One of things I struggle with is finding time to find balance. It really is a tea paradox because once you make time for tea you realize how much more time you have. When visiting China I am reminded of how expansive this world really is and there is no time to waste on unmindful lethargy. Ok, so we need to chill out some times but chilling out with intention is different than spacing out from overload. Once ones mental bucket is full then it is challenging to empty it. And with media and technology overload it is easy to become well, overloaded. Ideally we can find an hour a day of reconnecting and making the day great however that is not always possible.

So, 10 minutes we can do on a break at home or at work. A great teacher once told me you have to know what you know. Meaning once you know something stick with it don’t trick yourself into not knowing. With tea, knowing how to make great tea starts by finding the right water, using the right storage, selecting the best tea possible and taking a few minutes to prepare your select tea. In only ten minutes a day this time can be spent as a recharge moment to improve the rest of your day.

Start with ten minutes without your phone or computer or any distractions and build from there. Stick with this rhythm and you’ll be surprised at what only ten minutes can do.

I hope I don’t offend anyone here with this post. According to my resources deep in the Wuyi Mountains there are plenty of wild tea trees but  no Monkeys that pick tea or for that matter have ever picked tea here.

Oddly enough however there appear to be several species of non human primates in this region which are known to open/pop the top off a bottle of beer. Granted there are pictures and old paintings of the tea partnership between Monks and Monkeys trading food for wild tea leaves that could not be reached by humans, however these primates have no interest in the leaf. They prefer another brew.

So why have the name  Monkey in a tea such as our white monkey picked or golden monkey? Monkey Picked Tea refers to a top tier tea. Typically wild thicker leaves are used for this or rarer more precious leaves and buds.

Charcoal or Wood?

I wish all decisions were this easy. When looking for a clear result you have two options left or right, green or red, bagel or muffin, in this case charcoal or wood. These are two elements used most of the time in China  for the beginning process of withering or cooking tea. Simply put this is the early stages of making tea…at least it’s simple on the surface level. There are more steps involving time, humidity, crop yield, the artisan crafting the tea and yes all this plays into making a great tea with the fate of the tea leaves passed into your hands with the right teapot.

However you view it the choices are obvious, it’s a given that you have two choices. And the results open a world which unlocks the senses by playing with these two simple gifts of charcoal and wood.

Thanks to new data from several studies, the idea that tea leaves could be decaffeinated simply by rinsing prior to brewing is now both outdated and inaccurate. At Art of Tea we are dedicated to providing our customers with accurate information and pride ourselves on being on the leading edge of research.  Here are the facts regarding home decaffeination and caffeine levels in different teas:

To begin with, it’s important to understand that decaf and caffeine-free are not the same thing. Caffeine free means that there was never any caffeine in the product to begin with, while decaf means that caffeine was removed from the product, leaving behind small amounts of residual caffeine.
According to tea experts, the “30-second decaf” theory has been officially debunked.  Noted tea technologist Nigel Melican, founder and managing director of Teacraft, Ltd. says, “You cannot (despite what some notables in the tea industry believe) you just cannot significantly decaffeinate tea by using a 30 second hot water wash (in fact 30 seconds leaves 91 percent of the caffeine in place – and removes a lot of the antioxidants).”

A 1996 study at Auburn University backs Melican up. According to the study, only nine percent of the caffeine was removed during the first 30 seconds of infusion. The researchers also found that it took approximately three minutes to remove 50 percent of the caffeine, about nine minutes of infusion to remove 80 percent, and approximately 15 minutes to remove more than 96 percent.
A 2008 study conducted by Dr. Bruce Branan, Professor of Chemistry at Asbury College, found that a three-minute infusion removes 46-70% of the caffeine from a cup of tea and that it would take a six-minute infusion to remove 80% of the caffeine.
The conclusion to be reached on the “30-second decaf” theory is thus: it doesn’t work. If you want to enjoy a cup of tea that is truly caffeine-free a Tisane (a fusion of different botanicals) or stand alone herb is your best bet. Art of Tea has an entire section dedicated to delicious caffeine-free blends.

Now, on to tackle the caffeine levels of the four major tea families; white, green, oolong, and black.  It’s a popular misconception that both white and green teas have lower caffeine levels than oolong or black teas. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University conducts micronutrient research for optimum health.  They suggest that the popular belief of low caffeine level in White Tea is misplaced: “Buds and young tea leaves have been found to contain higher levels of caffeine than older leaves, suggesting that the caffeine content of some white teas may be slightly higher than that of green teas.”

In 2008 a study at Asbury College corroborates this finding, concluding that white tea does not have less caffeine than green, oolong, or black teas. Likewise, an article in Food research International, Vol 29, 325-330 (1996), states that, “All teas have roughly similar caffeine contents, and one cannot rely on the belief that green tea has less caffeine, as asserted by many popular claims.” So now we know that the myth that both white and green teas have less caffeine than black or oolong teas is just that: a myth.

