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TEAS FROM THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA |
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Teas from the
highest region on the island are described as the "S'hampagne"
of Ceylon teas.
Until
the 1860’s THE MAIN CROP PRODUCED on the island of Sri Lanka,
then Ceylon, was coffee. But in 1869, the coffee-rust fungus,
Hemileia vastatrix, killed the majority of of the coffee
plants and estate owners had to diversify into other crops in
order to avoid total ruin. The owners of Loolecondera Estate had
been interested in tea since the late 1850’s and in 1866, James
Taylor, a recently arrived Scot, was selected to be in charge
of the first sowing of tea seeds in 1867, on 19 acres of land.
Taylor had acquired some basic knowledge of tea cultivation in
North India and made some initial experiments in manufacture,
using his bungalow verandah as the factory and rolling the leaf
by hand on tables. Firing of the oxidized leaf was carried out
on clay stoves over charcoal fires with the leaf on wire trays.
His first teas were sold locally and were declared delicious.
By 1872, Taylor had a fully equipped factory, and, in 1873, his
first quality teas were sold for a very good price at the London
auction. Through his dedication and determination, Taylor was
largely responsible for the early success of the tea crop in Ceylon.
Between 1873 and 1880, production rose from just 23 pounds to
81.3 tons, and by 1890, to 22,899.8 tons.
Most of the Ceylon tea gardens are situated at elevations between
3,000 and 8,000 feet in two areas of the southwestern part of
the island, to the east of Colombo and in the Galle district on
the southern point. In the hot, steamy plains and foothills, the
tea bushes flush every seven or eight days and are picked all
year round. The finest teas are gathered from late June to the
end of August in eastern districts and from the beginning of February
to mid-March in the western parts.
Until 1971, more than 80 percent of the island’s tea estates were
owned and managed by British companies. In 1971, the Sri Lankan
government introduced a Land Reform Act which gave the state control
of the majority of the plantations (which also grow rubber and
coconuts for export) leaving about one-third in private hands.
Since 1990, a restructuring program has been going on to involve
the private sector companies (both Sri Lankan and foreign) as
Managing Agents of the state-owned plantations. The long-term
aim is for the private managing companies to take on most, if
not all, of the financial responsibility and control of the estates,
with the government retaining ownership.
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Extreme political, industrial, and economic problems over the past years have meant that Sri Lanka has fallen from the position of number one producer in the world to number eight in 1993. Producers are having to face major decisions regarding production methods, product range, and export markets. Although the U.K was once Sri Lanka's biggest customer, almost 70 percent of production now goes to Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The Arab market used to prefer orthodox teas but consumers there are steadily moving towards European tastes and are demanding more tea in tea bags. Sri Lanka' is fine orthodox teas, considered by many to be among the best teas in the world, are not suitable for tea bags. Only 3 percent of production in 1993 was CTC and producers are having to decide whether to convert to CTC production in order to reach a wider market. Some manufacturers think that there will always be a market for the orthodox teas; others think that CTC is the best way forward. New customers are also being sought for the increasing range of packeted teas in sachets, cartons, economy packs, reed ware, basket packs, soft wood boxes, tins, and canisters that are now available. Products containing 100 percent Ceylon tea are now using the Lion logo, developed by the Ceylon Tea Board, that guarantees the country of origin and protects the image of Sri Lanka's quality teas.
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HISTORY OF CEYLON TEA |
In the 1840 a Scotsman by the name of James Taylor
read about the Jewel of an Island called Ceylon and the opportunities
existing there for growing coffee. A few months later he moved to the
Hill Country area and planted not only coffee but also some tea seeds
from India. The "ugly little shrub" was grown next to his
acres of coffee and provided large yields. It wasn't till a couple of
seasons later that a virulent leaf disease devastated his whole plantation
but the "ugly little shrub" was immune and the Tea Industry
came into being. Soon the perilously steep mountainside of the hill
country were carpeted with the vibrant green of tea bushes. And Ceylon
Tea became the worlds favorite beverage.
The origins of Tea was with the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung who was boiling
water when the leaves from a nearby plant Camellia sinensis plant floated
into the pot. The emperor drank the mixture and declared it gave one
"vigor of body, contentment of mind, and determination of purpose."
Perhaps as testament to the emperor's assessment, tea the potion he
unwittingly brewed that day today is second only to water in worldwide
consumption. The U.S. population is drinking its fair share of the brew;
in 1994, Americans drank 2.25 billion gallons of tea in one form or
another hot, iced, spiced, flavored, with or without sugar, honey, milk,
cream, or lemon.
