Once upon a time, Camellia sinensis (the tea plant) was only found in Southeast Asia, especially China. But the humble tea plant had legs: Camellia sinensis spread to Japan in the 6th century; to India and Sri Lanka in the hands of the British Empire; and in recent decades, it has sailed across to Africa and South America.

And now, you can grow tea in your own backyard.

Narien Teas are selling packs of 10 tea seeds for $9. Narien have been kind enough to offer a 10% discount to Tea Finely Brewed readers: just quote “teafinelybrewed” when you’re checking out (Note: Apply this discount code to anything you buy from Narien – seeds, tea and teaware).

Tea plants prefer a tropical or sub-tropical climate, but you could still grow tea in cooler climates. Grow the tea in a pot and bring it in during winter; or grow the tea in a greenhouse.

I’m tempted to try planting a few seeds in a pot here, to see how they fare in the Melbourne winter. Climate may not be the only problem though: tea also needs 50 inches of rainfall per year, something which drought-ridden Victoria may not be able to supply.

Still, the thought of growing your own tea is mighty appealing. I’m not expecting to grow Australia’s answer to the Arya Ruby or anything, but it would be fascinating and immensely rewarding to grow, pluck and process your own tea.

Have you tried growing your own tea? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

More information about growing tea:

• Growing Tea at Home
• How to Grow and Harvest Your Own Green Tea Plant
• Camellia sinensis article on Wikipedia
• Tea Harvesting and Growing
• Tea Growing
• Local Food, Tea Plants
• Planting Tea Seeds

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Grow Your Own Tea | No comment |
Post categories: Miscellaneous
Post tags: camellia sinensis, growing tea, Narien Teas, tea seeds

What is white tea, exactly?

White tea is made from unopened budsets or the first leaves of Camellia Sinensis, harvested at the start of spring.

The rarest (and most expensive) varieties of white tea are made from unopened budsets, carefully plucked before they are allowed to grown into leaves. As demand for white tea grew, a new variety of white tea was created using the first leaves of the tea plant. Neither traditional budset white tea nor the new-style leaf white tea are processed after they are plucked. Instead, they are simply dried.

Where is white tea grown?

Traditionally, white tea comes from the Fujian province of China. In recent years, to meet with the growing demand, tea growing regions like Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) have also started producing white tea. To the purist, however, real white tea only comes from Fujian.

There are parallels between traditional budset white tea and Champagne. Like Champagne, traditional budset white tea is place-specific, rare and highly prized. The new-style leaf white teas and white teas from other growing regions are more common and mimic the traditional budset white tea, but they are like sparkling wines to Champagne: a close relative, but not the real deal.

What are some of the most famous types of white tea?

The two most famous white teas are Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle) and Bai Mudan (White Peony). The former is the foremost example of budset white tea. This is the kind of tea ancient Chinese emperors would have been served; it’s rare and very expensive. Bai Mudan is a new-style leaf white tea, so it’s far more accessible. It’s a delicious, fragrant tea.

What’s the best way to brew white tea?

Like green tea and oolong tea, white tea can be steeped multiple times. For each infusion, allow it to steep for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Don’t use freshly boiled water, but allow it to cool to about 71-77°C (160-170°F).

What are the health benefits of drinking white tea?

Most of the studies into the health benefits of tea have focused on green tea. However, since white tea comes from the same plant as green tea, we may assume that it shares many of the same health benefits. It is lightly oxidized, so may contain less antioxidants than green tea, but studies have shown that it is still effective against cancer. One study has also found that white tea is more effective than green tea in fighting certain diseases, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and pneumonia.

Does white tea contain caffeine?

Like all types of tea produced from Camellia Sinensis, white tea contains caffeine. How much is another question and one with a wild array of responses. The most commonly repeated mantra is that white tea contains less caffeine than green tea, black tea and oolong tea. But to what extent is this grounded in fact?

According to Nigel Melican in this article about caffeine in tea, white tea actually contains more caffeine than other varieties of tea. In The Story of Tea (Mary Lou Heiss / Robert Heiss), they point out that the caffeine is dispersed as the plant ages, so there is a scientific basis behind Melican’s argument that white tea has a high concentration of caffeine.

Where can I buy white tea online?

A great place to start is in the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace, where you can compare white teas from different tea merchants.

