Tag Archives: tea

The Road to Stockholm – the bridge between water and tea

As I am gearing up to make my way to Stockholm, Sweden to attend the Fine Water Summit, I am putting my finishing touches onto my presentation. I will be highlighting opportunities between the tea industry and the fine water industry and hopefully open avenues and amplify the message for both industries.

What I admire the most about both industries is the passion people have for their product. I have now met many people around the world who have the great ability to tell a story about wonderful high-quality loose-leaf teas and fine waters. Both communities are filled with an extraordinary drive to show the public a side that will add value to their day to day lives. Both the water and the tea communities are filled with giving people who will go out of their way to connect you to their product.

Myanmar

Myanmar has a diversified tea culture. Tea is everywhere. During meals in tea shops, in tea breaks during the day, it is present in many shapes and forms. Often you find simple Chinese green tea, but often Myanmar people will enjoy their tea with milk and sugar. Everybody has their own preference: stronger, sweeter, lighter, not so sweet. It is in the moment a culture of purified water, something I am gearing up to speak further about. Slowly I am seeing that people are mindful of their choices and try to incorporate one of the few brands of spring water which are available.

In a country with a lot of people having little or no income, it’s no easy task to use spring water, but the trend is positive. People are starting to see the need for proper hydration and the need for minerals in their daily fluid intake. I see the start of people becoming aware of the advantages of certain brands and most importantly, the differences in taste. It is my goal to shine a more prominent spotlight onto water and tea and pull them out from the back of the menu to become more front and center in a dining experience.

Tea plantation on the hill near Pindaya, Myanmar

If you are a manager at a workshop, a restaurant chef in a fine restaurant, a teacher in a busy school or a student in a university, water and tea play an important role your life. Many people appreciate these beverages and select their favorite brands or type as they bring them joy and happiness into their often demanding and busy lives. Some people however take these liquids for granted. They accept an average taste as the norm, without knowing what taste, flavor and aroma water and tea are capable of. They are happy to down a glass of tap water to quench their thirst quickly. They dunk a cheap tea bag into a cup of lukewarm water and are happy with the tea-like taste in their cup.

The journey

That is the journey that fascinates me. To connect amazing products to amazing people, who deserve better then just a cheap tea bag or tap water. We all work hard and look for the best possible life, a life full of happiness, joy and fulfillment. Affordable luxury can be had simply by upgrading the tea quality to a loose-leaf tea or by selecting a nice spring or mineral water. We just need to reach out and invest a little to gain big. If relatively simple products such as tea or water can make a difference, how can we achieve this?

Over the past months I have faced the challenging task to bring that message to the public, one person at a time. I found it a victory of the day, when I convinced a shopper in a supermarket in Myanmar to try a spring water rather then the purified water. During my stay I enjoyed in-depth talks with restaurant owners to find avenues for them to fine waters as profit centers for their restaurants and to add another layer to their story. I treasure the talks with water brand owners who want to seek further reach of their product in the global market. I sense, that we are on the way of opening up the fine water industry to a larger segment of the public.

Sommelier

As a sommelier, I aim to add value by exploring interesting ways of connecting tea and water. I explore the different taste structures and present my readers with a small token of information which might get people thinking. Many people do not think about paying attention to their tea water. They are not aware of the possibilities to amplify the taste experience of their beverage.

Many people think, that ‘water just tastes like water’. It is my mission and objective to find the different layers and provide you with a sense of exploration and become more mindful when we taste. How do I describe the taste of water? What difference does that make? What are the products which can change by using different waters in tea? How important are water and tea for my wellness and health?

These are questions I plan to tackle in Stockholm in a few days. I am looking forward to immersing myself in discussions with the champions of the fine water industry and find inspiration in their work and presentations. And I hope I can add a little bit of value to what I am sure will be a fantastic event.

I will certainly bring you a recap of the fine water summit on my blog in the coming days.

Watch this space and stay thirsty!

Would You Drink Anti-Aging Tomato Tea?

I rarely review teas on this blog (would you like to see more of this? Send me a comment.)

