Project Foodie - From the Tea Taster

A Tea Journey

A light white mist gently cascades over lush green hills of tea bushes as our little grey van climbs its way up a bumpy country road. This is my first visit to a tea farm as I travel with friends through Hangzhou, a beautiful city on the coast of China, a detour that was made just for me because of my interest in tea. As we come closer to the hills I can see the tea pickers nimbly harvesting the tea shoots with such speed and accuracy that it leaves me speechless. Here amid the tea bushes that seem to cover the surrounding landscape and the wafting scent of wok firing green tealeaves, I can see why China is also known as “The Homeland of Tea.”

My First Tea in China

As we enter the teahouse on the grounds of the tea farm we are greeted by a young lady who invites us in for tea. She scoops some Dragonwell green tea into a glass as she retells the classic legend of the discovery of tea in China. Five thousand years ago, during the birth of the Chinese civilization, a legendary figure by the name of Shen Nong, the bringer of agriculture and medicine, first tasted tea when the leaves of the tea plant fell into water he was boiling. This legend gives us our first glimpse into the development of tea in China. Through the centuries and passing of dynasties, tea went from medicinal herb, to flavored soup, to everyday beverage, to imperial tribute, to cultural icon. Tea is an integral part of Chinese culture and this young lady is certainly not letting us forget that. As she tells the story she has poured hot water into the glass and gracefully pulls the kettle up and down, churning the bright green leaves, creating a wonderful dance of color in the glass. The resulting brew is buttery and rich, hints of soybean and vegetables. This is definitely not your everyday green tea bag! Sitting here amid the lush tea gardens sipping tea, I somehow feel very much connected to the past.

A Sip in Taiwan

From its roots in China, tea crossed a strait and situated itself firmly in the culture of Taiwan. My first tea experience in Taiwan was not in a tea field but selecting teas for the Tillerman Tea Company with proprietor, David Campbell, in the small office of a tea master in Taipei city, who must know more about Taiwanese tea and tea culture than anyone else. Master Chen Huan Tang regales us with all the varieties of Taiwanese oolongs, a semi-oxidized tea that can be 20% oxidized, resulting in a more floral vegetal tea, to 80% oxidized, a more toasty nutty tea. The tradition in Taiwan might have come from China but there is now a distinct style of tea on this beautiful island. The misty mountainous terrain of Taiwan creates unique flavor profiles and the Taiwanese tea masters take full advantage of this. Master Chen brews a Lishan (the direct translation would be Pear Mountain) oolong for us and the brew has a wonderful balance of floral sweetness and a buttery creaminess. David and I both know this is a must have for our Napa based tea shop. This is one of Taiwan’s most famous oolongs and Master Chen produces it in the traditional method, a slightly higher oxidization followed by a low firing. It is this process that produces the balance of elegant aromatics and full-bodied mouth feel. My experience with Master Chen certainly opened my eyes to the great teas of Taiwan.

In my travels between China and Taiwan I have discovered one element that runs through the traditions: brewing tea is an art form, active meditation, and personal expression, an international beverage in this modern day that links to the traditions of the past.

About David Wong and Tillerman Tea

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Bolivian Tea - high-altitude organic tea

High altitude teas rank among the worlds finest because the cool temperatures and increased rainfall allow tea bushes to grow slower, creating distinctive teas. One region of high altitude tea that recently became available in the United States is Bolivian teas. The Yungas of La Pax, part of the watershed of the Bolivian Amazon, is a region of rich valleys and cloud shrouded peaks. Bolivian teas are grown on the high slopes where the Amazon Basin meets the Andes. This rare location, where cool air from the Andean snowcapped peaks combines with warm moist air from the Amazon, has produced unique teas with extraordinary flavor and a distinctive aroma for over seventy years. The newly available teas are certified organically grown on family farms and hand-picked to insure high quality. Four different Bolivian teas are currently available: Black Tippy Small Leaf, Black Large Leaf, Green Jasmine, and Green Large Leaf. If that doesn't tell you much don't worry, below is the low down on what these teas are and how they taste. But before we go into the details keep in mind that all of these teas are very distinctive compared to other similar teas, so if you are looking for some variety in your tea these are a definite option.

