Afternoon Tea Party

Mao Jian Green Tea

This is a green tea grown in the Anhui province of China. The Mao Jian has attractive long green curled leaves with silvery tips. Only the most tender tea shoots are picked. This tea is famous for its delicate subtle sweet taste and fragrant aroma. Its flavor is full and crisp. The Mao Jian is a great choice for everyday drinking.

Mao jian is one of common variety in Chinese green tea distinguished by its hairy, fine, and corded appearance. Different from mao feng, which is a tea of broad-leaf species, mao jian is the tea of small-leaf species.

Also named ‘Fishhook‘, this tea was formulated in 1973 from a local species ‘Tai Tea’. Although tea can be harvested from spring to autumn, the leaves cropped in the spring time give a better brew. It would need 2,800 - 3,100 young leaves for one ounce of high-grade tea. The main producing area is still five adjacent villages in remote mountain of the county.

How to prepare:
Temperature: 175F, Not boiling; Use: 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of water; Infusion time: 1-2 minutes. Please be reminded that you should always rinse the tea first before consuming it.

Sources: enjoyingtea.com, green-tea-store.com, theteafarm.com

Gunpowder tea (珠茶; pinyin: zhū chá) is a form of green Chinese tea produced in Zhejiang Province of China in which each leaf has been rolled into a small round pellet. It is believed to take its English name from the fact that the tea resembles gunpowder pellets used for cannons (see Etymology, below). This rolling method of shaping tea is most often applied either to dried green tea (the most commonly encountered variety outside China) or Oolong tea.

Gunpowder tea production dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907) but it was first introduced to Taiwan in the 1800s. Although the individual leaves were formerly rolled by hand, today most gunpowder tea is rolled by machines (though the highest grades are still rolled by hand). Rolling tea leaves into gunpowder tea renders the leaves less susceptible to physical damage and allows them to retain more of their flavor and aroma. In addition, it allows certain types of oolong teas to be aged for decades if they are cared for by being occasionally roasted.

When buying gunpowder tea it is important to look for shiny pellets, which indicate that the tea is relatively fresh.

When sold as a variety of tea, Gunpowder tea has several varieties:

• Pingshui Gunpowder (平水珠茶): The original and most common and variety of Gunpowder tea with larger pearls, better color, and a more aromatic infusion, which is commonly sold as Temple of Heaven Gunpowder or Pinhead Gunpowder, the former, a common brand of this tea variety.
• Formosa Gunpowder: A Gunpowder style tea grown in Taiwan near Keelung, it is claimed to have its own characteristic aroma, different from that of Zhejiang Province Gunpowder grown in mainland China. Formosa gunpowder teas are typically fresh or roasted oolongs.
• Ceylon Gunpowder: A Gunpowder variant grown in Sri Lanka, usually at altitudes exceeding 6,000 feet, see Green Ceylon teas.
  Several types of green teas are commonly rolled into “gunpowder” form, including Chunmee, Tieguanyin, Huang Guanyin, Dong Ding, as well as many other Oolong and higher-end jasmine teas.

Etymology
In Chinese, gunpowder tea is called zhū chá (珠茶; literally “pearl tea” or “bead tea” (not to be confused with boba tea).

The origin of the English term may come from the Mandarin Chinese term gāng paò dè (剛泡的), simply meaning “freshly brewed,” which sounds like the English word “gunpowder.” More likely, however, the English name derives from the tea’s similarity in appearance to actual gunpowder: greyish, dark pellets of irregular shape used as explosive propellant for early guns. The name may also have arisen from the fact that the grey-green leaf is tightly rolled into a tiny pellet and “explodes” into a long leaf upon being steeped in hot water.

China Green Tea Gunpowder Grade Special (six star)

China Green Tea Gunpowder Grade Special (five star)

China Green Tea Gunpowder Grade Special (four star)

Source: en.wikipedia.org, nbtea.com

This is a relatively low grade variety of Chinese green tea. One of the world’s oldest tea brands, the “Twinings Tradition” began in the early 1700s and over the centuries its popularity and influence have grown with the rising popularity of tea. Steeped in history (a pun!), today Twinings offers a range of recognizable brews, such as English and Irish Breakfasts, Prince of Wales, Earl Grey, and others (including herbals and fruit infusions).

