All About Tea

Tea 102

What’s the Fuss?

"Thank god for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea."

-William Gladstone, British prime minister

"The best quality tea must have creases like the leathern boot of tartar horsemen, curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock, unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine, gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr, and be wet and soft like a fine earth newly"

Lu Yu, patron saint of tea

Tea is the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world second only to water !! it’s no. 8 in the USA.

What Is Tea?

• Camellia sinensis Vars. Sinensis and assamicus

• Everything else is

a Herbal

• Tisane versus Herbal

Camellia sinensis Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae• Division: Magnoliophyta• Class: Magnoliopsida• Order: Ericales• Family: Theaceae• Genus: Camellia• Species: C. sinensis • Subspecies: C. sinensis sinensis or assamicus

• Varieties: 380 and counting

Parts of the Tea Plant

• Bud - unopened new leaf

• Orange Pekoe Leaf (OP)

Top two whole leafs

• Souchong Leaf

4th and 5th leaf down on a stalk

Usually called a rough pick that will include stems.

Tea Types

380 varieties 4 groups 5000 typesWhite, Green, Oolong, or BlackTeas can also be Classified by:

• NationNation of Origin of Origin• ProvinceProvince Grown in Grown in

• EstateEstate (Plantation) Tea grown in (Plantation) Tea grown in• GardenGarden within the Estate within the Estate• YearYear the Tea was Picked the Tea was Picked

• FlushFlush or Season of Picking or Season of Picking• Lot Lot or specific day and Garden Locationor specific day and Garden Location

Tea Grades• OP ~ orange pekoe• FOP ~ flowery orange pekoe • GFOP ~ golden flowery orange pekoe • TGFOP ~ tippy golden flowery orange

pekoe • FTGFOP ~ finest tippy golden flowery

orange pekoe • SFTGFOP ~ special finest tippy golden

flowery orange pekoe • BOP ~ Broken Orange Pekoe• CTC ~ cut tear and curl• Dust and Fannings ~ tea bag cut

Common Tea Names Based on Location

Tea Quality

• Tea Grade vs. Quality

• Broken Leaf vs. Whole Leaf

• Dust & Fannings (Teabag Cut)

• Cut Tear Curl

Tea and Health

• Green Tea vs. Black

• Polyphenols called Flavinoids & Tannins

• Antioxidant Activation

Tea & Caffeine

• Abundant in tea

• One of 20 varieties of caffeine, teaeine, appears to enter the system slower and stays longer than coffee caffeine

• Caffeine content depends on steep time

Tea and History

Tea has an amazing story to tell through its discovery and travels around the world. Let’s take a look at just a few stories.

Tea Originsand Emperor Shen Nung

• 2,742 BC in Yunnan• 1066 BC Yunnan tea

delivered as tribute• Yunnan has 260 of 380

varieties of C. Sinensis• 794 – 221 BC Tu 1st

recorded• 725 AD cha first recorded

Tea in the OrientTea in the Orient

• Lu Yu and the “Cha Ching” in 780 ADLu Yu and the “Cha Ching” in 780 AD

• 1191 Zen Buddhist Monk Myoan re-introduces tea to 1191 Zen Buddhist Monk Myoan re-introduces tea to JapanJapan

• Powdered tea of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)Powdered tea of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)

• Japanese Tea TournamentsJapanese Tea Tournaments

• Mongol Dynasty (1162-1368) and Marco Polo (1275)Mongol Dynasty (1162-1368) and Marco Polo (1275)

• 1368 Ming Dynasty replaces Mongol Dynasty1368 Ming Dynasty replaces Mongol Dynasty

Mongolian EmpireWait a few seconds for animation

Wikicommons image file

Europe Enters Scene

• 1498 Portugal opens the gates

• Dutch are not far behind• England enters late with

Queen Elizabeth I forming the East India Trading Company December 31, 1600

Caravan Tea"Ecstasy Is a Glass Full of Tea and a Piece of Sugar in the Mouth"

-Alexander Puskin

• Usk Kayakhta & Mai-mai-cheng 1689, a few hundred camels in 18 months

• Over 10,000 camels per caravan in 1830

• 1907 last camel left Usk-Kayakhta – the trans-Siberian RR took over

Tea Hits England

• 1652 Cromwell dies - Charles II returns with Catherine

• 1658 Garway’s Advertisement• Colonial Era Tea Tax and Free

Traders• Anna Duchess of Bedford

Grog

• Navy life

• Sailor’s ration of rum

• Ship’s duty

Admiral Edward Vernon

Tea and Empire

• 1842 - 1849 The Opium Wars

• Clipper ships

• Assam, India & the John Company

• Robert Fortune and Robert Bruce

• Industrial Assam beats Chinese peasant framers

Margaret’s Hope

• John Company Blues

• Victoria, Empress of India

• Tea Committee

• New Life in India

High Tea

• The evolution of meal times

• Incorporating tea

• Socialization of tea

• Social distinction through tea

Tea in America

• First arrived at same time as Europe

• Taxation• Tea act of 1773• Iced tea 1904?

Tea and Society

• Sober Sovereigns

• Safe water

• Tea breaks

• Advertising

How to Make a Great Cup of Tea

• Tea grades & quality

(selection & purchase)

• Teapots

• Steeping the tea

• Take the time

Steeping the TeaPerfect cup of tea

 *Use one teaspoon of tealeaves per cup of tea

*Steep for appropriate time and temperature

*After steeping, remove leaves from water

*Add milk, sugar, honey, or lemon to taste

Black Oolong Green White

Water Temp. 210°F 204°F

Cool Cup

200 °F

Cool Cup

190°F

Cool Cup

Steep Time

(minutes)

3-5 2-3 1-2 30 secs-1min.

What Pot to Use?

• The one you’ve got• Yi Xing, Tetsubin,

Brown Betty pots• Steeping accoutrements• Warm pots in cold

weather • Washing the pot

Tea Storage

• Air-tight inert container

• Cool dry location• Do not refrigerate or

freeze• Away from direct

sunlight• 6 months to 1 year

storage time

Why Loose Teas?

More Loose Tea to Package = Lower Carbon ImprintBetter Quality than Most Tea Bag TeasNylon Tea Bags = Nylon InfusionsBetter Control of Tea Strength & Flavor with Loose Tea

Tea Facts

• Tea Currency Tea Currency • Marketing Began with TeaMarketing Began with Tea• World HealthWorld Health• Modern UsesModern Uses• The Irish and Iraqis Drink Most TeaThe Irish and Iraqis Drink Most Tea• England Does Not Grow Tea!England Does Not Grow Tea!