12,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
Soothe the body, mind, spirit, and senses--with tea Tea For Dummies is your guide to enjoying the delicate flavors and health benefits of the world's second most popular beverage. This book helps novices and connoisseurs alike step confidently into the vast, versatile world of tea. Learn which teas are right for you and brew the perfect cup. We'll also look at the research on tea's benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced stress, lessened risk of cancer and cognitive decline, and easier weight management. Where is tea grown? How is it processed? What's the best way of incorporating tea into a healthy lifestyle? How is tea enjoyed around the world? Dummies answers all your tea questions, so you can enjoy every sip. * Learn the basics of tea production and preparation * Discover the varieties of tea and get to know their effects * Develop a deep knowledge of tea to enhance the experience of drinking or serving it * Maximize the mental and physical health benefits of herbal and caffeinated teas This compendium of tea wisdom is perfect for anyone looking for a deeper enjoyment and appreciation of tea. We'll help you figure out where to start with tea, and if you're already part of the tea fan club, we'll inspire and fascinate you even more.
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 469
Ähnliche
Tea For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Media and software compilation copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS WORK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS OR PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS FOR THIS WORK. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ENDORSE THE INFORMATION OR SERVICES THE ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023930241
ISBN 978-1-119-98625-6 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-98627-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-98626-3 (ebk)
Tea For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Tea For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Tea
Chapter 1: It’s Time for Tea
Understanding the Popularity of Tea
Begin Your Tea Journey Here
Chapter 2: Tea for You, Tea for Me
Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea
One Lump or Two: Discovering Other Ways to Enjoy Tea
Chapter 3: From Garden to Cup
The Tea Plant, Where It All Begins
Discovering How Leaves Become Tea
The Often-Confusing Terminology of Tea
Understanding How Teas Are Flavored
Part 2: Talking about Different Types of Tea
Chapter 4: Black Tea
Taking a Closer Look at Black Tea
Searching Far and Wide for Black Tea
Chapter 5: Green Tea
Taking a Closer Look at Green Tea
Looking at Chinese Green Teas
Discovering Japanese Green Teas
Finding Green Teas from Other Countries
Chapter 6: Oolong (Wulong) Tea
Taking a Closer Look at Oolong Tea
Discovering the Varieties of Oolong Teas
Chapter 7: White Tea
Taking a Closer Look at White Tea
Discovering the Different White Teas
Chapter 8: Other Teas
Exploring Fermented Teas
Getting Chilly with Frost and Frozen Teas
Discovering Additional Rarities
Chapter 9: Herbal Teas
Why Are Herbal Teas Called “Tea” When They’re Not Tea?
Herbal Does Not Mean Caffeine Free
Herbal Teas That Won’t Keep You Up at Night
Chapter 10: Drinking Tea Like an Expert
Tasting — By the Experts
Tasting — And Figuring Out How to Describe What You Taste
Accessories: Going Down the Rabbit Hole
Part 3: Getting Curious about Caffeine
Chapter 11: Caffeine: Tempest in a Teacup?
The Ins and Outs (or Ups and Downs) of Caffeine
The Magic of Caffeine plus L-theanine, the Calming Factor
Determining How Much Caffeine Is in Your Cup (Hint: It’s Complicated)
Misconceptions and Myths about Caffeine in Tea
Chapter 12: Less Is Not Always More — Decaffeinated Tea
Removing Caffeine from Tea Leaves
The Problems with Decaffeinating Tea
Part 4: Spilling the Tea about Health Benefits
Chapter 13: Tea and Its Powerful Antioxidants
Polyphenols and Why They Matter
Green Tea and Its Polyphenols
Black Tea, with Polyphenol Conversion
The Best Tea to Drink
Chapter 14: Investigating the Health Benefits of Tea
Seeking the Truth behind Health Claims
Looking at the Potential Role of Tea in Illness and Disease
Aging Well, with a Nod to Tea
Stay Calm and Drink Tea: Relieving Stress
Tea for Two: Enhancing Your Social Life
Chapter 15: Investigating the Health Benefits of Herbal Tea
Seeking the Truth behind Health Claims
Evaluating Common Herbal Teas
But if It Works for You, Then It Works
Part 5: My Cup of Tea — Around the World
Chapter 16: Exploring Tea-Producing Regions of the World
Looking at Where Tea Is Grown
Asia
Europe
Africa
South Pacific
The Americas
Chapter 17: Embracing Age-Old Traditions and Ceremonies
Heading to China, Where It All Began
Investigating India
Examining Tea Traditions Around the World
Chapter 18: Insight into the Tea Industry
Looking at the Lives of Tea Workers
Reviewing Tea Certifications
Looking at Tea Purity and Quality
Developing New Cultivars
Fingerprinting Tea
Traveling from the Garden to You
Noting the Environmental Impact of Tea
Contemplating the Future of Tea
Part 6: Let’s Have Tea — In the Kitchen, at the Bar
Chapter 19: Cooking and Baking with Tea
Tea as a Spice
Tea as a Dry Ingredient
Tea as an Infusion
Recipes: Snacks
Recipes: Mains
Recipes: Sides
Recipes: Desserts
Chapter 20: Tea and Food Pairing
Noting the Similarities to Wine
Getting Scientific: How Our Senses Come into Play
Perfectly Pairing Tea with Food
Chapter 21: Tea Mixology
Deconstructing Cocktails
Putting Tea into Cocktails
Recipes for Tea Syrups, Infusions, Tinctures, and Bitters
Tea Cocktail Recipes
Part 7: The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Ten Plus Things to Do with Tea That You Don’t Like
Try to Brew It Differently
Embellish It
Chill It
Combine It with Something Else
Combine It with Something Alcoholic
Use It as a Spice
Get Crafty with It
Put It to Work Around the House
Put It to Work for You
Offer It on Social Media
Gift It
Chapter 23: More Than Ten Myths about Tea
Price Equals Quality
Rinse the Tea Leaves
You Can Wash Caffeine Out
Tea Has More Caffeine than Coffee
Never Rinse the Teapot
Experts Always Know What They’re Tasting
Green Tea Is the Healthiest
Earl Grey Origin Story
Tea Is Bitter
Tea Expires
Pinky Should Be Raised
The Brits Drink the Most Tea
Glossary
Index
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: English breakfast tea leaves don’t expand significantly during brew...
