Amazing World of Cocktails & Teas

For large number of tea drinkers the leaf is limited to black and green ones. For many it is extended to Oolong or white leaf. As I am discovering the World of tea is like an expanding Universe. The more you delve into it the more you fathom.      

For a regular tea drinker some of the cocktail combinations appear bizarre. But nevertheless the popularity can easily be gauged hence these drinks deserve a try. Most of the recipes are handiwork of expert chefs hence a wait is required till the products percolate down as household recipes, or in cans or bottles.     

Here are some of the products used in various cocktail recipes. 

Jasmine Green Tea

Black Forest Berry Herbal Tea 

Rooibos Tea or Red Bush Tea

English Breakfast Tea (Blend) 

 Earl Grey Tea (Bergamot) (Blend) 

Chamomile Tea (Herbal)

 Most of the products or herbal concoctions are as a result of mix with alcohol like Bourbon, Vodka and Rum.    

Tea Basics: What’s in a Blend?

Most tea retailers create their own blend to make their tea taste and smell unique so that a particular group of target customers are hooked to only that variety of tea. However, there are no maxims regarding the right blend or anything. There are some regular blends and you can make your own blend by mixing two or three of these regular blends to suit your taste.

Here are some blends that you can take a look at to get an idea about the usual blends. You can try some of them and then make your own by mixing them or adding a few herbs or spices of your choice to experiment.

Earl Gray

This is only black tea with Bergamot citrus oil added for the aroma. The light citrus flavor is refreshing and strong and you can make it to smooth the aroma if you want with a few jasmine or holy basil leaves.

English Breakfast

Yes, this is the name of a blend of tea or to be precise, a Chinese Keemun famous in India, Africa and Ceylon. This is one of the commonest types of tea.

Irish Breakfast

Similar to the English breakfast, the Irish breakfast is a blend grown in Assam and Ceylon in large quantities. It is dark in color and malty in texture.

Afternoon Blend

This is a light tea unlike the English and Irish breakfast. The blend is made from the best Darjeeling tea, Oolong tea and light Ceylon tea. Since it promotes digestion it is recommended after heavy meals which we usually tend to eat during lunch and hence the name.

Russian Style

This is black tea or oolong tea teamed with Lapsang Souchong for the smoky effect. The blend is generally made by mixing Keemun tea, Assam tea and green tea from China. Some other blends include different types of black tea only.

Spiced Tea

Spices like cloves, cardamom, anise and cinnamon are added to superior quality Ceylon tea and your spiced tea blend is ready. The base is black tea because black tea has a strong aroma base to be able to stand out even in the flavor of these spices. To add to the refreshing property dried orange or lemon peel can be grated into the tea and left for some time before straining and consuming.

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea, just like spiced tea is not a blend of tea in itself but tea with added herbs for the aroma and health factors. Green tea is preferred over black tea in the case of herbal tea but you can use either or even a blend of green and black tea. You can add peppermint, holy basil, spearmint and other light herbs to make the blend of your choice.

Different Tea Choices: Understanding Health Benefits & Flavor Variations

Tea has been one of the oldest beverages drunk up by man for relaxation and comfort. In cold weather a hot brew helps keep body warm and refreshes the mind from the day’s labors. Visit any grocery store and you’re sure to find a lot of tea brands as choices and some herbal infusions claiming to be herbal and healthy.

Do you want regular tea or one with little/no caffeine? Tea that’s classic in its flavor or one that’s infused with myriad other flavors like of fruits, spices or plant parts? You can get the finest blends in packages, loose form and in hygienic bags.

Such is the pull of this deeply flavored leaf that it has entered the cold beverages market with a storm and is fast finding its own niche in form of iced-teas and infused alcohol mixtures.

 Tea: What Is It Really?

You have to remember that only tea made from leaves of Camelia sinensis - a bush that originally grew in Asia and was used by Chinese  in earlier times as digestive tonic.  Other Asians also followed and used the leaves to prepare a hot beverage. .