When I picked up this tea, I had to share my thoughts with you as it was truly a unique experience. Say hello to TOMATINO from the Gryphon Tea Company!

My first reaction was similar to yours – WHAT?

A Tomato tea? Who would ever drink this? The sommelier in me however became curious. If they are selling it, it must be drinkable. At least I can warn people to stay away from this brew. And I have a lot of respect for Gryphon for developing excellent teas. Gryphon is known for excellent high quality teas and was founded in Singapore in 2006 linked to a family tea importer almost 100 years ago.

So I gave it a try and boy was I surprised. Let me first tell you a bit about the composition of this tea. It is actually not a tea but an infusion, a tisane. In the tea industry normally only if the plant camellia sinensis is included, it can be called a tea, otherwise it is an infusion or tisane. The tea industry is relaxed about this and you will find many “teas’ which do not really have any tea plant inside.

Tomatino

The base for this infusion is Organic South African bush tea, rooibos (Afrikaans for red bush). I love this plant, often used similar to traditional tea and has a hibiscus sweet like taste. The rooibos is then blended with organic honey bush, apple, tomato, carrot, beetroot, cinnamon and orange peel, creating its blend no. 268. Quite a complex blend with many different flavors and textures. The mastery of a good blend is to find the right mix of ingredients based on how their taste will diffuse into the water, creating the final drink. Some ingredients only need very little to explode with taste into the water and some might need a little more. All have to work together at a given time to reach the brewing finish line at the same time. The tea company recommends to use 200 ml of a less then boiling water for one sachet for about 5-6 minutes.

Based on its ingredients the blend is naturally caffeine free.

Different tastes can create a unique experience to our taste palette. The thought of putting a tomato into hot water and digesting the stew, no matter how healthy it would be is an appalling thought. We are primed to believe that tea blends will come with fruits and herbs to create a good taste. But vegetables? Not so much.

The tea comes in a sachet, already a plus for me. A sachet is a more liberating loose tea bag, allowing the tea to fully unfold when brewed. It is intended for high-quality loose-leaf teas to extract their full flavor as intended during the brewing process.

Tea water

A note on water to be used: a good water would have:

a low TDS – Total Solids Dissolved (preferably less than 50 – you will find the number on the water label, sometimes called – total minerals diffused); and
a ph level of about 7, sometimes a little higher is fine.

Sometimes you will find waters different to the criteria but they seem to be working well with tea. It there is interest, I can put together a list of good tea waters from my experience.

The Tomato Taste

Once you overcome your initial reservation about trying a vegetable tea and you made the tea according to instructions, a wonderful sweet smell will greet you. The first sip is amazing as you are crossing the line between your perception and the feedback from your taste buds that something amazing is happening. You can taste tomato and carrot but you will find a gentle balance from the sweetness of the rooibos. The beetroot, the apple, cinnamon and orange peel add a herbal and fruity layer to bring the composition together. In addition to the vegetable taste, you will get a crisp citrus counterbalance to make it a pleasant overall experience. While the tomato taste will be noticeable at the beginning, the finish will bring a burst of additional fruit and spice flavors. Quite a treat for your taste buds. It brings together savory and sweet taste dimensions. In addition to the taste and smell experience, I love the color in the cup. It is a perfect blend of tomato meets carrot, rooibos and orange.

Tomatino is a great tisane to enjoy with food. It would go best with baked or grilled fish with a tomato and red pepper puree. I would also recommend a water with a medium TDS (250 – 800) to compliment your food and tea.

Tomatino, besides a great taste, will come with a huge amount of wellness benefits. The tomato is also labeled the elixir of youth for its anti-aging effects. It is filled with antioxidants and super fruits, so you will get additional mineral and vitamin benefits.

Taste thoughts

Tomatino is a great example of blending teas to achieve new taste experiences. We all are unique individuals and we all have our different perspectives on what tastes good and what does not. We experience our life journey and make little mental notes on what fruits and vegetables we like and what we better stay away from. As a sommelier it is my privilege to find teas and waters which match your taste and give you the best experience on what matches best your taste experience. Sometimes it is also my pleasure to recommend something new to you, something that might change your mind or that makes you experience a drink that might surprise you. In the case of Tomatino I can promise you that you will experience something which based on the title and the ingredients you might have not expected.