FIGURE 2-2: Comparison of 3 grams of O’Sullivan’s favorite, a CTC Irish breakfa...
FIGURE 2-3: Brewing guide.
FIGURE 2-4: Brewing guide by tea type.
FIGURE 2-5: Steps for brewing with a basket filter.
FIGURE 2-6: Brewing a pot of tea using a basket filter.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Botanical illustration of
Camellia sinensis
from Hermann Köhler’s
M
...
FIGURE 3-2: Landscape, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
FIGURE 3-3: Snow cover (upper) and fans in tea garden (lower).
FIGURE 3-4: Harvesting by hand.
FIGURE 3-5: Mechanical harvesting.
FIGURE 3-6: Small-scale production facility.
FIGURE 3-7: Large-scale production facility; photo on lower left shows drying n...
FIGURE 3-8: Processing and sorting the leaves.
FIGURE 3-9: Black tea blend (top), oolong blend (second from top), green tea bl...
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Stages of oxidation in apples.
FIGURE 4-2: Gunpowder tea from China.
FIGURE 4-3: Keemun tea from China.
FIGURE 4-4: Yunnan tea from China.
FIGURE 4-5: Tea from Assam (upper) and Darjeeling (lower).
FIGURE 4-6: Tea plants growing wild in Japan.
FIGURE 4-7: English breakfast (upper) and Irish breakfast (lower) blends.
FIGURE 4-8: Spices (upper) and chai (lower).
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: Stages of oxidation in apples.
FIGURE 5-2: Examples of Chinese green teas: biluochun, gunpowder, lung ching, a...
FIGURE 5-3: Examples of Japanese green teas: genmaicha, kukicha hojicha, sencha...
FIGURE 5-4: Shaded tea plants; grinding matcha.
FIGURE 5-5: Green tea from Georgia.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Oolong teas: dan cong, jun chiyabari, taifu, and Tieguanyin.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: Silver needle tea.
FIGURE 7-2: Leaf set and pai mu tan tea.
FIGURE 7-3: Drying tea leaves.
FIGURE 7-4: South Indian white tea from Tamil Nadu and Malawi antlers.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Assorted pu-erh teas.
FIGURE 8-2: Making frozen black tea.
FIGURE 8-3: Making old tree bancha tea.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Rooibos and honeybush.
FIGURE 9-2: Fruit tea.
FIGURE 9-3: Ayurvedic herbal teas:
pitta
(left),
vata
(center), and
kapha
(righ...
FIGURE 9-4: Greek mountain and floral herbal teas.
FIGURE 9-5: Roasted barley tea.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: Tea tasting set.
FIGURE 10-2: Tea professionals taste multiple teas at a time.
FIGURE 10-3: Tongue map.
FIGURE 10-4: An example of a tea tasting note card.
FIGURE 10-5. TeaHaus tasting wheel.
FIGURE 10-6: Examples of teapots.
FIGURE 10-7: Examples of teapots from various regions of the world.
FIGURE 10-8: Some tea leaves, like the oolong here, have been rolled into small...
FIGURE 10-9: Tea pet.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: World map showing major tea-producing countries.
FIGURE 16-2: Types of tea gardens.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: Examples of teacups used in China, Japan, Korea, and India.
FIGURE 17-2: Examples of teacups used in various countries.
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20-1: TeaHaus tasting wheel.
FIGURE 20-2: Tongue map.
Chapter 22
FIGURE 22-1: Using tea leaves to tie-dye, to hold a candle, and for relaxing.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Glossary
Index
About the Authors
Pages
i
ii
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
319
320
321
322
323
Introduction
The second-most consumed beverage in the world is tea. That’s right, tea! Only water is consumed more, yet you probably don’t know a lot about this amazing beverage. For most of us, tea is something that we order at a restaurant, grab in a can or bottle, drink at a fancy hotel, or maybe make at home for ourselves and friends.
