Tea Ball Infuser

A tea infuser performs the same function as a tea bag. Most tea infusers have spherical bags of tea in them when purchased. The infuser is generally a small mesh or perforated metal container or covered spoon that holds tea leaves, in varying sizes to brew single or multiple servings at once. Common shapes for infusers include spherical, conical and cylindrical. One style of infuser is a split sphere with tong-like handles to open its mesh container.

The infuser is placed in a cup or pot of hot or boiling water, allowing the tea to brew without loose tea leaves spilling into the pot or cup. A rod or chain is commonly attached to the container of the infuser to make retrieval from the pot or cup easier. Infusers with large holes may not catch all the leaves, requiring the use of a tea strainer to remove the remaining pieces.

Made of stainless steel, these 2" infusers are dishwasher safe. For best results, fill the infuser half full to allow the leaves to expand. Remove promptly when the tea has steeped to desired strength.

Purchase your tea ball infuser at Teaporia

Shop with Teaporia for all your necessi-Teas!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Tea Grades

Did you know orange pekoe tea is not a flavor but a grade? This is your common black tea in tea bags on store shelves.

The word comes from the Chinese word pek-ho which refers to the down-like white "hairs" on the leaf and also to the youngest leaf buds.

'Orange' which is often mistaken for the flavor is used as a term because of Holland's House of Orange, the royal family of the first European country to import tea and a name connected with high quality tea. This is not a definitive definition but a common accepted definition. An alternative definition is in reference to the copper color of a high-quality, oxidized leaf before drying, or the final bright orange color of the dried pekoes in the finished tea

Grading is done to indicate the size of the leaf and does not indicate its quality (which is determined primarily by taste). While it is true that in general grading - quality, the size of the leaf can play a role in determining the characteristics of the resulting tea.

Leaves of irregular sizes come into contact with water, they are going to infuse their flavor at varying rates. This means your tea is going to taste different each time you brew it. The grading system is in place to achieve some level of consistency in taste and appearance.

Here is a
Grade terminology

• Choppy - Tea that contains many leaves of various sizes.
• Fannings - Small particles of tea leaves used almost exclusively in tea bags A grade higher than Dust.
• Flowery - A large leaf, typically plucked in the second or third flush with an abundance of tips.
• Golden Flowery - Tea that includes very young tips or buds (usually golden in colour) that were picked early in the season.
• Tippy - Tea that includes an abundance of tips.

Whole leaf grades

The grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea (in ascending order) are:

• OP - Orange Pekoe - Main grade in tea production. Can consist of long wiry leaf without tips.
• OP sup - Orange Pekoe Superior - Primarily from Indonesia. Similar to OP.
• F OP - Flowery Orange Pekoe - High-quality tea with a long leaf and few tips. Considered the second grade in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh teas, but the first grade in China
• F OP1 - Flowery Orange Pekoe First Grade Leaves - As above but with only the highest quality leaves in the F.O.P classification
• GF OP1 - Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe First Grade Leaves- Higher proportion of tip than FOP Top grade in Milima and Marinyn regions; Uncommon in Assam and Darjeeling.
• TGF OP - Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Tea with the highest proportion of tip; Main grade in Darjeeling and Assam.
• TGF OP1 - Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - As above, but with only the highest quality leave in the T.G.F.O.P classification
• FTGF OP - Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Highest quality grade. Often hand processed and produced at only the best plantations. Roughly one quarter tips.

Broken leaf grades

• BT - Broken Tea - Usually a black, open, fleshy leaf that is very bulky. Classification used in Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and some parts of Southern India.
• BP - Broken Pekoe- Most common broken pekoe grade. From Indonesia, Ceylon, and Southern India.
• BPS - Broken Pekoe Souchong - Term for broken pekoe in Assam and Darjeeling.
• FP - Flowery Pekoe - High-quality pekoe. Usually coarser with a fleshier, broken leaf. Produced in Ceylon and Southern India, as well as in some parts of Kenya.
• BOP - Broken Orange Pekoe - Main broken grade. Prevalent in Ceylon, Southern India, Java, and China.
• F BOP - Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe - Coarser and broken with some tips. From Assam, Ceylon, Indonesia, China, and Bangladesh. In South America coarser, black broken.
• F BOP F - Finest Broken Orange Pekoe Flowery - The finest broken orange pekoe. Higher proportion of tips. Mainly from Ceylon's "low districts".
• G BOP - Golden Broken Orange Pekoe - Second grade tea with uneven leaves and few tips.
• GF BOP1 - Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1 - As above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the GFBOP classification.
• TGF BOP1 - Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1 - High-quality leaves with a high proportion of tips. Finest broken First Grade Leaves in Darjeeling and some parts of Assam.

