Factory Display of Puerh Cakes

Have you heard of Puerh tea?  It can be spelled multiple ways but it’s all the same tea.  People tend to think that only green tea is healthy for you, but studies are showing that other teas, especially this one, are just as good for you.

Puerh and Cholesterol

The most eye opening of these studies was conducted in France several years ago. A blind study was conducted with 500 hyperlipidemia patients (individuals with advanced cholesterol conditions, usually controlled with medication). Half of the controlled group consumed 3-4 cups of Puerh daily, while the rest of the participants were given something else. After a 30-day period the results showed that drinking Puerh on a regular basis could significantly lower cholesterol and further research confirmed that Puerh was as effective as the most advanced cholesterol lowering medications available.  (source: http://www.innteas.com/teas/puerh.htm)

Is it a black tea?

So what exactly is Puerh? And how did it get its name? The name “Puerh” comes from the name of the town in Yunnan Province in China where the tea is processed and sold, not from where the tea is actually grown.  Because the transportation of goods in the mountainous area was very difficult, it took a long time to transport the tea out of Yunnan by horseback.  The tea was transported inside burlap bags.  It began as “Sheng cha” green or raw tea and after the long journey often times a year or more, it naturally evolved into “Shou cha” or dark finished tea.  The high moisture content in the raw green leaves naturally promoted fermentation inside the burlap bags.  The result is a dark tea with a full bodied, deep red liquor with many layers and complex flavor (Puerh information obtained from Roy Fong of the Imperial Tea Court’s OMG Tea Class).

Puerh can be found in both loose leaf and compressed forms. It is not a black tea but rather its own type.  When you think of tea on a spectrum with green being the least processed to the most processed, Puerh falls at the end of the spectrum.  To find out more about this fascinating tea, stay tuned for Babette’s upcoming blog posts on Puerh teas and her experiences picking and processing her own tea cake.

Cinnamon Apple Scones

• 12 c. self-rising flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 lb. unsalted butter
• 4 c. apples, chopped
• 2 T. cinnamon
• 4 c. buttermilk

Topping:

• 1 c. butter, softened
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 c. oatmeal
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 c. pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar.  cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
3. Add chopped apples and cinnamon.
4. Fold in about 3/4 of the buttermilk into the flour mixture to make a soft dough.
5. If dough is too dry, gradually add more buttermilk.
6. Turn out on a floured board.
7. Form into a circle which is about 8″ in diameter.  Press down lightly to about 1 inch thick.
8. Cut dough into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
9. Place scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Mix together topping ingredients, place 1-2 T. of topping on each scone.
11. Press down topping lightly.
12. Bake until lightly browned about 10 minutes in a convection oven (all ovens are different so baking time can vary widely.)

Makes about 40 scones.

Babette and Amy at the Samovar

On September 13th, I had a wonderful day of tea in San Francisco.  It started early in the morning.  Babette picked me up at the Ferry Building.  We went to Ghiradelli Square to the Crown and Crumpet Tea Room to take a picture for the International Tea Sipper’s Society newsletter.  From there we went to the original Samovar Tea Lounge.  It was wonderful!  I had a delicious Phoenix Oolong.  After Samovar we stopped by Lovejoys, a traditional tea room to drop off some of Babette’s Emma Lea books for them.  We spoke briefly with the owner and had hoped to have afternoon tea there, but they were packed!  From there we went to Japan town for a quick stop and picked up some Genmaicha Tea before going to China town.

In China town we went to Red Blossom, a wonderful tea shop filled with rare teas.  I bought a package of Ancient Wuyi Oolong for myself and a package of Silk Oolong (similar to our Milk Oolong) for my son Jacob.  He’s 10 years old and absolutely loves tea, especially oolongs!

After China town we walked to James Norwood Pratt’s apartment for afternoon tea.  Many of you may know him.  We were fortunate to have him on 2 different occasions at my tea room.  He’s a wonderful man and knows absolutely everything there is to know about tea.  Valerie made us English Scones and we drank tea all afternoon and talked.

Roy's OMG Tea Class

In the early evening, we back down to the Ferry Building to take part in Roy Fong’s OMG Tea Class. Roy is the owner of the Imperial Tea Court.  His class was absolutely amazing!  We tasted 5 different teas from his private collection.  They were all superb but my favorite was his Imperial Purple Puerh from 1989. The leaves were exquisite and the taste was amazing! What a wonderful way to end the day! I didn’t get home until 11:30 that night but I had no trouble staying awake due to the amount of tea I had drank all day

Class @ Roys

I am a firm believer in, “Things always work out for the best.”  So when the interested party called to say that they had decided against buying the tea room, I was actually overjoyed and relieved -for it meant, I was able to keep www.afternoontoremember.com and my on-line business.  So I closed my tea room on June 12th with a big sale on the 13th.  After that it has been 2 months of cleaning, reorganizing, restructuring the new on-line company and readjusting my life.