However, in some cultures, tea is a livelihood and has been an integral part of daily life for hundreds of years. Tea is as nuanced as wine — if not more so — due to leaf variety, production methods, brewing, and serving styles.
The world of tea can be overwhelming with talk about which flush a tea is, or whether it is high-grown or low-grown, or even whether it is a green, black, white, oolong, or other type of tea. Every day, new varieties of the tea plant are cultivated and new production methods are developed, but, in the end, it all starts with one leaf from one plant — the Camellia sinensis.
Some “tea snobs” will judge your tea selection, brewing methodologies, whether you add milk or sugar, and even your water source and type of cup you are using — but tea needn’t be so intimidating. It is actually as simple as finding what you like the most and making it the way you prefer it.
About This Book
Tea For Dummies covers all things tea — from garden to cup. Tea has been the center of trade, culture, and even politics for centuries and is still evolving to fit into our ever-changing world. We explore many of these aspects, including the following:
Your many tea options.
When writing about tea, we are primarily referring to the
Camellia sinensis
plant, which is used to produce black, green, oolong, white, and a few other teas. However, we also help you gain more insight into the world of herbal teas.
Brewing the perfect cup of tea.
With our step-by-step guide, your next cup of tea will be brewed to perfection!
Caffeine.
It seems like everyone has an opinion about it. We explore its benefits, how it works with tea’s unique amino acid L-theanine to your advantage, and why it’s impossible to figure out just how much is in your teacup.
Health benefits.
Tea’s potential for our health is incredible, but where does the science stand? We review the research for both tea and herbal teas and disentangle health claims from demonstrated health benefits.
Tea around the world.
We take you to the major tea-producing countries, and we highlight some of the rich traditions that have developed around tea. In addition, we examine the tea industry and consider the future of tea.
Tea as an ingredient.
Dive even deeper into tea by learning how to use it in your cocktails, cooking, and baking. We supply both general guidelines and plenty of recipes.
In this book, we want to share our knowledge to help you better understand and appreciate our favorite beverage. Most importantly, we hope to guide you in your tea journey as we follow that single leaf, grown and picked far from your home, to the perfectly brewed cup you hold in your hands — and teach you about everything in-between.
Foolish Assumptions
We assume that you’re exploring this book for one or more of these reasons:
You don’t know much about tea, but you are thirsting to learn.
You want to learn how to select teas that you will like and then perfectly brew them.
You do know something about tea, perhaps more than most people, but you want to build upon that knowledge and immerse yourself in the world of tea.
You know a lot about tea, but you want to continue on your tea journey because you know that tea exploration never ends — there is always more to learn and oh-so-many teas to try!
Icons Used in This Book
The pictures in the margins of this book are called icons, and they point out different types of information.
This icon points out tidbits of insight or advice that will enhance your tea experience.
We mark the important info with this symbol, the things that we want you to keep in mind as you explore tea. In fact, you can read only these sections, and you’ll be good — although we hope that you read the rest of the book as well!
Science-y stuff is part of tea. However, if the more technical aspects aren’t your cup of tea, you can safely skip paragraphs marked with this icon. You can always go back and read them later. Or not. You may want to just get down to brewing your favorite leaves.
Occasionally, we use this symbol to alert you to potential hazards. It doesn’t appear very often because having a cup of tea isn’t considered high-risk, unless you drink it scalding hot, perhaps. In which case, we’d also add a tip, such as suggesting you let it cool down a bit.
Beyond the Book
For a handy reference guide, see our online Cheat Sheet. To access it, search for “Tea for Dummies Cheat Sheet” at www.dummies.com. This guide gives you some basics about tea and how to brew it. It also provides a few fun facts that you can share with your friends at your next tea party, as well as some tips on how to use tea as more than just a drink.
Where to Go from Here
This book is arranged so that you can quickly and easily find exactly what you’re looking for. The tea world is enormous, so this reference guide will help you navigate its complexities with ease.
If you’re new to tea, we suggest you start at Chapter 1 for an overview and to learn why tea is so valued. However, if you want to jump right in and begin brewing your loose leaves, go directly to Chapter 2. For a closer look at the various kinds of tea available, turn to Part 2.
When you’re ready for a deeper dive into the tea world, peruse Parts 3 through 5. Whether you’re interested in the science behind caffeine and tea’s health benefits, want to explore global tea traditions, or have questions about the tea industry, there are chapters for you. And, to expand your culinary and mixology skills, check out Part 6, where you’ll find general guidelines and information plus lots of terrific recipes.
Let’s get brewing!
Part 1
Getting Started with Tea
IN THIS PART …
Figure out which teas to try first and then pick up a few tips on where to buy your tea, how much to buy, and how to keep it fresh.
Uncover the essentials to brewing the perfect cup of tea, including equipment, brewing steps, and your water.
Find out about the tea plant and learn how those leaves become tea. Decipher tea terminology, which can be confusing and even off-putting. Also, explore the many ways that tea can be flavored.
Chapter 1
It’s Time for Tea
IN THIS CHAPTER
Thinking about why tea is so popular
Figuring out which tea to try first
Deciding how much tea to buy
Learning how to properly store your tea
Did you know that tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world? Most think of coffee or even beer before tea, but they are wrong. Tea is second only to water.