And this is the beauty of life. We never know what to experience next and it might be a wonderful surprise that expands our horizon. You might be able to find a new favorite. The best is yet to come.

Stay thirsty!

How to Easily Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea

Everybody has their own preference. Some like tea bags, some like high quality loose leaf tea, some are just somewhere in between. It is not up to me to convert you or decide for you what you find the best. My goal is to make you a little bit more curious and provide you with options for your tea journey.

The perfect cup of tea is the one you like the most. It is the one that hits the spot and has the right taste. The perfect cup will bring joy and a sense of gratification to your day. What could be better than to find an oasis of happiness in the middle of a stressful day. I talked a lot about taste in recent posts and tasting right takes a lot of practice. Bringing a little bit of mindfulness in the way you are making decisions when making your cup of tea can go a long way and ultimately lead to better tea enjoyment in the process.

The key components for the right cup of tea are:

1. The right water

2. A high quality loose leaf tea

3. The right brewing temperature

4. The right brewing time.

You can take this further to the top by selecting special brewing vehicles and a wonderful cup to enjoy the tea in, but I am trying to focus on the essentials. The key is that you create an experience that suits you best and connects with what you like. There is no perfect one-size-fits-all solution.

1. The right water

The quality of water is often overlooked. As a water sommelier this is one of my most important areas of education and also one of the most fascinating. You do not have to be a water sommelier to make a good cup of tea, but if you want to expand on your essential knowledge, I can highly recommend a Fine Water 101 course with The Fine Water Academy to learn the basics.

The best tea water has a ph level (check the label on the bottle) of around 7, and a super low TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), best below 50. (As long it is in the neighborhood of these numbers, you can select a water you like the best. I believe that selecting a wonderful water will only further add to the tea experience by adding a little piece of affordable luxury and will complement the high-quality tea. Remember, 95% of tea is water and a fine water will make such a big difference.

2. A high quality loose leaf tea

I often get the comment: “But this kind of tea is more expensive. Is it worth it?” Totally. The beauty of loose leaf tea is that you can re-steep the same leaves, while with a standard tea bag, you can normally only use once. If convenience is a priority, buy some empty loose leaf tea bags or pyramid teas. Try to research where the tea is coming from, which country, even which state or province. Try to learn more about the characteristics, what is the best way of brewing it, what are the intended flavors or aromas. Most high quality loose leaf tea is produced by experienced tea masters and they turn a leaf into a piece of art and into a wonderful taste.

Certainly there are limits and it’s the same with water or wine. There is the terroir and the conditions that will influence the characteristics of the tea leaf. The soil and the water running trough the ground will have an impact on the growth of the tea plant. A tea plant in the soil of China will be completely different than a tea in the soil of India. The beauty is that you have six types of tea to choose from and thousands of different kinds of tea. Even if you would drink a different tea every day for the rest of your life, you would not be able to experience them all. So pick something you like. If you give me a preferred taste you like, I can guide you in the right direction to fast track your search.

3. The right brewing temperature

Most teas are pretty forgiving. You can boil the water and pour it over the tea leaf and you get a decent cup of tea. Some high quality loose leaf teas are not so forgiving. Use the wrong temperature and the tea will turn bitter or weak. So using the right temperature is essential and the below picture can guide you in the right direction. You do not need a thermometer. Just use the fisheye method to ‘eye ball’ the right temperature. When you see bubbles on the bottom of the pot, it will tell you about the temperature of the water. Tiny bubbles (the size of shrimp eyes) will be a water temperature of about 160F, while the size of fish eyes will be about 180F).

4. The right brewing time

If you brew some teas too long, they become too bitter. Brew it for too short an amount of time and they become too weak. In the picture below you can see the right combination for a tea type. You might have to experiment a little bit to find just the right spot for your tastes.

