Welcome to the world of Japanese tea:

Japan was first introduced to tea in the 8th century by monks who had spent time in China studying Buddhism.  Japan showed interest in the drink but it didn’t really evolve into anything more than a stimulant that was imported from China for monks to use to stay awake during meditation.  It wasn’t until the end of the 12th century that monks, returning from a pilgrimage to China, brought tea seeds with them and planted them in the Shiga Prefecture in central Japan on the main island of Honshu.  The tea was originally cultivated by the monks for its medicinal properties.  The most interesting part of Japanese tea history was between 1641 and 1853.  During this time Japan decided to isolate itself from the rest of the world, known as Sakoku.  This meant that tea procedures worked hard to cultivate and perfect their own methods of tea production that hold true to this very day. 

The one thing that really sets Japanese teas apart from other tea cultures is the use of steam.  We can thank Soen Nagatani for inventing the use of steam to dry the leaves and for creating a tea that was very different from Chinese teas.  The simplest explanation of tea processing goes like this: Steam is used to stop the freshly plucked tea leaves from oxidation.  After steaming the leaves, they are cooled down to remove any excess water.  Then they are rolled and dried using hot air.  Lastly they are pressed and rolled with more heat until they are the shape of a thin needle.

At Cup of Tea, we have three types of Japanese green teas.  Four types if you include matcha, but matcha has its own blog. 

Let us begin with Sencha.  The cultivation process of Sencha has remained the same since the very beginning.  Sencha is the most popular tea in Japan and literally means “infused tea”.  Sencha makes up 80% of green tea consumption in Japan and it’s the base of a lot of other green teas, for example, add toasted rice, you get Genmaicha!  Our sencha is from Shizuoka Prefecture, the home of the mighty Mt. Fuji.  This first flush tea is sweet, refreshing, and grassy.  The highest grade of sencha is Gyokuro.  This tea is from the district of Wakayama where it is covered for 2-3 weeks before it is harvested in the early spring.  Shading the leaves from the sun activates the plant to create more amino acids, alkaloids, catechins and chlorophyll.  Thus what we have is one healthy tea.  This tea is delicate, grassy with a sweet flavor and a strong umami component.  We have two other senchas that will blow your mind, sakura sencha and peach sencha.  A must try when you really want to spoil yourself. The last type of tea we have is Hojicha.  Hojicha is the roasted version of Bancha tea.  This tea primarily comes from the leaves left over from the processing and sorting of the teas to sell or the second flush of the season.  In order to not waste any of the tea plant, the leftovers are roasted.  The charcoal roasting process that Hojicha goes through replaces the grassy flavor present in teas like Sencha, with a comforting smoothness that is both refreshing and rich at the same time.

I hope you enjoyed my little overview of the Japanese green teas we carry at Cup of Tea.  Hopefully one day you can come into the tea house and try them all out in a tea flight! 

Susie

You’ve Met Your Match-a

Welcome to the world of ground tea leaves.  Matcha is the most popular form of ground tea and has a very long history that started in China.  Get your whisks ready, it is time to meet your Match-a.

Matcha comes from the same tree as green, black, white, pu-erh and oolong teas, Camellia sinensis.  Before the practice of steeping tea leaves in a pot, 900 hundred years ago, Chinese monks would grind leaves from the tea trees into a powder and rehydrate them by adding water.  Over time the Chinese moved on to steeping the tea leaves in water instead of grinding them into a powder, but the Japanese continued the tradition of grinding leaves like we do today. 

How did matcha move from China to Japan?  A Japanese Zen priest, who was studying in the Chinese Buddhist monasteries, brought seeds from the Camellia Sinensis tree back to Japan in the 12th century.  The young priest, called Eisai, had spent time growing and drinking tea in China.  With all this new knowledge, Eisai developed a meditation ritual, which became a practice in his Japanese Buddhist monks community.  Eventually his ritual and knowledge spread throughout the rest of Japan.  As the word spread the Japanese samurai class were drawn to Eisai’s matcha meditation and adopted the practice.  The samurai class turned the mediation into a formal tea ceremony by adding hundreds of detailed steps to the practice, including specific hand movements, the proper design of the tea room, instructions for how to sit, and how it is to be prepared.  The tea ceremony was integral to samurai training, helping the warriors sharpen their focus, concentration, and patience in preparation for battle.  In time the Japanese tea ceremony adopted many of the same components of the samurai ceremony including the name, “the way of tea”.  Furthermore, the ceremony centers around the art of preparing and presenting in an almost meditative fashion with the spiritual principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility that are at the center of the tea ceremony practiced today. 

So what is matcha?  High quality matcha comes from the tea leaves called tencha. Tencha is shade-grown in order to boost the chlorophyll, flavonols, antioxidants, theanine and caffeine levels in the leaves.  Let’s break down the meaning of tencha and matcha for fun… Ten means “mortar” and cha means “tea”.  This means tencha translates to “soon to be powdered tea”.  Ma translates to rubbed or ground, meaning matcha translates to “ground tea”.   There are different grades of matcha, even a culinary grade used for baking.  To reap the benefits of matcha, always use high quality matcha.

