TEA 101: GETTING STARTED
Tea FAQs and Lore
What a fascinating plant, Camellia sinensis, the plant from which all tea derives. Its five thousand year history is filled with facts and myths, offering limitless hours of enchantment and research. Here are some basic facts and tea lore to get you started in your search for information about tea and tea culture.
What is tea?
All "real" teas come from one plant species, Camellia sinensis. Any plant or spice—like peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, or rooiboos-- can be infused, but these are considered to be herbal infusions or tisanes, not real teas.
What does tea culture mean?
Tea is more than just a beverage. It is a phenomenon. Tea culture is used to describe this unique marvel. Over it’s five-thousand-year history, tea has been the impetus of poetry, art, storytelling and war, as well as fueling economies and influencing the social aura and etiquette of whole nations. Its reputation as an agent of healing and meditation also underscores its value and mystery as it has moved from continent to continent across the world. In each culture it enters, tea seems to influence the social, religious, creative and economic framework of the region, taking on different expressions and inviting new traditions. At the same time, in every expression of tea, one will find common threads: community, vitality, poetry, sanctuary, and ritual. We in the United States are just embarking on the creation of our own new tea culture, and you are a part of that culture.
How is loose leaf tea brewed?
Thanks for losing the tea bags! By doing so, you have already diminished the carbon footprint of your tea by a whopping 90%. Steeping loose leaf teas is easy. And there are several methods you can employ. The tea pot is probably the easiest. Put the loose leaf tea in a teapot. If the teapot does not have a strainer or an inner device to prevent the leaves from coming through the spout, just wait until your tea is fully steeped, and use a strainer over your cup when transferring the tea from the teapot to the cup. You may also buy porcelain and earthen tea cups with nicely fitting ceramic filters. See if Bon Teavant has them in stock.
What a fascinating plant, Camellia sinensis, the plant from which all tea derives. Its five thousand year history is filled with facts and myths, offering limitless hours of enchantment and research. Here are some basic facts and tea lore to get you started in your search for information about tea and tea culture.
What is tea?
All "real" teas come from one plant species, Camellia sinensis. Any plant or spice—like peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, or rooiboos-- can be infused, but these are considered to be herbal infusions or tisanes, not real teas.
What does tea culture mean?
Tea is more than just a beverage. It is a phenomenon. Tea culture is used to describe this unique marvel. Over it’s five-thousand-year history, tea has been the impetus of poetry, art, storytelling and war, as well as fueling economies and influencing the social aura and etiquette of whole nations. Its reputation as an agent of healing and meditation also underscores its value and mystery as it has moved from continent to continent across the world. In each culture it enters, tea seems to influence the social, religious, creative and economic framework of the region, taking on different expressions and inviting new traditions. At the same time, in every expression of tea, one will find common threads: community, vitality, poetry, sanctuary, and ritual. We in the United States are just embarking on the creation of our own new tea culture, and you are a part of that culture.
How is loose leaf tea brewed?
Thanks for losing the tea bags! By doing so, you have already diminished the carbon footprint of your tea by a whopping 90%. Steeping loose leaf teas is easy. And there are several methods you can employ. The tea pot is probably the easiest. Put the loose leaf tea in a teapot. If the teapot does not have a strainer or an inner device to prevent the leaves from coming through the spout, just wait until your tea is fully steeped, and use a strainer over your cup when transferring the tea from the teapot to the cup. You may also buy porcelain and earthen tea cups with nicely fitting ceramic filters. See if Bon Teavant has them in stock.
Tea Types:
There are five main tea types: Black, Green, White, Oolong, and Pu-erh. Tea type is determined by oxidation and processing method. Green and white teas are minimally oxidized and processed. White teas are really a subcategory of green teas, but differ from greens in the varietals that are used, the regions in which they are grown, and how they are plucked.
Oolongs are semi-oxidized and more elaborately processed, and black teas are fully oxidized. Puerhs are considered a tea type because of the distinctive way in which they are processed. Some are oxidized and some not. Many are also fermented, and often molded into cakes, bricks and mushroom-shaped balls or cast in bamboo stalks and other unusual tea "containers".
Are teas fermented?
