Fine Tea
DISCOVER FINE TEA Welcome to Canton Tea Co - the home of authentic, high grade, whole leaf tea. Our award-winning teas are grown on small farms and processed by hand, just as they have been for thousands of years. We buy seasonally so they are fresh and full of flavour. Tea lovers all over the world are discovering the taste - and the health benefits, of these exceptional teas. If you want to find out what all the noise is about, try our New to Tea kit. It has all you need to get started including a glass teapot, cups and a selection of our most popular teas. Naturally we love to talk tea. Call us for advice and information on 0845 519 5575 or email us at support@cantonteaco.com. Enjoy your tea. Best wishes, Jennifer Wood Founder and Director 2
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Tel: 0845 519 5575
‘Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.’
Ancient Chinese saying.
The Beginning: Young Pouchong tea leaves growing high up on Mr Xu's small mountain farm in Wen Shan, Taiwan.
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‘This tea is more like a culture, even an art.’ Michael Zavialov. Artist and customer.
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UNDERSTANDING TEA Tea is like wine: you can drink supermarket plonk or Grand cru. We have some of the finest teas in the world. All teas are derived from one plant species, the Camellia sinensis, and these factors determine the taste of your tea. VARIETAL: there are many hundreds of different tea subspecies. TERROIR: including soil, aspect, altitude and climate. SEASON: generally spring or autumn www.cantonteaco.com
PROCESSING: the skill of the tea producer, whether the leaves are crushed and the level of oxidation. BREWING: the quality and temperature of the water, steeping time and brewing method. Tel: 0845 519 5575
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FIVE TEA CATEGORIES All tea is derived from one plant, the Camellia sinensis. It is categorised into White, Green, Oolong, Black and Puerh tea. Tea Processing
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White tea leaves are withered and dried.
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Green tea is heated quickly to prevent any oxidation.
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Oolong teas are bruised or crushed to encourage oxidation and then fired or baked to arrest oxidation at a specific level.
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Black teas are tumbled, roasted and fully oxidised.
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Puerh is a green tea which undergoes a complex process involving post fermentation - almost like composting www.cantonteaco.com
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Each category is determined by how the leaves are processed and the level of oxidation.
Unoxidised green tea
Semi-oxidised oolong tea
Fully oxidised black tea
Oxidation in a nutshell Cut an apple in half and it goes brown due to oxidation. When you crush a tea leaf it breaks down the cell walls, releasing enzymes and speeding up oxidation. 7
‘Your teas are mellow and divine.’ Chris Yates, tea correspondent for The Idler
Different teas can produce an astonishing range of flavours. JASMINE PEARLS: Hand-rolled green tea buds infused with fresh jasmine blossoms for a soft, sweet, fragrant tea.
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WHITE Silver Needle (Yin Zhen): Plump young tea buds, creamy and smooth with notes of honeydew melon.
GREEN Dragon Well (Long Jing): Fresh, sappy and lively, with hints of green bean and sweet chestnut.
tasting tea “Your teas are fabulous, rare and very special.” - Jane Pettigrew. Tea historian and writer
OOLONG Iron Buddha (Tie Guan Yin): Robust and satisfying with a fruity aroma and a toasty, smooth flavour.
BLACK Bai Lin Gong Fu: Young tender buds with a soft, malty sweet flavour, and a velvety mouthfeel.
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PUERH: A complex flavour profile with distinctive characteristics including sweet, woody and flowery notes.
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multiple infusions Puerh is prized for its flavour, its medicinal properties and as a digestif. A single serving can be infused over 60 times and produces an extraordinary range of complex flavours: bitter, sweet, earthy, nutty and floral. Puerh is compressed into a variety of shapes including a disc (beeng cha), nest (tuo cha), brick (fang cha) and mushroom (jin cha). Beeng cha
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Tuo cha
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Fang cha
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Jin cha
AGED PUERH TEA Fine Puerh The best puerh is compressed, aged, post-fermented green tea mostly made from a broad-leafed tea varietal grown in Yunnan.These leaves are processed into two main types: the original, raw or green (sheng) puerh and the more contemporary, cooked or black (shou) puerh.
