Chinese Culture >> Chinese Food Articles >> Tea Basics
By: Mary McDonald
Have you ever wondered what's in the tea you have for
breakfast every morning?
Most major tea retailers, as well as small, create their own specialty tea
blends. There's no hard-and-fast rule as to what goes into a tea blend, however
there are a few classic blends on the market that tend to contain the same mix
of teas.
Earl Grey -- a black tea blend of all Chinese, or Chinese and Indian teas
scented with the oil of the bergamot citrus fruit. The bergamot gives this tea a
refreshingly light, citrus flavor with a pungent, flowery aroma. This blend
sometimes consists of all Ceylon tea.
English Breakfast -- a black tea blend of Indian (usually Assam), Ceylon and African teas. A traditional English Breakfast is usually not a blend at all but straight Chinese Keemun.
Irish Breakfast -- a blend of high grown Ceylon and Assam teas. It produces a strong, dark, malty brew.
Afternoon Blend -- usually a light tea blend, sometimes with an added scent of jasmine or bergamot. Can consist of Darjeeling, Formosa Oolong and light Chinese and Ceylon teas.
Russian Style -- usually made of black or oolong teas from China or Taiwan with a hint of smoky Lapsang Souchong mixed in. Some blends consist of Keemun, Assam, and Chinese green tea, and still other blends consist of black teas only.
Spiced Blends -- these blends usually use a black tea base of high-quality Ceylon tea to which is added cloves or cinnamon bark, and pieces of dried citrus peel such as orange or lemon. Other spices sometimes used are anise and cardamom. Chai is a perfect example of this type of blend.
Herbal Blends -- these blends usually use a black or green tea base to which is
added different varieties of fresh or dried herbs, the most popular being mint.
Peppermint goes well with a tea base of Ceylon or Assam, as does spearmint or
lemon mint with a high-quality green tea. All herbal tea blends make
wonderfully, refreshing iced tea. These tea blends shouldn't be confused with
herb and fruit tisanes, which contain no tea leaves (Camellia sinensis or
assamica).
Some of these classics, including the spiced and herbal blends, fall into the
category of scented or flavored tea. Ever since its discovery, tea drinkers have
been adding flavorings to their tea. Scented/flavored teas are black, oolong,
green or white teas that have been processed and then blended with a variety of
spices, herbs, flower petals and or essential fruit oils.
Processed tea leaves are very conducive to being scented or flavored -- they
readily absorb the fragrances and flavors of both flowers and fruits. During the
scenting/flavoring process, the tea leaves are either piled along side the
flowers/fruits, or layered with them, and then left for hours to absorb the
fragrance/flavor. This process is sometimes repeated many times. Once the
flavoring is completed, the mix of flowers/fruits and tea leaves are re-fired to
remove any moisture that might be present and then the flowers/fruits are either
removed or mixed into the tea leaves. Jasmine tea is one of today's most popular
scented teas. Other popular scented teas include such floral additives as rose
petals, magnolias, orchids and chrysanthemums. Some of the more popular
fruit/spice scented teas include cherry, lemon, ginger, apple, mango, passion
fruit, pomegranate, and any of the other red fruits.
The majority of tea drinkers have a favorite tea that they appreciate for its
unique taste and aroma. However, we all have different palates and sometimes
it's difficult to find that perfect taste, so many tea drinkers are turning to
the art of tea blending. Creating your own tea blends is as easy as 1-2-3 and
the results can be surprisingly enjoyable. Tasting your creations is half the
fun!
Successful tea blending is a direct result of a lot of experimentation and
tasting. Your goal is to produce a blend that gives you a well rounded,
flavorful cup of tea. Blending tea is easy, once you begin to understand each
individual tea's distinct characteristics. When starting a blend, begin with a
high-quality, full, rich tea as your base, such as a Ceylon, Assam, Keemun or
Darjeeling. Base teas are usually selected for their body and color, or their
distinct flavor. If you are mixing several different varieties of tea for your
base, try to mix teas of a similar leaf size. Smaller tea leaves, if mixed with
larger ones, have a tendency to settle to the bottom of the container resulting
in a blend that's difficult to keep mixed.
Being an agricultural product, tea is subject to yearly taste and quality
variations, due to soil and climate changes that can occur in a tea's growing
region. As well, changes in the manufacturing processes used on the tea leaves
can have an enormous impact on a tea's taste and quality from year to year. So
in order to maintain a somewhat controllable consistency in your blends, try to
measure your ingredients either by volume or by weight. This will help ensure
your tea blend will taste similar from batch to batch, year to year.
Once you've chosen your tea base, think about your favorite flavors or aromas
and of those flavors/aromas which ones you prefer most in your tea. Rate the
flavors as to their strength, and then decide which ones you want to be the most
predominant in your blend. When looking for flavoring ingredients, look for good
quality ingredients that can be found at most local or online gourmet, food
stores. Flavoring ingredients can include spices, herbs, dried fruit, flower
petals and essential fruit oils. The natural, essential oil extracts are usually
highly concentrated and can be the biggest flavor contributor to a tea blend, so
make sure you don't end up covering over the taste of your tea by adding too
much. As they say -- sometimes less is more! You still want the distinct taste
characteristics of your high-quality tea base to shine through.
To begin, measure out a small amount of your tea base and blend in your chosen
natural oil extracts (usually by the drop), allowing the blend to dry a bit
after each addition. Then add your spices, herbs, dried fruit or flowers and mix
thoroughly. Make sure to add your chosen flavor ingredients a little at a time,
and always test, test, test, or rather taste, taste, taste after each addition.
If you discover a blend you love, don't change it, but if you find there's not
enough of something, or there's something missing, add it in small quantities
and test again, until you get it just right. It does take a bit of practice to
get that perfect blend, but don't get frustrated and give up; the results of
your labor can be wonderful!
With the thousands of distinct varieties of tea currently produced, and the huge
variety of floral/fruit scents and herbs available, the number of possible tea
blends is nearly infinite. So go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and get mixing --
you may just create the next classic blend!
About the Author:
Mary E. MacDonald is the owner of The JavaPot, an online tea and coffee shop that offers a premium line of gourmet tea and coffee, with an emphasis on organic products. You will also find more great articles, some unique coffee and tea -related gift items, delicious recipes, and product reviews. Check out The JavaPot for more details about current product offerings