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:: I prefer Darjeeling Tea ::
Darjeeling tea has traditionally been prized above all other black teas
and is widely considered the "champagne" of teas. It is generally
a lighter afternoon tea, but it depends on the time of year
the leaves are harvested.
When properly brewed, Darjeeling tea yields a
thin-bodied, light-colored liquor with a floral aroma and somewhat astringent,
tannic characteristics, as well as a spiciness often referred to by tea
connoisseurs as "muscatel." The infusion is bright, tending to be slightly
pale and greenish.
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:: I prefer Earl Grey Tea ::
Earl Grey is a premium black tea from Sri Lanka, and is a blend of Indian
and Ceylon teas. It is flavored with oil of the Bergamot orange.
Research indicates that this fruit is a cross between the sweet, or
pear, lemon (Citrus Limetta) and the Seville, or sour, orange (Citrus Aurantium).
The sour orange is native to southern Vietnam.
This tea has a light refreshing taste, and can be served hot with or without
milk or sugar. It can be used to make iced tea and is widely considered the
perfect afternoon tea.
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:: I prefer Jasmine Tea ::
Jasmine tea hails from the Fujian province of China. It is infused with the
delicate scent of the night-blooming jasmine flowers which are harvested during
the day and stored in a cool place until night.
During the night, the flowers bloom
with full fragrance. They are, then, layered over the tea leaves during the
scenting process. The quality of Jasmine tea is determined by the quality of
green tea used as its base and the effectiveness of the scenting. Jasmine teas
are very pleasing with strong-tasting foods and are both soothing and refreshing.
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:: I prefer Lapsang Souchong Tea ::
Lapsang Souchong is treasured for its unique smoky flavor and aroma, which is
achieved through drying the tea leaves over pine log fires.
True to the nature of a good Smoked Lapsang, this tea is strong with smoky (pine)
fragrance and taste. The lingering aftertaste has a somewhat cooling effect on
the tongue. The infusion is a clear amber-red.
Legend claims that the smoking process was discovered by accident.
During the Qing dynasty, an army unit passing through Xingcun (Star Village)
camped in a tea factory filled with fresh leaves awaiting processing. When the
soldiers left and the workers could get back into the premises, they realized
that to arrive at market in time, it was too late to dry the leaves
in the usual way. So they lit open fires of pine wood to hasten the drying.
Not only did the tea reach the market in time, but the smoked pine flavor created
a sensation!
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:: I prefer Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea ::
Longjing is a famous variety of green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province,
China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its
high quality. Longjing tea leaves are pan fried (unlike most other teas,
which are steamed) to stop the fermentation process.
When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color, a gentle, pure aroma,
and a rich flavor. The pleasant aroma is refreshingly light with a hint of
fruit and nut combined. The aftertaste is almost instantaneous, filling the
mouth with a sweetness reminiscence of grape fruit. The tea contains Vitamin C,
amino acids, and the highest concentration of catechins among teas.
The name of this tea literally means "dragon well," a well that contains relatively
dense water, and after rain the lighter rainwater floating on its surface sometimes
exhibits a sinuous and twisting boundary with the well water, which is supposed to
resemble the movement of a traditional Chinese dragon.
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:: I prefer Masala Chai Tea ::
Traditionally, Masala Chai is a bracing, strongly spiced beverage brewed with
so-called "warm" spices. Most masala chai incorporates one or more of the
following: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn, and cloves are
some of the most common elements, though masala chai can be made with such varied
ingredients as nutmeg, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla or licorice.
Chai is the Hindi word for “tea.” What most people think of as “chai tea” is
more accurately called “masala chai” or spiced tea. It is a mixture of black tea,
sugar (or other sweeteners), milk, and spices (as named above). Although chai tea is a traditional beverage
with a long history, the modern world seems to have claimed it for its own. Chai
tea's popularity is likely due to its great taste as well
as the soothing effect it has on the stomach. It is a great aid to digestion after
a heavy meal.
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:: I prefer Shui Xian Oolong ::
Shui Xian is related to the Phoenix Mountain oolongs which are quite famous for
their unparalled fragrance. The process of creating Shui Xian begins with picking
the branch's first three or four leaves. After wilting and bruising, the leaves are
hand-rolled into a shape said to resemble a frog's leg.
These murky dark green leaves give off an exquisite lacquered fragrance that
complements the tea's sweetness. Like most rock oolongs, this tea is partially
fermented. Shui Xian is an especially fragrant tea with a liquor of glowing,
scorched-orange honey color. Aged Shui Xian have a smoother mouthfeel. The
ephemeral narcissus aroma is purely an artifact
of the tea’s cultivation and processing. No flowers are necessary to scent this
delicacy.
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:: I prefer Yin Zhen Bai Hao White Tea ::
This is the finest and most delicate of White teas.
Yin Zhen is particularly valuable for its anti-toxin and cooling properties to help to decrease body heat.
This particular Chinese white tea holds a very graceful form. The leaves are even, strong, straight, and fully covered with silvery down. The Yin Zhen Bai Hao is only made with buds, which are harvested from the Fuding Da Bai Hao and the Zheng He Da Bai Hao trees. When steeped, the tea buds stand upright like a forest of stalagmites in the cup, creating a beautiful visual presentation. The liquor is a light apricot color and the taste is fresh and delicate with a pleasant, high fragrance. This tea is a very good daily tea. It is also recommended as an efficacious remedy for the hives.
