Here’s a great resolution to start the New Year – explore more of the world of tea. That’s a simple and easy enough commitment for just about anyone to make. Here at American Tea Room we encourage you to do just that – by making our incredible and award winning Taiwanese Oolong even more desirable and less expensive.
There are more than 2000 different teas grown in diverse regions throughout the world. As a tea aficionado you might already know that all tea comes from the same plant – the same leaf – camellia sinensis. Just like wine is made from a single botanical (in that case grapes) it’s the climate, the soil, the environment and processing that make each tea unique. Even teas grown under the same conditions and in the same micro climate can be radically different in appearance and taste solely by means of processing.
The most intensive tea to process is Oolong. Often considered “the tea drinkers tea” Oolongs are the artisanal apex of tea making. Some teas are born into the aristocracy of tea: Silver Needles, Darjeeling, Golden Yunnan, Aged Pu Ers. Others teas rise in seasonality and flavor appearing for just a few short weeks like Shincha (early Spring) teas from Japan and Pre-Rain Long Jing from China. The quality of these rare teas makes these teas stand on their own. But some teas need a little more human help–and that is where you find the Oolongs.
Oolongs are really the bridge between green and black tea. The range of taste and flavors is extraordinary: from almost frothy green and light (Bao Zhong) to darker and more robust (Oriental Beauty). While green teas are treated with heat to prevent further fermentation and black teas are let to ferment fully – Oolongs span the spectrum between the two.
No tea is more complicated to produce than an Oolong. The finest Oolongs are grown in the high altitude regions of Taiwan and China. After harvesting the leaves are left to wither in the sun for a few hours and then placed in the shade to cool. The leaves are then placed in a room where there is a constant temperature between 72-77 F and more importantly an 85% level of humidity at which time the leaves are stirred quite vigorously to release the aromas and help facilitate evaporation. The leaves are then roasted which allows the tea enzymes’ reaction to be halted – similar to producing green tea. Finally the leaves are rolled, twisted or shaped into nugget like pearls. Each of these steps is carefully monitored and all done by hand — a true artisan craftsmanship.
So whether you prefer your tea light and green or a bit heavier and darker there is an Oolong for you. The processing of Oolongs naturally removes most of the caffeine, so Oolongs are naturally light on caffeine, less than virtually any tea. This makes Oolongs the perfect afternoon tea or great for after dinner. And now for a limited time American Tea Room makes our artisanal Taiwanese Oolongs so affordable you can try them all and decide which your favorite is.
If you’re like me, or the rest of America for that matter, the holiday season can be lots of fun…but it can also be stressful and exhausting. What’s a tea drinker to do during this blitz of festivities to help reduce stress, stay invigorated AND boost your immune system? The answer is surprisingly simple: MATCHA, the powdered Japanese Green tea.
Matcha is amazing and really there is no tea that is healthier for you. Matcha is made by grounding tea leaves into powder. It is truly an art form, and like all art forms some are much more successful and better than others. No tea on earth, no naturally occurring product has more antioxidants than Matcha and that in and of itself might be reason alone to consume this wonderful brew.
Matcha has been around for centuries. Matcha was originally created during the Tang Dynasty in China in the 7th century. Matcha was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks in the 12th Century. Matcha was slowly forgotten in China. However in Japan matcha became the central element in rituals performed by Zen monks which eventually elevated into the Japanese Tea Ceremony. History alone might be reason enough to drink matcha.
Recently researchers have been focused on the health benefits of tea, and specifically green tea. The Japanese live longer than any other people on earth. Reasoning that Japanese tea drinkers drink primarily green tea no doubt encouraged much investigation.
Matcha is a concentrated powdered form of tea leaves. One serving of matcha is basically equivalent to 10 cups of green tea. But matcha has more to offer than just concentrated amount of antioxidants – matcha is the only tea that contains fiber. When you are drinking matcha you are actually ingesting ground leaves – and all the mega-nutrition that entails. Fiber helps the body reduce inflammation – another area recent medical research. The combination of fiber + antioxidants makes a potent reason to add matcha to your daily ritual – but the benefits extend even beyond that – And that brings us back to the holiday season and stress and exhaustion.
Matcha has more caffeine than any other tea or for that matter any coffee. Usually tea has from 1/3 to 1/10 the amount of caffeine than is found in coffee . But not matcha – with matcha the EXACT reverse it true…Matcha has 3x the caffeine of coffee and 10 x the caffeine of strong black tea! Want an easy and healthy pick me up? MATCHA…. No need to add calories by adding milk and sugar to your espresso or coffee….MATCHA packs a flavorful wallop on its own. And if that were not enough a recent study in Japan (and published in The American Journal of Nutrition) of over 42,000 people recently demonstrated that matcha reduces STRESS.
Matcha may seem complicated and difficult, but it is actually easier and quicker to prepare than regular loose leaf tea. All you need is 160 degree water, a bamboo whisk and a shallow bowl with raised edges (all of which we carry in great variety at American Tea Room). To see how easily and quickly matcha can be prepared view our video.
After 30 – 45 seconds you have yourself the perfect cup of the perfect tea. For an even easier method matcha can be added to warm oatmeal, cold yogurt or a fruit smoothie. And unlike every other tea you can actually bake with matcha. There are so many ways to enjoy matcha besides drinking it out of a tea glass or matcha bowl.
Which matcha is right for you? Many tea stores carry only one type of matcha – and some believe it or not do not have any. At American Tea Room we have three (count ‘em THREE) extraordinary matchas for your enjoyment, from a rare artisanal blend created for the Emperor and found nowhere else in the US, to our exquisitely sweet Kyoto Imperial blend to our fantastic and most popular Premium Organic Matcha. Quality organic matcha is nearly impossible to grow as the nitrogen enriched soil is a must to produce leaves of such fine quality. Our premium organic matcha is sweet and balanced and stands on its own for taste and quality. And unlike many matchas on the market today ALL of our matchas are made entirely of the finest shade grown rare Gyokuro leaves – you’ll find no lesser senchas or tenchas in our premium matchas.
So enjoy the holidays. Reduce your stress, get invigorated and stay healthy in one simple 45 second ritual you can enjoy every day. MATCHA from American Tea Room
Usually the talk about tea usually centers on well, tea. At American Tea Room we know that in order to best enjoy your favorite tea you need a little more than just great tea, you need to know in what and how to best prepare your favorite tea to heighten your enjoyment.
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