Yesterday we had a tea master come in, talk to us and share all she knew about tea. From how it is made to how it effects your health she shared it all. I really enjoyed the white tea and the black tea, it might have been because of the flavors that were added to it. I did not enjoy the strawberry green tea they served us, I found the strawberry to not be very pleasant. I also thought the same about the butterscotch one we were served, it had a funny after taste that I did not enjoy. I found a lot of the information that she shared to be interesting. About how the only way you can get the antioxidants out of the tea is by pouring hot water onto the tea leafs. And if after pouring hot water on your tea and letting it brew you then pour milk into the cup, you lose all the health benefits the tea once had. Some of the notes I took during her speech were things like white tea is good for your skin. Green tea is good for your memory and helps prevent the build up of plaque of the brain. You should only drink organic tea because the chemicals they use to grow very day tea is strong enough to kill a tiger. Along with that some tea bags are bleached so when you pour the hot water onto the tea bag some of the chemicals in the tea bag escape into the tea and then you drink it. My knowledge of tea is growing but that's all I know so far.
Today in Tea IIW we had a Tea Master come and talk to us about her trade. The benefits given by properly brewed tea seemed limitless and spanned from head to toe. If brewed for somewhere between two and three minutes can help prevent and fight cancer, help skin, regulate stress and revitalize many areas of your body including the brain. Another interesting fact given to us was the spread of tea. This global phenomenon came out China in a coat pocket. The beverage that changed the world was introduced through a simple act of smuggling. The fact that seemed most interesting though was that all teas came from the same leaf the only difference is how far in the curing process they take the leaves. White tea being the least processed doesn't go further than picking and dry curing process. Green tea having the next to least processing is placed in a tray after being picked and quickly steamed for slight oxidation. Oolong being next also goes through a quick steam for oxidation then left to dry for a couple days. Black tea being the most processed goes through the same process as the rest but goes as far as oxidation and then rolling for a release of tannins. After all this information it was clear that my knowledge about tea is about as great as the leaf itself.
As a self-proclaimed tea connoisseur, the first day of my tea IIW was wonderful. Although I must admit the time went by ever so slowly, I enjoyed tasting 5 different types of tea. I did however, find the teas to be lacking bounty without sugar. Texas' only Tea Master was able to visit our school, and share some of her organic teas with us. She spoke much about the health benefits of tea, and how specifically organic tea does no harm to the body as DDT, a killer pesticide is removed from the equation. I learnt that each type of tea - Green, White, Oolong and Black - have their own health benefits. However, drinking milk with tea negates many of these health benefits. Most teas have the base of the Camilla leaf, though there is a different process to achieve a particular category. In order of preference, these are the teas I tried, from each category: Black Tea from a Pea plant with Butterscotch, Black Tea with Coconut,Oolong with Orange, Green tea with Strawberry, and White with Peach. Health benefits of each! White: Contains Anti-oxidants Green: Prevents plaque, balances blood sugar. Oolong: Oprah's fav! It metabolizes fat, and helps the liver. It is good for those who are sad or depressed, and relieves a bloated feeling.
Black: Can't recall! Tea, in general, has its own amino acid that triggers dopamine and serotonin in the body, feelings of joy & calm. It sets your brain into an "alpha-wave", one commonly found when someone is meditating. It also breaks down caffeine slowly. I also learned that to make a special pot of tea, one must use water with a high pH, as "The Path of Tea", uses water with a pH of 10! As for my continent, we worked on the outline of the map, and I did get to see an instrument often used in South America to drink tea from. A type of urn, with a metal "straw" that doesn't allow loose leaf tea through, but still keeps a grand flavour. I have to thank Mme. Smith for showing us this neat piece. My experience has been wonderful so far, and I am so excited to learn more about tea! And I will be bringing my own sugar to add to the delectable flavour of natural tea.
On january 4 I tasted tea not ice tea but herbal tea, straight from the plants . it was like nothing I expected to be I will admit I did not like it at first it had a different flavor than coffee. It was smooth and had the same texture as water but it was hot and had a little bit of flavor to it. Yesterday we had a tea mater come and speak with us,she is the only tea master in texas. The tea master was very kind and had a lot of information about tea that I never thought could be possible or be helpful for the body and life. Some tea can even help you not get a hearth attack or an at all. Others help our blood pressure and cholestorol also. Tea is really fasinating im starting to think about drinking tea but its not that good as I want it. -jose diaz 1
We watched a Japanese tea ceremony yesterday, the process was very methodical and time consuming. I enjoyed watching them and was able to see how they appreciated the process. Before the ceremony one women told us about what they are suppose to think about during the ceremony respect, tranquility, peace, and unity is all that should be in their thoughts. I'm sure after years of tea ceremonies they are now able to only focus on those four things, but as a teenage trying to learn the method to their madness I found my mind wondering and was unable to focus on what they told me too. They allowed three people to actually participate in the ceremony it self, I offered to to be one of the three but was unable to because I was not wearing socks that day. It was probably a good thing because the people who participated had to drink a lot more tea then everyone else and that green tea was not good and after you drank it, during the performance, you had to act like you enjoyed it a lot. I cringed with my first sip so it was probably a blessing in disguise that I was not wearing sicks that day.