History of Twinings tea:

    The Twining family of Gloucestershire, weavers and processors of wool for generations, were driven to London by recession in 1684.
    With them went nine-year-old Thomas Twining.
    After becoming a Freeman in 1701 at the age of 26, Thomas turned his back on his father’s trade, and went to work for a wealthy East India Company merchant. At the time, the East India Company was importing many exotic new products from around the world, including tea - the possibilities of which fascinated Thomas. In 1706, Thomas Twining bought Tom’s Coffee House off Strand, London, and applied his new-found knowledge to his own business.
    By the time Thomas Twining bought Tom’s Coffee House, coffee houses had become a popular feature of London life. Men — but never women — of all classes would gather there to drink, to gossip, and to do business. Coffee shops gathered a loyal clientele by specialising in particular products or by encouraging customers with common interests. Poets, for instance, would go to one establishment; army officers, to another.

    The knowledge that Thomas had learnt gave him an edge over his competitors. In addition to the standard coffee-house menu of coffee, brandy, rum, arak (an Eastern toddy), and drinking water (described at Tom’s as “Bath, Bristol, Hungary, and Spa”) Thomas was now able to offer fine teas.
    Concentrating on tea was no gimmick. Thomas knew it was a drink with great potential. It was astute marketing that determined his choice of product and location.
    Tea’s popularity grows.
    Despite efforts to repress tea-drinking through punitive taxes, tea became increasingly fashionable during the early part of the eighteenth century. The clergy, the medical profession, and various vested interests were united in their opposition to tea, but the upper classes couldn’t get enough of it. Soon, Thomas Twining was selling more dry tea than wet. He even sold it to competing coffee houses.
    Only the wealthy could afford to drink tea. In 1706, Twinings Gunpowder Green Tea was selling for a price that’s equivalent at today’s rates to more than £160 for 100g.
    And while the custom of the day discouraged ’women of substance’ from entering the bawdy, masculine world of the coffee houses, Thomas Twining was fast building a reputation for selling only the finest teas - teas that well-heeled London ladies were eager to serve in their drawing rooms.
    Convention may have prevented these ladies from stepping inside Tom’s Coffee House, but it didnt stop them waiting outside. While they sat in their carriages and sedan chairs, their footmen would buy the coveted tea.
    By the time of his death, Thomas Twining was serving customers with royal connections and living the life of a successful businessman, having created an empire that would live on for more than three centries
    By royal appointment.
    In 1837, Queen Victoria granted Twinings their first Royal Warrant for tea as ’Purveyor in Ordinary to Her Majesty’.
    Throughout Queen Victoria’s reign, tea prices continued to fall, while Indian tea production increased. When World War II broke out, neither bombs nor rationing could halt the flow of morale-boosting cups of Twinings tea.
    The blitz briefly interrupted sales at Twinings Strand shop - but not for long. The bomb that hit Devereux Court in 1941 may have knocked out part of the building, but it did nothing to dampen spirits. Within a few hours, a table was set up in the doorway of the Twinings shop, and tea sales carried on as normal.
    Tea-rationing, which had been introduced the year before, also failed to damage the business. Twinings continued to supply wartime Britain with tea, and even produced tea for Red Cross prisoner-of-war parcels, for the Women’s Voluntary Service, and for many YMCA wartime canteens.

From the beginning to the present time the firm of Twinings has carried on the business, as teamen to connoisseurs, without a break at the same address in The Strand. An amazing and unique record.

Sources: allteas.com, twiningsusa.com, nationalimporters.com

Mugicha ist ein japanisches Getränk.

Mugicha wird außer Oolong Mugicha (Oolong Tee mit gebratener Gerste) völlig aus gerösteter, ungeschälter Gerste zubreitet. Hierzu wird die Gerste, ähnlich einem Tee, mit heißem Wasser aufgebrüht.

Das entstehende Getränk kann heiß oder kalt genossen werden. Es hat eine hellbraune Farbe und ein leicht süßes, herbes Aroma, mit einem deutlichen Gerstengeschmack im Abgang. Besonders im Sommer wird Mugicha gern mit Eis getrunken. Mugicha, ein japanischer Tee wird am häufigsten auf Eis gedient.

Mugicha ist in Japan und Korea sehr beliebt. In Korea heißt das Getränk bori cha und wird häufig mit oksusu cha (einer Art Tee aus geröstetem Mais) kombiniert. Für die einfachere Zubereitung werden Mugicha-„Teebeutel“ produziert, die eine Zubereitung mit heißem oder kalten Wasser erlauben.

