The Art of Blending Tea

Over the years, many new and different varieties of the world’s most popular beverage have been cultivated and processed. Beginning with simply green teas, tea makers have now slowly graduated on to many different varieties. Even a simple black tea comes with multiple options for picky tea drinkers everywhere. But even with so many tea options, we cannot stop craving for more! We still look for new ways to have a new tea drinking experience better and more enjoyable from the last.  

 We are all aware of the many health benefits that tea has to offer. Even black tea (which has the highest caffeine content of all teas) has lower caffeine content than coffee, making it a healthy choice for anyone wanting a kick of caffeine early in the morning. However, not many like the taste of tea, or enjoy tea far more with added flavours.  

There is quite a spread available if one chooses to blend tea with flavours. Some teas like English breakfast tea, Moroccan Mint Tea, Russian Caravan, Earl Grey, and so on are popular blends that have been enjoyed for years. However, if you do not like these flavours, you can simply create a blended tea of your own by picking flavours you like and adding them to your cup of tea. Or you can even a herbal blend which does not contain any tea leaves if you are looking for something caffeine free.

To add flavour to your tea, simply pick a fruit, flower, herb, or spice of your choice and add it to your tea while brewing it. The flavours can be fresh, dehydrated, or freeze dried. Do steer clear of artificial flavourings as they do not give an authentic taste and do not add any value to the tea either. With pure flavours, the tea benefits from the additional health points that the flavours provide.

The first step in creating a blended tea is to pick the tea base. Choose black tea  if you are looking for a robust flavour of tea, green tea if you want an earthy, grassy feel, or white tea for something light on the actual tea flavour and can act as a medium for the flavour of the fruits, flowers, herbs, or spices.

Second, pick the flavours you like. Jasmine (most commonly used to flavour green teas), osmanthus, rose, chrysanthemum, lotus, mint, pandan, citrus peel,  spices such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon,  cassia, black pepper, clove, anise, fennel, Indian bay leaf and sometimes vanilla, nutmeg and mace are popular choices for flavours. Some more unconventional choices are now also available at the markets. So pick the flavours you like best.

In the third step, you can determine how strong you want the flavour to be. You can blend tea leaves and flavours in equal quantities, or keep a ratio you find suitable to your taste. Remember, you may not like the first blend you create, so you need to keep experimenting till you find the best blend for you. So get blending!

Is Iced Tea Really Good for You?

On a hot day even the thought of drinking hot tea is enough to put one off. But for those who crave a caffeine kick or simply want something to cool down with, iced tea seems like the best option. The tall, cool glass is extremely appealing to beat the summer heat. Most of us do not think twice before preparing a glass and drinking it. The pre-mixed iced teas are readily available in the market and can be conveniently prepared by all. Just rip the packet open and mix it in cold water!

However, most of do not realise how harmful a glass of this iced tea can be. Most of the brands of iced tea contain at more than 250 calories per serving and up to 60 gms of sugar. Moreover, some of the brands do not even contain actual tea, simply tea extracts or artificial tea flavourings. The store bought iced teas, thus, does not contribute to health in any way. They are in fact full of sugar, calories, and artificial flavours and are extremely unhealthy.

This, however, does not mean that one cannot enjoy a glass of cool iced tea. If prepared with pure teas and natural ingredients, iced tea is beneficial to health. The lower caffeine content as compared to coffees, gives one the boost of caffeine without going overboard. There are also loads of free radicals in our body that can be removed with the help of tea. Free radicals can cause cancer and certain research has proven that tea can help prevent some cancers.

To enjoy a guilt-free glass of iced tea, select your choice of tea. For those concerned about high caffeine content, choose green tea or white tea over black tea. If you like a pure tea flavour, go ahead and prepare your tea with this tea. But if you do not like plain tea, or want to mask the flavour of tea, you can pick a few flavour options to add to your teas. Choose natural ingredients that are either fresh or freeze-dried and have a much better flavour profile than the artificial products. You can choose anything from fruits like peach, apples, and limes to herbs like peppermint, spearmint or even flowers like chamomile, lavender and rose.
After you have selected your ingredients boil 100 ml of water and add two teaspoons of tea in it. When the tea has been brewed to your choice, add a sweetener of your choice-either honey or unrefined sugar. Blend the hot liquor with a tall glass topped up with ice and enjoy your cold drink in the hot summer!

The History of Tea in Japan

Tea and Japan have a long association with each other. The earliest known reference of tea in Japan traces its roots back to a text written by a Buddhist monk in the 9th century. Tea was brought into Japan by the Japanese priests and envoys that were sent to China. The first known tea that was brought back to Japan was probably brick tea, the seeds of which were brought by a priest named Saicho in 805. Tea became a drink for primarily the royal classes, when the emperor encouraged the growth of the tea plants. Henceforth, seeds were imported from China to support the tea cultivation in Japan.

The oldest tea specialty book in Japan, Kissa Yojoki (How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea) was written by Eisai. It is a two volume book written in 1211 after Eisai’s second visit to China. The first sentence states, “Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make one’s life more full and complete”. The book describes the medicinal qualities of tea (especially on the five vital organs)- easing the effects of alcohol, acting as a stimulant, curing blotchiness, quenching thirst, eliminating indigestion, curing beriberi disease, preventing fatigue, and improving urinary and brain function. Part One also explains the shapes of tea plants, tea flowers and tea leaves and how to grow tea plants and process tea leaves. Part Two discusses the specific dosage and method required for individual physical ailments.

The popularity of tea started increasing soon after this and green tea became a staple among the cultured people of Japan. The production of tea increased and tea became accessible easily, however still remaining a drink of the upper classes and the Buddhist priesthood.

In the 14th century Ming Dynasty, southern China and Japan enjoyed much cultural exchange. Significant merchandise was traded and the roasting method of processing tea became common in Kyushu, Japan. Since the steaming (9th century) and the roasting (13th century) methods were brought to Japan during two different periods, these teas are completely distinct from each other.

Sencha, an unfermented form of green tea, was developed in 1740 by Soen Nagatani, which has now become Japan’s most popular and widely consumed tea. To prepare sencha, tea leaves are first steam-pressed, then rolled and dried into a loose leaf tea. The dried leaves are brewed with hot water to yield the final drink.

At the end of the Meiji era (1868–1912), machine manufacturing of green tea was introduced and began replacing handmade tea. Machines took over the processes of primary drying, tea rolling, secondary drying, final rolling, and steaming.

Automation contributed to improved quality and reduced labour. Sensor and computer controls were introduced to machine automation so unskilled workers can produce superior tea without compromising quality. Certain regions in Japan are known for special types of green tea, as well as for teas of exceptional quality, making the leaves themselves a highly valued commodity. Uji is still famous for its tea. Today, roasted green tea is not as common in Japan and powdered tea is used in ceremonial fashion.