Continuing my informal guide to selecting tea—having gone through the caffeine/no-caffeine decision and having looked at low- and no-caffeine options (see New to Tea? Start Here)—we're now looking at the types of tea that come from one plant, Camellia sinensis. And asking whether you want white, green oolong, black, or fermented? And do you want … Continue reading New to Tea? Start Here (Part 2: White and Green Tea)
Malawi Antlers, a white tea, are delightful on multiple levels! The country of origin Malawi, a small landlocked country located in southeastern Africa, struggles. Most people farm, with agriculture primarily subsistence and cash crop. Their exports do include produce from small landholdings, as well as tea (primarily black tea) and tobacco from large estates. Within … Continue reading Malawi Antlers White Tea, a Delightful Rarity
Although few knew it at the time, a seismic shift took place when botanist Robert Fortune spirited high-quality tea plants out of China in the mid-1800s. Transplanting them into Himalayan soil, he opined that “a boon will have been conferred upon the people of India” if that country’s poor could be provided with an affordable tea, … Continue reading Nepali Teas Come into Their Own
Almost a thousand years ago, a Chinese emperor made white tea, whose frothy foam . . . was said to resemble the moon and stars. (Barnes 2014:18) Clearly, things have drastically changed because (1) when we want frothy tea, we're whisking matcha green tea rather than white tea, and (2) we expect our white tea … Continue reading What Is White Tea?
Continuing on our tour of Japan's tea gardens with Lisa of TeaHaus and Eat More Tea, we pass through beautiful mountains . . . to the Mandokoro tea garden, with tea plants that are 300—and maybe even 400—years old! This region (in Shiga Prefecture) has many small gardens that supply the garden owners and their families with … Continue reading Centuries-old tea plants yield first-class tea—but only for those who live nearby
Buckles have a long history in the United States. This delicious cake—filled with fruit and topped with streusel—was baked, and maybe even created, by the colonists. Its colorful name refers to the crinkling, or buckling, of the streusel topping as the cake bakes. While many fruits work well in buckles, blueberries are commonly used. For … Continue reading Blueberry Buckle Tea, an Autumn (calorie-free) Treat
Many things—when magnified—look amazing, and tea is no exception! This lovely tea is Strawberry Starfruit white tea, a lovely mixture of white tea, candied papaya cubes, freeze-dried starfruit and strawberry pieces, pink cornflowers—components you can clearly see! The other interesting thing about this tea is the white tea leaf base. The fuzzy, white-silver tips or … Continue reading What Is White Tea?
