Chinese Yunnan Black Teas, and Japanese Green Sencha Teas

Black teas of Yunnan Province

This week I'm extolling the virtues of the black teas of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. We stock three delicious varieties – they're all complex, rich and malty. Our newest listing is the Black Needle tea. It has a wonderful gold liquor and an intriguing buttery character. Don't miss out on these three teas.

Sencha Fukuya and a legendary Gyokuru Asahi

I've also been persuaded by two Japanese sisters, who buy Darjeeling teas from us, to list two of their favourite teas from back home. Guided and converted by them, we now stock a Sencha Fukuya and a legendary Gyokuru Asahi. A new experience for me, but that pronounced vegetal taste is now becoming essential, at least once a day in my life. I think you'll like them.

Pu-erh Teas: How to brew pu-erh tea

What is Pu-erh Tea?

Pu-erh tea has become really popular in the West, in all its forms. It is a tea lovers favourite and is often described with terms such as rich and earthy or ripe and mellow, some would even say old tasting in, a complimentary sense.

The fast growing interest in this wonderful product has persuaded us to put together a few really good examples for you to try. In time we will expand the representation of Pu-erh teas on the list.

Pu-erh is a tea that is purposely left to age, and like a fine wine the older it gets the more prized it becomes. It's not uncommon for Pu-erhs to be many years old, usually between 1 and 5 but much older is possible, and each year that passes will only fortify its character and further mellow its flavour.

The journey from unfermented leaf to Pu-erh Tea is a remarkable one as it bears no resemblance to the methods used for making Green Tea. The leaves are withered in a similar way to Green Tea, but before all the moisture has gone they are piled into heaps to allow bacterium to react. A thin layer of mould will often develop and this is wholeheartedly encouraged as it benefits the overall character and flavour of the tea.
Pu-erh is then formed into bricks or cakes, gently wrapped in paper, and stored outside on racks to age. The final stage ensures the Pu-erh bricks mature to the full as they are then stored underground, and this is where they can lay for many years to mellow and evolve.

The medicinal benefits of Pu-erh are not without substance either, as according to scientific research it helps reduce cholesterol, increase metabolism and aids in digestion, especially that of fatty foods. Pu-erh has been highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many years, maybe the health benefits are in the abundant microbial activity, in which case it's similar to other living foods we hold in high regard, such as live yoghurt for example.

Pu-erh gets its name from its birthplace, therefore the small county of Pu-erh in China's Yunnan Province can be thought of as its true home, and to this day Yunnan Province is still a major producer of these exceptional teas.

Today Pu-erh teas can be purchased as loose tea, and as small and larger cakes and larger cakes of compressed teas.

Brewing pu-erh tea:

1. When the bricks are extremely tightly pressed it is best to use a strong knife to carefully pry out some leaves. The technique that works best is to insert the knife into the edge of the brick and then gently work it up and down until the tea loosens and falls off.
2. Add about 3-4 grams per serving of tea (the amount depends upon type of pu-erh) to your teapot.
3. Add hot boiling water at a full rolling boil.
4. Steep for 2-3 minutes. Once the tea seems ready, give it a stir and then pour and taste. If necessary, adjust the steeping time for a stronger taste.

New Pu-erh teas page You can find the best quality Pu-erh teas, selected for you by High Teas with the same passion for high quality teas, on our new Pu-erh teas page.

Tisanes and herbal teas on Highteas.co.uk

Our Tisanes

Following its enormous surge in popularity thanks to positive publicity surrounding the numerous health benefits of herbal and fruit tisanes, we just had to investigate.

The first indisputable fact that we soon established is that there is a vast array of delectable flavours available to consumers. Apart from the suggested health benefits, they are just plain delicious.

what are tisanes?

Tisanes look like tea and are brewed in boiling water like tea – yet they do not come from the Camellia Sinensis bush, the plant from which all teas are made.

Instead, tisanes are made from mixtures of dried leaves, seeds, grasses, nuts, barks, fruits, flowers or other botanicals that give them their taste and contribute to an array of folk and researched-based herbal tea benefits.

Here are some of the suggested herbal tea benefits when consumed on a daily basis.

• Achieve a more calm, relaxed state of mind
• Support heart health
• Aid with stomach and digestive problems
• Provide cleansing properties for the body
• Promote energy and wellness

We were principally looking for delightful, sometimes complex beverages, that give real pleasure. They certainly do not contain the dreaded caffeine.

We have sourced our tisanes from two celebrated sources of the finest tisanes available. The herbal teas tend to come from one supplier and the fruit infusions from another specialist.

