Getting to know a cup of tea
You do not need to know everything before you begin drinking tea. These short reads are here for a quiet moment, perhaps while the kettle heats.
Choosing tea around your everyday habitsBegin with how you brew, how much astringency you enjoy and what you want to spend.
How to read THEN tea namesWhat the U code, year and origin tell you.
Choosing a tea gift with the recipient in mindFor new tea drinkers, experienced drinkers and corporate gifts.
The reddish-brown colour in your cupTheabrownins and research from around the world.
Raw tea and ripe tea
Raw tea is given time. The leaves are picked, processed and put away. From year to year, the tea gradually changes.
With ripe tea, the maker helps the process along. The tea is moistened, piled and covered. The pile warms itself. The maker checks it each day, then breaks it up and spreads out the leaves to dry when it is ready. One pile-fermentation round is U1, two are U2 and three are U3. The tea then goes into storage, where time continues the work.
Why we call it “Chè Bánh Việt”
Many people know long-stored, pressed tea as Pu-erh. We respect that name and choose not to borrow it. THEN’s tea grows in Vietnam’s mountains and is fermented and stored in Vietnam, so we call it “Chè Bánh Việt”, or Vietnamese pressed tea. A clear name helps you know what you are drinking and keeps the maker accountable for it.
Depth, body and a clean finish
These are the qualities we look for in long-stored tea. Depth is the way the flavour unfolds. Body is its fullness in the mouth. A clean finish feels smooth and settled, with nothing harsh left behind.
A name behind the reddish-brown colour
A cup of ripe tea may have a reddish-brown colour. Theabrownins are a group of pigments that contribute to that colour. Researchers are studying their composition and how they form. The colour alone cannot tell us how much theabrownin a tea contains.
Keeping your tea
Keep tea cakes in a dry, ventilated place, away from strong odours and direct sunlight. Check the packaging and storage area from time to time to help keep moisture and unwanted smells away from the tea.