Day 2: The Japanese Tea Ceremony! During the IIW time all I did was research. We did try White tea, which to many tasted like hay, and then had some black earl grey tea. Many students are having a hard time enjoying the teas without sugar, and feel that the teas have either no taste, or a poor one. At 11:00 am we headed to the Multi-purpose room to watch, or rather, participate in a Japanese Tea ceremony. I volunteered to be one of the 3 students partaking in the ceremony, as few other hands were raised. The area was set up with straw mats, about 10, each a square foot, and it created an instant tea room. Our demonstrators announced what they were doing, and I followed their example. I placed my fan before the door, on the edge of the mat and bent down on my knees. I lowered my head as respect and entered by pushing my entire body across the straw mats on my fits. I moved the fan until I reached my place. I sat on my legs, a common pose for the Japanese, one that they often don't move from. This position puts your entire body's weight on your legs, making them numb and painful. I managed to remain still with my weight on my legs for the whole time, about 15 minutes. In the party, there is a Host, a Helper and a Main Guest. The Host brought in materials to prepare the tea. She placed them strategically, and took a well folded napkin to clean each instrument strategically. She then begins to prepare the tea slowly, using a long wooden ladle to spoon it into the cup-bowl. Then, she took a whisk and with green froth finished the tea. The Helper arrives from the "kitchen" first and places a tray of cookies in front of the main guest. Both the helper and the main guest bow to each other. Then the guest moves the cookies to their side where the other guest is, bows and says "Osakini", which means, "excuse me for taking a sweet before you". Then, they place the bowl in front of themselves, places a napkin in front of themselves and places a cookie on the napkin. Pass the plate please, and do it again! The same thing was done with the green tea, only when the helper served the tea, she turned the bowl clockwise twice. After sipping 2-3 times and making a loud sipping noise (to show how lovely the tea was), one must wipe the rim of the bowl, and place it in front of them on the next mat's line. The Ceremony was quite ritualistic and silent, as each person should be contemplating harmony & respect. This was initiated by the Samurais, who wanted nothing more but to meditate to the sound of tea-making. At a tea ceremony, all parties are equal. This is shown by the size of the small door, where certain ranks have to shed things such as their swords before entering the place, humbling themselves.
It was exciting to be a part of this ceremony & I absolutely loved learning about this wonderful tradition of tea!
today we had some tea in the morning i believe it was white tea,i will admit it was good at first but it kinda hurt my tummy a few minutes later so i didnt taste the other tea.later on the day these japanese ladys came over to show us how atraditional japanese ceramonie works. I will admit at first it seemed kindasmall and I thought it was going to end quick, I was completely wrong. The japanese people have an interesting tea tradition it is long and quite but very interesting. They looked so peaceful when they were doing the ceremony they looked like they were relaxed and less stressed. I dont think I would be able to handle that much focouse especialy the way they were sitting,it looked like they were going to get numb and fall of. Well back to the subject the ceramony it was a really orginaized ceremony.their were a lot of steps during it and had to be done and a lot of bowing down to respect each other it was also quiet. The ceremony is not ment for talking it is ment to be in control and be in peace I can see why it was veery popular back in the days but now it was not as popular. Jose diaz
Today was another interesting morning this morning we had the same tea master but it had a different flavor. I remember the others days they always said that depending on the water and the amount of time you leave it; it will have a different flavor, I see now what they ment when I tasted the flavor of the black tea. Another thing today was these korean ladys came to show us a korean ceramony and teach us how to make green tea.well let me just say first that this ceramony was not as bad the tea was better tasting but still not good for me cuz im not used to it and another thing is that this ceramony is a social ceramony so talking was allowed that’s the good thing. this ceraminy was good and it seemed like a longish procces because they would empty out the tea in all the cups evenly than it would go back to the tea pot and they would do this about 3 or depending on the amount of tea. The point of this whole procces was to evenly have the flavor into each cup and not put all the flavor in one cup and less for everybody else. One o f the main things you had to do while drinking the tea was smell, see the color, taste it, feel the texture of it and drink it in 3 sips unlike the japanese their tea is not powder its natural herb wich is straigh out the plant.
On the sixth of January, our second day in the Tea IIW, we got to watch a Japanese tea ceremony. Centering around the four main ideas of respect, peace, unity harmony the traditions displayed a precise step by step practice. The initial clear difference was the Green tea which came in powder form rather than leaf. And the steps taken to make it where almost as complex as the ceremony itself. Brewing the powder involved the two tier pot to boil and heat the water which must be purified. The instruments used were specific as well consisting of a bamboo lattle and cup, along with a bowl and bamboo whisk. After the water is ready and the tea brewed the guests may enter, but not by simply walking in. Each guest enters through a waist high door way after bowing before and after passing through the door. After each person has bow and payed their respects they take their place on the mats while waiting for their cup to be done. When a little sweet is passed out the tea is served. When recei ving the tea each guest turns to the next and says, “Osakani” which means forgive me for drinking before you. The tea is supposed to be drunken in three slurping sips that indicate the tea is good. Although we don't still observe similar ceremonies I'm glad I got to part of this one.
Today, January 4th, a Tea master came to talk to us about the health benefits of Organic tea. She told us how tea originates from the family "camilia" and was brought to The Americas in mid 1900's. She was nice enough to bring everyone 5 different types of Organic tea. I wasn't so sure about liking it but I gave it a shot. The White Tea's leaves and buds reduce fine lines / prevent wrinkles, and prevent cavities. Green tea's benefits are prevent memory loss, and cuts your levels of stress. Oolong tea help people who are sad and depressed to relieve their feelings and not be sad anymore. Black tea, which is the most processed, helps the cardiovascular system by lowering cholesterol, it also balances your blood sugar. Pea tea is good for stomach conditions and arthritis. After I tasted every sample I recognized the different tastes and scents each had.
Today, January 6th, We had a Korean Tea Ceremony. Two lovely speakers came to talk to us about their Green tea rituals and ceremonies. The way you make korean tea is by first pouring hot water into a bowl, then pour the the bowl of hot water into the tea pot which has the leaves in it already. Then close the lid and let it sit for a while then grab the tea pot handle with your right hand and hold the lid with your left hand. Serve the guest first but not all the way so that everyone can get the same density. When drinking the tea, you place the tea cup on top of your left hand then hold it with your right hand with your thumb, index, and middle finger while leaving out your ring and pinky. You drink your tea and enjoy. The taste was bitter and strong. It was also different than what I had tasted before but it had its unique taste. It was good, but it had a weird after taste. I enjoyed it, and I loved the chocolate.
