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Leaves of Tea

Leaves of Tea
Online resource for information about tea, tea products, tea rituals, and tea history.

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Articles

Matcha Green Tea - Part 2
2007-10-02 15:57:00
Author: Aiya AmericaOriginal Source: Matcha TeaHow to UseBecause Matcha is a pure, natural finely ground powder, its uses as an ingredient are virtually unlimited. Popular uses include green tea ice cream, gelato, smoothies, lattes and chocolates.In beverages:Two grams of Matcha per 500ml drink is sufficient for a brilliant green color and flavor. This amount also provides enough theophylline and L-theanines for the three to six hour ?uplift? often associated with Matcha, minus the ?drop? often associated with caffeine alone.In ice cream and gelato:For Matcha green tea ice cream and gelato, a 1.3% to 2% Matcha concentration blended into the white liquid base is sufficient to produce a rich, green tea flavor and color.In energy bars:Matcha can either be blended into the grains or into a yogurt/white chocolate glaze enveloping the bar. A 1% to 2% concentration is sufficient to produce the desired green tea color and flavor.Matcha Quality SpectrumThe three elements that distinguish M...
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Matcha Green Tea - Part 1
2007-10-02 15:55:00
Author: Aiya AmericaOriginal Source: Matcha TeaWhat is Matcha?Matcha is the oldest variety of shade-grown Japanese green tea, traditionally used in Zen Buddhist ceremonies for over 800 years. Ground into a fine, jade-green powder using granite grinding wheels, Matcha is whisked with water to create a unique, beautiful and richly flavorful drink.Today, Matcha is also being used as the raw material in green tea flavored products, including ice cream, gelato, smoothies, lattes and chocolates.HistoryAccording to 3rd Century A.D. Japanese literature, green tea was first used as an elixir to remedy swelling, fever and other symptoms. The Japanese envoy is thought to have introduced green tea seeds to China during the Tang Dynasty to be used by nobility and Buddhist clergy as a medicinal tonic.In 1191, the Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Eisai returned from China with a new way to drink green tea. He poured the stone-ground powdered tea into hot water and stirred it together ? just like tod...
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Tea Terms
2007-10-02 02:57:00
Author: Barry's TeaOriginal Source: Tea Fact Sheet Like wine, tea has its own vocabulary of tasting terms. Tea can be:Brisk: a lively taste in the liquor Pungent: bite and astringency but without bitterness - most desirable Grey: teas which have a grayish appearance caused by too much abrasion during sorting.Even: teas true to their particular grade and which compromise particles of leaf which are even in size.Bright: a good bright color is an important indicator of quality in a tea.Body: indication of strength of tea, a lack of body would indicate a weak insipid tea
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Tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
2007-09-29 23:42:00
Author: Upton TeaOriginal Source: History of Tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka ) The plantation industry in Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, began in 1825 with the widespread planting of coffee. Between 1839 and 1840, tea seed and plants were sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens in the Kandy district, but these early arrivals were largely ignored for the more lucrative coffee craze that had seized the region. However, this booming industry came to a dramatic halt in 1869 when a leaf disease known as the "coffee rust" spread rapidly throughout the countryside -- reaching every coffee district within the span of five years. While the plantation owners desperately cleared and replanted coffee at a remarkable rate, the disease continued to spread unhindered.During the next twenty years, in a frantic effort to avoid financial ruin, planters in Ceylon converted their decimated acreage to tea; it was a remarkable effort that involved the wide-scale uprooting and burning of millions of infected coffee bu...

Tea Production and Processing
2007-09-29 03:36:00
Author: Planet TeaOriginal Source: What is Tea?The evergreen tea plant, also known as Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Assamica, comes from the genus Camellia, which dates back before the great ice age. If left wild, the tea tree can grow as tall as 60 feet, depending on the climate. There is even a1700-year-old tea tree in the Yunnan Province of China that stands over 100 feet tall.Today, the tea plant, also known as the "tea bush," is pruned and harvested, and its height is maintained at about three feet. This tea bush is the standard for most of today's tea cultivation due to its richer and fuller leaves. There are even some people who say that tea is the oldest cultivated plant, having been nurtured for over 1000 years.Affecting the thousands of varieties of tea are variables such as soil, altitude and weather. Some teas crave high mountains and cool mist, while others grow better in lower terrain. Most premium quality teas grow at higher elevations, where mountain mist and de...
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Gongfu Tea Brewing Methods
2007-09-28 21:48:00
Author: EnjoyingTea.comOriginal Source: Gongfu Tea Brewing Method s Description:Gongfu Tea Brewing became popular during China?s Ming Dynasty about the year 1500. The difference between using the regular brewing method and the Gongfu tea method is in the amount of tealeaves used and the steeping duration of the tea. The Gongfu method involves using more tealeaves, but the infusion duration is shorter. This allows for multiple infusions. This method of brewing requires practice and the term ?Gongfu style? literally means using great skill to brew tea. This method is great for Oolong teas and good for Black teas, but generally isn?t meant for Green or Scented teas.Terms and Equipment:Yixing teapot:These are the teapots used for Gongfu style brewing. These pots are made from porous purple clay and actually absorb the flavors of the tealeaves to produce a more enjoyable cup of tea.Serving Pot or Vessel:Once the tea is steeped for the desired amount of time, then the tea is poured ...

