TheTeaAvenue.com Blog

Yixing Teapot

2008-07-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Unglazed yixing teapot was first created in the 1500 which is called zisha or the purple sand. It was found to keep the tea hotter than porcelain teapots. This reddish brown or green yixing teapots have become very popular in Asian countries like China and Japan.

This unglazed teapot is thought to bring out the flavor of Chinese teas and indeed, tea fanatics still adore this lovely yixing teapot as of this day.

Let your new teapot get "seasoned". A new teapot needs a little time to acquire a lining which will give its own seasoned flavor to your tea. This is also the main reason why you should only brew the same type of tea on the same teapot all the time.

Yixing teapots are sometimes decorated with all sorts of shapes such as the lotus flower, narcissus, fruits, bamboo trunks and so on.

2008-07-14T14:57:00.001-07:00

In 1993, about 155 years after those first tea arrived in London, Assam's 2000 gardens produced a record 444,231.8 tons.

Today, tea is grown on both sides of the largest black tea-producing region which is the Brahmaputra Valley. This valley lies 120 miles east of Darjeeling and Borders of China, Burma, and Bangladesh.

The tea growing areas in this valley benefited from a very high rainfall about 79 to 118 inches per year. During this time of heavy rains, the temperature rises to approximately 103 degrees Farhenheit. This resembles a greenhouse effect. Because of this temperature which is a combination of humidity and heat arrives the finest varieties of tea in the world called Assam tea.

Assam tea has different categories namely first flush assam, second flush assam, assam blend, and assam green.

How To Clean A Teapot

2008-06-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

A teapot is one of your precious possessions so you want to take care of it properly. Your teapot should not be treated as one of your kitchenwares. This is because a teapot requires a different cleaning technique in order to ensure longevity.

Here are the steps to take in cleaning your teapot:

Never put your teapot in a dishwasher or a bowl of soapy water. The remaining soap residue may contaminate the tea thereby removing the flavor of the tea left in the teapot.
Pour away the tea, rinse with clean running water and turn upside down to drain.
Dry outside but not inside.

If you are using a glazed, silver or glass teapot, you are almost certain of a tannin residue. What you can do is to fill the teapot with a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda and boiling water. Soak it overnight, empty, rinse and dry it the next morning.

If you have an unglazed yixing teapot, keep in mind that this type of teapot is quite special. Never wash or clean the inside of yixing teapot. Yixing teapot will take a little time to settle into its use for a particular tea. The natural oils of the tea season the pot thereby intensifying the color and taste of the tea.

Drinking Instant Tea

2008-05-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Instant tea was made mainly for convenience that is, for people on the go! The only advantage of an instant tea is just that...convenience. The same way that coffee lovers would not drink instant coffee, a true tea connoisseur would not even touch an instant tea.

This is because the pleasure of drinking tea starts from the preparation, brewing the tea, smelling the aroma of a fresh brewed tea, the use of a seasoned teapot and the actual sipping of the tea from a teacup.

But just how an instant tea made? First, the tea leaves are infused to extract all the components that go to make a cup of tea. The liquid are then further treated to obtain a solid, dry product by either evaporation, freezing, or filtering.

Evaporation is done with the application of heat, freeze concentration is done by partly freezing the infusion and then separating the ice particles, and filtering by allowing the water to pass through and trap the solid.

The solids are then dried and packed into moisture-resistant packaging.

How Are Loose Tea Leaves Graded?

2008-05-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Loose tea has different levels of processing and the final step is the sorting or commonly called the grading of the tea leaf. As the loose tea particles emerge from the ovens or dryers, they then passed through a sifter with graduated mesh dividing them into different size pieces.

What most of us thought (and I was one of them before I found out about it) is that loose tea is classified according to its taste or quality. In actuality, loose tea is classified according to the appearance and type of the tea leaf.

However, the finest grades of a loose tea almost give the finest quality.

To simplify the grading of a loose tea, there are two main divisions: the leaf grade and the brokern grade. The leaf grades consist of the larger pieces that are left after the broken grades have been sifted out.

Although this is of less interest to many of us tea lovers, it is actually the most important part and the crucial stage in the tea processing of a loose tea.

This is because when brewing, the strength, flavor and color infuse from the leaf into the boiling water at different rates according to the loose tea leaf size. Indeed, the larger the tea leaf, the slower the rate of infusion. The right timing for infusion affects the final taste of the loose tea.

It is also important that loose tea leaves are of the same size when using to brew a pot of tea. If there are smaller pieces of loose tea, they will sink to the bottom and cause an imbalance in the carefully created blend.

Why Organic Teas?

2008-05-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Growing organic teas is extremely complicated and rigidly controlled. As with the word organic, the soil, fertilizers, pesticides as well as herbicides must only consists of compost, natural organic matter, dung, and plants and trees without the chemicals.