Quellen: de.wikipedia.org, bodyofmine.com

Mugicha (麦茶) is the Japanese name for a type of tisane made entirely from roasted barley (except Oolong Mugicha). Next to green tea it is one of the most popular beverages in Japan. It is popular in Korea, too. (Where it is called bori cha, 보리차). It is regarded as a summer beverage, and is caffeine free. Mugicha is most frequently served on ice. Its mellow, soothing flavor can enjoyed by everyone at any time of day. Served chilled in summer, it is delightfully cooling and refreshing. In winter, hot Mugicha is both warming and relaxing.

In Korea, roasted barley is often combined with oksusu cha (roasted corn infusion), as the corn’s sweetness offsets the slightly bitter flavor of the barley. The tea is very simple to make as one only needs to boil unhulled and moderately toasted or dried barley in water for it brew. The barley must be unhulled, if not the barley will cook to the consistency of oatmeal.

Originally, roasted barley seeds were stewed in hot water (this is still the method generally used in Korea) but barley tea bags became more popular during the early 1980s and this is now the norm in Japan. It can be brewed in hot or cold water. Mugicha is usually served cold, but it can also be served hot; the hot version is more popular in the winter. It can also be found from many different distributors in vending machines all over Japan.

According to Japanese food conglomerate Kagome, a recent study stated that drinking Mugicha increased blood fluidity. This action is caused by the chemical alkylpyrazine, which is a primary flavor in the drink.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, bodyofmine.com, simply-natural.biz

    What makes green tea extract such an important nutrient are the large volumes of published scientific findings that validate its multiple biological benefits. The most significant findings involve studies showing that green tea extract helps maintain cellular DNA and membrane structural integrity. Decades of research shows that green tea inhibits the development of undesirable cell colonies.
    The active constituents in green tea are powerful antioxidants called polyphenols (catechins) and flavonols. Several catechins are present in green tea and account for the bulk of favorable research reports. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most powerful of these catechins.
    EGCG functions as an antioxidant that is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. One cup of green tea may provide 10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects that are greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries. Theoretically, the high antioxidant activity of green tea makes it beneficial for protecting the body from oxidative damage due to free radicals. Research shows that green tea may help maintain the health of the arterial wall by reducing lipids.
    Green tea can protect against experimentally induced DNA damage; and slow or halt the initiation and progression of undesirable cell colonies. There is also evidence from some studies that green tea provides immunoprotective qualities, particularly in the case of patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. White blood cell count appears to be maintained more effectively in patients consuming green tea compared to non-supplemented patients.
    There may also be a weight control action from green tea. In one study, mice receiving green tea in their diets had a significant suppression of food intake, body weight gain, and fat tissue accumulation.* Also, levels of cholesterol and triglycerides were lower in mice receiving the green tea diet. This study also showed that leptin levels decreased with green tea treatments, indicating that green tea may have a direct effect on reducing body weight.

    Beware of Low Potency Green Tea Extracts
    Unlike common supplements, green tea products come in many different potencies. Some green tea supplements contain relatively low potencies of the active polyphenols, while others go as far as to dilute their products with green tea leaf powder that is not at all standardized.
    Companies offering these low potency green tea supplements state on the label what is really in the product, but most consumers don’t know what to look for. The result is unscrupulous commercial companies can pretend to offer higher potency green tea extracts when there is actually relatively little of the active polyphenols (and the critical EGCG) present in the product.

Source: greentealovers.com

The Chinese Influence
    Tea consumption spread throughout the Chinese culture reaching into every aspect of the society. In 800 A.D. Lu Yu wrote the first definitive book on tea, the Ch’a Ching. This amazing man was orphaned as a child and raised by scholarly Buddhist monks in one of China’s finest monasteries. However, as a young man, he rebelled against the discipline of priestly training which had made him a skilled observer. His fame as a performer increased with each year, but he felt his life lacked meaning. Finally, in mid-life, he retired for five years into seclusion. Drawing from his vast memory of observed events and places, he codified the various methods of tea cultivation and preparation in ancient China. The vast definitive nature of his work, projected him into near sainthood within his own lifetime. Patronized by the Emperor himself, his work clearly showed the Zen Buddhist philosophy to which he was exposed as a child. It was this form of tea service that Zen Buddhist missionaries would later introduce to imperial Japan.

