I love good tea. You should too.
Tea is full of history, flavor, and mood. It’s a fascinating beverage. There are hundreds of variations, but all white, green, black, oolong, and pu-erh come from a single tree: The camellia sinensis.
Then you can get into the science of it. All the different flavors and aromas (around 600 have been identified) come from a mashup of six chemical compounds: color pigments, amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, caffeine, and polyphenols. Different combinations, different flavors. How cool is that?
Through the cultivated combination of climate, sunlight (full or shaded), time, damage (oxidation), and fixing technique (steam, dry heat, etc), you end up with an incredible world of choice, style, flavor, and color.
Even the brewing water temperature has a huge impact on flavor. Getting the water temperature right has more to do with enjoying tea than almost anything else. It’s why most people don’t like green tea — too-hot water scalds the tea and turns it bitter.
If you’re interested in reading more about the history, the science, the flavor profiles of popular variations, and the tasting notes of one of the true experts of tea, check out The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea book. The hardcover is beautiful, but it also comes on the Kindle.
It’s the best balanced book I’ve found on the subject. I hope it helps you appreciate tea in a whole new way.
behe
on 11 Mar 09One word. Rooibos.
nickd
on 12 Mar 09Rooibos is indeed another plant, and – if you want to go even more far-flung – people steep mint leaves, random fruit concoctions, etc. I’m pretty sure yerba mate is different as well. Fruit blends and rooibos blends have become markedly popular in the United States, even though I don’t know if i’d qualify it under the same guise as “tea.” Perhaps it needs a new term? “Steeped water-based plant beverage?”
Anyway, Jason, and other Chicagoans: I hope you shop for tea at TeaGschwendner, in river north – it’s got a fantastic selection!
Anonymous Coward
on 12 Mar 09people steep mint leaves, random fruit concoctions, etc
Yes, but that isn’t “tea.” It’s an herbal infusion. Different animal. Tea comes from the tea plant.
developingchris
on 12 Mar 09Thank you for pointing out the water thing. Every time someone finds out I drink green tea, they just throw down the stinky face. Immediately I say, “you probably got scalded tea. Green tea is delicate and steeps kind of cold.” Too which they just give me this look that can only be described as, I’m not trying that crap again.
Ryan Bergeman
on 12 Mar 09Thanks for the recommendation. Definitely going to have to check it out.
ersatz
on 12 Mar 09You have:
No tea.
I’m off to buy the book now!
Anthony Eden
on 12 Mar 09I love Green Tea. Although, I’m more of a “just get a bag and stick it in a mug with boiling water” type person.
Thanks for the blog post – an interesting read.
Anonymous Coward
on 12 Mar 09Thanks for the tip…with tea that requires non-boiling water, a variable temperature kettle is the way to go.
Andy Nardone
on 12 Mar 09”...coffee, since Mandy, like all right-thinking people, detested tea – an insipid footwash she had once called it.”
This quote popped into my head as I read the post. Try as I might with tea, I’m still a coffee drinker too. I’m probably not nuanced enough ; ) Best part? After racking my brain for the source of the quote I searched “Echelon Vendetta tea.” Top result – Google Book Search at page 406 of David Stone’s thriller highlighting “tea.” Good stuff.
Chris Mear
on 12 Mar 09As a Brit, the main question is, of course, do you put the milk in first or last?
Kontra
on 12 Mar 09“too-hot water scalds the tea and turns it bitter”
Nonsense. The temp of the water is not the problem. (Boiling water is OK.) It’s the amount of time you let it brew that affects how much tanin is released, which is what gives you the “bitter’ taste.
Try this: pour boiling water over green tea but don’t let it brew more than 2-3 minutes and see if you can detect the “bitterness.”
Tomas
on 12 Mar 09The real question is – Do you prefer Barrys or Lyons tea?
Picard
on 12 Mar 09Computer; Earl grey, hot!
JF
on 12 Mar 09Nonsense. The temp of the water is not the problem. (Boiling water is OK.) It’s the amount of time you let it brew that affects how much tanin is released, which is what gives you the “bitter’ taste.
It’s not nonsense. And some green teas should be brewed for only 90 seconds. So boiling water (too hot) over some delicate greens for 2-3 minutes (too long) will surely turn a pleasant pot into a bitter mess.
Water temperature has a lot do with taste. Take 20 minutes sometime and brew the same tea at 3 different temperatures and you’ll see the difference. It’s very real.
Mike H
on 12 Mar 09@Chris: last, too hard to judge otherwise.
As another Brit, we do find it funny how Americans have suddenly decided that tea is the new coffee, after Starbucks opened a branch in every town up and down our island.
Do you guys drink all these weird ass types of tea with milk? Over here it’s just tea, regular black tea, Earl Grey if you want to be fancy, Darjeeling if you want to be really fancy.
Dan
on 12 Mar 09Yorkshire Tea (http://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk) with soft water (like you get in Yorkshire)
You’re in business then. If you’re ever over in the north of England, head to Harrogate – a finer cup of tea you can not find than the ones server in Bettys (http://www.bettys.co.uk)
Mike H
on 12 Mar 09Betty’s in Harrogate is a fine cup of tea! .. Scones to die for too.
Pronounced ‘skon’ or ‘skown’? :)
Dan
on 12 Mar 09‘Skon’.
It’s the fastest cake in the world, you know?
Don Schenck
on 12 Mar 09White tea spoken here.
Rob Cameron
on 12 Mar 09Once they carbonate tea, I’m in. And also make all tea actually taste like something rather than slightly flavored water.
JF
on 12 Mar 09Rob: Steep it in some soda water.
Matthew Stibbe
on 12 Mar 09I love tea. I’m a Brit so I can’t help it. Here are some posts from my writing blog on the subject: http://www.badlanguage.net/the-great-tea-controversy http://www.badlanguage.net/tea-healthier-than-drinking-water http://www.badlanguage.net/tools-for-writing-a-nice-cup-of-tea
Mike
on 12 Mar 09I love me some tea.
Green tea with a little berry flavor is really good after a long, hard day of reading blog posts ;-)
Tekin
on 12 Mar 09Bettys does possibly the best Earl Grey I’ve ever tasted, and best of all you can order it loose from the website! As with green tea, you should never use boiling water with Earl Grey; it burns the bergamot don’t you know. And always brewed for a a minute or two at most, without milk of course.
Dave Goulden
on 13 Mar 09Thanks for the post. I’ve now got a nice gift for my wife who loves all things tea.
John Dowdell
on 13 Mar 09If you get the chance to travel, try searching on “china tea tour” sometime… see it grow, picked, cured, and drink it in its natural environment.
Bill
on 14 Mar 09While green tea needs a shorter steep time and cooler temperatures it’s all for naught if you’re starting with crappy tea. Spend a little extra for a good Sencha or Dragonwell and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about green tea.
Anonymous Coward
on 14 Mar 09@Chris milk only with an assam or “breakfast” tea, and it should always be added last.
I think my favourite tea is Lady Grey, no milk and no sugar
The best tea room I’ve found is in Buxton, they do a lovely green tea and scones.
nick s
on 16 Mar 09Anonymous Coward is recommending that you scald the milk. No thanks: put it in first.
There are lots of good books written on tea, not least Okakura Kazuko’s Book of Tea (downloadable PDF).
This discussion is closed.