What does that mean for the International Tea Sippers?  Well, a lot!  I now have more time to dedicate to finding and writing interesting articles for you, connecting with tea businesses and tea lovers across the world and finally some time to sit and enjoy tea!  So get ready, there’s lots more to come!

James Norwood Pratt enthralled the crowd with stories and cups of rare brew from his most recent tour of Taiwan tea plantations while Mitchel Noble shared some of the current medical research on the health benefits of tea and sampled some of the finest Chinese teas PeLi Tea imports. Tea educator, Anne Evans, delighted the Sippers with A History of U.S. Tearooms and the staff of the host tearoom, An Afternoon To Remember, demonstrated scone-making, tea tray organization, brewing techniques and maintained a non-stop service of tea and treats.

“We wanted to demonstrate the way in which participating tea businesses can create their own events for ITSS members to increase their business,” co-founder and tearoom owner Amy Lawrence explained. “We want to reach out to tea drinkers with tea information and resources and value. The response has been fantastic so far.”

Her ITSS partner, Babette Donaldson and author of children’s tea stories, added, “Timing is critical. There is now huge interest in tea and demand for new products. We want to be a bridge connecting the consumers with businesses in a meaningful way – beneficial to both.

The actual launch of the International Tea Sippers Society will be on May 2,3 & 4, 2009 at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. At this time tea businesses will be able to participate creating a descriptive profile of their businesses on the ITSS member website.

Tips on Making Scones

• Use quality ingredients.
• Use cold butter; don’t let it soften.  Cold butter makes the scones rise higher.
• Drain fruit very well.
• Add fruit last, barely mix it in to flour mixture.
• Add only enough buttermilk to make dough stick together.
• If dough is too sticky when you pat it on the floured board, add more flour.
• If dough is too dry and crumbles when you try and pat it on the floured board, add more buttermilk.
• If you are using frozen fruit, make sure it does not thaw out.  Mix it in quickly and cut scones fast.  If it thaws out, the dough is very sticky and a mess!
• Make sure oven is hot and preheated to 400 degrees.

An Afternoon to Remember’s Amaretto Apricot Scones

• 3 c. self-rising flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 c. blackberries, fresh
• 3/4 c.-1 c. buttermilk

Glaze (mix together):

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 t. lemon extract
• 2-3 T. water or to desired consistency

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine self-rising flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
3. Add blackberries.
4. Fold in (by hand, do not use mixer)about 3/4 c. of buttermilk into the flour mixture to make a soft dough.
5. If dough is too dry, gradually add more buttermilk. Do not overmix.
6. Turn out on a floured board.
7. Form into a circle which is about 8” in diameter. Press down lightly to about 1 inch thick.
8. Cut dough into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
9. Place scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake until lightly browned about 10 minutes in a convection oven. (All ovens vary, so baking time may vary.)
11. Brush or dip in glaze if desired.

May be reheated in foil.

Makes about 10-15 scones.

Also it’s important to keep in mind a time limit.  If you keep the party moving along everyone is engaged and has fun.  One hour for young guests is perfect, 2 hours for older children works fine.   When children arrive, have a short activity ready for them while they wait for the other guests to arrive.  This could be creating their name card, decorating a chair, etc.  This gets them engaged and allows parents to get away without them causing a fit (especially for the shy ones).

After everyone has arrived, set the expectations.  Say to them, “Today we are having a tea party.  I want everyone to use their best manners. Do you know some good manners?”  Elicit responses, such as please and thank you, put your napkin on your lap, etc.  You can also say, “This is a special day, we are using real grown-up cups and saucers. I know everyone will be careful and act grown-up.”

If children are aware that this is a special tea party, and that they will be treated like adults, then they will act like adults.  I’m always amazed when I do a children’s event at my tea room. The children are extremely careful with their tea cups-they haven’t broken one yet!  They straighten their backs, hold their heads up high and use their manners. They know coming to tea is something special. Even their parents are often shocked at their children’s good manners.  Remember, always set the expectations.

Also it’s important to tell them the time-line of the party, first we will have tea, then open presents, then eat cake, then outside for an activity, then it’s time to go home.  If you give them the schedule, they will know what’s ahead and you’ll have fewer problems.  When children know what’s expected, they will be more apt to follow along.

I find it is always nice to give them a demonstration of tea party etiquette.  Demonstrate how to use the sugar tongs to put sugar in their tea, how to gently stir the tea, how to pour milk in their tea if desired and how to carefully hold the tea cup. If they are older, show them how to pour their own tea. Teaching them how to make a pot of tea can be a  fun activity. My son who is 9 is able to make tea all on his own (with an electric kettle).  He takes pride in making tea for me when I get home from the tea room.  I often have him demonstrate how easy it is to make tea during our special children’s events.  This gets the children very excited and by the end they all want to buy some tea to take home and make on their own.

