western world until the early 1900s.
Bitterness is the main flavour of tea but this is balanced by the other flavours.
Now, bitterness is something that we don't usually get in our diet - which is why tea is thought to be an important addition to a healthy, balanced diet.
The taste of bitterness is felt at the back of the tongue.
This is why tea tasters slurp their tea, so it hits the back of their mouth and tongue, giving them the maximum taste experience.
Umami, though, is felt all over the tongue, explaining why one cup is never enough.

Tea Lovers Unite!

We here at Australian Tea Masters are so excited about the upcoming World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Woo hoo!
The expo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre from June 7 to 9, and it is set to be the biggest and best yet.
As we tea drinkers know, interest in tea just keeps on growing. The wide world is catching on to what we've known for years: tea is epic.
Some wise folk have even said that we can expect to see a 50 per cent growth in retail tea sales tea by 2016. That's huge!
Not to mention, there are more tea tools and types on offer than ever before. You'll get a chance to see them all at the expo, which is the world's biggest annual tea trade event, celebrating all that's good about the beverage.
This year the expo is co-located with the Healthy Beverage Expo so if you are in drinks market, then it's right up your alley.
We're going. Are you?

And.... for some more exciting news:

Australian Tea Masters is offering its Certified Tea Blending Course in lovely Las Vegas from June 4 to 6 in the lead-up to the World Tea Expo.

Professional trainers and Tea Masters, Sharyn Johnston (founder of Australian Tea Masters) and Sylvana Levesque (founder of Canadian Tea Masters) will run the three-day course at Marriott's Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, which will blow your tea-loving mind!
These two specialist trainers will unveil the secrets and mysteries of tea blending and show you professional techniques for developing traditional blends and signature formulas.
It will blow your tea-loving mind!
For more information visit the Australian Tea Masters or American Tea Masters website.

Drink to Health

Tea is a natural product from a renewable foundation.

It also has no sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar; it is virtually calorie-free and keeps you hydrated.

Tea contains flavonoids: compounds that have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals, helping us maintain our youth.

New findings from scientific studies continue to support the belief in tea’s health properties and benefits.

Research has explored the potential health attributes of drinking green and black tea, both of which are made from the camellia sinensis plant, and results reveal that both these drinks do similar good things to our insides.

Studies show that tea and tea flavonoids are great for our heart health, neurological health and cellular health.

Research demonstrates that drinking tea can help to lower cholesterol.

One Harvard study found a person who drank a cup or more of black tea per day had a 44 per cent reduced risk of having a heart attack.

And in a large population based study, adults who drank more than two cups of green tea every day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by more than 20 per cent!

In the US, a study by the Department of Agriculture found that people who drank five cups of black tea a day reduced their cholesterol by more than 10 per cent in just three weeks.

The benefits to gastrointestinal health from drinking tea are also evident in studies. One study found that women who drank 2.5 cups of tea a day had a reduced risk of rectal cancer risk.

A separate study found tea drinkers to have a reduced risk of colon cancer compared to non-tea drinkers. 

Further to this, a long-term study of close to 30,000 people showed that drinking three or more cups of tea per day was associated with a 69 per cent reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
We'll certainly drink to that!

