Tea-Totaller

A 5-minute intro to a 5, 000 year-old cultural and culinary icon

Baby, it's cold outside… and what better way to warm up than with a cup of tea? Don't laugh. Tea has been one of the most reliable wintertime tonics in the history of mankind. Students spend uncounted dollars on various tricks to perk up the mind and body, but they overlook the obvious and inexpensive. Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes that quality teas induce peace of mind, filter the bloodstream of foreign toxins, stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain through olfactory triggers and assist digestion. These are advantages that are too useful to pass up. And I'm not talking about sordid American teabags - Lipton can go take a flying leap. Avoid them like the Black Plague. I'm talking about the real thing - imported Asian broad-leaf loose teas. For thousands of years, tea has been known as an invigorating and reflective drink that fosters contemplation and resolve. As it is said, "One billion Chinamen can't all be wrong."

First things first, there is only one tea - the tea bush. Decoctions (beverages made by brewing vegetable matter in hot water) made with any part of any plant other than the tea tree are called infusions or tisanes. Most manufacturers of American "herbal teas" are either unaware of this, don't care, or are pandering to the common misconception because that is the brand name most people will recognize and therefore will buy. Although scented teas, that is drinks made from tea leaves that have been dried together with something else are often called by the name of their flavoring agent (i.e. rose tea, chrysanthemum tea, violet tea, etc.), there is a full complement of proper teas from which to choose.

True tea is made only from the three topmost leaves of the bush in its first two years of life and can only be picked by hand. It is widely believed to have originated in China, and only much later brought to India and Africa in the colonial period by the British. Somewhere on the order of 90% of all tea drunk in China is green tea. There, it is nearly always drunk "dry" (unsweetened). Green tea leaves have not been exposed to the process called "sweating," that eventually causes them to turn black. Much like green and black olives, green and black teas are actually the same plant having received two different treatments. Whereas black olives are ripe and green ones immature (the latter are treated with lye to preserve color and texture), green and black teas are picked at the same time, with the black being the result of having been subjected to a process of oxidation that greatly increases the caffeine content.

Like olives, there is a red variety. In olives, it comes from allowing the fruits to rot until they turn a purple-brown. In tea, it is a halfway stage between green and black - a partial oxidation - and results in a yellow-brown leaf. It produces a "liquor" (color of the brew) that is russet, hence the name. It is more commonly known by its Chinese name, Oolong. The best examples of this kind come from Taiwan and are called Formosa teas, after the island's former name. It is the only variety of tea which they make better than their mainland counterparts.

There is a rare, fourth variety of tea - the white tea, called "The Emperor's Tea." I have never tasted it. It is so expensive and hard-to-get that I have yet to add it to my pantry. What I tell you about it comes from photo essays and written descriptions. It is made only from the topmost leaf of only the healthiest of species. The dry leaves are a pale ashen green in color with a cast of silvery grey on their surface. They are relatively weak and require a good handful to make a potent pot, further contributing to their high price. They are virtually without caffeine. This is truly a connoisseur's tea.

For the average student of Yeshiva University, I recommend Sunflower brand Jasmine tea as a good starter. The jasmine flower is considered a princely blossom. Its delicate perfume is as exotic as it is exquisite, and compliments the tea splendidly. (The world of pop psychology is all abuzz nowadays about the benefits of aromatherapy, while the Chinese were onto this trick millennia ago. Likewise, it is no accident that the Israeli halutzim planted fragrant plants all over their altneustadt. In a stressful environment, people need something to soothe their souls while they go about their daily business. Even the gruffest Sabra is placated without knowing it by having these sweet scents wafting up his hirsute nostrils as he walks the streets to his local makolet.) Another advantage of this tea is that it is brewed at relatively low temperatures - about the same as the tap water when you let the hot faucet run for a minute. Be warned though, that the water from your tap has a flavor all its own, and it ain't jasmine. Cold tap water is generally cleaner-tasting and can be heated up in your microwave oven.

Another popular additive to tea is whole, sliced ginseng. For those of you who have been paying through the nose for fancied-up ginseng-based products - chuck 'em in the trash! This is the real deal - chuck it in the teapot! The dried rhizome variety is as hard as stone and is sliced into small coins right there in front of you when you buy it (for a fraction of the cost of pharmaceuticals containing ginseng). This is done in a keli meyuchad (the slicing machine is usable for this purpose alone) so ask your posek if this acceptable for you. Throw it in at the start of brewing and when you've nearly finished the pot, eat them, and wash them down with the last few sips. They add a sweetish, woody note to the brew that's hard to describe.

Other embellished teas are "osmanthus," an expensive item that has a verdant taste mindful of shrubberies to it; the famous "Earl Grey," an unexceptional blend of black teas sprinkled with oil of bergamot - the pericarp of a citrus fruit closely related to the Seville orange; the Japanese "Genmai Cha," is green tea leaves blended with roasted brown rice and pearl barleys, resulting in that toasty flavor so common to Japanese cuisine. "Lapsang Souchong," or smoked tea, is a good medium in which to soak and rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms before stir-frying them with soy and fish sauces. It is said that the old British Bulldog himself, Sir Winston Churchill was fond of this kind of tea with a shot of single-malt whiskey, a wink and a cigar.

(The only convenience store, ready-made iced tea I care for is Arizona's new 20 oz. glass bottle of "diet" green tea with ginseng, honey, plum juice and an OU certification. The plum juice makes all the difference.)

Favorite last-minute household additions for sugared, plain, black teas include "Mey Zohar" (distillate of bitter orange blossoms); "na'ana" - an Israeli variety of peppermint; and Chinese "Anistar" - a lovely brown eight-pointed desiccated fruit that imparts a strong and heady aroma of licorice. But the grand-daddy of them all is a sweet dessert drink of Anglo-Indian origin called "masala chai." It is made with a type called CTC leaf (Crush Tear Curl) tea, which is basically just ground black tea. I use the Ceylon variety. As promised in a previous installment, here is the recipe:

Place a healthy amount of the following twelve or fourteen dried, whole spices into a muslin sachet (small cheesecloth bag) and tie with kitchen twine or fishing line. Go heavy on the cardamom:

1. black peppercorns

2. ginger

3. cardamom

4. cloves

5. cinnamon

6. bay laurel

7. aniseed

8. saffron

9. mastic

10. allspice

11. rosepetals

12. mace

and optionally:

13. orange peel

14. vanilla speck

Place the sachet in cool water and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for five minutes. Pour hot liquid into a waiting teapot, readied with tea already in a second sachet. Cover and let brew.

In a pitcher combine the following ingredients:

1. dark brown sugar

2. heavy cream

3. salt (a half-pinch)When tea is brewed, pour some into teacups along with the cream mixture and blend.

Until our next meal together, B'teavon!