A description of some classic blended teas and how they are made

The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea

Blended Teas - The Painstaking Process
Of Creating Classic Blends

Just like wine harvests, tea harvests also vary from year to year. Changes in weather, soil,
even slight differences in manufacturing means that like wine, no two teas are ever identical
from one harvest to another.

Even though it's fun to try new teas each year,
there are times when you just want to reach for a
particular tea and know exactly what it will taste
like. You want to know that the Earl Grey or
English Breakfast blended tea is the same strength
and flavor as the last package you bought.

But it is no easy matter to produce a blend of teas
that is always uniform from one batch to another.
Tea blenders can taste hundreds of different teas,
all from different seasons, estates, and regions,
sometimes combining up to 35 various teas to find
just the right mix for a particular recipe.

Tea tasters work under a strict set of rules when
setting up the samples to be evaluated for the
various tea blends. Dry leaf teas are placed in

their containers in a row on a tasting bench, where a carefully measured amount of tea (5.2-
5.6 g/0.18-0.2 oz) is placed in a special lidded brewing mug. Boiling water is added if brewing
black tea and slightly cooler water added for green teas, and a timer is set for five to six minutes,
or less for some types of green tea.

When the teas have finished steeping, the mugs are tipped over onto a tasting bowl where the
serration in the lip allows the tea to empty into the bowl. The tea taster then quickly slurps a
spoonful of tea into his mouth, rolling it around to get the full
flavor, before spitting it into a mobile spittoon which runs along
the bench.

The tea taster not only samples the flavor of the teas, but also
observes the appearance of the dry and wet tea leaves, as well
as the aroma of the wet leaf and tea liquor.

Once he decides on the right recipe for each blend, the chosen teas
are placed in a large funnel shaped hopper where they are mixed together to form the finished
blend. The completed tea blend is then packed in the usual manner and shipped to the tea
seller.

Classic Tea Blends

Different countries have developed their own unique taste preferences and traditions for the
kind of tea they like and drink the world over, starting with the British.

The British lean toward strong and robust teas to get them going in the morning. And so,
English Breakfast teas are traditionally made up of a blend of strong, black teas. In Britain,
English Breakfast blend is usually made of Assam tea for its smoothness, Kenya tea for its
strength, and Sri Lanka tea for its briskness.

American blends of English Breakfast usually begin with a base of China Keemun black tea, and
then build the tea blend based on the preferences of each individual blender.

Irish Breakfast is similar to English Breakfast blended tea-strong and robust, with a larger
portion of Kenya tea and usually black Indonesia teas.

Indian Breakfast is usually a combination of one of three tea blends: Darjeeling and Assam black
tea, Assam and Nilgiri, or a mix of all three teas. Indian Breakfast is lighter than either English or
Irish Breakfast blended teas.

Earl Grey is probably the best known blended tea of all. This universal tea
blend is known the world over, its traditional flavor made of China black teas
and essential oil of bergamot, a citrus-like fruit similar to an orange.

Today Earl Grey blended teas are also made with a base of green or oolong
tea, and is available decaffeinated as well as the standard black caffeinated
Earl Grey tea blend.

Russian consumers grew to love the strong black smoky teas and they have
been in demand worldwide ever since. Today, in order to closely replicate
the smoky flavor, a small amount of Lapsang Souchong is usually added to the blend. Enjoy.

If you would like to try some of the classic tea blends described above, I recommend a visit to
Silver Leaf Tea Co.. They offer quality teas at a great price, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Here is just a sampling of blended teas on offer from them:

For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages:

So who is Earl Grey, anyway?
Earl Grey is probably the most recognizable of blended teas, but there are many other tasty blends that
make the perfect beginning or finish to your day.

Flavored Teas - Everyone has a favorite - what's yours?
Satisfy your favorite cravings with a healthy, low calorie cup of tea. Whether it's berries, citrus, or even
chocolate or caramel your favorite flavor of tea is just waiting for you.

Scented teas are a fragrant and refreshing treat for the taste buds.
Having been perfected by the Chinese many centuries ago, these delicate, refreshing, and relaxing teas
are not only tasty, but sport many health benefits as well.

Is each type of tea brewed differently? How long should tea be steeped?
Brew a perfect cup of tea by paying attention of the details. Learn the proper water temperature for
each type of tea, along with steeping times and which teas can be infused more than once. Also learn
how to visually gauge water temps using an age old Chinese method.

How do I calculate how much loose tea to use for brewing either one cup or a pot of tea?
Learn how to measure the proper amount of tea to perfectly brew either a single cup or entire pot of
tea. Also learn how to calculate the number of cups and cost per pound of loose tea.

Are you always on the go? Take your tea with you!
Tea tools, like travel, electric, and insulated mugs keep your tea hot while on the go. Learn about other
convenient tea tools and accessories that will help you take your tea on the go and enjoy it anywhere.

Specialty and gourmet teas-a treat for the taste buds.
If you want to give your taste buds a unique treat, try one of the many specialty
or gourmet teas available. With a range of flavors from smoky to sweet and
everything in-between, you'll never be bored by your beverage.

Learn the story behind the creation of this smoke-infused black tea.
Learn how a frightened village under siege, deep in the Wuyi Shan Mountains of China, accidentally
created a new tea that's now enjoyed by millions worldwide.

Lapsang Souchong tea-a closely guarded secret for centuries.
Learn why for over 300 years the Chinese government kept the production methods and location in
China's northern Fujian Province, deep in the Wuyi Shan Mountain forests, a closely guarded secret.

For a great selection of quality teas, gifts, and
accessories, visit:
The Tea Detective's Gift of Tea Store

Receive A Guide To Tea, an 88-page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free with your first Adagio Teas order of $19 or more.

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An easy-to-use ingenuiTEA teapot, whose ingenious design has been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine and HGTV.

Gifts for lovers of tea with free wrapping of all items.