International Tea Day arrived a week ago, and CNN ran a lovely article with the headline, “Why drinking tea just might help in a crisis.” The gist of the story — for people in the UK, where tea long has dwelled at the center of the culture, tea breaks are helping people cope with COVID-19’s many disruptions and anxieties.
The piece turns to scientific research on tea, much of it revolving specifically around green tea. Some of the findings included in the story:
- Tea improves brain function in healthy people
- Tea can reduce anxiety
- Tea can benefit memory and attention
- Tea can improve symptoms of depression, dementia and Down’s Syndrome
- Tea is linked to a longer life, lower blood pressure and may also help reduce fat
One review of tea’s brain benefits concluded that “it would be desirable” for people in the West to introduce at least 3.3 ounces of green tea every day “to protect against neurocognitive function.”
We agree!
We encourage you to read the well-done story.
Rong Starts Morning with Oolong, Turns To Others As Day Marches Forward
As tea fanatics, all of us at Ku Cha decorate our days with tea. And we hear from Friends of Ku Cha, too, about their tea-sipping habits.
Ku Cha co-founder Rong Pan likes to begin her morning with oolongs, which she says put her in a “working mood.” This is a good thing, as Rong spends a lot of time working. It works out well that the elixir she uses to get into a working mood is also the tonic that dominates her working life.
She often savors jasmine tea in the morning, too. Rong’s recent favorite is jasmine oolong, a rich, flavorful oolong infused with the calming fragrance of jasmine blossoms. It helps her focus, and makes her happy! The pleasing aromas and flavors from the jasmine tea that we carry helps Rong get in gear when the day remains young.
Afternoon Reading Rewarded with Afternoon Tea
When the day reaches middle-age, Rong always turns again to tea. But before the treat, the family must sink into what she calls DEAR — Drop Everything And Read! The tea time reward helps persuade the kids to DEAR.
For Rong, afternoon tea serves as a relaxing and contemplative break from busy days. Where she enjoys the bold flavors of oolong to get her in a working mood in the morning, during the afternoon Rong prefers more subtle teas, sips that serve as balm rather than wake-up alarms. She also loves nibbling on fruits and cookies during the afternoon tea break.
For her mid-day tea, Rong turns to white tea. Lately she has been brewing Ku Cha’s Shou Mei White Tea Cake. In Chinese, Shou Mei means “Old Man’s Eyebrow.” This unique tea, from southern China’s Fujian Province, is famous for its medicinal properties, which include immune strengthening and detoxification. Like many pu-erhs, Shou Mei is compressed into cakes, and stands as a strong candidate for aging.
Boulder Family Enjoys Earl Grey, Matcha
Meanwhile, one Friend of Ku Cha, a Boulder family, starts the day with coffee. But as soon as the family is done with that morning ritual, they turn to tea. Specifically, our organic Earl Grey Superior.
Like jasmine tea, Earl Grey offers lovely non-tea-leaf aromas and flavors, only instead of jasmine blossoms Earl Grey incorporates bergamot oil. Our Earl Grey comes from high quality Sri Lankan black tea. Bergamot orange, a citrus fruit that is sort of like a blend of orange, lemon and grapefruit, grows in abundance in the province of Reggio di Calabria in Italy, with groves close to the Ionian Sea. Much bergamot oil production comes from Italian fruit, although it grows in other countries as well.
This family brews one and sometimes two pots of Earl Grey. The dad likes a wee bit of local honey with his cups; the mom thinks he’s nuts.
Matcha a morning and afternoon ritual for Boulder teen
One of the family’s daughters is mad for Ku Cha’s matcha tea. But instead of brewing it hot and sipping it from tiny cups, she drinks it over ice.
First, she uses a bamboo whisk to blend the matcha with a bit of oat milk in a small cup. After that is blended, she fills a larger glass with ice, pours oat milk over the ice in the glass, and then pours the matcha and oat milk combination over the larger glass. As the green matcha liquid pours over the oat milk in the larger glass, it’s quite attractive! She makes this nearly every morning.
To watch her make her tea, please visit Ku Cha’s Instagram account, @kuchatea, for a short video.
Every tea lover incorporates their favorite beverage into their daily routine in different ways. One thing is sure — inviting tea into your life improves every day.
Rong Brews Golden Memory Pu-Erh On the Ku Cha House of Tea YouTube Channel
The world of tea is complex, which is one of its many pleasures. Like wine, tea is grown around the world, and different cultures and traditions have produced myriad styles and preparation techniques. In this video, Rong shows how to brew Golden Memory, a pu-erh crafted by Mr. Zhou Bin Liang, considered to be the greatest pu-erh master in the world.