Conclusion

Being mindful of these components will result in a better cup of tea, one that you never imagined. It is like flying business class for the first time and never wanting to go back to economy. Life is full of obstacles and challenges. Treat yourself to a nice cup of tea and great a little piece of happiness to brighten your day. Choose a favorite cup or mug to drink the tea to further elevate your experience.

If you know the background of the water you are brewing the tea in, the culture and terroir of the tea leaf, brew it at the right temperature and at the right time, I guarantee you that you will create something magical, something special to be remembered. And you can use this knowledge to bring joy to your friends and family. Nothing creates happiness more than a wonderfully brewed cup of tea, at least for me.

Stay Thirsty!

Energize Yourself to Make Your Day More Productive

Over the past year I spent a lot of time implementing habit loops, to make my days more productive and ensure I can get the best results out of my time. I love the concept of ‘Return on Energy’, asking myself the question: with a minute (or an hour or day) spent, what did I got out of it? How has this energy spent on this minute helped my life? Has it been able to grow me as a person? Of course there will be minutes you perceive as ‘boring’ or ‘normal’ but it will be about your perspective on how you value your time and what you decide to do with it.

In this blog post I will give you powerful tips to implement small hacks to create positive habit loops that will help to advance your life. I sorted them by time of day, so you can decide what best fits into your daily routine. Hydration is tricky. We normally drink water when we get thirsty. When your brain receives the ‘thirsty’ signal it is normally too late, your organs have already started to struggle to function optimally. The key in hydration is to drink water throughout the day to keep the engine and your systems running smoothly. Most people underestimate this. If you hydrate constantly, good for you and you are ahead of the game.

Your body is made from 70% water. Give it the attention it needs.

Wake up

Our normal instinct is to get up and kick start the brain with caffeine, either a coffee or a tea. What our body needs most first thing in the morning is a glass of water to replenish the liquid lost during the night. With every breath we are exhaling tiny droplets of water. By the end of a good night’s sleep, you will have exhaled a cup of water! That first glass in the morning will jump start your organs and will prepare the metabolism to be ready for breakfast.

Add a few drops of lemon juice which will give you a good initial boost of Vitamin C in the morning. If you have water with a high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) available, go for it. Minerals will help your body to get started. If you only have tap water within reach, add a little salt to it to help your body with minerals. The key will be to develop a daily routine to help your body to become stronger and healthier.

Breakfast

Make it a habit to have a glass of water with your tea (or coffee) for breakfast. While cups of coffee and tea will help with your daily liquid intake, it is the caffeine which will dehydrate you. A nice glass of water with breakfast will help you to hydrate better and assist your body with digesting the food. You can brighten your day by adding a nice brand of fine water from an interesting part of the world. When you eat with your family this could be a good conversation starter and a way to learn something new.

Morning

Hydration does not stop after breakfast. As you jump into your busy day, water can become your companion. I always carry a water bottle with me and sip once in a while and it gives me a good feeling. I feel that despite the challenges I am facing that day, I continue to invest into my body and support my wellness. In addition, I love to have a cup of tea by my side and I always take a moment to appreciate the taste of the tea I have picked for myself that moment.

We are working together with people, we are working towards larger projects, but it is important not to forget about investing in yourself constantly. The better you become, the more productive you will be. Always remember the safety instruction on an airplane. First put the oxygen mask onto yourself and then you can help your loved ones and those you travel with.

Lunch

Make every day special. The more you can mix things up and create variety the better and happier you will be. We all face challenges and we all are surrounded by things we cannot control, but focus on the things you can control. When you have lunch, be curious and select a new brand of water you have not tried yet. Focus on the taste. How does it compare to the water you normally drink? It will add a new little taste experience and it will enhance your day.

Afternoon

My energy normally drops in the afternoon. That’s where I get my secret weapon out – a strong black tea. I have been trying this habit for a few weeks now and it works like magic. The strong tea will bring back my needed energy more gradually and it will help me to focus and accomplish my remaining tasks for the day.

Evening

Dinner will be an opportunity to relax and unwind from a busy day. Adding a nice fine water rather then the dull glass from the tap will add a little pleasure, a little piece of luxury, to celebrate your accomplishments of the day. Try a nice sparkling water, which will also have the benefit to replenish your minerals, aid with your digestion and will get you ready for the night.