Day 3: Research & Korean Tea In all honesty, I neither enjoyed the day or the Korean tea ceremony. No new information was shared, nor any new foods. The Korean green tea was easier to drink down than the Japanese bitter frothy green tea, but still it was somewhat less appealing to me. The Korean tea ceremony, unlike the Japanese, is one for social gathering of women, or nobility. There is a procedure of pouring the water from container to container to warm up each cup, and cool down the water to brew. It is very important to watch that you don't burn the leaves. When drinking, the first thing you do is look at the colour, then waft it, and finally take a small sip to taste. Then, you can drink the tea at your leisure. Iman M. For Jan 6th 140 words
This was an interesting morning because we finally tasted tea from a way different region not included in asia like the japanese tea and korean. This time, we tasted tea from iran. We had our speaker from iran talk about her childhood and how tea is traditional in her country. She said it is served before breakfast, after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, and after dinner. Its like an all day hobby to drink tea. She said that it was rude to not accept the tea once you entered the house since they didnt even offer you any tea they just brought it to you. So what you should do is just set the tea down, or any other beverage or food, and just not eat/drink it. Tea in Iran has become very traditional. Everyone now drinks it. When I tasted the tea, it had an awkward scent and very, very strong taste. It was served with sugar cookies which made it all the better.
Day 4: Tea in Iran, Speaker Ms. Farah Ranjbaran Although I was familiar with most information shared today, I did learn a few new things, and saw a samovar, an instrument that heats water and releases steam to help brew the tea with the pot settled on top of the samovar. It is quite hard to describe this instrument, but it does a good deal of steam cooking. In Iran, tea is a staple. It is drunk at various times of the day, and when guests are over served to them immediately in a glass cup over a saucer. Often these glasses have a gold rim, or gold decorations. This tradition is found across the middle east. There is a difference in cultures though, and this has to do with sugar! In Iran, one takes a sugar cube and places it in their mouth, holding it between their teeth and then sipping the tea through the sugar. It becomes sweet almost instantly. In other Middle Eastern cultures, the host asks you how much sugar you would like. Once the amount is determined, the host stirs it gently so that the sugar sits on the bottom, and takes out the tiny gold-coloured spoon used to stir. Then, the host offers the tea to the guest. Another type of sugar, found in Iran is called Nabot. It is meant to sooth stomach aches and is sometimes placed in tea to dissolve. Many students enjoyed this tea more-so than others and kept coming back for more. I believe it was because we got to have sugar with our tea. On a side note, Ms.Martin did notice students trying to "smuggle" sugar, which she said, did not need to be "snuck in". If you haven't noticed already, sugar has been a consistent theme in my blog posts! This week has been sweet!
"Young leaves are not harmful, but have special effects when eaten. At first, it was used as food and medicine. With the development of storage technology, it has become a material for drink." In the Tea Ceremony Koreans most important substances of the ceremony is drinking the tea with your five senses, first you hear the water boiling, second you feel the warmth of cup, then you smell the tea, then you see the color of the color, lastly you taste the tea. The Korean tea ceremony is an ancient tea ceremony that has been practiced for over a thousand years in Korea. Korean tea ceremony was inspired by China and preceded the Japanese tea ceremony by several hundred years. The Korean tea ceremony was traditionally used to revere the spirit of revered persons or ancestors. Korea Tea ceremonies in comparison to the Japanese Tea Ceremony is they actually focus a lot more on taste than the Japanese Green Tea. The Japanese Green Tea was actually a lot bitter than the Korean Green tea. Koreans also do not whisk their tea ceremony are traditionally not whisked as apposed to the Japanese prepare their tea. I personally thought the Korean tea was a lot more yummy than the Japanese green tea.
Japanese Tea Ceremony is very credical in the Japanese culture. After watching an imitation of a Japanese Tea Ceremony, I realized that the Tea Ceremony was not exactly for the actual tea making process but for the purpose of meditating and keeping the tradition of the Japanese culture roots going strong. The costumes the women wear during the tea ceremony is a special custom used only for special events such as weddings and traditional events the Japanese called a Kimono, with Kimono it is really there are different types of kimono for different occasions and seasons, including those worn by men. During the Japanese Tea Ceremony, the are five very important things being focused on the four main focuses of the ceremony respect, tranquility, purity, harmony. The tea is sipped down in only 2 and a half to three sips. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is an “social equalizor,” during the ceremony it is ideal all people are created with respect and no one is considered an upper class. Japanese Tea Ceremonies are very still and quiet.
Young leaves are not harmful, but have special effects when eaten. At first, it was used as food and/or medicine. And with the development of storage technology, it has become a material for actual drinking nowadays. Coffee was the main beverage in Iran before the 15th Centry. Black Tea cleans teeth, reduces body fat can regulate your blood sugar, lowers level of stress, aids in lowering Cholesterol, keeps your skin healthy and bones,acts like an artlrites smoothner, and stimulates the heart and circulatory system. Green Tea can help prevent cancer, lower LDL levels, lower blood pressure,decrease the risk of harmful clot formation causing the heart, decreases inflammation, raise blood sugar levels, ease inflammatory Bowel Disease, and eliminate bad breath. Tea can strengthen the immune system, make bones stronger, increase mental alertness, treat the depression symptoms and lower the level of stress hormones in the body. Green tea is a good soother of both mind and body. Tea to some extent also helps in preventing diabetes in a person. Tea improves the sugar tolerance of the body, which then causes it to lower the risk of increase in the blood sugar level in the body. Tea is a lot healthier for you in comparision to coffee.
Friday was a pretty intersting day,this teacher im not sure I cant remember her name but the lady used to work at our school and I never really seen her but she was a very nice lady. she was fro iran she came to class to teach us about how they drink tea with somebody comes over or has a get together. The first thing to know it’s a social gathering and mostly for a social thing. when a guest come to the home they are usually served tea. The to make tea is first you boile water ,then add the tea leaves to the boiling water when you added the leaves leave them their for a while for they can take out the flavor. After the you see a reddish color in the water you can take it out the heat. Ones its ready you should always serve it in a glass see thru cup the people in iran love to see the color of the tea and also like to drink it in a small cup.when you serve the tea usually they would sever it with sugar cubes and this is the interesting part. When they drink the tea they would put the sugar cube in their mouth and hold it with their tounge and drink the tea at the same time for both can combine when drinking. Personaly I didn’t like it when I tryed it it tasted really bitter I guess that’s not the right tea for me but their always something else new to try in the world.
