What Makes A Good Afternoon Tea Menu? By Hannah McGimpsey

To begin with price is obviously a factor here but one that I think I will ignore because it would affect what I have to say too much. So let's just pretend that price is not an issue.
In general Afternoon Tea can range from a pot of tea and a scone to a full blown platter of sandwiches, cakes, champagne and whole leaf tea so seeing as we have no "budget" here, let's go for a complete blow out as far as Afternoon Tea can go.
Food Selection
If we are going to make a meal of it we need to have both savoury and sweet dishes. Therefore to begin with finger sandwiches make the perfect start to your afternoon tea. Bettys Tearooms in York and Harrogate serve for example; Smoked Scottish Salmon and Cream Cheese, Roast Yorkshire Ham and Mustard and Free RangeEgg Mayonaise and Cress sandwiches alongside their loose teas.
Now for the sweet stuff! Cream scones are a must for me in any afternoon tea menu but this is a little bit predictable. One London hotel that is doing their menu well it's the Berkeley. They have made their cakes in their Prêt-à-Portea in dedication to the world of fashion. Each cake comes in the shape of a fashion accessory!
Tea Selection
Now the most important drink in the matter - the tea. Obviously loose tea is going to be the type to use here. The quality you will achieve with loose tea is far superior to that in teabags. You will also have a far wider range. In my opinion I would stick to some classic Chinese tea such as Lapsang Souchong or a high grade Oolong. If you are drinking loose tea you will need to make sure that it is brewed correctly. Whether that means rinsing the tea first, using the correct water temperature, brewing for a certain amount of time, you need to consider these things when choosing a perfect menu.
Other Drinks
Champagne adds a touch of class to your menu but if you want something a bit different why not have a look at making cocktails with tea instead? A Mar-tea-ni perhaps?
Do it at home
Having looked at a few aspects of the menu I think it is important to point out that you do not have to go to a fancy hotel or restaurant to partake in the tradition. Why not do it at home? That means you really will be in charge of the menu and you can choose which loose teas to serve, what sandwiches to make and what shape your cakes will come in!

If you want to make your own afternoon tea at home visit LuLin Teas and view their range of luxury loose teas. Choose from green tea, white tea, black tea, puerh, oolong or herbal tisanes to create your perfect menu.

Choosing Teapots For Loose Tea - The Trials And Tribulations! By Hannah McGimpsey

How to choose your teapot:
When choosing your teapot you need to consider what type of tea you are going to prepare. Will it be loose tea or teabags is the first question you need to ask yourself. To be quite blunt if you are preparing teabagged tea I would just stick with a standard ceramic teapot and follow the old rule of "one teabag for each person and one for the pot."
So let's assume you have decided you want to brew some loose leaf tea. You know need to decide which type of tea you are going to brew. For the rest of the article I will split up into the main tea types, that being: green, black, white, oolong, Puerh and herbal.
White and Green tea:
I have grouped these two teas together because I feel that their delicate natures require them to use similar types of teapot.
For these teas such as Silver Needle or Long Jing the best type of pot to use is a glass one with an infuser. I recommend glass because being able to see the tea brew will help you know when it is ready. You will be able to witness the colour of the water changing and when you drink tea on a regular basis you will be able to use this colour palette to know when your drink has brewed without needing a timer!
Black tea:
In general this is the hardiest type of tea and can therefore be brewed in a normal ceramic pot. However, as with green and white, if you want to use the colour of your tea as a guide for strength then glass is ideal. Teapots with removable infusers are great for black tea as you can prevent over brewing by simply removing the infuser when it is ready and placing to the side for your subsequent brews.
Oolong tea
You have two choices for Oolong tea but I will only focus on one as the other is the perfect brewing receptacle for Puerh so I will discuss that later.
For Oolong I would suggest a Gaiwan. This is a small bowl with a lid that you fill quite full of leaves and brew in small amounts. The benefits of the Gaiwan are that you are brewing the tea in such small amounts that you always empty the bowl completely meaning your tea does not continue to brew resulting in bitter tea and you drink in small but concentrated amounts which means that you get a more intense flavour from the cup.
Oolongs are best drunk from Gaiwans because of they can be infused so many times.
Puerh
Puerh is ideally drunk from a Yixing Teapot. This is a special teapot made from purple clay. The best ones are made by Yixing Masters and can cost thousands of pounds. Yixing pots become seasoned with age and can only be used for one type of tea. So if you brew a Puerh in your Yixing once, that is the only type of leaf you should brew in that pot. This is because the porous nature of the clay absorbs the flavour of the leaves and creates a patina on the inside of the pot. This will enhance the taste of your brew each time.
Herbals
Herbals are another one that I think go very well in glass teapots. This is purely for aesthetical reasons. Many tisanes are made using fruits and flowers that will colour the water and it is a shame to have this covered up by opaque materials.
As a general rule I do not advise using metal pots for any tea because the metal absorbs too much heat and in my opinion it negatively affects taste too.
What do you think?