• Narien Teas have three white teas in their range, including a very interesting Drum Mountain White Cloud that I’ve personally tried and enjoyed. You can also get 10% off by quoting “teafinelybrewed” at checkout with Narien Teas.
• Generation Tea have several white teas, including a number of organic choices.
• Adagio Teas have a good range of white teas. Try the white tea sampler, which includes silver needle and white peony, as well as two other types of white tea.
• Mighty Leaf have seven different types of white tea, including a number of interesting blends.

Other posts in this series

• Green Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Black Tea
• Pu-erh Tea

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | 7 Common Questions About White Tea | No comment |
Post categories: White tea
Post tags: Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mudan, Beginner's Guide to Tea, caffeine content of tea, camellia sinensis, chinese teas, Fujian Province, silver needle, tea health, white peony

Ti Kuan Yin Oolong Tea. Photo by selva.

What is oolong tea, exactly?

Like green tea, oolong tea (or wulong tea) comes from Camellia Sinensis leaves. Unlike green tea, which isn’t oxidized at all, oolong tea is partially oxidized. It receives anywhere between 10% and 80% oxidation.

Because it can be oxidized so much or so little, oolong tea is a universe unto itself. You may find that one variety of oolong tea has an amber appearance very similar to black teas, while another is golden green, practically indistinguishable from green tea infusions. The range of flavours fluctuates just as widely, from deep, rich oolongs to sweet, floral brews.

Where is oolong tea grown?

Oolong tea production makes up only a small percentage of overall tea production: around 2% of teas grown end up as oolongs. The vast majority of these oolongs come from Taiwan (Formosa) and China. A few other tea growing regions, including India, produce oolongs on a small scale, but the world’s most reputable oolongs come from China and Taiwan.

What are some of the most famous types of oolong tea?

From Taiwan, Formosa Fancy Silvertips is an oolong with 50%-60% oxidation, bearing a striking aroma and deep flavour. Tung Ting Jade is another famous Formosan variety, characterized by a fruity flavour and light green colour. Imperial Formosan is a prized oolong with a rich amber colour.

China’s most famous variety of oolong is Wu Yi, named after the Wu Yi Mountains in northern Fujian. Royal Red Robe Wu Yi Mountain comes from there and is a highly oxidized oolong (80%) that looks very similar to black tea, except for its large size. Tieguanyin is another notable oolong from China, the best of which can be infused up to fifteen times.

What’s the best way to brew oolong tea?

Oolong tea should be brewed in slightly cooled water between 82°C and 93°C (180°F – 200°F). Unlike black teas, which are best with freshly boiled water, I prefer to allow the water to cool for about a minute, defusing its intensity and allowing the flavours of the oolong to emerge nicely. However, I’d suggest varying this based on how oxidized the oolong is: if it’s highly oxidized, don’t allow the water to cool for as long, whereas with oolongs with very little oxidation, allow the water longer to cool.

Oolong tea doesn’t need a long infusion time. 90 seconds to 2 minutes is perfect, especially if you’re planning to brew the same leaves multiple times.

What are the health benefits of drinking oolong tea?

Most of the studies into the health benefits of tea have been regarding green tea, but since oolong tea is produced from the same plant, it has many of the same properties. Oolong tea reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers cholesterol levels, stimulate metabolism, prevents dental decay, strengthens capillaries, eases arthritis pain, improves mental focus, inhibits Alzheimer’s disease, boosts the immune system, fights infection, improves skin health, increases bone density and improves your memory. Like green tea, oolong tea can also help in the fight against cancer.

Does oolong tea contain caffeine?

Like all teas produced from Camellia Sinensis, oolong tea contains caffeine. Since oolong tea is partly oxidized, placing it between green tea and black tea on the scale of oxidation, many people say it contains less caffeine than black tea and more than green tea. This is a generalization which doesn’t hold true all the time. Some oolongs contain less caffeine than some greens, and some blacks contain less caffeine than some oolongs. There is too much variation based on where the oolong is grown, how it is produced and how it is brewed to be able to say, definitively, how much caffeine any given cup of oolong tea contains.

More on this: How much caffeine does green tea contain?.

Where can I buy oolong tea online?

