What Is Oolong Tea

Oolong Tea is semi fermented which is one of the reasons it has such a unique character. The semi fermentation gives the tea a little bit more body than a green tea but less body than a black tea ... and interestingly it gives the flavor a very unique twist. You will see (particularly in the infused leaf) that the edges of the leaves are slightly bruised (brownish). The reason for this is that the leaves are lightly bruised to start the oxidation process. Because they are more full bodied than green teas, oolong teas must not be picked too early or at too tender a stage. They must be produced immediately. Unlike leaves for green tea, those destined to be oolong are wilted in the direct sun and then shaken in tubular bamboo baskets to bruise the leaf edges. The bruising is what make the edges oxidize faster than the center. After 15-25 minutes (depending upon ambient temperature and humidity levels) the tea is fired, locking in the special flavor profile.

Formosa (Taiwan) Jade Oolong

Iron Godess (Ti Kuan Yin) Dark Oolong

What Is Green Tea

Green Tea is a lightly oxidized (5-15%) tea. The oxidation process is stopped after a minimal amount of oxidation by application of heat; either with steam, a traditional Japanese method; or by dry cooking in hot pans, the traditional Chinese method. Green tea is processed within one to two days of harvesting.
Chinese and Japanese Green Tea
There are 2 traditional methods, Chinese and Japanese, in making Green Tea. The differences between the two are the in the Kill Green Process where the Japanese Green Tea uses a steam then dry method while the Chinese implements a panfrying method to finally seal and lock the moisture content.
Health Benefits
Green tea has been credited with providing a wide variety of health benefits, many of which have not been validated by scientific evidence. These claims and any for which academic citations are currently missing are listed here:

• Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
  Preventing/treating cancer.
• Treating multiple sclerosis.
• Preventing the degradation of cell membranes by neutralizing the spread of free radicals (which occurs during the process of oxidation).
• Reducing the negative effects of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by lowering levels of triglycerides and increasing the production of HDL cholesterol good cholesterol.
• Increasing fat oxidation (helps the body use fat as an energy source) and raising metabolism.
  Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist, says [the catechins in green tea] increase levels of the metabolism speeding brain chemical norepinephrine.
• Japanese researchers claim if you drink five cups of green tea a day, you'll burn 70 to 80 extra calories. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, an anti-aging specialist, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show and told Oprah's viewers they can lose 10 lbs. in 6 weeks drinking green tea instead of coffee.
• Drinking green tea mixed with honey can oftentimes have a soothing effect on a sore throat.

Japanese Gyokuro Green Tea

Matcha (Green Tea Powder)

What Are The Differences Between Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea and Oolong Tea

The chart below explains the main differences between the 4 main types of tea.

Click on the Image to see the full size chart

White Tea: White tea is a kind of tea that has not undergone any oxidation (fermentation) process. When infused, white tea makes a pale yellow cup color and a delicate, fresh flavor.

Green Tea: The oxidation process is stopped after a minimal amount of oxidation by application of heat; either with steam, a traditional Japanese method; or by dry cooking in hot pans, the traditional Chinese method. Green tea is processed within one to two days of harvesting.

Oolong Tea: Mostly produced in China and Taiwan, in the degree of oxidation, oolong tea falls between green tea and black tea. The best Oolong has a nuanced flavor profile. It should be brewed strong and bitter, yet leave one's mouth with a faintly sweet aftertaste.

Black Tea: Black tea is a fully fermented (oxidized) tea. It is the most common form of tea in southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.). Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the more lightly oxidized teas. The characteristic flavors of black tea range from flowery to fruity, nutty and spicy.

What Is Black Tea

Black Tea is a fully fermented (oxidized) tea. It is the most common form of tea in southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.). Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the more lightly oxidized teas. The characteristic flavors of black tea range from flowery to fruity, nutty and spicy.

