Archive for the 'Tea Preparation' Category
Decaffeinated tea is a great option for tea lovers who wish to avoid much of the caffeine naturally found in the tea leaf. All forms of tea (black, oolong, green, white, and pu-erh) can be decaffeinated; but really only black and green tea are regularly decaffeinated. It must be noted that decaffeinated tea is NOT caffeine free. The decaffeination process leaves a minute amount of caffeine in the leaf. By law, tea labeled as “decaffeinated” must have less than 2.5 percent of its original caffeine level. Currently, there are four methods of decaffeination: methylene chloride; ethyl acetate; carbon dioxide; and water processing.
Methylene chloride decaffeination is a process by which the molecules of caffeine bond to molecules of methylene chloride. Caffeine is removed either by 1) directly soaking the tea in methylene chloride or 2) indirectly soaking the water (used to remove the caffeine) in methylene chloride and then returning the water to the tea for reabsorption of flavors and oils. Because methylene chloride is widely believed to be unhealthy for consumption, a legal limit of 5 parts per million is placed on residual traces in the tea and the US bans all imports using methylene chloride.
Tea processed using ethyl acetate is often referred to as “naturally decaffeinated” because ethyl acetate is a chemical found naturally in tea. Caffeine is extracted in the same way as with methylene chloride processing, but ethyl acetate is the solvent. However, ethyl acetate is very difficult to remove after the decaffeination process, and is sometimes described as leaving a chemical taste.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) decaffeinated tea is essentially “pressure cooked” with this naturally occurring gas. At high pressures and high temperatures, carbon dioxide reaches a supercritical state. The CO2 becomes a solvent with its small, nonpolar molecules attracting the small caffeine molecules. Since flavor molecules are larger, they remain intact, which is why this process retains the flavor of the tea the best.
Caffeine extraction with water is used primarily for coffee decaffeination, however a small amount of tea products are decaffeinated using the water method. After the caffeine is removed from the tea by soaking the tea in hot water for a period of time, the solution is passed through a carbon filter for caffeine removal. The water is then returned to the tea for reabsorption of flavors and oils. This process is often described as “watering down” the flavor of the tea.
Arbor Teas offers organic decaffeinated teas that exclusively use the carbon dioxide (CO2) method. We feel that this is the safest form of decaffeination, while retaining the greatest flavor and health benefits. Try some today!
February 03 2010 | Tea Preparation and Tea Terms | 2 Comments »
The World Tea News recently reported (11/30/09) on a study that suggests that plants producing high-quality tea cannot simply be reproduced in other regions with the same outcome. Researchers at the Kenyan institutions Maseno University, Egerton University and Moi University, conducted the study, which will appear in the April 2010 issue of the scientific journal Food Chemistry. They started from the idea: “A superior quality genotype in one location is assumed to replicate the same attributes when planted in different regions, especially when climatic variations are minimal.” To test it, they cloned 20 plants that produced high-quality tea and planted them under identical circumstances, but in three different regions. The results showed significant differences in the quality of the plain tea produced, based on certain parameters, among varying locations of production. A closer look further indicated that the changes in the tea were not systematic, because the same clone underwent different changes in different regions. The study led the team to conclude: “A genotype selected in one site for high quality may not retain the relative quality over other genotypes in new areas. It is necessary to test genotypes in new areas of production to fully evaluate their relative quality potentials.”
continue reading »
December 04 2009 | Miscellaneous and Tea Facts and Tea Preparation | No Comments »
Thai Tea (also known as Thai Iced Tea) is a popular iced drink hailing from Thailand, commonly found in Thai restaurants across the US. The deep amber color of the tea and its milk-tinted upper layer make this beverage really stand out on your table, and the combination of strongly-brewed tea, dairy and sugar make it a perfect complement to hot weather and spicy food.
Thai Tea is is made from strongly-brewed black tea, often spiced with ingredients such as star anise, crushed tamarind, cardamom, and occasionally others as well (often making this beverage a favorite among masala chai tea fans). This brew is then sweetened with sugar and condensed milk, and served over iced. For the sake of flavor, consistency and visual appeal, glasses of Thai Tea are usually topped with additional dairy, such as evaporated milk, whole milk, half and half, or coconut milk (this last one, of course, is not actually dairy, but you get the picture).
The best thai iced tea starts with a strong infusion of high-quality black tea – I encourage our readers to try our organic Keemun black tea. It’s a classic among East Asian black teas, and works nicely with Thai Tea’s unique combination of flavors. –Jeremy, Arbor Teas co-founder
Sound good? Well, here’s a thai iced tea recipe to help you get started!
continue reading »
June 30 2009 | Iced Tea and Tea Preparation | 11 Comments »
Iced tea is most commonly made with black tea, but there are all sorts of teas and tisanes that are excellent iced. Next time you making iced tea, mix it up and consider trying one of the following:
June 27 2009 | Iced Tea and Tea Preparation | No Comments »
We receive questions on a daily basis regarding the caffeine content of tea. It’s probably one of the hottest topics we’re asked about. Recently, a customer asked why we didn’t carry a decaffeinated Genmaicha Green Tea, to which I offered the following explanation:
Decaffeinating teas requires costly equipment and substantial amounts of energy, which typically make it cost-ineffective to decaffeinate small batches of specialty teas. Only the most main-stream varieties are generally considered for decaffeination – usually versatile black and green teas that can be sold “as is” or blended in some fashion to create products like Decaf. English Breakfast, Decaf. Earl Grey, etc. You’ll almost never see a decaffeinated version of a limited-production premium tea, like our Jade Oolong, Silver Needle White, or Gyokuro Green. These products are already rather expensive and have a limited market demand, so creating a more expensive decaffeinated version to serve an even smaller group of customers doesn’t make sense for the tea manufacturer.