I always knew that there were health benefits to drinking tea, but I also always thought that there were health benefits for drinking anything other then Coke, Dr. Pepper, and Root Beer. I found it interesting that there were so many ways your tea could help your health. On Monday when Thia was talking about if you drink black tea when your feeling flu-ish it will help you recover faster. I went home that day and told my whole family to start chugging black tea, we have been passing around the same cold since the beginning of the Christmas break. It has now been a week and we are all off of the medicine. Myth proven. Some of the health benefits of Black Tea is: Cleans your teeth Helps Burn body fat Regulates your blood sugar Lowers levels of stress Aids in lowering Cholesterol Healthy skin and Bones Acts as an arthritis soother Stimulates the heart and circulatory system
Another thing I learned is that the chemicals they put on non organic teas are so strong that it could kill a Tiger. So only drink organic tea.
I really enjoyed when the Korean women came. They shared with us how they preform the tea ceremony and told us how it was more about socializing to them then it was about meditating and being consumed in thought. That was more appealing to me, its all about being with your friends and tea is what brings them together. I like the thought of that, inviting your friends over for tea rather then just to hang out and watch a movie. The way they pour the tea is very methodical and they do everything for a reason. They pour the hot water on every cup and then empty them back as a way of cooling off the hot water and warming up the cups so the cups are warm when the guest touch them. Once the tea is ready they fill each cup up only half way and then go back and fill each cup up the rest of the way. The reason they do that is because they feel that if they do it that way each cup is the same flavor wise. If they fill each cup up in one try the first cup wont taste the same as the last cup. But if you fill up each cup with half of the top half of tea and half of the bottom half then each cup is equal. You also start with the guest cup and end in yours.
Over the weekend my family and I went to The Path of Tea. My mom was a little concerned that it was going to be a fancy place where they have afternoon tea and have scones and was going to be snotty for her. But I guilt tripped her into going and we were all pleasantly surprised to find that it was a very casual place that people go to just sit and have tea and talk with a friend or read a book and enjoy a moment of solitude. We had the White Peach Tea and the Black Georgia Peach Tea, they were both very good but I felt that the white teas flavor was a little bit too subtle for me and the Georgia Peach flavor was a little bit more present and I enjoyed that. I have also noticed that as the week progressed the fact that the tea was not sweetened didn’t bother me as much as it has at the beginning of the week. On Monday we went to Serenitea to have afternoon tea, we went there thinking we were going to have High Tea but was informed shortly after arriving that you never call it High Tea because that refers to men who just got off work going to a bar to have tea and food. Anyways we went to Serenitea and had afternoon tea with Scones. Thirteen cups of tea and two scones later I realized I really had to go to the bathroom and I only liked three of the teas I tasted. I don’t think my taste buds are mature enough to appreciate some of the teas they had. IIW week is over and now the real work begins.
This Monday, on our field trip to the little restaurant to tea tasting was a nice experience in tea tasting. With all the kinds of different put very unique flavors of tea. The owner of the restaurant said some really interesting facts about some of the health benefits that black tea consists such as help keep your teeth clean, burn body fat and so on. The most common countries that tea is popular in are China, Japan, and India. Teabags are apparently can be used to reduce the swelling of puffy eyes. Also teabags can be used to soothe burns and sunburn especially, by placing the teabag straight onto the burn or pouring tea into cool bathwater, it has been known to cure the skin heal a lot faster than most medicine for actual sunburn. Tea also contains of less Caffeine than Coffee. Tea actually consists of 50% less caffeine than coffee beans. Tea was originated in China and then was introduced to Japan. Drinking a cup of tea a few times (at least three cups of tea,) it can help act as in other blood thinners. Green tea has been known to heal stomach disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach issues.
Day 5, it's all over, but the tasting will continue. This week has been marvelous, and what better a way to end the day with a bit of tea, and goodies! Ice tea with sweets, was oh-so yummy! We went to "Serenitea Tea House" in Sugarland, to meet Archana Pyatt, and taste some of her lovely teas. We were seated in a nice, cozy little room with chairs, tables and teacups. Almost like a lady's picnic in the Gardens of Windsor. While there, we tasted 13 teas. Each a blend of flavours of Ms. Pyatt's. My favourite were the black teas of Jasmine and Earl Grey. They have always been my favourite! In addition to teas, we had some fresh, fluffy scones with clotted cream and lemon spread. They were delicious! Ms. Pyratt gave us the history of tea from 237 BC to Present. Noting that tea was a supposed accident found by an emperor of China, who was so delighted with his discovery that he shared it with his kingdom. Slowly the crop was cultivated in different ways and brewed to perfection. It was traded and sold, a commodity that one could exchange for livestock! What a trade! Leaves were packed into tea bricks, and broken off when necessary. Cultures began to form ceremonies around this relaxing drink. British tea was explained, and grades of tea were passed around for all to see. This day was terrifically, lovely! Iman Mazloum (It didn't post yesterday)
Yesterday we had a tea master come in, talk to us and share all she knew about tea. From how it is made to how it effects your health she shared it all. I really enjoyed the white tea and the black tea, it might have been because of the flavors that were added to it. I did not enjoy the strawberry green tea they served us, I found the strawberry to not be very pleasant. I also thought the same about the butterscotch one we were served, it had a funny after taste that I did not enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI found a lot of the information that she shared to be interesting. About how the only way you can get the antioxidants out of the tea is by pouring hot water onto the tea leafs. And if after pouring hot water on your tea and letting it brew you then pour milk into the cup, you lose all the health benefits the tea once had.