Throughout history, tea has played an important role in politics, economics, and society. Whether picked up in a gas station cooler or sipped in a fancy tearoom with friends, this drink’s steeped in complexity. So, let’s take a closer look at what has become one of the fastest-growing industries as well as the second-most popular drink around the globe.
In this chapter, we consider just what makes tea so enduring and loved. Is it just its flavor, or is there more to it? We briefly look at the benefits of drinking tea, and then we head into a few practical issues to get you started on your journey into the world of tea. About a gazillion teas are out there, but we offer some recommendations for where to begin, and then we supply a handy guide for how many cups of tea you can expect out of a bag of leaves. Finally, we offer a few tips on how to best store your leaves. Oh, and we do want to welcome you to the communi-tea!
Understanding the Popularity of Tea
It is safe to say that nations were built and economies were structured on tea. Today, nearly 4 billion cups of tea are enjoyed every day! That’s more than 165 million cups an hour! Imagine how many leaves are picked daily to bring you this amazing elixir.
Meeting tea drinkers the world over
In the United States, tea is mostly consumed cold and quickly, but it is still an important part of our culture. Whether at a backyard barbeque, given to us for a sore throat or upset tummy, or served at a fancy tea party, we all have had a cup at some point in our lives — for some of us, multiple cups a day.
In many places in the world, tea is so woven into the culture that businesses and homes must welcome you with a cup of tea, while in other countries serving tea is a ceremony with deep traditions and meanings. People on every continent have made tea their own.
So, whether you’re guzzling a refreshing iced tea while driving to your kid’s soccer game, or someone across the ocean is getting all dressed up for a special tea party, or another person is attending a traditional tea ceremony, we are all enjoying the same drink.
Seeing why tea is so popular
Just why is tea so popular? For one, the world of tea is incredibly diverse. Although “tea” may conjure up an iced black tea, you can find tea to suit any taste. Bold or subtle, toasty or vegetal, bitter or sweet, smoky, fruity, floral, simple or complex, you get the picture. Some teas explode with flavor when iced, and others brace your spirits on a bone-chilling rainy night. Some pair amazingly well with food, whereas others are meant for thoughtful sipping.
Further, tea gives you what’s often called a “calm alertness.” Unlike the caffeine in coffee, which hits you quickly and sometimes hard, that same caffeine in tea is tempered by an amino acid that’s unique to tea. In a cup of tea, you get the best of both worlds: that alertness of caffeine, coupled with a calm and relaxing focus.
On a deeper level, having tea together binds us socially. A boisterous night over tea cocktails fosters camaraderie among friends; a solemn tea ceremony may ground us. We offer comfort and support when we pour a cup of tea for a grieving friend. Simply holding a steaming cup of tea promotes well-being. When someone asks you if you want a cup of tea, they’re extending hospitality and kindness at the very least. If someone you love asks you that same question, you know that cup symbolizes empathy, connectedness, and love.
Discovering some benefits of tea
There’s a lot of media coverage these days about the health benefits of tea and why you should drink it. Although tea is a healthy alternative to high caloric drinks like soda or pop, it isn’t a cure-all. Yes, tea can be an important part of a healthy diet and may indeed offer some benefits, but tangible physical effects are only now being defined and understood. However, preliminary results are exciting as we learn, for instance, how tea positively impacts our frame of mind, including outlook, mood, and our perception of others. There’s hope that tea helps preserve cognition. In fact, so much research is being done that we dive deeper into the science in Chapters 13 and 14.
If you’re an herbal tea fan, don’t worry. We have you covered as well, with Chapter 15 devoted to current research on herbal teas.
Begin Your Tea Journey Here
Tea. It’s as simple as boiling water, pouring it over leaves, taking a couple minutes to relax, and straining out the leaves. One cup of the perfect tea can hook you for a lifetime.
Tea knows no age
When I (Lisa) opened TeaHaus, my older son was two years old and my younger one was three days old — yes, I know, I’m crazy. They have both been drinking tea since, well, forever. I can remember giving my baby a little cooled ginger rooibos when his tummy was upset, and my older son would be so excited to get his favorite fruit tea in his sippy cup. On the other hand, my husband was forty-five before he started really enjoying tea. He remembers having it as a kid but only when he wasn’t feeling well or when his grandma was visiting.
Meanwhile, Jill has finally gotten her decades-long-coffee-drinker husband into tea. Granted, he drinks only two black teas, one fruity black tea, and absolutely no green teas, but he really likes those three teas.
Tea can be enjoyed by anyone at any age. Sure, some teas are better suited for kids (caffeine free), and sometimes it takes finding the one that you personally love, but tea is to be had by all.
Teas to try first
If you are trying to get into tea, you’ll probably want to hold off on some teas. Lapsang souchong, Japanese green teas like sencha or matcha, and white teas may not be what you are expecting. You may want to ease into these teas after you’re more accustomed to tea and its various flavors.
So then, where do you begin?
For many, their journey into the world of tea starts with something more familiar, like earl grey or a teabag from a box. Although teabags have gotten better throughout the years, they will never be what tea is meant to be. In this book, we focus on loose-leaf tea.