When it is time to harvest the leaves, only the new spring buds and three leaves are hand-plucked for matcha production.  Like most Japanese teas, the leaves are steamed within hours of plucking to halt the oxidation process and bring out the rich green color of the leaves.  The next step is different from other teas that are rolled, shaped, and then dried.  The tencha is laid flat to dry and then stripped of the stems and veins.  After that, the leaves are ground in a slow-turning stone mill.  The granite stone mill used to grind tencha into matcha is called a Konomi. 

How do you prepare matcha?  Traditional preparation of matcha involves a whisk-like tool called a chasen.  The key to a perfect cup is to start by sifting ½ tsp of power into your matcha bowl, which is called the chawan.  Begin by putting 2 tbsp of warm water into the chawan and sift the matcha into the warm water.  Water temperature should not be more than 175 degrees so that you don’t burn the matcha.  Add more hot water to the chawn and use the chasen to mix the matcha.  Continue adding more water to desired amount and whisk the matcha in a ‘W’ shape without touching the bottom of the chawan.  This will create a beautiful froth in time, patience is the key to a good froth.  Some people like to prepare their matcha as a “thick tea” called Koicha.  Koicha plays a key role in the Japanese tea ceremony where there is a desire to create a drink with a similar consistency to honey by using a larger quantity of matcha.  The strength and thickness is completely up to you.  You can even add milk or turn it into an iced drink.  The sky is the limit to the versatility of matcha.

Why drink matcha?  First off, matcha is delicious, the flavor and texture can be described as:  sweet, grassy, full-bodied, creamy, earthy and slightly nutty. ​​ On top of its lovely earthy flavor there are many health benefits to drinking matcha.  One amazing benefit to drinking matcha is the stress relieving chemical known as L-theanine.  Studies have shown that consuming L-theanine lowers the amount of adrenaline your body uses, which calms the body and makes it much easier to focus.  Have you ever gotten shaky hands from drinking too much coffee?  That won’t happen with tea because of L-theanine.  Another study was recently released on August 2, 2022.  This was the world’s first clinical trial on matcha consumption.  The trial was assessing whether matcha could have a positive effect on cognition and sleep for older adults showing a decline in cognitive function due to pre-stage dementia.  They provided 939 men and women diagnosed with either mild cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive decline 2 grams of matcha in capsules to take every day.  The catch being that only 99 of them were actually given matcha, the others were given placebos. With those 99 people, they found that they had an improved quality of sleep and demonstrated “a significant improvement in social cognition”. Learn more: https://www.itoen-global.com/news/pdf/2022/20220803.pdf

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the advent and use of matcha. If you have any questions, shoot me off an e-mail at hello@Cupoftea-oregon.com.

Check out this video about the making of a matcha whisk or chasen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENlUbRObevg

Susie 

What’s in your cup?

Did you know that black tea makes up roughly half of all tea consumed in the United States? Whether it’s Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Assam, Tea-Juana Chai, or Lapsang Souchong, black tea is everywhere. So what exactly makes a tea a black tea? 

Like all tea, black tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. What differentiates it from other categories of tea is the dark leaf color and the golden red liquid in your cup. The black color of the leaves comes from the leaves being completely oxidized. Other categories of teas, like green and white tea, are partially oxidized or not oxidized at all. Oxidation is a biochemical reaction also known as “enzymatic browning”. Like tea, it happens to foods like bananas, apples, and avocados when they’re exposed to air.

When tea leaves are crushed or curled, the interior of the leaf is exposed to air and just like a bruised apple, the tea leaf will get darker over time. If you want to stop the oxidation process, all you have to do is gently add heat. It is also oxidation that creates certain flavor variations from tea to tea. I’ll add a more detailed explanation of oxidation in a future blog!

Black tea is generally described as full bodied, malty, and somewhat astringent but smooth. However, there are many variations to black tea’s flavors depending on where the tea comes from and how the tea is dried. For example, Chinese Keemun has a mild sweetness with a hint of smokiness, Indian Assam has less astringency and a bright malty flavor, and Ceylon from Sri Lanka has a rich chocolate essence. 

Despite its differences when compared to other teas, black tea still shares the many health benefits found in drinking tea. A well rounded diet should include some form of antioxidants, something black tea is extremely high in. Antioxidants help combat free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can build up in our bodies and contribute to the development of disease. We need a variety of antioxidants and the tea plant has an array of different antioxidants depending on the type of tea you drink. There are also studies that found black tea to be a potential cancer deterrent. I suppose that the conclusion here is: drink tea, it can only help!

