Contents
Tea Altitude
World’s Most Popular Beverage
Most Expensive Tea
4-5
6-7
8-9
Boston Tea Party
U.S. Tea Imports 2015
Tea History
10 - 11
12 - 13
14 - 15
Basic Tea Catagories
Tea Came to America
Tea Preparation
16 - 17
18 - 19
20 - 21
4
1 tea
Tea Altitude Much of the world’s tea is grown in mountainous areas 3,000 – 7,000 feet above sea level, situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn in mineral-rich and acidic soil. Leading tea-producing countries include Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Taiwan. Darjeeling teas are cultivated at splendid altitudes of 800–2000 meters, and it is the highest tea gardens that usually produce the best quality tea. Although the region has just the right climatic conditions for cultivating fine tea bushes, much depends on how the complex processing is managed.
ft tea 1 9
1 6
1 tea
tea:
The most consumed beverage in the world
tea 1 7
“
The U.S. is the third largest importer of tea in the world, after Russia and Pakistan.
Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. It is the only beverage commonly served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere, for any occasion. On any given day, over 158 million Americans are drinking tea. In 2015, Americans consumed well over 80 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.6 billion gallons. About 85% of all tea consumed was Black Tea, 14% was Green Tea, and the small remaining amount was Oolong, White and Dark Tea. The U.S. is the third largest importer of tea in the world, after Russia and Pakistan, and the only western country to grow in tea imports and consumption. Approximately four in five consumers drink tea, with Millennials being the most likely (87% of millennials drink tea). On any given day, more than one half of the American population drinks tea. On a regional basis, the South and Northeast have the greatest concentration of tea drinkers.
9 9
8
1 tea
00,000
Da Hong Pao is the king of the Famous Four Wuyi Tea in the Wu Yi Mountain of China. Among all oolong teas, Da Hong Pao has the best reputation. In 1998, the Chinese government put it up for sale for the first time and was sold to a group of auctioneers for almost $900,000. Da Hong Pao is a myth of Chinese tea, since so many mythic stories about it but so rare it is—it's said only several liang available each year. The "TRUE" Da Hong Pao is nearly impossible to obtain.
USD
Legend has it that the mother of a Tang Dynasty emperor was cured of an illness by a certain tea, and that emperor sent great red robes to clothe the four bushes from which that tea originated. These original bushes, growing on a rock on Mount Wuyi, still survive today and are highly venerated. Less than one kilogram of tea is harvested from these plants each year. This original and real Da Hong Pao can fetch millions of dollars per kilogram.
Legend has it that the mother of a Tang Dynasty emperor was cured of an illness by a certain tea, and that emperor sent great red robes to clothe the four bushes from which that tea originated. t e a 1 13
177 14 1 t e a
773 The Boston Tea Party
There was a strict code of secrecy surrounding the events of the Boston Tea Party and as a result, no one ever identified who the participants were. A popular misconception is the belief the Tea Party Ships were British. In fact, the vessels were built in America and owned by Americans, but the cargo of tea they were carrying from London to Boston was owned by the British East India Company. It is estimated that hundreds took part in the Boston Tea Party. For fear of punishment, many participants of the Boston Tea Party remained anonymous for many years after the event.
11 tteeaa 1115
285,000,000
lbs
“ 12
1 tea
The total wholesale value of tea sold in the US grew from less than $2 billion in 1990 to over $10 billion in 2014.
Tea imports rise in the U.S. In 2015, U.S. tea imports were approximately 285 million lbs with an estimated wholesale value of approximately USD $11.5 billion. Though the per capita consumption of tea in the US is quite low compared to countries like the UK and China, the growth in tea consumption in recent years has been impressive. According to the Tea Association of the USA, the total wholesale value of tea sold in the US grew from less than $2 billion in 1990 to over $10 billion in 2014. The preference for healthier beverages is driving consumers away from soda and boosting the demand for tea and other categories like bottled water. A presentation at the May 2015 World Tea Expo by Howard Telford, Euromonitor International’s senior beverages analyst, stated that the US is the fourth largest tea market in the world based on retail value. Though the US isn’t even among the top ten tea-consuming countries in terms of retail volume according to Euromonitor, it enjoys the fourth position based on the sector’s retail value of $2.4 billion in 2014. The top three tea markets in terms of retail value in 2014 were China, Russia, and Japan with market values of $9.7 billion, $4.0 billion, and $3.5 billion, respectively.
