beantowntea-blog

[beantowntea-blog]

Peppermint

Peppermint is a hybrid between spearmint and watermint.

The best peppermint comes from the northwestern United States. The pure, moist mountain air of the spring and early summer growing season gives this peppermint some of the highest volatile oil counts of any member of the mint family.

It is often consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that peppermint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomach ache and nausea. An interesting and tingling way to use peppermint is to place a handful of peppermint leaves in your bath water which will lower your body temperature - perfect for cooling fevered skin or after working on a hot summer’s day.

Peppermint is a primary ingredient in remedies used in the relief of gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and local aches and pains. Because of its bright, pungent flavor, peppermint is often used to mask the unpleasant taste of various medicines. Peppermint tea is made from both the leaves and the flowers. As a hot tea it is cool and refreshing, as an iced tea the menthol content produces a pleasantly chilling taste sensation.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of peppermint for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the flavor). Pour into your cup. Milk or sugar is not generally added to the cup.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

[beantowntea-blog]

How to use a Moka pot to brew tea.

Have you ever wanted a very robust, bold and full-flavored cup of tea? 

If you have a stovetop Moka pot at home, try brewing tea in a Moka pot. You may be surprised by how robust and flavorful the tea is. Tea brewed in Moka pot also makes very delicious Black Tea Latte. 

What kind of tea is best for Moka pot? 

From our experience, black tea is more suitable for Moka pot. Black tea is fully oxidized which means it takes high temperature and pressure very well. Other types of tea, such as green and white teas, don't tolerate high water temperature well and can easily over brew.

How to use a Moka pot to make tea.

Fill the base of the Moka pot with hot water.

Put tea leaves in the filter container. Level and smooth the tea leaves using a spoon and don't over fill the filter.

Screw on the top part (spout) and place Moka pot on the stove.

Turn stove on to medium flame. Make sure not to burn the handle of the pot.

Take the pot off the stove as soon as tea starts dribbling out.

Pour the tea into a cup. Enjoy you robust cuppa as it is. Or you can add steam milk to make a Tea Latte.

Enjoy! 

[beantowntea-blog]

Japanese Kukicha Green Tea

Kukicha or 茎茶 is a green tea from Japan. Kukicha in Japanese means stem or twig tea. Like it’s name suggests, Kukicha consists of both green tea leaves and young tea stems. 

Because of the addition of delicate tea stems, ​Kukicha has a unique flavor that is nutty and slightly creamy. The Umami level is very high in this tea because of the production method. Umami is a Japanese term for natural savory taste associated with amino acids especially the L-glutamate amino acid. It is used to describe the unique flavor from meats, cheese, vegetables and tea. 

Kukicha is a low caffeine green tea. It has just half the caffeine of what regular green tea has. This makes it a popular afternoon and evening tea.

There are different grades and types of Kukicha. Our version is more sought after by tea drinkers in Japan, because it is Gyokuro and Sencha based. The addition of Gyokuro makes it more flavorful and intensifies the “Umami”. 

For brewing, we recommend using 1 heaping teaspoon of tea leaves per 8 oz. of water at 180°F (80°C). Steeping time is 2-3 minutes. The same leaves can be infused multiple times.

Kukicha also makes refreshing cold brewed tea. For cold brewing instructions please see our Cold Brewing Guide.

[beantowntea-blog]

Sangria Iced Tea

This thirst quenching tropical delight is an alcohol free Iced Tea Sangria. It is a perfect kids friendly summer drink. Please see recipe below for ingredients and direction.

Ingredients to made a 60 oz. pitcher:

5 teaspoons of Black Tea . We used our Assam Behora Estate for its strength and malty flavor. 

2 cups of fruits. Use fruits and berries that are fresh at your local market. We used strawberries, mandarin oranges, sweet tomatos, and apricots.

Honey or sugar to taste. Alternatively, use stevia extract to make a sugar free version. 

1 lime and 5 fresh mint leaves.   

Ice. 

Direction:

Wash, peel and cut the fruits into bite size pieces and put them into a pitcher.

Add mint leaves and honey (or sugar) in the pitcher. 

Muddle and mash the fruits, mint and sweetener for 30 seconds.

Fill pitcher with ice.

Bring 30 oz. of water to a boil. Then use a tea pot (or a heat resistant pot) and steep the tea leaves in the freshly boiled water for 5 minutes.

When tea is brewed, strain and pour tea into the ice-filled pitcher.

Stir well and top off with more ice if needed.  

Enjoy!

[beantowntea-blog]

Green Tea Mojito

Summer is around the corner! Let’s make some refreshing drinks to quench our thirst. 

Here we made a delicious Green Tea Mojito (with Matcha Green Tea). Matcha adds a nice jammy taste and compliments the mints and lime very well. Below please find the recipe for a pitcher size Green Tea Mojito.