After offering this explanation, I was reminded of a way for caffeine-conscious tea lovers to sidestep the limited availability of premium decaffeinated teas. If you just HAVE to have a particular variety of tea, and you’re not able to find a decaffeinated version, consider using our “easy at-home decaffeination method.” continue reading »
March 18 2009 | Tea Facts and Tea Preparation and Tea and Health | 3 Comments »
One of the many new and exciting products added to our catalog this fall is our organic Matcha Green Tea. Matcha is a variety of Japanese green tea that is stone ground at the end of the manufacturing process, resulting an ultra-fine tea powder that is typically whisked in hot water until a frothy consistency is reached, as in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. The resulting brew has much more body and flavor than tea brewed in a conventional fashion, with a thick, rich green taste and slight bitterness. Drinking matcha has been found to be even healthier than normal green tea, because the entire tea leaf is consumed when matcha is drunk – not just the infusion as with normal teas.
To brew, measure approximately one teaspoon of matcha and place it in a pre-warmed bowl with approximately 1.5 oz. of water at 175°. This is roughly two almond-sized portions when using a traditional bamboo matcha scoop (or “chashaku”). Whisk vigorously in a back-and-forth motion using a traditional bamboo matcha whisk (or “chasen”) until frothy, making sure not to press the whisk down against the bottom of the bowl. After whisking, the matcha is ready to drunk directly from the bowl.
In addition to this traditional method of preparation, matcha is more and more frequently used as a cooking ingredient. It’s often added to shakes, smoothies, and ice creams, lending a flavor that is at once sweet, bitter and savory. But whether you’re brewing it or cooking with it, you should definitely try some today!
November 30 2008 | Products and Tea Preparation | 1 Comment »
Get ready iced tea lovers, because June is National Iced Tea Month! To get you ready for this special event, we thought it’d be worthwhile to share a quick overview on how to brew iced tea. If you’re not already familiar, making iced tea at home is a total breeze! Just steep your tea normally, but use half the amount of water. If you want to drink it immediately, pour the double-strength infusion directly over a glass full of ice. Or, to refrigerate it, dilute the infusion with an equal amount of room temperature water. This allows the tea to cool gradually, which helps avoid clouding caused by chilling most teas too rapidly. One quart of iced tea generally requires about 1/2 ounce tea. To sweeten, add sugar or honey while the tea is still hot, allowing the sugar to dissolve completely.
Many people are accustomed to brewing their iced tea by leaving it out in the sun. We recommend using the method described above instead, which takes advantage of the sterilizing effects of boiling water, as opposed to the “sun tea” method, which can allow bacteria to flourish.
Note: It is OK if your iced tea clouds! There are many reasons this can occur; a clouded tea can sometimes signify a higher quality tea filled with desirable tea solids, or one that has been cooled too quickly. Regardless, a clouded iced tea is certainly not a bad iced tea! Teas from the Nilgiri region of India seem to resist clouding better than other tea varieties, but here’s a nice selection of teas that are also great on ice.
May 28 2008 | Iced Tea and Tea Preparation | 1 Comment »
We’re always trying to “raise the bar” in all aspects of our business – environmental performance, customer service, and certainly tea quality. To that end, I recently attended an advanced training session on tea evaluation (called “cupping”) in Las Vegas, NV, presented by the Specialty Tea Institute. Yes, they have institutes for this sort of thing. You might think that Las Vegas would be an unlikely place for such an event – and you would be right. Strangely, a vast majority of tea-related events seem to occur in Las Vegas, amid the flashing lights, cigarette smoke, and “pling-pling-pling-pling-pling-pling” of the slot machines. Wierd.
The cupping session explored – often in substantial detail – a variety of topics, including:
- The physiological differences between people with different tasting abilities – mainly the size, shape and (most importantly) density of taste buds on the tongue;
- The effect that steeping time and temperature have on tea, as well as the effect of multiple successive steepings;
- Considerations for matching or replacing one tea with another (such as matching the flavor profile, leaf grade, or other relevant factors);
- Detecting taints or flaws in the manufacture and/or storage of tea.
continue reading »
March 19 2008 | Tea Preparation | No Comments »
As you know, we learned that by delivering our teas in our new paperboard canisters (instead of our previous steel containers), we cut the carbon footprint of tea delivery by approximately 80%. We’re very excited about this, but, of course, it’s only one piece of the story. We also learned that, pound-for-pound, the energy required to brew the tea once it reached the customer rivaled that of delivering it to them in the first place (in our new-and-improved packaging)!
Now, unless your super-power is to boil water spontaneously, energy will certainly be required to boil (or nearly boil) water to brew tea in the traditional fashion. So what’s an environmentally-conscious tea drinker to do? Here are a few suggestions: continue reading »
February 14 2008 | Energy and Tea Preparation | 7 Comments »
Depending on who you talk to, brewing loose leaf tea can be a very simple or very complicated matter. Believe it or not, the government of Great Britain actually maintains official specifications on the “proper” way to brew tea! We firmly believe that tea should be brewed to suit your own personal taste. That said, here are some helpful hints to get you started.
There are three main considerations when brewing tea:
- Tea quantity,
- Water temperature, and
- Steeping time.
continue reading »
November 14 2007 | Tea Preparation | No Comments »
Next »