Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Kukicha and health


I've never been big on the whole 'New Year's Resolution' thing, since it only seems to stick for a few months, if not weeks. But if you are trying to be healthier in the coming year, why not drink more tea? 

The health benefits of tea have been touted for hundreds of years, and the topic has seem to become more popular in Western society in the last 20 years or so.  All teas made from the Camellia sinensis plant contain antioxidants, and if you pick up any bottled tea these days (even if it is sweetened with artificial sweeteners), you will notice that the manufacturer is proud of their tea's healthy benefits.

I have recently started drinking Kukicha, which is Japanese twig tea.  I always assumed this tea was difficult to find, but then I noticed PC drinking some in the office. Turns out he found it at our local health food store and it is manufactured by Choice Organic Teas. 

Twig tea is Japanese Kukicha tea.  Kukicha is a traditional tea made from collecting the stems and twigs of the tea plant, and not the leaves.  These are then aged and roasted. This tea is very low in caffeine since it does not use any tea leaves! Kukicha was originally made as a peasant drink, because the tea farmers would be left with the twigs and stems after selling off the leaves and buds.

I had a strange experience when I first tried this tea. When I smelled it, I was immediately transported to a childhood memory of drinking tea in a Chinese restaurant while waiting for wonton soup. It has a sweet, woody smell that for some reason reminds me of whatever we were given at our local Chinese restaurant.  I don't know what we were given then (I'm guessing it was an ancient bag of Oolong), but this tea is really bringing me back. 

The tea has a very mellow, nutty taste, very different from the strong, sweet aroma.  It is of course woody, but also smooth and light.  It is a great tea to drink all day long, and it's gentle taste would pair well with all different types of foods. I prefer to drink it after a meal, as the sweet aroma is relaxing and feels very dessert-like.

Through some research I have learned that Kukicha is the tea of choice for those that follow a macrobiotic diet. Macrobiotics founder George Ohsawa introduced kukicha to the West forty years ago. The tea supposedly balances the acidity levels in the body, which can help to prevent disease. Kukicha is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

I drink tea because I enjoy the whole experience, but it's nice to know that there may be many health benefits as well!  So if you are looking to boost your health benefits this coming year, drink more tea!  Kukicha is a great choice for health, but there are so many different varieties of tea out there, why not just pick up something that looks interesting to you and give it a try.  You could be off on your own tea adventure!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Fun with matcha

There is so much to learn about green tea,  and now it is time to focus on matcha.  Matcha is a powdered green tea traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony.  Matcha is made from leaves grown only in Japan.  It may actually be even healthier than brewing loose leaves, because you are drinking the actual ground up tea leaves!  I imagine that means there is more caffiene, too. There are many grades of matcha, from food grade up to the ceremonial grades. There are two main differences in matcha, 'thick' and 'thin'. Thin matcha is called usucha.  Thin matcha is more common than the thick version, and actually has a stronger, astringent flavor. Thick matcha, koicha, is grown from tea plants that are at least thirty five years old! It has a milder taste, so more of the powder is used, giving it a thicker consistency.  Koicha is usually more expensive.

photo from greenteagourmet.com
I am trying to learn more about how to prepare matcha the authentic way. I don't yet have a chawan (tea bowl), whisk, or the other necessary accoutrements.  They are easy enough to find, but I thought I should learn a little more about the methods before jumping in and buying lots of things.  In my research I came across a bunch of YouTube videos that are easy to follow, and very helpful.  My favorite videos are with two young men, Griff and Matt.  Based solely on appearance, they are the most unlikeliest of tea drinkers. On first glance I thought that they were going to do some sort of SNL skit.  But they really know their stuff!! I feel guilty for misjudging them.  See for yourself, they have a whole channel dedicated to green tea! Their channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheArtOfGreenTea.

My matcha research has also led me to lots of beautiful chawan (chawans?), on etsy.com.  I cannot choose one! They are all so lovely!!

Tea and shopping. What could be better!! Once I have the proper tools, I will share my matcha experience.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Best. Tea strainer. Ever.

