Xanadu©: Teas from the Secret Garden
Tea: One cup, many choices
A Brief History of Tea
The true origins of tea are lost in the clouds of time. One of the most popular
- and least understood - beverages in the world, tea was almost certainly
"discovered" several thousand years ago in what is today southern China. While
the truth about the first cup of tea will never be known, one of the most
appealing ancient legends states that in 2737 BC Chinese emperor Shen Nong was
the first to taste tea. The emperor - skilled both in leadership and natural
sciences - had commanded his subjects to always boil their drinking water for
health reasons. According to the legend, one day when traveling with his court,
the wind blew some dried leaves into the emperor's pot of boiling water. The
emperor was so delighted with the tea's aroma, that he dared to drink the brew,
and thus is claimed to have been the first to discover teas intrinsic value.
The Teas of Xanadu©
Xanadu has brought together an unparalleled selection of fifty of the world's
most desirable teas. Gathered from the premier growing regions of the world,
Xanadu's selection includes blends, flavors, chais, and single-origin teas. The
Xanadu tea master has carefully selected each tea for its quality and flavor,
and has set aside certain popular Xanadu teas to be offered in tea bags as well
as loose.
One of the county's first and foremost premium tea brands, Xanadu is the one
name to know when looking for delicious "Teas from the Secret Garden™".
Growing and Harvesting
What is tea?
"Tea" is comprised of young leaves harvested from the Camellia sinensis bush, a
semi-tropical cousin to the ornamental camellia bushes that grow throughout the
United States. Harvested and processed by hand, the best teas in the world are
always made from the youngest, most tender leaves - rich in the natural juices
that give tea its flavor and aroma.
Where does it grow?
The tea plant itself is native to southern China and northern India. The China
jat - or variety - evolved to prosper in the colder, higher elevations in the
regions on the northern side of the Himalayan mountains. This variety has
subsequently been cultivated in areas of the world that are more temperate than
tropical, such as China, Taiwan and Japan. The India jat evolved south of the
Himalayas in the jungles of northern India, where the altitude is much lower and
the climate nearly tropical. This variety does best in areas such as India,
Ceylon, and Indonesia.
Each jat carries its own hereditary flavor differences, regardless of where it
is planted today. Descendents of the China plants are more subtle and refined,
growing slower while having less body and more brightness. The India descendents
are faster growing, and are richer and smoother in the cup.
How is it harvested?
The best teas in the world - called "orthodox" in the tea trade, because of
their traditional methods of harvesting and processing - are created by hand,
not by machine. Regardless of the country or jat, when the tea plant begins to
send out new growth - skinny new stems with leaves barely unfurled - the harvest
begins. Often grown in low hedges called "tables", workers on each side pluck
these new stems and leaves from the bush, and drop them into baskets. As any
gardener knows, pinching back a plant encourages more new growth, so subsequent
harvests - called "flushes" - often produce higher yields, but not necessarily
better flavor.
The best quality teas are restricted to "two leaves and a bud", taken from the
very tip of the new branches. The bud, comprised of two tiny unfurled leaves,
has the most flavor of all, but obviously has the smallest yield and highest
cost. While harvesting older leaves from further down the branch would increase
the yield, the flavor will be compromised by the dry, coarse leaves.
Processing and Grading
How is tea processed?
Once plucked, the crisp young leaves need to be immediately processed to avoid
spoilage. The leaves are allowed to wither for a few hours, losing moisture
while concentrating the flavors. The leaves are then repetitively rolled in a
circular press, gently softening them and releasing the leaves' flavorful
juices. When rolling is complete, the limp leaves are carefully spread out and
exposed to the air.
Over the next few hours, this exposure to the air ("oxidation") changes the
leaves' color from green towards black - in the same way an apple changes color
when cut - while developing the teas' flavors and aromas. When the desired level
of oxidation has been reached, the leaves are promptly heated - the term is
"fired" - to halt the oxidation and preserve the tea by drying.
When fully processed and dried, usually no more than 18 hours after harvest, the
tea ready for brewing.
Classic styles of tea
There are three main types of tea: Green, Oolong, and Black. The distinction
between these styles isn't from how or where the tea is grown, but from how it
is processed immediately after plucking. The profound difference in flavor is a
result of the length of time the moist rolled leaves are allowed to be oxidized
by the air. Green teas have the least amount of oxidation, and produce a brew
that is fresh and herbally. Oolong teas have been given an intermediate amount
of oxidation, and meld the lighter body and taste of green tea with the fuller
flavor and aroma of black tea. Black teas - like a dark roast coffee - have the
deepest, richest flavor, ideally balanced with a brisk aftertaste.
Theoretically, all three styles of tea could be produced from the same bush on
the same day! However, each tea "garden" typically specializes in creating just
one style.
Grades of tea
Tea leaves are sorted at the garden by size, with the largest pieces of leaf
being separated from smaller, broken pieces and dust. Similar to using different
grinds of coffee, each grade of tea brews very differently from the others.
Larger grades are more valuable, because they brew slower and generally yield
better flavor. Smaller grades brew faster and yield more cups, but are less
valuable because they often don't have the same optimum taste.
Two common leaf size designations are "O.P." (a larger grade) and "B.O.P." (an
intermediate size), and are often located at the end of the tea name. Other
letters can appear in conjunction with such sizing grades, and are usually
indicative of desirable flavor qualities.