t e a 1 13
5,0 “ 18 1 t e a
The U.S. played an important role in the history of tea, inventing the tea bag and iced tea, both in 1904.
tea history Tea is nearly 5,000 years old. It was discovered in 2737 BC by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, also known as the “Divine Healer,” when as legend goes, some tea leaves accidentally blew into the Emperor’s pot of boiling water.
00
In the 1600’s, tea became highly popular throughout Europe and the American colonies. Tea played a dramatic part in the establishment of the United States of America.
YEARS OLD
15 t te ea a1119
5 basic
teas
3
16
1 tea
1
2
4
5
black
1
green
2
white
3
oolong
4
BlackTea is fully oxidized during manufacturing and has dark brown/black leaves. Notable types of Indian black tea include: Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri. Varieties such as Yunnan and Keemun come to us from China. Green Tea is unoxidized, and maintains the leaves’ green color through processing. Brew made from these delicate leaves is often vegetative. Most green teas are produced in China and Japan, both of which are known for excellent, yet very distinct, green tea manufacture. After harvesting, white tea is simply withered and dried (similar to an herb). As a result, white teas offer the most exquisitely subtle tea drinking experience. These teas originated in China’s Fujian province, and continue to be produced in limited quantities in only a few parts of the world to this day. Oolong tea is only partially oxidized in the manufacturing process. Because of this, the color, flavor and aroma of oolongs range widely between that of green and black teas.
pu
-erh
5
Produced only in China, pu-erh processing is a closely guarded secret. Properly cared for, pu-erh tea is actually alive as enzymes in the tea are allowed to ferment and age, greatly enhancing the tea’s flavor over time.
t e a 1 17
Tea Came to America
22 1 t e a
Peter Stuyvesant brought the first tea to America to the colonists in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later re-named New York by the English) in 1650. Settlers here were confirmed tea drinkers. And indeed, on acquiring the colony, the English found that the small settlement consumed more tea at that time then all of England put together. It was not until 1670 that English colonists in Boston became aware of tea, and it was not publicly available for sale until twenty years later. Tea Gardens were first opened in New York City. The new Gardens were centered around the natural springs, which the city fathers now equipped with pumps to facilitate the "tea craze". The most famous of these "tea springs" was at Roosevelt and Chatham (later Park Row Street).
t e a 1 23
TEA & TEMP
3
White & Green
170° - 185° f Oolong
180° - 190° f Black & Herbal
208° - 212° f
Preparing Tea Preparing tea is an exercise in simplicity that, to paraphrase the words of the Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyu, consists of nothing but boiling water, making the tea, and serving. While these words indeed capture the spirit of tea, preparing any of the hundreds of teas available requires attention and knowledge. Making a delicious cup
20
1 tea
of tea is a play of tea leaves, the amount of water used, water temperature, the time of infusion, and the vessel the tea is brewed in. Following the correct directions for a tea can make even an ordinary tea satisfying, while brewing a rare, expensive tea incorrectly can lead to a bitter, undrinkable infusion.
t e a 1 25
Index
Altitude 4
Emperor Shen Nang 15
Peter Stuyvesant 19 Pu-erh Tea 16, 17
Black Tea 16, 17, 20
Green Tea 16, 17, 20
Boston Tea Party 10, 11 Brew 20
Tea Springs 18, 19 Imports 6, 7, 12, 13 United States 7, 10-15, 18, 19
China 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
Japan 4, 13, 17, 20 Water 7, 14, 15, 20
Dat Long Pau 8, 9
Millennials 7
Darjeeling 4
White Tea 16, 17, 19, 20 Wholesale 12, 13
Oolong Tea 16, 17, 20