Night

Have a water near your bedside. This way if you get thirsty in the middle of the night , you can replenish your fluids quickly. Pick a water with a medium to high TDS to add a bit of minerals and help your body in the middle of the night. As you fall asleep and recover from a busy day, remember that water and tea have been there to boost your day a little bit and make it more pleasurable.

I hope these little reflections and hacks got you thinking about how you can improve your day. We certainly do not focus on water or tea the whole day and surely I am thinking about this way more then you need, but I am here to help.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need ideas for specific brands and where to get them. That’s what we sommeliers are for, to give you ideas which match your taste. With hundreds and hundreds of amazing brands, it’s no easy task, but somebody’s got to do it.

Stay thirsty!

5 quick changes before Valentines Day that will make your life better

The internet is full of articles about making your life stronger and better. Companies will try to sell you stuff which you don’t need or will promise you a short cut to an easier life. We are disappointed when they do not live up to their promise and sink further into despair.

The following five tips are from my own life, they are proven and have done amazing things for me. And most importantly they will not cost you a fortune, some of them are even free, and will improve your live in significant and long lasting ways. We are looking for big changes but sometimes the best improvements are right under our nose.

Hydration

The game changer. One of the areas that will have the biggest impact on your life. Chances are that you drink water once you are thirsty or you have a beverage with your meal. You don’t think about water on a constant basis, even though you consist of 70% water. We focus on so many things in our life but we ignore the most important aspect of our body because we believe it is working and does not need much attention. Many meetings and places I go to, I am the only one carrying around a water bottle with me. If you are one of the few people who bring (hopefully reusable) water bottle, you are ahead of the game. Just by sipping water through the day you support your body and your brain in many functions, you provide the oil for your engine. Try the 8 x 8 rule, 8 glasses of 8z per day, easy to remember. After a few weeks of sipping water on a constant basis, you will not even notice it anymore, sip on autopilot and your body will be up and running.

While many people reach for the faucet in the morning, you can kick start your day in a much better way. Drink a glass of fine mineral water first thing in the morning and you tell your day that you mean business. Your body will receive a jump start portion of minerals to fire up all vitals. Your organs and metabolism will thank you. You can even add a spritz of lemon to the water for an extra boost of vitamin C.

Fine Water at Dinner

The conversationalist. With most people using water from the tab, using water for dinner becomes uninspiring, dull and boring. By having an interesting, exotic and unique mineral water at your dinner table will enhance your experience, you can add something special to your evening at small cost. We will have the opportunity to talk about where the water comes from with our family, dream about an exotic location at a rain forest or mountain area. We will experience a unique taste from a different part of the world. Life is all about special moments and creating unique experiences, even during a normal, routine work day. The more you can enhance your normal day and make it special, the more value the day will have to you and your mood will increase. Life for me is to create a growing mosaic of meaningful moments.

With valentines day around the corner, you can make your dinner special by ordering a wonderful bottle of fine still or sparkling water along side your food. Impress your date with stories about where the water came from, the romantic environment of a rain forest or mountain stream. Water is life and it is good sometimes to dream.

Fine Water Tea

The enhancer. Most people make their tea with tab water. You work hard, you invest everything you got into your life,you purchased an amazing high quality loose leaf tea, you deserve the best cup of tea possible. Using the right water for making your tea will bring out the best flavor and your taste buds will thank you for that. Tea water is a vessel to bring our the best in tea as the tea master has intended. Use high quality spring water for tea water. I know it will be a bit more pricey then running it from the filter or tab, but you deserve a good cup of tea and not just an average one. Look at the label. Select a water with a super low TDS level (below 50 if possible) and a ph level of 7. Any other water will not give you the best possible experience. A water with a high mineral level will interfere with the minerals in the tea itself and the ideal taste will be off.

Life is too short to drink a bad tea.

