Over the past many years something which was not known to many but few and which was not quite frequently used as is being used today, has now become a part of our daily lives whether we are at home or at work, hanging out with friends, etc. The necessity of tea has struck the mankind as dilemma. Today one could hardly see a person who is not addicted to the use of tea. Acknowledging the fact that the people love to have been served with tea, for many the business of tea has taken to unmatchable heights.

Forms of teas in colors:

There are many forms of teas in colors (such as black, green and white), taste and shapes and different kinds of teas are found in different parts of the world amongst which Kenya is the richest where tea is found. One could find thousand of brands manufactured by thousands of companies available in the market. People are more fondly attracted towards the use of tea and many are addicted. The most commonly used tea is black which is low cost and has a popular taste amongst the people of the world. Apart from the popularity of black tea among the people there are also white and green teas available in the market. White teas are more costly than the black and green teas and people are not quite familiar with the white teas.

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Shape of the team is unique:

Our topic relates to Jasmine Dragon Pearl Tea. This is green tea and one can find out that the shape of this tea is so unique that it looks like a pearl and that is the reason why it is resembled as “Pearl”. This special tea comes up from a Chinese Province known as Fujian. The pearls of this have been rolled naturally with human hands contained its buds and leaves as well. Jasmine Dragon Pearl Tea is sweet in flavor and has aroma of flowery jasmine. This absolute stunning tea has the fragrance of jasmine which gives an indescribable clear after taste and the taste is so intensely flavored. There is a famous saying about the use of this tea that “Watch the dragon pearls blossom before your eyes“.

People safe from cancer who use green tea in daily routine:

Apart from the uniqueness of Jasmine Dragon Pearl Tea, it is widely believed and after a thorough search conducted all over the world by various reputed researchers, that people who use green tea regularly and has made the use of it their daily routine, have minor chances of being able to caught in cancer disease. Many researchers and doctors now a day’s advice people that instead of making black tea a part of their lives, start using green tea which is good for digestion and even prevent one falling victim to diseases like cancer. This green tea has a healthy taste which could be used on regular basis.

Product Review – Diet Lipton White Tea – Rasberry Why am I so perky today? LOL No Clue! Yummy!
Video Rating: 3 / 5

It has been many years since my children were Christened, but I still remember how special the day was and the fabulous array of gifts they were given. However my children are not babies any more and many of those gifts are now put away in the attic, sadly outgrown and no longer used or played with.

It may sound ungrateful but the tiny bracelets and bangles and infant sized St. Christophers on short chains never really got worn. My children enjoyed the rough and tumble of childhood games too much to be encumbered by jewellery and the birthday parties they attended were hardly sedate affairs where they could have worn their Sunday best, by the time they could be trusted to take care they had outgrown their Christening jewellery.   The books they were given were lovely and enjoyed many times at bedtime by children and grown-ups alike, however they are now on the bookcase, maybe one day to be enjoyed by our children’s children, but for now gathering dust in anticipation! The case of fine wine to be laid down until our “baby” turned 18 was a novel and extravagent  gift given by a wealthy and well meaning Godfather, but, boy have I cursed its fragility and weight each time we have moved house ‘en famille’, and there is always the worry that the case will be found during a teenager’s party and quaffed without due respect for it’s vintage!  

So, I promised to tell you what I consider to be the best gift my children were given, and no this is not an article in which I’m going to philosophise about spiritual gifts. They were certainly endowed with those on their Christening day and they are gifts that they will hopefully enjoy throughout their lives. The love and presense of family and friends meant so much to us, as the saying goes, “your presense is present enough”. However our favorite material gift was their china mug, plate and dish sets. Between the two children and their respective special days we received Winnie the Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Bunnykins and various designer sets featuring planes, trains, hearts and flowers. At the time they were too heavy and fragile for their podgy, clumsy little hands so the crockery just sat on the shelf for a couple of years, pretty but not practical. But then they began to come into use, firstly on special occasions like when the adults were having afternoon tea and the children wanted to feel special and grown up too, then they were brought out for tea parties for teddies and pretend tea was poured for the furry honoured guests. Now a couple of times a week they are used to welcome home a surly, grumpy child from a long, hard day studying at school, the sight of hot chocolate in a Peter Rabbit mug and a cookie on a Winnie the Pooh plate never fails to put a smile on their face and the warmth it creates in our kitchen makes up for all the teenage strops (and toddler tantrums)!  

Now the intention of this article isn’t to send the sales of china tea sets through the roof, I have no hidden agenda there, I’m far removed from toddler gifts ( I specialize in gifts for people to send to their Mums and Grandmas). It was purely to give you an idea of a gift that won’t just be admired and used on a child’s baptism day. For lovely gift ideas for Mums and Grandmas why not visit www.net2nana.com.

