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Home , Gaiwan, Tea party

A BEGINNING GUIDE TO

Ahhh, the love of tea!

Hippocrates once was noted as saying: “Let your be your medicine and your medicine your food”.

A pure simple leaf () and most of us wonder where did it all begin. That answer is not always factual or simple but I will do my best to explain it and give you some history of our lovely favorite , Tea.

First the story, you can’t begin to know tea unless you know the history behind the lovely single leaf.

The following stories are what I have chosen to share however, do yourself a favor and search to find more interesting stories about tea and it’s beginning. There is a lot of information about tea and the more you know the more you will understand the fascination about it.

In ancient China, a long, long time ago (people say 2737 BC) an emperor whose name was Shen Nung was kneeling in front of a fire boiling water, the wind blew and leaves fell from a tree above him and into his boiling water. The scent was intriguing so he took a sip and there it is, tea. The first somewhat recorded history of our lovely brew.

If the leaves that fell were actually tea leaves then they had to be unfermented making his drink the first beverage in the .

This is a favorite story of mine, it just sounds mystical and miraculous: An herbalist from the studying herbs and was said to know 100,000 healing properties of them. He was passing the information down to his son however, he was only able to pass on 80,000 of them but told his son to visit his grave in 5 years and the other 20,000 would be there waiting for him. His son did as he was asked and visited his fathers grave site and beside his fathers grave was a tea bush!

Tea is said to have over 20,000 healing properties and when you start to delve into the tea you too will see what an amazing beverage it is.

My favorite belief is that tea calms the soul and in calming the soul it allows our bodies to rest and heal.

These are fun mystical stories and their reality could be questioned, but why? Fables and tales just add that much more of a mystery to our tea.

Today we have scientific proof of how good the Camellia Sinensis plant is and more and more, we learn new evidence every day about it.

Here are some Tea History Facts:

Tea is said to have started in China, through Chinese monks who worshipped the entire process of tea and it was given as gifts.

The Japanese Tea is considered to be an offshoot of those gifts. In 1559 a tea merchant shared his tea experience with others.

In 1600’s the Dutch East India Trading Company was shipping tea to Europe.

1618 Russians received several chests of tea as gifts. In Europe tea was for the royal and rich, costing over 100 dollars per pound.

One of the earliest recorded tea was in American in 1674.

Tea arrived in Canada in 1716

In 1773 Sons of Liberty had their own and threw 32 cases of tea into the Boston Harbor.

1830 India who is responsible for Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri discovered tea already freely growing in the fields. India has over 2,000 tea producers and one of the largest producers of tea.

China has 36% of the world production of tea

The United States is the least producer of tea at less then 1%

Black tea is the most known of all the teas

Ezekiel 47:12 and the fruit there shall be for me a and the “LEAF” for medicine

One tea bush can yield tea for up to 50 years (or more)

You can find 100 tea facts HERE

And tea continues through history today. There are also Herbal teas as well but we lovingly refer to those as tisanes (French for herbal )

Herbal’s are not a tea at all but basically flowers, herbs, spices and berries combined to serve in hot water similar to a tea. Tea has quite a history as well as a connection that branches out all over the world. I’m just glad it made it to my mug this morning!

How Teas Are Created

First the leaves are removed from the plant generally by hand. Picked leaves are generally the bud or the bud and the top three leaves.

** I am always brought to remembrance of the people who do the picking and I often wonder what they feel about us. They work long hard hours to bring us these delicate leaves that we consume so freely.

The leaves are then sorted and any stem, twig or broken leaves are removed.

Laying the leaves out to wilt for several hours begins the process. This allows the leaves to be processed further without crumbling.

The next process is where the teas develop their personality.

The leaves are twisted, rolled or pressed.

This process starts the leaves into oxidation by releasing enzymes and oils into the air.

The leaves are then left to rest being laid out and allow the oxygen to mix with the released oils and enzymes.

This changes the color of the tea leaves. The length of time that they are to be exposed to this process created the tea that they will become.

White Tea – no oxidation, not wilted – not oxidized, not wilted and allowed to yellow Green Tea – not oxidized, not wilted – wilted, bruised and partially oxidized – Wilted, crushed and fully oxidized Pu-erh – Post fermented and aged, the leaves are next fired; this dries them out and seals in the above processes.

**There is also a faster CTC or Crush-Tear-Curl method to produce tea, it has 5 steps but I just wanted to make you aware of it. To me this is more of a tea “dust” and the bottom of the barrel in the tea world. You will mostly find CTC teas in tea bags.

