Plucking Time and Imperial Formosa Oolong Tea

Imperial Formosa oolong tea is one of the finest oolong teas you can buy, so long as it is produced in a quality tea garden that takes great care in how the tea is harvested and processed. To choose the best Imperial Formosa oolong tea, it's important to know some things about this tea and how it is harvested and produced.

Oolong tea is a hybrid of green and black tea. It is produced from the same plant as other teas, but processed a bit differently. Green tea is left unfermented, black tea is fully fermented and oolong tea is semi-fermented, meaning that the fermentation time is shorter than that of other teas, so some percentage of the tea leaves are left green.

This partial fermentation creates a tea that is lighter than black tea, but bolder and more flavorful than green tea. Depending upon how long the tea artisan allows the leaves to ferment, or oxidize, the tea may be closer to the flavor of a green tea or closer to the flavor of a black tea. In addition, oolong tea is produced from larger tea leaves, those that grow further down the tea plant.

Imperial Formosa oolong tea is produced only in Taiwan. Teas from Taiwan are referred to as Formosa teas because this was the country's original name. Most people think of China as the place where oolong teas are produced, and, in fact, China does produce the largest quantity of oolong tea today. However, Taiwan runs a close second, and their oolong teas are considered some of the best in the world.

According to historical book reports, tea bushes had been found growing in the wild of Taiwan about three hundred years ago. Tea varieties were introduced in Taiwan about two hundred years ago by immigrants from China and a new industry was born.

Imperial Formosa oolong tea is fermented until the leaves are about 30% oxidized. Timing the oxidation period is a critical step in creating a good oolong tea. To create the same flavor each time, the artisan must appropriately bruise the leaves and then see that the oxidation happens precisely. Producing oolong tea is a labor intensive process that cannot be effectively managed with machines and other mass production processes.

For this reason, fewer tea gardens produce oolong than other teas. Producing the very best oolong requires strict adherence to the process and timing as well as skilled tea artisans who can determine exactly when the tea leaves are appropriately dried and when they're appropriately fermented. For this reason, oolong teas are often more expensive than black and green teas. Formosa oolong teas are typically the most expensive oolong teas because labor costs in Taiwan are higher than those in other countries.

Like black and green teas, the flavor of oolong teas are also affected by when the leaves are plucked. The first teas plucked during the season are the spring teas, also known as first flush teas. These are generally the most highly prized tea leaves of the season. Though the tea plant will be harvested several more times before the end of the summer, in most cases the tea from these subsequent pluckings will not rival the first plucked tea in flavor.

This is primarily because tea leaves grown later in the season are subject to hotter weather and often become baked in the sun before theyre even plucked. The same rules apply to most oolong teas. In most cases, the first flush of oolong will have the best taste. You'll typically find Imperial Formosa oolong tea produced from the first plucking of the season.

The best tea gardens, can, however, make good tea from each flush of the growing season, though many tea connoisseurs will always favor first flush teas. This exceptional flavor and smaller availability make first flush oolong teas the most expensive of the growing season, too.

The best tea gardens label their teas not only by the grade of the tea leaves, but according to which plucking they were produced from. Some tea gardens don't even pluck more than twice a season, believing that the quality of the tea is not sufficient after the second plucking.

In most cases Imperial Formosa oolong tea will be a first flush tea and will be graded Finest to Choice, the highest grade of Formosa teas. Few tea gardens produce Imperial Formosa oolong, and most can be counted on to produce high quality tea.

The Best Way to Brew Tea

Brewing a Perfect Cup of Tea

Time:

The finer the grain, the quicker the brew time as the surface area of the tea exposed to the hot water is greater. Nearly powdered teas are ready to go in about two minutes or less, while large leaf varieties may need more than five minutes. The general rule is three to five minutes, blacks longer than greens. The longer a tea steeps, the more likely it is to become slightly astringent or "bitter" to your taste. Some tea lovers prefer a bit of astringency, while others recommend putting the tea into infusers or paper filters (rather than directly in the pot) as the leaves can more easily be removed from the pot after the prescribed steeping time, which also preserves a bit more "virtue" for you in the leaves if the intent is to reuse them to brew yourself a second pot.

Temperature:

With black teas, the hotter the water the better. Bring it just to a boil and let it back off a couple of degrees. Green teas are usually a bit more delicate and do better in water that is in the 160 to 185 degree range, so it may make sense to let your water cool a bit before brewing the tea in this case.

