Katrina

India's Tea Regions

India's tea industry is well known and it is actually helpful that many of its most popular teas are named for their growing regions.  The most well-known areas are Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri.  Lesser known, but still substantial, tea producing regions are Dooars and Sikkim.

Learning About Tea

How do I learn more about tea?

Ti Guan Yin

Last time I talked about one of the more famous oolongs, Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe.  Since then I’ve been finding myself drawn to the flavors of another very famous oolong: Ti Guan Yin (or Ti Kuan Yin or Tieguanyin). 

The Legend of Big Red Robe

One of the more famous of the oolong teas from China’s Wuyi Mountains is Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe tea.  This tea is also sometimes called Royal Red Robe and it is one of the most highly oxidized oolong teas.

Afternoon Tea and Other Tea Taking

The Victorian custom of afternoon tea has certainly remained a big part of established tea culture.  We have all seen or at least heard about the chintz-decorated rooms with tiered trays of treats and china teacups filled with beautiful black tea with milk and sugar.  But how did this tradition start?  Are there other British tea-taking traditions?

Summer and Sun Tea

Sun tea gained popularity in the United States in the early 1970s although some have been making tea this way for generations.  It was definitely a part of my childhood days in Maine.

How to Brew Iced Tea

Iced tea has been popular here in the United States since Richard Blechynden served it at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.  He was at the fair to promote Indian tea, but the extremely hot temperatures during the fair lessened its appeal.  He decided to try serving the tea cold and it was an enormous hit.

T-E-A in the U-S-A

When one considers the world’s tea growing regions, what are the countries that come to mind?  China. Taiwan. Japan. India. Sri Lanka.  I suspect that not many people would even think of the United States.

The Sharing of Tea

One of my greatest joys is sharing tea.  Sometimes it is the opportunity to recommend a great tea to friends.  (I suppose this is part of what started me with blogging in the first place.)  But more special is the physical sharing of space with someone, sipping tea, and talking.

My True Love - Oolong Tea

My favorite teas are oolongs.  There.  I said it.  This is not to say that I don’t like other teas or that I would ever want to limit myself to one type of tea.  But, the complexity and diversity of flavors available keep drawing me back.

How to Brew Tea in a Gaiwan

I recently wrote about sencha teapots, also known as kyusu.  Another one of my favorite tea brewing vessels is the gaiwan (or guywan).  The word “gaiwan” is Mandarin for “covered cup.”  A gaiwan is a handleless bowl, taller than it is wide, with a flared top.  The cup always has a lid and sits in a saucer.

The Green Teas of China

A few posts ago I extolled the virtues of Japanese green teas. The irony is that my first love was actually Chinese greens. There were a few reasons - They are often less temperamental to brew, less likely to go bitter. The flavors are not quite so vegetal or savory; they often have a little more sweetness and subtlety.  They are just a little easier to approach, in my very humble opinion. (Although I will also say that it is definitely well worth the effort to explore and become comfortable with Japanese greens.)

Kyusu Love

I am completely enamored with teaware.  I love the varied styles and colors, materials, and cultural history.  Whether they be traditional “Brown Betty” pots, gaiwan, tetsubin, or gongfu pots, I’m smitten.  Over the years, my collection has grown considerably.  In the early days I focused far more on English-style ceramic pots of varied sizes, shapes, and colors.  Then I discovered glass and clay pots and I fell completely in love. I covet sharing pitchers and trays.  I can also never resist the “perfect” cup or tea bowl.  While I don’t like to play favorites among my collection, my kyusu is certainly one that always catches my eye.

I’ll Have the SFTGFOP... ABCDEFG...

Occasionally when you see a tea listed in a catalog or on a tea menu the name will be followed by a group of letters.  I think many tea drinkers either ignore them altogether or they ascribe far more value to them than may be necessary.  Let’s look at what they actually mean.

The Beauty of Japanese Green Tea

Japanese green teas are among my favorites.  They have such rich, savory flavors and magnificent color.

Tea-Infused Everything

There are certain phrases that suddenly seem to be everywhere.  One doesn’t have to look hard to find ads for products that are “gluten-free,” have “no trans fats,” or are “tea-infused.”

Where Does Black Tea Come From?

When many of us started drinking tea, we were only drinking black tea.  Quite honestly, I didn’t even know what KIND of black tea.  It was black.  It made a slightly bitter cup.  It came in a tea bag.  That was tea.  I’m happy to say that I’ve learned a good bit about tea since then.

The Question of Tea Infusers

In my last post I spent a great deal of space talking about how to brew tea.  (Or, rather, one of the many ways to brew tea.)  I began to think about the question of infusers.

Time To Make Some Tea

Preparing tea is not a complicated process, yet it is still easy to go very, very wrong.

The Six Types of Tea

Last week we talked about Camellia sinensis and the fact that all tea is made from its leaves.  In this post I thought we’d explore the six types of tea that can be created: white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and puerh (POOH-air.)

But what IS tea?