Tea of the day

Diversity. We are living in times where diversity and cultural connections are more important than ever and that’s good. Diversity will make us stronger and we can only learn more from each other. The most interesting thing about tea is the thousands of different types and blends and mixes which are available around the planet. We could drink a different tea for the rest of our lives and just have experienced a fraction of what is available. And new types are coming onto the market every day. Sommeliers are here to identify the best solution for you. You like a certain taste. You might like it more fruity, more sweet, more milky or like me ultra pure. Make it a habit to include a new tea every day, learn about different tastes, research the tea, ask sommeliers more about a certain tea type. I am here to help you to make the best out of your day and make your day special.

Fine Water and Friends

The socializer. Water and tea are great platforms to share new experiences with friends and family. Next time you go to a restaurant, see what waters or teas are on the menu. Ask the waiter what they have. You can share this new experience with your friends and you can impress your family with your knowledge about a certain water or tea. Like any knowledge there is so much around us which we have not experienced yet, which is just waiting for to be explored.

You can gift that knowledge. You can gift a special someone in your life with a water 101 course at the fine water academy to learn more about water.

I hope these tips have send a spark of inspiration your way and make you think about trying one of these tips out for yourself. They are small ideas and changes but can have a big impact on your life.

Stay thirsty.

We All Want The Same Thing From Taste -Zero Calorie Drinks

One habit I’ve gained from my zero calorie drink habit is to find creative ways in finding satisfying tastes and flavors. Just because I have elected not to consume calories in my drinks does not mean I do not want to have fun and find excitement in my life. By contrast, it has challenged me to find new ways to fulfill that need. I love the fact that I can better control my calorie intake and my overall diet.

A few suggestions and tips if you would like to try something similar

I realized that we are all the same when it comes to what we want from our drink selections. Yet the result and the outcomes of our desires are vastly different and can be either good or bad for your health. I am trying to nudge you down the path of a more healthy diet in 2019.

We all look for a taste that excites our taste buds. Sadly in today’s world we are sometimes just ‘downing’ our food and drinks without paying attention to how they taste to us. I guess if it does taste not bad, it must be good.

What makes us taste differently?

For a sommelier this becomes the eternal question. Sure, it would be simpler if we all liked a few tastes – a few products on the market – done. But having this infinite diversity of tastes and cultures is what makes our job as sommelier so special, so unique. We try to guide you in finding your personal product which matches your taste. We all have a different amount of taste buds with different intensity and yes, the tasting map is still a myth.

Yet there is so much more to tasting, and being mindful about it will enhance the quality of our life. I am able now to find great taste in water thanks to the education of the Fine Water Academy. I am able to select different teas based on my mood or the time of the day to enhance that time of the day and to bring more energy to the day.

Short cuts

Sometimes we are keen to find short cuts. That is not only true for tastes but also for other areas in life. When we drink a soft drink we like the taste combined with the sugar rush that kicks in immediately after the first sip. We like the little buzz we get after the first cocktail or alcoholic drink together with the taste.

Imagine a world where you do not have that sugar kick or buzz but experience the world as it is. Drinks that do not put your system into insulin lock down or shut down your brain cells. Living a sober and on the extreme side, zero calorie drink life has done more for me than I could have ever imagined. Gone are the days of hangovers or bad stomach aches due to ‘something’ I drank the night before.

As I started to combine my drink diet with better nutrition, mindfulness and fitness, something magical happened. I started to dream bigger dreams, achieve higher goals and feel better about myself. I am able to reach for the stars and grab them with only the sky being the limit. I gave up something small but gained a much better and fulfilled life.

The taste of water

The taste of water continues to fascinate me. I am travelling around the globe with open eyes, experiencing the world more in a more mindful way and discovering things I could have not imagined before. I see globalization not as a threat but as an opportunity to grow and expand in my abilities every day. And I am achieving that with feeling good about myself. A major part is due to my perspective on life and my relationship to taste.

15067806 – dripping heart over the water

I continue to explore the relationship between water and food. Since my studies with the fine water academy and my eye opening visit to the water library, I am continuing to explore matching and contrasting pairs of water and food. My all time favorite is Vichy Catalan and dark chocolate. This is an amazing example of how two different components that taste great individually, can create a flavor symphony together. If you have access to this water and dark chocolate, try it. You will not be disappointed. Also, the podcast of Martin Riese has great episodes on food and water as well of course the amazing fine water facebook site.