Quality of Water

Never use tap water to brew your tea because sediments and contaminants in the water will ruin the taste of your tea. It is best to use purified water processed through a distillation, oxidation process for best flavor

Brewing a Perfect Second Cup

Get More From Your Tea!

Remember that you can get a second pot out of just about any tea type. If the tea is loose in the pot, first pour off the cold excess liquid through a filter and return the leaves to the pot. Fill the pot about three quarter full of fresh hot water. If desired, add a bit more fresh tea. Let this pot steep a few minutes longer than the first. If the tea is in an infuser or paper filter, simply put it back into fresh hot water as above. It is a lot easier to add a bit more fresh tea if you are using a filter rather than an infuser.

Decaffeinating Your Own Tea

Caffeine is highly water soluble, so it is one of the first constituents of the leaf to be extracted in the steeping process. Usually 80 percent or more of the tea's caffeine content is released within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. You can enjoy any tea virtually caffeine-free (with little sacrifice of flavor) by discarding the water after the first 30 to 60 seconds of steeping and adding fresh hot water to the now largely decaffeinated leaf. Obviously, using a T-sac tea filter or an infuser when decaffeinating in this manner is far more practical for you than adding tea directly to the pot.

Tea and Your Health

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, after water. Asian cultures drink gallons of green, oolong and other teas, and the Brits consume large quantities of black tea. In fact, everywhere in the world, tea is a regular part of life. In many cases, we drink tea because we like it, but as it turns out, it may be extremely healthy for us, too.

Over the years there's been tons of research on the benefits of tea to our health. And, as we learn more and more, it's becoming clear that drinking tea may be one of the best things we can do to protect our health and prolong our lives. The University of Toronto Medical Journal outlines the many benefits that drinking tea can offer.

Prevention of Heart Disease

Studies have shown that regular tea consumption can actually lower cholesterol levels circulating in the blood. In fact, some studies have shown tea to reduce total cholesterol by as much as 6.5% and LDL cholesterol by as much as 11%. A reduction in cholesterol prevents atherosclerosis, a condition in which the arteries that carry blood become narrowed due to a buildup of plaque. The plaque that builds up in our arteries is created when LDL cholesterol oxidizes.

Prevention of Cancer

Tea has been shown to reduce the risk of several forms of cancer. In fact, tea has been shown to reduce lung tumors by 80% in laboratory mice. Tea has also been effective in human studies on cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer and gastric cancer.

Weight Loss

Tea has also been shown to be an effective weight loss supplement. Tea increases energy expenditure, promotes fat oxidation and decreases fat storage. Many studies have shown that drinking tea in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise can help you lose more weight than diet and exercise alone.

Improvement in Intestinal Tract Bacteria

Regular tea consumption can help improve the bacteria that live in your intestinal tract; eliminating harmful bacteria and helping beneficial bacteria to flourish. Tea has been shown to reduce the level of H pylori bacteria in the stomach. H pylori is associated with the development of ulcers.

Earl Grey Was a Real Person and is a Great Tea

Earl Grey tea is a popular flavored black tea named after an historic figure in 19th century England. Earl Grey's existence and historic accomplishments are well documented but his influence on the tea that bears his name is less clear.

Charles Grey was the 2nd Earl Grey, (13 March 1764 - 17 July 1845), and was a British Whig statesman and Prime Minister. His father, Charles Grey, the 1st Earl Grey, was a notable British general in the American Revolution who commanded victories in several battles, notably against the American forces under General Anthony Wayne and at the Battle of Germantown (1777-78).

Descended from a long-established Northumbrian family, Grey was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was elected to Parliament at the age of 22 in 1786. He became a part of the Whig movement, and soon became one of the major leaders of the Whig party which befitted his high standing in British society. Grey was noted for advocating strong Parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation.

The Whig party slowly evolved during the 18th century. In general terms, the Whig tendency supported the great aristocratic families and non-Anglicans, while the opposing Tories supported the Anglican Church and the gentry. Later on, the Whigs drew support from the emerging industrial interests and wealthy merchants, while the Tories drew support from the landed interests and the British Crown.

