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!
I have just received my stash of blooming tea (also known as flowering tea) and I’m thrilled! There are ten different varieties, some with a green tea base but most with a white tea base. They’re beautiful.
They are not only a very pleasant tea drink but also a real attention getter when entertaining. Just stick one in a glass teapot, pour on hot water and watch your guests become enthralled at the display. Honestly, even if you don’t drink the tea, the sight of the flower unfurling will be enough to wow most guests. Every one is hand made and each has its own personality. It takes between 5 to 10 minutes for one to totally unfurl.
If you are a tea lover, my suggestion is to let the tea make its presence known, let everyone have a sip of tea and then unveil your ‘best tea’. For example, you could say, “Oh, wasn’t that great. How about tasting one of my premium white or green or oolong teas?” Then serve your best organic loose leaf tea. A winner. I’m sure.
If you have die-hard black tea drinkers (think Lipton and the sort) you can bring out your premium Red Jade tea and let everyone sample it. I have never added the ol’ “milk and sugar” to it, but I am confident that it would live up to the ol’ cup of Lipton 🙂
Honestly, tea is like wine. Once you have had a good one you will scorn everything else.
Aside from the fact that organic loose leaf teas actually do taste great, they are also very healthy for you. Think of these teas like coffee. Once everyone just drank instant (yuk). Now people buy coffee makers — even drip coffee makers, and enjoy a decent cup of coffee. Tea is the same. Introduce your friends to loose leaf tea and they will be hooked. Nothing quite tastes as good once you have had a decent, freshly brewed loose leaf tea. You can choose: green tea (with its earthy flavor), black tea (which tastes better than any teabag, oolong tea (same health benefits as green tea but a little less organic tasting), or white tea (served to Chinese royalty ONLY for many years.)
Do They Always Work As Expected?
And, back to blooming teas. Not only are they a delight to drink but they are fascinating to watch. Just think, each flowering tea is hand-made. Most work as they should and (the first disclaimer along these lines I think) you do have the occasional dud. Yup, just like fire-crackers. Sometimes you will drop your tea ball into the boiling water and only half of it will unfurl. OK, so the fire-cracker doesn’t go off–but the duds are VERY few and far between. We had one on the weekend; it didn’t live up to our expectations. Having said that, it is the only one so far (of many) that has not performed as well as we had hoped. That is probably why we sell 5 in each pack. All 5 should work as planned. If one doesn’t, send me a video of your fail and I will replace your tea x 2.
Blooming teas are exquisite. They are attention getters. They are hand-made, each one. They are a work of art.
Hopefully, within the next couple of days, I will have some fresh blooming teas arriving from China! These are made with either a green or white tea and they are simply gorgeous, taste great and are beautiful to watch unfurl as well. I wrote previously about flowering tea choices and included a video at the end which shows one of these delicate teas unfurling. The article also included tips on brewing and serving these teas — so if you haven’t read it, you should catch up on the tips and ideas given.
White Tea Blooming Teas
Fairy Flowers Spreading (Jasmine, Lily blooms)
Jasmine with Love (Jasmine blooms)
Love at first sight (Marigold, Jasmine, Amaranth blooms)
Two Dragons Playing Pearls (Marigold, Jasmine, Amaranth blooms)
Whispered tea and flowers (Marigold, Jasmine, Amaranth blooms)
Green Tea Blooming Teas
Ruby (Amaranth blooms)
Peacock outspread (Marigold blooms)
White Tea
As mentioned in this article about green tea there are quite a few health benefits gained from drinking green tea and few, if any, side effects. What about white tea though?
White tea, just like green, oolong and black tea, comes from the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The difference with this tea, which is rumored to have been available only to Chinese Royalty, is that it is made from the buds and youngest leaves of the plants. These buds and leaves are then left to wither in the sun, then are dried either naturally via sunlight or by other methods. In fact, the actual production of white tea is much simpler than the processes involved in green, oolong or black tea however the actual process of harvesting the tea itself — remember only the sensitive buds and young leaves are picked — is quite time consuming and great care needs to be taken not to damage the tender buds or leaves. For this reason, white tea is usually a little more expensive and up until recently less readily available than other types of common loose leaf tea.
Being from the same plant as green and oolong tea, it naturally contains most of the same health benefits. Some claim that it contains even more antioxidants than regular teas because of the little actual processing of the leaves. The tea is light in colour and has a very mild, somewhat sweet taste. There are different types of white tea, with each type having a slightly different taste. The earthy or green taste of green teas is not present.