Processing and Production of Black Tea

1. After the harvest, the leaves are first withered by blowing air on them.
2. Then black teas are processed in either of two ways, CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) or orthodox. The CTC method is used for lower quality leaves that end up in tea bags and are processed by machines. This method is efficient and effective for producing a better quality product from medium and lower quality leaves. Orthodox processing is done either by machines or by hand. Hand processing is used for high quality teas. While the methods employed in orthodox processing differ by tea type, this style of processing results in the high quality loose tea sought by many connoisseurs.
3. Next, the leaves are oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity. (This process is also called "fermentation", which is a misnomer since no actual fermentation takes place.) The level of oxidation determines the quality of the tea. Since oxidation begins at the rolling stage itself, the time between these stages is also a crucial factor in the quality of the tea.
4. Then the leaves are dried to arrest the oxidation process.
5. Finally, the leaves are sorted into grades according their sizes (whole leaf, brokens, fannings and dust), usually with the use of sieves. The tea could be further sub-graded according to other criteria.
   *Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tea

Below are the basic grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea
OP (Orange Pekoe)
FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe)
GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)

What Is Whte Tea

What Is White Tea:

To describe very briefly, White Tea is a kind of tea that has not undergone any oxidation (fermentation) process. When infused, white tea makes a pale yellow cup color and a delicate, fresh flavor.
Production:
Take the most common white tea, Peony (Pai Mu Tan), as an example. Pai Mu Tan leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Secondly the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired (the process used in green teas). The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less that 40’C. Thirdly only special ‘two leaves and a bud’ are selected. These leaves must show a very light green almost gray white color and be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions that are too hot with become reddish and in conditions that are too cold they will become blackish.
Health Benefits:
Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon tested white teas on selected rates to test for the ability of white teas to inhibit natural mutations in bacteria and to protect the rates from colon cancer. Interestingly, white teas were found to be more effective than green tea in inhibiting the early stages of cancer but researchers were quick to point out that their study was on rats and the effects should not be extrapolated to humans. The researchers also discovered that white tea contains higher levels of caffeine compared to green tea brewed under the same conditions. They suggested that this could occur because white tea oxidizes during withering whereas in green tea the oxidation process is stopped early in the tea making process by steaming or panfiring.
The western cosmetic industry has recently discovered the benefits of white tea. In addition to its anticancer properties, tea has a calming and detoxifying effect on the skin. White tea is especially potent in that it is has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag. Some of the world’s top cosmetic companies are becoming very interested in white tea for skin creams and the result is that high grade white tea is becoming even rarer than before.
*Information provided by Metropolitan Tea Company

Matcha (Green Tea Powder) Latte and Frappe

About Matcha
Matcha, is perhaps the most popular tea on the market today. Matcha is finely powdered and looks like an emerald colored flour. This characteristic truly sets it apart from other teas. When brewed, the powdered leaf is not strained or left in the pot, but is whisked into a frothy concoction and consumed. Because the leaves themselves are imbibed, brewed Matcha contains higher concentrations of vitamins and antioxidants than most other teas, green, herbal, or otherwise. According to researches done in Japan, brewed Matcha contains nearly 10 times the polyphenols and antioxidants of regular teas, 2 times the antioxidants of a glass of red wine, approximately 9 times the beta-carotene of spinach, and 4 times that of carrots.
Making Iced Matcha Latte and Frappe
Ingredients(Per 2 Servings):

• 2 teaspoons of Matcha powder(put more Matcha if you like a stronger tea)
• 1/2 cup(4oz.) of hot water(160'-180')
• 2/3 cup of milk or soy milk
• 1 table spoon of non-dairy creamer, or 2 table spoons of half&half
• 1 and 1/2 cup of ice cubes

Steps:

1. Mix the Matcha powder, sugar(to taste), creamer(or half&half) in a glass.
2. Pour hot water and whisk until frothy.
3. Keep whisking and pour the milk/soy milk into the glass.
4. Pour the tea into the blender, add ice and blend. Pour into a glass and enjoy! (You can also spray some whip cream on top)

*If you are making ice latte then skip the blending part.

Make Matcha Frappe With Ice Cream:

Steps(2 servings):

1. Use 3 teaspoons Matcha. Pour 1/2 cup (4oz.) hot water and whisk until frothy.
2. Put 2 cups ice cream(Preferably vanilla flavor or ginger flavor) and the tea into the blender. Blend till you see the ice cream and tea are mixed well. Enjoy!