Jane Pettigrew and Amy Lawrence

Have you ever wondered where the idea of afternoon tea originated?   You may have heard about Duchess Anna, but have you heard about Princess Catharine of Braganza?  Did you ever wonder how tea made it to England in the first place?

There are many books dedicated to the history of afternoon tea, but Jane Pettigrew’s book, “A Social History of Tea” is simply the best!  And my favorite!  Unfortunately it is out of print!  Jane thoroughly explores the history of afternoon tea in great detail and weaves it all together with beautiful photographs.  Her unique style just appeals to me.  I just love her!  I was very fortunate to have attended her Master Tea Class in London a year ago.

According her book, it is said that when the Portuguese princess-Catharine of Braganza arrived in England to marry Charles II in 1662, she brought with her a casket of tea.  Catharine had grown up drinking tea and because she enjoyed it so much, she made it fashionable in England.

The idea of taking afternoon tea is believed to have been started by the Duchess Anna of Bedford.  She had a “sinking feeling,” in the middle of the afternoon as there was a long gap between meals.  She asked her maid to bring her the necessary equipment to make tea and something small to eat in her private room.  This idea “taking of tea in the afternoon” developed into a new social event between the late 1830’s and early 1840’s and thus “afternoon tea” was born.

High tea tends to co notate an idea of elegancy and sophistication when in reality it was originally an evening meal around 6 pm as laborers returned home.  High tea consists of meat and potatoes as well as other foods and tea.  It was not exclusively a working class meal but was adopted by all social groups.  Families with servants often took high tea on Sundays in order to allow the servants time to go to church and not worry about cooking an evening meal for the family.

Various Tea Times

Cream Tea- A simple tea consisting of scones, clotted cream, marmalade or lemon curd and tea.

Low Tea/Afternoon Tea-  An afternoon meal including sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, curd, 2-3 sweets and tea. Known as “low tea” because guests were seated in low armchairs with low side-tables on which to place their cups and saucers.

Elevensies-Morning coffee hour in England

Royale Tea- A social tea served with champagne at the beginning or sherry at the end.

High Tea-  A misnomer.  An evening meal enjoyed around 6 p.m. as laborers and miners returned home.  This tea consists of meat and potatoes, other dishes and tea.

High Mountain Biluochun

High Mountain Bi Luo Chun

Bi Luo Chun literally means, “Green Spring Spiral.”  It is a green tea first grown on Dongting Mountain around Lake Taihu in Jiangsu Province.  The tea looks like downy fluff and is made from the earliest springtime plucking of a single leaf attached to an unopened bud.  It takes some one hundred twenty thousand such sets to make each kilo of high grade Biluochun. The best Biluochun is made with a small leaf cultivar and is processed entirely by hand. It is skillfully pan fired over charcoal (not electric) heat. Because of the leaf’s delicacy, steeping Biluochun requires skill.  The water should be cooler than the 175 degrees Fahrenheit that is generally ideal for other green teas and should not be poured onto the leaf itself. Instead, the leaf should be added to the water that is in a cup or clear glass which affords the pleasure of observing the agony of the leaves. As the leaves unfurl they spiral to the bottom and open grudgingly which helps to account for the tea’s peculiar name, which can also be translated as Green Spring Snail or Green Spring Conchshell.

Keemun Needle

Organic Keemun Needle

This is the highest Keemun grade which is plucked and produced in the early spring, exclusively from tender buds. Keemun Needle has a shiny and pointed needle look, an exquisite bouquet with rich aroma and sweet flavor.   Keemuns are China black teas from Qimen, a county in Anhui province. Since its introduction in 1876/77, Keemuns are considered the best black tea China produces, referred to as ‘King of Red Tea’ or the “Burgundy” of China teas, because of its superb bouquet. Keemuns have thick, full liquors with a rich aroma and sweet flavor.  Keemuns are mainly made from Keemun Zhuye cultivar and available in various grades and shapes from ordinary to the extra-ordinary like Keemun Needle, Keemun Hao Ya, Keemun Mao Feng and Keemun Sechema, to name a few. The first keemun was produced in 1875 by a failed civil servant, Yu Qianchen, after he traveled to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea production.

Silver Needle

Silver Needle Bai Hao Yin Zhen

Baihao Yinzhen white tea literally means, “White Tip Silver Needle.”  It is a Fujian province specialty and consists exclusively of unopened leaf buds covered with down. It has some characteristics of a green tea, but it is lighter-tasting with a unique sweet flavor. If more leaf is used, the liquor becomes a light amber yellow color with a richer flavor. The very best Silver Needle is picked between March 15 and April 10 when it is not raining.  Only undamaged and unopened buds are used for the higher grades. This tea was first exported as White Pekoe Silver Needle and was first produced in 1885 with the Fuding Da Bai cultivar.

Mitchel Noble from PeLi Teas was so gracious to provide these elegant descriptions and pictures of some of China’s most Famous Teas.