Lovely Liquor

There are approximately 300 types of aromas which can be found in the tea leaf and the liquor of the tea. Many of these aromas have desirable notes and are often highly fragrant which is what makes tea so pleasant.
The different types of aromas are attributed to things like altitude, climatic conditions, country of origin, manufacturing processes, and the different clones of the camellia sinensis plant (tea plant).
Professional tea tasters call the aroma of tea, the nose or the bouquet. This nose or bouquet is attained from the smell of both the dry leaf, wet leaf and the liquor after steeping.
Tea is generally is described as having a top note, middle note, and background flavour or base note.
Similar to aromatherapy blends these notes come together to create the profile of the tea. This is particularly important when a blend is being created but it also gives specialty teas their unique characteristics.
Professional tea tasters take many, many years to educate their palate and their sense of smell and in that time taste hundreds of teas. They judge tea by using their senses of sight, smell and taste.
Some words used to describe aroma are bakey, biscuity, burnt, fruity, floral, earthy, pungent, smoky, sweet, cut grass or vegetal.
Just as roasting coffee changes the bean profile, it also can change the aroma and flavour of a tea leaves.
High fire roasting means that the tea leaves will be sweeter, fruitier and darker. This can be due to the sugar transformation within the leaf. Aromas will change considerably after being roasted at high temperatures.
Low temperature roasting can mellow out the texture, which in turn will create a smoother cup and the aroma will be less modified.
The best roasting is achieved using bamboo baskets over open fire and the roasting process can take anywhere from a few hours to several days or weeks. This is where the importance of a tea master comes in.
Just as a coffee master roaster creates profiles for certain beans after testing for moisture and other variables, a tea master will do the same for tea.
Over a period of time while the tea is roasting, the tea master must carefully watch the leaves, smell the aromas and taste the tea so that he or she can control the overall process.
Some famous roasted teas are hojicha from Japan, long jing from China, tung ting, a beautiful oolong from Taiwan, and aged puerh from Yunnan province in China.
Please share with us if you have tried any of these teas and what aromas you experienced from them.

A Japanese Tale

Some records tell us that the Japanese have been drinking tea since the 8th Century.
It was particularly linked to Buddhist ceremonies in the early years but for some strange reason tea drinking took a break from Japanese culture for about 400 years and then re-emerged in the 12th Century.
A Buddhist monk called Eisai was one of the pioneers in Japanese tea history.
Returning to Japan from a trip to China he brought with him some tea plant seeds that were planted in the Uji region.
He also brought back knowledge of tea and introduced the custom of grinding tea into powder, called matcha.
The habit of drinking tea didn't catch on quickly though, and for a long time was reserved only for the Japanese elite.
Several centuries later, in roughly the late 1600s, some farmers in the Uji region improved the tea processing technique of steaming and rolling the tea leaves.
They called this sencha, and it quickly became popular with the wider Japanese community.
Japan has since become famous for other types of tea.
One, called genmaicha, is mixed with puffed rice and has an earthy aroma to it.
Traditionally genmaicha was used by poor farmers as a hearty, warming drink but nowadays it is a specialty tea consumed throughout the world.

The Art of Gong Fu Cha

Gong fu cha is a skillful Chinese tea ceremony.
It is labour intensive and the act of devoted tea afficionados, designed to provide the peak appreciation of tea.
Gong fu cha started in Guangdong Province, China, which is nearby the Fujian Province.
The practice is designed for leafy oolong teas and is to highlight the flavours and life of the brew.
A gong fu cha specialist uses a Yixing clay teapot and divides the tea into small clay cups.
Multiple infusions allow the drinkers to enjoy the oolong through all its steeping phases - sometimes up to 30 steeps!
An elegantly carved wooden tea washing table and utensils are used during the ceremony.
All of the senses are engaged during gong fu cha.
The person conducting the ceremony allows the guests to see and smell the dried tea leaf and the wet leaf and be part of the experience in its entirety.

Rising Nepal

Nepalese tea farms grow some fine teas and according to tea producers the area will continue to increase its production.
Medicinal herbs cultivated in the lower regions of the Himalayas are thought to be some of the purest in the world, and tea is among these.
In fact, high altitude teas are known for having more flavor than lower altitude teas.
Nepali tea bushes are youthful and benefit from the region’s humidity and heavy rainfall, with many people believing these conditions produce high levels of antioxidants and are also lower in pollutants than tea grown in low altitude areas.
The Association of Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers Nepal claims the area is only using 20 per cent of its available land for growing tea. And with a 15 per cent annual increase of tea being produced in Nepal, you can expect to see more and more tea coming from the region.
Most Nepali teas produced for export are orthodox and interestingly, Germany is the number one country importing the tea.
Of the six million kgs of tea a year the main places taking a liking to it are Hong Kong, the USA and UK, and parts of Europe.
Nepali organic orthodox teas are first flush (FTGFOP I), STGFOP I (silver, tippy, golden, flowery, orange pekoe). You may have seen this naming system before. It tells us about the tea’s color, shape, size, aroma and more.