Afternoon Tea Party

Purple Shoot Tea

Native Chang-xing County
Appearance dark green with orchid fragrance
Brew clear green
Water 85 - 90 C

This is one of ancient Chinese teas still in production today. In the eighth century it was a tribute to the imperial court. Managed by court officials, as many as 30,000 people would work in its tea gardens during harvest season. Since its dismissal by the court in 1376, this tea almost vanished and most of its gardens went out of cultivation. After its resumption in 1979, Purple Shoot Tea won national awards twice in 1982 and 1986.

The harvest starts from the end of March. The standard picking is one shoot with one or two young leaves in shape of bamboo shoot and purplish in color, from which its name was derived. The leaves are then air-dried. When about seventy per cent of the moisture evaporated, roasting and shaping begin. The notable characteristic in this tea is its fineness - 3,000 young leaves for one ounce tea.

This tea is from Guzhou Mountain on the northern border of Zhejiang Province. With Lake Tai lying on the east, the fertile soil of the tea garden and average 70 F annual temperature give this tea an outstanding quality in its mellowness. The neighboring Yi-xing County of Jiangsu Province also has an equally famous green tea - Yang Xian Tea.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Jing Mountain Tea

Native Yu-hang County
Category organic
Appearance emerald-green and firmly rolled with delicate fragrance
Brew mellow light-green

The name of the tea derived from Jing Mountain Temple, once home of about 2,000 Buddhist monks during its golden age in the 10th century. In 1259, a Japanese monk brought ‘tea banquet’ ceremony from the temple back to Japan and turned it into Japanese tea ceremony. After the loss of many hundred years, its production was resumed in 1978.

The crop starts from early April. The standard picking is one shoot with one or two young leaves. It needs 64 - 70 thousand tender leaves for one kilo of high-grade green tea. Carefully picked, hand-rolled, and toasted in a bamboo steamer, Jing Mountain Tea has won awards times again for its unique making and lasting chestnut fragrance.

Jing Mountain has a temperate subtropical climate of 16 ºC average temperature and 1,800 mm annual rainfall. The delay of sprout by its prolonged winter season preserves more nutrition facts in tea.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Green tea contains rich nutritions which is essencial to our health. Quantities of each component are shown in the table below.

Green tea contains catechins, thought to inhibit the breakdown of fats as well as the production of an inflammatory substance that can trigger hunger. One study shows that drinking three glasses of green tea a day can help you reduce body wight and waist circumference by almost five percent in three months. The tea also increase metabolism.

First steeping has 13 - 15% nutrition in tea. Second steeping has 9 - 12%. The third steeping has 6 - 8%. The hotter the water, the more nutrition will be brewed out. This applies to both tea bags and loose-leaf green tea.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Hui Ming Tea

Native Ci-mu Mountain, Jing-ning County
Appearance yellowish green, firmly rolled
Brew clear-green, orchid fragrance

Hui Ming Tea is a traditional Chinese green tea. Because its producing area is out-of-the-way, it was seldom known until 1915 when it won a gold medal in Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco. However, during the World War II, all of tea gardens there got out of cultivation. Resumed in 1979, this tea was selected one of top teas by the Ministry of National Commerce in 1982.

According to local folklore, this tea was started by a non-native family some 1,000 years ago. Fled from famine and taken in by the abbot of Hui Ming Temple, the family planted tea-trees around and named their tea after the temple. Today’s tea-growers in the mountain regard themselves descendant of the family.

Ci-mu Mountain, covered with 3,000 acres of forest, belongs to monsoon climate of subtropic zone with average 64 F temperature and 74 in. annual rainfall. Its fertile soil and lingered mist gave this green tea an exceptional growing advantages.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Green Top Tea

Native Lin-an County
Appearance dark green in color and corded in shape
Brew clear green

Tea cultivation in Lin-an County can be traced back to the 5th century. After long snowy winter, tea in Tian-mu Mountain begins shooting in late April. Standard picking is one shoot with two leaves. This green tea divides in four grades - Grain Rain, Before Rain, Plum Blossom and Spring. It another name is Cloud and Mist Tea.

