Pot Luck Tea Company
Pot Luck Tea Company
BLACK TEA
This amber-hued variety has a deep, hearty taste. It
accounts for most of the tea Americans consume. To become black, the camellia
leaves are withered by exposure to air or heat, then rolled or broken so that
oxygen interacts with enzymes in the leaf. That begins the process of oxidation
or fermentation, which continues until the leaves are heated to stop it. The
leaves blacken as they oxidate.
Brewing: Black tea can stand up to boiling water and a
relatively long brewing time. About five minutes is recommended.
GREEN TEA
Low in caffeine, high in antioxidants and vitamin C, this
light grassy tea boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol and prevents
several types of cancer. Green tea is the virgin of tea manufacturing, the least
processed, the youngest, the freshest. The leaves are allowed to wither only
slightly after picking, and then are rolled and dried before they can oxidize.
Green teas have a light taste and subtle aroma.
Brewing: To brew green tea, hot but not boiling water is
poured over the leaves in a pot or small cup. Brewing time must be short,
usually two to three minutes. Boiling water destroys the gentle fragrance and
taste. To fully experience the pleasures of green tea, one must be open to its
fragrance, color and nuance of taste.
OOLONG
This semi-fermented tea (the leaves steam for three hours)
combines the aroma of black and green tea. Its flavor is smoother than black tea
but less grassy than green tea.
Brewing: It is best to steep oolongs in a small teapot
filled one-third to one-half with leaves, and the tea is steeped for between 10
seconds and a minute. To each successive steeping, add an additional five to
15-second increment of brewing time. The tea is then decanted into another pot
before being poured into cups. We recommend using our Yixing teapots, which are
highly fired clay from Yixing, China.
HERBALS
Herbal teas, infusions and tisanes, like chamomile and peppermint, are not teas. They are made from dried flowers, herbs and fruits, not tea leaves.
About 80 percent of the caffeine in tea is drawn in the first 30 seconds of steeping. To reduce caffeine in your tea, steep the leaves for 30 seconds and drain. Then pour heated water over the rinsed leaves and brew for three to five minutes.
Water
Water quality, water temperature, quantity of leaves, steeping duration and teaware all count. If possible, use non-chlorinated water for brewing tea. Chlorinated tap water destroys the flavor of tea.
Pot Luck Tea Company