Maurice from Amanzi Tea in China
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Greetings, Tea Students.
Put down your steaming cups of tea for one second and pay attention. The information I am about to impart unto you goes beyond telling you what a tea infuser is, or how green tea helps fight cancer. I don’t want you to spit your Lung Ching across the room in shock.
Are you ready?
What’s up, you guys? I’ve got up to the minute tea information for you! The other day, instead of my usual cup of organic oolong tea, I met up with some friends and we had a tea ceremony. We had a special green tea I’d never had before, called matcha tea. It was delicious and super healthy, and I knew you would want to know all about it.
Matcha green tea is a traditional tea from Japan. If you’re ever in Japan and involved in a formal tea ceremony, chances are you’re going to be served matcha. But it’s popular all over the world as well—it may be the most popular green tea on the market today.
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Hey you guys! As you know, I love tea. I love the smell of tea, the look of tea, and of course, I love the taste. Iced tea in the summer, hot tea in the winter, I’m never without a nice cup of tea, and a steaming teapot somewhere nearby. I’m a tea freak or something!
But hang on there—did you catch that I said I like the “look” of tea? Did you wonder that that meant? You should! Of course, I love the way tea leaves look before you throw them in the pot. They’re so…natural and crispy, and you can almost literally see how good they are for you! But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about how much I love looking at them AFTER you’ve made your tea. In fact, I have started checking into telling fortunes based on looking at tea leaves. Cool, huh?
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Part 5: Rooibos Tea
As you may know, on your path to Tea Enlightenment, I, Master Amanzi have offered you many tea tips. Most recently, I have been explaining about the different kinds of tea. I have told you about the four types of tea: white tea, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. Since these are actually made from tea leaves, technically, these are the only kinds of tea. But there are other tea-like beverages that are called tea. Since the Way of Tea is open to all, I will explain a bit about them as well. Today we shall talk about rooibos tea.
As I have said, rooibos tea, also called “red tea” or “redbush tea,” isn’t actually tea at all. Rooibos, (pronounced “roy-boss”), is Afrikaans for “red bush;” it’s made from the leaves of a legume bush that grows in South Africa. It is prepared just like tea and is thus considered a member of the tea family, but since it is not from Camellia Sinensis leaves, it could at best be considered a distant cousin.
Part 4: Black Tea
You have learned, along with my other students, about white tea, green tea, and oolong tea. Now I, the Master Amanzi, will further enlighten you to the many types of tea.
Black Tea, like the other teas mentioned above, is derived from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. It is the most common type of tea, and whether by coincidence or not, it has the strongest flavor and the most caffeine as well. This is because after the tea leaves are picked, they are then put through more processing than any of the other types of tea, and experience the most oxidation.
Part 3: Oolong Tea
Greetings Tea Lovers and Students of the Way of Tea.
I, Master Amanzi, prompted by one of my newest apprentices, have elected to briefly describe the differences between the different kinds of tea. While most have an understanding of the difference between iced tea and hot tea, or why to use loose tea rather than a tea bag, few understand the difference between a white tea and a black tea, for example.
I have already told you a bit about white tea and green tea. Today, let me explain to you a little bit about oolong tea.
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Part 2: Green Tea
As you may recall, I, Master Amanzi, have decided to help clear up some confusion about the different types of tea. As my once-exiled student pointed out to me, it is not clear the difference between green tea and oolong, or what exactly makes an herbal tea herbal (and not actually a tea at all—but we shall address that later.)
I have already explained to you about white tea, which is one of the more rare and expensive teas. Today, I shall impart a bit of knowledge unto you about green tea.
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Part 1: White Tea
Greetings Tea Lovers and Students of the Way of Tea.
The other day one of my young apprentices asked me the difference between white tea and black tea. It stunned me, the Tea Master Amanzi, for it seemed so elementary, and yet my student did not know! As he was escorted from the grounds for his ignorance, it occurred to me that perhaps there are others like him out there.
There are many types of tea. Like my young tea student, you might be confused. Words like “oolong” and “rooibos” mean little to you while words like “herbal” and “white” seem too vague. So I shall nudge you down your path to enlightenment by telling you more about the Basic Types of Tea.
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Hello my precious readers. Teato Flavio is here to wax poetic about the many, many things he loves. Sunsets. Beautiful Women. Wine and Roses. And tea, glorious organic tea.
For Teato, only organic tea will do. Some of you out there will take any cup of hot tea served to you, and it breaks Teato’s heart. Maybe some of you are enlightened enough to ask for loose leaf tea. And others of you may know how to brew tea right. Hopefully all of you don’t leave your tea bags in the pot for too long. But you’re still missing the clear, natural, elegant flavors of organic tea! Teato’s heart is aching for you.
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