Making Puerh Leaves are rolled, heated, compressed and stored to allow air and moisture to act on compounds in the tea. This creates the characteristic flavours which change through multiple infusions. High quality raw puerh is laid down for years, to improve with age and appreciate in value.
Vintage puerh is highly soughtafter. A tong of puerh sold at auction for US$160,000 in 2009. 11
our Expert Buyer Our buying partner in China has long-standing relationships with the tea producers. Even after 10 years, he is still mentored by a 5th generation Tea Master whose family have been trading in tea since the 1800’s. This gives complete reassurance that the tea we bring direct to you is authentic and high grade. Right: Mr Xu snr. A lifetime in tea.
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Tel: 0845 519 5575
Tea from the SOURCE Mr Xu, award-winning Pouchong tea farmer on his tea farm high up in beautiful Wen Shan.
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“A delicious, exuberant focus for afternoon tea.� Kirsty Clarke. Designer and customer.
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Precious Blossom A sweet, light golden infusion with soft, melon notes of Silver Needle white tea underlying the floral, honeyed taste of the aromatic Globe Amaranth and Marigold.
Brew in a glass teapot and watch the leaves unfurl. These Flowering Teas make a perfect present for tea lovers, they are delicious to share on a summer afternoon or to enjoy with friends after supper.
Precious Blossom in bud
Precious Blossom in bloom
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flowering teas A Spectacular Display Each tea bud is crafted from young tea leaves, hand-tied around fragrant flowers. It blossoms in hot water to reveal the brightly-coloured petals and release a fragrant, honeyed infusion.
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Water Temperature for Tea
Use this traditional Chinese method and watch the bubbles: Shrimp eyes (the first tiny bubbles) 70°C - 80°C Crab eyes (slightly larger) 80°C - 85°C Fish eyes 85°C - 90°C Rope of Pearls (first rolling bubbles) 90°C - 95°C Raging torrent 95° - 100°C Old man water 100°C (over-boiled, ‘flat’ water)
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five STEPS TO PERFECT TEA 1 Water: Spring water from where the tea is grown is best, but impractical. Fresh, filtered water is good.
3 Ratio of tea to water: 2-3g or a teaspoon of leaves per 200ml of water.
4 Steeping time: Using plenty of tea in a small teapot means just a few minutes is enough for each infusion. 5 Reinfuse the same leaves: Whole leaf teas don’t give up all their flavour on the first infusion. The second and third are often the best.
2 Temperature: As a general rule white and green tea should be brewed cool. White (75°C) Green teas (80°C) Oolong (85°) Black (95°) Puerh teas (100°) www.cantonteaco.com
Tel: 0845 519 5575
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piao I tea infuser The best-selling tea infuser in Taiwan. And here’s why: Add leaves and water to the top chamber. After steeping, press the button and the tea liquor drains down into the jug below, with the leaves left above, ready for the next infusion. Simple to use and easy to clean.
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Tel: 0845 519 5575
glass TEA infusers These strong glass infusers allow you to appreciate the beauty of the unfurling tea leaves and the bright, changing colour of the tea liquor.
The glass infuser separates the tea liquor from the tea leaves so you can control the steeping time - and it makes them easy to clean.
All these infusers are made from strong borosilicate glass by a leading Hungarian glass maker so they can withstand extreme temperatures.
Straight Glass Teapot
Round Glass Teapot
Glass Infuser Mug 19
brewing tea gong fu style
Use a small teapot with a high proportion of tea to water - up to a third of the Yixing’s capacity. Discard the first infusion after about 10 seconds. This is called a wash and is used to awaken the leaves. Then enjoy a series of short infusions until the flavour of the leaves is exhausted. High grade, whole leaf teas brewed in this way can be infused at least six times. Fine puerh can be infused as many as sixty times. 20
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The Meaning of Gong Fu. Gong fu means great skill acquired through dedication - like kung fu, the same term used in martial arts.