Just yesterday I tried one of my favorite flavor experiments and I would highly recommend it to you. I brewed a cup of Earl Grey from a standard supermarket tea bag and a cup of high quality Earl Grey made from a high quality loose leaf tea.

Flat vs Flavorful

The different is staggering. The standard tea bag tea will taste flat, but if you are used to this taste you will not notice the difference. Its like flying business class for the first time. Once you experience that it is hard to go back to economy.

A high quality loose leaf tea will come in dimensions. You will have a great entrance of the tea. It will swirl around and leave your taste buds nourished and excited. Great teas will stay in your memory and will make a taste impression for a long time to come.

The same goes for water. If you taste tap water it will be an OK experience, but once you compare it with a high quality fine water from an amazing source you do not want to go back. There are waters that will leave you longing for more which you will remember years after you first tasted them.

One such water for me is Cotorella from Italy. It is something about the stage between the mouth feel as it is swirling around and the finish. It leaves you wanting to take another sip.

So with that go out and explore the great waters and teas this world has to offer and hopefully they will bring a little bit of joy into your life.

Stay Thirsty!

How to Find Tea and Water Inspiration In Stunning Japan

With the holidays now behind us (☹ ) , it is time for me to reflect on the past few days and weeks. For me travel is always a journey of inspiration. Our Christmas trip this year brought us to Japan, a country that has such a deep tea culture. I had also been in Japan in 1993 and was looking forward to showing my family around.

The holiday period also gave me time to look forward to the new year and to think about where to take my sommelier experience. My goal in the tea and water world is to continue to inspire as many people as possible and to raise awareness and excitement for high quality tea and fine water. I want to continue working with the Myanmar hospitality industry to make an impact on raising awareness of fine water and learn more about high quality tea. I am in need of practical tea making experience and hope that 2019 will be the year I can work on a tea plantation. We have only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the best water and tea experience.

My tea and water blog

From now on I will blend both industries into this one blog. My experience in the tea world can benefit the fine water industry. And my amazing experience learning about fine water will help to inspire the tea industry to use better quality water when brewing tea. I aim to further develop my skills to become a bridge ambassador between the water and tea industries and bring value to both. I do not want to have ‘just another tea and water blog’ but want to ‘oooh’ and ‘ahh’ you with my entries. Sometimes thinking about one industry helps me to understand the other one better. They are certainly not in isolation, but are linked to other areas and categories in the hospitality industry.

Tea in Japan is everywhere. It is firmly embedded in traditions, in the culture and for sure in any restaurant you will eat at. Japan produces and consumes 90% green tea. I was excited to find Japanese black tea at a shop on the bottom of Mt. Fuji together with amazing green teas.

It was great to experience the combination of tea as a drink and as a food. Two of my favorite things: freshly brewed Japanese green tea and green tea ice cream.

The first tea experience when we arrived in Tokyo was at the Hama Rikyu Gardens. We found ancient tea houses, some of them have been rebuilt with amazing materials and a passion for original details. A tea house in the gardens offered matcha tea with sweets. I had to think back to my first visit to Japan in 1993 and how we were privileged to experience a traditional tea ceremony. My wonderful tea educator, Donna Fellmann has studied the tea ceremony for decades. It is a world of tea rituals and procedures which work together to create the best experience for its guests.

For the kids there was a different kind of fun – tea cups in Disneyland!

I just love how readily tea is available in Japan. Everywhere there are vending machines dispensing ready to drink tea. I loved this matcha as a morning drink!

In the evening I would order Oolong tea in a restaurant, served in a wonderful tea pot and tiny tea cups. In the western world it is not common yet to drink tea together with a meal, it is rather a dessert option. I found it wonderful to pair my teas with the respective dish. An Oolong with a roasted and complex flavor pairs well with a meaty and hearty dish.

While being inspired by the peace and tranquility of Japan, I was able to reflect on the fine water category as well. The hotel we stayed in had a water dispenser machine. It got me thinking that the relationship of people with water is impacted by such machine. We see wine as precious coming out of a fancy bottle. However we are used to water coming from a tap or a dispensing machine.

