Herbal Teas

Ceylon black tea, like other "true" tea types, come from the tea plant called Camellia sinensis. But what sets black tea apart from its cousins is the way it is processed.

Where green tea is steamed but never oxidized, and white and oolong teas are only partially oxidized, black tea undergoes full oxidation. After picking, the leaves of the tea plant are withered, rolled, and fermented for a number of hours before the black tea is finally dried and packed into different shapes and sizes.

This unique processing method actually accounts for the stronger and more flavorful taste of Ceylon black tea. The way Ceylon Black Tea is packed is also another reason why its flavor is longer-lasting, making them excellent products for export and shipping.

There are several varieties of black tea. The main difference is in the places or regions where the tea plants are grown. Like wine regions in France, Australia, and California, black tea that come from one region has slight characteristic differences from black tea grown in other regions. Because of this, black tea types are often named after the name of their growing region in order to make it easier to identify them by association.

One important type of back tea is Ceylon Black Tea, grown on an island of the same name in Sri Lanka where extreme climate and rough physical nature of the countryside play an important role in its characteristic taste.

Before Ceylon was ever a tea growing region, it was first a coffee region. Coffee planting in Sri Lanka started around the 1800s, roughly three centuries after the Portuguese first landed in search of spices. In 1837, Sri Lanka recorded a historic 4,000 acres of coffee on the island of Ceylon alone, prompting coffee trade and export in the then British colony. However, nearly forty years later, coffee planting in Sri Lanka suffered a huge setback from which they were never able to recover.

It was in the beginning of 1865 when coffee planters of Ceylon noted a leaf fungus appearing that caused the leaf to die and drop off - the dreaded Hemileia vastatrix or "Devastating Emily." For a time, planters planted at a faster rate to overcome it, to no avail. By 1867, planters began looking at tea and planted them at fields, rather than at trials. The reversal was dramatic, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, himself, wrote in his De Profundis:

"Those were the royal days of coffee planting in Ceylon, before a single season and a rotting fungus drove a whole community through years of despair to one of the greatest commercial victories which pluck and ingenuity ever won. Not often is it that men have heart when their one great industry is withered, to rear up in a few years another as rich to take its place, and the tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo."

The first Ceylon black tea that was produced in the 1860s was literally rolled by hand or arm, on bungalow verandah floors, or on tables and then fired over charcoal fires. The resultant Ceylon black tea was a fruity, full-bodied beverage with a slightly smoky taste.

Today, Ceylon black tea leaves are processed using developing machines, but quite a few are still made the old-fashioned way.

For the best, try  Organic Ceylon Tea

 

Tea has long been part of the Chinese culture.  For the Chinese, tea is one of the seven necessities to begin a day. 

Well, China is obviously the homeland of tea.  According to some Chinese tea history resources, it was in the southwest part of the country that the tea was first found.

Legend has it that the God of Agriculture (GoA) was said to be the one who found the tea.  He was one of the prehistoric representatives of Chinese people.   It was stated in the GoA's Book of Herbs that GoA personally tasted hundreds of herbs.  In a single day, he was hit by 72 poisons.  But, he discovered the tea tree and used the tea leaves to neutralize all poisons.   For many people, this is probably the earliest record of tea among the Chinese.

The Evolution

As often noted in some Chinese tea history resources, the Chinese tea has been around for thousands of years, approximately 4,000 years.  It was first discovered and used as a medicine, and then it evolved into a beverage, and later became a major part of the Chinese culture.

Chinese Tea's Infancy

Prior to 8^th century B.C., the Chinese tea was used primarily as a medicine.  Chinese tea history books noted that during the Chun Qiu Period (770 BC - 476 BC), the Chinese people chewed tea leaves and enjoyed the taste of tea juicy itself.

Tea Evolved into Food and Beverage

From the 8^th century onwards, the Chinese realized that the tea can be used as food and beverage.  So, they started to cook tea like a soup.  The tea leaves were eaten along with the soup.  The Chinese teas were even blended with food.  Ancient Chinese tea history books documented that the tea during that time was even eaten and used with other spices for cooking.