I picked this up today at the Pylones store in Grand Central Station.  It is just the cutest little tea strainer I've ever seen!!  Major Tea Happiness!!!!

Monday, December 13, 2010

A unique Oolong

I seem to be on an oolong kick lately, which is not a bad thing!  As I mentioned in my last post, there are so many different varieties of Oolong, a tea drinker can never get bored! Oolongs typically hail from specific regions of Southern China and Taiwan, but an estate has popped up in a most unusual place, New Zealand! In  in the North Island’s Waikato region, to be exact.

New Zealander Tzu Chen believed that NZ's climate and soil would be perfect for growing tea plants.  Working with his son Vincent, he imported plant seedlings from Taiwan, and along with extensive research and passion, he created two Zealong tea plantations. They hand picked their staff from Taiwan's tea growing regions, and grew their company.  Zealong prides themselves on the highest standards of tea growing and processing.  I could taste their passion in their Pure Oolong tea!

Zealong produces three types of oolong, Pure, Aromatic, and Dark.  I chose the Pure, because the leaves are unroasted, and I wanted to experience the natural tea flavor. This Oolong is on the green tea end of the spectrum. 


With two young children, weekends are usually hectic around my house.  It was a particularly busy weekend for me because both kids have been sick, and were still stuffed up and cranky.  A perfect afternoon to try a delicious new tea, and give myself a few minutes of relaxation.  Out of the package the tea has a lovely light floral scent.  Not very strong, but immensely pleasing.  I steeped the tea according to the directions, using the correct amount of tea, and freshly boiled (but not boiling) water.  This resulted in a beautiful bright yellow/green liquid that had a light sweet smell. The taste is best described as light, yet full of flavor at the same time.  The tea has a rich green vegetal body, that  felt buttery on the tongue.  Floral and sweet notes come through as well. Even though the leaves are unroasted, there was a slight oolong toasty/tanginess at the end. It is a delicious cup of tea that helped relax me on a hectic day.  I did a second steep of the leaves, and the flavor was less delicate, the gentle floral notes were gone. It was stronger this time, with a toastier flavor, definitely more 'oolong-like'.  This is a tea that can take a few more infusions, but I did not have the opportunity to steep the leaves further. I will definitely try next time.

I look forward to my next New Zealand tea experience!

Zealong Pure tea ***** 5 stars

Friday, December 10, 2010

Oolong tea tidbits, and a vintage Winter Tea

It feels like I have just scratched the surface of my experience with Oolong tea.  It's no wonder since there are hundreds of types of Oolongs with differing combinations of harvest season, region, and tea bush varietals. It's even more amazing considering the growing regions are restricted to China’s Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, and Taiwan (I have recently discovered that there is one estate in New Zealand that is growing Oolong! But that is for an upcoming post!).  I have tasted different varieties and qualities of Oolong, but I do not yet know how to taste the difference in harvests (something I am starting to understand with Darjeeling). 

Oolongs are semi-oxidized teas, so they are basically between green and black tea. As you can imagine, the length of oxidation greatly changes the taste. I've had oolongs that are dark and strong, similar to a black tea, and others that are gentle and vegetal, more like a green tea. There are nuances to each variety of oolong tea, making each cup a completely different expereince. 

A few weeks ago Mr. AP handed me a few ounces of Winter Tea from Ten Ren.  Founded in Taiwan, Ten Ren distributes Chinese tea. This is a green oolong tea that Ten Ren sells every year after the winter harvest.  According to Ten Ren, winter is one of the best seasons for high quality oolong.  AP didn't care for this tea, saying the aroma was too pungent and strong, and permeated his entire kitchen.  The thing is, he kept the tea for about three years in his cupboard before deciding it was time to give it to someone that would enjoy it.  It was an expensive tea, so he didn't want to throw it away.  Lucky for me that he kept it!  I do not know how the flavors have changed over time, since the tea is not exactly fresh.  But it was sitting in an opaque bag, within two plastic bags.  It wasn't exposed to much light, so that is a good thing. Still, I don't know how different this tea would taste if it was fresh. 