There are certain parts of the world where black tea is a daily ritual much like coffee is for other parts of the world. From China to England to the American South, you’ll find people drinking black tea just about everywhere. Black tea was spread from China to Europe, where most European countries fell head over heels for the little black leaves. America’s love of tea has remained steady even though it might feel like it’s only because of our love affair with coffee. Recent reports even show an increase in tea consumption in the US, which comes alongside studies showing that tea is a health asset and should be a part of our daily ritual as it is in other parts of the world. With so many varieties and health benefits, there’s always a black tea to help you with that craving for something warm and rich. From the fragrant Earl Grey to the smoky Lapsang Souchong, what are you craving?

 A Campfire Tale: 

I have a soft spot for this smokey black tea and its many tales about how it was created

One such tale states that Lapsang was created by accident in 1646, when the tea farmers were met with a challenge. They needed to get their tea processed for the arrival of the Dutch, but the weather was not cooperating. They had to figure out how to dry the leaves, so they hastily grabbed pinewood to burn for heat, which in turn created a bit of smoke. When tea was dry, the scent of smoke left on the tea, and they thought they had ruined the tea leaves. Nevertheless, they bagged it up and when the Dutch arrived for their next shipment, the farmers tossed the tea on their ship and sent it on their way. 100 or so days later they spotted the Dutch returning  and to the farmers’ surprise the Dutch had fallen in love with the tea and requested more. Who would’ve guessed that this wonderfully sweet and savory black tea was made by mistake?
I have discovered that the smoky scent and the malty sweetness of this tea makes it an ideal tea to use in cooking.  You  can use it in your soup stock, stews and sauces, or as a spice or seasoning. It is also perfect for anyone who misses their favorite campsites, so serve this tea up with a side of smores!

For the Love of Hibiscus

Gardening brings me immense joy as I witness the captivating transformation of colors throughout the seasons. Among my cherished late summer delights is a stunning hibiscus plant that gracefully drapes over the walkway in my backyard. Its presence creates a picturesque scene that never fails to enchant me.

The global appreciation for hibiscus spans across numerous cultures. Within the Hibiscus genus, there exist over two hundred species of shrubs and trees. While only the petals are typically steeped, it is worth noting that the entire plant is edible. Steeping the petals yields a vibrant red and tangy tea, rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanin—a type of antioxidant also found in berries. Anthocyanin is responsible for the appealing red color of berries and has been associated with a decreased risk of chronic diseases.

Remarkably, studies focusing on hibiscus tea and its effects on blood pressure have predominantly involved human subjects. Consistently, the results indicate that this plant can effectively aid in reducing high blood pressure. However, caution should be exercised by individuals with already low blood pressure, as hibiscus tea may pose potential risks. It is advisable to remain vigilant and regularly monitor blood pressure levels.

Another remarkable attribute of hibiscus tea is its resemblance, both in taste and appearance, to cranberry juice, along with similar healing properties. Like cranberry juice, hibiscus tea is believed to be highly beneficial in alleviating and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). While this overview provides a glimpse into the remarkable characteristics of this plant, it is reasonable to speculate that there is much more to discover regarding the extensive range of health benefits offered by this magnificent flower.

There is nothing like finding out that the flowers or plants in your yard have a long history, not only as a beautiful creation but also in the culinary and medicinal world. Keep a look out for more blogs about the power of plants!

At our tea house, we not only offer dried hibiscus flowers for sale but also have an extensive list of teas featuring hibiscus as a key ingredient. Among my personal favorites are “Happy Hibiscus” and “Current Affair.” These blends showcase the delightful flavors and unique qualities that hibiscus brings to our teas. The bright and cheerful notes of “Happy Hibiscus” and the intriguing blend of flavors in “Current Affair” make them truly enjoyable choices. Exploring the diverse range of hibiscus-infused teas is a delightful adventure that adds an extra layer of excitement to our tea offerings.

Snag a Bag of Plums:

check out this amazing recipe with a black tea vinaigrette

Chef Anfernee, we like to call him Fern, loves to think outside the box. He finds fun and unique ways to prepare food with seasonal ingredients.  Cruise around his website and check out other recipes.  If you have any questions, be sure to send him a message! 

This plum salad is a pretty simple recipe. Boasting about 5 ingredients aside from the vinaigrette recipe. There aren’t too many distractions on the plate here. Simple flavors and textures that contrast and compliment. Leaving the ingredients un-warped really showcases their natural flavors. The plums have a soft sweetness and firm texture while the hazelnuts are earthy and crunchy. The yogurt holds everything together, while the black tea balsamic vinaigrette has a pop of edginess. Simple and comes together in a whip.

We all have a bunch of loose leaf tea or tea bags around. Tossing them is them in vinaigrette works to use them up. Black tea’s earthy tones can pair well with balsamic vinegar. Both are bold flavors, but they can come together harmoniously. Using the two in a vinaigrette prevents the tannins from becoming overwhelming. The oil helps tone them down along with the acidity. Tea in cooking isn’t ordinary, but great practice. It may seem weird to begin with, but trust, it’s great.

For this recipe, Fern used an Assam tea from Cup Of Tea, a local shop here in the Portland metro. They have a huge selection of tea and all the knowledge to find something you’ll like. If you have the chance, give their tea a try.        RECIPE