How do we change this relationship? How to we make people feel more interested in fine water and the benefits it comes with? These are questions I will ponder more in 2019.

I will leave you with my wish that you spend 2019 a bit more mindful about water and tea and get inspired to try the best of the best for a little piece of affordable luxury.

Stay Thirsty!

The power of water in tea

Those who follow me regularly know, that I am a big advocate of high quality water in tea. 95 percent of tea is water and it is the most overlooked component when making tea.

We humans consists 60 percent of water, it is the largest part of our body. Since I am now a health nut, I pay close attention to my hydration and drink water all day long. I am still amazed to see many of my colleagues during meetings and workshops simply ignoring their water intake or start taking water during breaks or when they get thirsty.

Most people do not know, that by simply drinking water regularly and about 80 oz (2.2 liters) per day we will help our body to digest the food and to better support our metabolism. You can loose weight by simply drinking enough water.

The water in tea will count towards this daily goal. The quality of water can have an impact on your taste experience. Good tea water should have a ph level of slightly above 7 and a low TDS, ideally below 30. You will find this information on the label of the water bottle.

I often image the power of adding water quality as a new way of enhancing your tea drinking experience. Just imagine to read this on a tea menu in a restaurant: “Organic Darjeeling tea brewed with fresh spring water”. Doesn’t this sound amazing?

For me the ideal water is when it is close were the tea has been processed. I read that you can get Long jing green tea in Westlake, China brewed with the water from the tea source. It we think about it deeper, it makes sense. When the tea plant is growing it is taking in the water through the soil. Once tea is being processed, water level in the tea is reduced and comes back into the picture once we add water when brewing tea.

I pay close attention how I use the water during the brewing process. Never reuse or reheat water from a previous brew, as during the

heating oxygen will leave the water and the tea might taste flat when using the water. Most times it will be sufficient to use filtered or good quality tab water for the day to day use.

I truly enjoy the role of water in the traditional tea ceremony. Ms. Tea and myself sometimes enjoy a quiet evening, brewing high quality tea using the Yixing tea pot and the bamboo tray. Water is not only used for cleansing during the ceremony but also acts as a purifier and healer when pouring it over the tea cups and the tea pets. See my previous post on my take on the traditional Chinese tea ceremony (https://manwithamug.com/?s=tea+ceremony ). Quite relaxing!

In the future I intend to learn much more about water as I think it will enhance my understanding as a tea sommerlier and my ability to brew better tea.

Watch this space!

30 Minutes of Tea Liberation

I often reflect back to the beginning of my tea studies.

Here I was in my kitchen in Rome, Italy, holding a thermometer in one hand and a tea timer in the other hand, nervously anticipating the right mix to get the optimal brew.

Fast forward now to my kitchen in Yangon, Myanmar, were I grab some tea leaves and throw it into hot water to get a wonderful cup of tea.

In a way the past year has liberated me from following the instructions on the box and use scientific instruments to make tea.

However the one area where I never felt liberated is how I always experienced buying tea.

In most shops a nice tea salesperson would carefully open a tin box based on my request and would allow me to have a careful glimpse into the box. In good stores they might let me smell the tea from a safe distance.

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How to Make Tea Without Hot Water – Cold Brew

What is Cold Brew?
I have been receiving some queries from my tea friends on how to properly cold brew tea.

Personally I am a big fan of this tea brewing method as it gives you a unique tasting experience and you get to know a different, relaxed side of your favorite tea.

When you brew tea hot, over 400 different components are released into the water and some of them are released quicker at higher temperature. You will have noticed that if you brew a hot tea at a too high temperature or for too long it becomes bitter. Not so with cold brew tea, which will be more mellow, more balanced and sweeter as the high temperature components are less dominant.

Cold brewing gives you a whole new range of preparing tea. But you will need patience, as this is not your quick tea bag dunk for 2 minutes. Good cold brew tea will take several hours, if not even overnight to release the wonderful magic that is cold brew tea.
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