Cultivation
The Tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is cultivated variety of the tree originating
from the region between India and China.
The tea leaves are mostly hand plucked. When the plant is plucked two
leaves and a bud are cut. An experienced plucker can pluck up to 30
kg tea leaves per day. To make one kg black tea, approximately 4 kg
tea leaves are needed. One tea plant produces about 70 kg black tea
a year. In a warm climate the plant is plucked for the first time after
4 years and will produce tea for at least 50 years. A suitable climate
for cultivation has a minimum annual rainfall of 45 to 50 inches (l,
140 to 1,270 millimeters). Tea soils must be acid; tea cannot be grown
in alkaline soils. A desirable pH value is 5.8 to 5.4 or less.
Scented and spiced teas are made from black tea. "Scented teas
look just like any other tea," says FDA chemist and tea expert
Robert Dick, " because the scent is more or less sprayed on. They're
flavored with just about anything peach, vanilla, cherry. The spiced
teas, on the other hand, usually contain pieces of spices cinnamon or
nutmeg or orange or lemon peel so you can see there's something in there."
Black Tea Blends
Like coffee plants, tea likes hot days, cool nights and plenty of rain,
and also like coffee, most high quality tea is grown in mountainous
regions. During the growing season, tea is harvested every seven days.
Only the two tender uppermost leaves and terminal buds are plucked
by hand. After this gentle beginning, the leaves are left in a hot room
to wither, then put into a machine that rolls the leaves and releases
their juices. These juices react with the air (oxidation) giving black
teas the color and flavor we love. The tea is then dried in ovens (fired)
and graded according to size. (this grading process is what is responsible
for all of those confusing letters: OP (Orange Pekoe), BP (Broken Pekoe),
and even FTGFOP (Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Pekoe). Generally the more
initials the better the Tea.
Herbal Teas
Not tea at all. Dried flowers, roots and bark have been brewed into
a consumable hot liquid for many centuries as folk medicines throughout
the Orient and Europe. The European tradition is to use only one main
herb, such as Chamomile. Americans, on the other hand, traditionally
concoct potions containing many different herbs and flowers such as
Rosehips and Hibiscus.
The Correct Way to Make Tea
Pre-heat the pot by pouring boiling water into
it. This will raise the temperature of the pot to 180 degrees
Farenheit. Discard the water and add tea to the pot. This water has
served its purpose: now use fresh boiling water. Pour boiling water
over the Tea. This saturates the tea making for perfect extraction of
flavor. Taking hot water to the table and then pouring it over tea will
lower the water temperature too much and result in poor tea. For black
teas steep a full five minutes, three for green teas. Good tea needs
at least this much time to develop its full flavor. Decant the tea.
Medicinal Effects Of Tea
The extracts of tea contains polyphenols called catechins which are
synergestic with vitamins E and C. Protective against digestive and
respiratory infections and can reduce the cancer-promoting actions of
carcinogens and ultraviolet light. The extracts can reduce cholesterol
levels, and can also reduce high blood pressure . They are also helpful
with the following with the following conditions:
- Aging
- Cancer
- Colds and Infections
- Heart Disease
- Hypertension
- Immunodepression
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CEYLON TEA'S LION LOGO |
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Sri Lanka is finest teas are produced mainly from bushes that grow
above 4,000 feet. The bushes grow more slowly in the cooler, mistier
climate, and are harder to harvest because of the steep angle of
the slopes on which they are planted.There are six main tea-producing
areas. Galle, to the south of the island; Ratnapura, about 55 miles east of the
capital Colombo; Kandy, the low region near the ancient royal capital;
Nuwara Eliya, the highest area that produces the finest teas; Dimbula,
west of the central mountains; and Uva, located east of Dimbula.The
teas produced in each region have their own individual characteristics
of flavor, aroma, and color. Low-grown teas, produced at 1,500 to
1,800 feet, are of good quality and give good color and strength
but lack the distinctive flavor and bright fresh taste of the higher-grown
teas and are usually used in blending. Mid-grown teas, grown between
1,800 and 3,500 feet, are rich in flavor and give good color. High-grown
teas, from heights of between 3,500 and 7,500 feet, are the very
best that Sti Lanka produces, giving a beautiful golden liquor and
an intense powerful flavor As well as the wonderful black teas,
some estates also produce silver tip white tea that gives a very
pale straw-colored liquor and should be drunk without milk All Sri
Lanka’s black teas are best drunk with a little milk.
