Art of Tea blends Archives

It’s summer, and the dulcet tones of the ice cream truck beckon us from porches with the lure of cool, creamy treats. Fresh picnic pies cool on countertops, and the refrigerator clinks with pitchers of lemonade on hot evenings. Yes, it’s the glorious, sugar-filled season when your sweet tooth shouts, “Give me more!” but your body and brain call a timeout.

When you want to set some limits — or simply enjoy a calorie-free treat — Art of Tea can dazzle your taste buds without adding sugar. Our menu of dessert-inspired teas satisfies your sweet tooth with a festival of flavor right in your mug.

Chocolate and Vanilla Teas

Ice cream sundaes, frozen mochas and the rest of their decadent friends meet their matches in our indulgent dessert-inspired tea selections featuring delicious depth and smoothness. Few desserts can rival creamy Vanilla Berry Truffle, a caffeine-free and balanced of blend of tart and sweet flavors to please the palate. Dreamy chocolate with mint and vanilla notes, Velvet is a celebration of organic rooibos at its best.

Fruit and Berry Teas

Who needs pies, cobblers or smoothies to get that perfect fruity fix? We’ve got three teas that balance sensational sweetness and subtle flavors with vibrant fruit and berry zings. Snap up Blueberry Pomegranate for an all-occasion crowd-pleaser only available during the summer. Popular and caffeine-free, Caramelized Pear combines honey with a fresh-baked sweetness that pampers. And there’s no better season than summer to get Happy, a bright pop of raspberries, hibiscus and jasmine to let your spirits soar.

Tropical Teas

If you’re craving a piña colada or a slice of coconut cream pie, we’ve got two tropical temptations sure to transport you like a sweet island breeze. Grab your sandals and brew Maui for luscious papaya, mango and pineapple flavors in a green tea that invigorates you like a day at the beach. A darling among dessert teas, White Coconut Crème is a tantalizing award-winner perfect for sipping by the seaside or relaxing in the backyard.

Iced Teas

We’re sorry, Southern sweet teas, but we simply don’t need your sugary, syrupy ways. Our naturally sweet iced tea varieties only need a tall glass and a few glistening ice cubes to delight the senses. Hibiscus Cooler features stevia leaves for a natural sweetness that balances lemongrass and guayusa with lively floral notes. Award-winning Passionfruit Jasmine marries fruit and floral essences with green and black teas for a refreshing treat. And the season’s in the name with Summer Peach, a rich organic black tea with the bright sweetness of sun-ripened fruit.

Bid the sugar bowl farewell and choose tea for summer sweetness all year long!

Two weeks ago on the Art of Tea blog, we shared some of the key components that set Japanese green teas apart from each other. This week, we’re continuing the story of what makes Japanese green teas unique with more information on Japanese green tea processing styles and Japanese green tea blending.

Processing Styles

Most Japanese green teas are steamed. However, some (like Houjicha, our roasted-style Kukicha Twig Tea and Kamairicha) are roasted or pan-fired in a manner akin to Chinese green tea processing.

Within the category of steamed green teas, the amount of time the leaves are steamed also influenced the tea’s final flavor, aroma and appearance. For example, Fukamishi (deep-steamed) Sencha like our Zuisha Sencha has a bold green color with a mild aroma and a straightforward flavor, while Asamushi (light-steamed) Sencha has a light golden-green brew, nuanced aroma and complex flavor.

Some teas are steamed so heavily that the leaves begin to fall apart. In some cases, the veins and stems of the leaves are removed and the remainder of the leaf is slowly ground into a fine powder known as Matcha. Some Matcha teas (like our Ceremonial Matcha andMatcha Grade A) are whisked into a frothy, emerald-green brew before consumption. Others (like our Ginger Matcha) can be whisked or they can be blended into hot or iced tea lattes and smoothies.

Unusual variations on Matcha include Tencha (leaves that are steamed to make Matcha, but left un-ground), Kenacha (a lower-grade powdered tea made from un-shaded leaves) and Kokeicha (a powdered green tea that is kneaded with rice starch, extruded, cut into leaf-sized pieces and dried).

Blending

In Japan, some green tea (usually Bancha) is blended with toasted and puffed brown rice to make a nutty, low-caffeine tea called Gen Mai Cha (“brown rice tea”). If Gen Mai Cha is dusted with Matcha, it’s known as “Matcha-iri Genmaicha” or Gen Mai Matcha.

Dragon Crisp - Gen Mai Cha

Here at Art of Tea, we employ artisan-blending techniques on some of our Japanese green teas. Using the naturally fresh, vegetal flavor of steamed Japanese green tea as a base, we draw upon all our senses to create blends like Tropical Green Tea Pineapple, Mango Melange, Japanese Cherry, Holiday Berry Green Tea and Ginger Matcha. We also combine the roasted, deep flavor of Houjicha with cold-pressed vanilla essence and white chocolate to make our decadent, latte-like Houjicha de la Crème. These are certainly not traditional blends, but they have been instrumental in helping an international audience come to love the flavor of Japanese green tea.

Japanese Cherry

10 Teas to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Chocolate and Vanilla Teas

Fruit and Berry Teas

Tropical Teas

Iced Teas

Japanese Green Tea 101 – Part II