• Adagio Teas have a handful of oolong offerings, including a sampler set for those who want to get acquainted with a variety of oolongs.
• Mighty Leaf have a good range of oolongs.

Other posts in this series

• Green Tea
• White Tea
• Black Tea
• Pu-erh Tea

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | 7 Common Questions About Oolong Tea | 4 comments |
Post categories: Oolong tea
Post tags: Beginner's Guide to Tea, caffeine content of tea, camellia sinensis, chinese teas, formosa fancy silvertips, formosan teas, Oolong tea, tea health, ti kuan yin, tung ting jade oolong, wild-grown tieguanyin, wu yi

Three varieties of green tea: Gen mai cha (top left), citron green (top right) and cocomint green tea (bottom). Photo by tim7423.

What is green tea, exactly?

Green tea is tea produced from Camellia Sinensis that hasn’t been oxidized. The lack of oxidation ensures that the tea leaf retains more of its original flavour, colour and health benefits.

Despite the name, infused green tea isn’t necessarily green. Often, it appears yellow or golden, with only a faint hint of green. The “green” in green tea refers primarily to the colour of the leaf.

Where is green tea grown?

The world’s foremost green tea producers are China and Japan, though green tea is also grown on a smaller scale in Taiwan (Formosa), Korea, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Kenya.

What are some of the most famous types of green tea?

There are hundreds – if not thousands – of types of green tea, categorized according to the where they come from and how they are dried.

Gunpowder green tea, from China, is so named for the way it is shaped into pellet form. Jasmine tea, also from China, is green tea that’s been infused with jasmine blossoms, giving it an aromatic flowery aspect. One of China’s most well-respected teas is Dragon Well (or Longjing), which has a toasty flavour.

In Japan, a country where practically all the tea grown is turned into green tea, Sencha is the brew of choice for many. Matcha is a unique powdered tea which forms a rich green brew with a striking flavour. It is also the type of green tea Starbucks uses in its green tea creme frappuccino, but don’t hold that against it. Two other Japanese green teas deserve a mention: Gen mai cha is green tea blended with roasted rice (and sometimes popped corn); Gyokuro is a premium Japanese green tea with a distinctive aroma, due to the extra shading it receives before harvest.

What’s the best way to brew green tea?

The number one rule when brewing green tea is to allow your water to cool a little before pouring it over your tea leaves. Water that has just boiled will ruin the tea and make it overly bitter. If you’ve had green tea before and thought it was too bitter, that’s probably why. Ideally, the water should be between 77-82°C (170-180°F).

Another key factor in brewing the perfect cup of green tea is how long you allow it to steep. 2-3 minutes is just right, while longer steeping times detract from the tea’s delicate flavour. You can steep the tea several times.

What are the health benefits of drinking green tea?

Extensive research has gone into green tea, which has found that it is generally low in caffeine and high in antioxidants, fluoride, potassium and vitamins A, C and E.

Studies have shown that green tea can, among other things, fight cancer, lower cholesterol levels, improve mental focus, boost the immune system, aid weight loss and help those suffering from arthritis. The extent to which it helps these things is dependent on how much green tea you drink, and of course how healthy the rest of your diet and lifestyle is.

Does green tea contain caffeine?

Yes, it does. All green tea contains caffeine, but how much it contains varies quite substantially depending on the type of green tea you’re drinking, how you brewed it, or whether it’s your first infusion of the tea. In general, green tea contains between 10 and 50 milligrams of caffeine.

See more: How much caffeine does green tea contain?

Where can I buy green tea online?

A good place to start is the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace, where you can browse and compare green tea from different tea merchants.

• O-Cha specialize in Japanese green teas. I can personally recommend them, as I have bought excellent matcha tea from them.
• Generation Tea has a great range of Japanese and Chinese green teas.
• Mellow Monk’s Green Teas
• Green teas from Adagio Teas
• Green teas from Mighty Leaf Tea

Other posts in this series:

• Oolong Tea
• White Tea
• Black Tea
• Pu-erh Tea

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | 7 Common Questions About Green Tea | 2 comments |
Post categories: Green tea
Post tags: Beginner's Guide to Tea, camellia sinensis, chinese teas, dragon well, gen mai cha, Green tea, gunpowder green, Gyokuro, Japanese teas, jasmine tea, longjing, matcha, Sencha, tea health