There are variants of this plant depend on the climates where it is grown, the stage of growth when the leaf is plucked and the leaf size as also the processing it undergoes. So we have tea categorized as white, black, green and oolong.

These also have differing levels of antioxidants and other important ingredients. Green tea for instance has a higher catechin level than what you’d find in black leaf.  But it doesn’t have theaflavins as is found in black tea. Herbal infusions are essentially not considered ‘true’ teas.

 Green Tea: Benefits

The flavor of green leaf is attributed to presence of theanine and its texture is thanks to the catechins present. It is also the theanine that acts as mild relaxant while toning down effects of caffeine that lends a bitter taste to the flavor and helps improve alertness.

 White Tea: Why It Is Good?

White tea happens to have extremely low caffeine levels and is least processed of all the leaves. Great for people wanting to cut down on their caffeine! It is also the least oxidized and helps prevent heart problems, cancers and fight diabetes.

 Oolong Tea: A Digestive Aid

Oolong teas fluctuate in their oxidation levels from 20 to 80% and though higher in oxidation than green leaf have polyphenols which defend body against dementia, cancers and heart issues.

 Pu-erh: Uniquely Processed

Pu-erh tea leaves are the fermented, aged variation of regular leaves which is why it has a high flavonoid content and low caffeine level. Known to break down fats Pu-erh helps your stomach settle down after a heavy meal. You also get a metabolic boost by having this brew. So go on and get energized!

Types of Assam tea

Tea growing regions of India, Assam has acclaimed its name as the largest production and cultivation house all over the world. This is due to presence of long seasons with favorable growing conditions. Of course, Assam leaf has been a success since a long time. The leaves are often plucked from the plants of camellia sinesis which produces quality black leaf. When a person is about to gather information about the Assam leaf and its types, most of the research will be confined to the malty flavor and bright color of the black tea which is also called popularly as the Breakfast Tea.

Very much close to the borders of Bangladesh and Burma, on the coasts of Brahmaputra river, Assam tea is grown in plenty with organic cultivation which wins trust and credibility of millions of consumers in the entire world.

Harvesting seasons for Assam Tea

•         First Flush – Among the two harvesting seasons, the first flush comes first in which late March is the best time to pluck out tea leaves.
•         Second Flush – This one is regarded as more sweetened and natural version of the Assam variety, also called as ‘tippy tea’, known for its prized and full body texture. Of course, the texture, flavor, color and aroma of the second flush harvest is quite superior than the first one and even to the Chinese bush.

Famous types of Assam tea
•         Black tea – As discussed earlier, this produce has been often termed as the Breakfast Tea and is characterized for its tart, full body texture, beautiful but natural aroma and vigorous body structure. It has long been used as Irish, English and Scottish breakfast tea.
•         Green Tea – Although smaller section of tea production is also accounted for the green tea in Assam, it is often known for its taste and distinct flavor & aroma. Here, you will be surprised with the notations and characteristics of local green tea where natural color and brightness of leaves are preserved in the production process.
•         Organic tea production – As per the safety standards of cultivation the plants are closely regulated and inspected on scheduled basis so that massive amount of produce is obtained, with rich taste and realistic aroma. You will never find here the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and any other method to contain soil moisture because all of these are achieved naturally.

Tea cultivation season, regions and time zone for Assam

Against the common time zone preferred in Darjeeling and Sri Lanka, Assam cultivation period is often known as the Tea Garden Time, Bagantime. Of course, the Assam tea is grown in the lowlands area, Brahmaputra Valley as of opposite to the highland cultivation in Nilgiri and Darjeeling Regions. The nutrients and soil texture is harnessed at the maximum which gives boost the quality and quantity of tea production in Assam.

Popular Chinese Varities of Green Tea

All teas come from one single species of plant scientifically referred as Camillia Sinensis. The types arise from the way the processing takes place and in some cases the way cultivation is done.  The other factors that fetch a change into the leaf are the region, climate and soil type. 

Some of the popular Chinese variants are: 

Gun Powder

Rated as one of the most popular in China. The tea leaf  is pellet shaped and is cultivated in the Province of Zhejian.