Types of Teas
Single-Origin Teas
Xanadu offers a comprehensive selection of single-origin teas, found growing in
Secret Gardens around the world. "Single-Origin" teas - like their coffee
counterparts - are sourced from one particular garden or location within a
producing country. Our single-origin teas come from Ceylon, India, Formosa,
China, and Japan.
These teas represent their countries best offerings of green, oolong, or black
teas - the three primary stages of oxidation that freshly harvested tea leaves
undergo. The teas' levels of oxidation, along with its place of origin, are the
two primary reasons why the world's single-origin teas can taste so different
from each other.
Blended Teas
We have carefully developed a selection of Xanadu blends. Blends - typically
created from several single-origin teas - are designed to offer a balance of
flavors that does not typically exist in nature. Some of our blends are inspired
by historical research, others by our desire to create a memorable cup that will
be unique to the retailers of Xanadu.
Scented Teas
Teas that are scented begin as a single-origin or blended tea, but are taken one
step further. They are given a subtle additional flavor and aroma from exposure
to highly-scented flower petals, citrus rind, or even wood smoke. They differ
from flavored teas, which have their stronger flavoring added in the form of
liquid flavor extracts.
Flavored Tea
Teas that are flavored begin as a single-origin or blended tea. They are given
their distinctive additional flavor and aroma from added liquid flavor extracts
- and sometimes are even garnished with flower petals.
Spiced Chai Tea
One of today's most important categories in the specialty tea business was
virtually unknown a few years ago. "Chai" - a traditional Indian and Nepalese
name for both a spiced black tea blend as well as the beverage (…think of
"espresso", with its dual meanings as both a blend and a beverage) has become
mandatory for specialty coffee retailers to offer on their brewed beverage menu.
There is no "authentic" chai recipe - every family seems to have their own
favorite - but the Xanadu mix of sweet and savory spices, with a light
sweetening, would be perfectly at home anywhere in India.
Decaffeinated Teas
Decaffeinated teas begin as any single-origin teas, but are sent to Europe to
have their caffeine removed. All Xanadu decaffeinated teas are naturally
decaffeinated by either the Supercritical Carbon Dioxide or Ethyl Acetate
method. Both compounds are completely natural, and do a remarkable job of
dissolving and removing caffeine from the leaves, without sacrificing excessive
amounts of flavor.
Decaf teas can later be blended or flavored, just like a regular tea.
Herbal/Tisane Teas
This popular category of Xanadu "tea" is actually tea-free! Herbal blends are
sometimes erroneously referred to as "herbal teas," which are two terms at odds
with each other. We recommend these delicious beverages be called Herbal/Tisane
instead, "tisane" being a description of an infusion of herbs.
Regardless of the name, Xanadu Herbal/Tisane blends are caffeine-free. It is
important to note, however, that not all Herbal/Tisanes in the world will be
free from caffeine. There are common herbs - such as Yerba Maté - that contain
substantial amounts of caffeine! Also, remember that "caffeine-free" (never had
caffeine) is different from "decaffeinated" (once had caffeine, but most of it
has been removed).
Buying Tea
All Xanadu teas have been carefully selected to complement each other, and to
cover the full spectrum of flavors. Each tea has a descriptive label that notes
the origin and style of that tea, and tells of the teas' origins and flavor
characteristics. Unique to Xanadu is labels' flavor scale, helping you choose a
tea that exactly meets your needs.
We suggest that you purchase and keep on hand several different types of tea,
for different moods and different occasions. Don't let the price per pound scare
you away from trying something unique! Remember, one pound of tea will brew
between 150 and 200 servings, so a tea that sells at retail for $20.00 per pound
only costs between $.10 and $.15 per serving! With that kind of usage, it really
doesn't make sense not to buy the best teas possible!
Keep your tea at home in an airtight container, away from light and extremes of
temperature or humidity. Inside a kitchen cabinet is ideal.
Guide to Brewing Great Tea
Delicious Xanadu teas - both in bulk and teabags - are easy to brew by the cup.
We have created the following guidelines to help you consistently brew each
customer a perfect cup of tea.
Xanadu teabag teas: Use one teabag for every 8 - 12 fl oz of hot water. Allow
tea to steep for 5 - 6 minutes, or to desired strength. For iced tea, brew
double-strength, and dilute by pouring over ice. (Please see individual carton
for more brewing information.)
Xanadu bulk teas: Use the amounts of tea shown in the first chart below per
serving size. Refer to second chart for steeping time information. For iced tea,
brew double-strength, and dilute by pouring over ice. (Note: The steeping times
remain the same, regardless of the serving size.)
SERVING SIZE AMOUNT OF TEA
8 FL OZ .2 OZ .013 LB
12 FL OZ .3 OZ .019 LB
16 FL OZ .4 OZ .025 LB
20 FL OZ .5 OZ .031 LB
TYPE OF TEA STEEPING TIME
GREEN TEAS 2-3 MINUTES
OOLONG TEAS
4-7 MINUTES
BLACK TEAS 3-5 MINUTES
SCENTED TEA 3-5 MINUTES
FLAVORED TEAS 3-5 MINUTES
DECAF TEAS 3-5 MINUTES
HERBAL/TISANE TEAS 5-7 MINUTES
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