Silver Needle white tea is perhaps the most popular and the best quality of all of the white teas. There is a very short time frame within which the tea can be harvested — it must be harvested before the buds turn into leaves. Thus, this tea is made only from the tea buds. Buds are hand picked and the flavour is the most delicate of all of the white teas.
Next is the White Peony. Tender buds and two leaves are harvested and made into this fine tea. As the leaves are a little more mature, the tea is a little darker and slightly stronger tasting than Silver Needle white tea — but still retains the freshness and delicate flavor that white teas are known for.
Finally you will find other types of white tea, such as Snowbud and Tribute Eyebrow (don’t you just love the translations of the tea names!) white teas. The blooming teas made with white tea that I will have on sale are all made with Silver Needle white tea.
There are quite a few sources online regarding green tea and the benefits gained from drinking it regularly. However, there are relatively few sources that outline side effects from drinking green tea. From my own personal research and from years of experience living in countries where green tea and oolong tea is one of the more common beverages consumed, I have concluded that there are few, if any, green tea side effects.
As with any food or beverage there are bound to be some side effects for some people, if moderation is not used. However, the side effects are not strictly related, in this case, to green tea but rather to people’s pre-existing intolerances or other existing medical conditions. In other words, while green tea is a relatively safe beverage to consume there may be some contraindications to drinking it regularly or in too great quantities.
Photo By: Shirokazan
Health Benefits
First, though, let’s take a look at some of the documented benefits of green tea. It has fairly low caffeine levels making it a great drink for people wanting to avoid heavily caffeinated drinks.
All teas, especially green tea and oolong tea, are rich in antioxidants. Green tea has anti-aging benefits, is said to help decrease the risk of certain types of cancer and the antioxidants help to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.
It likewise tends to increase the body’s metabolism which lends itself toward being a great supplement when dieting or simply trying to maintain a specific weight.
The low caffeine levels make it non-addictive, unlike many other highly caffeinated drinks.
When Not To Drink Green Tea
Low Tolerance to Caffeine: I am often asked, “is green tea caffeine free?” In short, no, it is not. Obviously, if you have a fairly high intolerance to caffeine, which many people do, you may want to either avoid drinking green tea or at least steep and discard the first cup of green tea brewed. Regular organic green tea leaves can be used to steep up to three cups of tea before you need to discard the tea leaves and start over with a fresh batch of leaves. The second and third cups of tea will have little to no caffeine. There are also decaffeinated green teas available however the decaffeination process can sometimes use chemicals that are more harmful to the body than a little caffeine would be. Generally, health benefits derived from decaffeinated green tea or oolong tea are likewise diminished due to the additional processing the tea undergoes.
Sensitive Digestive System: Although I disagree that green tea should be singled out as being harmful for people suffering from indigestion or those who have problems with bloating or nausea, it may not be the best choice of drink for those with such problems. However, it goes without saying that people with sensitive digestion should also avoid a myriad of other food and drink–not just green tea. Some people find that oolong tea is easier on the digestion than green tea.
Do Not Drink When Pregnant Or Give to Children: In this instance I would say moderation was of prime importance. The low levels of caffeine should not harm either pregnant women or children. Incidentally, there are much higher levels of caffeine in many carbonated drinks children regularly consume than are found in green tea.
Remember, in some cultures women have been drinking green tea for centuries and have not been harmed at all by doing so. Some may argue that the health benefits of green tea far outweigh the issue of small amounts of caffeine being consumed when drinking green tea.
In Summary: While some people may find that green tea does have some side effects that they would prefer not to experience, most people are able to safely drink and profit from the health benefits found in green tea. Does green tea have caffeine? Yes, but so do many other beverages. Overall, many people consume products on a daily basis that pose a much greater threat to their health and overall well being than a cup or two of green tea would. Personally I feel that the health benefits far outweigh any green tea side effects or green tea extract side effects for most people.
If you are interested in trying different Asian teas but are not really sure where to start, you may want to take a look at the selection of milky oolong tea. You will often hear this tea referred to as milk oolong tea, milky oolong tea, or simply milky oolong. However, it is important to realize that there are definitely differences in the quality of the milk oolongs that are sold these days. Some are grown from the Jin Xuan varietal of tea plant; they are organically grown and naturally processed. Others are flavored teas that are also labeled as milky oolongs.
Even though the name implies that there is milk in this tea that is not the case at all. It is a pure oolong Jin Xuan tea, that when organically grown and processed simply has a subtle milk flavor. This flavor can be enhanced if the tea is lightly roasted or if the tea is given a longer oxidation period. Changes in temperature can also sometimes affect the flavor as can the actual altitude at which the Jin Xuan tea plants are grown. In other words, the milky characteristic is due to the varietal of tea plants used to make the tea.
