Find Your Favorite Green Tea, Flavored Tea, Iced Tea, White Tea, and more at Teajo.com

Tea Information

Taste of hot tea vs. chilled tea - December 9, 2008

You may have noticed that when drinking flavored teas on ice, there is a definite difference in the flavor profile when compared to drinking the tea hot. In fact, you may also find that drinking chilled tea tends to bring out more of the flavors in the tea. This is particularly true of our Lemon Ginger Green tea, where ice definitely brings out the ginger flavor more than when the tea is consumed hot.

Without going into too much scientific detail, aspects such as the viscosity of the tea and the receptors on your tongue play a significant part in how the tea tastes whether it is poured over ice or served hot. For example, warmer liquids have a lower viscosity, so the sensation on your tongue will be different compared to a colder, higher viscosity liquid. With regard to the receptors on your tongue and mouth, some chemicals interact differently at higher or lower temperatures with these receptors. So lower temperatures can allow your tongue to taste different flavors.

Whatever the explanation, if you haven't already experienced the difference, try your tea hot and then pour it over ice and note what happens with the flavors. I'll bet you find you taste more of the flavors in the tea. Of course, the quality of the tea and the flavoring will have an impact as well.

Teajo black, green and rooibos teas - From harvesting to your glass - October 6, 2008

One of the most important aspects of our teas is that they are harvested without the use of pesticides or harmful chemicals. Once harvested, the teas are processed and then shipped to one of our facilities in the U.S., where they are kept in a warehouse for flavor blending and distribution. Depending on the tea varieity (black, green, white), processing of the tea leaves can involve one or more of the folllowing steps: (1) Withering - reduce water content in the leaves, (2) Rolling - release oils to provide aroma, (3) Oxidation - oxygen is absorbed (4) Drying/Firing - even and thorough drying to stop oxidation process.

The flavor blending process is very simple. We take only natural ingredients and combine them with the tea leaves. No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors ever touch the teas. For example, our Lemon Ginger Green tea is created by taking Green Assam tea leaves and blending them, often by hand, with natural bits of lemon and ginger. These natural bits are created from whole dried fruits and spices, so the lemons had to be dried and cut as did the pieces of ginger. Sometimes we also add natural flavoring or other garnishes, such as safflower or lotus petals, which help bring out certain flavors within the blend. For best results, the blended tea should not be consumed for approximately 24-48 hours to allow the flavors and aromas to properly infuse.

We focus on maintaining our tea inventory on a just in time basis, so that your tea is tastes fresher when you purchase. Many companies buy years of tea inventory to bring down their costs and provide you with a less expensive product. However, the price you pay as a consumer is in quality, taste and freshness.

Teajo black teas, green teas and rooibos - Where are they harvested? - September 22, 2008

We talk a lot about providing grower fresh teas and that we carry a very high quality grade of teas. I'll bet many of you are curious as to who is growing these teas and where they are harvested.

With the exception of our Rooibos herbal infusions, Teajo teas originate from a region called Assam, which is situated in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas. Our grower operates tea cooperatives in this region and has been doing so for over 25 years. Most people in the U.S. do not realize that there is a good chance that the tea they are drinking contains some remnants of tea from the Assam region. In most cases, large tea buyers or consolidators purchase the tea from Assam and then proceed to blend with teas from other regions and countries to make products such as English Breakfast tea or generic Black tea.The difference in our case is that we do not blend with other tea types, so our black and green teas contain only pure Assam tea leaves primarily for reasons of quality and freshness.

More about the harvesting process in the next blog.

Still a Tea Bag Drinker? - It's Time to Switch to Loose Tea - September 8, 2008

Are you still drinking tea from a tea bag? My goal is that by the time you finish reading this article, you will reconsider your tea bag ways and think seriously about switching to loose tea. If better quality, freshness and flavor are not important to you, then continue with your tea bags. Otherwise, you may want to read some of my arguments below in favor of loose tea.

