Tea Library
More its and pieces of trivia, useful facts and how to's - all about tea. Enjoy!
Storing Fine Tea
After the purchase of a valued tea, the first thing to take into consideration is proper storage. Tea is vulnerable to four spoilers: air, light, heat and moisture. It will lose its flavor and aroma quickly if stored improperly. Even some merchants make the mistake of using unsuitable storage by keeping tea in clear glass containers for reasons of aesthetics, but light alone can steal the freshness. Also, be careful where you store your tea. Do not store tea next to spices or condiments as you could run the risk of it getting stale and losing its aroma, or absorbing odors from spices, cooking - even other teas.
Unless you plan on using up your tea quickly after purchasing, we recommend investing in a good, fully-protective container. The best ones we have found are the metal tea tins and sturdy ceramic canisters with rubber-trimmed latches. They close airtight, are odorless, functional and if made well, will last a long time.
Stored properly, your carefully selected collection of fine black teas and oolongs will keep their character for well over a year. Green teas lose their qualities faster and should be served within 6 to 12 months after they are produced (with the exception of tightly rolled green teas such as Gunpowder).
We therefore recommend: collect several different kinds of teas rather than buying a large amount of one. This will not only add variety to your tea enjoyment, it will also help you to find your favorite teas for different occasions.
Preparing and Enjoying Fine Tea
Preparing a good cup of loose-leaved tea is neither difficult nor time consuming.
Five steps for preparing fabulous tea:
1. Use a preheated teapot. In the absence of a teapot, any odorless, heat-resistant pot will suffice (at least temporarily).
2. Add one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup. Experiment with the leaf quantity as you go.
3. For black and oolong teas, bring fresh, cold water to a roaring boil and pour it over the tea leaves. For white and green teas, use water that has just started to steam slightly.
4. Allow black tea to infuse for 3 to 5 minutes, green tea for 1 to 3 minutes, and white and oolong for 2 to 5 minutes. Adjust the brewing time to your taste. If the tea turns out to be bitter or harsh, it is often a sign of over brewing.
5. Separate the leaves from the tea and serve.
Some green, oolong and white teas are good for multiple infusions - just add new hot water to the pot and increase the steeping time slightly. Repeat until the flavor starts to fade.
When attempting to bring out the subtle characteristics of fine tea, a closer look at the process of making tea is required. Some call it the "art of making tea" – we call it a passion – a passion that inevitably grows as you begin to discover the subtleties fine tea provides. No artistic talent or expert knowledge is needed. All it takes is to experience this first truly outstanding cup of tea, and chances are the never-ending search for the perfect cup of tea begins; the process of making tea – as odd as it might sound to the novice – becomes an integral part of the enjoyment of tea.
More Cool Tea Stuff
Many of our explanations are based on facts - and when followed, the result will be a superior cup of tea. Other suggestions are more subjective and invite you to experiment until your personal taste and preference is found.
Gourmet Iced Tea Recipe
Follow this fast and easy iced tea recipe to ensure that the full aroma of fine teas is preserved:
Brew a tea concentrate by following the regular brewing instructions (printed on the tea pouch) but using double the amount of leaves. It prevents the water from cooling down too much so as to fully extract all the flavor.
Fill glasses or pitcher approximately 2/3 with ice (preferably made from filtered water).
Immediately pour the hot tea over the ice, separating the leaves with a strainer (we promise the will not break). If necessary, add more ice until the concentrate is diluted to double its initial volume. If you have an Iced Tea Jug such as the Bodum Ice Tea maker, there is no need for a second container. Just add the ice once the tea is brewed. Fill glasses or pitcher approximately 2/3 with ice (preferably made from filtered water).
If desired add a slice of lemon, lime or orange. Or decorate with a mint leaf.
