Tag Archives: drinking tea

Tea for December: Week 3

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It’s been a challenging week, but tea has been my companion. At the beginning of the month, I wondered if I would be able to stay interested for 31 days. The more I learn, the more curious I am. This little challenge will stick with me for a long time.

Little tea factoid of the week

Tea is like wine: there are many different cultivars (cultivated varieties) and teas taste different when grown in different soils and in different weather. Like wine, teas that grow in challenging environments gain interesting flavors; many famous growing regions in China, India, and Taiwan are over a mile in elevation.

Unlike wine, tea can be picked multiple times per year. Darjeeling autumn crescendo is the fourth and final picking of the year. For various teas, there are spring pickings, summer pickings, monsoon pickings, and winter pickings. Some teas are made only from specific leaves; Pai Mu Tan white tea is made with the bud and the first two leaves. Some premium teas are even more selective.

With all these variables, there are many ways to make a tea. 31 days starts to seem like not so many days to fill.

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Tea for December: Week 2

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The tea consumption continues! This weekend I went to the shop and got adventurous. It’s going to be a flavorful December! Some days I revisit an old stand-by, some days I try something brand new. Every day I learn something new about tea. This week, I tried straight Assam tea for the first time, and had my first Taiwanese and Thai teas.

Little tea factoid of the week

Tea all comes from the camellia sinensis plant. There are two subspecies: var. sinensis and var. assamica. Sinensis is the Chinese version that has been cultivated in China for many centuries. Assamica was first globally known in 1823, found in eastern India.

Before the discovery of Assam tea, China supplied Britain with tea. Britain really wanted tea, but China only wanted silver bullion in return. Britain began introducing opium to China to create demand for a product more easy to produce than bullion. Between 1821 and 1837, British delivery of opium increased fivefold. During this time, Britain also began extensive tea plantations in India. Britain got their tea fix and China went on to suffer the Opium Wars.

Today, Assam tea is still grown in the Assam region of India. It’s maltier in flavor, and if you’ve had English Breakfast tea, you’ve probably had a blend with some Assam tea. I don’t drink my tea with milk, but Assam tea is supposed to be especially good with it.

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Tea for December: Week 1

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It’s been an exciting week of teas. Someone said my project sounded like an advent calendar, so I decided I could make that work. I’ll continue to fill it out as the month proceeds. I’ve been posting my drink every day on Twitter; you can find my feed on the right side of my home page.

Little Tea factoid of the week

Do you know what oolong tea is? Oolong tea is partially-oxidized tea. When you leave an apple on a table and it turns brown, that’s oxidation. Green tea is unoxidized, and black tea is fully oxidized. (The oxidation process is fancier than letting it sit out, but that’s the basic chemistry.) Oolong is the tea in between. There are green oolongs (less oxidized) and black oolongs (more oxidized). Above all else, oolongs are delicious.

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Tea for December

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I love tea. Even in elementary school I began the day with tea; when I was little I drank herbal and eventually I transitioned to true-blue camellia sinensis. Today I drink about 3 liters of tea every day. It starts and ends and fills my day with joy. When my stomach was upset, when I was on a restricted medical diet—tea was there. On my desk right now I have a Darjeeling 2nd Flush black tea and a sweet Genmaicha green tea (green tea with roasted rice in it). I am drinking English breakfast tea with rose that I brought from home.

Only recently did I seek to learn more about tea. I knew I liked black teas and smoky green teas and, with that constraint, I’d go to the tea shop, sniff around (literally), and pick out some winners. I realized that, other than the flavor, I didn’t know anything about the teas I was drinking. What made them different? Could I find more teas that I would love if I could understand my tastes better? I bought a copy of Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties, from which I learned about where tea is grown, what kinds of tea each country grows, and how they differ.

As with everything, I get into habits with my tea drinking. Lately, I drink English breakfast tea (EBT!) with rose most mornings. For a strong treat, I drink New Vithanakande Ceylon black tea. For a fancy treat, I drink Yunnan Golden Buds black tea. For a mellow treat, I drink Tie Guan Yin Oolang tea. My local tea shop, New Mexico Tea Company, is wonderful.

So this December I plan to drink a different tea every day. December is a wonderful time to drink warm drinks. Tea is a calorie-free treat in a season filled with pies and cookies and roasts. And tea is delicious and it’s a good way to try new things.

Suggestions (especially of fancy blacks) and fellow tea drinkers are welcome! Happy drinking!