We value our customers and want only to provide the best — after all, that’s what you deserve.

Let’s take a look at Daisajan STGFOP1 CL TYP 2nd Flush 2012 Assam and try to dissect it a little, to find out more about this specific tea.

First of all, it’s an Assam tea — grown at lower altitudes than Darjeeling tea, for example, with this particular tea grown in the Daisajan region.

STGFOP1 - Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1.   This is top grade tea, often hand harvested. OP1 denotes delicate, long leaves that produce a light liquor.  ”Tippy, golden, flowery” indicates that the tea includes a high proportion of tips as well as the high quality tea leaves.

CL TYP -  Clonal plant type.  In an effort to produce more hardy tea plants, and to enhance specific qualities in tea, some tea bushes are cloned rather than grown from seeds.   They actually  some of the most sought after teas, often sold for higher prices.

2nd Flush 2012:  These teas were harvested between early June and mid August, by far the most popular flush with Assam teas as it includes the golden “tips” which adds to the sweetness and smoothness of the teas.

So, as you can see, if you buy Daisajan STGFOP1 CL TPY, 2ND FLUSH 2012, Assam you are purchasing a high quality, smooth, sweet Assam tea.

These terms are mainly used to help define and classify teas from India and Sri Lanka but are not commonly used to describe teas from China and Taiwan.

For more information on the terms commonly used to denote tea type and grade, you will find a fairly comprehensive and easily understood list on Wikipedia.

For those who have been waiting, we now have the Handy Brew in stock.  I am a great fan of this Taiwanese patented, award winning tea maker, we use it all the time at home.

Using the Direct Immersion Brewing Method, (think in terms of French Press coffee), it produces really high quality tea or coffee.  And it is very simple to use. For a quick demo, please go here.

It is 400ml, which is plenty for one mug of tea or coffee or for two smaller mugs or cups.

What I Like About This Product

There is a lot that I like about the Handy Brew.  The design is fantastic. From speaking with the person who trademarked this brewer I know that a lot of trial and error went into perfecting it, with their ultimate goal being that it would simply be the best — it is.  It is patented in quite a few different countries in an effort to keep “copies” off the market — mainly because it is so well designed and they do not want their reputation to suffer as a result of inferior copy products being made.  Knowing all that went into the actual patented design, I am confident that it is simply one of the best on the market.  Along with the design, the material it is made from is very high quality BPA free plastic. It is sturdy and heat resistant.

It is also very versatile.  You can use it for either brewing coffee or for steeping loose leaf tea.  I have used it for both. If brewing coffee I’d suggest using a fairly coarsely ground coffee for best results. Really though, it does produce a great cup of  coffee providing you let it brew for about five to six minutes before pouring.  It also brews a perfect cup of tea, no different than brewing tea in a glass teapot with infuser for example.  I use it at home, but we have also used it at the office mainly because it really is a ‘no mess’ way to make a great cup of tea. It is not insulated, of course, so it does not work like a portable tea infuser as such (one that keeps tea hot once made).

The ease of use is also another plus with this item.  The handle is designed for a very easy grip.  The top opens up easily yet seals very well when it is closed. The true beauty of this design is the method used for pouring tea.  You simply place the handy brew on top of a cup or mug and while the infuser is pressed against the lid of the cup the liquid flows out. As soon as you pull it up off the cup it stops — instantly! No drips, no mess. That makes it very easy to use if you are drinking from a small size cup and want to refill or if you are serving tea (or coffee) to a couple of people.

There’s more too:

• Coffee oils not removed as they are when using paper filters
• Portable — can be used at the office, no mess or dripping tea or coffee
• No tea leaves or coffee grounds left in cup after pouring your drink
• BPA free and complies with European Food and Drink Safety Regulations

How to Use

• Add the loose leaf tea, or coarsely ground coffee to the Handy Brew
• Pour hot water over the tea or coffee (water temperature depends on the type of tea/coffee you are making), close the lid and wait for the tea to steep — for coffee you will probably want to wait around 5 to 6 minutes.
• Place your Handybrew directly on top of your cup or mug and the tea or coffee will flow into the cup.
• Lift the Handy Brew up and the flow of liquid immediately stops — you can pour two smaller cups if you like, without any drips in between! It comes with a small stand to sit on inbetween use.
• Leave tea leaves in Handybrew to steep more tea later

You can purchase your own Handy Brew here

How do you “nitrodize” (made up word, please note) rather than oxidize tea leaves.  After a little research I finally discovered just how it’s done.

