Sumatra Black Pearl

Indonesia produces both coffee and tea.   In 2010, it was the 7th largest tea production country in the world.   Indonesia exports large amounts of black tea to Russia and Europe for tea blending and tea bags.  Tea is grown mostly in Java and Sumatra.

The Black Pearl tea from Sumatra may look a lot like 99% Oxidized Oolong but it is a black tea.   The distinct malty aroma of the dry pearls and liquor is an obvious giveaway.   For a black tea, it is light in color but rich in interesting flavor.  It is very enjoyable iced or hot.

Black Pearl

Type:  Black Tea     Producing Country: Indonesia     Preparation:  95°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  These semi-rolled leaves are strongly malty.
Wet Leaf:  The dark curly leaves are reminiscent of cooked squash.
Liquor:      The amber tea smells malty.  It has a medium body and is smooth, sweet and fruity.  It almost has no astringency.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Dong Ding

Dong Ding  is not "Ding-Dong!"   Dong Ding (aka Tung Ting) means frozen peak and is an acclaimed Taiwanese Oolong.   Around 1885 a Taiwanese scholar returned to Lugu (deer valley) from China with 36 tea plants from Wuyi mountains as a gift for his sponsor. These shrubs were planted on Lugu's mountain hill side and flourished.  Years later when a tea was skillfully made, it was named Dong Ding, after the mountain in Lugu township of Nantou district.

The tea growers in Lugu organized the first tea competition in Taiwan in 1975.   The competition, now held twice a year, assesses and selects the best Dong Ding teas of the season from thousands of entries.   A champion tea winner can expect to fetch a handsome price for his or her tea.  The record was set in 2011 at US$5200 per 600 gram for the champion tea.  

This Dong Ding is not a competition grade but is nonetheless nice, light and mild.

Dong Ding

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country:  Taiwan     Preparation:  90°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:   The dark green pearls are sweet and biscuity.  

Wet Leaf:  The large olive green leaves with stems are floral.  

Liquor:       This tea is pale green.  It is light, mild, sweet, creamy and faintly floral. 

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Tea and Food Pairing

Bon Appetit Magazine reported that 2013 #18 food trend "tea is the new coffee, complete with equipment, techniques, and tons of varieties to nerd out over."   The Age of the Tea Nerds has dawned!

Unlike coffee, tea is delicate and not overpowering.  Tea can be appreciated alone or with food.  Tea and food pairing is not new but has become more sophisticated due to the 'tea movement' in North America.   Genmaicha with Japanese food, oolong with Chinese food, and  black tea with scones are all examples of pairings with which people are quite familiar.

Although tasting principles can be applied to pairing tea with food, the bottom line is to let your palate as well as your imagination guide you.   Perfect pairing is subjective and there are no hard and fast rules.   Nevertheless, there are several tips that may be helpful:

1. Determine if the focus is on the food or on the tea.    
2. Know the flavor profile and weight of the tea.   Know the flavors, cooking method, weight of the food or dish.  Identify the dominate flavor.  
3. Complement tea and food by matching the flavors (e.g., A steamed sole and a Japanese Gyokuro).  
4. Contrast tea and food by counterpointing the flavors (e.g., A piece of rich carrot cake and a light Dragon Well).  
5. Beware of the bitterness, sweetness and astringency in the tea.    Consider the saltiness, sourness and sweetness of the food.   See below for the tricks your taste buds can play on you:    

Food/Tea	Tea Bitterness	Tea Sweetness	Tea Astringency (Tannin)
Salty food	Neutralizes bitterness	Brings out sweetness	Reduces astringency
Acidic food	Mellows bitterness	Complements sweetness	Reduces astringency
Sweet Food	Overly sweetness Heightens bitterness	Reduces sweetness if food is sweeter	Increases astringency

Sencha with Japanese food

A day in the life of a tea nerd could look like this:

	Food	Tea
Breakfast	Bagel with cream cheese & lox	Lapsang Souchong
Break	Apple	Bai Hao Yin Zhen
Lunch	Mac & Cheese	Sencha
Break	Digestive biscuits	Assam
Dinner	Stir-fry beef and rice	Oriental Beauty
Après Dinner	Vanilla ice cream and berries	Keemun

Tea Preparation

The path to tea nirvana is just a few steps:

1. Use freshly drawn, pH-neutral, cold filtered water that still has some minerals or use pristine spring water.  Water can make or break a tea.  
2. Select quality teas, about 2.5 g or one teaspoon per 6-ounce cup.   Except for Pu'er, teas can lose their freshness after 6 months to a year.  
3. Find a lidded vessel to contain tea's volatile aromas.  Warm up the vessel and then place tea in it.  Counter-clock above: Gaiwan (covered bowl) is great for all types of tea. Kyusu is a traditional pot for Japanese green tea.  A glass mug displays the agony of Chinese green tea.  A small fine china pot produces a good cup of afternoon tea. Yixing is ideal for Pu'er and dark Oolong.  
4. Brew according to tea types or individual teas (See guidelines below).  Pour tea through a strainer and enjoy.  (Chinese method often rinses oolong and pu'er leaves for 5-10 seconds to remove the impurities.  If using Gaiwan or Yixing for multiple infusions, fill the bowl or pot with 1/4 to 1/2 full of leaves.  Steep 30 seconds for the first infusion and about one minute for the subsequent infusions.)