Gongfu Tea is not a name for tea or a certain tea category, but a method of tea making. It is so called because the way of tea brewing is very particular and somewhat painstaking. The Gongfu here means the knowledge of tea making and tasting.
As a local produce in Chaozhou and Shantou areas, Gongfu tea is listed top of the Eighteen Peculiarities of Chaozhou and Shantou Area. The treat sounds of please or have your tea are famous here, making it a folk custom to drink Gongfu tea everywhere in the region. The tea is famous for its rich taste. When you first taste it, it might seem a little bitter, while later you may feel other teas lack of flavor. Oolong tea is adopted for steeping Gongfu tea, such as Tie Guan Yin, narcissus and phoenix tea, which is semi-fermented tea intervenient between brown and green tea. Only this type of tea can offer the color, fragrance and flavor required by Gongfu tea.

Raw Material of Kungfu Tea:

Anxi Tikuanyin

Tikuanyin” is a famous species of tea trees, with the leaves being common raw material for Oolong. As a place of origin of Tikuanyin, Anxi region in China is also the main production region of Tikuanyin. The leaves are low-yield owning to delicate nature of this species, yet are of extremely excellent quality.

Anxi Tikuanyin is a kind of semifermented tea, the fabrication of which is featured by both fermentation of black tea and non-fermentation of green tea. The processing technique is highly exquisite, comprising over ten working procedures. The finished tea is featured by sturdiness and heaviness, with red spots scattering on the green leaves and hoarfrosts attaching to the surface. It is, after being brewed in hot water, characterized by intense fragrance, golden liquor, sweet aftertaste, and faint scent of orchid, peanut kernel or coconut. Tikuanyin is brewing-tolerant and can retain faint aroma after being brewed for seven times.

Being a natural and tasty drink, Tikuanyin is endowed with comparatively high healthcare value. Other than having healthcare functions similar to those of general species of tea, it provides efficacies of antiaging, anticancer, anti-arteriosclerosis, diabetes prevention and cure, weight loss, body building, decayed tooth prevention and cure, clearing heat, purging evil fire, reliefing smoking-induced detriment and removing or dispelling the effects of alcohol, etc.

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Wuyi rock-essence tea

Wuyi rock-essence tea, a famous kind of oolong in China, grows in the Wuyi Mountain of Fujian Province. The tea gets its name for that the tea plants grow on the rocks of the Wuyi Mountain. Since the Tang Dynasty, tea leaves of Wuyi Mountain became a precious kind of tea offered to the upper class; and an imperial tea garden was set in the Wuyi Mountain to specially gather and produce tea for the imperial family. Since the Ming Dynasty, people began to develop oolong, to which Wuyi rock-essence tea belongs.

There are many kinds of Wuyi rock-essence tea, with famous teas of several dozens. Among these kinds, the “famous plants (Mingcong)” called “the king of rock-essence tea” is the most famous and rarest. The “four most famous plants” refer to bright red gown (Da-hong-pao), ferric arhat (Tie-luo-han), white cock (Bei-gong-ji) and watery goldfish (Shui-jin-yu). The bright red gown tea, the best kind among oolong and which grows on the crag of the Tianxin Rock, is clear and smells sweet after being brewed in boiled water. Besides the mellow, faint scent, the ferric arhat tea, the earliest tea in the Wuyi Mountain, has the function of fever cure. There is some other famous tea like Wuyi cinnamon.

Tea leaves from the heartland of Wuyi Mountain, called “Zhengyan Tea”, are the most excellent among all kinds of Wuyi rock-essence tea. As these tea leaves are brewed in the water, they smell sweet and mellow for a long time and taste without bitter or acerbity. This unique sweet smell is called “Yanyun (Lasting Appeal of Rock)”.

phoenix tea

The phoenix tea comes from the Mount Phoenix region in Chaozhou. The tea water assumes brownish color, with tealeaves thick and compact in strips. It generally offers around 20 times of infusion with great taste. Among it, the phoenix single-cluster tea is the most famous with multiple flavors of sweet-scented osmanthus, jasmine and honey for you to choose from, which once topped the national famous tea contest held in Fuzhou. Tea Brewing

Water

It is a critical factor in brewing of Gongfu tea, among which dew is the best, then comes the fountain water, rain water, well water and lastly, tap water.

Teapot

The earthen pot or Zisha pot (sand-fired pot) is the best. The pots for making Gongfu tea are made in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, which is the smallest type among all Zisha pots made in Yixing.

Brewing of Tea

1. The cups need to be warmed and flushed repeatedly in order to warm it and bring out the theine.
2. When brewing tea, boiled water shall be poured in along the inner teapot mouth. The process shall be done in the way of handwriting at temperate speed without any letup. The water jug and the teapot shall be kept from a certain distance so that the means of high infusion is realized. It is said that in this way, the power of heat will reach directly to the bottom of teapot and upturn the tea foams, realizing an artistic visual effect and more fragrant taste.
3. The tea shall be poured in turn into each cup, repeating for twice or three circles to fill the cups. It is called General Guan Patrolling the City, which can make each cup of tea in uniform color.