To say that this time of year is crazy would be an understatement. Between family, shopping, traveling, and holiday parties, most people’s stress, sugar, and alcohol intake levels are at a yearly high. Now there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a gingerbread cookie or two – even a hot buttered rum here and there can be pretty innocuous, but toss stress into the mix and you’re dealing with a dangerous trifecta.
This is where Art of Tea’s own restorative trifecta comes into play. Here are three simple and soothing solutions to your holiday-induced trauma.
Before indulging in high spirits, enjoy what some health authorities refer to as a “pre-tox” tea, which may help cleanse and detox. Our Pre-Tox tea has an essence of cleansing tangerine splashed over antioxidant rich green tea, schizandra berries, lemongrass, orange peel and dandelion root. Think of it as a preemptive strike of sorts.
Say you didn’t get a chance to brew a cup of Pre-Tox – not to worry, there’s always Post-Tox, a caffeine free blend of milk thistle, fennel, coriander with roots of chicory, burdock and dandelion that promise to rejuvenate both body and mind.
As added insurance, enjoy a cup of our award winning Green Pomegranate tea. Full of antioxidants, this tea will “wax-on, wax-off” any residual free-radicals and wipe out straggling stressors.
And if all three of these don’t help, well, half a cookie couldn’t hurt.

Tea has its traditional time and place – from carefully choreographed tea ceremonies to afternoon tea with its delicious sandwiches, cakes, and pastries.  Even the simplicity of enjoying a cup of tea on a chilly day is a tradition in and of itself.

But, to every yin there is a yang, and for every appropriate time and place to enjoy a cup of tea there is also a comical, wildly inappropriate counter-scenario. Art of Tea brings you a brief guide of unusual places to hold your afternoon tea party.

1.    A football game: A brief Google search of “drinking tea and football” yielded a long list of drinking games of the alcoholic variety but nothing involving tea. Not surprising. I say, rock the boat, buck tradition, challenge convention. The next time you host Sunday night football try serving up some cucumber sandwiches (sans crust, of course) and a piping hot pot of tea. It’s about time civility was introduced to the world of football. You and your friends will be golf clapping touchdowns in no time. Take it to the next level by bringing along a hot thermos of your favorite brew to the football stadium. What better accessory to your oversized foam hand and beer gut than a nice hot cup of tea?

2.    The Mad Tea Party ride at Disneyland: Worth it just for the irony.  You can soothe whatever first-degree burns you sustain from the ride by (again with the irony) placing a wet tea bag directly on the burn – the tannic acid will help draw heat from the area.

3.    Nascar: Apparently the folks at Lipton are a step ahead of us. Their website recommends their customers to “Combine your love for Lipton® Iced Tea and NASCAR® by getting the FREE NASCAR®-Licensed Pitcher. Whether you’re watching this week’s race or are just enjoying a lazy afternoon on the porch, nothing will refresh you like some Lipton® Iced Tea.” Can’t really argue with that. But what about some hot premium cave-aged pu-erh?  It’s been known to decrease physical stress, this way you can enjoy a stress-free race (even when your driver’s car does somersaults down the track.)

4.    The bar: Throw everyone for a loop by indulging in a mild caffeine buzz from Art of Tea’s organic classic black tea.  And no, a hot toddy is not considered a tea.

5.    The sauna: Prove just how hardcore you are by kicking your sauna experience up a notch. Fill that same thermos you took to the football game with piping hot Lotus Flower – naturally caffeine free, it’s been attributed to relaxation and other health benefits. Ahhhhh.

Fair Trade Tea

Happy October Fellow Art of Tea Drinkers! Join us on a journey of knowledge and appreciation this month as we raise our tea cups in honor of Fair Trade month! As I write this newsletter, I am enjoying a nice cup of our yummy Egyptian Chamomile tisane, which just so happens to be one of our featured fair trade teas this month…exciting! As I gently sip my hot cup of chamomile flavored goodness, it has me wondering about how many of us have actually stopped to think about where the tea we drink actually comes from and how that impacts our society and the world we live in.

Here are just a few reasons why fair trade practices are so important to Art of Tea. Fair trade practices help producers in under-developed countries have greater opportunities to acquire the resources they need to improve their livelihood. Sustainable development protects against land loss by promoting environmentally friendly processes which in turn creates a healthy working environment for producers. Fair trade practices also promote fair wages for workers, gender equality and fights against child labor. Pretty cool huh?

So the next time you reach for your cup of tea, take comfort in the fact that Art of Tea is on a determined path to make sure that each one of their ingredients will someday be sourced solely from sustainable fair trade practices.

We take a look at Art of Tea’s relationship with the manufacturer of their iced tea equipment, Wilbur Curtis, a leader in the commercial foodservice beverage equipment industry for over 60 years.