MERU TEA: FOR THE NOVICE, CASUAL CONNOISSEUR, WINE ENTHUSIAST, TEA MASTER
tea for the novice
WHAT IS TEA?
Much folklore surrounds the story of how tea was discovered, but the most popular tales recall the Chinese legend of the Emperor Shen Nung. While out in his garden one day, a leaf from the camellia plant fell into a bowl of water, which out of curiosity, he drank, and was much refreshed and revitalised. Today, tea is the most popular beverage in the world and an essential part of countless cultures.
camellia sinensis
So what is tea? All true tea comes from a plant known as camellia sinensis. The most important factor in determining tea flavor is the type of processing it receives after harvesting. This determines whether a tea will be a Black, Oolong, Green or White tea. (Red and Herbal teas do not actually come from the camellia plant).
After plucking, all teas are left to wither for a short period after which they may, in the case of white and green teas, be steamed to prevent oxidation as natural enzymes in the leaf cause it to ferment. Teas are then rolled or shaped, and black and semi-black teas oxidized between 40-100%, giving them their characteristic flavor and caffeination. The teas are then given a second firing or drying, to stop the fermentation, and it is at this time that the teas may be further enhanced by adding flavoring to the leaves themselves, or by scenting the tea by adding flower petals, citrus rinds, or other aromatic elements in "scenting rows" mingling their aroma with that of the drying leaves.
UNDERSTANDING QUALITY
So what's the difference between loose tea and bagged supermarket tea? And what do all those letters mean? How do I know what's going to taste good?
How tea is graded.
Let's start with that first question. All teas are graded for quality, but tea grading is a confusing and cryptic subject at best. In general, the items which make a leaf of highest quality for BLACK TEA are:
- Which leaves are plucked
(the newest, freshest, and those closest to, or including the leaf buds) - How much of the leaf is "tip"
- The size of the leaf
- Whether the leaf is a whole leaf picked by hand,
or a broken leaf which has been machine processed.
All of these qualities are defined in a coding/grading system. [VIEW CHART]
Other factors in tea flavor.
As comprehensive as the grading system is, it is important to remember that a tea's grade does not necessarily indicate flavor or quality. The country of origin, the variety of the tea, the garden or estate and its elevation and the particular flush bear just as much weight as the the grade and flavor of each tea.
Grading of GREEN and OOLONG TEAS bears a definite relationship with the quality and flavor of the tea, unlike black tea grading, and may be marked in descending quality with the distinctions CH, FTC, F or S for Choice, Finest-to-Choice, Finest or Standard. (Choice would be the best offering from that plantation.) As with black teas, the grading is not necessarily the final word on the quality of the tea. [READ MORE in CASUAL CONNOISSEUR]
Chinese greens do not usually follow the above grading system, and are distinguished more by the district in which they are grown, the shape of the leaf, and the age. Leaves from higher elevations with particular varietals of the camellia plant are more prized than others. Chinese greens' shape grading is as follows:
- Gunpowder: tightly rolled leaves which resemble BB shot. Also known as Pearl Tea
- Hyson: young leaves rolled lengthwise (long and thin)
- Imperial: older leaves rolled loosely
SWEETENING THE DEAL
Sugar or honey is always a lovely complement to tea, sugar being best used in black teas, which have a stronger flavor. Honey works better in green teas, whose flavor subtleties benefit from milder sweetening.
Milk is best added to black teas, and mellows their astringence. One of its proteins, casein, chemically binds with the polyphenols in the tea, changing their composition, and thus, the taste. So does adding milk to tea affect its antioxidant disease-fighting properties? It is possible that a little milk with tea actually boosts protection against breast and colon cancer in animals by binding with the polyphenols during digestion. Keep your milk to about a teaspoon or so per 8-oz cup to get the maximum health benefit.
So if milk is good, is cream better? No. Cream lacks the same amount of casein, and fails to bind with the polyphenols in tea. It will simply cloud your tea and its flavor.
KEEPING TEA FRESH
It's an organic product, so tea does lose its freshness. Kept well, however, your tea can last up to a year or more. Black and more fermented teas have the longest shelf life, while green and oolong teas are best consumed within 6 months of purchase (if properly stored).
Oxidation is the enemy of your tea. Keep it stored tightly sealed in a dark place. Heat, sunlight and air will cause it to break down and eventually lose its flavor. Tea stores best in ceramic jars, which are non-reactive with the natural enzymes in the tea. Aluminum tins are also a good choice for tea storage.
Tea will also absorb flavors from overly moist conditions and from being stored close to other strong odors. While tea does require some humidity, too much will cause it to absorb the aroma of nearby items. Remember to store it away from your spices or coffee.
Buy tea only in quantities you will consume immediately. Unless you are buying a particular estate vintage, your best bet in keeping your tea fresh is to drink it fresh.
WHAT TEAS WOULD I LIKE?
We think you'll enjoy some of the teas listed below to familiarize yourself with the world of tea. If you're an adventurous sort, though, browse our entire selection of Meru Tea and see what other teas interest you.
- 6916 Specialty Green Tea PLUM BLOSSOM
- G223 Green Tea Peach
- 6874 Darjeeling SFTGOP1 Fine SUNGMA
- 6892 GFOP Milima
- B115 Orange and Spice Black Tea