CEYLON TEA BOARD - http://www.pureceylontea.com |
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VARIETIES OF CEYLON TEA |
Like Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula is drenched by the
monsoon during August and September and produces its best teas during
the dry months of January and February. The teas are noted for their
body and strength, and a powerful aroma.
Characteristics:
Long wiry beautiful leaves that give an exquisite taste, almost
oaky, with body and strength.
Brewing
hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203 F. Infuse
for 3-4 minutes.
Drinking
recommendations: Drink with milk as an afternoon tea.
GALLE
This area, in the south of the island, specializes in Flowery Orange
Pekoes and Orange Pekoes that have well-produced, regular-size leaf
and give an amber golden liquor with a scented aroma and a fine,
gentle, subtle taste.
Characteristics: Beautiful leaf that gives a smooth, perfumed liquor.
Brewing hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203 F. Infuse
for 3-4 minutes.
Drinking recommendations: Drink with milk as an afternoon tea.
NUWARA ELLYA
Teas from the highest region on the island are often described as
the “champagne” of Ceylon teas. The leaf is gathered all year
round, but the finest teas are made from that plucked in January
and February. The best teas of the area give a rich, golden, excellent
quality liquor that is smooth, bright, and delicately perfumed.
Characteristics: Bright brisk flavour and wonderful perfume.
Brewing hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203 F. Infuse
for 3-4 minutes.
Drinking recommendations: Good at any time of the day with a little
milk.
RATNAPURA
Ratnapura produces low-grown
teas that are mainly used in blends, but also drink well alone
with a little milk. Characterisitcs:
Long-leafed tea that gives a slightly sweet aroma and a gentle
smooth taste.
Brewing hints: Brew 1
teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203 F. Infuse for 3-4 minutes.
Drink with milk
as an afternoon tea.
UVA
Uva, on the eastern slopes of the central mountains, produces teas
with a distinctive mellow flavor whose reputation stretches world-wide.
The best teas are plucked between June and September The dry wind
that blows towards Uva during this period gives the teas their
fine taste and aroma. Charateristics: Copper-colored infusion with a very smooth, pronounced
taste and wonderful aroma. Brewing hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203 F. Infuse
for 3-4 minutes Drinking recommendations: A breakfast or day-time tea. Drink with
milk.
CEYLON
BLENDS
Following a tradition that was established at the end of the nineteenth
century by Sir Thomas Lipton, several companies still market blended
Ceylon teas as Ceylon Orange Pekoe or Ceylon BOP sometimes also
by estate name, sometimes not. A good blend will give a bright,
rich, coppery liquor with a brisk fresh flavor. In order to be
sure of buying 100 percent Ceylon blended teas when buying pre-packed
teas, look for the Ceylon Tea Board Lion logo.The
principal production of tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka, but the tea
is referred to as Ceylon) is of black or fully oxidized tea. It
is produced throughout the year, but the finest pluckings are
in February and March, and again in August and September. The
larger yield, though lower in quality, occurs during April, May,
and June and again in October, November and December. In January
the quality drops dramatically.
Ceylon teas are divided into high, medium, and low grown. Of these,
the high grown are of the very best quality and when coupled with
the specific times of year (above paragraph) they can be stunning.
Low to medium grown Ceylons have no particular distinction
as far as leaf style is concerned but they do show (dependent
upon leaf grade) good cup strength and color. The high grown leaf
picked at peak times of the year also have these characteristics
but there is much more delicacy in their flavor.
CEYLON
GREEN
TEA
Ceylon is known, on the whole, for tea
which has undergone the process which produces black tea (that
is, fully oxidized). In recent years, the tea factories and tea
estates have experimented with the production of Oolong and Green
teas which are simply a style or process. Both the estates
and factories had to gain the experience necessary to produce
these styles of tea since Oolong and Green processed tea were
primarily the domain of China and thus also the manufacturing
know-how or experience. As the tea factory masters gained
experience in the manufacture of Green-processed tea, their expertise
improved dramatically. Therefore, in Sri Lanka during the
first years samples of green teas were rejected because they (the
tea masters) did not have the necessary expertise. However
the investment in time and effort in learning the new process
was well worth in that now a Ceylon Green from the Central Highlands
pluck produces the very finest of the Ceylons.
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HOW
IT'S MANUFACTURED |
Everyday around 300,000 estate workers pluck several
million tea leaves by hand. This is the first step in the manufacture
of quality Ceylon tea.
