Afternoon Tea Party

Native Fujian Province
Appearance emerald green and firmly rolled
Brew clear green with olive fragrance

This green tea is well known for its three greens - green in tea, brew, and tea-leaves. There were more than ten recorded varieties in it in the eighteenth century when it was listed a tribute, however, some of them were lost. Its production was resumed in 1979 with new varieties formulated continuously. This tea was used to be fried during making. After its resumption, toasting replaced frying. This is also the tea for high-grade Chinese jasmine tea.

The harvest starts from March. The standard picking is one shoot with one or two young leaves. In its high-grade varieties, as Birds Tongue and Eyebrow Tea, each 500 g tea will need 30,000 tender leaves. The production of this tea have been mechanized. The making steps are withering, roasting, rolling and drying.

Tianshan, the mountain that touches the sky in Chinese, is located on the coast of East Sea. Covered with dense forest and shrouded in mist, its warm temperature and fertile soil give a favorable natural environment for tea.

Source: green-tea-store.com

Ingredients

• 6 cups apple cider
• 6 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks (2-inch pieces)
• 2 orange & spice tea bags
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 lemon slices, thin

Directions

• Use a medium-sized, stainless-steel pot and place cider, cloves, and cinnamon.
• On medium heat, cover and heat.
• When hot, add tea bags and brew for 5 minutes until the apple cider takes a light tea color.
• Remove the tea bags and dissolve the sugar in mixture.
• Strain the liquid into glass cups or mugs.
• Float the lemon slice on the top of each cup or mug.

Makes 6 servings

Source: alanskitchen.com

Ingredients

• 2 - quarts Iced Tea^*
• 1 - can (6 ounces) frozen cranberry concentrate, partially thawed and undiluted
• 1 - cup orange juice
• 1/4 - cup sugar

Directions

1. ^*ICED TEA: Place 2-quart (or family) size iced tea bags in a glass or porcelain container.
2. Pour 2 quarts boiling water over tea bags and steep 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze and remove tea bags, allow tea to cool.
4. In large pitcher, combine the cranberry and orange juice.
5. Stir until both are well mixed.
6. Then pour in the ice tea.
7. Add the sugar and mix until you dissolve the sugar.
8. Cover and place in refrigerator to chill about 1 hour.
9. Serve in ice-filled glasses.

Makes 8 servings

Source: alanskitchen.com

    Bancha means ‘common tea’ and is possibly a reference to the coarser grades and heavier, late season crop from which this full-flavoured tea is made. Bancha are a class of sencha harvested as a second flush tea between summer and autumn. Bancha is made from larger leaves than are usually available for sencha grades. However, it should be made clear that bancha are generally seen as other kinds of sencha which are harvested as a second flush tea between summer and autumn. It should be said that bancha usually lacks the delicate sweetness of quality sencha. Nevertheless, bancha is respected because of the tea’s well-defined character, vivid yellow colours and refreshing and deep flavours. The strength of flavour held by many bancha means that they go well with food. Bancha are now becoming more widely available in the West owing to the lower price of these special Japanese green teas.

    Bancha -the most common green tea in Japan (Bancha is an everyday Japanese green tea drank regularly in Japan). It is considered to be a somewhat lower grade of sencha - yet it has its own unique taste. This tea is harvested in late season. The Bancha has a vegetative taste and an unrefined appearance with some stalks and stems. It is considered to be a milder tea compare to Gyokuru or Sencha. Bancha is a good tea to drink with meals. Its flavor goes well with any food as it is rather indistinctive and does not overwhelm any dish.

    This tea contains high concentration of polyphenols that have powerful antioxidant properties. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that polyphenols may help prevent cancers, lower the risk of heart disease, and strengthen our immune system

Sources: sencha.com, en.wikipedia.org, bodyofmine.com, enjoyingtea.com, frontiercoop.com

Native Nan-an County, Fujian Province
Appearance silvery green, heavy-looking, and firmly rolled
Brew clear green

When Buddhist monks found a wild tea on Lotus Mountain in the sixteenth century, they named it Shiting Green Tea after a stone pavilion (shi-ting) on the mountain. After a Chinese emperor of the nineteenth century inscribed ’superb tea of Lotus Mountain’ in appreciation, it became famous throughout the country. This tea is noted for its three greens and three flavors - green in appearance, brew, and tea-leaves, and flavors of orchid, green bean, and almond. In 1952, it was selected one of best tea by the Ministry of National Agriculture. There were about ten traditional varieties in this tea, and some of them have been lost.

The harvest starts from April. The standard picking is one shoot with two leaves. The making steps are withering, first roasting, first shaping, second roasting, second shaping, drying.

Nan-an County is located in the south of Fujian Province. Its average 21 C annual temperature, plenty rainfall and year-around lingering mist provides a perfect condition for tea to grow.

Source: green-tea-store.com

A wonderfully tart recipe for cranberry iced tea. The name comes from the cranberry bogs in the Boston area (so I’ve been told by a few readers). Regardless, it’s a very refreshing drink for a summer’s day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 quarts water
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 tea bags
• 12 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate

PREPARATION:
Heat water to boiling, and add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add tea and let steep for 4-5 minutes. Remove tea bags, and add juice concentrate. Stir until melted, then allow to cool. Serve over ice.

Serves 14

Source: coffeetea.about.com

A sweet and fruity iced tea recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups water, boiling
• 4 tea bags
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cups apple juice

PREPARATION:
Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Strain out tea bags, and stir in honey and juice. Mix until honey is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.

Serves 6-8

Source: coffeetea.about.com

Teegetränk für ca. 10 Gläser

Zutaten

• 4 EL Früchtetee mit Pfirischaroma (oder aromatisierter Rooibusch Pfirsich-Nektar)
  200 g Erdbeeren
• je 2 reife Aprikosen und Pfirsiche
• 1 Limette
• 2-3 EL Zucker
• einige Melisseblättchen
• Eiswürfel

Zubereitung

• 1,5 l Wasser aufkochen, über den Früchtetee gießen und 6 Minuten ziehen lassen. Tee abkühlen lassen. Die Früchte abspülen und trockentupfen. Das Grün der Erdbeeren entfernen und die Erdbeeren vierteln. Aprikosen und Pfirsiche entsteinen und das Fruchtfleisch in dünne Spalten schneiden. Limette heiß abspülen, trockentupfen und in dünne Scheiben schneiden.
• Früchte mit Zucker mischen und 1 Stunde stehen lassen.
• Früchte, abgespülte Melisseblättchen und Tee in einem Krug mischen.
• Bowle mit Eiswürfeln servieren.

Die Quelle: hexeneinmaleins.de

A wonderfully tart recipe for cranberry iced tea. The name comes from the cranberry bogs in the Boston area (so I’ve been told by a few readers). Regardless, it’s a very refreshing drink for a summer’s day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 quarts water
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 tea bags
• 12 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate

PREPARATION:
Heat water to boiling, and add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add tea and let steep for 4-5 minutes. Remove tea bags, and add juice concentrate. Stir until melted, then allow to cool. Serve over ice.

Serves 14

Source: coffeetea.about.com

A sweet and fruity iced tea recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups water, boiling
• 4 tea bags
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cups apple juice

PREPARATION:
Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Strain out tea bags, and stir in honey and juice. Mix until honey is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.

Serves 6-8

Source: coffeetea.about.com