by D.O. Rothenberg | Dec 1, 2020 | History & Culture, Industry Issues, Tea Education, Tea Plant Biology & Cultivation
A worn and weathered large-leaf Assamica strain planted from seed in the 1970’s Cultural Revolution. I sampled the soil around this tree in Spring of this year, discovering to my amazement that over the decades it had cultivated an intricate network of beneficial...
by D.O. Rothenberg | Jul 31, 2020 | Best Infusion Practices, Tasting & Quality Assessment, Tea Education, Tea Plant Biology & Cultivation
Polyphenols, being larger-weight molecules, require more of kick in the rump than amino acids do in order to extract them out of the leaf, and into the cup. The extra umph can be hotter water, longer infusion time, or more leaf agitation (stirring, prodding, poking,...
by D.O. Rothenberg | Oct 8, 2019 | Best Infusion Practices, Major Types & Sub-Types, Tasting & Quality Assessment, Tea Education, Tea Plant Biology & Cultivation
Pleated leaf face typical of var. assamica If you are a lover of tea, you’ve likely had a cup of tea that made you go “wow.” That moment of tea-induced bliss is where the life-long passion for tea often begins. But why in particular was that cup of tea so especially...