In Japan and Europe there have been recent studies on the effectiveness of a particular tea called Fucha (Fu Cha). Fucha is a fully fermented dark tea that has undergone a double fermentation process, twice as long and time intensive as the cycle for producing Pu-erh tea.

Fucha is relatively new to the Western world, however, it has been consumed for centuries as a staple part of the Nomadic people’s diet in North Western China, Tibet and various regions in the Himalayas where high ratios of meat, mutton, and cheese are part of their standard diet.

Recent studies have shown that great progress has been made in weight management and lowering blood sugar in molecular levels via two new found active substances which have been named Fucha Su A and Fucha Su B. Case studies are in action on the benefits of Fucha’s ability to effectively aid in digestion, metabolize fat, lower blood sugar, and adjust cholesterol and blood pressure.

During the last 40 days of the fermentation process a natural enzyme is produced, the Chinese refer to this enzyme as the Golden Flower. This enzyme is researched for its abilitiy to help the body to digest heavy meat and dairy based foods. In our next posting on Fu Cha Tea we will elaborate more on the Golden Flower.

Begining July 1st 2007 Art of Tea will be honored to launch in North America Vintage Dark Tea. Vintage Dark tea is a 2003 Fucha tea as part of the TNT Teas and Tisanes line of products.

Damn it’s getting hot! I don’t know where you are while you read this but if you are in the northern half of this ball we call earth you are probably getting ready for summer. As the world tilts and the sun returns to spend more time shining on this half, the temperature rises and I want more cold beverages. Which brings me to Iced Tea.

At Art of Tea we offer several teas that we custom blend to serve iced. What makes them different from the teas we offer to be enjoyed hot? Many of the iced teas we offer have the same names and ingredients as our hot teas but they are made differently. With a tea that will be served iced we need to increase the delicious and natural additives to make sure the flavor comes across. Think of it like a white wine. Coming right out of your refrigerator a chardonnay has only so much flavor that you can notice. Let that wine warm up to cellar or even room temp and you will detect more of its true character.

Tea is the same, so our flavored iced teas have a little more kick added to them so that you can still enjoy all of the subtle nuances that you would find when served hot. It is still tea and we never forget that fact. Whenever we flavor a tea we view it more as a compliment than an additive. We never want to overwhelm the unique character of the leaf.

Back to the iced tea thing since it is summertime. You don’t have to use a tea made for “iced tea” to enjoy a refreshing beverage. It will surprise you how much you might enjoy making an Iced Tea from a tea that you enjoy hot. And you may find that you don’t need to add any sweeteners, citrus, cream, etc. One of my latest favorite iced teas these days is our Earl Grey Crème. A little citrus, touch of vanilla and still definitely a black tea - absolutely great chilled.

HOW TO MAKE AN AWESOME SHAKEN ICED TEA:
Here’s a little trick for you. If you don’t have a martini shaker set, pick one up at any restaurant supply or get our Ice Tea Shaker Kit which is cool because it comes with some great free samples to try out. Brew a pot of your favorite tea, a little on the strong side. Pack the pint glass full of ice. Pour the tea over the ice. Put the stainless steel shaker firmly on top. Hold both halves, put over your shoulder and shake hard. It’s not worth the mess in your kitchen to try any fancy Tom Cruise moves during this step. You will feel it get cold in you hands. Once well chilled set the shaker down so that the stainless steel part is on the counter. Lift the glass off the shaker. This step keeps the tea from running down your hands since the glass is nesting inside the shaker. Pour the tea back into the glass so you can look at it. Most of the ice will have melted. Add fresh ice to a clean glass – you can probably do two servings. Use the strainer to pour your now chilled tea into your glasses of ice. Sit back and enjoy the dog days of summer.

When I first realized that the responsibility of training my new staff members on tea would ultimately fall in my lap I think I wanted to cry. Please understand it had nothing to do with tea. I love tea and one on one I love to talk to people about tea…but to have to stand in front of anywhere between 10-20 new staff members and teach them everything about tea was a different story, it really overwhelmed me.