For a full range of chinese teas and teaware check out LuLin Teas. They specialise in the Chinese teas such as Green tea, Oolong tea and Puerh tea.

Learning More About "Rolled" Loose Tea By Hannah McGimpsey

Firstly; what are the types of Chinese tea that are rolled? The main group that springs to mind for me are the Oolong family. If you look closely at loose Oolong tea leaves before they have been brewed you will notice that the leaves are tightly wound up into little pellets. Two loose green teas that are also clearly rolled are Jasmine Dragon Pearls and Gunpowder Green tea.
These teas, while still being whole leaf appear to be small and potentially broken leaves before they are brewed. Or in the case of Jasmine Dragon Pearls they look like tiny little green marbles. But the magic happens when you pour the boiled (and hopefully cooled as boiling water damages the whole leaf) unto the leaves and you can see them being to open up or unfurl. Once this process is completed you should be left with open, whole leaves of tea.
So what is the point of rolling an Oolong tea?
Oolongs are rolled after oxidation to create their tightly closed shaped to improve the taste of the tea while brewing it. When preparing Oolong it is recommended that you rinse the tea first so as to encourage the leaves to begin to open. So your first brew after the rinsing will be with leaves that are partially open or are in the stages of opening. Subsequent brews will have different nuances and tastes because the leaves will be at different stages of unfurling. This is what makes Oolong such a complex tea in terms of flavours.
This type of rolling and the rolling I will describe for Jasmine Dragon Pearls below is not to be confused with rolling teas as the catalyst for starting the oxidation process required to make cha such as Black, Oolong or Puerh.
Jasmine Dragon Pearls are exactly that, OK not exactly from Dragons, but the little balls do resemble pearls. The same will happen as does with the Oolong leaves, once the pearls are submerged in water they will open up to reveal multiple green tea leaves.
The process used to roll these leaves is a little different because each individual pearl is made by wrapping it in tiny pieces of paper which later have to be removed. It is a long process which accounts for the sometimes high price of Jasmine Pearls.
So there you have it, a little introduction into tea rolling. I still have a lot to learn and while I have seen the Jasmine Pearls being rolled I have not yet seen this process for Oolong tea but I hope that one day I will!

You can explore Chinese teas from LuLin Teas here or click if you want to learn more about Oolong Tea or Jasmine Dragon Pearls.

Drinking Tea Is Comforting By Tiffany F Williams

Drinking tea brings me different types of comfort. The comfort stems from my memories of when I fell in love with the tea. I fell in love with chai latte when I was in college. I fell in love with Japanese green teas when I lived in Japan after college. These teas play an important role in calming me down and keeping me focused.

When I lived in Japan, I visited Starbucks to cure my homesickness. I would order grande soy chai lattes. Made in Tokyo Japan, it tasted the same as made in Los Angeles. In college, I hung out with my new friends in Starbucks. I did not drink coffee, so I ordered a chai latte. The texture, aroma, and flavor comforted me. Spicy masala spices blended with Assam black tea and infused with soy milk. I spent hours building strong relationships, drinking chai. I missed that when I moved to Japan alone. I missed bonding with new people.

Living in Japan, each day I faced language and culture barriers. Learning new ways to behave and perform simple tasks sometimes became overwhelming. Making eye contact with strangers was considered rude and aggressive behavior. I spent my days looking at no one and speaking to no one. Commuting on the train, I read several books and read the English newspapers. When I felt especially lonely or homesick, I would buy a chai latte at Starbucks. Sipping the brew evoked memories of my friends and home.

I lived in Japan for a year. Over time I adopted a few Japanese customs, finding comfort in their rituals and customs. Japanese people lived regimented lives. They caught the same train to work, sitting in the same car and next to the same person. I tried to adopt this mindset. I wanted to fit in. Eventually, I chose which customs to practice. One custom I practiced every day--drinking tea. Everyone drank tea all day in Japan. My tea background was limited to herbal teas and soy chai lattes.

