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| We believe that
the best way to further enjoy drinking
tea is to arm yourself with the knowledge
about what you are drinking. We will
try to answer frequent questions about
tea here. If you have a question that
isn't answered, please contact us and
we will try to give you the answer
as soon as we can. Perhaps we will
even add your question to our page. |
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How
do you prepare a great cup of tea?
Start out with freshly filtered tap
water. Warm your cup and/or
teapot with some hot water first.
Here
are some general guidelines to assist
you in simple tea preparation. As
with most rules, there will be exceptions
to virtually every one of these,
as well. Adjust the amount of tea per
8oz cup to your taste, but do not
alter the recommended temperatures
or infusion times. WHITE
TEA: Water temperature: 160-165 ° F.
White tea is usually a large, long
leaf, so one tablespoon of tea per
8oz cup. Steep
for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Multiple
infusions: add 30 additional seconds
for each subsequent infusion. Enjoy
on it own or slightly sweetened if
you must.
GREEN
TEA: Water temperature: 175-185 ° F.
One slightly rounded teaspoon per 8oz
cup. Steep for 2 1/2 minutes. Multiple
infusions: add 30 additional seconds
for each subsequent infusion. Enjoy
on it own or slightly sweetened if you must.
OOLONG
TEA: Water temperature: 185-195 ° F.
One slightly rounded teaspoon per 8oz
cup. Steep for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes.
Multiple infusions: add 30 additional
seconds for each subsequent infusion.
Enjoy on its own or slightly sweetened if you must.
BLACK
TEA: Water temperature: 208-212 ° F.
One slightly rounded teaspoon per 8oz
cup. Steep for 4 - 4 1/2 minutes.
One infusion only. Enjoy on its own
or slightly sweetened. Add a touch
of milk (not cream) if desired.
TISANES:
Water temperature: 208-212 ° F.
One slightly rounded teaspoon per 8oz
cup. Steep for 5 minutes. One infusion
only. Enjoy on its own or slightly
sweetened.
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| How do you store loose tea?
Tea
has three natural enemies which reduce
freshness: Air, Light, and Moisture.
To prevent these elements from reducing
the teas freshness, we pack in our
signature resealable gold pouches.
Unlike tins, our packages allow
you to lightly press out the excess
air from the tea as well as keeping
out moisture and light. Our packaging
and buying process allows the tea
to remain garden fresh for up to
18 months.
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What
is the difference between the various
types of tea?
First,
we want to point out that all tea
(with the exception of tisanes) comes
from the camellia sinensis plant.
The treatment of the leaves after harvesting
(otherwise referred to as "flushing")
is what makes them into their different
types.
White Tea: A shade grown plant
that generally have large leaves
and a very pale green to white color.
The leaves are unoxidized, meaning
they have only been withered and dried.
The beverage is light to the palate
and typically found very light in color.
Adding flavoring to this tea is not
preferred, but being found to be more
popular in the American market. Caffeine
levels are low and the leaves are good for multiple
infusions.
Green Tea: Found in multiple varieties
and styles depending on country and
region that it is grown. The leaves
are unoxidized, meaning they have only
been withered and dried. Depending
on the size of the leaf and various
factors in care of the leaf, green
teas can range in taste from rich and
grassy to light and springy. Beverage
color can range from very pale green
to brown-green. Adding flavoring to
this tea is not preferred, but being
found to be more popular in the American
market. Caffeine levels are
low and the leaves are good for multiple
infusions.
Oolong Tea: Found in multiple varieties
and styles depending on country and
region that it is grown. The
leaves can be either left in their
natural large form or rolled tightly,
though the leaves are always large
after being infused. The leaves
are partially oxidized, meaning they
have been withered, dried and undergone
a portion of the oxidation process.
Adding flavoring to this tea is not
preferred, but being found to be more
popular in the American market. Caffeine
levels are slightly higher than white
or green tea and the leaves are good
for multiple infusions.
Black Tea: The most common type of
tea available. The varieties
are many and determined by country
and style of leaf drying techniques.
The leaves can be left in their whole
state, broken to make the infusion
stronger and even slightly rolled to
make a needle like appearance. The
leaves are fully oxidized, which means
they have been withered, dried and
undergone the full oxidation process.
Flavored varieties are many as well
as blends of several types of black
tea and single estate varieties. Caffeine
levels are higher than that of the
other types, but still much lower than
that of coffee. The
leaves are good for only one infusion.
Tisanes:
Tisane is a French word that means
any type of infusion of herbs, fruits
or flowers. Tisanes are commonly
referred to as "Herbal
Teas"; however, since they do not have
the tea leaf in them, they should be
referred to as Herbal Infusions or
Tisanes. Tisanes can be blends
of dried fruits, flowers, herbs, and
other plants. Common tisane
ingredients include chamomile flowers,
peppermint leaves, hibiscus petals,
rooibus (red bush), dried fruits of
many varieties, and much more. Tisanes
are caffeine-free and generally make
delicious hot or iced beverages. Good
for only one infusion.
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What
is Chai?
Chai,
the Indian word for tea, is understood
in America as an Indian way of preparing
tea. Black tea blended with spices
and prepared with sugar and milk.
We offer an authentic masala chai
at TEA ReX®.
In India, the word "masala" refers
to a traditional blend of fragrant
spices, an essential ingredient in
cooking and in tea. Many recipes
are treasured family blends, and
vary from family to family and region
to region. Chai is as popular in
India as coffee is here in America.
Now you can enjoy authentic Indian
Masala Chai right in your own home!
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What
are antioxidants and what tea has the
most of them?
Let
us get a little technical here...
All cells in our body perform a function,
when they do they also produce waste. That
waste is called free radicals. A
build up of free radicals in the body
have been linked to many forms of medical
problems such as cancer, decreased
bone density, and more. Antioxidants
are the combatants of free radicals
by helping lower or even eliminate
the amount of free radicals in the
body. This helps to also reduce
the signs of aging by allowing our
skin to retain greater elasticity and
show fewer wrinkles. The infusion of
tea in body lotions and washes are
also signs of the new research in benefits
of tea and its effects through topical
application. Tea has been found
to help many common medical conditions,
from bad breath to osteoporosis.
Now,
as far as which tea is best...
Although
white and green tea are most often
mentioned when discussing the health
benefits, we would like to point
out that since all tea comes from
the camellia sinensis plant, all
tea therefore contain some level
of antioxidants. Research is only
in the beginning phases of determining
how much benefit can come from consumption
of black tea, but look for more and
more information to become available.
The antioxidants found in tea are
called polyphenols, which are said
to be some of the most healthful
forms of antioxidants. White and
green teas contain higher levels
of polyphenols because they are unoxidized
leaves, leaving a greater amount of
the naturally occurring polyphenols.
However, there doesn't seem to be
a gigantic difference in the levels
of polyphenols from one type of green
tea to another type of green tea.
The only significant difference is
found between tea bags and loose-leaf
tea. Because loose-leaf tea is in
a more natural, whole form, it contains
significantly higher levels of antioxidants
than its counterparts in tea bags.
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