Because of the initial popularity of this type of tea, some tea merchants and even some farmers hoping to replicate the aroma and taste of the tea actually began adding milk flavor to the teas. These days it is still possible to find blended teas that have this flavor added, however if you want the best type of milk oolong go for the organically grown Xin Xuan non-blended milky oolong tea.
What Does It Taste Like?
An organically grown Milky Oolong tea will not have an over-powering milky aroma or taste. A high quality tea will have an almost buttery taste which actually complements the regular oolong tea taste nicely. It is also naturally slightly sweet. This aroma of milk and slight sweetness make it a great tea for regular black-tea-with-milk-and-sugar drinkers to begin their journey into the discovery of Chinese teas. It also blends well with other flavored teas.
How Can You Be Sure You Are Buying The Natural Milky Oolong Tea?
An honest retailer or merchant should state whether the tea is a blended tea or a natural and organically grown Jin Xuan Milk Oolong. The leaves of the Jin Xuan plant are different to other trees, they are light green and are oval shaped although it is hard to tell that when buying tea that is already dried and processed. Generally, the aroma from an organic milky oolong tea is fresh without much hint of a milky aroma. On the other hand, one that has been flavored will have more of a milk aroma.
Some people actually prefer the flavored teas and according to my husband, who sells both types, they sell well. The main thing is to buy from a reputable source that specifically states whether the tea is blended or flavored, or not.
Discovered over twenty years ago in Japan, GABA tea is made by exposing tea leaves to nitrogen during their processing. At the time this discovery was made, Japanese scientists were experimenting how to better preserve food. During their experimentations they discovered that exposing tea leaves to nitrogen actually increased GABA levels in tea.
That’s Fine…But What Is GABA Anyway?
GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) is one of the main neurotransmitters for the CNS (Central Nervous System). It acts as a kind of brake, in that it prevents over-excitement of the nervous system. For example, many common medications prescribed for stress or anxiety actually stimulates GABA receptors to provide greater relaxation. Decreased GABA levels in a human brain have been well documented by medical studies to be associated with many psychiatric or nervous system disorders.
GABA not only works on the nervous system, but it also affects the endocrine system as well. Human Growth Hormone has been found to increase naturally with people taking GABA supplements.
One hundred grams of GABA tea contains around 150 -250 milligrams of GABA. In comparison, regular green tea only contains six milligrams per 100 grams! Melon juice, also high in GABA, has 100-150 milligrams per 100 millilitres of juice.
Organic GABA tea is usually made from oolong tea though it can also be made from green tea and black tea.
Popularity of GABA Products in Japan
Because of the many benefits found in GABA tea, it is very much promoted in Japan. In Japan you can not only readily buy GABA tea, but you can also buy GABA soft drinks and even GABA chocolate! In fact, you will find GABA supplements included in all kinds of food that is sold in supermarkets there.
While less well known in other parts of the world, it is beginning to increase in popularity. It is fairly easy to find a GABA supplement, such as GABA capsules or other related items in pharmacies and health food stores, and even GABA soft drinks in some countries. However, as stated above, one of the best sources of GABA, and one of the cheaper sources, is GABA tea.
So, What Does GABA Do Exactly?
While there are many benefits attributed to including GABA rich foods in your diet, one of the main benefits is that it increases alpha brain waves. This, in turn, will help to improve a person’s mental focus and activity. In other words, it will promote a greater sense of well-being. Following is a categorized list of some of the documented benefits of GABA:
Circulatory System
– Lowers blood pressure, making it perfect for people suffering from high blood pressure.
Mental and Stress Related
– Provides stress relief, lowers anxiety levels
– Helps alleviate symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression
– Aids in better memory retention
– Is said to also increase overall mental alertness
– Has been proven to help people undergoing alcohol detox programs by making the withdrawal symptoms lessen.
Health and Beauty
– Aids in weight loss (as does most oolong teas)
– Has natural anti aging properties and as such helps to improve the elasticity of skin and prevent wrinkles from forming
– Is a natural sleep aid, not only helping you go to sleep faster but also ensuring that your quality of sleep is great
Other
Aside from those benefits, there are a few other advantages enjoyed when your GABA nutritional requirements are met.
– Hangover cure – Yes, GABA Oolong is being hailed as the new beverage of choice the morning after. its soothing calming and healing properties really do make a difference
– Increases your energy levels- Great for providing extra endurance when needed
– Has anti bacterial properties
– Increases sexual performance (perhaps that goes along with the extra endurance and energy levels?)
