Teacal Tuesday

Today in the Teacal (Tea class at Berkeley) we had a overview of the tea plant's origins, the Chinese industry, the growing American industry, and brewing basics such as water, water temperature, and brewing time.  Here are some highlights from what we learned:

Ñ Species: Camellia Sinensis

Ñ It is the only one of its eighty-some sisters in the Camellia family that contains caffeine

Ñ Originated in the Yunnan Province

Ñ Yunnan now produces 260 of the world’s 380 varieties

Ñ Chinese legend says tea was discovered by Emperor Shen Nong circa 2700 BCE 

Ñ Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water.

Ñ Delicate teas (green and white) need cooler water – 170 to 185 degrees F.

Ñ Pu-erh, black tea, and most oolongs cn take water that it just boiling – 212 degrees F.

Ñ Usually, 80 percent of the leaf’s caffeine is released within the first 20-30 seconds of steeping.

A map of China for provincial references - Yunnan is a big tea producing province.

      We also watched a documentary called "All in this Tea" about David Lee Hoffman, a tea importer from Marin, California.  It is readily available on Netflix, and I highly recommend it.  The description is as follows:

         "Few people know the fascinating history of tea growing and making. This intriguing documentary aims to change that by following renowned tea importer David Lee Hoffman as he scours the far-flung corners of China to find the richest teas on earth. Tea making is an art and tradition that goes back generations in the East, and Hoffman makes it his goal to bring to the rest of the world the exquisite teas produced by struggling small farmers."