Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, after water. The two most common types being Camellia sinensis and Camellia assamica. Humans around the world enjoy tea for its bright and energizing flavor, many health benefits, and have even elevated tea drinking ceremonies to an artform. Modern science has discovered various health benefits from drinking a variety of teas. Studies have also found that tea is rich in various compounds that are both antioxidants and anti-microbial, which might help prevent cancer, heart disease, and diabetes together with facilitating weight loss and lowering cholesterol. We would like to discuss two of the healthier teas in our collection, Ruby #18 black tea and Dong Ding, an oolong tea. Both are styles of tea that were crafted and perfected in Taiwan.
Taiwan has a great habitat for tea plants along with strong government support in researching and developing cutting-edge tea growing and production techniques. The country produce four types of tea: oolong, green tea, black tea, and white tea. Oolong is the main one famous in the world. Almost all Taiwanese tea are crafted from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the same species discovered in ancient China that is sometimes referred to as "original" or "true" tea. Raw tea leaves are harvested three to five times a year in Taiwan, harvesting time generally falls between April and December. The May and October flushes, known as the spring and winter harvest respectively, usually gain the highest grades.
Oolong tea is tea that is partially oxidized, which imparts a richer, darker, more complex flavor and hue. And we are here to discuss the Dong Ding oolong tea. The name means 'Frozen Peak' and is named after a mountain range in Taiwan with a reputation for producing top quality tea. Another way to spell Dong Ding is Tung Ting. Expect authentic examples of this now classic high mountain oolong to come from Meishan in Taiwan. The tea is made with the premium Qing Xin 'Green Heart' cultivar and has a much more complicated production method that includes "baking" multiple times. Since the oolong undergoes multiple complex baking processes it results in light gold-colored liquor with a toasty aroma and a lovely and refreshing floral flavor. The tea is best brewed at the temperature of 90 celsius for three to five minutes and can be resteeped three times or more according to one's preferences.
Black tea is a rich and heavy-bodied tea usually recommended as an alternative to coffee since it is the one that is most oxidized and thus the darkest in hue. Ruby #18 Oolong tea, also nicknamed Red Jade, is an extraordinary example of a new black tea invented and grown only in Taiwan. The tea comes from a tea tree varietal created from hybridizing Burmese and Taiwanese wild tea plants. Due to its bright red liquor, it is named Ruby tea. We consider this among the best of all black tea, displaying a sumptuously thick flavor with very unique aromas of cinnamon and mint. The tea leaves of Ruby black tea are produced in the twisted leaf style and are fully oxidized. We've found that storing this tea over a long period of time actually strengthens and deepens the flavors, making it a prime candidate for aging. The tea is best brewed at a temperature ranging from 95 to 100 celsius for less than two minutes at first. Subsequent steeps can increase the brew time to three or four minutes.
So drink tea and stay healthy.