Only the bud and the two youngest leaves are plucked,
for it is only these leaves that have the flavour and aroma. In other
parts of the world plucking is done by machines. These machines pluck
the bud, the young leaf, a lot of coarse leaf and few twigs as
well. Coarse leaf and and twigs just add bulk and not flavour to the tea.
The plucked tea leaf is then brought to the muster
sheds where they are wheighed in, and first quality inspection is
made. The leaf is then moved to the factory where they are withered
using large blowers.
The next step in the manufacturing process involves,
cutting the leaves. This brings out the juices and begins the fermentation
process. Fermentation is the critical step. The humidity, temperature
and fermentation time has to be well controled or the flavour is lost.
After fermentation is completed, the leaf is fired,
to lock in the flavour, to dry it and to improve the keeping qualities.
Absoloutely no preservative or artificial flavouring are added in the
manufacture of pure Ceylon tea.
The final step is the separation of the product
according the color and the particle size. Here strignent quality control
is done and anything that does not measure upto the standards is rejected.
The finished product is shipped in bulk to mainly
to europe, the middle-east, Australia, and North America. Only the best
tea is exported. Unfortunately once it leaves Sri Lanka it is mixed with
lower quality and cheaper produce from the African countries and India. |
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A GUIDANCE NOTE ON HOW TO SELECT THE BEST CEYLON TEA AND HOW TO ENJOY A
CUP OF CEYLON TEA |
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The Island of Ceylon (now called
Sri Lanka) is world renowned for its high quality teas. Today, Sri
Lanka is the world's second biggest tea exporter. More than 25%
of the value of all Sri Lanka's exports are accounted for by tea.
Tea cultivation is scientifically managed and skillfully produces
the world's finest, fragrant blends. This ensures consistency in
the flavour, aroma and colour of Ceylon teas that are marketed.
Tea cultivation was established,
in Sri Lanka, over a century ago and is now produced year round
in the central highlands and southern regions of this beautiful
tropical island. Based on the altitude at which it is grown tea
is classified as high, medium or low grown teas.
The unique climatic conditions
that prevail in the central highlands of Sri Lanka produces the
exquisite high grown Nuwara Eliya and Uva blends, which are renowned
for their taste and aroma. The medium grown teas provide a bold
colour that is in demand by the consumers in North America. Lower
grown tea plantations produce the leafy grades of tea from the tip
of the unopened tea shoot.
Until recently the tea produced
in Sri Lanka was shipped in bulk and repacked in the major tea consuming
countries. Our company now has modern machinery and technology for
tea bagging and packing to expeditiously meet the needs of wholesale
or retail customers and food service companies in any part of the
world.
Some of the advantages of packing
tea in Sri Lanka are:
The freshness of quality Ceylon
blends is retained when purchased by the consumer.
The authorized government lion
symbol of the Sri Lanka Tea Board guarantees that only quality Ceylon
tea of specified blends are contained in
the package.
The product could be obtained
at competitive prices.
by the consumers in North America.
Lower grown tea plantations produce the leafy grades of tea from
the tip of the unopened tea shoot. |
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THE GRADING OF CEYLON TEA |
The
Grading of Ceylon Tea
The grade names which follow
are an indication of size and/or appearance of Ceylon Teas (Sri
Lanka, but the name Ceylon still applies to the tea of that island
nation) and NOT of its quality. The Tea Research Institute of Ceylon
points out that “there is a lack of uniformity in the market grades
today which makes it difficult to describe them with any accuracy.”
Briefly, however, Ceylon teas are divided into two groups: (1) the
Leaf grades such as were originally made by the Ceylon pioneers,
and (2) the smaller Broken grades which are in style today.
Leaf grades are usually divided
into:
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Orange Pekoe (O.P)
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Pekoe (Pek.)
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Souchong (Sou.)
Broken grades are divided into:
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Broken Orange Pekoe (B.O.P.)
- Broken Pekoe (B.P.)
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Broken Pekoe Souchong (B.P.S.)
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Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings
(B.O.P.F.)
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Dust (D.)
The grades may be described
as follows:
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O.P. -- Long, thin, wiry
leaves which sometimes contain tip. The liquors are light or
pale in color.
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Pek. -- The leaves of this
grade are shorter and not so wiry as O.P., but the liquors generally
have more color.
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Sou. -- A bold and round
leaf, with pale liquors.
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B.O.P. -- This grade is
one of the most sought after. It is much smaller than any of
the leaf grades and contains tip. The liquors have good color
and strength.
