Tea Blossom-Welcome to Tea Blossom LLC

Tea is originally from China in 2737 B.C. According to the old legend, a few tea leaves accidentally fell into the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung's cup of hot water and tea was born.

Tea comes from an evergreen plant called Camellia Sinensis where it is grown in a mountainous area 3,000 - 7,000 feet above sea level with tropical hot and humid climate. The world's largest tea producers include India, China, Taiwan, Japan and Sri Lanka etc.

Each tea takes its name from the region in which it's grown, and each region is known for producing tea with unique flavor and character. Also, tea is classified not according to quality or taste, but by the appearance and type of the pieces of leaf.

Traditional tea can be divided into 4 major categories which are white, green, oolong and black. How the tea leaves are processed and their level of oxidation determine the types of tea. During oxidation, tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions with oxygen resulting in distinctive color and taste characteristics.

Herbal teas do not come from Camellia sinensis, therefore they are not tea. Herbal is an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of other plants. For example, Rooibos (the Red Tea comes from the Aspalathus Linearis plant) which originated in South Africa is the only other tea in the world which undergoes an oxidation process like black tea but is herbal and completely caffeine free!

Many people wonder if tea contains more caffeine than coffee, the truth is that on a dry weight basis, tea has twice as much caffeine as the same amount of coffee. However, consumeable tea only contains approximately 40 milligrams of caffeine per cup which is less than coffee. The reason being is that a pound of coffee produces about 50 to 60 cups of coffee whereas a pound of tea can produce up to 200 cups of tea. This dilutes the concentration of the caffeine in tea.

Tea has been associated with good health for centuries; it is a refreshing and healthy beverage that contains no sodium, fat, carbonation or sugar!

According to some scientific studies, tea contains virtually no calorie, studies have also found that tea contains antioxidant elements which may contribute to the promotion of health and the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, bone loss, dental cavities and more.

If you are interested in learning more information about the health benefits of drinking tea, please visit the following resources:

The Tea Association of the USA
The Tea Council of the United Kingdom

Preparing a cup of hot tea is easy! Simply bring the fresh cold water to boil (it is recommended to used filtered water or bottled water). Preheat the teapot by pouring a small amount of boiling water into the teapot, swirl around and discard the water prior to use. This is to prevent the quick temperature drop of the boiling water that extracts the full flavor of tea during steeping. Then put the loose-leaf tea into a teapot according to the tea instruction. Pour the right amount of hot water over tealeaves and let it steep for a few minutes using a tea timer! As soon as the infusion reaches a desired strength, remove the infused tea leaves immediately to avoid over steeping.

Brewing Tips: The 2 most important factors for tea brewing are time and temperature. Different types of tea require different brewing time and water temperature. Normally the bigger and more delicate looking the leaf, the lower the water temperature. However, time works a little differently, the bigger the leaf, the longer time for infusion and vice versa. It is highly recommended that you follow the tea instruction on the package as a starting point. The brewing time and temperature can then be adjusted as you develop your own personal taste.

You can virtually choose any type of tea to make your favorite summer iced tea. Fruity teas are one of the best choices as they are naturally sweetened with dried fruits and completely caffeine free. They taste delicious and can be enjoyed all year round.

Prepare tea with a double amount of tealeaves and steep the tea in hot water according to the instruction (A filter tea bag is ideal for making iced tea). Strain the tea or take out the filter tea bag and pour into an ice-filled pitcher. Give a quick stir to the iced tea to ensure a proper consistency before serving.

The best way to store tea is to put it in a dark, cool and dry place. Tea is highly absorbent and sensitive to air, light, moisture, heat and spices, therefore, it is important to store tealeaves in a high barrier material of container to preserve their freshness and avoid contamination. Also, keep in mind that it is better to buy a small amount of tea often than having a large amount of tea get stale at home. Just think of tea as a bottle of wine, always store properly and use it quickly once open. In general, black tea can stay fresh up to a year while green tea is about 6 months only.

Usually lighter tea such as white, green and light oolong is good to pair with seafood, fish, salad or chicken. Stronger tea like dark oolong and black is good to go with beef, steak or spicy food. Fruity and herbal teas are perfect after dinner or for a dessert alternative.