About Oolongs

For whatever reason, I’ve always had an affinity for Oolong Tea. Perhaps it’s the name, tradition or maybe the aroma of them…who knows. Falling between green Tea and black Tea, Oolongs are beginning to find a following in the west as it has had in the east for a long time.

Oolong Teas are partially oxidized Teas and while of the same species of plant, Camellia Sinensis, the method of processing is what sets them apart. They are sometimes referred to as ‘blue’ or ‘blue-green’ Teas and traditionally have been grown in Taiwan and China, although they are produced in other countries now as well. The name Oolong is sometimes translated as black dragon, possibly in reference to the long, black leaves, although there are variations of the name such as ‘wulong’, so called for the name of the discoverer or ‘wuyi’ for the mountain it is thought to have originated from. Whichever variation you like, Oolong Teas should definitely be on your ‘to try’ list.

The first type of Oolong tea is the dark, open leafed variety, which is the traditional type. This Tea is produced by withering, or drying, the leaves in the sun for a time and then continued indoors in bamboo baskets. During this process, the leaves are shaken or ‘rattled’ every two hours to bruise the leaves and further the oxidation process. When the oxidation level has reached 70%, the leaves are heated in a panning machine to stop the oxidation process and then dried in ovens. Dark Oolongs steep to a pale, amber liquor and have a soft fruitiness to them, such as apricot or peach. Dark Oolongs can be infused several times bringing about subtle variations in the Tea.

The other type of Oolong is the balled or rolled variety. This is an even less oxidized version and greener appearing Tea. Balled Oolongs are withered and rattled similar to the darker variety but only until the oxidation level reaches 30%. They are then heated in the panning machine for 5 to 10 minutes to halt the oxidation process and dried. After resting overnight, the difference in production is evident. Approximately 20 pounds of the Tea is placed in a large cloth bag and tightened, then placed in a rolling machine to compress and bruise the leaves. Once completed, the Tea is removed from the bag, separated and then placed in another bag and the process is repeated. This will happen at least 36 times and as many as 60 resulting in rough green pellets. After the rolling process is finished, the Tea is dried again. Balled Oolongs yield a pale amber-green liquor that is perhaps bolder than the darker variety with a fragrant aroma. These also can be re-steeped several times.

While Oolongs can be gently infused with other essences such as Ginseng or Jasmine, which add a very pleasant aroma to the leaves and infusion, many oolongs are left simply unadorned. This allows their true essence to be brought to the fore.

If you are looking for a Tea that falls ‘in between’, try an Oolong. These Teas will not disappoint.

Cold Brewing Tea

While we generally think of Tea as a hot brewed item, many Teas can be brewed using the ‘cold brewed’ method. Cold brewing has its benefits, such as being a little more ‘hands-free’ than the traditional method. You are not monitoring water temperature nor are you married to the timer. Cold brewing also allows you to prepare more Tea more easily than with the traditional hot brewed method. While you can certainly make Iced Tea by the traditional method, cold brewing is an excellent and much simpler alternative.

Cold brewing does differ from the traditional method in that it will contain less tannins than traditionally hot brewed Tea, resulting in less astringency, and a smoother taste. Another benefit, although strictly cosmetic, is that cold brewed Tea will remain clear in your refrigerator, and not get cloudy as a traditional brewed Tea might.

Do not mistake cold brewed Tea with “sun tea”. Sun tea is a method by which the jar with the Tea is left in the sun for several hours to steep. This can potentially be dangerous as sun heated water can be a perfect incubator for bacteria. Cold brewing is a much safer way to steep.

How to Cold Brew

You will need a pitcher to cold brew. Our Iced Tea Jug works perfectly for cold brewing. The separate chamber for the Tea leaves makes straining the Tea very easy. Any pitcher can be used however.

Fill your pitcher with the desired amount of filtered room temperature or cool water, never hot water.