After water, tea is the most popular beverage on earth. Tea is consumed in large quantities all over the world, but is likely most popular in Asia. Tea was even discovered in Asia, and most of the world’s tea is still grown in this part of the world, though India is a close second.

Chinese mythology dates the discovery of tea back to 2737 BC, when, supposedly, the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was drinking boiled water under a tree, when a leaf from this tree dropped into his cup. The Emperor decided to try the concoction and found that he loved it. He ordered a large planting of tea trees and a new crop was born.

Black Tea

Black tea is the most common variety and accounts for about 75 percent of global tea consumption. Like many of the teas here, it’s made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, which are typically rolled and fermented, then dried and crushed. Black tea has a slightly bitter flavor and contains the most —about 40 milligrams per cup. (A cup of has 50 to 100). The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or adding milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia Sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats.

Green

Green tea has a more delicate flavor than black. The leaves are dried and heat-treated soon after they’re picked, which stops the fermentation process. It contains about 25 milligrams of caffeine per cup. The lightly oxidized tea has been popular in China, Japan and Korea for centuries. Recently, rumors on its health benefits increased its popularity in the West as well. It has been proven that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, increase metabolic rates and be helpful in variety of other conditions and illnesses. The green tea is lightly oxidized, dried, but not fermented. It is usually served plain, without sugar or milk. Since some of the green tea variants taste a bit bitter, it should be brewed in lower temperatures than the boiling point.

Oolong

Oolong is similar to black tea, but it’s fermented for a shorter time, which gives it a richer taste. It contains about 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup. The traditional is the common companion of Chinese such as dim sum and chopsuey in American Chinese . The oolong tea, black dragon in Chinese, got its name after its long, dark distinguished leaves that look like wild black dragons when brewed. A long process that includes sun drying of the Camellia Sinensis leaves, light oxidization, cooling and drying processes, achieves the unique taste of the oolong tea. The result is a lighter flavor than the popular black tea and stronger than the delicate green tea

White

These leaves are picked when they’re very young, so has a much milder flavor than any other variety, not to mention less caffeine—about 15 milligrams per cup. Loose tea may also contain more antioxidants than tea in bags, because the leaves are less processed. White tea is more rare and more expensive than the other types of teas mentioned above. Originated in the Fujian province of china, the white tea is made of young Camellia Sinensis leaves, which go through a long process of steaming or frying, inactivate fermenting and drying. Since the leaves are harvested while the buds are still covered by white hair, it is called white tea. White tea has the most delicate, sweet taste than the other types of tea. Moreover, it contains the smallest amount of caffeine and the largest amount of antioxidant that help prevent cancer.

Yerba

Yerba Mate (YUR-ba MAH-tay) is not part of the tea leaf (Camellia Sinensis). It comes from a small tree native to the subtropical region in many parts of South America. The Natives refer to this healthful beverage as “the drink of the gods”. A vegetative earthy brew; Yerba Mate is known for its “energy” quality because it contains 3 separate substances similar to caffeine, which are released in your system at a more even pace so you do not get the jitters and the associated crash later. Mate is processed in two ways: dried and roasted. Yerba Mate Collection can be symbolized with the a gourd and bombilla. Traditionally South Americans get together and prepare their Mate in a gourd and sip the brew through a metal straw called a bombilla.

Rooibos Rooibos (ROY-boss) is a South African herb, native to the Cedarberg region. Many people refer to it as Red Bush or Red Tea even though just like Yerba Mate it is not part of the tea (Camellia sinensis) . Rooibos is processed much like the tea plant. The Red variety is oxidized in the sun and the green is simply dried in its natural state. This is naturally caffeine free that has sweetness that only one can experience by drinking. Rooibos has a settling benefit and may also aid in seasonal allergies to those that drink it.

Tulsi

Tulsi comes from India and is part of the holy basil family. Tulsi is a sacred plant that has many wonderful medicinal qualities. This queen of herbs has a subtle minty sweetness that is very refreshing. Tulsi has an anti-viral effect and can help calm the mind and reduce the stress of our daily activities.

Herbal

Technically, herbal teas are not teas at all—they’re usually some combination of dried fruits, flowers, and herbs. Herbal varieties contain no caffeine. Made from herbs, fruits, seeds, or roots steeped in hot water, herbal teas have lower concentrations of antioxidants than green, white, black, and oolong teas. Live strong has some nice examples of Herbal teas, take a moment to check out their site and their ideas for Herbal teas. Herbal are made using botanical ingredients other than the tea plant itself. A more correct term for herbal tea is tisane. Many popular herbs such as chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus and lemongrass are used. These herbs can come from all over the world and do not have a specific region. Many times these infusions are caffeine free. Our Herbal Collection offers a wide variety of blends that please the palate and help create a healthy lifestyle.