From conservative "only the real thing will do" tea drinkers, we're now convinced that there is an important place for tisanes in our range, and hope you will share our pleasure.

Please let us have your feedback.

Tea types

How many Tea Types do exist?

I am always being asked about the types of teas that exist, and the meaning of tea flushes.

From the Camellia Sinensis bush, leaves and buds are picked and follow a lengthy production process to produce a variety of tea types called White tea, Green tea, Oolong tea, and Black tea.

White tea

White tea is produced from buds that are well hydrated. During the production process, white tea is not fermented, which results in a very delicate flavour and pale appearance. This variety of tea is common in China.

Green tea

Young leaves are picked for Green tea, and the fermentation process is minimal. This results in a fresh and slightly "grassy" flavour when the tea has been steeped, and a light to dark green appearance. You will find China and Japan to be the main producers of Green tea.

Oolong tea

Oolong tea is common in Taiwan and southern China. Leaves and buds from the Camellia Sinensis plant are picked and fermented partially, resulting in a dark brown appearance after steeping.

Black tea

Finally, the most common type of tea in the West is Black tea. The name comes from the appearance of the steeped tea. Because the leaves undergo a lengthy fermentation process, the steeped tea looks black, hence the name. India is the main producer of Black tea, but you will also find it in other countries such as Kenya and Turkey.

Tea Flushes

First Flush Teas

In some regions such as Darjeeling, often the first flush of growth after winter is more subtle and delicate in its flavour. Since the first flush is the first tea of the year and produced in very small quantities, the tea tends to be quite expensive and rare.

Second Flush and Autumnal Teas

While first flush teas are undoubtedly great teas, the later flushes are not necessarily inferior teas. In fact, the later flushes often tend to carry more body and colour and are often as exceptional if not better, as the first flush teas. And, in the plains where it gets exceedingly hot in May, June, the bushes produce the best and most fragrant growth after the July/August rains have cooled the temperatures down a bit. As a result, Autumnal teas tend to be outstanding in the lower altitude regions such as Assam.

Top Five Finalists in 2008 World Tea Championships

Two of our Darjeelings were voted in Top Five Finalists in 2008 World Tea Championships

Lingia Estate was described as a small garden recognised for doing big things. The tea is a perfect combination of rich flavours and Muscatel overtones with customary briskness.

Avongrove Estate, quickly catapulted up the short list of Premier Estates. This Organic selection merits the description 'gentle Darjeeling character in an easy-going format with resounding fruit harmony and light astringency.

We're very excited by two new additions to our list

Ceylon – Uva Adwatte BOP

A bold-leaf selection from Uva, which produces a full-flavored, dark cup. The finish is sweet, with notes of raisin and ripe fruit. A superb tea.

In complete contrast:

Nepal – Kanchanjungha Estate First Flush FTGFOP1 Organic

Grown in the Ilam district of Nepal neighbouring Darjeeling. This is a delicate tea of excellent quality similar in style to a good Darjeeling tea. Would make a lovely afternoon tea.

New Assam and Darjeeling teas and more.

Since our decision to abandon Chinese teas and concentrate on Indian and Ceylon teas, we've had to redouble our efforts to seek out and offer only good quality, appealing and characterful teas.

Difficult to choose a good quality Assam tea

Assam has always been a difficult area with masses of indistinguishable mediocre offerings at all kinds of prices. Even some of the priciest teas not having a lot going for them, whereas there are many little treasures delivering beyond expectations at sensible prices. After several tastings with our panel , we've made a complete revision of our listings, and hope you agree that our hard work has paid off.
In spite of its price the Sewpur is our best selling Assam, closely followed by Halmari Estate. Personally, I love the Banaspaty, which really has the maltiness claimed by all good Assam teas but rarely found. Newly listed are Corramore and Borengajuli scoring very high with our tasting panel.

Darjeeling tea an everyday drink as well as something special?

For everyday drinking it's hard to beat Makaibari and Jogmaya. I carry large stocks of each and enjoy both daily. There's not a tea on our list I'm not enthusiastic about, but Avongrove 'Euphoria' and Tumsong are my choice to bring about a sense of calm and 'euphoria' after a busy day.

To brew a good cup use 3/5g per person steeped for 4/5 minutes in boiling water. No extras for the pot please.The stronger Assam teas will tolerate a little milk, but not the Darjeeling.

Teastick infuser

Our newly listed Teastick is a great way to brew tea for one person. It measures the amount of tea needed and creates little mess. A teapot with a built-in filter is ideal for making two cups or more, or a normal teapot using a large Teeli bag. What is your everyday tea? We welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback. :)