Use 1 to 1½ teaspoons of Tea per 8 ounces of water, so in the 51 ounce Iced Tea Jug, for example, you will need approximately 6 to 9 teaspoons of Tea. Add the Tea leaves to the water in the pitcher. If you are using a regular pitcher, you may want to place the Tea in a T-Sac or infuser to make straining easier, particularly if using an herbal Tea or a fine leaf Tea. Herbal Teas, rooibos in particular, have very small particles that can be difficult to strain out. Be careful that you do not use an infuser or sac that is too small. You want the leaves to be able to completely unfurl in the brewing process.

Place in your refrigerator and let steep at least overnight, and if possible for 24 hours. Once finished, remove the infuser or strain the leaves out and you have a pitcher of perfectly cold brewed Iced Tea. With green or white teas, the leaves can remain in the pitcher for resteeping. To prepare a second batch simply add about a half batch of new Tea leaves to the old leaves and let steep in your refrigerator. You should not resteep more than once.

Here’s a tip. To enjoy your Tea without diluting it, make some ice cubes with some of your prepared Tea.

Health Benefits of Tea

Health Benefits of Tea

I’ve had a few requests to provide some information about the health benefits of Tea. After all, you see it everywhere these days; claims made about Tea are all over the place promising amazing things. So I thought I’d put an article together summarizing the wonderful things that drinking Tea can do. No problem right? Imagine my dismay when I began my research and discovered all of the big words, chemistry diagrams and scientific jargon involved. Huh? This is just a little article for a Tea Company newsletter written by a Land Surveyor who just happens to co-own a Tea Store, not a grad student writing a thesis for a PhD. So after ruminating on it for a few weeks, perhaps hoping it would be forgotten, I decided I’d give it shot. That said, let me remind you that I am not a doctor, herbalist, spiritual adviser, or life coach. I just hope to give you a little information about the potential benefits of drinking good Tea.

Why is Tea Good for You?

OK, let’s dive right in. Does everyone have their dictionaries? Just kidding. Aside from the soothing qualities that drinking a nice cup of Tea can provide, antioxidants are what studies are pointing to as the key beneficial component of Tea. Antioxidants are all the rage right now in health, and Tea has its share. Antioxidants do what that say; they are molecules that can inhibit oxidation in other molecules. Oxidation produces ‘free radicals’ which can in turn oxidize other molecules creating a chain reaction that can damage cells.[1] Don’t think however that oxidation is always a bad thing. On the contrary, oxidation is a necessary chemical reaction, and is crucial for life.

Antioxidants are polyphenols, some of which are flavonoids and catechins. Tea is an example of a plant which has a high polyphenol content. Explaining much further than this would require chemical diagrams, very long words and much more education than I possess. If you would like to learn more about this, there are a lot of articles you can read online (Wikipedia is great), or you can get a biochemistry degree in four short years. It’s a toss-up which would take longer.

Can Tea Help Me Lose Weight?

Let’s start with this one, as it is usually the first thing people think of when wondering about the benefits of Tea. Preliminary studies involving Green Tea extract suggests that it can have a positive effect on energy levels and fat loss. Drinking 3 to 5 cups of Green Tea has been shown to help increase the metabolic rate, curb appetites and help regulate blood sugar levels.[2] As good as Tea is, it’s not magic; washing down a box of Twinkies or a pizza with Green Tea isn’t going to help much. As much as we’d like to think otherwise (myself included), the best way to lose weight is diet and exercise (with your doctor’s approval of course). Think of it as a pill you have to take 3 to 5 times a week that takes 30 minutes to swallow. Wash it down with a nice glass of Tea, it’ll make you feel better.

Can Tea Lower Cholesterol?

Studies conducted by the USDA have indicated that 5 cups of Black Tea per day had a positive effect of lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol by 11.1% and total cholesterol by 6.5% in adults with mildly high cholesterol.[3] While these are encouraging results, always consult your doctor to manage your cholesterol.

Tea and Cancer

This is one I didn’t really want to address. Cancer is still one of the most feared words in the English language, and making any claims regarding treatment or prevention is daunting. As always, your doctor should be your number one source of information regarding any treatments or even preventative measures.

