Tea

Mom and I were in San Francisco the beginning of August and while we were in Chinatown we decided to do a Chinese Tea Tasting at Vital Tea Leaf. They have locations in San Francisco and Seattle. I believe they are getting ready to open up one in Las Vegas. They have over 200 different teas available.

Ming was our tea connoisseur. Ming was pretty funny and made things super interesting. The amount of knowledge he had was amazing. It would be so fun if we could have him teach a class here in Greenville.

When the Chinese began immigrating to the US, they brought with them their own medicine – tea. The Chinese drink tea for what ails them.

It definitely takes some getting used to. I think Mom and I liked the Siberian Rose the best; oh, and I did like the Lychee tea. There was a green tea I liked pretty well – I think the Green Iron Goddess. I think it is just one of those things you have to learn to appreciate and can be an acquired taste. The Green Goddess looked and kind of smelled like grass.

According to Ming, if you had to chose between 1 of your 5 taste buds – salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter – your best option is bitter. (Of course that is the one I like the least.) He says bitter is better for your system.

Listen to Mr. Gee tell us why it is important for us to drink tea. 

When you sit down at the long tea tasting station, there is a beautiful display of teas.

So the Chinese have a totally different way of brewing their tea. I thought it was super interesting and I would do the class again. I learned a lot. I have to admit I do like British and Indian tea better. I know it’s bad but I do like a little sweetener in my tea. I have decreased the amount I use but still like a little.

So here is what I learned:

• You should be using hot water but it shouldn’t be boiling as you damage the leaves and destroy the antioxidant benefits of the tea.
• Place your leaves in a tea pot and add the hot water. Wash the leaves and then rinse. You always want to discard the first batch. Then fill up the cup with hot water again and let steep for 30 seconds before pouring into a cup.
• You can use the tea leaves about 6 times before discarding (into your compost if possible!).
• Don’t use tea balls or tea bags – this restricts the flavor of the tea.

Here is a great video on how to properly prepare your tea:

When you are making tea, remember that you can blend the following:

• Flowers with Herbs
• Herbs with Herbs
• Tea with Flowers
• Tea with Herbs

But no TEA with TEA – meaning no green tea mixed with black or black mixed with oolong.

We tried several different teas and here are the few that I remember:

Puerh Tea is a aged dark tea produced in Yunnan province, China. It comes in this large disk and you just break a small piece off when you want it. It starts at about $60 a disk and goes up in price based on its age. It is kind of like aged alcohol. I thought it was very bitter and has a strong earthy taste. It is good for digestion, helping with acid reflux, hot flashes, and helps you to lose weight. If the tea is too strong you can mix it with Rose or Chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemum is great if you have internal fire – acne, indigestion, acid reflux, flu or dry throat. Great tea to have after greasy, spicy, fried or junk food. If you have bad breath it is because you have too much fire and build up of the yuckies in your colon. The flavor is great hot or cold and has a natural sweetness.

Siberian Rose is high in Vitamin C and Gallic Acid (anti-fungal and anti-viral, acts as an antioxidant and helps to protect our cells against oxidative damage). This is great for the skin and helps with acne. Vibrant pink rose petals are grown in the northeastern region of China near Siberia. The flavor is delicate yet aromatic. Daily usage of Siberian roses may promote healthy complexion, moisturizing, and gentle aid in sleep. Great infused with more astringent teas or flowers to enhance floral notes, such as Angel green, Lychee black, Pu-erh, Chrysanthemum, or Lavender.

Green Tea Iron Goddess is a great tea to help you with clarity, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol. I thought this one smelled like grass.

For better health, you should have a hot drink whether you are having a hot or cold meal.  Ming also recommended that for women on their periods, after delivery, and if you have arthritis to drink and eat warm/hot foods NO COLD foods or drinks.

This video explains how to choose tea:

I would so love to take this class again. I felt like Ming threw so much info out at us in a short period of time and my brain couldn’t absorb it all. So if you are in Chinatown, Seattle or Vegas be sure to check them out. They do sell online as well but way more entertaining in person!