From the floral to the green, and the flavoured to the organic, there’s far mor to tea than the milky drink you have with your breakfast. In search of the perfect brew, Caitlyn Davey went to find out more.
In search of enlightenment, TOAD talked everything tea with Imma Plana from Artteas about brewing, buying and drinking tea in all its forms.
Why do different teas have different tastes?
As surprising as it might sound, all tea comes from the same plant, the camellia sinensis. What determines the distinctive aroma and flavour of each blend is the specific location and environment in which the camellia sinensis grows, and the processing method that the newly picked leaves undergo before being poured into a cup.
Why is the growing environment so important?
The physical and chemical properties of the soil, level of humidity and rainfall, altitude of the tea plantation and degree of sunlight deeply influence the quality of a tea leaf, its nutritional content and taste.
Craftsmanship and cultural traditions are equally important. Hence, the Chinese way of growing the tea plant is significantly different than the way some teas are grown in Japan, for instance.
Which tea has the most significant health benefits?
Tea has always had medicinal properties and numerous studies support this. The beverage is credited with reducing cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of certain cancers and heart disease, preventing high blood pressure and aiding digestion. Tea is also antibacterial, and it can boost the immune system and mental alertness, too. Tea has even been credited for combatting tooth decay.
The health properties of tea are closely linked to its high level of antioxidants, minerals and nutrients, which include vitamin C, vitamin E, B1 and B2, folic acid, fluoride, tannin, caffeine and theanine.
Generally speaking, the more processed the tea leaf, the fewer antioxidants it contains. However, other important constituents, such as caffeine, vary from one tea to the next. Contrary to the widespread myth that black tea contains more caffeine than green and white tea, the truth is the level of caffeine – which encourages brain activity and strengthens stamina – varies more among individual teas than across broad categories of tea.
Having said that, green tea has the highest concentration of antioxidants. White tea is credited for its anti-cancer properties, oolong aids weightloss, releases stress and reduces blood pressure; while black Pu’erh tea is credited for its digestive properties and ability to reduce cholesterol, decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cleanse toxins and improve blood circulation.
Is there a right or wrong way to drink tea?
Tea should only have two ingredients, tea leaves and water. To enjoy a good cup of tea, it is important for these ingredients to be high quality.
Tea should be properly stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dark place. Water should be pure – ideally from a spring – and should not be re-boiled as this depletes its oxygen content.
The brewing temperature is affected by the teaware’s level of heat conductivity. Lightly fermented and non-fermented teas such as green and white teas are better brewed in lower water temperatures. Teapots made from glass or porcelain, which are high in heat conductivity, are ideal.
To the contrary, higher water temperature should be used to brew heavily-fired and fully fermented teas such as Pu-erh and oolong. Yixing stoneware and porous teapots with low heat conductivity are appropriate for these.
As a general rule, lower temperatures should be used for greener, smaller leaf teas and higher temperatures for darker, more roasted and tightly-rolled teas.
Brewing time is critical to bring out the complex tastes in the tea leaf; brewing too long will make the tea astringent and bitter.
Brewing tea can be as casual as pouring hot water on to tea leaves or as complex as a full tea ceremony. There are no hard rules for brewing tea and, with time, tea lovers adjust brewing to suit their own tastes.
Still, it is commonsense to brew high quality, exclusive teas the right way to appreciate their full range of aromas, complex tastes and aftertastes.
Try an exotic tea
Shakespeare and Co.
Try the blossoming teas at Shakespeare and Co. Tea leaves are bundled around an aromatic flower which, during brewing, blossoms to reveal the buds. The tea comes in a small teapot atop a tea light candle burner to keep warm. You can choose from jasmine lotus, jasmine fairies, rising flower – with blossoming marigolds – and Wan Zi Qian Hong.
Rosewood Abu Dhabi
The Rosewood stocks Ronnefeldt teas which includes white yin long, a rarity from the mountains of Anhui in China; a flavoured green tea, morgentau sencha summer; and vanilla rooibos from South Africa which is simply vanilla and rooibos. It is a favourite South African herbal infusion with the aromatic fullness of creamy vanilla.
Jumeirah
Jumeriah owns the exclusive rights to sell some of the world’s most luxurious tea blends with TWG Tea of Singapore, including yellow tea buds from Szechwan in China, which used to be picked and served exclusively to Chinese emperors. The precious golden tea buds infuse into a translucent beverage and release a fine aroma. The leaves can be eaten, and leave the palate with a floral aftertaste. Alternatively yin zhen from Fujian in China is picked entirely by hand before the leaf opens. Small quantities are produced each year, making this one of the most sought after teas in the world. The soft, velvety leaves yield a sparkling, flax-coloured infusion that exudes a raw, mineral flavour with buttery notes of sweet honeycomb.
Visit Artteas
Artteas is the first teahouse in the Arabian Gulf exclusively dedicated to the promotion of tea culture and the art of drinking tea. The teahouse opened in December 2011 at the Souk in Central Market.
Artteas is dedicated to sourcing high quality tea and teaware. It also provides tutoring and training for wannabe tea aficionados, curates tea programmes, and organises tea-related activities. Artteas’ products are available at several hotels and spas across the UAE as well as in neighbouring Qatar.
Artteas, Souk at Central Market, wwwartteas.com (02 628 2679).
A rainbow of tea
In China alone, there are thousands of tea variations. These can be classified into six main categories. Imma explains:
Green tea
This is a non-fermented tea. Its fresh tea leaves are picked and quickly heated in a pan or steamed to prevent further fermentation. Green tea is known for its health properties as it contains a high amount of antioxidants; it also has high levels of vitamins and minerals. It is refreshing, with flavours ranging from grassy to nutty and floral.
White tea
This is lightly fermented tea. Minimally processed, it is only picked and air-dried. The highest quality white teas are picked early in the spring with the tips still covered with silky white down. Its flavour can be described as subtle, mellow and sweet.
Yellow tea
This is made by a special tea process similar to green tea but with a prolonged process of drying which involves dissolving the chlorophyll of the tea leaves, thus removing the green colour and resulting in the retention of a natural light yellow colour. Yellow tea has a deeper and refreshing taste, deep yellow hue and a pronounced fragrance.
Oolong tea
The leaves are skilfully rolled and oxidized after picking, allowing the essential tea ingredients to react with the air. This process turns the leaf to darker green and produces distinctive fragrances before heat is applied to set the taste. The resulting tea can be anywhere between a green and a red tea. Oolongs’ taste ranges from highly floral, intensely fruity to mildly roasted with honey nuances.
Red tea
Often known as black tea in the West, red tea is a result of complete oxidation of the leaf. The tea was first produced in China but became widely popular after the British cultivated the plant in India, Sri Lanka and Africa. Red teas are known for their strong, rich aroma.