All of the above should provide the necessary nutrients, ground cover, and everything else that a plant requires.

An organic system produces good quality organic teas for a grwoing market of consumers who care for the environment and the long term health of the planet, as well as recognize and appreciate the fine quality and flavor of organic teas.

The purpose of organic estates are to produce an economically viable tea, protect the environment, and to achieve long term sustainability of soil fertility.

Authentic Japanese Cast Iron Teapot

2008-03-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the traditional Japanese cast iron teapots (tetsubin) are also called “tekki” in Japanese? The Nambu region of northern Japan is where the art of casting became very popular; thanks to the great craftsmen who contibuted these numerous pieces of artworks. Because of the beauty of these cast iron teapots they have been produced for centuries in Japan. There are also other products that were casted and produced such as wind chimes,sukiyaki pans and rivets; although teapots are nothing comparable to the other products because of its quality and artistry.

The Authentic cast iron is called Iwachu Nambu tetsubin tea pot. This beautiful old tea pot shows a traditional Nambu tetsubin design, with textured upper surface and artistically tapered handle. This tea pot was made by the Iwachu company (the name is stamped under the spout) which was known as Japan’s premier makers of traditional cast ironware. This old pot have been used during the earlier years in Japan and as of today it is in very poor condition with marks, scratches and rust on the entire inner and outer surfaces. This can no longer be used for heating water, tea or sake but will only serve as a display due to its poor condition. This wonderful piece of art antique cast iron tea pot dates from the early to mid Japanese Showa period (1926-1989) and was acquired in the historic city of Shizuoka, Japan near the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Tea and your Life Style

2008-03-06T09:25:00.001-08:00

There are more than a million of exciting tea wares that can suite your life style and fashion to choose from.

If you are sort of a classy type, there are glass ware tea cups and tea pots for you that will definitely will suite your tastes and if you are an antique fanatic, there are these Yixing Tea Pots just enough for your style.

There dozens of tea ornaments as well for you if your interest are on oriental design such as Japanese Iron Cast Tea Pots as well as the Hand painted Indian Tea Pots.

For whatever experience or looks you have there are about more than sufficient varieties available waiting for you to grab to try and collect. They are also great as displays and accent to your house whether from zen and oriental design or even up to contemporary and modern interior designs.

Tea drinking is not just about zipping a hot cup of your favorite blend but also the experience and escape from the usual toxic reality of your busy life.

Cleansing with Tea

2008-03-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Are you worrying about possibilities of having minor health problems and as well of course major health issues as you continue to maintain your life style, wrong eating habits and smoking? Well, while you still have time to worry about it right now and still don’t feel any symptoms or you are not being rushed in to the hospital and having the chance to read this blog, well then you still have a lot of chance to have it right this time.

There are plenty of ways to prevent all your worries varying from medicines, habit-changes, expensive health programs and many more. However, you are still in a predicament of starting and as you continue; the challenge of persisting with it is another thing. I believe as you continue to read through this post, I can give you a good way to start and as well as to continue and form a new health friendly habit.

Will you believe if I say drinking tea will resolve and prevent all your health concerns?

Yes, tea drinking can help you improve your health and what is much better is that it will help you detoxify and cleanse as you continue to maintain this very simple effort. Though, it doesn’t stop from there, it also help you on improving your brain function in general. Many proof that you can see from your book can help you understand and learn about how herbal teas can help improve and cleanse your body. Many research also shows that drinking tea makes beautiful changes from inside out.

Several tea blends that can help you such as Green Teas, Ayurvedic Herbal Teas, Wu Long Teas and Rooibos or Red Teas.

Now, stop and reflect. Is tea drinking a difficult thing to do and maintain to help you improve your health?

Tea for Thinker

2008-03-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

Some people makes several habits and practices to help them on their thinking process which is the most popular habits among the long lists are drinking coffee, smoking or even smoking while drinking coffee because a lot of them believes that it improves their focus and concentration while doing so as well as the mindset that coffee activates brain function specially during drowsy moments.

The sad part here is that, in the case of smoking, it doesn't really help you come up with very creative idea as science and medicine proves it due to the cardiovascular impact but what is highly recommendable after learning how to optimize your thinking process in times you want your best ideas and creativity come out is to learn about how tea is proven to help your brain function generally even more than caffeine does it. Even further more, tea generally improves memory function on your brain. Its not only limited to boost your brain capabilities but also promote calming your mind as well.

Herbal tea such as Gingko Tea, Green Tea, Shanti Ayurvedic Tea (which calms your mind) and many other tea blends available in the market today.

So why not try using tea to help you extract the best out of your mind and bring out that creativity in you.