So, to prepare 36 ounces of iced tea, brew 18 ounces of tea using approximately 6 teaspoons of tea leaves. By pouring the hot tea over ice the principles of shock freezing are applied: The sudden cooling preserves the full aroma as well as the active ingredients of the tea. This method also prevents the usual cloudiness that often develops as black teas as they cool off. (The cloudiness is purely optical and has no negative impact on the tea).
Equipment and Preparation
To brew loose tea, we generally recommend the use of a teapot or teacup with a large, reusable infusion basket. These environmentally friendly baskets allow for easy separation of tea and leaves while giving the leaves enough room to unfold. The very finest teas deserve to infuse directly in the teapot, unrestricted by a basket. After the infusion period, the tea should be poured through a strainer or infusion basket into a second pot for serving.
Before adding the leaves, the teapot should be preheated by rinsing it with hot water. This serves two purposes:
it prevents the water from cooling down too much so as to fully extract all the flavor
the rising steam in a preheated pot will cause the tea to "open up" and release its aroma just before the water is added. (Try letting the leaves sit in the warm pot for a few moments and smell the fragrance.)
The Quantity of Dry Tea Leaves
The common recommendation is to add one heaping teaspoon per 6 oz. cup of tea. This tip, however, does not take into consideration the fact that loose teas vary greatly in volume as well as in strength.
A teaspoonful of strong, broken Assam tea for example, weighs about 2.2 grams while a spoon of a much more delicate, full-leaf Darjeeling weighs only 1.5 grams; the large leaf Silver Needle White tea weighs 0.9 grams. Using the same one-teaspoon-per cup for all three of these teas would yield quite disappointing results. In other words, any direction on how much tea to use should ideally take into consideration the actual volume and character of the individual tea.
Therefore, for every tea in our line, we give an individual recommendation. These recommendations are based on our professional opinion about how much tea is appropriate in order to bring out the best characteristics of a tea.
Green Tea Brewing Instructions
The subtle flavors of green tea are best enjoyed when brewed with spring water that is below the boiling point. It is recommended to warm the teapot by pouring boiling water on it before infusing tea. Fill the teapot or brew basket about 1/4 full with tea leaves. Pour 175*-180*F water over the leaves. Decant the entire infusion or remove the brew basket after 2-3 minutes. One serving of Chinese green tea should be infused at least three times. Multiple infusions of the same leaves allow for the best flavor and fragrance. Some green teas have individual brewing instructions and are provided on the package.
Oolong Tea Brewing Instructions
Oolong tea is best prepared in the traditional style known as Gong Fu Cha, which translates as "brew tea with discipline and graceful skill." It is best to use a Yixing teapot or guywan for brewing oolong tea.
Bring spring water to a first boil and fill the empty teapot or guywan with hot water. Pour the hot water into the sharing pitcher and teacups. This purifies and warms the teaware. Fill the teapot or guywan a little less than 1/4 full with tea. Smell the aroma of the tea as the warmth from the vessel releases the fragrance of the leaves.
Pour water that has just come to a boil over the leaves in the teapot or guywan and immediately pour the infusion into the sharing pitcher. Discard this first brew. Do not drink it. This step is known as "awakening the leaves" and allows the tightly rolled or coarser oolong leaves, to open and release its flavor. A Zojirushi electric water heater or ceramic tea kettle set will be of great benefit for keeping water ready for multiple infusions at an optimal temperature.
Now the tea leaves are ready to be infused many times. Pour water that is at a first boil over the tea leaves in the pot. Pour the infusion into the sharing pitcher after 10 seconds. From the sharing pitcher the tea should be divided evenly into teacups. Each infusion will reveal a new dimension of the tea and you may find that the infusion time can be lengthened after the seventh pot.
Very Cool Tea Philosophy
Tea rituals and tea drinking are truly ancient practices. Tea was known to provide inner calm and clarity of mind as early as 500 BC.
With today’s fast-paced life, tea has become the beverage of choice for those who want to reverse the negative effects of stress. With every sip tea drinkers are taking a conscious step toward the path of well-being and inner peace.
