Global Tea Institute seminar

Well, there has been the teeniest tiniest break since my last post (6-1/2 years ago!!!) but I just went to a seminar today at the Global Tea Institute at the University of California, Davis and wanted to tell you about it. It was a 1-day, free seminar focusing on the body, mind and spirit effects of tea. Leading scientists spoke about their latest research findings on the health benefits of tea consumption. There were also lots of tea samples. I'm including a picture of the agenda for you and some photos of the tea samples. Enjoy!

Top 10 Tea Producing Countries

The results are in!  The top 10 tea producing countries in 2011 were:

1. China, 1.6 million tonnes
2. India, 1.0 million tonnes
3. Kenya, .4 million tonnes
4. Sri Lanka, .3 million tonnes
5. Turkey, .2 million tonnes
6. Vietnam, .2 million tonnes
7. Iran, .2 million tonnes
8. Indonesia, .1 million tonnes
9. Argentina, .1 million tonnes
10. Japan, .1 million tonnes

For those who like their measurements in pounds, a tonne is 2,200 pounds.  So, China and India combined produced 5.7 BILLION pounds of tea last year.  Holy Hot Beverage, Batman!

The top 10 country rankings are the same as they were in 2010 but Brazil dropped off the top 25 list and was replaced by Cameroon.  I don't know if Brazil's output declined, but African output is increasing  because its tea bushes are reaching the age of optimal production, says the Food & Ag Organization of the United Nations.

Data sources: FAOSTAT.com .

Tea Clipper Ships

"Thermopylae" clipper ship. Chromolithograph by M. Reilly (19th century)

It's exhilarating to imagine being a captain of a clipper ship.  My long, sleek boat skimming atop the waves as a stiff wind snaps the canvas sails into billowing clouds.  What a rush!

The heyday of the clipper ships was in the mid 1800's when American and British shipbuilders competed to build the fastest designs for bringing fresh tea from China.  Tea lovers on both sides of the Atlantic wagered on which boats would arrive first and captains commanding the fastest ships would win public acclaim and  monetary rewards.

Many ships names evoked images of speed and beauty:  Flying Cloud, Champion of the Seas, Hurricane, Flying Fish, Snow Squall, Stag Hound and Lightning.

The clippers could travel at speeds of 20 knots per hour and cover 400 miles in a 24-hour period.  By comparison, cargo ships of the time traveled at 4 knots per hour.  The route went around Cape Horn and took about 107 days.

The clipper ship era ended around 1869 when the Suez Canal opened and steamships made the trip in 50 days.

I'd like to someday see the last surviving clipper ship, the Cutty Sark.  For the last 6 years, it has been under renovation but was re-opened in April 2012 by Her Majesty the Queen.  The ship's home is at the Royal Museums Greenwich, London.

White Tea Review: Snow Buds

We had a lovely cup of Snow Buds white tea today at Temple Coffee & Tea in Sacramento.  Temple mostly sources its own tea, meaning they buy directly from a producer.

Snow Buds tea leaves are from the Fujian province of China and are picked when the leave and buds are new.

We steeped the tea for the recommended 3 minutes and found it a delightful and gentle brew.  Here are a few tasting notes:

Liquor  - a clear golden-yellow

Aroma  - vegetal/grassy 

Astringency - a noticeable but light astringency

Body/Texture - clean with a bit of fullness

Taste - surprisingly, the first tastes did not match the aroma.  The tea was clean and bright with a grounding undertone of nuttiness. After a few minutes, a grassy flavor became more prominent.

Tea and Music: The Kinks

The Kinks

Have a Cuppa Tea

I recently discovered the 1971 song "Have a Cuppa Tea".  It's worth noting since it's rare that a song is all about tea.  The song was written by Ray Davies of the Kinks and recorded on their Muswell Hillbillies album.  In the song, the British-bred band "honors" England's love affair with tea.  It's a rather odd song that credits tea for curing all ailments.

"Take granny's stand-by potion
For any old cough or wheeze.
It's a cure for hepatitis, it's a cure for chronic insomnia,
It's a cure for tonsillitis and for water on the knee."
 
If you're intrigued, you can find postings on youtube of the Kinks performing the song.

Top 5 Tea Producing Countries

     

Which countries produce the most tea?  In 2010, the top 5 tea producing countries were China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey.  China and India combined accounted for 56% of all tea produced by the top 20 countries.  Although China is now in the lead with 1.5 million tons, it wasn't always this way.  India had top honors until 2005, when China took over the title.

Although not shown in the chart, Japan and Argentina have been in a battle for 9th and 10th place.  Japan had the higher spot in 2009 but Argentina increased their production by 24% in 2010 and moved into 9th place over Japan.

I compiled these interesting facts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. If you're a data wonk like me, you might want to turn your analytical gaze to the FAO website at  http://faostat.fao.org

Topiary Teapot

I just love this topiary teapot.  I've seen photos of other topiary teapots, but this one isn't just a garden-grown teapot, it's an entire tea set!  For true tea lovers.

The topiary set is located at the Priory Mill in the town of Lechlade, UK. Lechlade is in the Cotswold area on the River Thames.