As mentioned in a previous article on GABA tea, it was discovered more than 20 years ago when Japanese scientists were experimenting with ways to better preserve food–presumably with the use of nitrogen.  Surprisingly, when tea leaves were exposed to nitrogen, GABA levels rose enormously.

I will not reiterate the amazing benefits of GABA here, as I have already done so in previous articles. Let’s just say it’s REALLY good for you, it occurs naturally in the human body and has great anti-stress properties. It also lowers blood pressure and improves the clarity of your mental processes.

Here’s How It’s Made

The tea leaves are harvested normally.  The GABA tea we sell is made from Alishan Jinxuan Oolong tea.  I have read that it can also be made from green tea and presumably from any type of tea–which will, no doubt, slightly alter the taste of the tea. I have not yet experimented with GABA made from different types of tea, but I presume the type of tea used would affect the actual taste of the tea as each tea has subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) flavour and aroma differences.  Most sources agree that using higher grade tea is best as there are naturally higher levels of glutamic acid–the base ingredient that GABA is formed from–in better quality tea.

Also, tea grown at higher elevations benefits from warm days and cool nights — again something that is supposed to enhance natural glutamic acid levels in tea leaves.

The tea is shaded prior to being picked, which apparently increases glutamic acid levels even further. Once the leaves are picked they are placed in vacuumed drums, all oxygen is removed and is replaced with nitrogen. The length of time the leaves are exposed to nitrogen is a fairly well kept secret–though probably somewhere around 8 hours or so.  After that, the tea is processed as normal.

GABA tea is enjoying quite a bit of popularity now.  Some of the best GABA teas, in my opinion, are made in Taiwan where the Taiwanese produce it for export to Japan. In order to qualify as genuine GABA tea by Japanese standards the GABA levels must be measurable at 150mg of GABA per 100ml of tea. Most of  the GABA tea exported to Japan from Taiwan exceeds these levels, with the average being closer to 240ml per 100ml of tea.

As mentioned above, our GABA tea is made from Jinxuan Oolong tea–naturally grown at a fairly high altitude. It is all organically grown and hand picked. You can purchase it in either 50 gm or 100 gm packs. To brew, use around one teaspoon per 250ml teapot and steep for three minutes or according to taste. You can use the leaves for re-steeping at least three more times.  If you prefer a darker tea, similar to a black tea, you may want to steep for a little longer.

I used to find it very difficult to successfully photograph glass ware, however now with my new setup, after spending hours reading up on how to properly photograph glass and having spent as many hours (or more) experimenting, I am now happy with how my photos are coming out.  I am certainly not a professional photographer. In fact, I am not even an amateur or hobby photographer. But at least I think the glass tea ware photos look fine. They do not have large areas of glare or reflected light and you can fairly clearly see not only the shape of the tea pot but also the infuser unit inside.

One key was getting the lighting right. I tried photographing some tea pots in the cube with a white and a dark blue background but the reflection of the cube was clearly seen in the tea pots — looked like they were filled with white fluffy balloons…  Others had large areas of glare reflecting off, or yours truly with camera shining right back at me!

Finally, the combination I settled with was to set up the cube behind the item with one of the lights sitting inside the cube, shining through the wall onto the item through a double white layer.  I placed a white sheet on a glass table, lit from underneath, and a grey gradient sheet of paper on top of that.  Using a tripod made all the difference — I manually set the aperture as wide as possible and the result was photos that I am at least not embarrassed with

I have added a few more glass tea ware products to my online store — please feel free to check out what is available here.  If you have any questions regarding the teapots just drop me a note via email or add to the comments section, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy tea drinking!