Then, During the Qin, Han Dynasty (221 BC - 8 AD), simple processing of the Chinese tea began.  It was further documented in some of the Chinese tea history books that the tea leaves were that time pressed into ball shapes, dried and stored.  When served, the tea balls are crushed and mixed with green onion, ginger and other spices, and then blended in teapots.  Note that this is actually the point where the Chinese tea turned from a medicine into a beverage.  This period also marked the beginning of Chinese tea being used to treat guests.

As Part of the Chinese Culture

During the Jin Dynasty and Nan Bei Zhao (265 AD - 589 AD), the Chinese tea evolved from a palace treat to a common beverage.  Later, during the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), tea trading had become extremely busy.  Lots of famous teas were then developed.

According to some Chinese tea history books, the tea was processed and circulated in the form of tea cakes in the Tang era.  People started to get serious about making tea, and specialized tea tools emerged and tea books were published.   The art of Chinese tea then started to take shape.

In the dawn of Song Dynasty, the tea was kept in the shape of balls and cakes.  When served, it was crushed and boiled with seasoning material.  However, as the drinkers became more particular, they paid more respect to the original color, taste and shape of the leaves.  Seasoning then faded out and loose leaf tea began to take the center stage.

From the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) onward, the tea completed the process of moving from boiling to brewing.  And, after Ming Dynasty, numerous types were invented.  From then on, the art of Chinese tea has been  perfected continuously, until today.

 

Generally, Chinese white teas are considered to be the rare in China.  They are rare in China since most of the white tea is exported.  Well, for long years, the Chinese tea drinkers have been hip to white tea's benefits, until recently it was virtually unknown outside of Asia.  But, not anymore because today, everyone from chefs to medical researchers is praising the delicate flavor and purported health benefits of the Chinese white tea.
 
But what really is Chinese white tea?

Chinese white tea is sometimes considered as a subclass of green tea.   It is slightly fermented with its body covered with fluffy white hair.  It is usually harvested in the cold of earliest spring when tea bushes have just shed their protective scales on the tips of their branches to show to the world their fuzzy white down on the leaf buds.

These delicate buds are among the most carefully plucked and processed of all teas.   The buds, as well as the first few unfurling leaves are not allowed to oxidize whatsoever.  What happens is that immediately after picking, the buds are naturally dried in sunlight or inside under low heat in a very well-ventilated structure.

Unlike the oolong, black and pu-erh teas which undergo cellular oxidization to develop fragrance, color and flavor, most Chinese white teas are formulated with the absence of such processing step.  This then results in a beverage whose taste is closest to fresh leaves from the tea bush.

Classifications of Chinese White Tea

Just like the other varieties of Chinese tea, white tea is divided into different types.  To mention, there are the Silver Tip white tea and White peony tea as two of the most commonly well-known varieties.  Let's take a look at each of them:
 

• Silver Tip White Tea - This variety of Chinese white tea is produced at Fuding and Zhenghe areas in Fujian province.  Many tea drinkers consider this as a top grade white tea.  In the processing, the single buds are plucked right when they fully develop and are ready to open.  The beautifully acerose buds are covered with silvery hairs, hence the tea named "silver tip white tea".    Also, this Chinese white tea is taken as "the beauty" in teas. 
  
  Many tea lovers also describe this tea as "white like cloud, green like dream, pure like snow, aromatic like orchid".   And, as commonly noted, every bud stands in the cup upright just like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, when infusing.

• White Peony Tea - Also known as "Pai Mu Dan", this Chinese white tea variety is made from the buds and leaves that remain after the famous silver tip white tea has been harvested.  This is sweet and mild, yet very full-bodied.  Also, the cup color is darker and the aroma is bolder.  Its natural sweetness clearly determines the close relationship to the silver tip white tea.
  

• Gong Mei - This is the third grade of Chinese white tea.  The production of this tea uses leaves from the Xiao Bai or Small White tea trees.
  

• Shou Mei - This is a fruity furry Chinese white tea that is a chaotic blend of tips and upper leaf.  According to some Chinese tea drinkers, Shou Mei has a stronger flavor than other white teas, similar to oolong.  Also, it is the fourth grade of white tea and is plucked later than the White Peony, hence the tea may be darker in color.
  

Today, these varieties have reached America and many market researches predict that consumers will soon share their enthusiasm, turning the Chinese white tea into one of the hottest new food trends.