Not too long ago, I drove down Fairview Street here in Boise, Idaho and noticed a coffee shop called Brew Awakening. What a perfect name for a coffee shop!The space is now empty.It looks like someone’s dream not being realized.Even with high traffic street, cars speeding by don’t always stop. Morning commuters driving faster than 35 mph don’t usually stop for products or services. I hope the owner advanced to a better space. 

Here I am trying to offer you some simple guidelines on a perfect brew cup of tea.The way to a perfect cup of tea is as deep as the history of tea.The process of brewing tea keeps us present in the moment.The three elements that keeps our attention and being present in the moment are temperature, brewing time and serving traditions.The steps are just as important as the drink.The Japanese created a tea ceremony that sets intention for all its moves and meaning for each gesture.Taking all actions wtih mindfulness and care allows you to be present in the moment. This is recommanded when brewing tea.

Kung Fu tea is a Chinese tradition that encompasses the reflective spirit, the etiquette, and the skills of making and pouring the tea. Drinking Kung Fu tea is not to crush thirst, but to experience the tea through the fragrance and the taste.The tea taste better with each brew when clay teapot is used.Clay tea pots absorbs the fragrance of the tea.Over time, the teapot aged with the aroma of the tea.

In modern days, the general guidelines are 2 to 5 minutes for steeping black tea.Oolong tea steeps longer, about 5 to 8 minutes. The best water temperature is 180-190. Green tea takes about 2-4 minutes at 160 to 170 degree water.  White tea steeps for 4-6 minutes at 180 degree temperature.  Second infusion will take twice as long for the flavor to infuse.  Steep time for Rooibos and other herbal tea varies, but most of them needs to steep 5 minutes or more.Adjust the recipe to your personal taste. 

Whatever method or tools you use, be with the process and enjoy the experience.Savor your tea time and have a brew awakening.

Orchids are some of Mother Nature’s most cheerful creations. For many of us, they create joy merely by gracing our living spaces or our gardens. Nevertheless it must be said that other than their loveliness, orchids have little practicality for human beings, with the single exception of that estimable orchid that give us our vanilla flavoring.

If you had lived around eighty to 100 years ago, though, you perhaps would have had occasion to sample a wonderful tea created from the leaves of an uncommon orchid. The drink, commonly called Faham tea, achieved some celebrity in France in the early part of the 20th century. To be specific, it was brewed from the pungent leaves of the Angraecum fragrans orchid (also recorded as the Jumella fragrans).

The rare orchid was a native to the Reunion Island off the coast of Africa. An epiphytal species known  to the locals as “faham,” its usage as tea is credited to Reunion’s indigenous people, who are are said to have been the first to discover how tasty it was.

An article in a horticultual magazine of 1924 observed that so-called Faham tea had been sold in France, where many consumers were drinking it as a substitute for “Chinese” (i.e., regular) tea. “Every work on botany of any importance similarly places it in the foremost rank of the beneficial productions of  this favored clime (Reunion),” the writer says. “One of our most illustrious writers George Sand eulogizes it in the midst of the fine description of the Island of Bourbon.” Bourbon was an earlier name for Reunion Island, incidentally.

The orchid involved was known to grow very high on the mountain slopes of the island, deep inside virtually inaccessible forests. The difficulties attendant on gathering a sufficient amount of the plant meant that Faham tea, as a commercially viable item, was doomed to failure. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the tea’s tastiness, it was for the most part forgotten by mid- 20th century.

Most of us won’t ever learn what Faham tea tastes like. But, if you happen to be lucky enough to be growing a specimen or two of the right kind of orchid, you could sacrifice a handful of leaves and actually make some up for yourself. To brew the tea, you first bring water to a boil in a tea kettle. Then you put in some dried orchid leaves (about as much per cup as you would regular tea) to the water, turning off the heat and permitting it to steep for a few minutes.

A flyer from the 1920s extolling Faham tea avers:

It can be used as a substitute for tea on all occasions, as it combines its tonic and digestive qualities free from the sleepless effect. It possesses an aroma of great delicacy capable of being rendered more or less pungent according to the quantity used, and it gives forth a most agreeable perfume. After being drank, it leaves a lasting fragrance in the mouth, and in a closed room the odor of it can be recognized long after.

This beverage has the further advantage over tea, which requires to be drank at the time of making, in that it can be reserved for a future occasion if requisite, and may either be taken cold or made hot again. Milk or spirits in small quantities, especially rum, serve to develope its aroma and lending it additional delicacy or greater strength render it a delicious drink. Lastly this valuable plant is made use of to flavor custards and ices to which it communicates its delicate fragrance.

Sounds delightful. Faham tea, anyone?

Now, if you think you would like to try your hand at growing orchids, suitable for tea or otherwise, you will require accurate information.

Today there is an abudance of good, accurate information available for anyone who would like to grow orchids. The most complete guidebook to contemporary orchid gardening, I have found, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Howard’s wonderful guide constitutes a complete education all to itself. And, it’s suitable for those just starting out as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets site, which features an ever-expanding database of information on all facets of orchid care.

