Prepare Hibiscus Tea at Home

Everyone has heard of Hibiscus Tea, whether or not they are a tea drinker. It is the latest addition to every health freak's diet. From weight loss to blood pressure control, this super food claims to do it all.
Made with the beautiful hibiscus flower petals, hibiscus tea is a herbal infusion, wonderful to drink during a hot summer afternoon. It can be prepared either hot or iced, a delightfully red colored drink to fulfill your soul.
It is quite a strong tea and not many leaves are required to prepare it. Only about 3-4 teaspoons of dry or 6-7 teaspoons of fresh hibiscus petals are needed to make a liter of tea.
To make the tea, boil around 200 ml of water and add half a teaspoon of dried petals or one teaspoon of fresh petals. Let the tea brew for around five minutes before serving. Add sugar or honey to your taste and enjoy immediately. If you want to drink an iced hibiscus tea, simply steep the tea with double the quantity of petals as when making hot tea. Add honey or sugar to the brew. Top a tall glass with ice and pour over the brew into the glass.
When preparing for a large group, steep the petals in a teapot. As it is herbal, you can just leave the leaves in the pot. It will not grow bitter, just slightly stronger in strength.
When you prepare hibiscus tea using the fresh petals of the hibiscus flower, be sure that the flowers are pesticide free and are also not sprayed with any sort of insecticide. It is best to use home grown flowers for such a brew, as you can be sure what has gone into its growing.
Hibiscus tea is made from less oxidized leaves and is one of the less processed types of tea and therefore contains one of the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.
It's a very smooth tea that is more thirst-quenching than some other fruity teas. Some people say it is tart, like cranberry tea, but it has a softness about it that is more fruity than tart.
Hibiscus tea, like most tea, is good for you. It is said to be good to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and to strengthen the immune system.
The hibiscus plant is indigenous to North America and grows almost everywhere from Southern Canada right down to Mexico. The flowers are gorgeous, similar to mallow flowers. They can grow to be very big and beautiful.

Information About Tea Brewing

Many different factors affect their flavor including climatic changes, and even minor changes in its processing. Loose teas are far less processed than the tea in teabags and thus the even subtle changes in its flavor are pronounced. The gardens try to maintain a consistency as far as they can, but a lot depends on the brewing of the tea. Individual tastes account mainly for how a tea is brewed but a comprehensive guide assures that the true flavor of the tea shines through.

Teapots are an important piece of equipment in tea-brewing. A good ceramic or glass pot works well, but metallic ones are usually avoided lest they give a metallic taint to the tea. Tea enthusiasts keep separate pots for different teas as ceramic pots absorb the flavor of the tea. The fine black teas of Darjeeling deserve a teapot set aside just for them and never used for herbal infusions, for perfumed teas such as Earl Grey, or for other teas of pronounced flavour such as Lapsang Souchong.

Teas are, however, the main focus for a good cup.  As they easily absorb moisture, smells, and tastes, tea should be kept separate from spices, perfumes, and even other strong-smelling teas. Some Japanese teas are stored in fridge or freezer but for most teas this is unnecessary and may cause damaging condensation to form inside the tea container. A good tea retains excellent flavor for about a year, just long enough to keep us going until the arrival of the next year’s crop. The springtime thrill of drinking First Flush Darjeeling tea as soon as they come from the factories of the tea gardens has an extra novelty, as the flavors have not completely stabilized. In the factories, an oxidation, called “fermentation” in the trade, takes place, creating much of the tea’s character. It is then dried to about 3 percent moisture, enough to preserve it, but sufficient to allow a very slight continued oxidation, known as “mellowing,” which can last up to three months. During this period, when the tannins continue to darken and form the body of the liquor, and before the oxidation has achieved its full taste, the fresh “green” perfumes are at their strongest.
Roughly around a heaping teaspoon or 3 grams of tea is used for each cup. Loose leaf teas vary greatly in size and weight, so a teaspoon measure may not always give a correct estimate. With experience, a tea drinker is easily able to determine how much tea is to be used. White teas, for example, are bigger in size and lighter in weight than Darjeeling teas as they are less processed. In the end, it is a personal preference. The ideal brewing water is probably pure mountain spring water. Short of that, plain tap water is fine.  But in some municipalities, bottled spring water is preferable; different bottled waters will give different results and a certain amount of mineral content is essential to release the flavors.
At somewhere between three and five minutes of infusion, the flavor peaks and the tea is ready to serve. A few light teas might even take up to seven minutes to fully develop their flavor. At this point milk, sugar, or lemon might be added but a pure liquor is best to understand the flavor. The subtleties of delicate, whole-leaf Darjeeling are best considered without the distraction of milk, sugar, or lemon.

Processing of Darjeeling Tea – Art in Making

Instead it follows a delicate and intricate procedure which produces one of the best tea in the world. Darjeeling Black Tea goes through all the stages discussed below. If a green tea or white tea is being produced, all the steps may not be followed.