With only a couple of exceptions, teas are oxidized not fermented. Oxidation is a chemical process, which takes place when tea leaves are exposed to air or oxygen. When tea leaves are exposed to air, the polyphenol enzymes in the leaves are broken down, influencing the color and nature of the tea. Oxidation is halted when teas are exposed to heat, such as pan firing. The degree to which a tea has been oxidized determines the tea type. Black teas are fully oxidized, oolongs partially oxidized, and green and white teas have undergone little or no oxidation. Pu-erh teas are the only teas that are fermented (which is a bacterial process) and aged after being oxidized.
Do all teas contain caffeine?
Yes, all teas contain caffeine in varying amounts; however, many people tolerate the caffeine in teas better than with coffee or other substances that contain caffeine, like sodas and chocolate. Experiment with different teas to see what you can drink and what gets your heart racing.
How long should a tea be steeped?
Different teas require different steeping times. As well, many high quality loose-leaf teas can be steeped multiple times and each steeping might require a different duration or water temperature. It's best to buy quality teas from tea merchants who can share their knowledge of the best ways to steep the teas they sell. When you buy teas from Bon Teavant, you will receive a tea brewing chart with recommendations for tea quantity, water temperature, and steeping times.
Here are some quick
steeping guidelines: With green and white teas use cooler (165-175ºF) water and short steeping times (15-45 seconds). With oolongs, use hotter water, 175-200ºF, and steep for 30-90 seconds. With blacks and puerhs, try hotter water still (200+ºF) for 60-120 seconds. Experimenting with different temperatures, leaf amounts and steeping times will help you earn your scout badge for tea. You will have fun finding out how much you can change the taste and character of a tea by changing the variables of water temperature, brewing vessel, amount of leaf used, type of water used, and steeping time. Note: it is recomennded that you use the best quality water available and/or filter your water before using it to steep tea.
There are five main tea types: Black, Green, White, Oolong, and Pu-erh. Tea type is determined by oxidation and processing method. Green and white teas are minimally oxidized and processed. White teas are really a subcategory of green teas, but differ from greens in the varietals that are used, the regions in which they are grown, and how they are plucked.
Oolongs are semi-oxidized and more elaborately processed, and black teas are fully oxidized. Puerhs are considered a tea type because of the distinctive way in which they are processed. Some are oxidized and some not. Many are also fermented, and often molded into cakes, bricks and mushroom-shaped balls or cast in bamboo stalks and other unusual tea "containers".
Are teas fermented?
With only a couple of exceptions, teas are oxidized not fermented. Oxidation is a chemical process, which takes place when tea leaves are exposed to air or oxygen. When tea leaves are exposed to air, the polyphenol enzymes in the leaves are broken down, influencing the color and nature of the tea. Oxidation is halted when teas are exposed to heat, such as pan firing. The degree to which a tea has been oxidized determines the tea type. Black teas are fully oxidized, oolongs partially oxidized, and green and white teas have undergone little or no oxidation. Pu-erh teas are the only teas that are fermented (which is a bacterial process) and aged after being oxidized.
Do all teas contain caffeine?
Yes, all teas contain caffeine in varying amounts; however, many people tolerate the caffeine in teas better than with coffee or other substances that contain caffeine, like sodas and chocolate. Experiment with different teas to see what you can drink and what gets your heart racing.
How long should a tea be steeped?
Different teas require different steeping times. As well, many high quality loose-leaf teas can be steeped multiple times and each steeping might require a different duration or water temperature. It's best to buy quality teas from tea merchants who can share their knowledge of the best ways to steep the teas they sell. When you buy teas from Bon Teavant, you will receive a tea brewing chart with recommendations for tea quantity, water temperature, and steeping times.
Here are some quick
steeping guidelines: With green and white teas use cooler (165-175ºF) water and short steeping times (15-45 seconds). With oolongs, use hotter water, 175-200ºF, and steep for 30-90 seconds. With blacks and puerhs, try hotter water still (200+ºF) for 60-120 seconds. Experimenting with different temperatures, leaf amounts and steeping times will help you earn your scout badge for tea. You will have fun finding out how much you can change the taste and character of a tea by changing the variables of water temperature, brewing vessel, amount of leaf used, type of water used, and steeping time. Note: it is recomennded that you use the best quality water available and/or filter your water before using it to steep tea.