Chamomile Flower

Photo By: Lorelei-Ranveig

While there are two main types of Chamomile plant, the main type used to make Chamomile tea is the German Chamomile. German Chamomile is an annual plant which needs to be re-planted each year. The other kind, Roman Chamomile, is a perennial plant and while it is sometimes used for tea it is also often used to make other herbal aids. Fortunately, for those who enjoy growing their own herbs and plants, both types of chamomile are easy to grow though the fact that Roman Chamomile is a perennial plant often makes it the one chosen. Both plants have beneficial properties though I have heard that many herbalists feel the German variety is more potent. Our Chamomile tea is made from the German Chamomile plant.

Harvesting and Drying the Flowers

Tea is made from the whole Chamomile flowers, which are clipped off the plant once they are in full bloom. Do not use the stems or leaves from the plant–just the flowers. The flowers are actually quite easy to use your fingers as a “rake”, pulling them through the plant to harvest the flowers. While you can use the flowers as soon as they are harvested, most people opt to dry the flowers so they can be used all year round. Most of the teas you buy are made using dried Chamomile flowers.

Air drying the flowers works quite well. Simply lay them outside on clean screens till they are dried–no need to wash the flowers first as it’s unlikely that there would be any dirt on th em. Of course, watch out for any summer rain storms! Once they are dry, store them in an air tight container, small Mason jars work well. Most recommend storing herbs for a year only.

Making Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is relatively easy to make. If using fresh flowers the ratio is one cup of flowers to a pint of water. Most people find using dried chamomile is more convenient. For dried chamomile, two tablespoons per cup of water is usually all that’s needed. If you find the tea is too strong or too weak, you can vary the ratio of chamomile to water till you find the right one.

I like to brew my herb teas using a tea infuser. Usually I’ll pop the leaves into the infuser unit of a teapot, pour on boiling water and let it sit for a while. You can also use the small ball infusers that you dunk into a cup of freshly boiled water although you would have to use a fairly large infuser in order to use the right amount of chamomile.

Chamomile Tea Benefits

As with many herbal teas and infusions, there are limits on how much you should drink each day in order to reap optimum benefits. Normally, adults should not drink more than two or three cups each day. You can get plenty of benefit from just drinking one cup before bed. Young children do not drink this tea — unless you are giving a little to calm an upset tummy. Normally, I recommend one cup a day.

Sedative Properties: This is perhaps the best known property of chamomile tea, and the reason many people drink it before bed. Studies have shown that Chamomile does have sedative properties and it is also a great help in soothing nerves.

Settling Upset Stomachs: You will often find chamomile one of the ingredients used, along with peppermint, to help calm an upset tummy. It has a soothing effect on the stomach muscles and lining, and is particularly useful for those suffering from any type of irritable bowel syndrome. A word of caution, it should not be used for morning sickness as chamomile is not recommended to drink while pregnant.

Antibacterial Properties: Some of the lesser known properties are its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Gargling with chamomile tea is great if you have a sore throat or use it as a mouth wash if you have mouth sores. Externally, a poultice can be made from chamomile flowers and placed on skin infections — though the mix of flowers to water would need to be about three times stronger if you are using it externally.

Side Effects-Chamomile Tea and Pregnancy, Other Precautions

Unlike green, oolong and black teas, there is a limit to how much you should drink each day. One cup per day (or night, before bed) will often prove beneficial — certainly no more than three cups a day should be consumed.

There are a few known side-effects. First of all, do not drink the tea if you are allergic to flowers such as daisies, ragweed, asters, chrysanthemums or marigolds you as it could cause an allergic reaction. It can interact with certain medicines, including blood thinning medication, so it should not be used if you are taking any kind of blood thinning medicine (including aspirin), nor should pregnant women or those with blood related disorders drink it. If you are using birth control pills you may want to check with your doctor to ensure it is safe to drink chamomile tea.

The Best Type of Chamomile Tea to Buy

It is relatively easy to find chamomile tea and other chamomile products online and in health stores. You can even find chamomile teabags in supermarkets. To gain the best results from this tea, I’d suggest purchasing the actual dried chamomile flowers. The powdered form of chamomile tea and chamomile tea bags do not have the same benefits as those derived from making tea using the whole flowers.

