What is black tea – the tea that we drink most of the time? In the 17 century in England, tea was imported from China by sea. As the leaves were stored below the water line, the atmosphere was humid, black and warm. After several months of travel, the tea leaves had fermented and became […]
Christmas Teas: which teas should I choose? No Christmas would be complete without some good Christmas teas to enjoy, no matter how many glasses of wine, champagne or liqueurs are drunk. In fact, several cups could quite conceivably be drunk so which should you choose at the various stages of this special day? Waking up […]
Introduction to Yunnan Tea: from Yunnan province, south-west China Yunnan is a region having a border with Laos and Burma, extending north towards the Himalayas. This borderland is a craggy, mountainous area of thick jungle. It is considered the birthplace of tea with native tea trees growing wild – some reputed to be as much […]
Herbal teas and their health benefits: their qualities listed. Why drink Herbal teas? Despite the enormous variety of black, green, oolong and white teas available from many celebrated tea growing areas, the long acknowledged health benefits of herbal teas have become more widely appreciated. Many of these have distinctive and attractive tastes and aromas which […]
Of course, your poll results must have been correct! We have long run a tea poll on various tea-related issues. These polls are sometimes run with the intention of better understanding the needs of loose leaf tea enthusiasts and those who enjoy single-origin teas. Sometimes we just want to offer a bit of entertainment once […]
Serving tea: loose leaf tips for tea rooms When serving tea it is important to follow a few points to ensure that your good loose leaf tea is given due justice in its preparation. Too often tea can be disappointing when drunk away from home and so we have noted these points – which may […]
Discover more about Grey’s Monument, Earl Grey and the tea Grey’s Monument in Newcastle was built in 1838 and celebrates the passing of the Great Reform Bill by Charles, second Earl Grey, Prime Minister, in 1832. He had the famous tea named in his honour. Today, Earl Grey tea is the most famous blend but […]
Tea Clippers: Not beaten for speed until air-freight. In the 1850’s there was huge competition to build ever leaner and faster tea clippers to bring the harvest from China to Europe and north America. This was epitomised by the Champion of the Seas which in 1854 sailed 465 miles in one day – a feat […]
Darjeeling Tea History: from 1859 The name Darjeeling (Dorje ling) is derived from the Tibetan name, \’Land of the Thunderbolt\’ due to its close proximity to the peaks of Kachenjunga. From around Darjeeling comes one of the most famous teas in the world, celebrated for its muscatel character which makes it highly sought-after as an afternoon […]
New Tea Growing Areas of the World: from lesser-known producers of good tea. Arunachal Pradesh, India Tea is famously grown in China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka, but what of all those new tea growing areas, especially in the Far East – are they any good? Essentially tea requires warmth, high humidity, high rainfall and acidic, […]