Some of the notes I took during her speech were things like white tea is good for your skin. Green tea is good for your memory and helps prevent the build up of plaque of the brain. You should only drink organic tea because the chemicals they use to grow very day tea is strong enough to kill a tiger. Along with that some tea bags are bleached so when you pour the hot water onto the tea bag some of the chemicals in the tea bag escape into the tea and then you drink it.
My knowledge of tea is growing but that's all I know so far.
MacKinley D. 1-5-11
277
Today in Tea IIW we had a Tea Master come and talk to us about her trade. The benefits given by properly brewed tea seemed limitless and spanned from head to toe. If brewed for somewhere between two and three minutes can help prevent and fight cancer, help skin, regulate stress and revitalize many areas of your body including the brain. Another interesting fact given to us was the spread of tea. This global phenomenon came out China in a coat pocket. The beverage that changed the world was introduced through a simple act of smuggling.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that seemed most interesting though was that all teas came from the same leaf the only difference is how far in the curing process they take the leaves. White tea being the least processed doesn't go further than picking and dry curing process. Green tea having the next to least processing is placed in a tray after being picked and quickly steamed for slight oxidation. Oolong being next also goes through a quick steam for oxidation then left to dry for a couple days. Black tea being the most processed goes through the same process as the rest but goes as far as oxidation and then rolling for a release of tannins. After all this information it was clear that my knowledge about tea is about as great as the leaf itself.
Colin C. Jan/5th/2011
WC: 235
As a self-proclaimed tea connoisseur, the first day of my tea IIW was wonderful. Although I must admit the time went by ever so slowly, I enjoyed tasting 5 different types of tea. I did however, find the teas to be lacking bounty without sugar.
ReplyDeleteTexas' only Tea Master was able to visit our school, and share some of her organic teas with us. She spoke much about the health benefits of tea, and how specifically organic tea does no harm to the body as DDT, a killer pesticide is removed from the equation.
I learnt that each type of tea - Green, White, Oolong and Black - have their own health benefits. However, drinking milk with tea negates many of these health benefits. Most teas have the base of the Camilla leaf, though there is a different process to achieve a particular category.
In order of preference, these are the teas I tried, from each category: Black Tea from a Pea plant with Butterscotch, Black Tea with Coconut,Oolong with Orange, Green tea with Strawberry, and White with Peach.
Health benefits of each!
White: Contains Anti-oxidants
Green: Prevents plaque, balances blood sugar. Oolong: Oprah's fav! It metabolizes fat, and helps the liver. It is good for those who are sad or depressed, and relieves a bloated feeling.
Black: Can't recall! Tea, in general, has its own amino acid that triggers dopamine and serotonin in the body, feelings of joy & calm. It sets your brain into an "alpha-wave", one commonly found when someone is meditating. It also breaks down caffeine slowly.
I also learned that to make a special pot of tea, one must use water with a high pH, as "The Path of Tea", uses water with a pH of 10!
As for my continent, we worked on the outline of the map, and I did get to see an instrument often used in South America to drink tea from. A type of urn, with a metal "straw" that doesn't allow loose leaf tea through, but still keeps a grand flavour. I have to thank Mme. Smith for showing us this neat piece.
My experience has been wonderful so far, and I am so excited to learn more about tea! And I will be bringing my own sugar to add to the delectable flavour of natural tea.
Iman M. For Jan 4th 2011
389 words
On january 4 I tasted tea not ice tea but herbal tea, straight from the plants . it was like nothing I expected to be I will admit I did not like it at first it had a different flavor than coffee. It was smooth and had the same texture as water but it was hot and had a little bit of flavor to it. Yesterday we had a tea mater come and speak with us,she is the only tea master in texas. The tea master was very kind and had a lot of information about tea that I never thought could be possible or be helpful for the body and life. Some tea can even help you not get a hearth attack or an at all. Others help our blood pressure and cholestorol also. Tea is really fasinating im starting to think about drinking tea but its not that good as I want it.
ReplyDelete-jose diaz 1
We watched a Japanese tea ceremony yesterday, the process was very methodical and time consuming. I enjoyed watching them and was able to see how they appreciated the process.
ReplyDeleteBefore the ceremony one women told us about what they are suppose to think about during the ceremony respect, tranquility, peace, and unity is all that should be in their thoughts. I'm sure after years of tea ceremonies they are now able to only focus on those four things, but as a teenage trying to learn the method to their madness I found my mind wondering and was unable to focus on what they told me too. They allowed three people to actually participate in the ceremony it self, I offered to to be one of the three but was unable to because I was not wearing socks that day. It was probably a good thing because the people who participated had to drink a lot more tea then everyone else and that green tea was not good and after you drank it, during the performance, you had to act like you enjoyed it a lot. I cringed with my first sip so it was probably a blessing in disguise that I was not wearing sicks that day.
MacKinley D. 1-6-11 - 207
Day 2: The Japanese Tea Ceremony!
ReplyDeleteDuring the IIW time all I did was research. We did try White tea, which to many tasted like hay, and then had some black earl grey tea. Many students are having a hard time enjoying the teas without sugar, and feel that the teas have either no taste, or a poor one. At 11:00 am we headed to the Multi-purpose room to watch, or rather, participate in a Japanese Tea ceremony. I volunteered to be one of the 3 students partaking in the ceremony, as few other hands were raised.
The area was set up with straw mats, about 10, each a square foot, and it created an instant tea room. Our demonstrators announced what they were doing, and I followed their example. I placed my fan before the door, on the edge of the mat and bent down on my knees. I lowered my head as respect and entered by pushing my entire body across the straw mats on my fits. I moved the fan until I reached my place. I sat on my legs, a common pose for the Japanese, one that they often don't move from. This position puts your entire body's weight on your legs, making them numb and painful. I managed to remain still with my weight on my legs for the whole time, about 15 minutes.