At our store, we have seven different versions of loose-leaf earl grey, one of which is our number-one-selling tea. In fact, three of our best-selling teas come from our earl grey collection, and they generally rank within the top ten teas every year, which speaks to their enduring popularity. Once you have a cup of high-quality loose-leaf earl grey, you will never teabag again.
Another commonly known tea is chai. This spiced and often sweetened tea is a popular starting point in coffee shops and cafes. Fruity flavored teas are another great entry tea, especially iced. Even as a tea sommelier, I never judge if someone’s favorite is a pineapple-mango tea or a sweetened caramel tea. I like to look at these teas as gateway teas. You should always drink what you enjoy the most and then branch out every so often. You might find a new favorite.
Things to consider when picking a black tea is how strong and bold you want it, how much astringency (that dry feeling in your mouth) you want, whether you prefer a tea that is simply strong versus something that has layers of flavor, and whether you like earthy or smoky notes.
For a less intense black tea, there are plenty of options. Ceylon teas are full-bodied and brisk, but not overly so, and they have just the right amount of astringency. They are what many people think of when they envision black tea. Ceylon is great iced and works well with lemon, sugar, milk, and so on. Assam teas pair particularly well with food, so they can be nice with a snack or meal, and they hold up to a little cream and sugar.
If, however, you want a strong tea, breakfast teas are a good match — and you have a lot to choose from: Irish, Scottish, English, Russian, and East Frisian blends, among others. Every tea blender will use a different ratio of teas, so you may find that you prefer some breakfast blends over others. Yet, all of them are robust enough to stand up to milk and sugar. Just take care in brewing these teas so that they don’t become bitter.
For coffee lovers who are used to deep and complex flavors, consider an Assam from India or the many pu-erh and Yunnan teas from China. Some wild-grown teas would also make this list. Although these aren’t in-your-face bold like the breakfast blends, they are intriguingly full-bodied and multilayered in flavor.
Note that teas that have been processed by the cut-tear-curl (CTC) process (these teas are in tiny bits) will release caffeine more quickly than teas composed of intact or largely intact leaves, especially if those leaves have been tightly rolled. However, this isn’t to say that you will get more caffeine overall. The caffeine issue is complicated, and we suggest you go to Chapter 11 for a comprehensive look at how it operates in tea.
To start your green tea journey, Chinese green teas are more common and recognizable, so they are often our first recommendation. Japanese teas tend to be grassier or “seaweed”-like in flavor, so, for some, it takes a bit getting used to. Often, people’s first experience with green tea is with a sweet matcha latte in a coffee shop or the tea served at their favorite Asian restaurant. Green tea is as nuanced as black tea, but it may take a bit more time to find your favorite.
Oolong, pu-erh, some white teas, and other tea types can also be great first-time teas as well, but we often recommend starting with the basics when first steeping into the world of tea.
If you caught Lisa’s reference to rooibos in the “Tea knows no age” section, sharp eyes! In this book, we include both tea —made from the tea plant — and herbal tea. Rooibos is a type of herbal tea, as are fruit teas (check out Chapter 9).
If you aren’t sure you’re ready for tea, but want a healthy or caffeine-free beverage, we suggest you start with some of the many herbal teas available. Fruit teas, which consist of fruit and other herbals, are a terrific substitute for high-calorie juice. You can find just about any fruit you want, and they are usually fantastic iced. Low in sugar but filled with flavor, these are wonderful for everyone in the family. Kids generally love fruit teas!
Rooibos and honeybush blends are also both kid- and adult-friendly options. You can readily find fruity, floral, earthy, or other blends, so you’re sure to find something you enjoy, and they are naturally caffeine free.
Where to buy your tea
When shopping for tea, it is important to know how and where the store sources their teas. You needn’t know the exact gardens or time of day your tea was harvested, but it is important to know that the tea store sources teas from gardens that go above and beyond to ensure the highest quality.
This is not to say that grabbing a teabag tea in the hotel lobby is a no-no, but buying quality loose tea is worth the extra penny. Plus, not all high-quality loose-leaf teas are expensive. A very high-quality loose-leaf breakfast blend may not cost much more per gram than a box of teabags at the grocery store. Single-estate, handpicked, and rare teas from small gardens may seem a bit pricey, but keep in mind that a 50-gram bag of tea can make 15 to 20 cups, and some teas can be brewed several times. A $30 bag of tea that can yield 20 cups makes the per-cup price only about $1.50, which is well under the cost of a hot drink at most cafes or restaurants.
How much tea to buy
Tea may be sold by the ounce or gram. Most teas require about 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of leaves to make an 8-ounce cup, giving you the following general guidelines:
50 grams (1.8 ounces) of leaves yields 15 to 20 cups of tea
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of leaves yields 30 to 40 cups of tea
200 grams (7 ounces) of leaves yields 60 to 80 cups of tea
500 grams (17.6 ounces) of leaves yields 150 to 200 cups of tea
Remember that many leaves can be brewed a second time (or more), which doubles the number of cups you get!