We have a selection of chamomile tea available for purchasing here.

I hear many of the same questions over again so I am listing the more common questions I am asked about our glass teapots and glass candle warmers along with the answer I usually give below.  If you have any questions about glass tea ware that is not answered below, please feel free to drop me a line or add a comment below the post and I’ll do my best to answer.

Glass Teapots

“Are they glass or plastic?”
“They are made from glass.”  (Often, at this point, the person will give the tea pot a little flick with their finger, or tap it with their fingernail, to verify my statement.)  ”In fact, they’re made from a glass that is similar in properties to Pyrex. It’s called borosilicate glass and is designed specifically to be able to withstand high temperatures. It is the same type of glass that is used for laboratory glassware.”

“What’s that thing inside (infuser unit) for?”
I take off the lid and lift the infuser unit out to show them. “It’s the infuser unit. That’s where you put the loose leaf tea, see it has small slits in the bottom so the water can infuse the tea leaves.  Once you have brewed your tea you can actually take the infuser unit out and set it aside if you like. Or, if you are going to pour all the tea you can leave it in the teapot — it keeps the tea leaves from ending up in your cup, or getting stuck in the spout.”

“How much tea do you put in the infuser?”
“That depends on how much tea you are making, and which teapot you are using. For the smaller 600ml teapots, usually one teaspoon of most teas is sufficient.  For the 800ml teapot you may want to put in a heaped teaspoon and for the 1200ml teapot, you would probably want to put a couple of teaspoons of tea in the infuser.  Most people end up experimenting a bit with how much tea to use, it depends on the type of tea and how strong or weak they like their tea.  But those amounts are usually a good starting point.”

“Why is the infuser so big, if you only put one teaspoon of tea inside it?”
“Loose leaf tea is very different from most of the teas you buy from the supermarket.  See this one little teaspoon of tea?”  (They  nod. I scamper over to our tea sampling section and take out the infuser from one of our teapots that has already been used to brew tea.)  ”This is what it looks like once it has been steeped in water — see how much it expands?

“Hmm, “Made in China” — the quality probably isn’t that great!”
(Usually said, as an aside, to the person they are with.)

“Let me ask you a question, where did tea first come from?”
“China?”
“Yes, that’s right. Did you know that China has been growing tea and making tea pots for hundreds and hundreds of years. In fact, they have perfected the art of making teapots and tea accessories to such a degree that most of the best (and oldest) teapots come from China — in 2010 a teapot was auctioned and sold for the equivalent of  $1,602,107.00.  These glass tea pots are hand blown, made from high quality glass and are very well designed. See the spout, it is made so the tea will not dribble out when you pour.  The shape of the teapots and design of the infuser unit are balanced to allow the water to freely mingle with the tea leaves, producing the best tasting tea. When it comes to teapots, I always buy those made in China.

“Can I put them on top of the stove burner? I want to make Chai Tea.”
No, these particular teapots are not suitable for sitting on top of the stove, although you can pour boiling water into them.

“Are you sure I can put boiling water in it? Won’t it break?”
No, it won’t break. I use this type of teapot all the time for brewing my tea. The type of glass it is made from is specifically designed to withstand very high temperatures.

“Does the handle get hot?”
“No, again due to the quality design the handle never gets hot.”

“Does the teapot fit on top of the warmers you are selling?”
“Yes, the 600ml, 800ml and 1200ml teapots all sit nicely on top of the warmers, see?” (Demonstration follows.)

“I bought a teapot from you a few weeks back, but I dropped the infuser/lid. Do you sell replacements?”
“We have an assortment of replacement pieces, so it’s likely we have something that would fit your teapot.  We don’t sell replacement pieces, but if you buy a pack of  tea we’ll be happy to give you the piece you need at no extra cost.” (Please note: If you are looking for a replacement piece, we will need to know the type and size of teapot you have–infuser and lid sizes vary.)

Candle Warmers

“Do the candle warmers work? How do they work?”
“Yes, the candle warmers do a great job of keeping tea warm.  You light the small candle, place it inside the warmer and set your brewed tea on top of the warmer. It will keep your tea warm for quite a while.  I recommend taking the infuser unit out while keeping your tea warm, as the might end up over-steeping.”

