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Although
all tea comes from one plant, the Camellia Sinesis, the way in which
the leaves are processed gives us the three major categories of
tea: green, black and oolong. There are also white
teas as well as pu-erhs and pouchongs. The conditions in which the
plants are grown, the regions where they are grown as well as how they
are handled contribute to the enormous variety of teas in the marketplace. Green tea and black tea may be further enhanced by the addition of scents or flavors from spices, herbs, flower petals or essential oils. Flower petals most often used can be jasmine petals, rose petals, gardenia, lavender or hibiscus. Fruits such as mango, quince, pineapple, currants and peaches are quite popular as are ginger, cardamom, citron and cinnamon. |
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| Green Tea |  |
| The freshly plucked leaves are left to wither and then heat treated by pan firing or steaming to stop or slow oxidation (fermentation) and then spread out on bamboo trays to dry. The finest teas are still hand-rolled. | |
| Scented/Flavoured Green Tea | |
| Green teas lend themselves very well to scenting or flavouring. To the freshly processed leaves, flower petals, fruits and/or essential oils are added or layered. With jasmine teas, ordinary grades may be scented two or three times with special grades scented up to seven times. | |
| Black Tea | |
| Whether machine picked or hand picked, the process for black teas begins by drying or withering the leaves to reduce their moisture content. They are then rolled and fired before being cut or curled. | |
| Scented/Flavoured Black Tea | |
| During the final processing of black tea, flower blossom petals, whether whole or pounded into a powder, are mixed with the cut or curled tea leaves. For fruit-flavored black teas, essential oils and dried fruits are used. | |
| Produced on a very limited scale, the new buds (unfurled leaves) are plucked before they are opened. They are withered naturally and then dried. The buds have a silvery appearance and give a very pale brew. | |
| Oolong Tea | |
| Oolong tea is not to be confused with green tea, or black tea. Oolong teas can be some of the most intriguing and complex of all brews. To produce oolong, the leaves are left to wilt naturally, but the moisture content is reduced until only the outer edges of the leaves have dried. The tea is then fired to stop this oxidation, rolled and dried. | |
| Pu-erh Tea | |
| These teas are extraordinary. From the Yunnan Province in China, Pu-erh teas can be loose leaf or compressed in cakes. After the withering process the leaves are allowed to rot to produce a bacteria. Prized for their medicinal qualities, these teas are aged - up to 20 to 30 years for some of the finest - producing a very earthy, even musty brew. | |
| Chai | |
| Chai or "spice tea" comes from the streets of India where strong black tea is blended with exotic herbs and spices then steeped with milk and sweetened. Recipes for chai are like recipes for fried chicken and every region, family, and chai dukan (tea house) thinks theirs is the best. Chai can be served hot or iced. | |
| Tisanes | |
| Tisanes are not tea at all, but are edible flowers and herbs, dried and blended to be steeped and enjoyed as a hot beverage in place of tea. Most often tisanes are caffeine free and give a fragrant but simple infusion. Enjoy your favorite tisane iced for a refreshing beverage. | |
| Organic Teas | |
| Organic tea production is only about 10 years old. With cultivation being very complicated and extremely expensive, it is taking time for gardens and estates to convert. Our organic teas are from estates which are certified "organic". | |
| Artistan Teas | |
| Whether a simple shape or a complicated bouquet of flowers, these artistic teas are sure to impress. Using high-quality green teas, fine silk threads and pressed flowers, the artisan creates these works of art which represent life, love and beauty. | |
| Estate Teas | |
| With over 80 tea estates, the Darjeeling region lies in the mountainous, misty, north central part of India. Teas that grow in this region at these high altitudes exhibit a unique flavor, usually described as "muscatel", and are referred to as the "champagne of teas". | |