We would like to encourage you to explore the exceptional taste of whole leaf teas, discover the ritual of drinking tea, and embark on a journey to a place of tranquility, self-reflection, and the enrichment of a slower life….even if it is for a few moments.
The Four Principles of Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku or Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility
The four principles of wa-kei-sei-jaku, or harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, act as the "motto" of the study of the tea ceremony. These principles are an adaptation by Sen-no-Rikyu of ideas related to Shintoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
Wa
 Wa (harmony) is at the heart of much of Japanese thought. Societal harmony is prized in most Asian cultures, and is exemplified in the group consciousness which is at the core of Japanese life. In the tea ceremony, the host and guests always strive to work for a harmonious experience, and part of the study of tea is learning the necessary timing and nuances which bring host and guests together.
Kei
 Kei (reverential respect) is a primary virtue in Confucian thinking. Kei is demonstrated through following the etiquette of tea. In the tea ceremony, the intimacy between host and guests is shown indirectly: through the way the host chooses implements and makes tea, and the way the guests handle the implements and drink the tea.
Sei
 Sei (purity) is a primary virtue in Shintoism, the indigenous religion of Japan. The purity that is desired in tea is internal, but is discovered in external things, such as the hand-washing at the tsukubai, the "purification" by the host of all the implements (done in the view of the guests), and in not putting the "sugar" in the tea, but consuming tea and kashi separately.
Jaku
 Jaku (tranquility), to the student of tea, does not simply mean "relaxed" or "peaceful." It refers more to the sense of calm one finds in things being natural, rather than that which is showy or ostentateous. In tea, jaku can be found both in the choice of implements and in the studied yet "natural" movements that together promote harmony, reverence, and purity.
Seven Secrets of Tea
In the "seven secrets" of tea, Rikyu used the tea ceremony as a parable for how life should be lived and how relationships should be kept-- and then used the morals thereby learned to teach what the essence of the study of tea really was.
Secret #1- Make Enjoyable Tea
"Make the tea so that your guest will enjoy it." While etiquette and form are important, the person of tea does not forget that the main reason for the tea ceremony is to make and drink tea. The goal of the host therefore should be to make tea that is pleasing to drink, served in a bowl that is pleasing to hold--all the other "bells and whistles" are secondary.
Secret #2- Boil Water Well
In tea as in life, management of resources for maximum efficiency and minimum effort insures a harmonious, productive life.
Secret #3- Arrange Flowers Suitably
"Arrange the flower in a way suited to it." In the tearoom, flower arrangements are simple and natural-looking. This teaches two lessons. First, one should learn to enjoy things as they are in nature. Second, one should relate to people (as well as to things) as they are, rather than the way we wish they would be.
Secret #4- Tea Room Atmosphere
"Keep the tea room cool in summer and warm in winter." This refers to more than the temperature; it includes the choice and placement of implements, and of the items displayed in the tokonoma. In doing so, one demonstrates harmony with nature, rather than trying to "beat it" or to alter the cycles of life.
Secret #5- Be Ahead of Time
"Be ahead of time." This accomplishes many good things. By the host and guests being ready ahead of time, both can compose themselves and thereby better relate to each other in the ceremony. In addition, there is no need to fear the possibility of last-minute difficulties that would otherwise make one late. In life, being ahead of time is often preferable to squeezing in as much as possible.
Secret #6- Have an Umbrella
"Prepare an umbrella even if no rain falls." The simplest way of defining this would be the Boy Scout motto: "be prepared" for any eventuality. The idea behind this phrase, however, goes much deeper: life is always changing, and the best way to live, therefore, is to expect change and embrace it, rather than always trying to hold on to what is now.
Secret #7- Attune Your Hearts
"Attune your hearts to the other guests." This final "secret," teaching the desirability of harmonious behavior, applies both to host and guests. This realization hints at another truth of tea: it takes just as much discipline and practice to learn how to receive well as it does to know how to give well.
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