Immerse yourself into the world of Tea with us, from a laid back evening of English style tea to a beautiful ritual steeped in traditional Chinese style tea.

From east to west, north to south, many countries around the world have developed a unique culture and attitude towards tea. In some places, a passion for tea has even been elevated to an art form. Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking.

The growing season, geographic region and processing of the leaves create the many varieties and contribute to each tea's uniqueness. The special care given during processing brings out the natural subtleties of flavor and creates a visual aesthetic that is unique to each tea. This is part of the mystique of tea. No two teas are exactly alike. Each growing season creates a unique leaf and taste. So if you like a particular tea, remember that each harvest offers a new experience. 

Chinese Tea Style: A Beautiful Ritual Steeped In Tradition

China was one of the earliest countries to discover and enjoy tea. The art of drinking and serving tea plays a major cultural role in China. The Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea, rather than the ceremony - what the tea tastes like, smells like, and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea, or in successive rounds of drinking. Each step is meant to be a sensory exploration and appreciation.

Chinese tea can be divided into several main categories - Green Tea (Longjing, Pi Lo Chun), with tastes that are light and refreshing, it's the perfect addition to any diet, Black Tea (Pu-Erh) also known in China as "medicinal teas" are enjoyed by coffee drinkers for its rich and deep flavours, White Tea (White Peony) delivers a distinctive mellow flavour and lastly Oolong tea offers a spectrum of flavors that impart unique notes and elegant bouquets. 

Indian Tea Style: A Household Staple 

The world's largest producer of tea, India is a country where tea is popular all over as a breakfast and evening drink. Offering tea rather than alcoholic drinks to visitors is the cultural norm in India. It is often served as masala chai with milk and sugar, and sometimes scented. Almost all the tea consumed is black Indian tea. Usually tea leaves are boiled in water while making tea, and milk is added.

There are three most famous regions in Indian to produce black teas- Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri. "Strength, heaviness and fragrance" are 3 criterion for judging black tea. Darjeeling tea is known for its delicate aroma, light colour and is aptly termed as "the champagne of teas", which has high aroma. Assam tea is known for its robust taste and dark colour while Nilgiri tea is dark, intensely aromatic and flavoured. 

Ceylon Tea Culture: Royal Class Quality

It's not an empty boast when people from Sri Lanka claim that their tea is the best in the world and most experts agree with them. But if that's all you know about the acclaimed Ceylon Tea then here are just a few more facts to help you get better acquainted with the world's best-tasting tea. 

Ceylon teas have certain characteristics in common. To begin with, Ceylon teas are black teas and produce brightly colored cups of tea. Thirdly, only a very small amount of Ceylon teas are considered self-drinkers, although much Ceylon tea is highly prized for the flavor and color that it adds to tea blends.

The most famous specialty Ceylon tea is Dimbulla tea. It is an excellent tea and has less of a bite than Darjeeling tea, India's most famous specialty tea. The less well-known Nuwara Eliya tea is considered to be one of the best black teas in the world but is expensive to manufacture and in limited supplies due the small, mountainous area in which it is grown. 

English Tea Style: A Laid-Back Afternoon

Along with the Chinese, the English also enjoy the ceremony of afternoon tea is between 3 pm and 5 pm along with the British tradition of serving tea with milk and slices of lemon to even plain and flavoured tea these days.

There's nothing quite as relaxing as sitting down to an afternoon pot of tea with a selection of sandwiches and sweet desserts. Whether you need a break from a grueling day of shopping, a novel venue for conducting business, a light dinner before show time, or a unique treat for someone special, the tea ritual is a delight that will leave you as relaxed and happy as a day at the spa or a couple of hours curled up with a good book.

Some examples of popular English teas would be Lapsang Souchong, with its dark smoky leaves or Earl Grey with its distinctive bergamot flavour and aroma These are traditional teas for the more discerning drinker and often drunk without the addition of milk or sugar. Camomile, on the other hand, makes a pleasant aromatic tea with a fruity flavor, enhanced by sugar or honey.

Our Guide picks 3 ways to explore the discovery of these teas

At the Green T. House

Stepping in the beautiful 4,500 sq ft space is a soul-inspiring experience. This exclusive teahouse caters by appointment only, serving tea-based dishes and tea ceremonies with their own line of herbal and Chinese teas.

Address: No. 208 The Arcade 100 Cyberport Rd.,
Tel: 2989-6036

At the Lobby of The Peninsula

With its extravagant colonial decoration, the Peninsula is the perfect place to enjoy an English afternoon tea. Daintily made scones, fruit cake and mousse cake are irresistible, as is the exclusive Peninsula Blend Tea, hand picked summer black teas from private estates in India. And to serenade you, the smooth sounds of classical and jazz music.

Address: The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2315 3146
Afternoon tea served from 2pm to 7pm, $268 Per Head.

At home, purchase and brew it yourself

There are a number of elements that fuse to brew good tea. With practice and experimentation, you will soon discover your own tea style. Sometimes you may prefer the formality of the traditional method, and at other times you may toss some leaves into a cup and add water.

There are two main points to always keep in mind when brewing tea. The first thing is use good water. Spring water is preferred. The second thing is be aware of the temperature of the water in relation to the type of tea you are brewing. Using boiling water on green tea will make it taste bitter. Using steaming water on pu-erh won't bring out the full range of flavors.

Of course it is also important to use the right amount of water per amount of tea and to not let the tea steep (soak in the water) too long or too short. All this is possible and is just a click away. Purchase your favourite tea leaves online!

Website: http://www.fantes.com/tea-leaves.html

Tea is Healthier than Water

Not only is tea soothing and delicious, but, throughout its history, it has been associated with important health benefits. Tea contains many nutrients that contribute to good health.

In a recent study by The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it's said that "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants, so it's got two things going for it."Because of these antioxidants, drinking tea may offer protection against heart disease, stroke and many types of cancer including: lung, mouth, breast, pancreas, colorectal, esophageal, bladder and skin. A daily serving of tea (three cups) contains eight times the antioxidants of one apple and reduces risk of heart attack by 11 percent. Drinking tea also helps boost the immune system and strengthen teeth and bones. It also aids in blocking LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol, which improves artery function. The essential oils in tea leaves help digestion, and green tea is even thought to aid in weight loss. Another new study shows that green tea may protect an aging brain. Green tea is very popular in Asia and has long been deemed as a soothing health tonic.

All teas contain health-promoting substances for the heart, body and mind. Drinking tea is a great way to relax and a good natural source of antioxidants. Enjoy a soothing and delicious drink that is good for you. A few cups a day will keep the doctor away!

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