Bolivian Black Tippy Small Leaf: The tea has small jet-black leaves that produce a bright amber cup. It has a wonderful, smooth, full-bodied flavor that infuses very quickly. The taste has a hint of a fruity-plum flavor that makes it distinctive from other black teas. Of all the Bolivian teas this was the Project Foodie team's overwhelming favorite.

Bolivian Large Leaf Black:   This tea has very large 2" to 3" jet black leaves. The resulting brew is bright amber cup with a garden-like aroma. This tea is also full-bodied and produces an apricot peach after taste.

Bolivian Green - Jasmine: This tea has medium sized, olive-green leaves with a jasmine aroma that produces a surprisingly bright yellow-green cup with a clear jasmine taste. If you are a green tea enthusiast who enjoys Jasmine this is a tea to try.

Bolivian Green - Large Leaf: Like its black counterpart, these olive-green leaves have a truly unique 2-3" length. The wet leaf has an herbal green bouquet with a bright sparkling appearance in the cup. The taste is clean, smooth and slightly sweet; similar in style to a Japanese green.

About the Tea Taster

Simpson & Vail are purveyors of fine tea with an on-line store and a retail store. At Simpson & Vail you will find a wide selection of Teas, Coffees, teaware, and food related items. If you are in the area of Brookfield, Connecticut stop by and visit them. Each Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm they offer samplings of 4 teas. Whether on-line or in-person, Simpson & Vail is a great place to explore new teas or to simply indulge in your long time favorites.

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Silver Sprout Green Tea

Recently Green and White Teas have enjoyed a huge consumption growth in the United States. It seems everyone is talking about them both for their vast array of purported healthy benefits and their amazing tastes. Last month, we focused on White tea so this month we’ll talk about that other increasingly popular tea – Green Tea.

Green Tea is minimally processed. It is first placed in a large "steamer" and heated to over 160° F. This process softens the leaves for the rolling stage and minimizes juice oxidizing. Next, the leaves are rolled and dried again until crisp. This rolling is repeated to keep the juices in the leaf resulting in their distinct flavor and giving the leaves their characteristic twist.

Many health benefits have been associated with drinking Green Tea including increased cognition, lowering LDL cholesterol, and decreased risk of cancer - just to name a few. Although the US Food and Drug Administration has rejected these proposed health benefits research is active in this area.

We simply enjoy the delicious taste of the delicate brew produced from Green Tea. But they must be properly brewed. Green Tea should not be exposed to boiling water or it will result in a noticeable bitter taste. Generally, it is recommended to brew Green Tea in 180º water and steep it for 2 minutes.

Preparation aside, the quality of your brew also depends on the specific tea used. Popular Green Teas include Chinese Dragon Well, Chinese Gunpowder, and Japanese Sencha. My personal favorite is Chinese Silver Sprout followed closely by Chinese Dragon Well. Silver Sprout has small twisted leaves that are tightly curled. Upon brewing they open up into long thin leaves. The brew is pale and much more delicate than many other Green Teas. It also has a very mild natural sweetness. If you haven’t tried Green Tea before or were unhappy with one that you did try I would recommend trying Silver Sprout but if you can’t find it, Dragon Well or Sencha are also great Green Teas to start experimenting with…

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Tea Processing: The Leaf's Journey from Plant through the Factory

All tea – black, green, oolong and white – comes from the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis. The tea bush, as it is commonly called, is actually a tree; if left untrimmed it would grow to a height of 15-30 feet. The tea tree or bush is pruned to a height of approximately 4 feet – this enables the bush to be more productive and allows it to be harvested or plucked easily.

Tea is harvested – or plucked – several times in a season depending on the country and weather conditions. As soon as the newly picked leaves reach the factory, processing begins.

The processing varies for the different types of teas:

Black tea goes through the whole process from withering, rolling, roll breaking, fermentation to drying.