Ingredients:  

1 tablespoon Matcha Green Tea. 

half cup white sugar. 

2 handfuls fresh mint, or to taste.

3-4 limes. 

1 cup rum. If you prefer alcohol free, use coconut water instead.  

36 oz. club soda.

Direction:

Put sugar and fresh mint into a pitcher. Muddle them until the mint leaves are broken down.

Quarter the limes and squeeze lime juice into pitcher. After being squeezed, add the lime pieces in pitcher and muddle them for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add Matcha Green Tea into pitcher. 

Pour and stir rum into the mixture.

Add ice. 

Add club soda and stir until Matcha and sugar are well dissolved.

Enjoy!

[beantowntea-blog]

Matcha Smoothie with Avocado, Yogurt...

Matcha smoothie is super nutritious and very easy to make. Just simply combine Matcha green tea powder with your favorite ingredients to supercharge your smoothie.

Here we blend our Matcha Samidori with avocados, plain organic yogurt, bananas, raisins. We then top the smoothie with boiled chickpeas and wholegrain crisps to serve. It is so delicious. All it would take is just 5 minutes. Enjoy!

[beantowntea-blog]

Copy of Free Sampler Pack (Weekly Special)

Weekly Special! Just simply add it to your shopping cart, and the full discount will be applied to this offer at check out page.

This week's free sampler pack special ($9 value) includes: Cream Earl Grey, Silver Needle White Tea, Moroccan Mint Green Tea, Blueberry White Tea, and Yummy Fruitea Fruit Blend.

No kidding, it is free, tell your friends! We are confident that once you have tried our teas you will come back for more. This is a weekly special. Each week we offer limited quantities of sampler packs for free.

Hurry up while stock lasts! No purchase necessary. Limited to ONE per customer. Discount will be applied at checkout page.

[beantowntea-blog]

Matcha Latte.

Matcha latte is fairly easy to make. Below are some basic steps to a nice cafe quality Matcha latte.

Steps:

Put about 1/2 teaspoonmatcha in a mug or glass

Add sweetener to taste

Heat or steam the Milk or Soy Milk

Add milk slowly while whisking/stirring the tea at the same time.

Can also add whip cream on top and sprinkle some chocolate powder.

Enjoy!! 

[beantowntea-blog]

Roasted Tung Ting Oolong

This delicious tea is a charcoal roasted version of the Tung Ting Oolong, aka Dong Ding Oolong, from Taiwan. The infusion is bright and golden. The roasting process gives this tea a unique taste profile. It is a medium-bodied tea that is nutty and mellowly sweet with light floral notes. Caffeine level is lower in this tea due to the roasting process.

This well rounded Roasted Tung Ting tea truly demonstrates the sophistication in Taiwan's Oolong tea making. While it would certainly please any seasoned Oolong drinker, it is also a starter tea for anyone who is new to the world of Oolong.

Traditionally this tea is served as a hot tea. We would also recommend trying it as an iced tea or cold brewed tea.

Origin: Taiwan   Type: Tung Ting (Dong Ding) Oolong

Altitude: 1000–3000 ft. 

Manufacture Type:  Charcoal roasted semi-fermented Oolong

Brewing Instruction Per 8 oz.

Cold Brewing Guide

What is Cold Brewed Tea

Cold brewed tea is tea steeped in cold water for an extended period of time. The process brews the tea leaves slowly, using time rather than temperature to release the flavors. Free form catechins(antioxidants) and tanning acids, which are good for the human body, are more dissolvable and readily released in cold brewing as opposed to regular hot brewing. In addition, the amount of caffeine released from cold brewing tea is only half of the caffeine released from regular hot tea brewing.

How to Cold Brew Tea

Use cold water or iced water to brew tea. (It takes longer to brew tea with iced water).

Ratio of tea leaves to water is usually 1:50 by weight (you can adjust the ratio according to your taste).

Put loose tea or tea bags into a water container filled with cold or room temperature water.

Put the container into the refrigerator. * Do Not Put It In Freezer

Tea leaves which come in stripped form such as green tea, black tea or flat/wavy Oolong tea (Pouchong) should be brewed in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. We recommend 4-12 hours.

Tea leaves that are rolled such as Jade Oolong and Ti kuan Yin should be brewed in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. We recommend 6-12 hours.

Strain the tea leaves and enjoy the refreshing cold brewed tea. And if you have excess tea left over, put it back to the refrigerator (remember to strain the leaves).

[beantowntea-blog]

Assam Hunwal Estate

This is a FBOP (flowery broken orange pekoe) graded Assam tea from Hunwal estate. 