Storing your tea leaves
It is important that your tea is stored in an area free of moisture, strong odors, and light. For this reason, we recommend that you do not use glass jars. Although it is so tempting to stock up on teas when you go to a beautiful tea and spice store that has rows and rows of jars filled with teas and spices, remember that the teas (or spices) probably won’t be of great quality because of how they were stored and displayed.
Metal tins are good if they have a tight seal but be aware that tins will absorb aroma so keep similar teas in each tin (for instance, if you’ve stored a smoky tea in a tin, keep that tin for smoky teas, or if you have an earl grey tin, keep it an earl grey tin).
So, now that we have your interest, let’s steep ourselves with more knowledge about the amazing beverage known as tea!
Chapter 2
Tea for You, Tea for Me
IN THIS CHAPTER
Figuring out what you need to brew tea
Learning how to brew the best cup of tea possible
Discovering additional ways to enjoy tea
While growing up, I (Lisa) drank a lot of tea. When I was cold, Mom made a cup of tea. When I was sick, Mom made a cup of tea. When we had people over, Mom made a pot of tea. You get the point — we drank a lot of tea. The funny thing is, it was always the same. Always. It was a small teabag filled with the same black powder-like tea, brewed for the same amount of time, and almost always served in the same cup. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized there was a lot more to tea than the cup my mom made me.
When I started seeking out better-quality tea and different types of tea, it was all a little intimidating. I was told I needed a special kettle. Some said a tea ball was necessary while others said to never use one. I was told I needed a specific type of filter, a Japanese kyusu, a Chinese gaiwan, a clay pot, a porcelain pot, a glass pot, and so on. It was starting to look like an expensive hobby.
But then I vacationed in Egypt. There, I walked into a woman’s humble kitchen where she was boiling water in a pan over a fire. She poured the water over some leaves she had put in a glass with her fingers, and she handed it to me. It was one of the best cups of tea I have ever had. She didn’t use any special brewing equipment or fancy serving ware, just a pan and a cup. Don’t get me wrong — there are some amazing ways to make and serve tea from all parts of the world, which we discuss in Chapters 10 and 17. But here, let’s focus on the essentials.
In this chapter, we go over the basic equipment that you need to brew a cup of tea, and then we show you how to make terrific tea. We discuss several ways to make iced tea, and we look at some additional ways to enjoy tea.
Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea
No matter what you’ve heard, brewing loose tea is easy. It requires only a few pieces of equipment that you likely already own, and then you simply brew your leaves. With our tips, you can brew any tea and get terrific results. Of course, you’ll want to experiment a bit for your personal preference, but that’s part of the fun!
Basic equipment
This is all you need to brew tea:
Something to heat water
A cup or mug
A brew basket or strainer of some sort
That’s it! But here’s a closer look at each of these, along with a few suggestions.
Ways to heat water
Some pretty fancy water kettles are out there these days. Even we are drawn toward the ones with all the buttons, temperature controls, automations, and stellar designs. At TeaHaus, we have three water dispensers that offer a constant supply of filtered water, each set at a specific temperature. However, at home, I have a simple glass electric kettle.
If you’d rather not have an electric kettle that takes up space on your countertop, you can easily heat water in a pan on your stove (keep reading to learn how to visually gauge water temperature), although a whistling kettle is nice. It lets you know when your water is boiling and reminds you to turn the stove off, a good safety feature. Any style of whistling kettle will do but stay away from cheap aluminum or thin stainless steel. It is worth the few extra dollars to get a sturdier kettle.
We recommend that you never use a microwave oven to heat your water. The water heats unevenly, you can’t control the temperature with any accuracy, and you can easily burn yourself with superheated water.
Cup or mug
Much debate is ongoing about whether a cup should be glass or porcelain or clay or some other material. Although the array of cup choices adds to the drinking experience (see Chapter 10), in this chapter we’re keeping it simple, so go with a cup or mug of your choosing. I prefer white porcelain or glass because I like to see the color of my tea, but everyone has that favorite mug or cup.
Strainer
If we are making a cup of tea for ourselves, we like to use a tea brewing basket that we can set directly into a mug or cup. However, a small kitchen strainer will also get the job done. (See Chapter 10 for more information about brewing baskets and filters.)
We don’t recommend the classic tea balls for most loose-leaf teas because the leaves need room to expand. For example, Figure 2-1 shows how oolong tea leaves unfurl into intact leaves and leaf sets that would be tightly packed into a tea ball. However, these balls are often adequate for small-leaf teas or CTC (cut-tear-curl; see Chapter 4) teas like a classic English breakfast. In Figure 2-1, you can also see that the breakfast tea leaves expanded only a little bit during brewing.
Photo by Lisa McDonald
FIGURE 2-1: English breakfast tea leaves don’t expand significantly during brewing (top), unlike the intact leaves and leaf sets of an oolong (bottom).
Making a cup of hot tea!
When you have your basic brewing equipment, all you need are tea leaves and water. Here’s an easy guide to making a terrific cup of tea.
Measuring your tea leaves
Most teabags are perfectly portioned for an eight- to twelve-ounce cuppa, but it gets a bit tricky with loose-leaf tea. Many directions say you should use a teaspoon or a heaping teaspoon of tea leaves, but this isn’t always the best form of measurement for the perfect cup.