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B.P. -- Slightly larger
than B.O.P., with rather less color in the cup; useful primarily
as a filler in a blend.
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B.P.S -- A little larger
that B.P. and in consequence lighter in the cup, but also used
as filler in a blend.
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B.O.P.F. -- This grade also
is much sought after, especially in the U.K., and fetches high
prices. It is much smaller than B.O.P. and its main virtues
are quick brewing, with good color in the cup.
In addition, there are various
"Flowery" variants of the main grades (e.g., F.O.P and
F.B.O.P.) the nature of which I will describe slightly farther down.
Only a small quantity of the
Leaf and Flowery grades is produced in Ceylon. They find their chief
market in North America and a few European countries. Few of the
Up-country Ceylons make these grades at all, their stable lines
being B.O.P. and B.O.P.F. such as are so dominant in the U.K., Australia
and (less so) in South Africa. The demand appears to be for ever
smaller and smaller leaf, and a great deal of cutting or milling
is resorted to today both in countries of origin and by the packers.
"Tippy" or "Flowery"
teas (such grades as Flowery Orange Pekoe) are still made in Ceylon
and fetch high prices in most Western tea markets. They are extremely
more expensive to produce than the run-of-the-mill grades, since
they involve sorting out the tip by hand. The below article regarding
"Flowery" Ceylon tea appeared in a London newspaper, THE
PALL MALL GAZETTE dated 13 March, 1891:
Unusual excitement prevailed
on Tuesday in Mincing Lane (the London Tea Auction Houses were/are
located there), on the offering by Messrs. Gow Wilson and Stanton,
tea-brokers, in public auction, of a small lot of Ceylon tea from
the Gartmore estate in Maskeliya (Mr. T.C. Anderson). This tea possesses
extraordinary quality in liquor, and is composed almost entirely
of small "golden tips", which are the extreme ends of
the small succulent shoots of the plant, and the preparation of
such tea is, of course, most costly. Competition was of a very keen
description.
The bidding, which was pretty
general to start with, commenced with an offer of 1 pound, 1 shilling
per pound of tea; as the price advanced to 8 pounds per pound of
tea many buyers dropped out, and at this price about five wholesale
dealers were willing to purchase. Offers where then made up to about
9 pounds, 9 shillings per pound of tea by three of the leading houses,
the tea being ultimately knocked down to the “Mazawattee Ceylon
Tea Company” at the most extraordinary and unprecedented price of
10 pounds 12 shillings 6 pence per pound of tea.
THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PRICE
IN 1891. It still fetches an extraordinary price on the market and
to the consumer BUT what a magnificent tea it is indeed. |
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TEA TIPS |
How You Make a great
cup of Ceylon Tea
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Use only the finest Ceylon
tea.
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Bring the water to boil.
And rinse the tea pot and tea cups with hot water.
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Pour the boiling water into
the pot containing the tea leaves.
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Keep the lid closed while
allowing the tea to brew for 4-5 minutes. To get the best taste
over brewing is to be avoided.
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Strain the tea out into
cups thereafter. Use a "Tea cosy" to keep the pot warm should
there be a delay in serving.
The quantity of tea leaves used
will vary according to taste. Generaly 10g of tea makes 4 cups.
Experiment till you get it just right. Adding sugar and warm milk
will reduce the effects of over brewing.
More
Tips For Making Tea
Here's
how You Make a Really Good Cup of Tea for Your Guest.
HOW MANY CUPS....
Did you know that as many as 375 to 425 cups
of tea could be prepared from a kilogram of tea?
STORAGE
There are very important rules to observe in regard to storage
of tea.
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Always store tea in a
clean, dry airtight container free of foreign odorous.
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Remember to use a dry
spoon, always, and to close the container tightly after use
to retain aroma and flavor.
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Do not store tea along
with other pungent grocery and toilet items such as oils,
soaps, dried fish and spices.
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Always take out the small
quantity of balance tea in a container before replenishing
stocks. Place this small quantity on top of the fresh stock
so it will be used up first. Otherwise the remaining tea at
the bottom will become stale and flat and could affect fresh
stocks introduced.
TEA BREWING
A good cup of tea and the pleasure you derive from it depends
entirely on the method of brewing.
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Use freshly drawn water
which should be brought to boil as possible. DO NOT USE previously
boiled water that has been continuously on the boil.