Dragon Well Greet Tea or Long Jing

The characteristic Jade color is a feature of this flat leaf tea. This is also very popular in China. This is also cultivated in Zhejian Province.

Snowy Mountain Jian

Grown at high altitude in the Province of Yunnan the tea is more like black tea. The processing brings about a change that makes this green tea full bodied and aromatic more like black tea.

Monkey Tea or Hoi Kui 

Cultivated in Anhui Province of China this green tea is grown in the vicinity of orchids. The leaves during growth absorb the flavor of orchids and deliver the flavor to processed leave.


Kai Hua Long Ding 

This green tea variant is grown in Tiantai County of Zhejian Province of China. The leaves are thick and short which is a unique feature of this tea. 

Green Snail Spring - Pi Lo Chun

This is a rare product of Camillia Sinensis grown in Zhejian Province of China. It is cultivated amongst the fruits which accord it a characteristic fruity flavor. The rolled leaf has a snake like appearance hence the name. 

Other popular varities are:

Hyson Lucky Dragon
Xin Yang Mao Jian
Tian Mu Qing Ding

About Tea Bags

When you travel on a long journey you need tea bags if you are a regular drinker. This is most visible on a railway journey whence the vendor does a quick job dipping the paper bags containing tea leaves. The bag is made of a porous paper from which the brew enters the boiling water.  The material used is mostly tissue paper or food grade plastic.Vegetable matter is also used.

Once the infusion has leaked out of the pores the bag is pulled out using a string which is attached to it. The technological improvements are leading to more hygienic and safe bags. The bags are used mostly for convenience especially during travel. 

A wide variety of blends of finest teas are available in tea bags all over the World. In India Waghbakri tea Company is one of the leading manufacturers of these bags. These can be bought from many stores in malls and retail shops in the neighborhood. The filling and heat sealing is done using a machine made in many countries. The invention credit goes to William Hermanson but the rectangular shaped tea bag was first used in Year 1944. The tea bag was first made out of silk and patented in 1903. It was commercially marketed by Thomas Sullivan in New York State.

The bags are packed in a carton usually containing about twenty five. The product has a long expiry period but quick consumption will accord the taste of freshness and aroma. The products can be bought online as well at Waghbakri Website.  

Green tea types

One unique characteristic of green tea leaf is that since it undergoes less oxidation and are steamed the leaves retain their herbal freshness, mellow taste and aroma.

Green teas which have gained a lot of popularity all over the World are:

Gun powder

Sencha - Japan

Macha - Japan

Jasmine

Anji

Genmaicha

Darjeeling Green Tea - India

Though green teas have their own characteristic flavor there is a commonality which is basic of all the green tea leaves. While brewing green tea loose leaf is preferred since one has to constantly work to immerse the green tea bags to extract poly phenols rather then let it afloat.

The poly phenol amount increases in the brew if the leaves are steeped for a longer time and the brew does not reach the boiling point during the tea making.

Tea article

Article on Tea Types

Popular green teas

Green tea beverage is made from leaves of Camellia sinensis which under minimal oxidation when being processed. The origin of green tea leaf is from China and spread to India and other tea drinking countries.

Green tea leaf is becoming largely popular in the Western countries as well especially to countries which have started consuming black variety. Like black variety that of green tea have come into picture. One of the finest quality green leaf comes from the Darjeeling tea estates in India.The difference arises from region, climate, soil and method of cultivation and processing. The rising popularity is also due to the health benefits it offers especially organic leaf which is green tea grown without using chemicals.

In China Zhejiang is home to most famous of teas. Xi Hu Longjing is pan friend and has a flat appearance. Other tea varieties Hui Ming, Long Ding, Hua Ding, Zucha and Qing Ding.

Japanese Green Leaf

Gokuru is a steamed tea from Japan. Most popular green brew in Japan as Genmaicha. It was brought to Japan by a Buddhist priest from China.

Green Tea from Ceylon is not so popular and does not find a worldwide market.