The problem is that tea leaves vary from tea to tea, sometimes dramatically. Therefore, measuring tea by weight is more accurate than measuring tea using a teaspoon. You generally need about three grams of tea for an eight- to twelve-ounce cup, so when we train new employees to brew tea at TeaHaus, we have them use a gram scale for the first few weeks. After they get a feel for what three grams of various teas look like, they can start to use an eyeball estimate, along with a teaspoon, when brewing tea for customers. If a customer likes a stronger or weaker tea, we don’t adjust the brew time or the recommended temperature. Instead, we adjust the amount of tea used.
If you don’t have a gram scale, start by using a teaspoon but remember that you’ll need to adjust for the tea. Figure 2-2 shows an example of how three grams of tea can look drastically different. Three grams of CTC tea (left side of photo) are easily measured by a teaspoon. However, some whole-leaf teas, especially those that are very fluffy, like the tea on the right side of the photo, require more tea by volume. For these teas, if your directions say to use a “heaping teaspoon,” you may find that the leaves are so difficult to measure with a teaspoon (they are large, unwieldy, and don’t stay nicely on the spoon!) that realistically you may need a mega-heaping teaspoon or two heaping teaspoons.
Keep in mind that no exact science dictates how much tea to use, and personal preference should help you decide how strong you like your tea — and, thus, how much tea to use.
Heating your water
Whether you have a stove top kettle or a simple electric one, we have a few recommendations. At home, we really like an electric kettle. We especially like the glass ones because we can see the bubbles form, which indicates the approximate temperature of the water. You can easily teach yourself how to visually gauge the water temperature (this also works well if you’re heating your water in a pan on the stove):
Photo by Lisa McDonald
FIGURE 2-2: Comparison of 3 grams of O’Sullivan’s favorite, a CTC Irish breakfast tea, and 3 grams of South India havukal, a whole-leaf white tea.
Shrimp eyes
. When tiny bubbles (shrimp eyes) start to form on the bottom of the kettle, the water is approximately 155 to 160°F.
Crab eyes
. When the water starts to produce steam and the bubbles are bigger (crab eyes) but are still on the bottom, the temperature is around 175°F.
Fish eyes.
When the bubbles (fish eyes) begin to release from the bottom, the temperature is around 180 to185°F.
Pearl strands.
When the bubbles are more like a strand of pearls than eyes, the water is between 190° and 205°F.
Boil.
Soon after, you have a rolling bubble, which is 212°F.
If your kettle isn’t transparent and you can’t see the bubbles, you can listen for the sound. You’ll know when you’re at the pearl stage because you will hear the low rumble of the pot as the bubbles begin to release. This is, of course, all made easier with a thermometer or a temperature-control kettle.
Note that if you live in an area with good water or if you are using filtered water, there is no reason to bring your water to a boil and then cool it to the correct brewing temperature.
WHAT KIND OF WATER IS BEST?
What’s the best water to use to make tea? You should consider several things:
Filtration. At TeaHaus, we use a five-stage filtration system for our water. This isn’t necessary, but good water is best to ensure great flavor. If your tap water is good, you don’t need to filter it, but a simple water filter isn’t a bad idea (even for coffee and other beverages).
Dissolved solids. If your water has too few dissolved solids, your tea will taste flat (which is why you shouldn’t use distilled water). On the other hand, if your water has too many dissolved solids, they interfere with the tea’s flavor. You want water that’s somewhere between hard and soft.
pH level. A slightly alkaline pH is better than acidic water (pure water is neutral). Most tap water in the United States aims for a slightly alkaline level so this is unlikely to be an issue.
Standing water. If your water is on the hard side, you may not want to use water that’s been sitting in your kettle. You’re likely to have mineral buildup in your kettle; that will eventually seep into the standing water.
Already-boiled water. Boiling concentrates impurities, but if your tap water is safe, you can reboil your water (see next point).
Dissolved oxygen. You may hear that you should use only fresh, cold, oxygenated water. However, it’s unlikely that oxygen affects your tea because there’s little to no oxygen in hot water. Further, as your boiled water cools, it reoxygenates. Therefore, you can reboil water to make tea.
Brewing hot tea
At TeaHaus, we give our customers a little guide to brewing. The front of the postcard illustrates the brewing steps (Figure 2-3), and the back provides a simple guide for brewing time and temperature (Figure 2-4).
You’ll see that most teas have a range of water temperatures, but less-oxidized green tea is always brewed at lower temperatures than fully oxidized black tea. White tea, the most delicate and minimally processed of leaves, must always be brewed at relatively low temperatures or else you damage the leaves, and your tea won’t taste very good. Note, too, that if you brew tea for too long a time, it will become bitter. Herbal teas (this includes rooibos and fruit teas), on the other hand, can never be over-brewed.
Source: Illustration by TeaHaus
FIGURE 2-3: Brewing guide.
Keep in mind that these recommendations are just starting points; you should always adjust the parameters to best fit your own preference.
To brew one cup of tea at a time using a cup-sized brewing basket (see Figure 2-5), follow these steps:
Place the basket into your cup.