Green tea is not given the withering treatment. Immediately after it is plucked it is placed into a large "steamer" and heated to over 160° F. This softens the leaves for rolling and keeps the juices from oxidizing. The leaves are then rolled and dried again and again until crisp. The repeated rolling liberates the juices which will remain inside the leaf giving them their flavor as well as their characteristic twist.

Oolongs are slightly withered, fermented, fired rolled, briefly fermented again, fired again and finally re-fired before packaging. Green oolongs have the shortest duration of fermenting while the dark oolongs have the longest and are generally brown in color.

White teas are the least processed tea. They consist of only the top of the tea bush, the tea bud, and are picked before they open. They wither a short time and are then dried.

Below are explanations of some of the terms used above.

WITHERING - The leaves are thinly spread to wither either naturally (where the climate is suitable) or by means of heated air forced over the withering racks. Withering racks are either stretched cloth or wire mesh. This usually takes 18-20 hours. The object is to evaporate much of the teal eaf's water content (approx 35%) so that the leaf becomes soft and pliable. If the leaves are brittle, they will break apart like an old dry leaf in the fall during the next stage.

ROLLING - From the withering racks the soft, green leaf passes to the rolling machinery where it is twisted and rolled to break-up the leaf cells and liberate the juice, which gives tea its flavor. The first important chemical change starts here when the juices, which remain in the leaf, are exposed to the air and development of the essential oil begins.

The rolling table is a circular table where the tea leaves are poured into an open bottomed round box that rotates under pressure, crushing the tea against the top, sides and surface of the table. During this 1–3 hour process the leaves receive their characteristic twist. A well twisted leaf will affect the rate of brew for a balanced cup. A broad open black leaf will result in a pungent and less flavorful brew.

In the third step, ROLL-BREAKING, the tea from the roller emerges as twisted lumps, which are broken up by vibrating coarse mesh sieves or roll breakers. The fine leaf, which falls through, is taken to the fermenting rooms, while the coarse leaf is returned for further rolling.

OXIDATION OR FERMENTATION - The oxidation that started in the rollers is completed in the Fermenting Room. Here the tea leaves are spread on cement or tiled floors (sometimes on glass or cement tables) in a cool, damp atmosphere. The leaves undergo a further chemical change through the absorption of oxygen, and turn a bright copper color - like a new penny. During this process the oxidation is largely responsible for the flavor, strength, body & color of the black tea. A shorter fermentation will result in a more pungent tea while a longer fermentation will result in a more flavorful liquor with a deeper color.

The fifth step is the DRYING OR FIRING - The purpose of this is to arrest further oxidation, and to dry the leaf evenly and thoroughly without scorching it. The automatic tea drier consists of a large iron box inside which the leaves, spread on trays, travel slowly from top to bottom with a continuous blast of hot dry air forced into the box. Careful regulation of the temperature and of the speed at which the trays move is the main factor in successful firing.

Firing destroys the bacteria & enzymes that are present in the fermentation process.

If a tea is fired too quickly the outer layer is hardened but the center is moist. The tea will lose its quality and may become moldy. If the temperature is too high the tea will be flat, if the temperature is too low the tea will have a stewed taste to it.

About the Tea Taster

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Satrupa: A White Assam Tea

Not all Assam’s are created equal. While many people think of an Assam tea as a strong black tea with a malty flavor that need not always be the case. Assam tea’s can be the that common black tea but they can also be green or in the case of Satrupa they can even be white!

Lest you think I am teasing, I do not simply mean black tea with milk. "White tea" is a specific type of tea, processed by merely steaming and drying the tea leaves and buds. In comparison to green, oolong, and black teas which are subjected to withering and various amounts of oxidation, white tea is the least processed tea type. White tea is also harvested differently in that it is picked from new growth of buds just before the shoots open and consequently contains a larger number of buds than other teas. These buds typically have fine “silvery” hairs that give the tea leaves the appearance of a white or grey color from which the term “White Tea” may be derived. The tea itself, however, does not brew white. Instead it generally brews to a light yellow color. White tea is generally considered a delicate tea with subtle qualities and often has a slightly sweet flavor.

