Teas for Summer

In traditional Chinese medicine, green tea is regarded as a cooling agent because it is least oxidised. It is used in traditional remedies for illnesses that are characterised by having a high body temperature. During hot weather, it is said to have the same effect i.e. if you drink green tea, you will feel cooler.

I have tried it but I will be honest and say that I didn't find it helped much, but then again, I am one of those people whi is completely unaffected by caffeine or herbal remedies (although I did find a clove helped with a toothache I had a couple of years ago!). Whether it works on an individual or not, it is still a nice drink to have in the summer. Make a large pot of green tea and place it into a bottle or big jug when it has cooled sufficiently. Then stick it in the fridge and once it has cooled to fridge temperatures, it makes a refreshing and healthy change to whatever it might be that you normally drink in hot weather.

This works well with Puerh tea too.

Green Tea and Child Cancer

It is always interesting to see the claims made by researchers into the benefits of drinking green tea. After all, the Chinese have been saying that it is good for your health for thousands of years. Most of the tests though are carried out on cell smaples that are outside of the body or on other animals so they are certainly in their infancy. Others, tried on humans, are so difficult to control that they are empirical at best. At worst, they are completely subjective.

However, with test after test coming up with green tea versus this, green tea versus that and so on, surely there has to be something in it. A recent study in Australia has found that a modified catechin (catechin is one of the antioxidants found in green tea) from green tea extract has been shown to kill 50% of the cells from neuroblastoma cancers, a particularly nasty cancer that strikes at infants. The problem is that the unmodified catechin is unstable in the human body and that limits its practical effectiveness. A modified version that is more stable is the one found to kill the cancer cells; cells that are normally highly resistant to chemotherapy. The research team have been awarded a further research grant to take the study further.

Puerh Tea

Pu-erh, the great "connoisseur Tea". The Queen of all Teas, known for its noble palate, taste and aroma. Also famous for its numerous health properties. Hand picked in the high mountains of Yunnan.
This naturally grown tea is a delicacy which is produced and delivered by Mother Nature without any human interference. It is pretty much the purest form of tea one can drink. The sweet taste and aroma are a feast and its endless health properties makes it a very special treat for the body, mind and spirit.

This tea brews to a reddish-brown colour and has a distinctive liquorice, soothing taste.

 Look out for the White Moon, also known as Yue Bai Guan, is an exceptional blend, as it has very soothing and aromatic properties, while offering an endless amount of health properties. Or for the true connoisseur, 10 years old Puerh is perhaps the ultimate tea.

A Life of Tea Growing ...

Ai Lin, since the age of 5 has been living and breathing the Green Teas which her family has cultivated in the hills of Zheijian Province. Since her infant days she knows that life begins at sunset, and ends at sundown; no school or going anywhere but being close to the tea trees every single day of her life for the past six decades. There is no week end, or a break, except the ones offered by mother nature, like a rain storm or the chill of the winter. 

She feels blessed and extremely proud to be part of this natural process that has its roots deep in Chinese culture. She and her family have this ancient connection with each and every tea leaf which is hand picked from the green hills of her home town. It's hard to believe but yes, it is still hand picked one leaf at a time; one by one. She knows for a fact that her father and mother, her grand parents worked the same land, the same way, with the same harvest, the Long Jin Green Tea.

She believes that her teas are not just a drink but a true legacy to her land that can make us feel closer to nature and with each other; therefore happier people. In her own words: We can all share with others something which is pure and really good. She and her family understands that every year they have this commitment and duty to provide China and now the world with this awaited harvest,that she feels so much part of it and enjoyed by millions for centuries.

We are extremely grateful to Ai Lin, to her family and ancestors that have kept the integrity and purity of this magnificent tea and tradition. Despite all the modern reality and technology, life at Shi Hu has not changed much for thousand of years. Ai Lin is a living testament of how what is pure and real may last an eternity. We are indeed so privileged to share this legacy that we hope, will remain as it is for many generations to come.

Thank you, Ai Lin.

Lotus Tea for Breakfast ...

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day but cold. Today is also a blue sky day, no clouds in the sky and just a couple of vapour trails from passing airliners. It is also warmer. So I decided to have a change of tea for breakfast. Instead of the usual jasmine tea or green tea, I had a lotus tea fix.

It is not a cheap tea to drink so I don't regard it as an everyday tea. It is a bit special, the flavour is sweet, slightly nutty and definitely floral. Just look at the leaves ...

In Nature Teas Lotus Tea

In my white teacup, it has a greenish hue and takes only a couple of minutes at most to mash.



So once it was made, I headed outside onto the decking in front of the house, with my lotus tea and toast and marmalade in hand to savour the tea, the weather and the first daffodil of spring!

Iran back in the market for Indian Tea ...

After a dearth of nearly a year, the payment crisis with Iran has been sorted out and handrolled Indian tea is set to be exported to Iran once again. The crisis caused handrolled Indian tea prices to crash as the main outlet was closed off. This spring, handrolled tea production is set to rise by 10 million kg to around 80 million kg in total, of which something like a third will be exported to Iran. Tea producers are rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of the prices increasing by around 10%.