Add about three grams of tea into the basket. (See “
Measuring your tea leaves
” section earlier.)
Pour hot water over the leaves and set a timer. At TeaHaus, we put our recommended brewing time and temperature on the package for each tea, but when in doubt, brewing for 2–5 minutes is going to be okay for most teas, depending on the tea and your tolerance for bitterness.
When the timer goes off, remove the basket, and your tea is ready to drink.
Shake out the leaves into your compost bin or trash and rinse out the remaining leaves — unless it’s a tea that you want to rebrew later in the day. In that case, you can just let the leaves stay in the basket (no need to refrigerate).
Source: Illustration by TeaHaus
FIGURE 2-4: Brewing guide by tea type.
Step 5 is where teabags are easier to use — even we will admit that. However, you can make your own teabags ahead of time. Just purchase paper filters or teabags for loose tea and spend a few minutes filling enough for the week, for example. Keep in mind, though, that the bag, much like the tea ball, will constrict some unfurling of the leaves, so larger-leaf teas are still best when brewed using a strainer or basket.
Here is an alternate way to make either a cup or a pot of tea. This method allows the leaves to really unfurl and move around freely, which gives you a better cup of tea (see Figure 2-6). Follow these steps:
Measure your tea leaves into any vessel that can withstand heat. (We recommend a glass vessel, such as a glass measuring cup.)
Pour your hot water over the leaves and set your timer.
When the timer goes off, strain the leaves through a brewing basket (or even a small kitchen strainer) into your teacup or tempered teapot.
If you plan to rebrew the tea, shake the leaves back into the brewing vessel; otherwise, shake them into your compost bin or trash.
Photo by Lisa McDonald
FIGURE 2-5: Steps for brewing with a basket filter.
Photo by Lisa McDonald
FIGURE 2-6: Brewing a pot of tea using a basket filter.
Hint: Tempering your pot helps to keep your tea hotter for longer. Just fill your pot with boiling water and then dump it out before filling it with tea. You can also use a tea warmer or tea cozy. We personally like tea warmers, which are small stands with a spot for a tea light candle; the warmer with lit candle is placed under the teapot. Yes, tea lights are actually for tea, not just for setting a romantic table.
People ask all the time if they can rebrew their leaves. With a brewing basket, it is quite simple. Just place the basket back in your cup and pour more water over it. If you’ve brewed your leaves loose in another vessel, simply add water again.
There are some teas that rebrew well and others that don’t. We always recommend that people just try it. There is no real answer. Larger leaves often brew better the second time around since they unfurl more during the second brew, but, again, this is up to personal preference.
Making iced tea
People ask us all the time how to make iced tea. It is actually quite simple. If some friends come by for a surprise visit or you find yourself parched, this quick method is super easy. (We use this method at the store when people order any of our teas iced to drink in the cafe or take with them to-go and when we brew large quantities for events.)
For example, to make a small pitcher of iced tea, brew the tea exactly how you would if you were making it hot but with half the amount of water:
Measure out the tea leaves that you need for 32 ounces of tea (approximately 12 grams, or around 4–8 teaspoons, depending on the tea).
Add 16 ounces of water at the recommended temperature.
Brew for the recommended amount of time.
Pour the tea through a strainer into a 32-ounce pitcher that is filled with ice. Enough ice will melt in the concentrated hot tea to give you the perfect strength of ice-cold tea.
Alternately, if you want to do things ahead of time, make your tea at regular strength with all the usual parameters and just let it cool in the fridge.
Sun tea is brought up a lot by customers in the store. We personally are not fans. The number of bacteria that can grow quickly in a warm, moist environment is astounding; the sun tea method creates the perfect environment for bacteria breeding.
We do, however, recommend cold brewing tea sometimes, although it can be tricky to figure out the best brewing time. Some teas can be cold brewed for no more than 3–4 hours or they get too bitter; others can be left brewing in the refrigerator for days. This is something that is super easy to do, but you may need to experiment to find the perfect brew time to suit your taste.
Another fun thing to do with iced tea is to turn it into ice cubes. If you have some leftover tea or want to make some extra, pour the cooled tea into ice cube trays and stick them in the freezer. You can use these cubes in iced tea that you don’t want diluted with melting ice, or even in your favorite cocktail.
One Lump or Two: Discovering Other Ways to Enjoy Tea
Although we might prefer certain teas all on their own, some teas are lovely with a little sweetener or citrus, or you can change them up with carbonation, for instance. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Milk and Sugar
We will end the debate here and now! IT DOESN’T MATTER! What debate, you may ask? It’s the perennial “Should I put the milk in my cup before the tea or after I pour the tea?” dilemma!
Some argue that it’s best to add a little cream to the cup before the hot tea to avoid cracking the cup, while others say that you cannot see the color properly if the milk is added first. So again, it does not matter. When once asked this important question, the butler for the late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom said that the queen preferred to pour her tea first, then add cream. There — it’s settled.
Personally, we don’t use cream or sugar in any of our teas other than in a traditional masala chai or perhaps in a dessert tea that has chocolate or caramel pieces. That said, we don’t judge. A teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk or cream is a lovely way to make a cuppa.