Convenience Factor
I hear the following excuse all the time..."I don't have time to make loose tea and like the convenience of the tea bag..." We as Americans are so caught up in convenience and instant gratification that we continue to sacrifice quality and flavor, not to mention health benefits when it comes to tea. Making loose tea is so simple that it takes only requires a marginal increase in time over using a tea bag. All you need to brew loose tea is either (a) an unbleached tea filter pouch or (b) a Smart Tea Maker or similar brewing device. Visit http://www.teajo.com/teainfo-preparing.php to learn more about the brewing options for loose tea. If using a Smart Tea Maker, you are looking at an investment of less than $20 to enjoy great loose tea. You can also purchase a box of 100 unbleached tea filters for less than $6.00. In terms of time, it may take a few more minutes to prepare loose tea vs. tea bag preparation. But isn't it worth a few extra minutes of your time for superior quality and taste?

Quality/Freshness/Flavor
While there are some tea bag products that try to duplicate the quality and freshness of loose tea, few of them come close. Tea bags traditionally contain dust or fannings, which are the lowest grade of leftovers after the tea leaves are processed. There are a few companies that are now placing higher grade tea into their bags, but they still fall short of loose leaf quality. Break open a tea bag, look at the contents and compare the size of the leaves to that of loose tea. Do you notice how much larger and more defined the loose tea leaves are? There is an entire grading system for tea leaves, which is based on the leaf size and texture. I will not go into detail here but will expand upon tea grades in future blogs. The other differences you will notice are the superior aroma and freshness of loose tea, especially when it comes to flavored teas. Unless the tea bags are individually sealed, they are exposed to air and will lose flavor and freshness much quicker than loose tea. The tea bag also restricts the amount of space needed for the tea leaves to expand, which also affects the infusion process.

Health/Environment
When you are finished drinking loose tea, there are no staples, nylon or silk bags to throw away. Loose tea is much more environmentally friendly. The worst offenders are the pyramid shaped silk tea bags which purportedly offer the quality of loose tea in the convenience of a bag. What is the point of putting a healthy, organic product like tea into a synthetic, non-environmentally friendly bag and throw them both together in boiling hot water? These pyramid tea bags look pretty, but considering their ridiculous cost, they are still lacking in quality and flavor when compared to loose tea.

In the end, it comes down to having enough compelling reasons to change any habit. If you decide to make the switch to loose tea, I have the feeling you will not return to tea bags. I understand that not everyone feels the same way about quality and flavor as I do when it comes to tea. If this is the case, stick with your box of 100 tea bags for $2.99. It is not worth your time or money to convert to loose tea. However, if you really care about what you are drinking and you still drink tea from a tea bag, it is time for you to make the change.

Rooibos - More than just another Caffeine-Free Tea - August 26, 2008

With all the media hype surrounding green tea and white tea, it is no wonder that Rooibos (Roy-boss), despite its growing popularity, still remains relatively obscure among the average tea consumer. Unfortunately, we as consumers are at the mercy of the media unless we are fortunate enough to discover gems like Rooibos on our own, through tea blogs or through tea purveyors who carry this wonderful herbal infusion.

For those who don't already know, Rooibos is not even a tea and actually originates from the stems and leaves of plant grown in South Africa known as Aspalathus linearis. I guess anything we infuse in boiling water automatically becomes a tea, but this particular infusion is not related at all to the tea plant, Camellia senensis. What is so special about Rooibos? First of all, Rooibos contains no caffeine, which in itself is very appealing to today's health conscious consumer. Unlike green or black tea, Rooibos contains a low level of tannins, which tend to contribute to the bitterness associated with any of the standard tea varieties. In my opinion, the naturally sweet flavor of Rooibos may be its best characteristic, as the flavor just gets better the longer you infuse it. Finally, Rooibos is full of antioxidants, flavonoids and is also believed to contain anti-aging effects.

Don't take my word for it, go to your favorite tea shop or online store and try it out for yourself. If they don't have Rooibos where you shop, it's time to find a new source for your teas.