Lu Yu, the Chinese tea master in the 8th century AD, advised observing water to determine its temperature.  For example, shrimp eyes (tiny bubbles) indicate water temperature is about 70 C.  Fortunately, a modern day tea drinker only has to press a button or two to control water temperature. 

Tea Type	Water Temperature	Time	Notes
White	75 - 85 C or 165 – 185 F	2 – 5 mins	Chinese white teas can take longer time.
Green	70 – 80 C or 160 – 175 F	1 - 3 mins	Lower temp for Japanese Green and 30 seconds for Matcha
Yellow	75 – 80 C or 165 – 175 F	2 – 3 mins	Similar to Chinese green
Oolong	85 – 95 C or 185 – 200 F	3 – 5 mins	Higher temp for darker oolong
Black	95 – 100 C or 200 – 212 F	3 – 5 mins	Larger leaves need longer time.
Pu’er	100 C or 212 F	4 – 7 mins	Rinse first

                                       shrimp eyes

Tea Health Benefits

Tea, made from Camellia Sinensis plant, contains carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals (e.g., fluoride), pigments (e.g., chlorophyll), flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, etc.   The compounds of particular interest are flavonoids, alkaloids and amino acids.

Flavonoids
Flavonoids have been shown to have antioxidant properties.   All teas have comparable total flavonoids.  Green and white teas have more catechins.   Black and oolong, due to oxidation, have more theaflavins and thearubigins .

Amino Acids
L-theanine is a unique amino acid of tea.  It may help to produce alpha brain waves, the most common brain waves during meditation.

Alkaloids
Alkaloids include caffeine.  However, caffeine in tea has a slight different chemical structure than that in coffee.   Furthermore, the flavonoids and L-theanine work in conjunction with the alkaloids to release caffeine gradually, no jolt and no jitters.

Tea

Although more studies and research are required to ascertain the health benefits of drinking tea, some compelling evidence to date appears to support the following :

• Tea may alleviate stress and anxiety.
• Tea may help with concentration,   
• Tea may fight high blood pressure.
• Tea may reduce bad cholesterol,.
• Tea may lower the risk of certain types of cancer.
• Tea may aid digestion.
• Tea may cut down on cardiovascular disease.   

Tea Types

What's in a name?  A lot when it is tea.  Tea is made only from Camellia Sinensis.  Many beverages that people call teas are not the real McCoys but tisanes (flower or herbal infusions).   Some examples of tisanes are peppermint, chamomile, rooibos and yerba mate.

Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family.  It was indigenous to the mountain regions around China's Yunnan Province, northern Burma and eastern India centuries ago.  Lately, plentiful Camellia Sinensis varieties, as a result of natural pollination and human interventions, flourish in many parts of the world.  In general, they can be categorized into two major varieties:

1. Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis (China) -  Leaf is small, more fragrant, and can tolerate cooler climates.
2. Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica (India) - Leaf is larger, more robust and less tolerant to cooler temperatures.   

Six types of tea are made from Camellia Sinensis and are defined by the manufacture processes.  China is the only place that produces all six types of teas: White (e.g., Silver Needles), Green (e.g., Dragon Well), Yellow (e.g., Jun Shan Yin Zhen), Oolong (e.g., Iron Goddess), Black (e.g., Keemun) and Pu'er (Nannuo Pu'er).  Yellow is very rare and sometimes included as Green.   Black tea is called Red and Pu'er is referred to as Black in China.

Sample Tea Types

An overview of tea processes is below:

Uva Highlands

Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka (beautiful island) in 1972 but its tea is still being referred to as Ceylon tea.   Coffee was Sri Lanka's major crop until 1860's when it was wiped out by 'coffee rust' disease.  The coffee planters switched to growing tea and eventually cultivated it in six primary regions: Kandy, Dimbula, Nuwara Eliya, Uda Pussallawa, Ruhuna and Uva.   Sir Thomas Lipton, a Scotsman, saw and grasped the tea business opportunity there and his name became synonymous with Ceylon tea.

Uva is located in the eastern slopes, 3000 to 5000 feet above sea level, of Sri Lanka's central mountain area. UVA tea is often used in blends.  The tea grown here tends to have a copper color and a unique wintergreen flavor.  This UVA Highlands tea is no exception.  Its menthol character is a bit like Lover's Leap but more pronounced.

Uva Highlands

Type:  Black Tea     Producing Country: Sri Lanka      Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  They are broken dark brown pieces. Mints and raisins or dried fruits are the two main notes.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves again are minty or menthol.
Liquor:      The brew is reddish coppery.  It is brisk, strong, astringent, full-bodied and minty.  It is a good breakfast tea (without milk).

Tee Score: 4 out of 5