Tag 'Tea of The Month'

This month we explore a Newby Teas favourite, Green Sencha. 

Our tea of the month is Kan-Junga – a fresh and reviving black tea grown in one of most spectacular tea growing regions.

The spotlight is on the wonderful Pride of Africa, a rich blend of African black teas.

This month’s tea of the month is the extremely rare and exclusive from our super premium Gourmet Collection. This is an unusual green tea from the famous tea producing island, Taiwan.

When Portuguese explorers first set eyes on what we now know as Taiwan, they called it ‘Ihla Formosa’, meaning beautiful island. Taiwan has a long and complex history, and a similarly complex past with tea, but it is known today as one of the premier tea producing regions of the world.

Many empires have claimed Taiwan as their own, but it was the Dutch who are responsible for building the foundations of tea production on the island. The Dutch played a large role in trade between Europe and Asia for over two hundred years. Upon arriving at Taiwan in 1623, they quickly saw the potential as a trade hub as well as a source of valuable commodities.

The Dutch welcomed immigrants from nearby Fujian, China, one of the most historic tea producing regions of the world. With them, these immigrants brought tea and the culture of drinking tea. Tea production didn’t start in earnest until the 19^th century when China had expelled the Dutch and controlled Taiwan. The supply of migrants from Fujian provided the skilled workforce as well as the seedlings to cultivate and produce high quality tea.

Tea soon became a major export for Taiwan and the quality was recognised internationally, it was sold under the name ‘Formosa’. Taiwan is relatively small and mountainous, making it difficult to grow tea in many areas. Thanks to the difficulties of high altitude and steep terrain, the tea grown here is extremely fragrant and complex. Thanks to the high quality and deep passion for tea in Taiwan, only a very small amount is made available internationally.

Our Special Formosa sits in our Gourmet Collection, a range of some of the most exquisite teas in the world. We work with the top tea gardens in Taiwan to create this spring picked green tea. Taiwan is famed for its high quality oolongs, which make up the overwhelming majority of tea produced here - meaning this green tea is particularly rare and sought after. The silvery jade leaves are skilfully rolled in the style of 'Pi Lo Chun' or 'spring green snail' - named after the way the coiled leaves resemble a snail's shell.

The unique terroir and the craft that goes into making this tea makes our Special Formosa a wonderfully light and delicate cup, enchantingly fragrant with honey sweetness. This is the perfect tea to treat yourself and indulge your senses. Our Gourmet Collection presented in jewel toned metal caddies, making them the ideal gift for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

Our tea of the month is Assam. This classic black tea is named after the north eastern Indian state in which it is grown.

Assam is considered the largest tea growing region in the world. This state, roughly the size of Ireland, is responsible for half of India’s total tea production, as much as 700,000 kilos a year. Situated south of the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra River runs through the region and brings fertility to the soil.

The birthplace of the Camellia Sinensis Var. Assamica

Assam is the birthplace of one of the two main tea plant varieties, Camellia Sinensis Var. Assamica. The Chinese had a monopoly over the production and trade of tea until a Scotsman, Robert Bruce, discovered the plants growing naturally in northern India. The British were finally able to get their hands on the most important trade commodity of the time and the Indian tea industry soon overtook China’s.

The Assam variety has slightly different characteristics to its Chinese counterpart. It prefers lower and warmer conditions, grows larger leaves and has a more robust flavour.

How to drink Assam tea? 

Assam is a strong black tea which can stand up to flavouring, which is why we use it for our Black Tea and Cinnamon blend, for example. While we don’t recommend to add milk to any of our teas, as it masks the teas natural character, Assam is strong enough to stand up to a dash of milk if you are so inclined.

The taste of Assam Tea

A deep amber cup with a malty sweet aroma, reminiscent of biscuits. Brisk flavour with a rich and warming sweetness. This is the ultimate morning tea, or the perfect accompaniment to a sweet or savoury afternoon treat.

Assam is often an important component in a high quality English Breakfast blend, it provides the deep colour and refreshing brisk flavour, as well as the malty aroma.

Unlike many teas, where the first flush is the most desirable picking, for Assam teas, the second flush is usually considered the best harvest of the year. Early summer picking (also known as second flush) exhibits the best of the bold flavours that are what make Assam so special.

How to choose the best Assam Tea?

Look out for yellow ‘tips’ in the dry leaf, as this indicates the presence of buds, the young unopened leaves, that contain much of the nutrients and most exquisite flavours. Our premium Assam blends, such as our Rare Assam Gourmet Caddy, are almost entirely golden in appearance and are the ultimate example of what this region has to offer.