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Sowmee
WHITE TEA 25g
GRADE – Spring Grade #1
CAFFEINE/ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: Low/ High
Cup characteristics: Delicious toasty character with body reminiscent of Oolongs. Lingering taste that encourages another cup.
Luxury ingredients: White tea
£ 7.20
In stock
PRODUCT ID: 328
Description
Sowmee
White tea is very different from other types of tea like green or black. White tea leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Only special “two leaves and buds” are selected. The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less than 40’C. These leaves must show a very light green almost grey white colour and ideally be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. The leaves for Sowmee are plucked during late April, May and June.
The lack of processing and hand selection is evident in the leaf appearance as it is somewhat mixed and tending flaky and flat. This Sowmee has a more pronounced taste profile – almost oolong tea-like. Many white tea drinkers prefer this cup in that there is a “substance” to the taste compared to the delicateness of other white teas. Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon tested white teas on selected rats to test for the ability of white tea to inhibit natural mutations in bacteria and to protect them from colon cancer.
White tea was found to be more effective than green tea in inhibiting the early stages of cancer but researchers pointed out that their study was on rats and the effects should not be extrapolated to humans. The researchers also found that white tea contains higher levels of caffeine compared to green tea brewed under the same conditions. They suggested that this could occur because white tea oxidizes during withering whereas in green tea the oxidation process is stopped early in the tea making process by steaming or pan firing. One tea expert has been quoted as saying “unlike black or green tea, it isn’t rolled or steamed; this preserves its antioxidant properties”.
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in 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 tea). Milk and sugar are not recommended. Ideal Brewing Temperature: 85ºC/185ºF. For Food Safety reasons bring water to 100ºC/212ºF and let it cool down to 85ºC/185ºF.
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD
(Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml 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. A rule of thumb when preparing freshly brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
(Individual Serving): Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the leaves. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. A rule of thumb when preparing freshly brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today’s water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.