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TRADITIONAL teaware
Bamboo Tray A robust, handcrafted, slatted bamboo tray which catches the excess tea liquor and is ideal for brewing tea in the gong fu style.
Yixing Teapot Authentic, traditional unglazed clay teapots are handmade by master potters. Antique pots develop a beautiful patina and are highly valued.
Yixing Cups These are everyday Yixing clay tasting cups. Each one shows the individual marks and irregularities of an original handmade piece.
Bamboo Utensils Handcrafted from one of the fastest growing grasses in the world, these simple utensils are useful, beautiful and from a sustainable resource. 21
The Science of Green Tea The healthy properties of green tea are attributed to the antioxidant compounds, the polyphenols. In tea the polyphenols are classified as catechins and the potent, active one in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Recent scientific research is focused on proving that the antioxidant, EGCG protects healthy cells in the body by mopping up the damaging free radicals. 22
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TEA IS GOOD FOR YOU The Chinese have been drinking tea for health and pleasure for many thousands of years. Now research supports the belief that drinking tea can reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and Altzheimer’s. A research team at Newcastle University has found that green tea once digested by enzymes in the gut, results in chemicals that are effective against the triggers of Alzheimer’s
development and in slowing down the growth of cancer cells.
“Green tea has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and what we have here provides the scientific evidence of why it may be effective against some of the key diseases we face today.” Dr Ed Okello, Newcastle University (Jan 2011) 23
TEA in HISTORY Tea has had a profound influence on the history, culture and politics of many nations. The Boston Tea Party In 1773 this rebellion against the heavy tax levied by the British Government on tea led to the American War of Independence. The Opium Wars Britain of the 1800s demanded a lot of tea and the Chinese wanted nothing in return. To help redress the balance of trade and stem the flow of silver into China, the British cultivated opium in 24
India and made a large profit selling it illegally in China - culminating in the conflicts known as the Opium Wars.
Radical design meant the Taeping tea clipper won the Great Tea Race of 1866.
TEA culture Tea cultivation in China Cultivated in China from 650 AD but Chinese legend dates its discovery back to Emperor Sheng Nun, herbalist and scholar in 2750 BC Early tea-drinking in Britain Tea hit London in the 1650s but few could afford it. In the 1670s, Catherine de Braganza, wife of Charles II, brewed tea at Ham House nr Richmond with the Duchess of Lauderdale, whose China teapot is still there. By the mid 1700s, tea had replaced table ale as the drink of the masses www.cantonteaco.com
and in the 1820s the Duchess of Bedford started a trend for afternoon tea still an integral part of British life. The rise of the whole leaf For 200 years, Britain imported all tea from China. Then in the 1800s the British East India Company developed huge tea estates in India and black tea replaced the Chinese varieties. After WW2, quality went downhill with mass produced teabags filled with the dust which was once dug back into the soil as a fertiliser. Today fine, whole leaf teas are back in demand. Tel: 0845 519 5575
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CANTON TEA CO BESTSELLERS
Canton Tea Co Selection Tin A brilliant way to explore the different teas in each category - and find your favourite. 26
Flowering Teas Delightful teas to share and stimulate the senses fragrant, sweet and pretty.
Jasmine Pearls Award-winning, perfectly balanced, fresh, clean and wonderful with savoury food.
“Once you enjoy these teas, there is no going back.” Dr D Edwards. GP and customer.
Pouchong Green Tea Infuse the big Pouchong leaves several times for a smooth, refreshing green tea.
Silver Needle White Tea Creamy and soft on the palate and packed with healthy antioxidants. www.cantonteaco.com
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Piao i Tea Infuser Practical and very easy to clean, it enables numerous perfect infusions. 27
Award-winning teas direct from the farm
Available online www.cantonteaco.com or call 0845 519 5575