“How long will it keep the tea warm?”
“That depends on the size of the teapot and how much tea is left.  As long as the candle is burning, the tea will stay warm though I would recommend drinking it within half an hour or so.”

“Won’t the burning candle make the bottom of the tea pot black?”
“No, it does not burn the bottom of the tea pot.  We use a candle warmer to keep our sample flowering tea warm, and see, the teapot is not black at all.  The candle itself is smokeless.”

“What type of candles should I use?”
“You should use tea candles.  There are different types of candles, we have found the best to use are the small, white odourless candles.  Don’t use scented tea candles as they could alter the taste of the tea.”

“Do you sell the candles too? Where can I buy them?”
“No, we do not sell tea candles at present. They are very common, though, and easy to buy.  You can buy them from the “hot dollar” type shops, or at Kmart or other similar stores. Remember, though, look for the scentless, white candles. They come in packs and are inexpensive to buy.  One candle can usually be used several times before it needs to be changed.”

• Cinnamon Black Tea
• Apple Black Tea
• Vanilla Black Tea
•  Mint Green Tea

My two particular favourites (though I enjoy them all) are the Cinnamon Black tea and the Mint Green tea.

Cinnamon Black Tea: I personally enjoy the cinnamon flavour mixed with black tea.  It is a warm mix of a spicy-sweet tea that is perfect for drinking when you feel like you need a bit of a lift. The cinnamon flavour is not too over-whelming, and the tea lends itself well to adding a little milk (or cream) if you like.  A perfect after-dinner accompaniment to dessert.   While some cinnamon tea blends can be a little over-powering, particularly if you’re not that fond of the spicy aromatic cinnamon taste, the cinnamon flavour in this tea is not strong.   For an interesting combination, try blending it with the Apple Black tea — YUM.

Mint Green Tea:  I love mint and I love herbal mint teas — and I love mint green tea. I do not drink a lot of green tea myself (I am more of an oolong tea drinker) however I found this combination great.  The light taste of the green tea contrasts well with the cooling sensation of the mint.  It is also a great after-dinner tea, mainly as it is a great palate cleanser, refreshing to drink after a heavy meal and it also aids in digestion.  I would not suggest adding milk to this tea — but a dab of honey or a touch of sugar is fine.  For a great mix, try brewing a strong mint green tea, cool it down with ice-cubes, add a touch of fresh lemon juice and enjoy on a hot day.

Apple Black Tea: The fresh apple flavour coupled with fresh black tea makes for a great combination also. Try varying your infusion times to get a different tasting tea.  The apple flavour adds natural sweetness to the tea, and the tea itself smells fruity and earthy.  It has more of a black tea taste than an actual apple taste — and it can be sweetened with a little honey or sugar if you like.  You may want to add milk to the tea though I prefer it as a black tea without any milk.  It’s a perfect tea to snuggle up in front of a fire with on a cold day, especially if you blend it with the cinnamon black tea.  It also makes a great iced tea.

Vanilla Black Tea: If you like a sweet, fruity based tea this is the tea for you. This is a great stand-alone sweet tea, a perfect ‘comfort’ tea. However, it is also an amazing tea to use as a base for blending with other teas — try it with the Cinnamon Black tea for example.  It is definitely sweeter than some of the other blended teas, again making it a great ‘after dinner’ choice.  I would not recommend it as an iced tea, though when mixed with another blended tea–particularly a berry tea, it is excellent served either hot or cold.  Great standalone tea for those who enjoy a sweet tea.

As it has been a while since I updated my Blog, I thought it was time to do so.  There have been a few new developments with Robyn Lee Tea, but first up I’d like to share our most popular selling products for this month.

