5 teas to enjoy in the rains!

Curl up on the sofa and start sipping...here's how to brew the most flavourful and aromatic teas this season

The monsoon is here, and there's nothing like a steaming hot cup of tea to accompany the softly falling rain. While tea (also known as nature's tranquiliser) is best had in its most popular avatar - black with milk and sugar - here are other interesting ways to enjoy it ...

1) Rose tea

Rose tea, made by mixing fresh roses and terminal bud of the tea, is probably the oldest flavoured teas available. The tea is known for its subtle taste. There are several benefits that it has. It can beautify the skin, clearing it of toxins and contains vitamins A, B3, C, D and E. Rose tea also acts as a cure for sore throat.

How to brew: Put 10 rosebuds into a cup (should have below-boiling water). You may brew this for as long as you like, a shorter time results in lighter tea. Use no sugar or cream as the flavour is best had natural.

2) White tea

This is a mild, fresh tea, one of the least-processed types. It is said to contain three times as many antioxidants as green tea. A study says white tea can preserve the skin's natural collagen, and another points out how it speeds up the fat-burning process.

How to brew: The first thing to remember is that hard water can ruin white tea, which has delicate a flavour. Boil water to about 158oF to 167oF and pour it over the tea leaves. Steeping time can be for about 10 minutes. Serve as it is, without milk or sugar.

3) Cinnamon tea

You can enjoy the many benefits of cinnamon tea whether you love a pure cinnamon tea or prefer it blended or added to other teas. Sweet, soothing, spicy, and a little bit exotic... Cinnamon is versatile and much-loved, a favorite not only in sweet and savory dishes, but in tea, as well!

The well-known spice is famous for its ease in blending with a variety of flavors - with other teas, spices, fruits, and herbs - to create intoxicating tea blends.

4) Tulsi tea

One of the most important benefits of this tea is that it can cure stress. Tulsi can be calming and is said to lessen abdominal pain. Having a little after a meal helps to relax the muscles of the intestinal tract. The tea is light and refreshing.

How to brew: Buy some fresh tulsi from any grocery. Boil water and place tulsi leaves inside a teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot and let steep for about three minutes. Enjoy it hot.

5)Chamomile tea

Part of the daisy family, chamomile tea was grown by ancient Egyptians to treat a wide variety of ailments. The ingredients in this tea are said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. It is also said to relieve fatigue and is considered a cure for insomnia.

How to brew: Place a sachet of dried chamomile into a cup. Boil water and cool it for 20 seconds, then pour it over the chamomile. Cover and let it steep for about 5-7 minutes. Strain and sip. The flavor will be sweet and soothing.

Try these teas today at The Tea Shelf.

The World’s Most Expensive Teas

A cup of Earl Grey’s breakfast tea may be one of the preferred beverages in the United Kingdom, but the world’s most expensive teas offer a much more exquisite flavour profile. While tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, with approximately three billion cups per day, the difference between the massively produced product and the refined variations is enormous. Not only does their cultivating and processing method vary, so does the flavour intensity. The addition of herbs and blending of different tea extracts can modify your drinking experience, as well as the price tag.

6. Gyokuro Tea

Price: $650 per kilogram

Gyokuro, which means “jewel dew”, is a shaded, pale green tea, with an intense aroma and specific processing method. Often classified as the unshaded Chinese tea Sencha, these leaves are shaded from the sun for two weeks prior to harvesting them, in order to increase the amino-acid levels in the final product, giving it a distinctive taste.

5. Poo Poo Pu-Erh Tea

Price: $1,000 per kilogram

Yes, the name is as revealing as you would think, since this fermented tea is infused with the feces of several insects. Given that the only thing they eat is tea leaves, their droppings add to the concentrated flavour of this energizing concoction. Originating from the 18th century, when Chinese doctors in the Yunnan region found the Pu-Erh to have medicinal properties and thereby offered it as a gift to Emperor Qianlong, this tea has stood the test of time. Today, its meticulous preparation method makes it one of the most expensive on the market.

4. Yellow Gold Tea Buds

Price: $3,000 per kilogram

Maybe one of the trickiest teas to get your hands on, but definitely one that’s worth the effort, Yellow Gold Tea Buds is produced by the TWG Tea Company and only sold in Singapore. What makes it so special is its limited production: one day per year, tea pickers hike up to one specific area on a specific mountain and cut the superior part of the tea tree with golden scissors, in an almost ceremonial way. After being sundried, the buds are stored in containers in order to release the polyphenols that give them their yellow colour and particular flowery aroma. In honour of the name, the leaves are then painted in 24 carat gold.