In the party, there is a Host, a Helper and a Main Guest. The Host brought in materials to prepare the tea. She placed them strategically, and took a well folded napkin to clean each instrument strategically. She then begins to prepare the tea slowly, using a long wooden ladle to spoon it into the cup-bowl. Then, she took a whisk and with green froth finished the tea.
The Helper arrives from the "kitchen" first and places a tray of cookies in front of the main guest. Both the helper and the main guest bow to each other. Then the guest moves the cookies to their side where the other guest is, bows and says "Osakini", which means, "excuse me for taking a sweet before you". Then, they place the bowl in front of themselves, places a napkin in front of themselves and places a cookie on the napkin. Pass the plate please, and do it again!
The same thing was done with the green tea, only when the helper served the tea, she turned the bowl clockwise twice. After sipping 2-3 times and making a loud sipping noise (to show how lovely the tea was), one must wipe the rim of the bowl, and place it in front of them on the next mat's line.
The Ceremony was quite ritualistic and silent, as each person should be contemplating harmony & respect. This was initiated by the Samurais, who wanted nothing more but to meditate to the sound of tea-making.
At a tea ceremony, all parties are equal. This is shown by the size of the small door, where certain ranks have to shed things such as their swords before entering the place, humbling themselves.
It was exciting to be a part of this ceremony & I absolutely loved learning about this wonderful tradition of tea!
Iman M, for Jan 5th
535 words
today we had some tea in the morning i believe it was white tea,i will admit it was good at first but it kinda hurt my tummy a few minutes later so i didnt taste the other tea.later on the day these japanese ladys came over to show us how atraditional japanese ceramonie works. I will admit at first it seemed kindasmall and I thought it was going to end quick, I was completely wrong. The japanese people have an interesting tea tradition it is long and quite but very interesting. They looked so peaceful when they were doing the ceremony they looked like they were relaxed and less stressed. I dont think I would be able to handle that much focouse especialy the way they were sitting,it looked like they were going to get numb and fall of. Well back to the subject the ceramony it was a really orginaized ceremony.their were a lot of steps during it and had to be done and a lot of bowing down to respect each other it was also quiet. The ceremony is not ment for talking it is ment to be in control and be in peace I can see why it was veery popular back in the days but now it was not as popular.
ReplyDeleteJose diaz
Today was another interesting morning this morning we had the same tea master but it had a different flavor. I remember the others days they always said that depending on the water and the amount of time you leave it; it will have a different flavor, I see now what they ment when I tasted the flavor of the black tea. Another thing today was these korean ladys came to show us a korean ceramony and teach us how to make green tea.well let me just say first that this ceramony was not as bad the tea was better tasting but still not good for me cuz im not used to it and another thing is that this ceramony is a social ceramony so talking was allowed that’s the good thing. this ceraminy was good and it seemed like a longish procces because they would empty out the tea in all the cups evenly than it would go back to the tea pot and they would do this about 3 or depending on the amount of tea. The point of this whole procces was to evenly have the flavor into each cup and not put all the flavor in one cup and less for everybody else. One o f the main things you had to do while drinking the tea was smell, see the color, taste it, feel the texture of it and drink it in 3 sips unlike the japanese their tea is not powder its natural herb wich is straigh out the plant.
ReplyDeleteOn the sixth of January, our second day in the Tea IIW, we got to watch a Japanese tea ceremony. Centering around the four main ideas of respect, peace, unity harmony the traditions displayed a precise step by step practice. The initial clear difference was the Green tea which came in powder form rather than leaf. And the steps taken to make it where almost as complex as the ceremony itself. Brewing the powder involved the two tier pot to boil and heat the water which must be purified. The instruments used were specific as well consisting of a bamboo lattle and cup, along with a bowl and bamboo whisk.
ReplyDeleteAfter the water is ready and the tea brewed the guests may enter, but not by simply walking in. Each guest enters through a waist high door way after bowing before and after passing through the door. After each person has bow and payed their respects they take their place on the mats while waiting for their cup to be done. When a little sweet is passed out the tea is served. When recei
ving the tea each guest turns to the next and says, “Osakani” which means forgive me for drinking before you. The tea is supposed to be drunken in three slurping sips that indicate the tea is good. Although we don't still observe similar ceremonies I'm glad I got to part of this one.
Colin C.
1-5-11
WC: 237
Today, January 4th, a Tea master came to talk to us about the health benefits of Organic tea. She told us how tea originates from the family "camilia" and was brought to The Americas in mid 1900's. She was nice enough to bring everyone 5 different types of Organic tea. I wasn't so sure about liking it but I gave it a shot. The White Tea's leaves and buds reduce fine lines / prevent wrinkles, and prevent cavities. Green tea's benefits are prevent memory loss, and cuts your levels of stress. Oolong tea help people who are sad and depressed to relieve their feelings and not be sad anymore. Black tea, which is the most processed, helps the cardiovascular system by lowering cholesterol, it also balances your blood sugar. Pea tea is good for stomach conditions and arthritis. After I tasted every sample I recognized the different tastes and scents each had.
ReplyDeleteToday, January 6th, We had a Korean Tea Ceremony. Two lovely speakers came to talk to us about their Green tea rituals and ceremonies.
ReplyDeleteThe way you make korean tea is by first pouring hot water into a bowl, then pour the the bowl of hot water into the tea pot which has the leaves in it already. Then close the lid and let it sit for a while then grab the tea pot handle with your right hand and hold the lid with your left hand. Serve the guest first but not all the way so that everyone can get the same density.
When drinking the tea, you place the tea cup on top of your left hand then hold it with your right hand with your thumb, index, and middle finger while leaving out your ring and pinky. You drink your tea and enjoy. The taste was bitter and strong. It was also different than what I had tasted before but it had its unique taste. It was good, but it had a weird after taste. I enjoyed it, and I loved the chocolate.
196
Day 3:
ReplyDeleteResearch & Korean Tea
In all honesty, I neither enjoyed the day or the Korean tea ceremony. No new information was shared, nor any new foods. The Korean green tea was easier to drink down than the Japanese bitter frothy green tea, but still it was somewhat less appealing to me.
