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I'm still trying to figure out what we as a community can do with this site, but I've had some technical difficulties. After a year and a half, my laptop hard disk is on the way out. It appears to be taking my email with it, bit by bit (the Elgonquin archives I had were among the first to go). As they say on TV, please stand by... Meanwhile, it's time for a break. Not a coffee break--while I love the smell of coffee, I can't drink it. But ever since I was a little girl, I've loved tea. Back then, it was Lipton's and the occasional Constant Comment on special occasions (back then, my dad teased me about putting tea in my sugar, too). Though I still love Constant Comment, my tastes are a little more sophisticated now: my two favorite teas at present are Genmai-cha and Ti Quan Yin. Say what? Although the term "tea" used to mean "a drink made by infusing plant material in hot water," now most people assume tea is made from one plant: Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. Yup, tea is made from camellia leaves, however the camellia grown for flowers is a different species (or a number of different specieses--speces? specii?). There are four major classes of tea: white, green, oolong, and black. This chart (borrowed from the most excellent online tea shop SpecialTeas) shows how the leaves are processed differently to produce each class: |
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White teas are pretty rare, and the one I've tried was kind of underwhelming despite its reputation. They are very mild flavored, very light colored, almost like drinking hot water to me. Green teas, including my fave#1 genmai-cha, have more oomph to them than the white teas, but they're more "green-tasting" than oolongs and black teas. Genmai-cha has puffed rice added to it, and I think it tastes like liquid popcorn. Oolongs, besides having the funniest name of the bunch, are also the hybrids. They're more fermented/oxidized than the green teas, but they're greener than the black teas. Some oolongs are very close to the green end, others are nearly black teas. Ti Quan Yin is in the middle of the oolong pack. It has the most wonderful fragrance. Black teas are classified more by where they come from than how they're prepared. Prime tea growing regions include several regions in India (Darjeeling and Assam are two of the most famous), Ceylon/Sri Lanka, parts of China (Yunnan, Keemun), Taiwan, and Japan. Darjeeling is considered the finest, and you can buy tea from a particular Darjeeling estate and season much like you can buy fine wine vintages. Assam teas are used for breakfast teas and they tend to be strongly flavored teas that can stand up to being drunk with milk. (Minor tip: always pour tea into the milk, not vice versa. I don't know why that makes a difference.) In addition to these basic classes, there are all sorts of flavored teas, including florals (rose, jasmine), fruits (peach, orange), and spices (vanilla, cinnamon). My old favorite Constant Comment is flavored with orange and cinnamon and probably some other things. Earl Grey teas are flavored with the essential oil from bergamot, a citrus relative. So what if you want to try some of these teas? My best discovery is this: a number of tea companies offer small sampler packs so you can try them out without buying a lot of the tea. Here are some of the companies I can recommend: Harney and Sons has probably fifty different kinds of tea, and you can get a 2-oz. sample of any they have in stock. The samples are supposed to last for a couple of cups, but I find they last far longer than that for me. They also have these great copper mesh filters that fit into either a cup or a pot. The filter holds the tea leaves, and you can easily remove it when the leaves are done brewing. SpecialTeas: I haven't ordered from SpecialTeas myself, but they come highly recommended. Upton Tea is another company I've been meaning to try (if only I could get through all the other samples I have!). The Cultured Cup deserves mention for many reasons, but expecially because they carry Mariage Freres teas, a French brand with an international following. Their Thé de Fetes is supposed to be divine. Unfortunately, they don't offer samplers! Enjoy browsing! Cheryl |
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