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:: I prefer English Breakfast Tea ::
English Breakfast Tea is a Black Keemun tea from the Anhui region of China. As its name implies, English Breakfast tea is an ideal accompaniment to a morning meal. Prized for its full, malty flavor, and rich, dark color. This tea should be served hot with milk and a little sugar, but it is also delicious served with lemon. It can also be used to make iced tea. English Breakfast Tea has a fine leaf size for a faster brew time and better infusion.
Breakfast Tea was actually invented in Edinburgh, Scotland by a blender named Drysdale, in the 19th Century. Originally, it was made mainly from Chinese Keemun black tea which apparently tastes a little like toast when milk is added to it. Drysdale thought it would be a great idea to market this as Breakfast Tea.
Not wanting to be behind the Scots, those south of the border decided that they should also have Breakfast Tea and the concept soon spread to London. It was there in London that the teahouses added 'English' to the name of the blend and it became one of the most poplar teas in Britain.
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:: I prefer Ceylon Tea ::
Until the 1860’s the main crop produced on the island of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, was coffee. But in 1869, the coffee-rust fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, killed the majority of the coffee plants and estate owners had to diversify into other crops in order to avoid total ruin. The owners of Loolecondera Estate had been interested in tea since the late 1850’s and in 1866, James Taylor, a recently arrived Scot, was selected to be in charge of the first sowing of tea seeds in 1867, on 19 acres of land.
Taylor had acquired some basic knowledge of tea cultivation in North India and made some initial experiments in manufacture, using his bungalow verandah as the factory and rolling the leaf by hand on tables. His first teas were sold locally and were declared delicious. By 1872, Taylor had a fully equipped factory, and, in 1873, his first quality teas were sold for a very good price at the London auction. Through his dedication and determination, Taylor was largely responsible for the early success of the tea crop in Ceylon. Ceylon tea has a citrus-like, crisp aroma and is bright and lively, with a wonderfully delicate flavor.
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:: I prefer Suutei Tsai Tea ::
Suutei Tsai is a Mongolian tea which literally means, "salty tea with milk."
It is prepared using a variety of tea that grows only in Central Asia
and China.
In preparation, the tea and water are brought to a boil and the milk is added.
Instead of stirring, the Mongolians will lift out some liquid with a ladle
and let it splash back from a certain height. When the tea is ready to be served,
it is seasoned with salt to taste, strained and served.
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:: I prefer Yuja Cha Tea ::
Yuja Cha is a Korean traditional tea made from thinly sliced yuja (a kind of citrus fruit), with its peel left on,
and flavored with honey and sugar.
The yuja fruit itself has a strong, sour and bitter taste, so Korean people
preserve and sweeten it for making tea. The ingredients are combined with very hot water
to make a delicious and uplifting tea. Yuja cha is used as an herbal remedy for the
common cold and similar winter illnesses.
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:: I prefer Cafe Sua Da ::
This beverage, Cafe Sua Da, comes from a new and developing line at the RPTH:
Coffee at the Tea House. Cafe Sua Da is a unique, Vietnamese coffee recipe.
Literally, the term means "iced milk coffee."
Cafe Sua Da is made by mixing black coffee with sweetened condensed milk and
pouring the mixture over ice. The coffee is traditionally brewed with a small,
drip filter into a cup containing the condensed milk. The condensed milk and coffee
are stirred together and then poured over the ice.
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:: I prefer Gyokuro Tea ::
Gyokuro is green tea from Japan famed for its unique shading process.
Selected from a grade of green tea known as sencha, Gyokuro's name refers
to the pale green color of the infusion.
'Moonlight Gyokuro' is made solely from the prized tender buds gathered
in the early spring flush. Three weeks prior to plucking, tea bushes
are shaded from the sun. The result of this shading process is a gentle tea
with an intoxicating fragrance and truly sublime taste. One usually drinks Gyokuro
very slowly to savor its distinctive flavor.
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:: I prefer Kukicha Baton Tea ::
Kukicha Baton tea is green tea from Japan that is an unusual combination of green leaves
and thin white twigs. It is made of four sorts of stems, stalks and twigs of Camellia sinensis.
Kukicha has a nutty, slightly creamy flavor. For best results, Kukicha is steeped in water
between 70°C to 80°C (155°F - 180°F) for three minutes - otherwise, like all green teas,
the result will be a bitter, unsavoury brew. Kukicha is a powerful antioxidant and is very
low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas. Kukicha has also been
known to be effective at inducing labor.
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:: I prefer Matcha Tea ::
Matcha is a fine, powdered, green tea used particularly in the Japanese tea ceremony.
It is also used to dye and flavour foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream
and a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). Tencha, which is laid out flat to dry,
is de-veined, de-stemmed, and stone ground to the fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as matcha.
Only ground Tencha is known as Matcha.
Usucha is a thinly prepared version of Matcha and Koicha is the thicker version. Because Matcha can be
bitter, it is traditionally served with a small sweet. This is the tea traditionally used in the
Japanese Tea Ceremony and is well steeped in ceremony and tradition.
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Hungry Ghost Goodies
(- threads, 14 posts)
Hungry Ghost Tea Offerrings
Ahh, Earl Grey For Me Please... (* Jacques Elliott Cruithni, Aug 17, 2008 - 22:41 )
