Friday Knows Tea

Hello, Thirsty Nerds! I've been receiving quite a number of emails, dms & in-person questions regarding pu-erhs lately. It seems there's an upswing in popularity for this complicated and delicious tea family and y'all are thirsty for knowledge! Pu-erh tea (most closely for American tongues pronounced as "poo-ahr," try to swallow the R) is one family in the category of tea known as "heicha," (pronounced "hay-cha"). Heicha is the sixth type of tea and the outlier when defining true teas (leaf from the Camelia Sinensis plant). All other tea types are defined by their oxidation range at time of processing as such: White tea is unoxidized: 0% Yellow tea is delicately oxidized (also smothered to slow the oxidation process): 1-4% Green tea is lightly oxidized: 5-10% of possible oxidation in the leaf Oolong tea ranges widely from moderate to high oxidation: 11-99% Black tea is fully oxidized: 100% of possible oxygen saturation in the leaf...

When you think of a shot of caffeine, that morning jolt, that buzz in the veins, what association do you make? Espresso? Matcha? Tea, Earl Grey, hot? Probably not holly! It’s true through, the holly family has produced some super tasty rocket fuel level caffeine. We’re talking specifically  ilex  paraguariensis, ilex guayusa and ilex vomitoria, each native to one of the Americas. Each of these holly varietals offer up about 90 milligrams of caffeine per cup, about on par with drip coffee! These plants rank among only a tiny handful of indigenous caffeinated plants in the Americas, and have each played an important cultural role in their native growing regions’ histories. Let’s learn a thing! Yerba Mate (South America) For sure the most well-known of the imbibable holly trio, Yerba Mate ( eeAIR-bah MAH-tay )   is a mainstream staple in South America. The leaf of the plant is cut and dried, then brewed like tea and enjoyed socially. It's most popularly enj...

When teaching classes, speaking on panels, or even just in casual conversation, two of the most common questions I've been asked are: What is oxidation?  What does fermentation mean in regards to tea?   Tea terminology can be confusing to those who work outside the industry or are just getting their start. We tea workers have our own language for sure! When it comes to oxidation vs. fermentation, things can get especially murky. We hit a translation barrier when working with Chinese tea especially, as it's pretty standard for the terms to be used interchangeably in that region. Generally speaking, however, oxidation and fermentation refer to two completely different processes. Let’s break it down (ha ha cellular biology joke). Oxidation is the process of oxygen getting into the cells and  primary factor that distinguishes between the six true types of tea: white, yellow, green, oolong, black and post-fermented. You know how an apple turns brown when you bite in...

Today's episode of Behind the Blend features my personal favorite of our RPG character class collection: Ranger's Blend! The inspiration for each character class blend is an archetype, rather than any specific character. Rangers are sly, observant, and physically dexterous. They have a close relationship with the forest, a kinship with the natural world. Toasty green mélange of foresty delish. Green was an obvious choice for our base, but which green to pick? With so rich and mysterious an archetypal profile, I needed to put together a base that was a blend of bright and dark, toasty and lush. Houjicha (toasted twigs and stems) has the tree bark roasted notes and light body of upper-canopy branches. Dragonwell green serves to bring both sunshine-butter and earthy toastiness to the blend, and Gunpowder green complements the butter with a clean mineral finish. This tea didn't need anything other than tea. The Ranger is pure and complex, simple and layered, myste...

We get asked a LOT what the difference is between white tea and black tea, herbal tea and green tea, and so on. The world of tea is mysterious and a lot of you want to learn more, so let's start with the basics! True tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Always. Any infusion made from the leaf, stem, root or whatever other part of any other plant falls into the "tisane" category, also known as "herbal tea." Those are a whole tasty world absolutely worth your time and attention, but today we're focusing on true teas.   There are six basic types of true tea, delineated by the level of oxidation allowed to occur in the leaf during processing. After picking, tea leaves frequently go through a process of bruising, withering, heating, and drying. (I say frequently because the world of tea is so vast and varied, every facet of the end product is up for flux. How much caffeine? What does it taste like? Is it smooth or brash? The answer is always "it ...