What You Should Know About Specialty Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea has long been a traded commodity in the orient. It has been considered as a drink only for royalties and kings. These two commodities are processed in almost the same manner for it to become a soothing and relaxing drink.

Knowing Good Quality Specialty Coffee and Tea

Specialty coffee and tea should be made from the best coffee beans and tea leaves in the market. Coffee and tea experts believe that the best brews come from homegrown and handpicked batches. But this handpicking process can just be a myth since it really does not affect how the taste and texture comes out. The one thing that could affect the flavor and texture of coffee and tea is the climate since this can affect the humidity and moisture of the raw products.

It is important to know the quality of specialty coffee and tea since top quality produce are prized at a bigger rate than that of mediocre quality ones. Having to know the difference can give you the edge in the specialty coffee and tea market by going to specialty coffee and tea shops that are willing to give you the right value for your money.

A good hint to detect a medium or a mediocre type of specialty coffee and tea commodity is the smell of burnt beans from roasting. These kinds of produce are intentionally burnt because it gives out a good flavor if it is in this state.

Adding Flavor to Your Specialty Coffee and Tea

In the past decade the specialty coffee and tea business has exponentially grown. Many specialty coffee and tea shops have been sprouting and eating up each other’s neighborhood market shares; each of then brewing and concocting their own original flavors and mixes.

The way coffee and tea is consumed has drastically changed over the years. Before coffee and tea was only taken hot and straight out of the coffee maker or from an instant foil pack. Now, specialty coffee and tea drinks are made hot or cold depending on the consumer’s preference. Vast variety of flavors and other ingredients such as grounded biscuits and whip creams are added to the drink to have that perfect specialty coffee and tea concoction.

But these are just flavors and ingredients to enhance the specialty coffee and tea experience. A good flavored specialty coffee and tea should not be overpowered by the taste of its other ingredients. The aroma, texture and flavor of the original coffee and tea must still be present to give coffee and tea drinkers the full experience.

Decorative Tea-light Candleholders - Kids Make

Author: Suie Roberts

To make a tea-light candleholder you will need...

Shallow jars. Knorr - 'Stir it up' cooking sauce jars are ideal for this. Make sure your jars are clean and dry.

Metallic spray paint.

No nails glue.

Glass Stones.



Spray paint your jars with a thin layer of metallic paint. Make sure that you read the back of the paint can before you begin. When using spray paint it is important to make sure that you use it in a well-ventilated room and that you are not near any naked flames.



Paint the outside and the inside of the jars and then leave them somewhere to dry. You may wish to apply two coats of paint for good coverage.



Use ‘No Nails’ glue to stick on glass stones evenly around the outside of the jar. Be careful not to use too much glue because if it does splurge out onto the jar it will spoil the candle holders appearance. No nails glue dries white.



Once the glue dries your ready to put the tea-light candle inside.



You could use other things to decorate your candleholder. Glue on pasta shells or string before spray painting. Try substituting glass stones for seashells, sequins or buttons. Do make sure that any decoration that you apply is on the lower part of the jar. Never allow anything to cross the top of the jar because this would be a fire hazard.



Let your imagination go wild and create some beautiful tea-light candleholders for your friends and family this Christmas.

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Planing for Christmas Tea Party

Everyone should have at least one elegant Christmas tea each year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to create magical Christmas memories that last throughout your life.

Planning Tips for a Christmas, Holiday, or Winter Afternoon Tea Party
Begin by making a list (and checking it twice!) of dear ladies with whom you would like to share a special event. Of course, interested gentlemen should be welcome as well.

For an intimate tea party, three or four friends is the perfect number.
For a larger event, a buffet style gathering might be more appropriate and easier to handle.

Mail special invitations well in advance. If special costuming (formal dress, holiday colors, or lovely hats) is desired, include this information. An RSVP request assures the correct amount of treats and such will be ready and waiting for guests.

For a light afternoon tea, 3:30 or 4:00 is a good starting time.
For a larger meal, serve "high tea" which will require more substantial fare and research.

Pick a beautiful spot for the tea. For a winter afternoon tea, choose a cozy warm spot close to an area suitable for serving, perhaps near a romantic crackling fireplace. No fireplace? Decorate an appropriate room with the party theme, perhaps near the Christmas tree.


Read more: http://holiday-entertaining.suite101.com/article.cfm/christmas_afternoon_tea_party_tips#ixzz0XNxCIYL6

How to Make Iced Tea With Cold Water

Step 1
Start with a pitcher or container that easily fits in your refrigerator. I prefer glass because over time the tea will permanently stain plastic; glass can easily be cleaned with liquid soap or cleanser.

