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| | Welcome
to "All about Tea" | The
History of Tea | The
Clipper Ships | Tea
Innovations | The
Flavour of Tea | |
So much Tea to Choose from! The Victorian Teashop in Matlock Bath stocks quite a few flavours of tea but I'm not greatly enthusiastic myself. I much prefer a simple Earl Grey or a Darjeeling, if you can get the real thing, that is. Although I sometimes settle for a cup of good old 'normal' tea. Still, we're here to please, so if you want to mess around with flavours and exotic teas, here's a bit of information about them.
Although it took tea thousands of years to spread throughout the world from China, it is now cultivated in over thirty different countries in different continents, including South Africa, Nepal and Argentina – and there are no fewer than fifteen hundred varieties. It is not surprising then that tea is the most consumed drink in the world, apart from water itself.
Many new tea cultivars have been developed that can thrive in difficult
conditions, such as drought and high altitude. Tea has 'character',
just like wine and is influenced by many subtle attributes including
the elevation of the plantation, the quality of the soil, the weather
conditions, including wind, temperature and rain. How the tea is
collected is also an important factor.
Basically
though, all tea comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis.
The differences in white tea, green tea, oolong, black tea and pu-erh
all come from the conditions in which the tea was grown and the
way it was processed. Tea is also blended, and there are the herbal
infusions to consider. We can't list all the tea flavours available,
but the following is a pretty good selection. We begin with some
of the important types of tea. Earl Grey The classic 'English' flavoured tea. A China black tea blended with natural bergamot oil to produce the traditional citrus taste that has now been popular for three centuries. However, the blend is named after the Second Earl Grey, who was British Prime Minister in the 1830's, after he reputedly received a gift of tea flavoured with bergamot oil. The tea proved so popular that Twinings were given a sample and asked to match it. Thereafter, they marketed the first 'Earl Grey's tea', as it was called.
This is a similar tea to Earl Grey with a blend of Seville orange, lemon and bergamot. It was once believed the addition of fruits would counteract "improper impulses" that tea was widely believed to have upon the female temperament – I can't think what they mean! Lapsang souchong A
black tea, originally from the Zheng Shan part of Mount Wuyi in
the Fujian province of China. The 'real' Lapsang Souchong is rare
because Wuyi is a small province. Hence, what may be sold as Lapsang
Souchong may not be the actual tea. Ceylon black tea This
black tea, grown in Sri Lanka, (formally Ceylon) has a citrus-like
crisp aroma and is used both in blends and unmixed form. The production
of black tea in Ceylon began after a deadly fungus destroyed most
of the coffee crop on the island. James Taylor, already experienced
in tea cultivation from his time in North India, became the father
of 'Ceylon Tea' after the first tea crops were sown there in 1867
on 19 acres of land. He experimented with the cultivation of tea
on his estate, rolling leaves by hand and firing them over charcoal
fires. Darjeeling This
tea is traditionally prized above all other black teas, especially
in Britain and countries of the former British Empire. It originates
from Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. When properly brewed the
product is a lightly coloured liquid with an aroma of flowers and
possessing astringent, tannic characteristics with a certain added
spiciness.
This is a tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East, but only recently has it become more widespread. The West traditionally consumes black tea, such as some of the above, which is made from leaves more heavily oxidized than the white and green varieties. Enthusiasts
of green tea promote its medicinal benefits, which have been described
for over a thousand years. The 'Book of Tea', written by
Zen priest Eisai in 1191, describes how drinking green tea can have
a positive effect. He discusses tea's medicinal qualities, which
are said to include "easing the effects of alcohol, acting
as a stimulant, curing blotchiness, quenching thirst, eliminating
indigestion and improving urinary and brain function." It
is also believed to prevent lowered T-Cells due to HIV. In lab tests,
EGCG, found in green tea, was seen to prevent HIV from attacking
T-Cells. However, it is not yet known if this has any effect on
humans. Oolong Tea Oolong is a traditional Chinese type of tea between green and black, so far as oxidation is concerned. However, the flavour is more like green tea without the stridently grassy taste. Oolong should be brewed strong and is a little bitter, but leaves a faintly sweet aftertaste.
White
tea is made from new growth and young leaves. The leaves are steamed
or fried almost immediately after harvesting to de-activate oxidation.
They are then dried to retain the high concentrations of catechins,
which are present in fresh tea leaves. White tea is a specialty
of the Chinese province Fujian. Pu-erh Tea This tea is aged, post-fermented and usually compressed into shapes called 'bricks'. Its name comes from Pu-erh in South West China. Pu-erhs have an earthy taste that becomes stronger and more complex with age. Some pu-erh teas can be over fifty years old and are generally said to lower cholesterol, aid digestion and cure hangovers.
Herbal
Infusions Honeybush
& Lemon
Blackberry & Nettle
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