My tea journey began at work. I taught English in cram schools. The school secretary offered me a cup of Sencha, a steamed green tea, every day. I drank it because it would be rude to refuse. She was the only staff member who spoke to me. I appreciated her kindness. Intuitively, I knew not to ask for sugar. I learned to like the sweet grassy flavor.

I have fond memories of drinking my tea, with the leaves in my cup and preparing my lessons. It took me a while to realize the green tea gave me the boast of physical and mental energy I needed to teach my lessons. Making English fun and interesting to young Japanese children was challenging. After a few months, the aroma and taste of Sencha became familiar.

Recently, I researched Sencha's history. I learned Sencha means 'boiled tea'. For centuries, the royalty and rich Japanese primarily drank expensive powdered tea called Matcha. Because Sencha was a leaf tea, it was cheaper and widely available. In the late 17th century, Japanese tea scholars translated tea brewing etiquette publications from Chinese into Japanese. Common Japanese people had access to the wonderful art of brewing and serving tea. Japanese people felt the ability to brew tea gave you a sophistication.

Now I drink Sencha in Los Angeles while I work. I remember how drinking green tea helped ease my nervousness and helped me focus. I still like to drink chai lattes with friends.

Get That Perfect Night Of Sleep With A Cup Of Tea By Scott Stepan

If you want to sleep soundly, don't bother with coffee, the caffeine keeps you awake. While regular green, black or white tea contains caffeine that boosts your system, it also contains theanine, a substance that acts as a natural relaxant, as well as benefiting your immune system. It overrides the wake-up effect of caffeine and relaxes the person drinking it. That makes tea perfect for stressful situations, as well as right before bed.
The relaxing effects of the theanine in tea are also beneficial when you don't want to go to sleep, but simply relieve stress. It's a perfect drink for the office or anywhere you need a little soothing relaxation. While the theanine overrides the effects of the caffeine in the tea and relaxes you, it doesn't leave you drowsy.
Specific types of herbal tea can help you sleep like a baby, particularly any type with chamomile or lavender can help you sleep through the night peacefully. Of course, not every manufacturer offers special chamomile, linden or lavender tea, but several, such as Lipton, Bigelow and Stash offer herbal teas that don't contain caffeine to keep you awake at night.
A cup of herbal tea or decaffeinated regular tea provides a warm soothing comfort that relaxes you. The small amount of relaxation may be just the perfect cure for insomnia or simply restlessness that keeps you awake. Bigelow offers Cozy Chamomile tea, which has been a century old remedy for insomnia and known for its ability to promote sleep. Chamomile also soothes the digestive tract, in the event the food you ate at supper is keeping you awake and calms muscle spasms as well. The glycine levels of chamomile tea provide a nerve relaxant and act as a mild sedative. Not only is the tea good for sleep, it also benefits those with menstrual cramps as well.
Another great herbal tea from Bigelow is "Sweet Dreams." This herbal blend has rose hips, spices, chamomile, peppermint and orange blossoms to create the perfect blend for a great night's sleep. These soothing caffeine-free teas help relax you, while providing delicious natural flavors.
If you simply love the flavor of tea, but find you're one of the few extremely susceptible to the effects of caffeine, even the amount in tea, and want a great nights sleep, don't forget many tea companies provide tea in a decaffeinated form. You still get all the soothing delicious flavor of tea with all the relaxing effects of theanine, but without the after effects of staying awake all night.

Are you a business in the Portland area looking for a Portland Tea company that provides tea and coffee service? Please follow the link to Gourmet Coffee Service Inc - we would be happy to serve you!