Step 2
Fill your container with cold tap water; I like to add one glass of water at a time(don't fill to the top-allow room for ice cubes) marking each glass on the outside of the pitcher with small strips of plastic tape(you can easily see how many glasses are left).

Step 3
Select the proper number of tea bags and holding all the "labels" in one hand, spin the bags together to form a tight string. Place the bags in the water and hang the "tags" out over the pouring spout; place in the refrigerator. I usually let it steep overnight, but in 6 to 8 hours the tea should be ready; be sure to remove and discard the tea bags as they will make the tea bitter if left in the container.

By fubars

Tea: Grading Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is the most popular flavored tea in the world. The first jasmine tea was produced in China and made from green tea. Today, however, jasmine flowers are used to scent teas from all over the world, in black, white, green and oolong varieties.

What makes jasmine tea so wonderful is its special blend of high quality loose tea leaves with jasmine petals. The jasmine petals impart a delicate yet very aromatic fragrance and a slightly sweet flavor to the tea.

Jasmine has been produced in China for at least 700 years. The original production of jasmine tea included plucking the jasmine blossoms just as they were beginning to open in the morning. Then the jasmine petals were kept cool until evening when they were added to the green tea leaves.

The jasmine petals were infused with the tea leaves at night because this is the time when the petals release their fragrance. The teas were infused with the jasmine petals multiple times to obtain just the right scent and flavor. Today, the process is more automated, but good quality jasmine tea still depends upon using the best loose tea and infusing it with just the right amount of jasmine blossom.

For the jasmine lover, there are many choices in tea. However, it can be difficult to spot a really good jasmine tea, because interpreting the way teas are graded can be difficult.

First, it’s important to understand that there are no international standards on grading tea. Each country uses their own system, and even different types of tea are graded differently. For example, green teas are not graded the same as white teas.

So, understanding how the jasmine tea you’re considering is graded really means understanding how the tea variety that the jasmine tea is made from is graded. Here are some examples to help make it easier to understand.

Black Tea
Black tea is graded primarily based on how it’s processed. So, while this will tell you the approximate percentage of whole leaves in your tea, and may tell you if it comes from an early or late plucking, it’s not the total picture when it comes to judging the quality of the tea.

Knowing where the tea was grown and how tea is harvested in this part of the world is important, too. In the US, the best black teas are considered whole leaf teas and are designated by the term Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. You should avoid teas marked “dust” as these are typically the lowest grades of black tea.

Green Tea
Green tea is typically graded by the shape of the leaf in China. In other parts of the world, green tea is also usually graded by leaf shape, but different names are used to describe the leaf shapes. Within the leaf shapes, in both China and other countries, you’ll find grades that further break down the quality of the tea.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea from China is graded in a simple manner that is easy to follow and understand. The best oolong tea is referred to as “Fanciest” or “Extra Fancy”, while the lowest grade of oolong tea is referred to as “Common”. Since most oolong tea is produced in China, it’s fairly simple to sort out a good oolong jasmine tea. However, if you buy an oolong tea from another country it could be graded in a totally different manner.

White Tea
White tea’s grading is somewhat simpler, because when the tea leaves were plucked is not part of determining the quality. All white tea is from a first plucking, because there is only one plucking of white tea during each growing season. Therefore, choosing a quality white jasmine tea from China simply means choosing one of the two highest grades of white tea, Silver Needles or White Peony.

However, if you choose a white Ceylon jasmine tea or a white Darjeeling jasmine tea, the grading will be totally different.

To choose a good jasmine tea, begin by determining whether you want a white, green, black or oolong jasmine tea. If you’re new to drinking jasmine tea, it’s likely best to begin with a Chinese green jasmine tea, as this tea represents the true essence of the jasmine tea.

Once you’ve sorted out the variety of tea you’d like to try and the country of the tea’s origin, simply look for this tea from a quality tea store. If you can’t find the combination you’ve chosen at a good tea store, then it’s likely that very good qualities of this particular combination are difficult to find.

Keep looking until you find a combination that can be purchased from a reputable tea purveyor. This way you’re assured of the quality of the tea, even if the combination was not what you had originally planned.

It’s hard to go wrong with jasmine tea. The scent is soothing and light and the delicate sweetness complements any variety of tea. It’s no wonder that every country that produces tea makes this delightful beverage. The hard part is figuring out which jasmine tea you like best!

By: Marcus Stout