Satrupa White Tea

The leaf and bud of Satrupa White Tea are carefully picked from a special selection of plants that have a much larger “bud” than most Assam’s. The silvery green leaf and bud have a downy appearance and brew to a pale opal white hue with a light, smooth, and refreshing taste. Brew 2 tsp/8 oz. cup at 175º for 4 minutes; 7-9 minutes for 2nd or 3rd steep.

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Bangladesh Tea: A rare tea

South Asia produces many teas including those that are commonly known, such as Dahrjling and Assam teas. Teas from Bangladesh, a small country surrounded by Inda on nearly all sides, however, are essentially unknown despite it having tea gardens since 1857. Today, Bangladesh has over 150 tea gardens that produce roughly 2% of the world’s tea. Yet, because they consume nearly all of the tea they produce exports of Bangladesh tea are minimal and few people know about Bangladesh tea. This may change one day soon; recent efforts by a pioneering and innovative Bangladesh tea garden, Kazi & Kazi, are focused on expanding the exportation of Bangladesh teas.

In 2000, the Kazi family started a new tea garden on virgin lands that had never before been used for cultivation. Located in Tetulia, Bangladesh, the northernmost district of Panchagarh, the Kazi & Kazi tea garden is just 19 miles south of Darjeeling. The Kazi family produces the countries only organically grown teas and relies on manufacturing their own bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides on-site with only natural and organic means. Their philosophy is “to produce tea, not by fighting nature, but by supporting and sustaining it”. The result is teas that are substantially different from any other teas both in flavor and character.

About Bangladesh Tea

Golden Tippy

Large Leaf

Only two Kazi & Kazi teas, the golden tippy and large leaf, are currently available in the United States. The medium, elegantly twisted, golden tippy leaves brew to an earthy aroma with a dark golden cup, full bodied taste, hardy briskness and delicious spiciness. Whereas, the super large, jet black twisted leaves of the Kazi & Kazi large leaf tea brew to an earthy aroma with an amber cup. There is a decided maltiness to the cup with a slight spicy, black cherry flavor. Both teas should be brewed at 212º and steeped for 3 minutes.

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Georgian Nagobilevi Village Tea

Georgian Tea History

Georgia is a former Soviet state located between Turkey and Russia on the Black Sea with a highly varying geography ranging from flat plateaus to mountainous regions. Those regions located in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains have fertile soil, fresh running water, and clean air that makes them exemplary growing conditions for teas and interestingly, for grapes. Georgian tea growing began in the mid-1800's with reports of the initial importation of Chinese tea plants and seeds as early as 1847 and as late as 1897. While the exact date is unclear, it is clear that the initial tea growth produced high quality gourmet teas. Although Georgia is only the size of West Virginia it quickly became the largest producer of tea within Russia. In the early 20th century, due to the high demand for tea within the Soviet Union, Georgian tea became an essential commodity. Later in the century efforts by botanists to optimize tea growth within Georgia allowed growth of tea extremely well adapted to the Georgian climate and soil.

About Georgian Nagobilevi Village Tea

Since its independence from Russia in 1991, Georgia's teas are once again making an appearance on the market. From start to finish, the teas are all picked and processed by families who have been cultivating the tea for generations. The Georgian Nagobilevi Village tea comes from the western area of Georgia. It has extremely long, bold, jet-black, wiry leaves that produce a light amber cup with a mild, smooth, full flavor, a mellow winy character and a lingering delicate sweetness. Georgian Nagobilevi Village tea resembles a cross between the Ceylon Orange Pekoe and the China Black teas. The Ceylon is similar in color and mild smooth taste; the china black has the mellow winy characteristics. The Georgian tea stands out above these two with its large twisted leaf and delicate sweetness that shines through in this full flavored tea.

Tea Preparation

Brew Georgian Nagobilevi Villag tea at 212º and steep for 3 minutes.

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