Coffee and Tea Please!

Coffee and Tea

Tea tasting

I had the opportunity to taste a variety of different teas from all around the world. Professor Sinniah informed us that teas are usually best when brewed for 3-5 minutes. When teas are steeped for less than 3 minutes they are bland. However, when teas are steeped for more than 5 minutes they are far too bitter and extract other chemicals. For the teas I tasted we steeped them in hot water for 3 minutes each. Below, I have listed four teas that I had the opportunity to taste and research slightly.

1. Genmaicha: Japanese Green Tea
 
a. Before the tea was prepared it was green and leafy in appearance. It smelled very fresh and reminded me of newly cut grass. When I tasted the tea it tasted very fresh as well. It reminded me of a very herbal tea and tasted like greenery. I felt like I was tasting a very natural, plant-like tea.

b. Background on this tea:

i. Site used: yayateahouse.com

ii. This tea has its origins in 15th century Japan. It is often known as “popcorn tea” because the little kernels of rice often puff up like popcorn when steeped in hot water. One explanation as to the origins of this tea is a legend. The legend of this tea began with a servant of a feared samurai. His name was Genmai and he was assigned to pour green tea for his master, however a few kernels of the rice fell out into the samurai’s cup. Outraged, the samurai cut off the head of his servant. However, he soon discovered that the tea was delectable with the rice in it and instantly felt terrible about his mistake. He then ordered that the tea be served each morning in his honor. He named the tea after his servant: Genmai-cha, which means tea of Genmai. Another explanation of the tea’s origin is that clever housewives stretched this tea by adding toasted rice to the tea. This was in order to cut cost, as tea was a luxury item. However, neither of these stories has been proven completely true and may have simply made up throughout the generations. However, people believe that the second story seems to be the closest to the correct origin of the tea.

2. Rooibos: South African Red Bush Tea

a. This tea smelled extremely earthy. It had a very weak taste and almost seemed more like simply hot water. It was just slightly flavored and did not really have a fresh taste to it. The taste can best be compared to an earthy taste.

b. Background on this tea:

i. Site used: wikipedia.org

ii. This tea has been popular in South Africa for generations and is now used in many other countries as well. Its production is similar to that of green tea but its leaves are oxidized which gives it the reddish-brown color. It is often served with a slice of lemon with sugar or honey. This tea is becoming more popular in western countries because of its possible assistance with nervous tension, digestive problems, and allergies. This tea was first discovered by Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries. Dutch settlers began to use it as an alternative to black tea because of its inexpensive nature. It became popular because of its apparent curative purposes. In the 1930’s, doctors in the U.S. experimented with the plant and gave the tea more of a foothold in the West. Today this tea is carried by many brand-name tea companies and is increasing in popularity.

3. White Peony: Indian White Tea

a. This tea was also very leafy looking when in the bag. It smelled like fresh herbs and reminded me of the smell of horses. When I tasted this tea I really liked it. It was my favorite tea I tasted during this day. It tasted a lot like the green tea but not as herbal. It did not remind me of grass as much as the green tea had. It was a much stronger tea than the Rooibos. It seemed sweeter than the other teas I tasted.

b. Background on this tea:

i. Site Used: adagio.com

ii. This tea is from the Fujian province of China. This is a delicate tea and its drinkers believe that it may have cancer fighting potential. This tea’s history dates back to the 18th century and the Qing Dynasty. White teas in general are different from green teas in that there is not any steaming or pan-firing involved. This is why white tea has thin, small leaves. However, in 1885 was when specific varieties of tea bushes were picked out in order to make white teas. Thus the production of this specific type of tea did not begin until about 1922.

4. Lapsang Souchoug: Smokey Black Tea

a. When I first smelled this tea I was overpowered with a smoke smell. When I smelled it after steeping it smelled like a campfire! It also tasted rather smoky. I really felt like I could only taste the smoke. It was not as strong as I expected it to be. I felt as if I was drinking a cup of hot water at a campfire.

b. Background on this tea:

i. Site Used: adagio.com

ii. This is a black tea also from the Fujian province of China. It is also known as Russian Caravan tea and is famous for this smoky aroma. It is created by drying tea leaves in baskets made of bamboo. These baskets are then placed over pine fires in order to balance the smoke and flavoring of the tea. The name of Russian Caravan comes from the long journey that this tea would take from China to the markets in Moscow. This journey would sometimes take as much as a year. This meant that the tea would also take up the smell of the many campfires it passed on its journey. This is how this particular tea began to get associated with Russia and other monarchs of the Slavic lands.

Coffee Tasting

During this part of the class period I had the opportunity to observe coffee roasting and brewing. I was never aware that coffee beans began as green seed-like beans. I was amazed to see how simply putting beans in a pot created the various types of roasts that we see in coffee shops today. I was able to observe some various types of beans and taste a medium and dark roast type of Ethiopian bean. It was fun to see the process from start to finish! I will definitely think differently about where my coffee comes from and am excited to try some new kinds. I was blown away by the taste of the espresso. It was extremely strong, even for an avid coffee fan like me! It had a significantly rich taste and I decided it would have been nearly impossible for me to drink the entire shot of espresso. I will now explain in a little more detail two of the coffee beans that I encountered during this day.

1. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

a. I got to taste a medium and dark roast of this bean. The medium roast tasted very light and was not very bitter. However, I did not really like the taste of this coffee, as I really prefer a darker roast. I really liked the dark roast of this coffee. It was more bitter than the medium roast, but had a richer taste. It did have quite an after taste, but tasted very natural and strong.

b. Background on this bean:

i. Site used: greenmountaincoffee.com
ii. worldtradercoffee.com

iii. This coffee bean comes from the Oromio cooperative in Ethiopia. This is a region in Eastern Ethiopia near the Gulf of Aden. Many Ethiopians make their livelihood around this drink and thus there is even a traditional ceremony dedicated to coffee. It is a social ceremony in which many guests are welcomed in to the home. Traditionally, they mix salt or butter with their coffee during this ceremony. This particular bean is considered the “premium coffee of the Ethiopian highlands”. This type is Ethiopia’s most famous coffee and is known for its thick and rich body and intense earthy and floral aroma. The use of coffee in this area can be traced back to the 9th century to shepherds. The shepherds claimed that their goats became wild when they ate these coffee berries. Today, the majority of this coffee is still taken from the wild trees growing in these tropical rain forests. This type of coffee also claims to be one of the most natural as chemicals and fertilizers are not widely used.

2. Indian Monsooned Malabar

a. I did not have the opportunity to taste this bean, but our guest shared some information on it. This bean in its green state looked more expanded and split apart. He said this is because it is left out for many months on end in the humid climate. This causes the beans to expand. He said this dates back to when the beans would travel on ships to Europe which could have taken months at a time. Upon arrival to Europe the beans would have expanded due to the humid air. Our guest also says that he does not like the taste of this coffee as much as the Ethiopian type. He says it has more of a “musty” taste to it.

b. Background on this bean:

i. Site used: wikipedia.org

ii. This coffee gets its name from its exposure to the monsoon winds that it would experience for three to four months. This would cause the beans to swell and lose their more acidic taste. This means that the brew is more sweet and syrupy. The coffee is native to the Malabar Coast of India. The brew is said to be dry and have a chocolaty aroma that is sharper in taste. The origins of this bean date back to the British Raj. The brew would be taken by boat from India to Europe where the humid sea winds would cause the beans to ripen to a pale yellow color. Today, to produce these beans they are stored in a warehouse for 12-16 weeks in order to ripen slightly. However, this process is tightly watched and the beans are turned and raked regularly. Further sorting is later done in order to select the best and purest beans.