Essentials
A good place to start.
No one will ever know everything there is to know about tea as the subject is so vast and varied having developed over thousands of years and throughout so many cultures around the world. But how to navigate the world of tea? The below are three basic sections to familiarise yourself with the basics.
What is Tea?
Delicious of course, but why?
Tea is a hot drink which is 99% water and 1% magic leaf extract which is the second most drunk beverage in the world. It’s pretty popular but read more about tea here.
Tea Types Explained
From cultivation to processing.
The amount of tea types there are can be argued from many angles. Some prefer categorisation based on oxidation levels, some prefer cultivation methods. We prefer to live in the grey and explain the types of tea available based in their context.
Tea Brewing
Why is it bitter?
Brewing a perfect cup of tea is much like art. There are some basic rules but once you know them everyone breaks them all the time and only you know what feels right for you. So here are the basics rules and how to break them.
Cultivars
Nature, curated.
Cultivar, or CULTI-vated VAR-iety, are plants that have been carefully bred for specific features. Such as disease or frost resistance through to the yield or the flavour profile of the tea.
The cultivar page is an ever expanding collection of cultivars from around the world and where to find them. As a tea lover it is a wonderful way to explore regions of the world through specific cultivars and the stories behind them.
CU001
Cultivar
Benihomare
1953
Cultivar Page – Coming Soon
Black Tea
CU002
Cultivar
Asatsuyu
1953
Cultivar Page – Coming Soon
Green Tea, Sencha
CU003
Cultivar
Miyoshi
1953
Cultivar Page – Coming Soon
Green Tea, Sencha, Gyokuro
CU004
Cultivar
Tamamidori
1953
Cultivar Page – Coming Soon
Green Tea, Tamaryokucha
CU005
Cultivar
Sayamamidori
1953
Cultivar Page – Coming Soon
Green Tea, Sencha
CU006
Specific Knowledge
Some specific nuggets of know-how.
A coming soon collection of interesting pieces about tea related topics from tea storage testing and advice to how to find tasty tea online.
How to store tea best?
Traditional vs Modern Storage.
It’s all well and good that you have now found your new favourite tea but how should you keep it best? Tin or package? Refrigerated or room temperature?
What is Matcha?
History, production and current trends.
Matcha has moved from being an improvement on an imported method of tea production to the representative of a nation. What is Matcha and why is it in such demand?
How to make Japanese Sencha?
Cultivation and Production
What are the steps involved in the production of one of Japans quintessential teas, Sencha?