Tianmu (eyes of sky) Mountain is well-known for its 10,600-acre forest landscape. It was listed in biosphere reserves by UNESCO’s program on Man & Biosphere (MAB) in 1990s.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Kashmiri Chai Tea from Sean Paajanen

A chai tea recipe with powdered almonds.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tsp loose tea
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 1 small cinnamon stick, broken up
• Saffron threads, a pinch
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbs finely powdered almonds
• Honey, to taste

PREPARATION:

Mix everything except honey and almonds in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let tea steep for 5 minutes. Put a teaspoon of almonds in the bottom of each cup, and pour hot tea over. Sweeten with honey to taste.

Serves 6 persons

Source: coffeetea.about.com

Green Peony Tea

Native Mt. Xian-xia
Appearance emerald green and straight, in shape of peony flower petal
Brew clear-green

This tea was known about in the 12th century, and called Xian Xia Tea after its origin. In 1506, Emperor Zheng-de sampled the tea on his trip to south China, and appointed it a attribute then. In following centuries, this tea simply vanished. Resumed in 1980 with a new named Green Peony by its appearance, it was listed in top teas by National Trade Ministry in 1982.

The cropping start from March, lasting about 15 days. A peculiar method in its processing is that when one man shapes leaves on a toasting pan, another man standing by would fan them cool. This will hasten the evaporation of leaves, ensure its color and appearance, and preserve nutrition facts in tea.

Mt. Xian-xia is a precipitous and strategic pass between Zhejiang and Fujian Province. Richly endowed by nature, its fertile soil, plentiful rainfall, diffused light, and average 71 F annual temperature ensures an high quality green tea.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Dos

• Drink three or more cups of green tea per day. It will provide daily needs of V A 22%, V C 30%, and V E 49%. Drink more in case of greasy food, smoking, or alcohol. Drink less for women in pregnancy.

Don’ts

• Do not drink the tea that left overnight.
• Do not drink if the tea is too hot or cold. Brewed green tea around 56ºC is comforting.
• Do not use green tea for medications. It will reduce the effect of medications.
• Do not chew tea-leaves.
• Do not drink the tea that deteriorated by incorrect storage.
• Do not drink tea if diagnosed of anemia.
• Do not drink tea before bed for who has insomnia.
• Do not give strong tea to children.
• Do not drink newly cropped green tea (Store it at least for a month).

Source: green-tea-store.com

Cran-Ginger Tea from Sean Paajanen

A tangy blend of ginger and cranberries.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tea bags
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup ginger, fresh and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Pinch of nutmeg

PREPARATION:
Steep tea, ginger and cranberries in water for 15 minutes. Strain and add nutmeg and cranberry juice. Serve warm.

Source: coffeetea.about.com

Dragon Well Tea

Native: Hangzhou
Appearance: yellowish-green spears, orchid fragrance
Brew: clear, olive taste
Water: 85° C

Ranked the first in top-ten Chinese teas in successive appraisals, Dragon Well has been the most famous green tea in China. The name of the tea was known around the 12th century. By its unique taste as well as its making, it became popular in the 17th century, even an emperor visited its tea garden four times out of his six vacation tours.

This tea has thirteen grades. The harvest starts from the third day before Pure Brightness, a Chinese solar terms around the end of March. Tea cropped from next three days is the highest grade - about 36,000 tender leaves for every 500 gram of tea. The harvest will continued until the end of the spring, the later the tea harvested the lower the grade and higher the grade number.

Hangzhou is surrounded by mountains with West Lake, a lake renowned in Chinese culture, at the foot of hills. Once the capital of China and a tourist resort for its places of historical interest now, the city is praised a big teahouse for its significant tea culture.

Source: green-tea-store.com