I steeped the tea for about 5 minutes, and it produced a bright yellow liquid.  It created a sweet aroma reminicient of honey and flowers.  There is also a slight vegetal smell.  The taste starts out with an herbacious/green flavor then becomes smooth, with honey and a dominant floral taste.  There is a slightly nutty, smokey flavor towards the end. It is also noticably astringent, which makes me wonder if I oversteeped it.  A beautifully subtle floral yet smokey taste lingers. This reminds me of other high end oolongs I've had before, but a bit lighter, and not as robust.

This oolong will definitely hold up to multiple steeps.  So far I have steeped it twice, and the flavor is becoming more floral, and less bitter.  The honey note is also disappearing.  It is now light and refreshing. I can't compare this tea to a fresh Winter Tea batch, but I am glad that I was able to sample it.  Even with a few years of age, there is a lovely oolong flavor to this tea.

There is so much to learn about oolongs, including different methods of preparing the tea.  As I continue to learn, I will share my experiences. 



Thursday, December 9, 2010

Choice Organic Teas Darjeeling

Darjeeling is one of my favorite teas, so whenever I see a brand I haven't tried before, I usually pick it up.  This particular Darjeeling is part of the 'Whole Leaf Organics' line from Choice Organic Teas.  I really do love what this company stands for- all of their products are organic, and Fair Trade Certified. In fact I just learned from the box that they were the first brand in the U.S. to offer Fair Trade Certified tea. They even put the teabags in a box made from 100% recycled materials. What's not to like about that?

Pyramid infuser with tea
Each tea bag is a 'pyrmaid infuser'. This tea bag shape seems to be gaining popularity, as I've seen it offered from all sorts of brands from high end to low. It is a good way to let the tea breathe a little bit, and spread out. Inside this 'infuser' is an appropriate portion of small broken tea leaves.  The leaves have a lovely sweet floral scent. I steeped the tea for the 4 minutes recommended on the box. The tea has a faint floral fragrance, along with a hint of that Darjeeling muscatel.  These aromas translate to the taste of the tea, but they are much weaker. There is a bitterness that dominates, pushing the other flavors to the background. It is a convenient bagged tea to keep around the office, and fine for every day drinking.  It is a strong tea, which I definitely need in the morning hours.  I don't think I will be adding it to my favorite Darjeelings, but it will definitely stay on the shelf for further use.

Choice Organics Estate Blend Darjeeling **1/2-- 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

White Tea Love

 It has been a very hectic few days, and I'm grateful to find a few minutes to try a new tea. To continue my education in white teas, I picked up a White Peony by Rishi from the local health food store for $6.69. White tea is minimally processed, usually using silver buds and leaves that are steamed and dried. The result is a tea that is low in caffeine with a mild flavor. The White Peony variety is the second highest grade of white tea, with Silver Needle being the first.  I enjoyed the White Peony we had at Radiance (and wasn't too keen on the Silver Needle at Wegmans), so I thought I'd give Rishi's White Peony a try. It is a bit different in flavor than what we were served at the tea house, but I was not disappointed.
The large leaves have a beautiful honey aroma that also came through after steeping.  I could smell another slightly woody/nutty flavor, but couldn't identify it until I read the package "Pure White  Tea with accents of toasted chestnut and honey".  Oh of course, it's chestnut! There was also a light vegetal scent.

The flavor is very similar to the aroma- a smooth honey taste, along with toasty chestnut, with a light vegetal aftertaste.  Almost like green tea, but lighter and sweeter. It is soothing and refreshing at the same time.  I like the fact that it has a very low caffeine content, so I can drink it later in the afternoon, and not worry about disrupting my nighttime rest.
This tea is perfect for today.  It warmed me up, and calmed my frazzled nerves. 
If anyone has any white teas to recommend that I should try next, please let me know!  I am quickly becoming a fan of white tea.

Rishi Organic White Peony Tea  **** 4 out of 5 stars