Preliminary research has indicated that flavonoids in Tea could possibly be a component in human cancer risk reduction by combating free radical damage, inhibiting uncontrolled cell growth and by promoting programmed cell death. Studies and trials are being carried out worldwide by leading scientists studying these effects. More evidence must be collected before any definitive statements can be made.

Did I Really Learn Anything Here?

There are a lot of good things about drinking Tea and a plethora of information is available with a little digging. Hopefully this will give you a basic starting point to ask some more questions and do some more fact finding on your own. I can’t say this enough; Consult your doctor before making any change that concerns your health. Potential health benefits aside, drinking Tea can be a simple and soothing addition to your daily life and certainly a step in the right direction to a healthier lifestyle.

Sources:

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[1] Wikipedia “Antioxidants”

[2] Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5.

[3] Davies MJ, Judd JT, Baer DJ, Clevidence BA, Paul DR, Edwards AJ, Wiseman SA, Muesing RA, Chen SC. Black tea consumption reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults. J Nutr. 2003 Oct;133(10):3298S-3302S.

Happy New Year

Another one behind us. I don't think anyone will miss 2010; It was a tough one. This economy can't last like this forever, so maybe 2011 will be the new beginning. I know I'll be working my own business to make it so. I've always been pretty ambivalent about New Year's. Since I don't drink, I don't party much, and since it will be around for a year, I don't need to stay up for fear of missing it. I did wake up for it this year however as our enlightened state legislators recently deemed it a good and necessary thing to legalize fireworks, which the populace has embraced. I was therefore awakened at about 11:45 to the sound of fireworks (or perhaps gunshots). Apparently the New Year arrives at a different time depending on which block you live in here, as it started at 11:45 or so and lasted until 12:30. Oh well, I certainly don't begrudge the revelers. I used to have that kind of energy, but as I recently heard on a Thomas F. Wilson (comedian and actor from Back to the Future) song, "I'm over 40, and I don't care."

Happy New Year.

Meeting Sarah Palin

While I know she is not everyone's cup of tea so to speak, we had a chance to meet her at a book signing in Phoenix last week. I don't think anyone can argue that she has become a cultural phenomenon, and that being the case, we took two of our daughters to meet her. Our girls were very excited to meet her, while perhaps not very familiar with her politics, certainly aware of her prominence in American pop culture. I will say that she was a very pleasant woman, and the kids (and even my wife and I) enjoyed meeting her. After all, she could be president someday, and I think it's cool my kids will be able to say they shook her hand.

A (very) Brief History of Tea

Part 3 – Dutch Treat.

The world conquest of Tea began in earnest in the early 1600’s. By this time, it was fairly common knowledge that in fact the world was not flat, and that there were other cultures out there willing to trade. This coupled with the advancement of various navies created sea-borne trade routes from Europe to nearly all corners of the globe.

Tea remained in the East until the Dutch arrived in Amsterdam with the first cargo load of Tea in 1606. The East Indies Company, a Dutch establishment who had a monopoly on trade with Asia, had close ties to exporters in China. Even after the forming of the East India Company in England in 1615, the Dutch maintained a monopoly on the Tea trade until the 1670’s. During this time, drinking Tea became popular in Holland, and by 1650 was introduced in New Amsterdam, later known as New York, in the New World. In 1636, Tea was introduced in France and quickly became an indulgence of the upper class.

In 1618, Tea was presented to the Tsar of Russia by envoys from China. It again became popular with the upper class. Tea was brought to Russia by a land route from China, a trek of over 6000 miles which could take over a year. This of course made tea quite sought after and expensive, keeping it out of the hands of the masses. It is with the trade route from China to Russia, who shared a border, that Tea was introduced to Europe a second time.

Tea made its appearance in England in 1657, being sold at Garraway’s Coffee House. It was promoted as a wholesome drink, promising to help everything from eyesight to extending one’s life, while also claiming that "it could make the body active and lusty." In today’s world, this would surely be advertised on late night television with some whistling geek getting all the girls.

