PREMIUM WHOLE LEAF TEA

Q:  How many different teas are there?

 

            There are literally thousands of different teas in the world.  Each tea plantation is producing tea that it slightly different from that of other plantations.  However there are 5 major kinds of tea, namely White Tea, Green Tea, Yellow Tea, Oolong Tea and Black Tea.

 

 

Q:  What is the difference among Green, Black, White, Oolong and Yellow tea?

 

            All tea comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis.  Variations among the different teas depend on post harvest processing of the leaf.   In short, green, white and yellow teas are unfermented; black tea is fully fermented whereas Oolong tea is semi fermented.  Please see the processing chart for a detailed overview.

 

Q:  Why are some teas so much more expensive than others?

 

            Many factors contribute to the price of tea.  The most important are availability or rarity, labor costs and quantity of production.  Demand for high quality tea is sometimes higher than supply.  That will result in a more expensive tea.  Some teas, such as Wuling Oolong from Taiwan are expensive because they are grown in difficult to reach tea plantations.  For such teas harvesting is rather expensive.  Transportation for tea pickers as well as for the plucked leaves has to be paid.  Teas that are mass-produced are usually machine harvested to cut labor costs.  Those teas are usually of lower quality and thus cheaper.  Some teas that are very rare and auctioned to the highest bidder can cost several thousand US dollars per pound.

 

Q:  I can buy a box of tea bags for about $4.00 in my local supermarket.  That’s much cheaper than the tea you are selling.

 

            Tea sold in grocery stores is actually not as inexpensive as it appears.  One package of Jasmine Green Tea bags may sell for about $4, - per pack.  However most packages only contain about 25 grams of tea.  That means 100grams will cost $16, -.   Therefore our loose leaf Jasmine Green Tea, at a price of $13.40 per 100 grams is cheaper than the tea sold in grocery stores.  In addition to that one has to consider that the highest expense for the teas sold in grocery stores is packaging material and advertising expense.  Regarding freshness and quality of leaves one should also consider that harvest dates are not mentioned on the grocery store teas nor are there any specifics about origin.  If a package states an expiration date more than 1 year from the time of harvest, the tea cannot be of high quality since green tea last for only about half a year.  After such time it becomes stale.  Thus not only are most supermarket teas overpriced, they are also of low quality.

 

Q:  Is it ok to eat tealeaves?

 

            We do not recommend eating tealeaves.  Tealeaves themselves have little or no nutritional value since the beneficial properties of the leaf is released through infusion in hot or boiling water.  Also tealeaves, when eaten have shown to cause stomach problems in some people.

 

Q:  What is the best way to make Iced Tea?

 

            Measure the total amount of finished ice tea that is desired (e.g. 30 oz.).  Then use 1 teaspoon of tea per 6 ounces (in this case 5 tea-spoons) and brew it in a no more than half the amount of the desired finished amount (15 oz.) hot water (see brewing instructions).  While steeping fill any desired container with ice (fill your 30oz tumbler with ice).  When steeping is done pour the brewed tea (without leaves) over the ice.  Stir if needed.  The tea has been shock frozen than and is ready to drink.  If you like to add honey make sure to add it to the hot tea before pouring over ice since it will not melt in the ice tea itself.  Ice tea should be consumed within 12 hours of brewing.

 

Q:  Why is loose-leaf tea better than tea bag tea?

 

            Tea bags contain what is called tea dust or fanning.  That is not necessarily bad but also decreases the quality of the tea experience.  Full leaf tea is less adulterated than tea dust.  Cheap tea bags often contain the undesired leaves and stems of poor quality tea.  Those are often blended together to attain a standardized flavor.  High quality tea is made from single estate tea leafs that have been harvested at the same time.  One really doesn’t know which teas are in tea bags.  The tea dust may consist of teas from different plantations, harvested over several years.  Such blended tea may have a mediocre taste but can never compete with full leaf single estate tea in flavor, quality and perception.  In addition, tea bag tea usually becomes bitter within 30 seconds of brewing.  This has to do with the increased surface area of the tea as compared to whole leaves.  Such a resultant taste often necessitated the addition of sweeteners to overcome the bitterness.  It is a sad state of affairs to see even top restaurants serving cheap tea bag tea. 

 

Q:  What are some health benefits of tea?

 

            In short, tea has been shown to have many positive effects on human health, including reduced risks of certain cancers, weight loss and Central Nervous System health.  Mostly it is the antioxidant and GABA content in tea that is beneficial.  See more in our health section.

 

Q:  What is the best way to store tea?

 

            Tea should be stored in airtight containers, preferably stainless steel, porcelain or glass.  When stored in glass containers light exposure should be limited since light speeds up the “decay” of tea.  The containers should be kept away from direct heat and stored in an odor neutral place.

 

 

Q:  How long can I keep brewed tea?

 

            It is best to consume brewed tea as long as it is warm.

 

Q:  What is the shelf life of tea?

 

            Tea actually doesn’t get bad like other foods do.  However when stored incorrectly it can grow mold or loose its flavor rather quickly.  White and Green tea is best when consumed within 6-10 month after harvest.  Oolong tea can last up to 8 months before it looses most of its flavors.  Flavored and black teas retain flavor for up to 1 year.  It is important to note that fresher teas are better than older teas.  Like everything, tea looses flavor by the day.  The only way to extend tea’s shelf life is to store it right.

 

Q:  Is it ok to refrigerate or freeze dry tealeaves for freshness?

 

            Although there may be some specific teas that demand refrigeration (I once had one like that) it’s not recommended.  Tea leafs will collect condensation and easily grow mold when not proper dried after having them removed from the refrigerator.  Also, remember that tea should be stored in a dry and odor neutral place.  If it is stored among odorous food items tea tends to absorb such odors.  Thus, we strongly caution not to store tea in freezers or refrigerators.

 

Q:  What is single estate tea?

 

            Single Estate Tea refers to tea that has been harvested at one estate.  Many tea-growing areas, such as Darjeeling in India have different tea gardens.  A tea that has been harvested from a particular tea garden is called Single Estate Tea.  Those teas are not blended with teas from other tea gardens.  Examples would be Avangrove, Darjeeling.  Here Avangrove is the name of the tea garden and Darjeeling is the name of the tea-growing region.  Each tea garden or estate produces slightly different tea, even in the same region. 

 

Q:  What is blended tea?

 

            Blended tea refers to a tea product that consists of different teas.  These teas can be from different regions or different tea gardens.  An example is English Breakfast Tea, a popular blend consisting of teas from India, Ceylon and China.  Blended teas usually have the same flavor and taste from year to year.

 

Q:  What is flavored tea?

 

            Flavored tea is any tea that has been adulterated with either natural or artificial flavors.  Earl Grey is considered a blended and flavored tea since it is a blend of various black teas fro various tea growing regions and has the oil of bergamot added to it.