The Tea Gardens-f.a.q.

Is tea brewing difficult?
No. All you need for tea brewing is hot water, some kind of strainer and great tea.
Tea is easier to brew than coffee. Just bring water to a boil add to tea and strain your tea to a cup and enjoy. The Tea Gardens follows these simple rules:

Black Tea: bring water to a full boil, add 1 scant teaspoon of tea to a 6oz cup of boiled water, let sit 2-5 minutes, depending on personal preference, and enjoy.

Green and Oolong teas: bring water to a full boil and then let water sit for a minute. Add 1 scant teaspoon of tea to a 6 oz. cup of water, let sit 2 ½ to 4 min and enjoy.

White tea: follow same directions as green tea but allow the tea to brew longer (3-5 min).

Tisanes, Mates and Rooibos: Boil water add 1 tsp of tea to 6 oz cup and let brew
for 3-5 minutes.

Always remember that the longer the tea sits, the darker and more bitter it becomes.

What is Oolong tea?
Oolong is a tea halfway between a green tea and a black tea, usually called the brown tea.
It is the most complicated tea to make because it is only partially oxidized. It is very difficult to stop nature's ripening process and that is what they do when they make oolong. This expert process pays off in the flavor of the tea.

How do I store my tea?
Cool-Dark-Place. That is all you need to remember. Tea does not like light or refrigeration. NEVER put your tea in the freezer. Tea absorbs flavor and is sensitive to light. If you store it properly it will last 1 year.

Does tea have caffeine?
Yes but the quantity varies. Example per 8 oz cup:

black tea has approximately 40 milligrams of caffeine
oolong has 30 milligrams
green tea has 20 milligrams
white tea has 15 milligrams
decaf teas have 2 milligrams
tisanes have 0

Compared to a 5 oz cup of coffee, which has 80 milligrams of caffeine,
and 12 oz of cola, which has 45 milligrams.

Also remember you can always decaffeinate your own tea by steeping it quickly and throwing out the water, then steeping again, letting it steep longer.

What’s the difference in green and black teas?
All teas come from one plant but the way they are processed makes the difference in the teas. White and Green teas are hardly processed. Green teas are either steamed or dry heated. Black teas are “withered” outside and then the leaves are damaged or rolled. This is called oxidation. Finally, they are dried. This process makes the tea black and gives it a fuller flavor.

Do we have tea bags?
No! We carry loose leaf tea. We believe that in order to receive the best flavor from a cup of tea, you must use the best quality tea you can afford. Tea bags are merely filled with the dust that remains when loose leaf tea leaves are sifted in baskets. All the dust that falls from the actual leaves is gathered and put into tea bags. The most health benefits and flavor can be found in the full tea leaf, not the dust. We do carry some of our more popular tea in tea pouches. These pouches are filled with our loose leaf tea and ensures that the tea has enough room to expand.