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Tea
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July 12, 2010
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Posted by vagoscribe under Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hawaii, Honduras, Libations, Mexico, Mountains, MTB, Nigeria, Photos, Poetry, Say Something, Tea | Tags: biking, mountain biking, MTB, travel |Leave a Comment
June 8, 2008
Tea Journey – part 2
Posted by vagoscribe under Tea | Tags: chai, dragonwell, gunpowder green, jasmine, oolong, rooibos, Tea, yerba mate |Leave a Comment
Let’s continue our tea journey. We were in the world of black teas. We will now move away from blacks and go into the oolongs before heading to the greens.
Oolong tea manufacturing falls somewhere between the processes for black and green teas. The most notable is Formosa Oolong. Grown in Taiwain in the region for which it is named, Formosa Oolong is very aromatic and has a flowery note that does not overwhelm its deep, full flavor which can contain hints of chestnut, honey, and peaches.
Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) is the most famous of Chinese Oolongs. It is grown in China’s Fujian province. It is a greener style of Oolong that can have a complex aroma, with hints of orchid, herbs, nuts, and melon.
I am not too familiar with the Oolongs. I find them earthy and needing honey to make them a little more palatable. There are others out there to experiment with and taste.
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Green tea varieties are numerous. Grown primarily in China and Japan, greens include Gunpowder Green, its name refering to the tightly-rolled, pellet-shaped leaves that “explode” when infused. Moroccans use Gunpowder to make mint tea. Dragonwell, another green, is a celebrated tea of China that has an earthy aroma and relaxed taste.
Jasmine Green is a common tea easily found in tea shops. Jasmine, native to the Persain Gulf, was brought to China sometime around the third century A.D. Pouchong, a style of green tea, is used as the base for this scented tea. The scenting process is natural; tea is mixed with fresh jasmine flowers so that the tea absorbs the scent.
As with the Oolongs, I am not the hugest fan of the greens. I drink them mostly for their anti-oxidant benefits. I always add honey.
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Of course, there are also the herbal teas. Though not technically a “tea,” herbals are ever popular and very enjoyable. Chamomile with honey is sure to make any time of day go slower.
There is also Yerba Mate, the national drink of Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. My wife introduced me to this tea. A plant native to tropical forests, its leaves are processed to make green, somewhat bitter, woody-flavored tea. It is filled with anti-oxidants, natural energy compounds, and is super good for you. Traditionally, it is drank from a gourd or wooden cup and through a metal straw called a papilla. I enjoy this tea more than the standard geen teas. For more info, check out www.guayaki.com.
While we are on the anti-oxidant kick, there is also Rooibos. Red bush tea is the national drink of South Africa, the place of its origin. It is a beautiful red tea that results from brewing the fine, needle-like leaves of the bush.
The last tea drink I’ll offer is chai. Chai, or derivatives of the word “Chai,” is the word for tea throughout much of the Himalaya. Usually, chai is black tea that is spiced up by adding spices from the local region. Chai variations can include any and or all of the following, plus others: cardomom, cinnamon, peppercorn, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Once brewed, heaping amounts of sugar is added to accentuate the spices. Warm milk is added as well. Westernized versions of this tea blend are found in latte form in almost all coffee and tea shops in America. I admit, I am a nut for hot Chai tea latte. I usually add a little honey to the mix.
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With that, I will end this tea journey. Though, in actuality, the journey is not ending. With the next cup that is brewed, it will continue on its path.
I hope that you will pick up some fine loose tea if you haven’t done so already. Pour boiling water over the leaves, and the journey begins.
Happy tea to you.
(written 28 March 2004)
June 8, 2008
Tea Journey – part 1
Posted by vagoscribe under Tea | Tags: Assam, Camellia sinensis, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong, oolong, Tea |Leave a Comment
I am a lover of tea. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, tea is me. A cup of the earthy-flavored, hot water colored by brewed leaves is in my hands a significant part of my day. It wakens me in the morning, provides a calming, subtle pick-me-up later on, and brings me back down by dusk’s entrance.
My mom is mostly responsible for my adoration of tea. She has a cup in the morning and evening, this being a ritual of her own for all of my life and prior to my coming into this world. Growing up, she would try to get my brother, sister, and I to have a cup of tea with her. It was not a Victorian past time she was looking for. She simply wanted us to have a cup of tea with her. Repetition, maturing taste buds, and an newly-found adventurous outlook towards food led to my gradual liking of tea, much to my mom’s satisfaction.
In my college years, I discovered there was a vast world of tea outside of the bagged version sold in the red and yellow boxes with the captain on the topside. I learned of blacks and greens with distinct tastes influenced by the lands in which they are grown. I bought loose tea and infusers in search of a truer understanding of why so many people around the world brew and drink tea all day long. It was, in many ways, both a guided study and spiritual embarkment.
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While there are many teas, there is one plant. Camellia sinensis sprouts a few leaves at its crown. These leaves go through seperate “manufacturing” processes that transforms the camellia into all black, green, and oolong teas we drink today. The ability of one plant to produce an array of teas is often compared to wine. Almost all wine drank around the world today comes from one species, Vitis vinifera.
Indigenous to modern-day China, Tibet, and northern India, the plant is now culivated in a belt running around the globe between the equator and 42 degrees north latitude. Tea enthusiasts consider teas grown in China, the Formosa region of Taiwan, Japan, India, and the Ceylon region of Sri Lanka to be the best.
Black, green, and oolong teas each go through a preparation process from field to market. Black tea leaves are withered to remove moisture, then rolled (the best by hand), fermented to bring out the flavors, and finally fired to stop the fermentation, giving the leaves their dark color.
Green tea is plucked, panfired or steamed, rolled and fired. Oolong, meaning “black dragon” in Chinese, is picked and withered for four to five hours in direct sunlight before being gathered for firing.
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When buying tea, there are varities to choose from. For black teas, the most common are Assam, Ceylon, and Darjeeling, all named for the regions where they are grown in India, Sri Lanka, and India respectively. Assam is found often in Irish and English breakfast blends. The tea is dark in color and heavy in flavor. Ceylon is much lighter in color and milder in flavor than Assam, and Darjeeling is fine tea with a full-bodied flavor, despite its lighter color.
Keemun (China) is another lesser known black tea. A favorite of mine, it has a flowery overtone while remaining deep and full in flavor. Some say Keemun can have hints of smokiness and even chocolate. An interesing note of this tea is that its flavor improves with age, the direct opposite of almost all teas.
Lapsang Souchong (China) goes perfect with a rainy cold day. It is a distinctive smokey-flavored tea, the result of being dried over pine fires. Lapsang is oftened used in Russian Caravan, a black tea blend rich with its own historical context.
Earl Grey is another black blend. Usually China black or Darjeeling tea is flavored with oil of bergmot, a small citrus fruit grown in the Mediterrenean. This is an English creation.
There are other black teas and black tea blends out there. I have included only these because I am familiar with them.
(written 21 March 2004)