By the first half of the 19th century, however, the Whig political program came to encompass not only the supremacy of parliament over the monarch and support for free trade, but the abolition of slavery, and, significantly, expansion of the franchise. Eventually the Whigs would evolve into the Liberal Party while the Tories became the Conservative Party.

In 1830, the Whigs finally returned to power, with Grey as Prime Minister. His Ministry was a notable one, seeing passage of the Reform Act 1832, which finally saw the reform of the House of Commons, and the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833.

Grey eventually became more conservative however, and he avoided more far-reaching reforms. In 1834 Grey retired from public life.

Earl Grey tea is named after Grey who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic present, of tea flavored with bergamot oil. The legend reportedly involved a grateful Chinese mandarin whose son was rescued from drowning by one of Lord Grey's men, although this blend of tea was first made from fermented black Indian and "Ceylonese" (Sri Lankan) teas not found in China.

Since green tea is much more popular in China than black tea, it is improbable that they would have had a recipe for what we now call Earl Grey to bestow on visitors, though over the years many other varieties of tea have been used. In addition, Lord Grey never visited China.

A second version of the legend has the son of an Indian raja being rescued from a tiger by one of Grey's servants and expressed his gratitude through the gift of the newly flavored black tea.

The tea became a commercial favorite as many merchants realized the value and popularity of the flavored tea and began to market Earl Grey intensively. This marketing effort was aided by the tax reductions implemented by the British Government at the end of the prior century.

China and Tea

Many historians believe that tea was first introduced and cultivated in Yunnan Province (located in southwestern China and bordering on present day Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand) in a rich, lush area of jungle that was favorable to the growth of the tea bush.

What China added to the world of tea, however was an advanced society with an efficient bureaucracy that supported the spread of tea consumption in a methodical and rapid way. And, equally important, tea transition from a basic food to a valuable medicine under Chinese management.

By the third century AD in China the story of tea and its benefits were well known, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty (618 CE - 906 CE) that tea officially became China's national drink. During this time the word ch'a was used to describe tea.

Loose Leaf Tea vs. Tea Bags - What's the Difference?

There is a very real difference between loose leaf and specialty tea compared to tea made from tea bags.

Generally speaking, loose leaf tea is processed by the Prthodox Method that has been provedn to create quality tea throughour the ages. Using the Orthodox method, the whole leaf and bud structure can be maintained . It is almost universally agreed among tea entusiasts that the Orthodox Method prepares a more robust, flavorful tea drink.

Bagged tea, on the other hand uses the CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) method that is based upon machine processing of the whole leafs that results in small cut pieces that are called fannings and dust and create little flavor. Machine processing is required because the cost of packaging (the bag is an extra cost) which requires high volume processing in order to be price competitive. The result, however is a tea drink that is weak and watery in flavor.

Whole leaf teas are unable to be used in ordinary tea bags because the paper bag does not allow whole leaf expansion and infusion. Some whole leaf reas are marketed in silk bags that do allow expansion but are very expensive.

If you want whole leaf flavor and value - stay with loose leaf tea.

A Great Way to Find the Best Tea

There are a great number of specialty tea products on the market today and the loose leaf tea drinker is faced with many choices.

Often this can be time consuming, expensive and difficult.

Now however there is a tea sampler product that is cost effective, convenient and makes a unique gift for all occasions. Golden Moon Tea has created a sampler set that offers all of their 31 delicious teas in an attractive sampler package.

Each tea sampler makes one (1) cup of perfectly delicious tea.

It is an ideal way to enjoy the world of premium teas. It makes a perfect and unusual gift by itself or compliment it with beautiful teapots, Whole Leaf Brew-in-Mugs or other tea ware.

As we approach the holiday season, this set is an ideal gift set for the Holidays and special occasions .

For more details go to click here

How to Ruin a Nice Evening

How many times have you gone to a five star restaurant for a delicious meal with someone special or to celebrate a special occasion and had the enjoyment ruined by a bad cup of tea.?

It seems in America, no one knows how to brew a fine cup of tea. Usually you are presented with a tea box with a limited selection of bagged tea and then that sorry looking bag is slopped into a luke warm cup of water.

The end result is a terrible cup of tea and a disappointing evening.

Even the best restaurants use bagged tea and fail to steep the tea properly and a large amount of your money is wasted.

Now, when I make a reservation at a five star restaurant the first question is what type of tea do they prepare and how do they prepare it. I hang up on a lot of restaurants.