Avoid herbal weight-loss teas, which may contain dangerous laxatives. I am not a fan of these products, read your ingredients and while there are a few products out there (you can see my reviews) that aid in weight loss, most contain ingredients that simply are not good for you.

How To Brew Your Tea

Ready?

However you want!

That my tea lover is the freedom of tea, it’s your tea, brew it your way. I’m a firm believer that our industry gives you guidelines and from there the freedom of tea is that you enjoy it as you like it. Below is a chart to help you brew your teas.

AVERAGE BREWING INSTRUCTIONS

These are common instructions for brewing teas, however if the company suggests other brewing times and temperatures you can start there, remember this is just a guide.

Time and Temperature Guide:

Tea Temperature Minutes Black 95°C / 205°F 3 - 5 Oolong/White 85°C / 185°F 3 - 4 Green/Yellow 80°C / 176°F 2 - 3 Herbal/Tisanes. 100°C / 212°F 5 - 15

** As always stated by My Tea Vault, we think you should enjoy tea the way you like it, I like mine very strong with no sweetener, these are just guidelines and I suggest you use the guideline then adjust for your own tastes.

Now the process

Again I feel it’s how you like it. At work I have little choice so it’s a one cup coffee pot that is set aside for water only. It’s all I have; at home it’s Gongfu and relaxation. If you are just getting into tea enjoy the tea how you can, however water temperature absolutely plays a roll in the taste of a tea, as well as the quality of tea.

Experiment and have fun on your journey

So basically you can boil water and pour it over your tea. But actually that is not always correct, boiled water may be a bit too hot (think Starbucks) and really change the way your tea is is to taste, in other words, it may taste okay but it can taste so much better.

Your tea can be contained several ways:

Tea Bags Loose Leaf Tea Bags Tea Pyramids Infusers

Again it is personal choice; I’m not a fan of purchased tea in tea bags so for me loose leaf is my passion.

Brew, steep and add a sweetener if you like and ENJOY.

GONGFU TEA STYLE

Gongfu (the art of doing something well) is more of a ceremony and tribute to the tea you drink. I look at it as if you are honoring the tea and tea history.

It is a Chinese and can serve 1-4 people correctly. You can view this article on GONGFU CEREMONY for more information and details. Items needed:

Bamboo perforated tray – this holds your instruments an when brewing to allow water to drip down to the tray below.

The tools (preferably bamboo) Measuring cup – measure tea Tongs – to move cups so as not to touch them Tea needle – Scrape teas off the sides of pitcher Towel – to wipe cup and pot dry Hot water –washing and heating cups and to brew the tea Tea pots () made of clay, or glass made of clay, porcelain or glass

And of course a tea pet, what is it? I wrote an article on Tea Pets and you can view it HERE

Place all items on tray, I personally do not use the tongs to move the cups but I do use it to place my tea into my Gaiwan.

Pour hot water into Gaiwan and cups wait a moment and pour out. This warms and prepares the cups for the tea.

Pour hot water into Gaiwan again over the leaves in a circular manner.

The trickiest part is how to hold the Gaiwan. Put your index finger on the lid and the other fingers and thumb to hold the cup, pour from there.

You want to pour that first water out. This is the washing or awakening of the tea leaves and not considered drinkable. Soon after pour more hot water into the Gaiwan this should be done again in a circular motion when putting the lid on it is ok to allow water to spill out over the top.

Brew 2-5 minutes

Pick the up and wipe it off, then pour tea into the cups back and forth to evenly distribute the temperature and the tea.

Repeat. ENJOY!

And that’s basically it, there is so much more and such a depth to tea, view my blog for tons more information, tea reviews and healthy tea news.

This is just a basic guide to tea, there is so much more, like the other red tea, a few other tea ceremonies and 100’s of teas to try and sample until you find the one (I have a few) that are near and dear to your heart.

If you look through my website MyTeaVault.com

there are hundreds of tea reviews to help you find the teas that may interest you as well as the companies that provided them. I have my favorites as well.

And with all this being said I want to thank you or joining our tea family and opening the Tea Vault.

I share many things about tea and health and I believe we are all on a journey to peace and we get to partake in that peaceful journey with every cup. So again welcome and please, ask questions and make suggestions.

Simply, Lisa B My Tea Vault

Join our chat group MORNING CUP OF TEA on Facebook : and join other tea lovers as we chat about tea, life, health and pretty much every peaceful topic under the sun.

Namaste’