The Korean tea ceremony, unlike the Japanese, is one for social gathering of women, or nobility.
There is a procedure of pouring the water from container to container to warm up each cup, and cool down the water to brew. It is very important to watch that you don't burn the leaves.
When drinking, the first thing you do is look at the colour, then waft it, and finally take a small sip to taste. Then, you can drink the tea at your leisure.
Iman M. For Jan 6th
140 words
This was an interesting morning because we finally tasted tea from a way different region not included in asia like the japanese tea and korean. This time, we tasted tea from iran. We had our speaker from iran talk about her childhood and how tea is traditional in her country. She said it is served before breakfast, after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, and after dinner. Its like an all day hobby to drink tea. She said that it was rude to not accept the tea once you entered the house since they didnt even offer you any tea they just brought it to you. So what you should do is just set the tea down, or any other beverage or food, and just not eat/drink it. Tea in Iran has become very traditional. Everyone now drinks it. When I tasted the tea, it had an awkward scent and very, very strong taste. It was served with sugar cookies which made it all the better.
ReplyDelete203
Day 4:
ReplyDeleteTea in Iran, Speaker Ms. Farah Ranjbaran
Although I was familiar with most information shared today, I did learn a few new things, and saw a samovar, an instrument that heats water and releases steam to help brew the tea with the pot settled on top of the samovar. It is quite hard to describe this instrument, but it does a good deal of steam cooking.
In Iran, tea is a staple. It is drunk at various times of the day, and when guests are over served to them immediately in a glass cup over a saucer. Often these glasses have a gold rim, or gold decorations.
This tradition is found across the middle east. There is a difference in cultures though, and this has to do with sugar! In Iran, one takes a sugar cube and places it in their mouth, holding it between their teeth and then sipping the tea through the sugar. It becomes sweet almost instantly.
In other Middle Eastern cultures, the host asks you how much sugar you would like. Once the amount is determined, the host stirs it gently so that the sugar sits on the bottom, and takes out the tiny gold-coloured spoon used to stir. Then, the host offers the tea to the guest.
Another type of sugar, found in Iran is called Nabot. It is meant to sooth stomach aches and is sometimes placed in tea to dissolve.
Many students enjoyed this tea more-so than others and kept coming back for more. I believe it was because we got to have sugar with our tea.
On a side note, Ms.Martin did notice students trying to "smuggle" sugar, which she said, did not need to be "snuck in".
If you haven't noticed already, sugar has been a consistent theme in my blog posts! This week has been sweet!
Iman M. For Jan 7th
308 words
"Young leaves are not harmful, but have special effects when eaten. At first, it was used as food and medicine. With the development of storage technology, it has become a material for drink." In the Tea Ceremony Koreans most important substances of the ceremony is drinking the tea with your five senses, first you hear the water boiling, second you feel the warmth of cup, then you smell the tea, then you see the color of the color, lastly you taste the tea. The Korean tea ceremony is an ancient tea ceremony that has been practiced for over a thousand years in Korea. Korean tea ceremony was inspired by China and preceded the Japanese tea ceremony by several hundred years. The Korean tea ceremony was traditionally used to revere the spirit of revered persons or ancestors. Korea Tea ceremonies in comparison to the Japanese Tea Ceremony is they actually focus a lot more on taste than the Japanese Green Tea. The Japanese Green Tea was actually a lot bitter than the Korean Green tea. Koreans also do not whisk their tea ceremony are traditionally not whisked as apposed to the Japanese prepare their tea. I personally thought the Korean tea was a lot more yummy than the Japanese green tea.
ReplyDeleteSandra Medrano
Word Count: 210
Japanese Tea Ceremony is very credical in the Japanese culture. After watching an imitation of a Japanese Tea Ceremony, I realized that the Tea Ceremony was not exactly for the actual tea making process but for the purpose of meditating and keeping the tradition of the Japanese culture roots going strong. The costumes the women wear during the tea ceremony is a special custom used only for special events such as weddings and traditional events the Japanese called a Kimono, with Kimono it is really there are different types of kimono for different occasions and seasons, including those worn by men. During the Japanese Tea Ceremony, the are five very important things being focused on the four main focuses of the ceremony respect, tranquility, purity, harmony. The tea is sipped down in only 2 and a half to three sips. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is an “social equalizor,” during the ceremony it is ideal all people are created with respect and no one is considered an upper class. Japanese Tea Ceremonies are very still and quiet.
ReplyDeleteSandra Medrano
Word Count: 200
Young leaves are not harmful, but have special effects when eaten. At first, it was used as food and/or medicine. And with the development of storage technology, it has become a material for actual drinking nowadays. Coffee was the main beverage in Iran before the 15th Centry. Black Tea cleans teeth, reduces body fat can regulate your blood sugar, lowers level of stress, aids in lowering Cholesterol, keeps your skin healthy and bones,acts like an artlrites smoothner, and stimulates the heart and circulatory system. Green Tea can help prevent cancer, lower LDL levels, lower blood pressure,decrease the risk of harmful clot formation causing the heart, decreases inflammation, raise blood sugar levels, ease inflammatory Bowel Disease, and eliminate bad breath. Tea can strengthen the immune system, make bones stronger, increase mental alertness, treat the depression symptoms and lower the level of stress hormones in the body. Green tea is a good soother of both mind and body. Tea to some extent also helps in preventing diabetes in a person. Tea improves the sugar tolerance of the body, which then causes it to lower the risk of increase in the blood sugar level in the body. Tea is a lot healthier for you in comparision to coffee.