Popular Products:  

Our most popular selling teas have been:

• Buddha’s Tears (aka Jasmine Pearl Tea)
• GABA Tea
• Strawberry Green Tea
• Osmanthus Oolong Tea
• Flowering Teas

Our most popular items have been:

• Premium 800ml Teapot
• Premium Tea Set (Tea Pot, Candle Warmer and 2 Bodum Glasses
• Tea Pot and Warmer
• Candle Warmer

Where You Can Find Us:

You can now find us at various markets and festivals around the Sydney area.  We are at Parramatta Market (Church street) most Thursdays and Saturdays.  We are also looking into having permanent stalls at other markets in the area. I’ll keep you posted, once we have our regular market plans finalised. We are very excited to be branching out into the world of markets. It’s a great chance for us to interact with you, our customers, it’s a lot of fun and we get to talk with everyone about our passion — tea! We have great plans for our marketing, where we are aiming to not only sell tea and tea ware but to also offer information on tea, its health benefits, brewing methods and more.

If you enjoy taking your chance bidding on tea ware, you can also find items on sale on eBay — look for the seller robynleetea. 

Adding New Teas:

We are in the process of adding more varieties to our selected teas available.  Soon we will have English Breakfast, Earl Grey Tea, Blended Fruit teas,  and Fruit teas — hopefully they will be in stock within a week or so.  As our flowering teas have also been top sellers we’re getting in more varieties to choose from.

Plans for Tea Ware:

We are also looking into selling more tea ware — specifically different types and sizes of tea pots.  For this upcoming Christmas gift season we will also be making gift sets available — ranging from the high end Lin Family Ceramics to beautifully packaged glass tea sets. These have already been popular items and we are sure, once they are specifically gift packaged, they will be even more in demand.

Bulk Purchases:

If you are interested in making bulk purchases of tea ware, we do have a bulk and wholesale price list available, with discounted prices for purchase over 10 items. Please drop me a line if you are interested in buying bulk.

This about wraps up the latest news for October. More specific posts will be coming soon and more items will be added to my online store, so please keep checking back in for more updates.

Rose Oolong Tea

I’m excited to offer a chance at buying some incredibly great teas at discounted prices, in celebration of Spring! For my spring selection, I chose one green tea, one oolong tea and one black tea, including two spring flavoured teas!

The Rose Oolong tea is a delightfully scented, and high-quality oolong tea with a subtle rose scent. In fact, you can see some of the tiny rose petals still in evidence amongst the tea leaves.  Normally, this sells for a minimum of $15.99 per 100gm. With this tea, tiny rose petals are added to  premium hand-picked Jin Xuan oolong tea, making for a terrific blended tea.  Choosing the right snacks or food to go along with a specific tea is as much of an art as wine and food pairing. Try eating some stronger, hard cheese and crackers with your Rose Oolong, or serve along with a chicken or turkey meal.

Jasmine Green Tea

Jasmine Green tea, a favourite amongst many tea-drinkers, is another of my Spring choices. The scent of jasmine always reminds me of spring and this tea hasa sweet and fragrant scent to it. The brewed tea should also have a faint jasmine aroma. Green teas generally pair well with salads and also with seafoods. Of course, this particular tea is great for drinking on its own.

Black teas are often traditionally people’s first choice of breakfast tea. High quality Keemun black tea, which normally retails at around $22 per 100gm, is no exception. This tea is a great breakfast choice as it has a very subtle chocolate flavour, albeit without the sweetness that is normally associated with chocolate. This makes it an ideal beverage to end your breakfast with or to accompany a pancake breakfast, for example.  It also pairs well with curry dishes or other spicy foods such as Mexican, Thai or Chinese foods.

Keemun Black Tea

I hope you enjoy the three choices I have prepared for my “Spring Special”. If you are new to drinking loose leaf tea, these three choices will give you the ideal opportunity to explore the difference in taste between green, oolong and black tea. For seasoned tea drinkers, you will hopefully enjoy the freshness of these different types of teas and enjoy experimenting with drinking them at different times and pairing with different snacks and meals.

Hopefully, soon I will post a more in depth article on tea and food pairings, as the opportunities are endless. If you have your own favourite tea and food pairing choice, please let me know as I’d love to include it along with my favourites.

In the meantime, enjoy your Aussie springtime and your teas.  I will be presenting other “Specials” in the coming months, so please do take advantage of this great offer: Three premium quality teas originally priced at $52 for only $40 — my Spring saving gift to you this September!