The Japanese Influence
    The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the “Father of Tea” in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to the other sections of Japanese society.
    Tea was elevated to an art form resulting in the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (”Cha-no-yu” or “the hot water for tea”). The best description of this complex art form was probably written by the Irish-Greek journalist-historian Lafcadio Hearn, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizenship during this era. He wrote from personal observation, “The Tea ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art…yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible”.
Such a purity of form, of expression prompted the creation of supportive arts and services. A special form of architecture (chaseki) developed for “tea houses”, based on the duplication of the simplicity of a forest cottage. The cultural/artistic hostesses of Japan, the Geishi, began to specialize in the presentation of the tea ceremony. As more and more people became involved in the excitement surrounding tea, the purity of the original Zen concept was lost. The tea ceremony became corrupted, boisterous and highly embellished. “Tea Tournaments” were held among the wealthy where nobles competed among each other for rich prizes in naming various tea blends. Rewarding winners with gifts of silk, armor, and jewelry was totally alien to the original Zen attitude of the ceremony.

Three great Zen priests restored tea to its original place in Japanese society:

1. Ikkyu (1394-1481)-a prince who became a priest and was successful in guiding the nobles away from their corruption of the tea ceremony.
2. Murata Shuko (1422-1502)-the student of Ikkyu and very influential in re-introducing the Tea ceremony into Japanese society.
3. Sen-no Rikkyu (1521-1591)-priest who set the rigid standards for the ceremony, largely used intact today. Rikyo was successful in influencing the Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became Japan’s greatest patron of the “art of tea”. A brilliant general, strategist, poet, and artist this unique leader facilitated the final and complete integration of tea into the pattern of Japanese life. So complete was this acceptance, that tea was viewed as the ultimate gift, and warlords paused for tea before battles.

Source: greenteanation.com

    Hōjicha is set apart from other Japanese green teas because it is roasted over charcoal. The tea is fired at high temperature, altering the leaf colour tints from green to reddish-brown. The process was first performed in Kyoto, Japan in the 1920s and its popularity persists today. The main types of Hojicha are light and deep-fried. The roasted flavours are extracted and predominate this blend. The deeper fried leaf produce teas with a deeper roast aroma and taste and very little astringency. Hōjicha is made from Bancha (番茶, “common tea”), tea from the last harvest of the season and considered a somewhat lower grade of green tea than sencha, and Kukicha, tea made from the twigs of the tea plant rather than the leaves. Hōjicha infusions have a light- to reddish-brown appearance, and are less astringent due to losing catechin during the high temperature roasting process. The roasting replaces the vegetative tones of standard green tea with a toasty, slightly caramel-like flavour.
    As both Bancha and Kukicha are low in caffeine, Hōjicha is a popular tea to drink before going to sleep. Pan-fried or oven roasted Hojicha is commonly encountered in teashops throughout Japan. The clean, roasted flavours of houjicha go with any kind of food, particularly oily foods. It is often used as an after-dinner tea. Inexpensive, but rare in the West.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, experts.about.com

Energizer Green Tea Ginger Tonic (8 fl. oz) NewChapter

    A rich source of cell protective phytonutrients that help support colon and cardiovascular health. The healthiest most delicious instant alternative to coffee. Protective effects enhanced by Ginger’s 40 specific synergistic phytonutrients. 100% vegetarian, no binders, fillers or artificial colors and flavorings. Supplement to be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Results may vary.

Supplement Facts

• Serving Size 1 Teaspoon
• Servings Per Container 30

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 15
• Carbohydrates 5 g
• Sugars 4 g
• Proprietary Blend 4.9 mL
• Ginger Juice (certified organic) 1500 mg
• Tea, Green (leaves) 240 mg

Dosage and Use
Shake well. For full benefits and a quick pick-me-up, take 1-2 tsps. as often as desired. Use straight off the spoon, in iced sparkling water to make Ginger Ale, or as a tea in hot water.

Sources: greentealovers.com, evitamins.com

Teegetränk für 1 Glas

Zutaten

• 3 cl Zitronensaft frisch
• 2 cl Erdbeersirup
• 5 cl Orangensaft frisch
• 10 cl Früchtetee, kalt (Sorte je nach Geschmack)
• 5 cl Ginger Ale
• Orangenscheibe,
• Cocktail-Kirsche,
• Minzzweig zum Garnieren

Zubereitung

• Zitronensaft, Erdbeersirup, Orangensaft und Früchtetee im Shaker mit viel Eis kräftig shaken, dann in ein Longdrinkglas mit 3-5 Eiswürfeln abseihen und mit dem Ginger Ale auffüllen.
• Vorsichtig umrühren.
• Am Glasrand mit Orangenscheibe, Kirsche und Minzblättern garnieren.

Die Quelle: hexeneinmaleins.de