Tea Menu

The history of tea goes back thousands of years.  Evidence of vessels used for boiling first appear around five thousand years ago.  The history of tea in China includes the legend of Shen Nung, the father of agriculture and herbal medicine, who lived almost three thousand years before Christ and taught his people the value of cultivating land and the wisdom of boiling water to make it safe for drinking.  It is said that one day, while working in his garden, Shen Nung noticed the leaf of a camellia-like bush floating in his steaming bowl of water, and discovered a drink that was refreshing and exhilarating.  Tea was introduced to Japan, Korea and Vietnam during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), and to Europe in the sixteenth century.  Today, apart from water, people drink more tea than anything else.

GREEN, BLACK AND OOLONG TEAS all come from one species of plant, THE ‘CAMELLIA SINENSIS’.  Differences come from where the Camellia sinensis is grown, how it is harvested, how the tea is processed and prepared.

If you were to try to brew a pot of tea with freshly picked tea leaves, you would actually face a somewhat bitter and watery drink. Just as a tea’s quality depends on which teas are picked, its special character results from how the fresh leaves are treated after they’ve been harvested. There are three major methods of processing freshly picked leaves, and each results in a different category of tea: green, black or oolong. What sets these teas apart from one another is the amount of fermentation that is allowed to take place. Fermentation in tea is a chemical reaction, specifically oxidization, that occurs between the air and the leaf’s natural juices. Character is also affected by steaming, roasting, firing and drying.

GREEN TEA is steamed or roasted to destroy the natural enzymes necessary for fermentation. The steaming not only helps to preserve the leaves’ natural oils and important natural antioxidants, it also helps to soften the leaves, making them more pliable. The leaves are then rolled or twisted, which forces the cellular structure to break down so that they will release their aromatic juices when brewing occurs. Continued gentle heating dries the leaves slowly. Green teas are graded according to shape and age. Well known green teas from China and Japan include Gunpowder, Puer, Sencha, Gen Mai Cha, and Bancha. Jasmine tea, highly fragrant and floral, is prepared by gently scenting green tea leaves with fresh jasmine as they are drying.

OOLONG TEA is treated in much the same way as black teas, but withering and fermentation times are shorter. This results in a delicate, fruity tea that evokes the qualities of both black and green teas. Oolong teas are graded according to quality.

WHITE TEA is a rare and expensive unoxidized tea, similar to green tea. White tea is the least processed and least caffeinated tea of the Camellia sinensis. The leaves are hand-picked, steamed and dried. Production of white tea is indigenous to a small area of North Fujian, China. The highest quality teas are picked early in the spring when the buds are tightly enclosed in the new leaves. White teas are known for their cooling and detoxifying properties.

HERBAL TEAS, also known as tisanes, and ROOIBOS tea, do not originate from the Camellia sinensis, but do contain a myriad of wonderful flavours, health benefits, and cultural traditions.

ROOIBOS TEA An herb uniquely grown in the south African Cedarberg mountains, naturally caffeine and calorie free, but rich in many essential vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants. It is said to relieve headaches, disturbed sleep patterns, light depression and hypertension, among other health benefits.