ReplyDeleteSandra M
Word Count: 208
Friday was a pretty intersting day,this teacher im not sure I cant remember her name but the lady used to work at our school and I never really seen her but she was a very nice lady. she was fro iran she came to class to teach us about how they drink tea with somebody comes over or has a get together. The first thing to know it’s a social gathering and mostly for a social thing. when a guest come to the home they are usually served tea. The to make tea is first you boile water ,then add the tea leaves to the boiling water when you added the leaves leave them their for a while for they can take out the flavor. After the you see a reddish color in the water you can take it out the heat. Ones its ready you should always serve it in a glass see thru cup the people in iran love to see the color of the tea and also like to drink it in a small cup.when you serve the tea usually they would sever it with sugar cubes and this is the interesting part. When they drink the tea they would put the sugar cube in their mouth and hold it with their tounge and drink the tea at the same time for both can combine when drinking. Personaly I didn’t like it when I tryed it it tasted really bitter I guess that’s not the right tea for me but their always something else new to try in the world.
ReplyDeleteI always knew that there were health benefits to drinking tea, but I also always thought that there were health benefits for drinking anything other then Coke, Dr. Pepper, and Root Beer. I found it interesting that there were so many ways your tea could help your health. On Monday when Thia was talking about if you drink black tea when your feeling flu-ish it will help you recover faster. I went home that day and told my whole family to start chugging black tea, we have been passing around the same cold since the beginning of the Christmas break. It has now been a week and we are all off of the medicine. Myth proven.
ReplyDeleteSome of the health benefits of Black Tea is:
Cleans your teeth
Helps Burn body fat
Regulates your blood sugar
Lowers levels of stress
Aids in lowering Cholesterol
Healthy skin and Bones
Acts as an arthritis soother
Stimulates the heart and circulatory system
Another thing I learned is that the chemicals they put on non organic teas are so strong that it could kill a Tiger. So only drink organic tea.
MacKinley Donaldson 1-12-11 - 203
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed when the Korean women came. They shared with us how they preform the tea ceremony and told us how it was more about socializing to them then it was about meditating and being consumed in thought. That was more appealing to me, its all about being with your friends and tea is what brings them together. I like the thought of that, inviting your friends over for tea rather then just to hang out and watch a movie. The way they pour the tea is very methodical and they do everything for a reason. They pour the hot water on every cup and then empty them back as a way of cooling off the hot water and warming up the cups so the cups are warm when the guest touch them. Once the tea is ready they fill each cup up only half way and then go back and fill each cup up the rest of the way. The reason they do that is because they feel that if they do it that way each cup is the same flavor wise. If they fill each cup up in one try the first cup wont taste the same as the last cup. But if you fill up each cup with half of the top half of tea and half of the bottom half then each cup is equal. You also start with the guest cup and end in yours.
ReplyDeleteMacKinley Donaldson – 1-12-11 – 246
Over the weekend my family and I went to The Path of Tea. My mom was a little concerned that it was going to be a fancy place where they have afternoon tea and have scones and was going to be snotty for her. But I guilt tripped her into going and we were all pleasantly surprised to find that it was a very casual place that people go to just sit and have tea and talk with a friend or read a book and enjoy a moment of solitude. We had the White Peach Tea and the Black Georgia Peach Tea, they were both very good but I felt that the white teas flavor was a little bit too subtle for me and the Georgia Peach flavor was a little bit more present and I enjoyed that. I have also noticed that as the week progressed the fact that the tea was not sweetened didn’t bother me as much as it has at the beginning of the week.
ReplyDeleteOn Monday we went to Serenitea to have afternoon tea, we went there thinking we were going to have High Tea but was informed shortly after arriving that you never call it High Tea because that refers to men who just got off work going to a bar to have tea and food. Anyways we went to Serenitea and had afternoon tea with Scones. Thirteen cups of tea and two scones later I realized I really had to go to the bathroom and I only liked three of the teas I tasted. I don’t think my taste buds are mature enough to appreciate some of the teas they had. IIW week is over and now the real work begins.
MacKinley Donaldson- 1-12-11 -- 292
This Monday, on our field trip to the little restaurant to tea tasting was a nice experience in tea tasting. With all the kinds of different put very unique flavors of tea. The owner of the restaurant said some really interesting facts about some of the health benefits that black tea consists such as help keep your teeth clean, burn body fat and so on. The most common countries that tea is popular in are China, Japan, and India. Teabags are apparently can be used to reduce the swelling of puffy eyes. Also teabags can be used to soothe burns and sunburn especially, by placing the teabag straight onto the burn or pouring tea into cool bathwater, it has been known to cure the skin heal a lot faster than most medicine for actual sunburn. Tea also contains of less Caffeine than Coffee. Tea actually consists of 50% less caffeine than coffee beans. Tea was originated in China and then was introduced to Japan. Drinking a cup of tea a few times (at least three cups of tea,) it can help act as in other blood thinners. Green tea has been known to heal stomach disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach issues.
ReplyDeleteSandra Medrano
Word Count:202
Day 5, it's all over, but the tasting will continue. This week has been marvelous, and what better a way to end the day with a bit of tea, and goodies! Ice tea with sweets, was oh-so yummy! We went to "Serenitea Tea House" in Sugarland, to meet Archana Pyatt, and taste some of her lovely teas. We were seated in a nice, cozy little room with chairs, tables and teacups. Almost like a lady's picnic in the Gardens of Windsor. While there, we tasted 13 teas. Each a blend of flavours of Ms. Pyatt's. My favourite were the black teas of Jasmine and Earl Grey. They have always been my favourite! In addition to teas, we had some fresh, fluffy scones with clotted cream and lemon spread. They were delicious! Ms. Pyratt gave us the history of tea from 237 BC to Present. Noting that tea was a supposed accident found by an emperor of China, who was so delighted with his discovery that he shared it with his kingdom. Slowly the crop was cultivated in different ways and brewed to perfection. It was traded and sold, a commodity that one could exchange for livestock! What a trade! Leaves were packed into tea bricks, and broken off when necessary. Cultures began to form ceremonies around this relaxing drink. British tea was explained, and grades of tea were passed around for all to see. This day was terrifically, lovely!
ReplyDeleteIman Mazloum
(It didn't post yesterday)