What is Tea?

Being that we have an entire blog dedicated to the art of tea, I thought that it might be interesting to take a step back to discuss what exactly tea is.

If someone was to ask you what tea was, what would you say? A warm comforting pot shared with a friend? A delicious thirst quencher on a hot summer day? Perhaps a healthy elixir that makes you feel centered and focused? You would all be right, but when we speak of the word tea specifically, we are referring to the Camellia Sinensis plant. The word is Latin in origin and translates to Chinese Plant. Legend has it that China is where the discovery of tea began, when a leaf of a Camellia Sinensis plant blew into the Emperor’s cup of hot water by chance.

Many botanicals and other plants are considered tea. Technically speaking, however, anything that is not originated from a type of Camellia Sinensis plant, is better defined as a Tisane, or herbal infusion. Some examples of tisanes are Egyptian Chamomile, Mint Teas, and Rooibos Tea, which comes from an African red bush.

We have now narrowed down the true sense of the word tea to only teas from the Camellia Sinensis plants, but I know what you are saying, “Dave, All this talk about tea is making me thirsty.” Fine then, I will wait ‘til you grab your favorite cup of tea or tisane.

OK. As you are searching your favorite cup of tea, you have probably noticed that this one tea plant is responsible for literally thousands of different varieties. To go into detail of each of them would take quite some time, so let’s break them up into four categories: White, Green, Oolong and Black. In a nutshell, the main component that determines what type of tea the Camellia Sinensis plant becomes, is oxidation. We won’t get into this now, but we’ll be back to fill you in on what oxidation is, and what happens to tea during this process.

“The journey of a thousand cups begins with a single sip”

-Steve Schwartz Founder of Art of Tea

Finding that perfect taste experience is part of the craft. These are general guidelines, so feel free to experiment. Teas from Art of Tea can be prepared in teapots, infusers, and other teaware.

1. Enjoying the process of preparing your tea can be part of your daily ritual, taking a few moments to heighten your senses and enhance your tasting experience.

2. Fill your kettle with freshly drawn water and bring to a boil.

3. Place recommended amount of loose tea per cup in your choice of teaware. For a stronger infusion, simply add more tea with the same steep time

4. Pour hot water over your tea leaves, cover, & infuse according to your Steep Time Chart

5. Enjoy your customized tea and allow your taste buds to unfold the unique characteristics within your cup. Most teas can be re-steeped multiple times

Enjoy!

So when dealing with teas, there are certain abbreviations when describing the size of the tea leaf. The terms mainly go off of OP, or Orange Pekoe. You probably have seen the term Orange Pekoe on boxes of tea at supermarkets, but have you ever wondered what in the world it means? No? Well do you want to know? You do? Great!!!

Orange Pekoe is a classification of black tea based upon the origin of the leaf. To be classified as pekoe, the tea must be composed purely of the new flushes - a flush being the flower bud plucked with two youngest leaves.

The term Orange Pekoe (pronounced “Pea-Koe”) has nothing to do with the taste of orange.

It is believed that the term Orange refers to the Dutch noble House of Orange-Nassau, the Dutch having had a central role in bringing tea to Europe. The origin of the word Pekoe is also not definitively known, though a popular explanation is that it is derived from the Chinese word “Bai Hwa”, which means “White Flower”, referring to the flower bud content of the tea.

When crushed to make bagged teas, the tea is referred to as “broken”, as in “Broken Orange Pekoe” (or “Broken Pekoe”), sometimes sold as loose leaf for reduced price. Bagged teas often also include fannings and dust, which are simply tiny remnants of the sorting and/or crushing process.
Orange Pekoe is often referred to as “OP”; the grading scheme contains several other categories considered to be of higher quality than OP. The grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea, in ascending order are:

OP (Orange Pekoe)
FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe)
GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)

Tea Bits About Pu-erh

As with many teas, Pu-erh is named after the region where it was first harvested. There was a small town in the Yunnan province called Pu-erh. All teas have a wide spectrum of health benefits, but Pu-erh has an extra one. Drinking Pu-erh tea can help reduce cholesterol, according to scientific studies. By helping digestion (particularly of fatty foods), Pu-erh is the perfect tea after a heavy meal. I personally drink it at night after my evening meal.

Though Pu-erh has some caffeine content it has been known to assist in sleeping by helping the body digest. The tea is darkly red, and has a bold, earthy taste. This is due to fermentation (not the oxidation used for oolong or black teas). Pu-erh is often compared to wine, as it improves with time (and is very hard to get the stain out if spilled on white carpet).

Pu-erh should be prepared using boiling water and a long steeping time (5 to 7 minutes). The tea can be enjoyed many times over with multiple steeping. Come discover Pu-erh for yourself.

The following is an article that was sent to me by my friend who is a financial analyst at a top equity firm in NYC. Even the financial world is getting in touch with tea…

“Making tea the next big thing”
BY FARNOOSH TORABI
NewYork August 14, 2006

If you like music, you’ll love an ice-cold blend of Chinese green tea with lemongrass. At least, that’s what the owners of Tavalon Tea Bar on East 14th Street are betting. Since April the sleek 400-square-foot drink shop near Union Square has been brewing customers a fusion of teas, while DJs spin Bob Marley, Madonna and John Coltrane from atop.

“Music brings everyone together, and we want to appeal to everyone,” said Tavalon co-owner John-Paul Lee. “We want to revamp [tea’s] image so it’s not so foreign, to say it’s not just a feminine beverage. People think you drink tea with your pinky in the air and that it’s aristocratic,” he said. Of course, Lee was referring to tea’s general depiction in the United States, where it’s yet to catch on as the drink du jour, as it has in most other countries. “We grew up drinking tea, so we have a natural, innate liking for it,” said Lee, who is Korean. Co-owner Sonny Caberwal is from India. Still, Tavalon couldn’t have opened at a more booming time in tea’s modern history. It’s reportedly the most consumed beverage in the world (after water), and while the United States lags other nations in tea sales, more Americans — especially hip and health-conscious New Yorkers — are sipping iced chamomile over a mocha frappe. Lee describes the bar’s customers as “dynamic” and include a mix of women, men and “hip-hop kids.” And it’s not just Earl Gray in their cups. Organic teas and exotic mixes come highly requested. The most popular order this summer has been the “Genius” tea, which is said to “boost brain activity,” according to Tavalon’s assistant manager, Jessica Sachs.

If you’re still not convinced, Tavalon has its own tea “sommelier,” Chris Cason. He creates and teaches patrons about the bar’s teas, which come from various countries, including India, China, South Africa and Japan. Cason also hosts a free seminar on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:00 at Tavalon that educates guests about tea’s health benefits, its aid in weight loss and how it can enhance brain power. Looking ahead, Lee and Caberwal are ramping up their Web site to sell Tavalon tea and merchandise. The company is also expanding its business by wholesaling its tea blends to restaurants and hotels. There are also plans to bring more Tavalon Tea Bars to the city. “Our mission is to make tea the next big thing,” Lee said.