Choosing The Right Teapot For Your Tea

2007-11-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Using the right type of teapot is an efficient way of brewing your favorite tea. A stainless or aluminum pot gives you an unpleasant taste which discourages people new to tea. To prevent that mistake and in order to truly appreciate your tea, choosing the right teapot should be your next priority after choosing the right tea. Brewing your tea in a yixing teapot, glass teapot , or cast iron tea pot is the perfect choice.

While cast iron teapots are popular in Japan and other Asian countries, the ceramic, porcelain, ceramic and glass teapots are the teapots of choice by the English and other countries. Cast iron teapots are favored because of its ability to retain heat. Whichever teapot you choose to brew your tea, the steps in making a perfect cup of tea are about the same although the water temperature (depending on the type of tea) and the cleaning process of the teapot are different.

Start with a cold fresh spring water. Using hot water to boil your tea will leave your tea tasting flat. Bring it to a rolling boil.

When the water reaches the proper temperature for brewing a particular tea, pour your cup with tea leaves already on it with hot water.

Why Is A Yixing Teapot So Popular?

2007-11-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

A yixing teapot is made of unglazed clay that they are found in the hilly areas around Yixing. The clay is made of kaolin, mica, quartz and iron oxide. The iron oxide is the one that gives this teapot a reddish color to the clay. The clay which is very porous when fired which makes it ideal for the making of teapots. One great asset of this clay is that it absorbs the flavor as well as the oils coming from the tea making it "seasoned" for your favorite tea. Because of this, it is advisable not to scrub your beautiful Yixing teapot when cleaning it but rather rinse it only with cold running water.

Yixing teapots comes in different colors and styles depending on your taste and lifestyle.

Yixing tea pot has been popular since the Song dynasty (960-1279) in China . In 1600, the tradesmen started spreading these teapots throughout Europe and Asia. And now, these teapots are found in the homes of every true tea connoisseur.

What is Oolong Tea?

2007-10-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

Oolong tea or sometimes referred to as wulong tea or wu long tea is a very powerful beverage when it comes to health benefits especially with weight loss. Tea provides an amazing health advantages on the human body, no wonder it is so popular in Asia. The secret ingredient is called polyphenols. These polyphenols are responsible for tea's amazing job such as prevention of all types of cancer, slows down the aging process, aids in weight loss, and a whole lot more. Green tea contains an ingredient called catechin while black tea has its own wonder agent, theaflavin. Oolong tea, on the other hand, has polyphenol. Research have shown that it is this polyphenol that provides the delicious flavor you can only find in oolong tea as well as the one responsible for beauty and health.

2007-10-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

Black tea is so popular, it accounts for about 80 percent of the tea drunk worldwide. Therefore, black tea should not be ignored because it does have some health value.

Studies have shown that there are some health benefits in drinking black tea such as disease protection.

Of course, the health benefits are not as much compared to drinking green tea because of the processing which destroys a good amount of polyphenols. We all know that polyphenols are the ones responsible for green tea's mighty powers.

Green Tea Vs. Black Tea

2007-10-18T02:38:00.000-07:00

As you know, green tea and black tea came from the same plant which is Camellia Sinensis. What differs one from another is the processing method, the soil and climate where it was grown.

The processing of green tea is so minimal retaining its original polyphenols. Hence, green tea contains the highest level of polyphenols.

Black tea, on the other hand, are allowed to oxidize and it undergoes an extensive processing which includes fermentation producing a dark brown or reddish color.

Consequently, this same process destroys the important compound called polyphenols which are present in the freshly plucked leaves.

Needless to say, despite of black tea's deep color and strong flavor, it is far less beneficial than its pale cousin, green tea.

Green Tea Supplements Or Iced Green Tea?

2007-10-18T02:28:00.000-07:00

Although drinking green tea delivers a wonderful experience, not everybody has the time to sit down and sip a cup of tea. If you are one of those people who are always on the go, there are some options.

First, you can have an iced green tea. Make enough brew and pour it in a tall pitcher and refrigerate. Now, every morning or the night before, pour some into another tall mug and hit the road. You can then drink it throughout the day. Green tea is great hot, cold or in between.

Another option is taking green tea supplements. When choosing this route, you want to look for a standard extract containing up to 97 percent polyphenols (with up to 67 percent of it being EGCG). The usual recommended dose if 300-400 mg daily.

Gingivitis - Green Tea To The Rescue!

2007-10-18T02:18:00.003-07:00

Gingivitis or commonly known as inflammation of the gums is the beginning stage of periodontal disease. This is a serious matter because once the damage is done, it is permanent.

With gingivitis, usually the symptoms are often get taken for granted because it is painless. Gingivitis is caused by bacteria and drinking green tea inhibits the same bacterial plaque that causes dental cavities.

