White Tea:
White tea is made from the tender buds and leaves of the tea plant. It is the least processed of all teas, and as with green tea, undergoes no oxidation. Unlike green tea, the leaves and buds are not rolled or shaped, but are sun-dried. Scientists have discovered that white tea has higher levels of anti-oxidants compared to any other type of tea. The Cultured Cup has 2 types of white tea:
- Yin Zhen : Made of only buds, Yin Zhen, which means " silver needles," is one of the most expensive teas in the world. When steeped in water, the tea buds rise and descend in the teapot as if dancing.
Steeping Instructions: Using 2-3 teaspoons per 6-8 oz. cup, steep in 185º F water for 15 minutes. NOTE: If you decant or separate the leaves from the brewed tea, you may re-steep the same leaves several additional times.
- Pai Mu Tan (white peony) : Less expensive compared to Yin Zhen, Pai Mu Tan contains buds and surrounding leaves.
Steeping Instructions: Using 2-3 teaspoons per 6-8 oz. cup, steep in 185º F water for 7 minutes. NOTE: You may re-steep the same leaves several times.
Green Tea:
Unlike white tea, green tea is made from tea leaves, but similar to white tea, green tea contains Vitamin C, high levels of anti-oxidants, and is not oxidized. Most green tea comes from China or Japan. There are two styles of processing green tea:
Chinese Processing: After a short withering process when the leaves release some of their moisture, the leaves are carefully heated in a wok to prevent oxidation from occurring. Leaves produced in this manner have a greenish-grey or greenish-brown color. Some wok fired green teas almost appear to be black!
Japanese Processing: Teas produced in this method have a vivid green color compared to the Chinese Processing method.
Steeping Instructions: In comparison to other categories of tea, green teas should be brewed a shorter amount of time and at a lower temperature. Use 1-1½ teaspoons per 6-8 oz. of water of 175º F water and brew between 2-3 minutes. If a green tea is bitter, you have steeped it too long, used too much tea, or used too hot water.
Common Chinese Green Teas:
- Mao Jian (available in store or by phone order)
- Lung Ching (dragon well) (longjing)
- Hyson
- Chun Mei (zhen Mei) (eyelid tea)
- Zu Cha (gunpowder pearl)
- Jasmine
Common Japanese Green Teas
- Sencha (steeped tea)
- Gyokuro (precious dew)
- Hojicha (toasted tea)
- Genmaicha (toasted rice tea)
- Kukicha (tea stems)
- Matcha (powdered tea) (available in store or by phone order)
Semi-Oxidized Tea (Oolong):
A semi-oxidized tea is in between a green and a black tea. Similar to green tea, semi-oxidized teas are withered, but unlike green tea, are allowed to oxidize, which dramatically changes the flavor of the tea. There are two distinct types of Oolongs.
Lightly to medium-oxidized Oolongs - visually, these oolongs look green or greenish brown and are typically composed of 2 or 3 leaves attached to a stem and then rolled into a ball or rolled lengthwise. Lightly oxidized teas have a floral aroma and flavor of orchids or lilacs. Medium oxidized oolongs have a buttery, shea butter flavor or can have a toasted flavor.
Examples of Lightly to Medium-Oxidized Oolongs:
- Pouchong (Bao Zhong) Lightly
- Tung Ting (cold high mountain) Medium
- Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) Medium
- Golden Mountain Oolong Medium
Highly-Oxidized Oolongs - visually, these teas appear to be black, and have been oxidized up to 70%. They have a coppery brown color and are mild and not astringent.
Examples of Highly-oxidized Oolongs:
Steeping Instructions: Oolong teas can be brewed in two distinctly different ways. The first method is relatively easy. Using 1-2 teaspoons of tea, steep 6-8 oz. of water in 195º F water about 5 minutes. Remove the leaves from the brewed tea and enjoy. The second method is called Gong Fu Style, or the Chinese Tea Ceremony, and is used to honor a special guest and is very labor intensive. .
Black Tea:
Other than Pu-Erh tea, black tea is the most oxidized of any tea category. It has 1/2 the caffeine compared to a cup of black coffee and, similar to all other categories of tea, has high levels of anti-oxidants. Black tea can be formed into a number of different shapes and sizes. It can be very broken, or can consist of whole, large leaves. Also, the shaping of the leaves results in a specific flavor profile. Leaves can be whole leaf, broken, twisted, rolled or compacted into a tea cake or brick. The variety is practically endless! Certain black teas also contain numerous silver or golden tips, which is a sign of quality and will result in a much higher price. In India, black teas such as Darjeeling and Assam often indicate the time of the year the leaves were picked. For example, a First Flush Darjeeling indicates the tea was picked in the Spring season and as a result will have specific flavor characteristics. Teas can also be picked in the Summer (Second Flush) and Autumn season (Third Flush) and in the Winter (Fourth Flush).
Steeping Instructions: All black teas should be brewed with just boiled water and steeping times within this category can vary from 2- 5 minutes. Typically, steeping times will vary depending upon the size of the leaf. For example, a very broken leaf tea will take less time to steep than a large leaf variety.
Common Indian Black Teas:
Darjeeling
Assam
Nilgiri
Common Sri Lankan Black Teas:
- Dibumla
- Galle
- Nuwara Eliya
- Ratnapura
Common Chinese Black Teas:
- Lapsang Souchong (smoked with pine boughs)
- Keemun
- Yunnan
- Lichee Tea (flavored with the juice from a lichee fruit)
- Rose Tea (flavored with rose petals)
Pu-Erh Tea:
Definition of: Although Pu-Erh tea can be made from a black or oolong tea, the best quality is made from a green tea and allowed to ferment and oxidize for a long period of time. What makes Pu-Erh different from any other category of tea is its unique fermentation process. What is the difference between oxidation and fermentation? Oxidation is the process that happens when an apple is cut open, and the white flesh begins turning brown. In the case of tea leaves, oxidation occurs when the just picked green tea leaves are allowed to sit until they lose some of their moisture. Then, the leaves are rolled so the cell walls in the leaves break and the liquid that is released inside the leaf turns from green to brown. Fermentation occurs when oxidized tea leaves are exposed to a damp environment and similar to what happens to aged cheese, beneficial fungi and bacteria produce heat and changes in the flavor profiles of the tea leaves. What results is an earthy flavor reminiscent of mushrooms or a mildly aged cheese.
Carefully aged Pu-Erh teas can be some of the most prized and expensive teas. In China, this tea is revered for its purported cholesterol lowering properties. Pu-Erh comes in two different forms:
- Loose leaf.
- The Cultured Cup carries both types of Pu-Erh in compressed tea cakes or bricks.
Steeping Instructions: Using 1-2 teaspoons of loose leaf Pu-Erh or 1 teaspoon of broken cake or brick Pu-Erh, place the tea in a teapot and pour boiling water over the leaves and after waiting 10 seconds, carefully pour and discard the liquid, while retaining the steeped tea leaves. This process is called rinsing the leaves and is common when preparing Pu-Erh tea. Next, pour 6-8 oz. of boiling water over the tea leaves, and allow them to steep between 2-3 minutes. If you have a second teapot, pour all the steeped tea into the second tea pot, while carefully keeping the steeped tea leaves in the first tea pot. Pu-Erh leaves can be steeped up to 3-5 times.
