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Autumn Tea News & Recipes from Stir Tea
28 Apr 2017 - posted by Michelle
We hope you enjoy our tea focused recipes and content.
Wishing you Happy Tea Times,
Michelle & the Stir Team
Autumn 2017
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 Black, Green or White Tea - what's the difference?
Every Saturday throughout spring and summer we operate our tea stand at the Remarkables Market and get to talk tea with tea lovers. We get great inspiration from their tea stories and also have an opportunity to answer their questions.
One of the most common discussions I have is what is the difference between black, green and white tea.
To answer this I need to set aside things like site specific growing or harvest conditions unique to a country or individual tea garden (e.g soil, temperature, altitude, rain, wind, harvest time, method etc etc ) and focus on one fundamental fact - all tea is from the leaf of the camellia sinensis plant. I also need to state that I am referring to true tea here as opposed to our range of caffeine free herbal and fruit blends which do not contain any tea leaf.
In very general terms the major difference between the different categories is what happens once the leaf is plucked from the bush and the tea master applies their craft of processing the leaves. Like all vegetable matter tea leaves contain oxidising enzymes (the molecules responsible for the yellowing of leaves in autumn). As soon as the leaf is plucked, the oxidisation of these enzymes start. The tea master will choose to control, accelerate or halt this oxidisation and this will determine the type of tea, it is different for each class of tea. There can be several steps in the process but in summary the differences are:
Black Tea - the cell structure of the plucked leaf is broken and the leaves are left to react to the air - fully oxidised and then dried (heated to a temperature to stop the enzymes causing the oxidation)..
Green tea - Heat is applied as soon after the pluck as possible to halt the enzymes which cause oxidation so it is unoxidised. The leaves are then rolled and dried.
White tea leaves are simply plucked and air dried - the tea is left in its natural state. Natural oxidation does occur during this process but because the leaf is not manipulated the oxidation progresses very slowly.
The second most common question is which tea is the healthiest?
A comprehensive and current report has recently been published called What science says about getting the most out of your tea. It covers this question and a lot more material. It makes for really interesting reading and like all things tea some of the content will divide opinion. I am very grateful to the authors for their permission to reproduce the report on the very reasonable condition it is in full form. The authors are:
Emma Beckett, Postdoctoral Fellow (Human Molecular Nutrition), School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle and Quan V Vuong, Senior Lecturer in Food Science & Human Nutrition, University of Newcastle.
Their article was originally published on The Conversation.
Oxidation Resource References: Tea, Aromas and Flavours Around the World - Lydia Gautier and The Tea Drinkers Handbook - Francois-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, Christine Barbaste
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 Masala Chai (Spiced Tea)
Feeling Cold - reach for a cup of Masala Chai. This is a sure fire way to warm your body while also nourishing and nurturing it.
We have just changed our Masala Chai blend and we are super excited about it. Here is what you will find in it:
Organically grown black tea leaves and warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper and cloves. All these spices aid digestion and can help alleviate coughs and colds.
You can either brew the tea in traditional boiled milk style (steeping the tea leaf in the milk) or brew a strong cup of tea and add some milk.
Milk Options:
Milk helps induce sleep, fortifies the nervous system and is a rich source of protein and minerals. I prefer the richness of organic whole cows milk. Other milks like almond, coconut, soy and rice offer an alternative but be mindful of artificial additives and sweeteners hidden in them. Most plant based milks are thinner than full-fat animal milks so it will result in a less rich mouth feel.
Sweeteners:
If you wish to sweeten your chai our suggestion is to go as natural as possible to get the most nourishment from your drink. Consider:
(a) Honey - add a mild honey at the end of brewing once the temperature has dropped. Allowing the liquor temperature to drop is based on the Ayurvedic principles that honey heated at a high temperature can transform from a healing nectar to a sticky substance which can clog the body's channels.
(b) Pure Maple Syrup - yes it can change the flavour a little but it offers some healthy mineral value.
(if you want to delve more into the traditions of Masala Chai then we recommend a book called Chai Pilgramage - A Soul Nourishing Tea Adventure Through Northern India by Patrick Shaw and Jenny Kostecki-Shaw).
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Lapsang Souchong Coconut Bacon
A number of the team at Stir are vegan and recently we were having a discussion about coconut bacon. My immediate thought was that it must contain some lapsang souchong to achieve that smoky taste so I went hunting for a recipe. I had the good fortune to discover Tea writer and Tea enthusiast Lu Ann Pannunzio at http://theteacupoflife.com who has developed a recipe and kindly given us permission to share it along with her photo. It really is a great meat alternative and fantastic sprinkled over soup, vegetables or banana pancakes (a staff favourite). Give the recipe a try.
We have just ordered a copy of Lu Ann's recently published book called Tea-Spiration and can't wait to try it - we shall offer recommendations from it in our next newsletter.
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Tea of the Month - Masala Chai
When you order online between now and the end of May we shall include a complimentary tasting pack of Masala Chai with your order for you to enjoy or share with a tea loving friend.
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Tea Trends & Stir Recommendations 
(a) Tea Lifestyle - We are increasingly seeing a trend amongst tea drinkers to incorporate tea and tisanes into other aspects of their diet. Consider using it:
- To soak your oats overnight for your bircher muesli
- As your porridge base (the image shows porridge made with crimson berry rather than milk).
- As a base for your chia seed pudding
- A smoothie base - add another dose of antioxidants to your day by using left over brewed green tea. Add a bunch of fresh spinach, fresh ginger, fresh mint, apple, banana, chia seed and blitz in your smoothie maker. Finish with a sprinkle of nuts or seeds on top for a really balanced meal on the go.
- A savoury sauce with cauliflower or any vegetables or the coconut bacon recipe earlier.
- A warming rice pudding base (think coconut cream black tea)
In our winter newsletter we shall look at other ways to incorporate tea into your beauty and health regimes.
(b) 'I'll have a cuppa with my main': read how tea has become the new wine in restaurants in this recent article from the UK telegraph newspaper in response to one large corporate banning alcohol during office hours.
(c) A big thanks for everyone who visited our tea stand over the spring and summer market season. It is always an absolute pleasure to talk tea with you. Many of you have asked how you can keep your tea supplies topped up until the markets start again in October. You can order everything online to be delivered to your door or else purchase tea at these stockists (point 5) http://www.stirtea.co.nz/how-to-buy.html
(d) Recently we discovered the beautiful tea words of Lu Ann Pannunzio. She 
has just released a new book called Tea-Spiration which would make an ideal
gift for a tea lover. Take a peek at it here:
Michelle Casson, Stir Tea, Queenstown
View our full contact details here
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