Yerba mate is a tree. Not a tall one, but a moderately tall tree. In the farms they are not that big because they are pruned to make it easier to harvest, a similar method is used with the camellia sinensis plant for harvesting tea. The natives of this area, the Guaranies, discovered that they [...]
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So many times I meet people that have been told erroneous information about tea. I have met countless people searching for certain teas that will cure certain disorders, from sleep apnea to arthritis. I drink tea because it tastes good, tea is not a medicine to me, and I don’t believe in selling tea as [...]
read more »Tea Geek Basics of Tea: 6-Part Course – April 3, 2011 Michael J. Coffey of Tea Geek joins us in April for this one-day, 6-part tea primer course. Enroll now, as there are only 12 spots. Every student receives a gaiwan, a yixing pot, and tea samples. Sign up here. A Course on Steeping Chinese [...]
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From Wonderlane’s Flickr Monks have been drinking tea for thousands of years to maintain a state of “mindful alertness” during long periods of meditation. But only in the last few years have studies shed light on why tea has this effect on the mind. The two elements responsible for this are caffeine and L-theanine, and [...]
read more »Just wanted to share with everyone a beautiful PDF of my previous “Hacker’s Guide to Tea” that will appear in the January 2011 issue of Hacker Monthly. Hacker Monthly is a collection of the most interesting posts from Hacker News each month. Here it is, enjoy!: Hacker’s Guide to Tea
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I’m not even sure what to call this. This is a beencha of pressed camellia sinensis flowers! Opening the wrapper I was greeted by an amazingly fresh, flowery fragrance. When steeped, the flowers basically re-blossom and release a sweet, slightly pungent and nutty liquor. Not sure how to steep this tea, I did a 1:30 [...]
read more »Camellia: Botanical genus to which the tea species and its varieties belong, named for Georg Josef Kamel, a German Jesuit missionary who lived in Japan during the latter half of the 1600s and classified the plants he found in Asia. The Camellia genus includes 81 different Camellia varieties besides tea, like the garden flower Camellia japonica. [...]
read more »Kamairi Cha: Special Japan green sometimes called “China green tea” by the Japanese because it is pan-fired and not steamed. After a short withering, the leaf is fired in hot iron pans at 300C with constant agitation to prevent scorching. Rolling techniques employed during firing can produce either leaf pellets or flat leaf. Best Kamairicha comes [...]
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I recently received a sample of shincha green tea from Stash Tea from Brazil. This is my first contact with Brazilian tea. Stash’s website says: “The Yamamotoyama Brazilian tea gardens are in two highland areas in the central part of the country at an elevation of 2,000-2,500 feet. The climate here is comparable to Japan [...]
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There’s been many opposing studies out there about tea and cancer right now. Many are claiming that tea can “prevent” cancer. Some actually say that tea can promote cancer. As always — when human health is involved, there is money to be made. Big brands are just waiting to tack a new label on a [...]
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