All things Chinese tea, food and culture.
Tea has been flying these days. First British Airlines announced their special Twinings tea for flying and now Singapore Airlines is jumping on the aircraft. Singapore Airlines has launched a new English Tea service for business and first class passengers on selected flights between London […]
With warmer days ahead of us, it natural to start thinking about sweet tea. Golden sunlight, hot hazy days and sitting in the shade with a tall glass of the stuff. No coats or heavy clothing – just sunning yourself like a cat- with tea […]
It is reported that the very popular band One Direction is more British than previously realized. Instead of the typical “rock and roll” mentality for backstage preparation, they and their management have been requesting “to keep their dressing room low-key before the shows and requested tea in there rather than booze”. Their love for tea doesn’t even stop there. Band member Louis Tomilson recently revealed that he had a tattoo of a steaming cup of tea on his arm. Fans are even finding references to their tea in songs: In the song ‘Little Things’, they sing: “You can’t go to bed without a cup of tea; maybe that’s the reason that you talk in your sleep”.
A spokesman for Higher Living speaks on the matter,
“Many professional singers drink tea before gigs to warm-up and repair vocal chords plus peppermint’s menthol qualities also help clear the airways.The lads are so committed to their fans that they don’t want anything to spoil the show and won’t leave anything to chance. We hope the emergency tea kits will give them peace of mind to perform their best set yet”
And with tea on their side, to help their vocals and their mood – they’re sure to be great helping girls swoon all over the world. While they’re doing it, maybe they’re setting a different direction for what it is live the Rock and Roll lifestyle.
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St. Patrick’s Day is almost upon us and this evening in celebration there are already people getting the Irish party started – going out and partying, practically dying themselves green, and drinking like… well a leprechaun. It’s a good time to get in the shamrock spirit […]
People have been analyzing people’s personality through numerous things throughout the years: how you walk, how you write, and even how you stand – but have you ever thought about what your used teabag says about you? As things often are on the internet – […]
The image above is an array of tea pots carved from coral forming the character for the word Bai Fu, Chinese for “good fortune”. It is by Lu-Chih-song, not only a great artist but a polio survivor; she spent 2 years carving each tea pot – the smallest being 3mm in length and only capable of carrying one drop of water. This piece is a part of a greater exhibition in Beitou Museum, as a tribute to the aesthetics of tea;the museum is showcasing over 300 objects used in the tea ceremonies of 13 countries, including Tibet, Japan, China, Turkey and Taiwan. A Tibetan tea churn made in the 1900s and a Japanese silver teapot from the Meiji period are among the rare pieces in the exhibit. In order to further pay tribute, the walls are decorated with calligraphy, photographs and paintings with the same theme. Saalih Lee , director of the Beitou Museum, describes the importance of an exhibit like this,
“There’s a whole culture and history behind tea drinking, especially in Taiwan, where tea making and the tea trade date back many generations,”
Tea isn’t a recent thing for patrons of Beitou Museum. Taiwan began cultivating tea as early as 1717. Plantations were small in scale and farmers grew tea only for their own pleasure. It was only when John Dodd, a British tea merchant, began exporting oolong tea overseas in the 1860s did Taiwan gain fame for its tea. One part of the exhibition displays Taiwan’s role in the international tea market. In the past the nation’s tea leaves were sold under the brand Formosa, which is why the word Taiwan is rarely seen in old western posters or tin jars. Lee adds,
“If you think about it, tea drinking could be a living form of art that elevates life,”
and it is. Tea is is something that has become casual – served in paper cups and tin cans, when it is something that deserves more. It deserves history and ceremony and delicate beautiful china. It’s all well and good to get that tea fix on the go and let tea be the everyday and unglamorous, but don’t forget that tea is a beautiful thing and every once in a while, it should be put on a pedestal – much as it has been in this exhibition. Maybe in turn, tea will lift you up. So maybe not today, but bring that old tea set out of hiding and allow yourself to remember why you fell in love with tea in the first place.
" Answer by Lisa Lin: They both exist: – Natural milk oolong is called jinxuan oolong, and is from Alishan Mountains in Taiwan. However, most people find the original milk taste not strong enough.– Other oolong teas with artificially added milk flavor can be made […]
Yoshihiro Kokubo, the lead author of a new study that followed over 80,000 Japanese adults for an average period of 13 years and found that those who drank increasing daily amounts of green tea, and caffeinated coffee, had an increasingly lowered risk of stroke.Those who drank two to three six-ounce […]
You’ve heard about it in those snapple commercials and seen the boxes of it in grocery stores – but what is white tea? It comes from the same plant, the Camilla Sinensis tea bush, but white tea is instead made from immature leaves plucked from the bush before the buds are fully opened and gets the name from the silver fuzz still on the tea leaves when picked. When it dries, the leaves are white – hence the name.
White tea is a pale tea with a sweet, silky flavor. People tend to note that white tea lacks the “grassy” aftertaste that can be associated with green tea. In addition, studies indicate that white tea is better for you. Because the tea leaves are so close to their natural state , means that it contains more polyphenols, the powerful antioxidant that fights and kills cancer-causing cells, more than any other type of tea. Even further, A 2004 study at Pace University found that white tea can help your body’s immune system fight off viruses and dangerous infection-causing bacteria. The same study also found that it is fluoride-rich , whichhelps prevent the growth of dental plaque, the chief cause of tooth decay.
So, maybe try a lighter tea and take advantage of it’s heavyweight antioxidants. With white tea, you can help your immune system, prevent cancer, and those pearly whites.
It has been found that people who drink black tea are less likely to develop type II diabetes. A new analysis of data from 50 countries found that the nations who drank the most black tea also suffered the lowest levels of the metabolic syndrome.Even further, […]
