Author: flowagency

A LOT of people who drink or study tea ask how much caffeine is in their cup. Now, of course, this would vary from tea type to tea type and heavily depends also on the strength and size of your cup. But yes, there is caffeine in tea. Another question which commonly comes up is, […]

During the Song Dynasty in China an Emperor named Hui Zhong said that white tea was the coming together of all that is elegant. White teas are the first flush pick of the spring. Their liquor is fresh, slightly sweet and very subtle. White teas were once reserved for the privileged elite and they are recognisable […]

ACCORDING to Chinese history, the steeping of tea is of utmost importance. Steeped to quickly and the tea will not realise its true character, steeped to long and it will become bitter. The amount of tea used in the pot, the heat of the water and the energy and intent used to boil the tea […]

Elephants played a big role in transporting tea throughout India in the 1800s. They were essential for travel in the dense, tiger filled jungle, which was teeming with mystery and danger. Being up high on the elephant’s back meant the tea transporters were out of harm’s way – for the most part. Also, most wild […]

You know when something is moreish; you go back for another sip or bite or lick. Well, tea has that special taste property that keeps us keen, and it is called ‘umami’. Umami is a Japanese word which translates roughly to mean “delicious” or “savouriness” and is used to describe a taste which leaves you […]

In Japan tea drinking is the foundation of the daily routine. The ritual is inseparable from a person’s search for harmony and serenity – both of which are fundamental keys to Japanese culture. The act of drinking tea transcends lifestyle and is more of a philosophical practice. Chanoyu is a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and […]

Some records tell us that the Japanese have been drinking tea since the 8th Century. It was particularly linked to Buddhist ceremonies in the early years but for some strange reason tea drinking took a break from Japanese culture for about 400 years and then re-emerged in the 12th Century. A Buddhist monk called Eisai […]

To the artisan drinker, tea bags are the cruelest thing to happen to tea. When they were introduced – by accident – in the early 1900s tea would change forever. A New York tea dealer called Thomas Sullivan began sending out tea samples to his clients in small silk bags, with no explanation. Clients thought […]

High tea is now a very popular practice throughout the world. But this wasn’t always so. The practice of “taking” afternoon tea kicked off in the late 1800s. Anna, Duchess of Bedford, is credited with creating afternoon tea in 1840, when she began having tea with a light snack around 4pm to ward off “that […]

In its heyday tea was mostly used for medicinal purposes. Its bitterness, not common in any other food or drink, was considered a health fuel. It was found to be a soft stimulant, good for digestion and also an aid in general health and wellbeing. It wasn’t until about the fifth century AD, when China’s upper […]