3. Panda Dung Tea

Price: $70,000 per kilogram

Once again, one of the world’s most expensive teas features animal droppings. In this case, however, the panda excrement isn’t in the tea leaves itself, but used as fertilizer for the tea trees instead. Since panda’s only eat bamboo, relieving 70% of the nutrients through their feces, this gives the tea a highly defined flavour, one that tea lovers are willing to pay a fortune for.

2. PG Tips Diamond Tea Bag

Price: $15,000 per tea bag

While these limited edition tea bags are filled with the most expensive Darjeeling tea in the world – Silver Tips Imperial Tea from the Makibari Estate – its real value is in the packaging. In honour of the British tea company PG Tips’ 75th anniversary (in 2005), they created the diamond studded tea bag, featuring 280 diamonds, and handcrafted by Boodles jewellery. Talk about a luxury beverage!

1. Da-Hong Pao Tea

Price: $1.2 million per kilo

A valued Chinese national treasure, this legendary tea is a well-kept secret and only given as a gift to dignitaries and honourable visitors. It’s said that a Ming Dynasty emperor was cured by this tea, and so his men went in search of the source, finding only four bushes on top of Mount Wuyi. Although Da-Hong Pao tea is very difficult to find for sale, its whopping price of $1.2 million for a kilogram makes it the emperor of the world’s most expensive teas.

The Natural Wonders of Green Tea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old Chinese proverb says that it is better to be without food for three days than one day without tea. It can be easily be categorized as another exotic Chinese phrase, but modern medicine has conducted a wealth of research supporting the health benefits of green tea. It has therefore become pretty well known that green tea is good for you, but have you ever stopped to think what its benefits actually are?

Green Tea SmoothTea

Making green tea detox drinks is a great way to boost your overall health and get the antioxidants you need each day. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, more so than any other tea, but its flavour can get a bit monotonous when you try drinking it daily for health.

Tea Tasting Party!

Does preparing tea for tasting daunt you? Preparing all the tea for a tea tasting party may seem like a daunting task that few can pull off without ending up with a dozen cups of tepid tea. In fact, putting together a tasting board can be rather simple if you manage your time wisely, pool your resources and do your research before hand.

Green tea for memory

Natural health enthusiasts have known for years that a fresh brewed cup of green tea provides an antioxidant punch that lowers the risk of developing many deadly lines of cancer, lowers the risk of developing dementia and can even boost metabolism to assist weight loss efforts. Those same health-minded individuals may not know that the super nutrients known as catechins found in green tea also help increase memory recall and cognitive abilities.

Brewing Green Tea

1. Choose your tea. Quality loose leaf green tea is widely available these days but it is also a very perishable product, so be sure to buy from a reputable seller. The tea should be fresh and come in an vacuum packaging. Air is an enemy of green tea as it causes oxidation.

Green Tea Beauty Secrets

Green tea has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, and not just for its amazing health benefits while consumed as a drink. Cosmetic companies have capitalized on green tea’s potent anti-oxidant qualities and started adding it to their products for face and body. But what is it exactly that makes green tea a staple for your beauty drawer?

Does tea aid in digestion.

Drinking tea with meals is a controversial topic. There are several studies that report drinking tea is good for digestive health but some state that caffeine in tea hinders absorption of various nutrients. Let’s see find out if it affects our health.

Result of Weight loss with Green Tea,

Researchers who looked at polyphenols - natural compounds in tea - found that they, along with the caffeine content, increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation, which resulted in weight loss and helped maintain a healthy body weight.

When to drink Green Tea

There are several benefits of drinking green tea - it helps metabolism, boosts fat burning mechanism and helps you stay fit. It contains powerful antioxidants that has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight cancer and remove free radicals and unwanted toxic substances from the body. Other antioxidant compounds such as catechins and poly-phenols are known to boost the immune system.

Processing Different Types of Tea

From withering to drying, the same Camellia sinensis tea leaf is treated differently during the process to produce the very different aroma and flavour effects of white, green and black teas.

Question about tea

Tea, which has earned the reputation of being the most widely consumed beverage in the world, has some myths which need to be logically busted in order for us to understand its actual effect on our health. So if you cannot start your day with your cup of tea, learn the truth about tea.

green tea vs oolong tea

For years we have been battling about tea and its health benefits. With more and more people become health conscious, the question for the better tea has risen. Oolong tea and green tea are at the leading the race but it’s hard to decide which of them the best is really.

Green Tea Facts and Myths: Learning to Differentiate

Green Tea is considered to be one of the healthiest available beverages. Ancient China was known for its extensive use of green tea to cure ailments in royal families. The medicinal and health benefits of Green Tea are many but so are the myths surrounding it. So before you take your sip of Green tea and embark on a journey of healthy living, be aware of the myths separating the facts.