The photo was taken by Collin West. You can see other photos of his at panoramio.com.  This photo is copyrighted, but Collin graciously gave me permission to use it in my blog.  It's a lovely photo indeed and many thanks to Collin.

I can only fantasize about what kind of delicious and aromatic tea fills the big pot.

Tea and Art: Claude Monet

Tea is so universally loved that it appears in many artistic forms in the world.  Here is a painting by the French artist Claude Monet (1840-1926).  This painting is called "The Tea Service" and was completed in 1872.  It is oil on canvas and the original is in a private collection in Dallas, Texas.

Monet was a leader in the Impressionism art movement.  He mostly painted landscapes; "The Tea Service" is a rare still life.

The painting includes elements from several cultures, Japanese teacups, Chinese bowl and Brazilian plant on a French tablecloth.

To me, the blending of these cultures in the painting celebrates the worldwide enjoyment and appreciation of tea.

French Press for Tea

At a recent tea tasting class we attended, a few folks mentioned that they use a French Press to make their tea.  I was intrigued by the notion and decided to buy one.  I justified the expense by claiming that I need the very best tools available to aid me in my tea education.

Not being a coffee drinker, I had only the vaguest notions of how a French Press works.  Undaunted, I made the purchase and brought one home.  The instructions for the press were helpfully written in 13 languages but only pertained to coffee, not tea.   Also, the little instructional drawings in the booklet neglected to show how and when the press part is plunged, so again, not so useful.

From the comfort of a recliner, my coffee-drinking, French-press experienced partner walked me through the steps.  First, I collected the water.  It should have been filtered, but I skipped that part.  I brought the water to a boil and actually went to the trouble to stick a thermometer in the water and waited until the temperature came down to the recommended 180 degrees for the Ancient Moonlight White tea leaves.

It was a beautiful sight to behold as the tea leaves danced in the water and began to release their light toffee-tan color.  I was quite enchanted by the view and took a photo to capture the moment.

After a recommended 5 minutes of steeping, I was told by the now lounging french-press expert to push the press slowly and steadily to the bottom.  I did so and then the tea was ready to pour.  At that moment, I realized that we needed to buy new teacups that would show off the beautiful “liquor”, because all we had were our cracked and stained utility mugs.  It was not quite the refined and elegant experience I had imagined, but it wouldn’t affect the taste.

It was time to sit and taste the results.  Oh my.  Oh my. What a light and luscious aroma.  What a perfect drinking temperature.  What a gentle, toffee-honey flavor.   Like meditation-in-a-cup.

I don’t know how the results might have differed if I hadn’t used the French Press – I suppose I should try it and see, but I don't want to waste one precious Ancient Moonlight white leaf or bud in what could be an inferior brewing method.  Oh, what have I wrought?

Green vs. Black Tea Throwdown

I enjoy both green and black tea, but wondered what makes them different, especially considering that both varieties of tea are from the same exact plant, the Camellia sinensis.  For that matter, oolong and white teas are also from the same plant.

The difference between green and black teas is all in the curing.  Green tea is steamed shortly after picking to prevent it from fermenting.  Black tea is allowed to dry and ferment which changes its color and taste.  The leaves of both types are rolled so that their flavorful juices can mingle and release when brewed.

These are fascinating facts, but what does it all mean to me when I’m trying to decide on a tea?  There was only one way to find out.  I decided to do a Green vs. Black Tea Throwdown!  This seemed like an excellent excuse to sample high quality teas at a local tea café (and a few muffins too).  

Although there are hundreds of different types of tea within the green and black categories, I randomly selected two green teas (Sencha Superior and Dragon Well) and two black teas (China Breakfast and Darjeeling 1^st Flush); each with different flavor profiles.

My tea-drinking companion and I chose a table in a corner of the café.  I’m sure the tea baristas were wondering why two people needed four pots of different teas, but they seemed happy to oblige.  We delighted in seeing our small table completely covered with teapots, cups, saucers, strainers and, of course, the teas.   We admired the array of tea colors, breathed in the distinct aromas and studied leaf shapes before tasting the samples.  I’m tempted here to review each of the teas sampled, but I’ll save that for a future blog.  I need to focus on the task before me - to determine the winner in the green vs. black challenge.

And the winner is?  Well, it’s not that simple.  Turns out, there is no best tea type – the beauty is in the mouth of the beholder.  My companion prefers the green teas for their grassy, sharper flavors.  She likened them to the pale, meadowy taste of a sauvignon blanc wine.  She appreciated the strong, complex green tea flavors and the pleasing light green hues.   

I prefer the black teas.  To me, the black teas taste sweeter, smoother and richer.   Granted, black teas are a daily staple for me and I’m more familiar with them, but after the taste test, I didn’t feel compelled to switch green for black in my regular routine.  I find the amber colors of the black teas appealing and the taste more satisfying, even though I enjoyed experiencing the green teas.  We both agreed that the black tea seems like the better choice for the morning when you need something hearty to get your day started.

So, the Green vs. Black Tea Throwdown resulted in a tie.  If you have an opinion as to the “better” type, leave a comment – I’m interested to hear others weigh in on the subject.