Want to know more behind your cuppa?
It's time to put on the kettle and get down to the roots of the humble Camellia Sinensis plant.
If you have any further questions please drop us a line at info@barbetstea.com
What Is Oolong tea?
Oolong tea is from the same tea plant as green and black tea - camellia sinensis. The difference between them is due to the amount of oxidisation and that the tea undergoes. Typically green tea is not oxidised, whereas black tea is. Oolong is partially oxidised and can give a variety of colours and flavours somewhere between the two depending on how much the tea is oxidised and roasted.
How are Barbets teas different to my usual British brand
The main difference comes from the variation of tea leaf. Although both ultimately derive from the camellia sinensis plant, most commercial teas in the UK come from the assamica variant. The assamica tea leaf is bigger and more bitter in flavour. Whereas, the teas from Taiwan are of the camellia sinensis var sinensis (yes the variant is the same as the main name here!). The leaves of the sinensis variant are smaller and tend to be sweeter and less astringent when brewed. This results in a smoother flavour that does not require either milk or sugar to make it palatable for most taste buds.
Why are regular British brands a different price to Barbets?
The main reason is due to the product quality. Most commercial tea bags use the cuttings from the initial processing stage that are not suitable for loose leaf tea. For a Taiwanese oolong tea the leaves have to spend a minimum processing time of two days from when they are picked. Another aspect that can affect pricing is where the tea plant is located. A mountain location often provides the best growing conditions for superior teas, but can be difficult to access requiring more intensive and costly manual labour.
Brewing
As with cooking, making tea is based on science and the chemical reactions that take place, but there is also an art which comes with practice and gentle tweaking to suit your personal preferences.
Below are some general guidelines to get you started on the journey of making friends with your tea.
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Temperature:
Ideally you want to brew heavily oxidised/roasted teas at around 90-95 C and green teas around 90C. Most kettles don't let you heat the water to exact temperatures. Once boiled you can let it stand for a few minutes to reduce the temperature, or add a small amount of cold water. Don't worry if you're off, you will still be able to brew a decent cup or pot if the heat is not exact.
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Brewing Times:
Brewing times can vary based on how much tea you put in to the container. As a rough estimate 2-3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea are needed per 400 ml cup/mug. The tea can brew in about 1-2 minutes. The general rule of thumb is that the more tea in the cup/pot the quicker it will brew. We suggest keeping an eye on the tea and when the colour looks right to you, take out the tea leaves. You can refer to the pictures of our teas on the shop pages for each tea.
Feel free to experiment with the volume and brewing time until it suits your taste buds the best. As we like to say, make friends with your tea!
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Rebrews:
Our teas can be re-brewed/steeped. The first brew should be the quickest, each re-brew you need to add more time. This can be in increments of 10 seconds, have a taste, if it needs longer, put the strainer back in. Generally the longer you brew the tea the fewer rebrews you get. Most loose leaf tea can be rebrewed up to six times.
Caffeine Content
Different teas have varying levels of caffeine. The table below shows the caffeine content of each tea and compares it to coffee. If you are someone who likes a pick me up during work, you can consider drinking an oolong during the day for a gentle rise in caffeine compared to the sharp spikes and crashes that you may get drinking coffee.