Types of Tea
2007-09-27 23:43:00
Author: Adagio TeasOriginal Source: Varieties of TeaAll teas come from the same plant. The differences stem from how they are processed.How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. Much oxygen produces dark-colored black teas. Little oxygen results in green tea. Unprocessed leaves are called white 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 fer...
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Chanoyu, The Japanese tea ceremony
2007-09-26 05:32:00
Author: Tai Wei LimOriginal Source: EasternTea - Tea Ceremony The essence of the Japanese tea ceremony is harmony. Every move or every component about the ceremony brings out the serenity of the whole. The host tries to keep to the natural state of things as much as possible. for example, she might place some leaves in the garden stones in order to preserve the natural beauty of the garden.The Japanese tea ceremony had its origins 700 years ago when Zen Buddhist monks began to explore this art form. However, this was only the rudimentary beginning. It was only 500 years ago that founder Sen No Rikkyu began to hone the simple tea ceremony practiced by the monks into a ritual. He transformed the ceremony to one of humility, simplicity, rusticness as well as self-cultivation. This is epitomized by the simple setting of the tea house e.g. a two mat tea space, chashitsu.The guests kneel down on the mat and wait to be served by tea. They face the kama or the kettle and the brazier. The...
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Types of Tea
2007-09-24 23:43:00
Author: Adagio TeasOriginal Source: Varieties of TeaAll teas come from the same plant. The differences stem from how they are processed.How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing. Much oxygen produces dark-colored black teas. Little oxygen results in green tea. Unprocessed leaves are called white 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 fer...
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Irish Tea Traditions
2007-09-24 23:43:00
Author: Brenda HydeOriginal Source: Tea Time Traditions Ireland is the largest tea consumer per capita than any country in the world. They take their tea VERY seriously! You won't find a convention, work meeting or other event that does not allow for a morning or afternoon tea break on the schedule! The slang for tea is "cha" in Ireland and the rich and poor alike love tea time.Tea was first imported to Ireland in 1835 where it became popular with the weathly crowd, but it wasn't until later in the mid 1800s that it spread to the rural people and all of Ireland was hooked. Small grocers were opened in the towns and villages and they started exchanging butter and eggs for tea and sugar.In Gaelic "cupan tae" mean cup of tea, and the Irish make it a strong cup. Irish tea is blended to be mixed with a lot of rich milk-up to 1/3 of the cup for some. The custom is to add the milk to the tea cup first, then pour in the tea. Irish breakfast tea is often a strong blend of Assam and Ceylon...

Tea in India
2007-09-24 23:42:00
Author: Bamboo Tea HouseOriginal Source: Tea as a Way of Life - The History of Tea in India The credit for creating India's vast tea empire goes to the British, who discovered tea in India and cultivated and consumed it in enormous quantities between the early 1800's and India's independence from Great Britain in 1947. The Scottish adventurer, Robert Bruce, discovered tea plants growing in Assam in the 1820's. At this time, no one thought that tea existed in India, however Major Bruce discovered the plants growing wild in the jungles controlled by the tribal chiefs.In 1834, a British tea committee was appointed to investigate the possibility of cultivating tea in India. After a thorough investigation and study of the crop, the first commercial batch of tea ever produced outside of China came from Assam in 1839. The first contract for Indian teas between 500 and 1,000 chests was issued by London brokers at that time.Two of India's major teas are the Darjeeling and the Assam. In...

Tea in China
2007-09-24 23:40:00
Author: Andy Gilchrist (http://www.AskAndyAboutClothes.com)Origi nal Source: The History of TeaTea is first mentioned in Chinese writing in 222 AD as a substitute for wine, and in a circa 350 AD Chinese dictionary.By the third century AD tea was being advocated for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink and the benefits of tea drinking, but it was not until the Nobility of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 906 AD) made tea fashionable, that tea became China 's national drinkAs the demand for tea rose steadily, Chinese farmers began to cultivate tea rather than harvest leaves from wild trees. Tea was commonly made into roasted cakes, which were then pounded into small pieces and placed in a china pot. After adding boiling water, onion, spices, ginger or orange were introduced to produce many regional variations.Tea consumption spread throughout the Chinese culture.In 780 A.D., Lu Yu wrote the first definitive book on tea, the ?Ch'a Ching?. He was orphaned and raised by scholarly B...

Tea in Japan
2007-09-24 23:38:00
Author: Andy Gilchrist (http://www.AskAndyAboutClothes.com)Origi nal Source: The History of TeaBuddhist monks introduced the ritual drinking of tea into Japan from China in the sixth century.It wasn't until 1191 that tea really took hold in Japan with the return from China of the Zen priest Eisai (1141-1215). Eisai, the founder of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan, introduced powdered tea and tea seeds that he brought back with him from China. The tea seeds were planted by his friend the priest Myoe (1173-1232) at the Kozanji temple in the hills northwest of Kyoto.As a result, he is known as the "Father of Tea" in Japan.Tea was elevated to an art form with the creation of the Japanese ritual tea ceremony ("Cha-no-yu"), a ritual for the preparation, serving, and drinking of tea. The ceremony became institutionalized during the Kamakura period (1192 ? 1333 AD) when tea was taken by Zen Buddhist monks to keep them awake during meditations.The word Chanoyu, or Cha-no-yu, mean...

The Legendary Origins of Tea
2007-09-24 23:32:00
Author: Stash TeaOrigin al Source: The History of TeaThe story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far-sighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the near by bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. (This myth maintains such a practical narrative, that many mythologists believe it may relate closely to the actual events, now lost in ancient history.)
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