The brewed cup has the classic Assam tea characters and has a finish that is more delicate. It is full-bodied, malty and smooth. The astringency is slightly less prominent than a typical Assam tea. This is due to the tippy leave presence in the tea. The result is a well balanced tea that is good on its own or with a few drops of milk. If you are looking for a smoother Assam tea that has more depth, give this Hunwal estate tea a try. You will not be disappointed.

 click here to view tea

[beantowntea-blog]

Apricot Green Tea

Apricot green tea brews a refreshing cup of tea that is naturally sweet and crisp. It has the right amount of the natural apricot flavoring and never overpowers. If you are new to green tea and would like to try something flavorful, you should definitely try the apricot green. It also makes an excellent iced tea.

Country of Origin: China        Manufacture Type: Steamed green tea

Ingredients: Premium green tea, apple, apricot and natural apricot flavor.

Brewing Instructions Per 8 oz. of Water

[beantowntea-blog]

Japanese Hojicha (Roasted Green Tea).

Hojicha is a charcoal roasted Japanese charcoal roasted green tea.  The tea base for Hojicha is a summer harvested green tea called Bancha. 

Bancha is tea that contains both tea leaves and tea twigs. After the roasting process, the leaves and twigs turn brown and gives off a nice toasty aroma. 

When brewed, Hojicha makes a nutty cup of tea that is slightly sweet with a very clean finish. It is also excellent when served as an iced tea. 

The roasting process takes the vegetal/grassy edge off the green leaves and reduces the caffeine to a minimal level. The low caffeine content makes Hojicha a popular evening tea in Japan. For the same reason, it is also the tea of choice for children and elderly in Japan.

[beantowntea-blog]

Matcha Green Tea and Oatmeal

Want a delicious and healthy breakfast to start your day? This nutrient packed Matcha green tea and oatmeal breakfast should get you charged up for the day.

Pictured above is a freshly made Matcha Oatmeal with almond milk, pine nuts, almond pieces and sweet red beans.  It is delicious, packed full of nutrients and energizing.

It is very easy to prepare. First, make an oatmeal like you normally would. We put in almond milk just because we like how it tastes. Alternatively, you can use regular milk, coconut milk  or rice milk.

Second, whisk 1 teaspoon of Matcha with 1-2 ounces of water to make a thick/dense matcha green tea and add it to the oatmeal. 

Finally, put some nuts, and/or fruits according to your preference. We like to use pine nuts , cut up almonds and sweet red beans.

Enjoy! 

[beantowntea-blog]

Jasmine Green Tea

​Jasmine Green Tea is a classic full bodied green tea from China. It also makes excellent iced tea.

 Click “Here” to view product.

This is a very pleasant 1st grade Jasmine Green tea with surprising body and a captivating floral taste. It has all the flavor, aroma and good green tea qualities but not the exorbitant price.

[beantowntea-blog]

Black Dragon Pearls Tea

This Black Dragon Pearls Tea, also called Yunnan Black Pearls, is a hand rolled small batch production from Yunnan, China.  

  The beautiful tea pearls are hand rolled using only the highest quality leaves and buds. 

It is an exceptional tea from the Dian Hong tea category. It brews a cup that is earthy, sweet, and mellow. It is Complex but with low astringency. Very forgiving tea that still tastes good when over brewed. Delicious tea that can be enjoyed all day long.

[beantowntea-blog]

Chai Spice Mix

This Chai mix is a delicious blend of indian Chai spices. It brews a full bodied infusion that is thick and warm. It is a classic chai with right amount of spiciness.

It is naturally caffeine free because there is no actually tea in this blend. It can be enjoyed as it is as a caffeine free Chai. You can add your favorite black tea, green tea or even coffee into the mix to create your own Chai. Make a hot Chai to warm you up in the cold winter days or make it iced for the summer. You can't go wrong either way.

Ingredients: cinnamon, ginger, green cardamom pods, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.

[beantowntea-blog]

Kenya Highlands Black Tea Matcha

Kenya’s highland is one of the best location for tea production. It has got the right altitude, optimum soil and climate conditions for tea growing.  

In recent years, Kenya has become a major producer in the tea trade. Tea farms in Kenya adapt very quickly to new trends and technologies. The black tea matcha is a fine example of what Kenya has to offer. The special tea leave are specifically selected for their tannin and antioxidants count. After the harvest, they are processed in small batches and craftily stone ground into fine powder. 

This Kenya Highlands Matcha brews up a very well balanced tea that is smooth, malty, and slightly astringent. It couples with milk/cream very well. 

Black tea Matcha is super rich in antioxidants and fibers. It is less vegetal than green Matcha. For some who don’t like the grassiness of Green Matcha, this Kenya Highlands Black Tea Matcha is a nice alternative.

We highly encourage you to experiment with various quantities, water temperatures, and whisking time until you find the strength that‟s perfect for you. 

For more information please visit our tea info page. 

https://www.beantowntea.com/tea-info-2/