The great thing about GABA is that these benefits are actually very well documented through years of scientific study. Because there is valid proof of the health benefits of GABA, and no side effects, supplemental GABA is increasingly being prescribed by workers in the health industry.
In summary, aside from the regular health benefits that all organic tea has, such as the abundance of antioxidants and other healthy compounds, GABA tea also has exceptionally high levels of natural GABA. This combination makes organic GABA tea one of the healthiest choices available when it comes to organic tea.
Update: We apologize that we no longer sell GABA Oolong tea online here. We do however Organic GABA Oolong as well as some other Robyn Lee Teas available on Amazon Australia. Feel free to take a look at our teas and order directly from our Amazon Australia Tea Store Free shipping available when you start an Amazon Prime membership
US and Canada customers can buy our teas here: Zi Chun Teas
If you are looking for tea that perhaps epitomizes all that tea is about, you could look no further than the blooming tea or flowering teas. They are, perhaps, the most beautiful of all beverages as they are not only pleasant to look at but they have a delightful taste as well.
What Are Blooming Teas?
Blooming teas, or flowering teas as they are also called, are special blends of teas. Commonly, green tea is combined with naturally herbal flowers or buds. Black tea and oolong tea is also sometimes used. The way they are made is quite unique. Most are handmade, in that a bundle of flowers and tea leaves are tied together with thread into a tight ball. The bundles are made in such a way that when brewed the leaves and flowers unfurl into amazing designs where the tea leaves form the leaves of the flower and the bud or flower unfolds at the centre. In some instances the flowers unfurl into an arch, a dragon’s eye, or even a small boat. To give you an idea of some of the designs, here are some photographs of blooming teas in all their glory!
The Best Way To Showcase Flower Tea
Usually, blooming teas are steeped in glass teapots so the artistic designs can be easily seen. Some people prefer to brew tea in a glass teacup instead. Often it is served at the end of a meal where the teapot is set in the middle of the table so everyone can appreciate it. You will also find it served with a light afternoon or morning snack, again placed on the table so everyone can enjoy watching the flower unfold.
Our Blooming Teas
We have a selection of blooming teas available now. These teas are made using green tea or white tea as the base.
Our selection includes teas made with jasmine flowers, Osmanthus, Lily, Globe Amaranth, Marigold and possibly chrysanthemum and marigolds! If you are interested in buying blooming teas please take a look at the flowering teas now available in our store.
How To Brew Blooming Teas
There are a couple of different ways you can prepare your flowering tea, however most recommend that you first pour the boiling water into a glass teapot and then drop the blooming tea into the water. Naturally, you will want to prepare the tea in a heat resistant glass teapot. Another suggestion is to place the tea pot over a tea warmer and light small tea candles. The light from the candles will shine up into the blooming tea, making it even more unique and exquisite.
If you wish to prepare a blooming tea for each guest–which really is a great way to end a meal with friends–you can also prepare the tea in separate glasses or cups. Because you will want to see the blooming tea unfold completely it is recommended that you use large sized glass cups or even large wine or martini glasses (providing they are heat resistant).
Normally you would use one ball for about 500 ml. of water or for a less strong tea, up to 1 litre of water. With this tea you let it steep for at least three minutes as that gives the flower long enough to unfold. Though you may be tempted to do so, don’t try to stir the water in order to hasten the process as it will not have the desired effect.
As with other loose leaf teas, you can reuse the blooming tea and make several different steepings from it, however you should not keep the bloom to reuse the following day for making tea. You can, however, place the blooming tea in a vase or glass and admire it for several days until the flowers begin to wilt.
Some people mention that they prefer to place the blooming tea into the already freshly boiled water as small pieces do not break off as easily; you can always experiment to see what you prefer and what gives you the best tasting tea.
In Conclusion
I recently read an article from Hsiao-Ching Chou, written for the Seattle PI website, that I thought perfectly expressed the reason why blooming tea is such a wonderful addition to the table. As he said, ” This is definitely not a grab-and-go drink. Enjoying a flowering tea requires time and contemplation — and a glass teapot.”
Here is a quote from his article. Think about it, and then watch the video, courtesy of House of Blossoms, included at the end of the article. You’ll soon see why blooming teas or flowering teas are becoming so popular!
“I steeped two of the teas, one in each pot, and watched them reconstitute and relax in the hot water. It was a visual reminder that I need to soak in the comfort of a quiet moment, sipping green aromas and allowing the calm to blossom.”