There is so much to cover and so much to tell them, how in the world I was going to hold their attention for 3-4 hours and have them walk away with the knowledge was beyond me. I see a window of opportunity when I only have two staff member joining our team. Two, the perfect size to start off with, I could sit with them instead of stand and lecture; make the training more casual and conversational.

Well as luck would have it the class started to grow. Staff members were finding out that I was conducting at training so they would stop by my office to see if they could come. What could I say; I had to say yes they were excited; they wanted to learn about the tea program a very important aspect of our spa, turning them down will only make them think that the program was not that important.

Training day is here the class that I was planning to hold on the balcony of one of our treatment rooms, has now moved to the Front Desk Training Room. It is officially a training class there are only 8 people in the class so it is not that large in size but still more then expected. Starting the class was rough I kind of stood there awkwardly and stared at them as they stared back at me.

Once I realize that breathing was important, I relaxed, and the class started to relax as well. Most of my associates seemed to enjoy themselves. They asked a lot of questions, had fun tasting and describing the teas. The class was a success and not only did it help my associates get to know about the tea program but it also helped me get to know them a little better.

About the Author of this Post: Melissa Fielding has undergone extensive Tea Sommelier Training with Art of Tea and is the now residential Tea Sommelier for an award winning and Conde Nast recognized Spa in Las Vegas, NV. Melissa was instrumental in developing the tea program and cutting edge concepts in line with all the treatments offered at the spa.

Tai Ping Hou Kui -Wong Quay Chen (Old Man Monkey)

There is only 1,500 kilos produced of this hand made tea every year.

Legend has it that monkeys were destroying a village so the villagers got together and moved the monkeys away. One monkey remained and an old man felt bad for that monkey so he took care of him and in exchange the monkey harvested these rare and wild leaves for the old man. Today they are still hand crafted not machine pressed or processed.

Also they are only spring harvested and crafted by hand which is seen on the fold of the leaf.  Most commercial Tai Pong Hou Kui shows large imprints from a machine compacting and processing the leaf.  This is 100% hand crafted and stored at very cool temperatures to preserve its freshness.  **This is the largest and longest produced green tea leaf. Larger than any other Tai Ping Hou Kui that is in the market place.  Smaller harvests generally denotes a Fall harvest.

This tea benefits from 5 grams per serving. To serve place the leaves in a tee-pee shape in a tall glass or teapot. Pour a small amount of hot water to create a gentle steam from 190 F at the bottom of the glass. This allows the leaves to open more fully. Then completely fill the glass with the remaining water.

This is also the tea that Nixon was given on his trip to China when China began to open it’s doors to the world.
The tea is light and refreshing with a slight floral finish. If you would like to try a sample Art of Tea is offering samples of their limited stock and we suggest that you ask for a sample in the comment section of the checkout with your order at www.artoftea.com. Just let us know your comments on the blog when you get the samples. Look forward to sharing this wonderful tea with you!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I can’t really speak for how the tea is effecting my metabolism. I might be paler than one of the salamanders they find in caves with no eyeballs, but my digestive system is not transparent. Though at the last weigh in, I was leading the pack in the FatOff with a triumphant 14 pounds.

I’m very aware of the side effects of drinking three teas during the day. One being the power of the cup.

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about walking around the office with a cup in your hand. Part of it is like walking around a party with a cocktail. You feel cool and slick. Pointing to people with your cup hand and giving that temp Becky a wink. “Hey, I’m feeling good. I’m drinking tea.” It’s that comfortable smoothness that says I have a beverage.

But there’s also the added benefit of the sip. Whenever your boss asks you the status of those files you used as a placemat for your lean cuisine meal and forgot to finish, you can take a drink of Assam Gold and give yourself a chance to come up with the perfect excuse. “I’m just waiting for a phone call back from H&B on some numbers, and they’ll be all set.”

My only problem now is that I don’t have a mug. So far I’ve been using the paper cups that come with our single serving coffee machine. They’re adequate. They hold tea and don’t burn my hand. But what I really want is a mug that says something. Literally. With a cool phrase across the side. Part of me wants to go the ironic route and get “Worlds Greatest
Grandma” but I’m sure there’s something else out there even better.

The search begins.