BEHIND THE CRAFT
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Tea Craft: Where is Tea grown?

Most tea producing countries are found in a tropical belt around the equator, the finest teas are found at altitudes between 4000 and 6000 ft [‘high grown’], where mist and cloud protect the plants and allows a slower development and consequently, more flavour.

Whilst the majority of tea comes from countries like China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya and Japan, there are some new surprising origins. Tea is now successfully grown in New Zealand and Scotland for example. Indeed, a tea bush can be grown very successfully in your home with a little TLC.

Find out more about how tea is grown.

FGTE13316

Knotted White Tea Pouch 50g

Net Weight: 50g

Delicately hand knotted and oven-dryed, our knotted white tea is every bit as refined as it is rare. When infused, the delicate knots of this silver stemmed tea unfold to produce a sweet and subtle infusion.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Tea

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£139.00
An unusual and rare tea experience, made exclusively for The East India Company in the central high ground of Sri Lanka.

It's made from the stem of the tea plant and not the leaf. The stem (or internode) just below the new bud of the tea plant is used, the variety of which has a long stem, which is particularly important for this tea.

The stems are knotted! Individually and meticulously knotted by hand. Then oven-dryed at a mild temperature in order to retain the knot shape and to preserve its purity as a white tea - the oven-drying creates a darker 'white' tea than normal.
The dry tea is full of intricately tied, light brown stems.

As the stem infuses, the knots gradually unfold and produce an amber liquor.

A delightful sweet and subtle flavour.
Quantity

2 GRAMS OF TEA LEAVES PER CUP

Temperature

200ML OF WATER AT 90-95ºC

Brewing Time

4 MINS BREWING TIME

Ingredients

White Tea

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place avoiding direct sunlight and strong odours.

Stories

White Whiskers, White Tea

It doesn’t get much more simple that processing white tea.

White tea is named after the tiny white or silver hairs that cover the new bud on a tea plant - it is the bud which will soon unfurl to become the next young leaf.

On our White Tea product pages, if you zoom in on the tea picture, you will easily see these little whiskers. When looked at collectively, it creates a silver white sheen to the bud, hence the name.

So it is just the unopened buds or occasionally the bud and one or two of the very youngest leaves too that are picked and brought back to tea factory.
Very carefully handled to retain the integrity of the bud, they are simple dried in the sun or a drying room.

White teas are not fired like other teas, so they tend to retain a higher moisture content [therefore have a shorter shelf life]. There doesn’t seem to be a hard and fast rule about antioxidant or caffeine levels v green or black teas – whilst the white bud itself often carries a little more of both, the resulting brew tends to use cooler water for a shorter time than black, so the cup can often contain less.

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    Does white tea include caffeine and is there more or less than green or black tea and coffee?
    Yes it does, and it varies. All tea leaves, just like coffee, contain caffeine. Tea usually has a lower level of caffeine than coffee, which averages around 95mg for a normal cup of coffee. But it is impossible to give a precise answer, because there are so many variables at play - the length of brew time, the amount of tea used, the age of the leaf, the provenance of the leaf. Even the temperature of the water. Our best advice is to treat all tea and coffee similarly if you need to manage your caffeine intake.

    I’ve heard that tea contains theanine. What is it and what does it do?
    Tea does indeed contain theanine, which is an amino acid [the building blocks of proteins]. Tea is one of only a few sources of theanine. It represents about 1% of dry weight and is at its highest concentrate in shade-grown teas like matcha and gyokuro. Whilst not yet proven in scientific studies that would permit specific health claims to be made, it is believed by many to be able to reduce mental and physical stress, promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. But not only that, it is more recently being thought to aid cognitive function. It’s one explanation for tea’s famous ability to create calm in a crisis [the Great British solution to all problems – ‘putting the kettle on’] and to stimulate when a little boost is required.

  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £3.95
    UK Next Day Delivery (mainland UK only): £9.95 (Order before 12pm)
    International Delivery is available, please see our delivery page for details. For more information and Terms & Conditions, please see our Delivery page.

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