Tea Tasting

Traditionally only three cups are provided for tasting the Gongfu tea in Chaozhou and Shantou area, no matter how many guests there are. The first cup of tea must be treated to the first guest sitting on the left hand of the host, regardless of identity, age or gender. The cup should be rinsed with hot tea water after a guest is treated and saved for the next guest. It is said that this custom is peoples way to extend the fine moral characters of solidarity, friendship and generosity.

www.china-luxury.com

Vacuum packed cans of ground coffee available on supermarket coffee shelves are the quick fix to a thinning stock of coffee in the office break room. However, you should think twice before supplementing your coffee stock with supermarket coffee.

While supermarket coffee makes up the largest percentage of coffee purchased today, it is surely not because of taste, brewing quality or freshness. It is due to the convenience of purchasing it just around the corner from your office and the product’s low price. But what if gourmet coffee could be purchased conveniently, at a low price and be guaranteed fresh? You would certainly have a lot of happy employees and office guests. Ordering gourmet coffee through a cheaper coffee distributor would save you time, money and always keep your break room stocked with the best coffee available!

So what’s the big difference between gourmet coffee and supermarket coffee anyway?

Gourmet Coffee

Gourmet coffee is often bought in whole beans that can be ground to the desired consistency but, thanks to coffee distributors, is now also available in pre-measure, pre-ground packages.

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Gourmet coffee comes in a wide variety of blends and flavors. It is often made from Arabica beans that are grown in small quantities on bushes at higher altitudes with cooler temperatures. These beans are handpicked resulting in a higher price than their supermarket counterparts. However, the price difference should not deter you from purchasing this type of coffee for your office.

Gourmet coffee has a substantially better taste than supermarket coffee; the beans and grounds are fresher, more flavorful and higher quality. The best manufacturers slow roast their gourmet beans to properly bring out each blend’s unique flavors. Beans that have been roasted too fast during mass production can easily become burnt and bitter. Even a non-coffee drinker can tell the difference in quality and roast just from the aroma!

Supermarket Coffee

Supermarket coffee often comes from Robusta beans that are grown in high quantities on coffee trees at low altitudes. These beans are harvested quickly and dried in a less delicate manner that their gourmet counterparts. The focus here is on efficient and mass production resulting in the flavor regularities of supermarket coffee.

Many people believe they can prepare supermarket coffee with more or less water and produce a richer taste. The important thing to remember here is that you cannot change the actual flavor of the grounds with water. You must start with a rich tasting bean to obtain a rich, flavorful pot of coffee.

Buying gourmet coffee from a cheaper coffee distributor is so easy! Simply create an account with the coffee distributor online or over the phone, place your order and have the coffee delivered right to your location in pre-measured packages at wholesale prices. The next time you place your order with the coffee distributor they will remember your account and can help you place that exact order or edit your current order according to your preferences. No more shopping lists, calculating just how much your office will need to get by, buying expensive beans from corner coffee shops or last minute trips to the grocery store to pick up supermarket coffee! Keep your break room stocked with delicious gourmet coffee with the help of the experts at a cheaper coffee distributor.

Are you one of those people who ‘think’ that ice cube trays are just for making ice? What I have learned over the years is…those plastic trays are much more valuable if you use them for other things.

Here are some ideas that I would like to share with you.

1. Fudge – Mix up your favorite fudge recipe. While it’s still hot (but not boiling), pour mixture into ice cube trays. Refrigerate until firm. If you find sticking a problem, run a butter knife under hot tap water, then around each fudge square to loosen them.

2. Fruit Flavored Ice Cubes – Pour your favorite fruit flavored drink into the tray. Freeze until firm. Use the flavored cubes in your favorite beverages. Example: I freeze lemonade in ice cube trays and then use in our ice tea.

3. Popsicles – Purchase popsicle sticks and cut them in half. Pour your favorite fruit juice into the ice cube trays. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and insert sticks; place back into the freezer until firm.

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4. Chocolate Lollipops – Purchase some chocolate squares. Follow package directions for melting the squares in the microwave. Pour into trays. Insert lollipop sticks when chocolate is semi-firm. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes until firm.

5. Gelatin Jigglers – Make your favorite gelatin (jello) jigglers recipe. Pour gelatin into trays and refrigerate until firm. To loosen squares from tray, run a butter knife under hot tap water.

6. Freezer Pudding Pops – Make your favorite box of instant pudding. Pour into trays, refrigerate for 30-45 minutes until semi-firm. Remove from refrigerator and insert popsicle or lollipop sticks. Place in freezer for 2 hours until firm.

7. Broth Cubes – Freeze your left-over chicken or beef broth in your ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out and place into zipper closure bags. Label the bags and freeze. When you need broth for your recipes, easily remove the amount of broth cubes that you need.

8. Gravy Blocks – Freeze left-over gravy. Once firm, remove from the trays and place in a zipper closure bag. When you need gravy for your recipes, thaw just what you need.

9. Cereal Snacks – Make your favorite snack bar recipe that uses cereal. Lightly coat the trays with non-stick cooking spray. Press the cereal mixture into the cavities. Once firm, remove the cubes from the tray for the perfect little snacking blocks.

10. Iced Coffee Cubes – Do you like drinking iced coffees but hate the watery taste when you use conventional ice? Freeze some left-over coffee in your trays. When you are ready for an iced coffee, pop out 2-3 cubes.