If everyone knew of all the health benefits of green tea, the sales of green tea would spike immediately.  The health benefits of green tea are important and substantial so people should consider making a cup of green tea every day a habit.  Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases man has ever known. It has killed a lot of lives in many forms and is continuously killing more. With the discovery of green tea being able to help in cancer prevention and treatment, a lot of studies are trying to support every claim. It is said that through drinking green tea, cancer has shown significant evidences of diminishing cancer cell results. Preliminary investigations have proven that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in organs like the digestive system, urinary bladder, and the pancreas.

Antioxidants in green tea are one of the main reasons why people are being enticed by it. By reducing incidences of increased cholesterol level in out body, it therefore reduces the body to experience hypertension and cardiac diseases. Studies also show that green tea can help minimize thrombosis formation which is also an associated factor to heart disease. When thrombosis goes into blood circulation, there will come a time when the thrombus will block the way of the blood that is supposed to go to the heart and this will compromise the heart with blood supply. Preventing thrombus formation is one very important effect of green tea.

Some say it’s impossible for green tea to affect bone diseases but the tea have proved them wrong because reports have it that green tea can prevent arthritis. Not only can green tea prevent arthritis from occurring but also eliminate the painful symptoms being contributed by the problem too. According to research on the
health benefits of green tea, it has a component that has the ability to reduce inflammation. Research also suggests that antioxidants have the capacity to delay any arthritic  process that might occur and minimizing irritable symptoms as well.

Because liver is another agent responsible for metabolism, it is greatly affected by green tea. There is strong correlation of bonds between liver function and antioxidants. When the liver does it job, it filters the body from toxins and washes it away through excretion.

Toxins are referred to harmful substances that we gather through daily living like digested food, breathed air, consumed water, alcohol intake and even remnants of cigarette smoking. What green tea provides the body is stimulating and strengthening the immune system making the liver more capable of filtering every single substance that can be dangerous to the body.

There are some people who think that green tea is a fairly new thing but the truth is that the Chinese have been enjoying the taste and health benefits for about four thousand years.  Some things that green tea is believed to help with include depression and even headaches.  Of course, there are many varieties of tea on the market.

If you believe that these claims have no scientific proof you would be wrong because there have been umpteen studies all carried out all around the world. In the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, the results of an epidemiological study said that one of the health benefits of consuming green tea is that it can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 60%.  This is just one of the health benefits of tea.

The green tea is simply rich is chemicals called as polyphenols, namely a sort called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). A strong antioxidant, EGCG can not only prevent the growth of cancer cells but can also kill them without harming cells that are healthy.

EGCG is a compound that has been disovered to have the wonderful benefits of reducing LDL cholesterol and also prevent thrombosis which is formed due to blood clots.  This therefore can help the reduction of heart attacks and strokes.

Aside from medicinal value, green tea can also {provide|offer} other health benefits, particularly when it comes to fitness. By consuming green tea, it has been found that you will burn more calories when you exercise. A recent study on the health benefits of green tea shows that the drink can help dieters. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, men who take both caffeine and green tea burn down more calories than men who only take caffeine or a placebo.

Another health benefit of green tea is its bacteria-destroying effects. The reason that this is so beneficial is that it can prevent tooth decay as well as food poisoning.

Do you think tea suits only Indians and Chinese? Do you avoid tea simply because coffee is easier to make? It’s time to do some serious tea thinking then! In contrast to popular belief in some countries, research shows that tea has many health benefits. It boosts immunity and has cancer fighting properties. Therefore, a hot cuppa or two can do you a lot of good and no harm.

You must have read about or come across different varieties of tea: black, green, and oolong. White tea is comparatively rare and expensive, and few have heard about it. It comes from leaves of the same Camellia bush as the other varieties of tea; the difference emerges from the way it is processed.    

Black tea is the fermented variety, and the fermentation leads to the loss of some beneficial components of tea leaves. Green tea undergoes no fermentation and is obtained by either steaming or slightly heating the leaves. It is a healthier option than black tea. Oolong tea lies in between these two varieties, in terms of processing.

White tea is made from the very young leaves and buds of the Camellia plant. The name white tea comes from the fine white hair on the young buds. Some researchers, however, suggest that the name comes from plain boiled water that was served when tea leaves were not available in humble Chinese homes. White tea has traditionally been associated with the elite classes in China.

White tea is the healthiest option among the different varieties of tea as it undergoes little processing and no fermentation. It is made by steaming and drying the selected buds and leaves. Its taste is mild and sweet, and research indicates that it has greater cancer fighting power than green tea. Another advantage of white tea is that it is low in caffeine compared with green or black tea. It is also known to prevent skin from sagging. Consequently, reputed cosmetics manufacturers are making a beeline for white tea. A word of caution: avoid white tea if you suffer from stomach ailments.

The best way to prepare white tea is to add it to water before it boils. This variety of tea is mainly produced in China and Japan, but Darjeeling in India is also known for it. Fujian Province of China is famous for this type of tea. A variety of this tea is also grown in Sri Lanka. White tea has some interesting names like tribute eyebrow, silver needle, white peony, golden moon, and white cloud. 

Given the benefits of white tea, you can slowly take to it to refresh yourself and gain health benefits in the process. Researchers suggest that four cups of green tea per day is ideal for promoting good health. As white tea has more effective properties, just a couple of cups should keep you in the pink of health. Promote tea drinking at home and your workplace, and lots of recharged people are going to thank you!