Super Food Teas By Chloe Brotheridge

Tea is the new coffee. There, I said it. Now, I don't want to offend any hard core coffee fans here, but for me at least, and for many other people, coffee just isn't a suitable option. Sure, there may be health benefits to drinking coffee, such as reducing the risk of diabetes and Parkinson's, but there are also negative health effects, such as hypertension, jitters, even worsened PMT (coffee contains much more caffeine than tea). For me, the intense withdrawal headaches I experienced if I skipped my daily coffee were evidence enough that coffee was having a drug like effect on me, and it was time to give it up. I haven't looked back.
Maybe you'd like to add a bit more variety and additional health benefits into your hot beverage drinking routine, you want to lose weight, or swap those lattes for something calorie free (see here for the shocking amounts in some coffees). If so, I wanted to let you know about different types of tea that are traditionally drunk in around the world and are gaining popularity over here for their taste and health benefits.
First up is Yerbe Mate - drunk in huge quantities in South America, it often draws comparisons with green tea. It has been shown to be reduce bad cholesterol, protect the liver and to benefit the cardiovascular system. Lifestyle hacker extraordinaire Tim Ferris ranks Yerbe mate as his #1 favourite beverage (and he's has some good ones!) and credits it's 3 kinds of stimulants (caffeine like coffee, theophylline like green tea, and theobromine like cocoa ) as helping him create his first best selling book, The 4 Hour Work Week. It's gaining popularity with people who are following the latest intermittent fasting diets, as it effectively suppresses your appetite, keeping you feeling fuller for longer and aiding weight loss.
Next is good old Green Tea; rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) that are shown to reduce fat deposits in rats fed a high fat diet, prevent skin ageing, cancer and heart disease. Studies in humans show a small effect on weight loss. No, it's not a magic bullet or the holy grail of fat burning; but it's the little things that we do that add up, to make a big difference to our waist lines.
A further interesting study on women, showed that green tea, when combined with resistance exercises, reduced body fat, waist circumference, and triacylglyceride levels and increased lean body mass and muscle strength. I like to drink Jasmine green tea, as it has a softer, floral flavour. Most people recommend 2-3 cups a day, but the optimal dose is yet to be full researched. I drink mine before a work out for a clean boost of energy.
Don't be put off by the smell of Pu'erh tea (pronounced 'poo'air'. Yes, really). It's been described as 'barnyard like'; but the taste of the tea is actually rather good. This highly fermented Chinese tea has been shown (in rats albeit) to reduce fat storage and reduce body weight. It's also thought to be the tea of choice for none other than Victoria Beckham, who uses it to maintain her tiny frame. It has a lot of the same anti cancer and anti heart disease benefits as green tea, and can often be bought in combination with Yerbe Mate as a kind of super-weight-loss tea blend.
Finally, comes Matcha tea - of Japanese tea ceremony fame. This is a powdered green tea rules supreme in the antioxidant stakes and is said to contain 10x more antioxidants than regular green tea. Drinking matcha is said to increase fat burning by 4x and especially so during exercise. Advocates of matcha will tell you that it gives you a clean boost of energy, which, unlike coffee, results in no jitters of energy crash afterwards. Although you will have to experience this for yourself to be the judge.

http://www.easywaytochange.co.uk for more info on hypnotherapy London and losing weight.

Selecting The Right Tea For You By Scott Stepan

There are all types of tea on the market, from herbal to traditional tea. When you select a tea, you might want it for a specific flavor or even a specific health property it offers. For instance, all regular tea has antioxidant properties; some have more than others do. In the traditional types of tea, you have black, white, green and oolong variants. Some have a stronger taste than other types have, some have more caffeine and some have more flavonoids, polyphenols and epigallocatchins, all substances beneficial to the body. The difference occurs with the processing of the tea and the age of the leaves when picked.
Black tea is the most processed variant. It also has the strongest and most bitter taste of all kinds. While it has the least amount of antioxidants, it still has a high content. In fact, there is approximately eight times the amount of polyphenols in black tea as there are in fruits and vegetables. Black variant retains its flavor far longer than other forms of tea. If you enjoy your tea bolder, black is a good choice.
Oolong tea goes through a small amount of fermentation, compared to the black type. It has more antioxidants and is slightly milder than its black counterpart is. Green variant is very popular right now, particularly since the discovery of all the health benefits it contains. While all tea is rich in antioxidants, green ones has the most. It has a milder flavor than black or oolong does, but not nearly as mild as white tea, which also doesn't go through fermentation, just like the green variant. But unlike green tea, it is made from more immature leaves of the Camellia Sinensis bush.
Of course, you might like something of a different nature and enjoy an herbal tea. Herbal teas may include leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant---what we normally call tea---and the leaves of other herbs as well. However, most herbal tea contains only herbs and sometimes spices and fruit. These are true tisane or herbal teas. You'll find delicious blends that are mixtures of fruit flavors such as peach or raspberry. Others may be minty good or have chamomile to help you relax.
The most frequently sold type of tea is the traditional black tea. However, green tea is now stepping up in popularity. You can purchase tea that's decaffeinated and even some mixed with spices and fruit flavors, such as Constant Comment, that offers not only a flavorful taste, but a delicious scent as well. Luckily, you don't have to choose just one tea to be a favorite; you can select a different type every day and still not drink a duplicate choice for several weeks.

Are you a business in the Portland area looking for a Portland Tea that provides tea and coffee service? Please follow the link to Office Coffee Service Inc - we would be happy to serve you!