How to Choose the Right Tea

How to Choose the Right Tea
Tea Is Art of Life, Culture


By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter



``Better to go without salt for three days than without tea for a single day,'' a well-known Chinese proverb says.

Although Asian countries share a tea-drinking culture, tea culture differs in accordance with the way tea is grown and how people interact with the calming drink in their own cultural setting.

People commonly enjoy tea at social events or in casual dining places. In Western countries, people usually enjoy afternoon tea or a tea party. However, in oriental countries, tea is often part of a traditional, ceremonial ritual.

Japan is known for its formal and serene tea ceremony, emphasizing spiritualilty, while China incorporates artistic performances such as delicate hand gestures.

Koreans are also becoming more ardent tea lovers, in accordance with their rising standard of taste.

With the warm weather and dust storms blowing in from China and the Gobi Desert, many Koreans are turning to tea for health reasons.

In summer or in warm climates, tea is believed to dispel the heat and bring on an instant cool sense of relaxation.

There are four basic types of tea: black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea. Herbal tea usually refers to any herbal infusion other than from tea leaves.

Different regions add different ingredients to tea such as milk, sugar and honey. The temperature of a tea drink also varies according to the type of tea.

Chen Cui, a Chinese tea sommelier visiting the Chinese restaurant ``Cheon San'' at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul, said that teas are generally good for one¡¯s health and help women who are on a diet.

The 24-year-old tea connoisseur helps customers choose the perfect tea for their meals in the same way a wine sommelier would do. She said that as Korean foods are spicy and hot, teas are required to soothe the taste buds.


Flower teas are recommended as the right tea to refresh the mind and body during spring as they are rich in vitamins. /Courtesy of Amore Pacific

``Teas are very helpful for our health when you drink before and after meals. Pu-Erh teas are highly recommended for Korean dishes,'' Cui said in an interview with The Korea Times.
She said that Pu-Erh teas protect the stomach from hot and spicy foods and reduce high blood pressure.

She said that Pu-Erh teas are also good for losing weight. Pu-Erh teas are regarded solely as a post-fermented tea. Unlike other teas that are supposed to be consumed right after production, the teas can be drunk after aging for many years _ like a fine wine.

The Pu-Erh teas are often classified by year and region of production much like vintage wine.

She said that there are more than 100 nutrients in teas, and teas are especially rich in vitamins.

Cui recommended the right tea for the spring season. ``In spring, people get tired easily as the weather gets dry and warm. So flower teas rich in vitamins are suitable,'' she said.

Flower teas are made up of dried flowers, which have been traditionally harvested.

Flower teas are believed to have a wide range of health benefits as well as being a refreshing and enjoyable drink at any time of the day, especially in spring.

Flower teas are known to improve the immune system, prevent heart disease and even help fight tooth decay.

``There are a variety of flower teas available including jasmine teas, which are believed to be good for the skin. It is much better to drink flower tea with a sweet candy. It's a good match,'' Cui said.

Flower tea products are also available to consumers. Amore Pacific offers dried flower teabags at 30,000 won for 30 grams.

Lipton offers pyramid-shaped teabags for flower teas. Lipton Rose-Green Tea is 3,500 won for 10 teabags, while Lipton Chamomile Tea is 4,000 won for 10 teabags.

Dongwon F&B sells ``Siwolae Kunhwacha,'' or Chrysanthemum tea at 2,000 won for 470 milliliters.

Cui also mentioned oolong teas, which are good for those with dry skin.

Many Koreans drink green teas, which are good in summer and are full of flavonoids, she said.

These flavonoids, called polyphenols, are antioxidants, which are known to prevent the aging process.

Green teas are one of the most favorite teas enjoyed by Chinese, Japanese and Koreans for its health benefits and mild flavors, she said.

Cui advised consumers to throw away the first infusion of tea and drink the second infusion for more flavor.

The second infusion of tea offers a better taste because the first infusion sterilizes possible toxic substances, she said.

What is a Tea Sommelier?

Do wine and teas have something in common? They look and taste totally different, though they are both beverages.

But in fact, wine and tea share many things in common. They both come in a wide variety of flavors and require particular climate conditions for optimum taste.

There is also a tea sommelier, similar to a wine sommelier, who is an expert on all things tea, and who tastes the teas daily to ensure quality and consistency of flavor.

A tea sommelier is responsible for sampling, recommending and pouring different teas and tisanes served in a hotel or a restaurant.

He or she is supposed to be an ardent tea drinker, as becoming a tea expert is something of a challenge. An aspiring tea sommelier has to learn everything about the soothing drink.

Over the last several years, the popularity of the ``tea sommelier'' has risen in luxurious restaurants and tea cafes in Korea.

The term ``sommelier'' usually refers to a wine expert, but as for teas, the sommelier's task is to help consumers choose the most appropriate tea for their tastes and dishes.

Cui said that her duty is not only to help consumers pick out the right tea but also to introduce the right tea culture.

``Tea culture in China is a kind of art,'' Cui said. During her visit to Seoul, she is introducing traditional Chinese ways of tea drinking.

Cui, who will return to China on April 13, said that when she presents a tea menu, people really get exited.

``I ask them about their preferences, and then I give them an explanation of the tea. They want to know about the teas' history and many more details,'' she said.

While serving tea, she performs a kind of a ritual or tea ceremony involving preparing the tea as each type of tea requires a different water temperature to maximize flavor.

She said that there is an increasing number of Koreans who want to become tea sommeliers as Korea has no official educational institute to give a certificate in tea arts.

``Many Koreans are coming to China's tea schools as part of hotel catering educational programs,'' she said.

Cui said that at least two years are required to finish the course to become a tea sommelier in China.

Currently, in Korea, Korean tea sommelier Sung Eun-young, works at the Chinese restaurant, ``Toh Lim'' in the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul.

In Korea, many Korean tea sommelier aspirants are learning the art of tea from an individual tutor who studied in China because there is no formal tea art institute.



chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

04-05-2007 19:04