Plucking tea leaves from the gardens: For Darjeeling tea, there needs to be only selective plucking of two leaves and the bud that makes a shoot. To make a kilogram of tea about 22,000 shoots are required. On an average a plucker is given a target of 4 to 5kgs per day, and during the high plucking season the target increases and can get doubled. While tea plucking season is from March to November, bulk of the tea leaves are plucked during the monsoon time. Mostly the teas are plucked in the morning when the morning dews are still there on the tea leaves.
Withering: The next step is withering which is a way of drying the tea leaves in the factory. It is essentially removing the moisture content of the leaves. Initially the tea leaves have 70 – 80% moisture. The leaves are placed in a trough (long wooden box) and covered with a wire mesh. Strong air is blown through the boxes with the help of fans placed at one end. This helps drying the tea leaves uniformly.
Rolling: After withering is completed, the tea leaves are taken to the next stage of rolling. Here mechanical rollers twist and press the leaves. Usually the tea leaves are subjected to two rolling of 40 minutes each and the rolling pressure varies. In between the rolling, sifting takes place where the coarse leaves are separated from the finer leaves with the help of machines. The step is carefully monitored so that leaves do not break and overheating does not take place.
Fermentation: The third step is to ferment the leaves. In this stage, the leaves are kept on thin and clean trays in a cool and humid environment. Through bio-chemical process the fermentation takes place. Usually the process lasts between 2-4 hours depending on the quality of tea being produced. It is at this stage when the tea leaves actually start developing their natural aroma and flavor.
Drying: After fermentation, the tea leaves are once again dried in large mechanical dryers. They are fed in through conveyor belts from one end. The belts continuously vibrate and then take the tea through a temperature range of 115-120°C and bring out ready tea from the other end. The process lasts for about 20-30 minutes. At the end the tea is almost completely moisture free.
Sorting and Packing: The final stage is to sort or separate the different grades of tea leaves based on their size and then pack them. There are automatic sorting machines that sort the tea leaves based on their sizes (full leaves, broken, fanning and dust).
Processing of Black, Green and White Darjeeling Tea: Note that all types of tea do not go through the same processing steps. In fact depending on the flavour and quality of tea, within each step delicate variations are made. The Black Darjeeling Tea usually goes through all the steps mentioned above. In case of Darjeeling Green tea, the leaves are first withered. The withering takes place between 8 to 24 hours to remove the moisture. After that they are steamed, as a result the oxidation is prevented to take place and the enzymes are neutralized. Then the leaves are rolled to different degrees and again dried.  Processing of White tea is somewhat similar to that of green tea. White tea is only steamed and then dried. There is no withering, rolling or oxidation done keeping all the natural ingredients and the chemicals almost intact.

The Tea Growing Regions of India

India is one of the largest tea growing nations in the world. Producing nearly 30 percent of the global output, it is the second largest exporter of tea. The teas of Darjeeling and Assam top every list in the ‘best teas’ category. But there are many other tea growing regions in India besides Darjeeling and Assam. They are the following:

• Dooars and Terai: The first plantation in Terai was named Champta, and it was set up by James White in 1862. Subsequently, the Dooars region saw its first tea plantation in the form of Gazeldubi. In Dooars, the Assamese tea plant was found to be more suitable. Today, Dooars and Terai have a combined annual production of 226 million kg of tea, which accounts for around 25 per cent of India’s total tea crop. Tea from Dooars is described as clear, black, and heavy. The first flush has a fresh virgin flavour, good brightness and fragrance while the second flush is more brisk. Terai tea on the other hand is known for its spicy and slightly sweet taste.

• Kangra: The Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh was deemed as a potential loose leaf tea growing region by Dr Jameson in 1829, following a feasibility survey. He brought in Chinese tea plants from Almora and Dehradun and had them planted at Kangra, Nagrota and Bhawarna. Tea is now cultivated across an area of 2,063 hectares in Kangra and Mandi districts. Due to the favourable natural climate that’s free of pests and insects, tea is grown organically in the Kangra valley. The Kangra region is famous for its range of green (Hyson, Young Hyson and coarse grades) and black teas (Pekoe, Pekoe Suchong, Coarse teas and Fannings) with their exquisite flavours.

• Nilgiri: In 1823, John Sullivan, who was then the British Collector of Coimbatore, built his stone house in Ootacamund. Initial experiments for tea cultivation commenced in the Ketti Valley in 1853, and commercial production was first undertaken in the Thiashola and Dunsandle Estates in 1859. Nilgiri tea is named after the Nilgiris, or Blue Mountains. The weather conditions provide Nilgiri teas with a characteristic briskness, exceptional fragrance and exquisite flavour. The liquor is golden yellow in colour, provides a creamy taste in the mouth and has notes of dusk flowers. Nilgiri tea has also been registered as a GI in India, and around 92 million kg of this tea are produced every year – around 10 per cent of India’s total tea production.

• Annamalais: Today, the Annamalais, a range of hills with altitudes from 900 to 1,600 metres between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have around 12,000 hectares under tea cultivation. The tea from Annamallais generates a brisk and bright golden saffron liquor in the cup. It has a strong flavour and a medium to high tone fragrance with biscuit to floral notes.

• Wayanaad: The first tea plantation was set up over a few acres at the New Hope estate in Ouchterlony Valley in 1874. Tea from Wayanad is medium toned with a clean fragrance and produces an earthy reddish, full bodied liquor in the cup. The liquor is light on briskness and mild and mellow with biscuit notes.

• Karnataka: The state is the coffee hub of India, but also produces around 5 million kg of tea every year. Teas from Karnataka produce a golden ochre liquor with a fair amount of briskness and body. They have a simple, balanced character and are medium toned.

• Munnar:  Tea was first grown in Munnar by A H Sharp in the 1970s. Tea from Munnar produces a golden yellow liquor with strong body, refreshing briskness and a hint of fruit. It has a clean, medium toned fragrance.

•  Travancore: Coffee production was started by J D Monro in 1862, and tea production started two years later. After the dreaded leaf disease began to hit coffee plants in 1875, the focus shifted rapidly towards tea cultivation. This tea has medium fragrance with reddish liquor and yellow tinge.

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.