Interestingly, Tea was initially met with some resistance in England with some making the claim that drinking Tea caused men to become shorter and ill tempered and women to lose their looks. With ale and gin being the more popular drinks of the time, I’m sure competition was not looked on favorably. While this is pure speculation, I imagine that back then, as now, drinking alcohol surely made everyone tall, invincible and good-looking, so drinking anything else was sure to have the opposite effect.

By the 1670’s England was beginning to import Tea on a commercial scale. It was still very expensive as well as quite heavily taxed (reaching an absurd 119% by the mid 1700’s) and spawned a whole new industry, Tea smuggling. Dutch ships would anchor offshore and unload the precious cargo into fishing boats which transported it to hiding places ashore. The smuggling business was profitable, and as such invariably led to greed. Tea started to become mixed with other types of leaves that were locally available, such as willow, as well as drying used Tea and re-mixing it. This practice was made illegal and punishable by the Food and Drug Act of 1875.

Since its introduction to America in 1650 Tea continued to grow in popularity and by the late 1700’s had become the most valuable and largest export to the colonies. Again, due to its popularity, greed took over and exorbitant duties were imposed on its import. This rankled the locals causing events which ultimately led to the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War. Perhaps it also explains the popularity of coffee in the New World.

Tea is now worldwide of course and with nearly four million tons was harvested in 2009 is the second most consumed beverage on the planet, second only to water. While it is still primarily grown in only a few countries, its influence is still felt worldwide.

A (very) Brief History of Tea

Part 2 – I Think I’m Turning Japanese

Tea was pretty much solely a Chinese thing for the better part of 3000 years. While some of this might be attributed to them wanting to keep it for themselves, the fact that trans-oceanic travel was at the very least, difficult, certainly played a part. So while Tea certainly has a longer history in China, no less important is the influence that Japan has had on the evolution of Tea.

Tea seems to have been introduced to Japan twice. The first known reference to Tea appears in a text written by a Buddhist monk in the 9^th century. At the time ‘brick tea’ was popular in China, and it’s likely that this is what made it to Japan. According to ancient writings, tea seeds were brought into Japan by a Buddhist monk, Saicho, in 805. Saicho is credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism. Another monk, Kukai, also brought seeds back from China in 806.

In 1191, the famous Zen priest Esai returned to Kyoto with tea seeds from China. In 1211 he wrote the two volume ‘Kissa Yojoki’ or ‘How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea’. The first line of the book reads: “Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make one's life more full and complete". Quite an endorsement. Another story of legend is how he introduced Tea into the Samurai, or warrior class. In 1214 it seems a Shogun had a habit of drinking too much in the evenings. Esai presented the Shogun with a book he had written espousing the health benefits of drinking tea. Soon after, the custom of drinking tea became popular with the Samurai.

The Tea Culture of Japan emerged over the course of centuries and evolved from being prepared as part of Buddhist rituals, to being consumed by the Samurai and upper class and ultimately filtering into all levels of Japanese society. By the 16^th century, the ‘Way of Tea’ or chado had been established by Sen Rikyu, still regarded and revered figure in Tea Ceremony. The principles of harmony, purity, respect and tranquility are still central to Tea Ceremony.

It is interesting to note that only green Tea is produced in Japan, although there are several varieties: Sencha, the most common in everyday life; Bancha, a simpler form of Sencha, very rarely exported; Gyokuro, what you might call the elite Sencha; Houjicha, which is a baked Sencha; Genmaicha, a Sencha combined with toasted rice; and finally, Matcha, the most revered Tea. This is the tea used for Tea Ceremony, and is a powdered green Tea. You’ll notice that all of the Tea names end in ‘cha’; Cha is the Japanese word for Tea.

The history of Tea in Japan is an interesting and complex one, and this simplistic attempt to introduce you to it hopefully will inspire you to further exploration. The ‘Book of Tea’, written by Okakura Kakuzo and first published in 1906, is an excellent treatise on the development of the Tea Culture in Japan.

Next: Part 3 – Dutch Treat.