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Rinse the teapot first
with hot water to help retain the heat of boiling water used
for brewing. Bring the tea pot to the kettle as soon as the
water commences boiling vigorously. Hold the spout of the
kettle close to the mouth of the pot to minimize loss of heat.
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Allow the tea to infuse
for 4 to 5 minutes. Strain the tea out into cups thereafter.
Use a "Tea cosy" to keep the pot warm should there
be a delay in serving.
SUGAR
Always use refined sugar as raw sugar gives a distinctly different
flavor to the tea.
MILK
Fresh cow's milk for a good cup of tea. Besides it is easily stored
under refrigeration in any quantity.
SERVICE
Use tea pots, tea cups and saucers, sugar bowls, milk jars and
teaspoons which are spotlessly clean, free from discoloration,
cracks and chipping.
Place one teaspoon in the
sugar bowl for the sugar to be spooned out and a separate teaspoon
for every cup and saucer.
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NUTRITION |
A
Cup of Tea, A Cup of Health
That cup of tea that
you may have been sipping for years not only has become a trendy habit
but also healthy one for that reason.
Tea has really moved into the mainstream.
Years ago one of the few places to find green tea was in a Japanese restaurant.
Now green or black tea is everywhere; served hot or iced, at chic restaurants,
supermarkets, or in elegant department stores.
New research has shown that sipping
a relaxing cup of tea, especially green tea, may provide a number of health
benefits. Studies from the United States of Agriculture have shown that
tea may pack as powerful a punch of health as one serving of many vegetables
or fruits.
It is green or black tea from the
evergreen tree known as the camellia sinesis that has been found to possess
many healing properties. These teas contain powerful substances that are
classified as phytochemicals.
There are hundreds of phytochemicals
found only in plant foods that are starting a new era in nutrition. Examples
of a phytochemicals are carotenoids found in carrots, capsicum in red
chili peppers and flavonoids in tomatoes. You can see these substances
clearly in the brilliant orange and red colors of these vegetables.
Green or black tea contains a phytochemical
known as epigallocatechin gallate, that is often called EGCG for short.
Emerging research shows that this substance contains strong antioxidant
potential.
Antioxidants help protect the body
against the damage of free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products
of metabolization, but may also be formed in the body as a result of smoking,
air pollution and exposure to sunlight. Free radicals are highly reactive
substances that can, if not controlled, damage cells in some people's
bodies.
It is thought that this damage
can set off a chain of biological events that can lead to the progression
of some cancers and heart disease. Numerous research studies have shown
that antioxidants help protect the body against this detrimental effect
and can also reduce the risk of these deadly diseases.
In a study of the antioxidant activity
of various fruits and vegetables, USDA researchers found that black and
green tea have a greater antioxidant effect than individual servings of
many vegetables such as carrots and broccoli or fruits including apples,
grapes, kiwi and grapefruit. While tea is not a substitute for a balanced
diet rich in fruits and vegetables it can certainly play a part in a healthy
lifestyle.
Another interesting fact is that
tea is one of the few natural sources of the mineral fluoride. Fluoride
is the most successful agent against tooth decay found to date and has
changed the face of modern dentistry. Tea has been shown to have a positive
effect on preventing tooth decay and gum disease. However, this applies
to drinking tea in moderation. Excessive amounts may not be beneficial.
Scientific research is just beginning
to explore the connection between drinking tea and it's effects on maintaining
the body's homeostasis and balance. In other words, tea is thought to
be rejuvenating. Tea is enjoyed worldwide because while it is calming
it is also reviving and uplifting. It is also thought that the act of
sipping tea in itself has restorative powers. Maybe this is one of the
reasons why tea has become such a hit.
Tea has even been becoming more
and more popular at coffee bars. Starbucks offers a popular Chai Tea (which
I love!), which is a spicy black tea served sweet and creamy. For latte
lovers it is just the right choice. Increasingly people are ordering tea
instead of coffee, as it is recommended for its energizing and cleansing
properties.
I live in a suburb of New York
in Westchester County. Wouldn't you know that a very cozy, warm and inviting
tea shoppe opened for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea? I took my daughter
and her friend (both six years old) with their respective American Girl
Dolls for an afternoon tea break.
The truth is that nothing will
replace my super strong cup of coffee. In my house we refer to it as rocket
fuel. I find that tea, however, is becoming a great alternative. Sometimes
you can have one cup of coffee too many. There are so many different varieties
and blends of tea that it's difficult to know where to begin. You may
want to try something exotic or just a good old-fashioned American tea
blend. Here's to your good health! |