You may be very familiar with teas or you may be just starting your journey into exploring the delightfully fragranced and flavored teas that are available. Either way, chances are that once you have sampled some of the different organic loose teas that are now readily available worldwide you will never turn back!
My Introduction To Tea
Photo By: David Menino
In my home, when young, my parents and sisters loved their cup of tea–as they do to this day. Being dedicated tea drinkers they refused to make their tea from teabags but instead bought Lipton tea (made from broken leaves, not whole leaves). Their tea ceremony began by pouring hot water into the small, well used teapot in order to ‘heat up the pot first.” Next several teaspoons of tea were tossed into the pot and boiling water poured over. It sat for several minutes and was then poured into cups–not mugs. Everyone in my family had their tea with milk. Sugar was an option, depending on who was dieting at the time! Long gossipy conversations usually ensued, especially when the aunts were visiting. That was the extent of my knowledge about tea. I drank coffee instead.
Learning About Asian Loose Leaf Teas
Upon moving to South East Asia, suddenly my knowledge of tea was expanded. I noticed that men, not women as was traditional in my home, prepared the tea. It was brewed in tiny, rotund pots and served in small cups without handles. You never added milk or sugar!
Photo By: Krista
In Myanmar, in a northern city, Mandalay, I was served tea leaf salad–apparently a rather famous dish made with fermented green tea leaves and other additives. I was surprised at how good it actually tasted. So, there was more to tea than I had originally thought.
It wasn’t until I went to live in Taiwan, however, that my tea education really began. My husband became fascinated with the whole concept of Cha Dao, or the ‘way of tea’. He learned about tea from various tea masters, participated in tea ceremonies and ended up drinking it frequently throughout the day. In Taiwan, oolong tea (or wulong tea, as it is also known as) is usually served. He has become so enthused with tea that he has started his own tea export company–it looks like tea has really become a part of my life!
But What Is All The Fuss About Organic Loose Leaf Teas
Here is where I get to explain why organic loose teas are far superior to tea made from broken leaves, or worse yet tea brewed from teabags made from tea fannings or dust.
We all know why organic is good right? Organic tea is grown without any pesticides or chemicals. It is simply much healthier to eat organic food of all kind than to eat food from animals that have been injected with hormones or crops that have been sprayed with insecticides and other chemicals. Following the same reasoning, drinking organic tea is a more healthy choice.
If you want to really taste a tea–just as you would taste a fine wine–you want to try loose leaf tea. The flavor is richer, there are more health benefits gained from drinking tea made from loose leaves and you will able to sample the true taste of the tea as it was meant to taste.
Aside from that, it is also a lot of fun to watch loose leaf tea brewing. The tea itself is dried yet when you pour water on top of it, the leaves gradually unfurl in a very beautiful and impressive manner. Try making a pot of blooming tea–you’ll be thrilled with what you see as it is guaranteed to impress.
Another reason for choosing loose leaf tea is that you can reuse the tea leaves several times over, up to around three times. How nifty is that? The flavor gradually lessens the more cups of tea are brewed with the same tea leaves but even after several cups you can still experience the unique taste of the particular tea you are drinking.
My Favorite Loose Leaf Teas
Everyone has their own favorites when it comes to tea. My husband is a great fan of GABA tea (more on that in another post). I prefer oolong tea to green tea, mainly I think because that is what I was first introduced to. Green tea, to me, tastes a bit–well–green and leafy.
Some of my favorites at the moment include JinXuan Oolong, Osmanthus oolong and Jasmine oolong. Of course, there are so many different oolong teas that it is difficult to choose only one or two–and my preferences also tend to keep switching from one tea to the other.
If you are new to drinking oolong tea I would definitely recommend the JinXuan Oolong which is also known as milky oolong tea. It really tastes great and has a slight hint of a milk tea flavor which makes it a perfect choice in many ways for someone transitioning from drinking black tea and milk to oolong tea.
The Red Jade tea is one of the more expensive black teas sold as loose leaf tea but it is, not so surprisingly, becoming very popular amongst tea lovers.
If you love teas with a flowery taste, you would probably like the Jasmine oolong and Jasmine green tea choices. Osmanthus oolong is another great choice as the blend of the Osmanthus flowers with the oolong tea is a perfect combination–giving off a beautiful, almost heady apricot aroma with a delicious taste.
More On Loose Leaf Teas
I will be doing specific updates on each of the teas mentioned above, as well as some other teas that I am able to supply. I hope you enjoyed reading about my personal ‘tea journey’ and my favourites. I’d love to hear about yours too! Also, if anyone has any specific teas; herbal, green or oolong that you would like me to review and post more information on please just get in touch and let me know.