Fannings grades

• PF - Pekoe Fannings
  
• OF - Orange Fannings - From Northern India and some parts of Africa and South America.
• FOF - Flowery Orange Fannings - Common in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh. Some leaf sizes come close to the smaller broken grades.
• GFOF - Golden Flowery Orange Fannings- Finest grade in Darjeeling for tea bag production.
• TGFOF - Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Fannings.
• BOPF - Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings - Main grade in Ceylon, Indonesia, Southern India, Kenya, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and China. Black-leaf tea with few added ingredients, uniform particle size, and no tips.

Dust grades

• D1 - Dust 1 - From Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, Africa, South America, and Southern India.
• PD - Pekoe Dust
• PD1 - Pekoe Dust 1 - Mainly produced in India.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Teapot or Tea Kettle?

Did you know there is a difference?

Teapot:

A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in near boiling water. Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the tea and water are added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served. Some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of spout. A small hole in the lid is necessary for air access inside to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. A tea connoisseur will usually warm the teapot by rinsing it with boiling water and then draining it completely before making tea.

Tea Kettle:

A kettle is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water in preparation for making tea or other beverages requiring hot water. Kettles usually have a handle on top, a spout, and a lid. Sometimes stove-mounted kettles also have a steam whistle that indicates when the water has reached boiling point. Kettles often resemble teapots, but are used to boil water, not to brew tea.


To properly serve tea with a teapot add warm water to the teapot, swirl around, and empty. This will warm the teapot and keep the water warm longer than not. It will also not stun the tea leaves which some believe can effect the taste.

A good teapot keeps brewing water hot for faster infusion, and it retains the heat so the steeped tea stays hot.

When choosing a teapot, pay special attention to the spout. The top of the spout should come up to the same level as the top of the pot so the pot can be filled without tea spilling out of the spout. Also look at the spout opening. More elongated ones are less likely to drip. Round pots are the easiest to clean out. When selecting one, run your fingers up the inside of the pot. Avoid pots with a prominent ridge on the inside as the wet leaves will catch there when you try to scoop them out.

Shop with Teaporia for all your necessi-Teas!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

January Flavor of the Month

JANUARY is National Hot Tea Month

...and it is also considered the height of the cold and flu season. Since tea contains thiamine, drinking a few cups may help strengthen your body’s immune system and help fend off that cold.

The Specials for the month of January are:

25% off all Herbal and Fruit Teas!

Sip a cup of Chamomile with a Pure Clover Honey Stick and fresh lemon. Fabulous on a cold evening or when nursing a cold.

Visit Teaporia and order your favorites.

Shop with Teaporia for all your necessi-Teas!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Sweet Tea Brined Fried Chicken

Make a fabulous Fried Chicken that will blow everyone away. Great for anytime of the year.

Brine:

1 lemon
1 quart very strong tea (about 4 oz loose tea brewed to directions in 1 quart of water. Try Monk's Blend by Teaporia)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
8 chicken legs and 8 thighs (can substitute 2 whole chickens)
1 quart ice water


Breading:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups masa harina
2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1 tablespoon chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Vegetable oil, for frying (can substitute with other oil such as peanut if preferred)


Prep and cooking directions

Zest lemon fully. Quarter lemon and put the lemon zest and quarters in a saucepan. Add tea, sugar, and salt set aside for brine. Simmer mixture over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice water and the chicken. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Drain the chicken and blot dry.

Combine 2 cups flour, masa harina, crab boil seasoning, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the 8 eggs with the buttermilk. Put the remaining 2 cups of flour in a third bowl. Place side by side starting with 1st flour, buttermilk mixture, and remaining flour mixture.

Roll the chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the crust then put the legs and thighs in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet.

Fill a large deep pan with enough oil to completely submerge the chicken. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Add the chicken and cook until it is golden and the juices run clear, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the chicken on a rack.

Serve.

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Blueberry Pecan Preserves

Blueberry Pecan Preserves

Using the purest of fruit, San Saba adds only enough sugar in its preserves to bring out the tastiest award winning flavors that they are known for. With generous pieces of their large chunky fruit and their tasty pecans, these preserves are sure to win you over too!

Enjoy with a scone or on toast. Warm and pour over vanilla ice cream. Perfect anytime of day.

To order your Blueberry Pecan Preserves, visit Teaporia today!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv

Happy New Year!

I wish you all a wonderful 2010!

Olivia Vidal
© 2009
Teaporia by Tea Time with Liv