Although green tea is most effective in its earlier stages just like any other conventional methods.

Fighting Cavities With Green Tea

2007-10-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Green tea has the ability to inhibit the growth of a bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans. This type of organism thrives on sugar causing a decay in the enamel of your teeth resulting to a what we call dental cavity.

Researchers have determined from their study by growing the bacteria on saliva coated discs that green tea's polyphenol has the ability to prevent bacteria from attaching themselves to teeth.

Green tea has powerful antioxidants but the most powerful of all is the EGCG.

Other than the benefit of green tea to prevent bacteria from adhering bacteria to the teeth, green tea has also the ability to strengthen a tooth's resistance to bacteria.

This is because green tea is a rich source of fluoride, calcium, phosphorus, and organic substances.

Green Tea And Diabetes

2007-10-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Green tea is said to have the ability to provide benefits for people with diabetes.

As you know, diabetes is a debilitating condition in which the body fails to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. In the study of diabetic animals, the polyphenols of green tea have proven to lower the blood sugar levels to normal.

In another report, it has shown to have insulin-like action in the body beside its function of helping promote the secretion of insulin.

Animal research have proven green tea to have a preventative as well as curative effect.

Can Tea Reduce Your Risk For Cancer?

2007-10-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Since 1987, pharmacologist Hasan Mukhtar, Ph. D., has presented evidence of green tea as an effective anticarcinogen. He has made experiments demonstrating a link between green tea and the reduction of tumors and cancer causing cells.

According to him, the polyphenols in green tea are the chemo-preventive agent responsible for it's anticancer qualit, one of the benefits of green tea.

The American Journal of Epidemiology reported that a study of 35,369 women linked regular green tea drinking with a lower risk of cancer such as upper digestive tract, colon, and rectum.

In the English study, results have shown that tea can combat tumors of the colon, liver, pancreas, and mammary glands.

Brewing Your Favorite Tea In A Teapot

2007-10-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

Teapots are an excellent way to brew your favorite tea. If you are a green tea fan, you should know that it should always be infused with a strainer or a tea ball. This is to ensure that the tea leaf will be able to unfurl easily opening up to its fullest flavor and distinct aroma.

If you are using a one-cup teapot, you need to pour in hot water and then cover with the lid to warm the pot. The same thing is done with a tea cup covering it with its saucer.

Next is you pour the water from the teapot and place the tea leaves inside while covering it with measured amounts of hot water.

Steep for thirty seconds and enjoy the full flavor and aroma of your tea.

What Can Green Tea Do For Osteoporosis?

2007-10-10T02:54:00.001-07:00

In order to prevent osteoporosis, you need to build a strong, dense, and healthy bones.

Bones are constantly remodeling themselves, as old bone is moved and new bone is deposited. Osteoporosis takes place when the removal of old bone happens too quickly than the arrival of new deposits.

One study has shown that the polyphenols in green tea can reduce the excessive reabsorption of old bone that can lead to bone loss.

Can Green Tea Help You Look Younger?

2007-10-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

You probably know by now that free radicals are what causes aging appearance. One primary source of free radicals is the sun's ultraviolet rays.

It is important to supplement your diet with antioxidants that fights free radicals. Green tea contains the powerful antioxidants such as the polyphenols which diffuses free radicals which is the ones to blame for wrinkles.

What happens during the attack of free radicals? They attack the collagen which is your skin's structural protein. Your skin then loses its elasticity resulting to wrinkles and other skin damage.

The antioxidants on green tea protect the skin from this horrible damage to your skin. Another important role of green tea's polyphenols is that it reduces the activity of collagenase which is an enzyme that breaks down collagen.

How To Reduce The Caffeine Content of Tea?

2007-10-08T17:52:00.001-07:00

First thing to remember when brewing your tea is that the shorter the brewing time is, the less caffeine content your tea will have.

If you infuse your tea leaves in hot water for three full minutes, it will produce a tea with a caffeine content of between 20 to 40 mg. However, if you leave the leaves for one full minute only, it would produce a cup with 40 to 100 mg of caffeine.

Another thing to consider is the size of the leaves. A teabag releases twice as much caffeine as the equivalent amount of whole leaves.

Do green tea drinkers really live longer?

2007-10-07T03:57:00.000-07:00

A study was conducted in Japan who followed the lives of 3,380 Japanese women age fifty or older for nine years who were all involved in Japanese tea ceremony.

These women were greater-than-average green tea drinkers due to the fact that green tea is an essential part of the Japanese tea ceremony.

It was then found out that fewer "hard core" green tea drinkers died based on the recorded deaths in this group between 1980 and 1988.

These researchers concluded that there is a possibility that green tea is a protective factor for several fatal diseases.