Walk down any beauty product aisle and you’ll see the growing popularity of tea, not to drink, but in the form of lotions, shampoos and soaps. Wonder what tea could do in a lotion? Could there be a benefit of applying tea to our skin?
Start at the beginning and look at the purpose of beauty products. Lotion for example. Its purpose is to soothe, soften and moisturize. It does this by containing emollients, which add a layer of oil to the skin to prevent water loss. As the makers of beauty products experimented, they started looking at ways to not just keep skin hydrated, but also resist the onset of aging. Vitamins A and E, which contain anti-oxidants, started being used as preservatives. Tea, also rich in anti-oxidants, began showing up in shower gels.

Anti-oxidants
What are anti-oxidants? Why are they good for us? Anti-oxidants are produced by plants as a way of protecting themselves from the damaging effects of the sun. We absorb these anti-oxidants in our own bodies when we eat an apple or drink a cup of tea. These anti-oxidants help our own cells to stay healthy from the damaging effects from our environment. It is thought that adding anti-oxidants directly to lotions, straight to our skin, might help keep our skin cells from becoming damaged.

All plants contain different levels of anti-oxidants. The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is famous for containing an unusually high amount of anti-oxidants.

Research that’s been done
While it is believed that using tea topically is a health benefit, there has been little research done to prove it. There’s work currently being done at the University of Minnesota Hormel Institute in Austin, MN. They are testing a solution containing chemicals called polyphenols, extracted from green tea. So far, they have found tea may be able to prevent skin cancer when applied to skin. At what levels or amounts is still not known.

Not a new idea
Applying tea to the skin is not a new idea. It has been used in Asia for centuries in aiding skin burns and washing, as it is a natural antiseptic.

In the Beauty Aisle
When shopping for products with tea, pay attention to the ingredient listing. Look for a high percentage of tea. It should not be listed last. You’ll be surprised how many products claim to have tea, yet it is nowhere to be found on the ingredient listing. Remember, the higher the quantity of tea, the more benefit you’ll receive.

The most common tea used are white and green, as they are known for the highest amounts of anti-oxidants. You will also see rooibos used, sometimes called “red tea.” While rooibos is not a true tea (from the Camellia sinensis plant), it is an herbal from South Africa known for a high level of anti-oxidants.

At Home
Why not try making your own tea beauty products? All that is required is tea and good quality water. You’ll be able to control the amount of tea for a real health benefit.

A simple way to start is making a concentrate. Add tea (try white or green tea) to unheated, filtered or spring water. Let it steep, at room temperature, for an hour of more. You can use this concentrate to rinse your skin or place in a bottle and use as a spritzer. Store in the refrigerator. Experiment with making soaps and lotions.
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This ran in the final issue of “Asian Food & Lifestyle,” a NY based guide to all things Asian. I will miss writing for and reading it, along with other New Yorkers. Tea beauty update: I’ve been using White Peony tea to wash my face with once a week. I use about 1 tablespoon tea to 4 ounces of fresh, room temp water, steep an hour or longer. I find it makes my skin really soft and smell like sweet, wet wood.

I’ve been drinking a lot of Korean green teas this summer. You don’t usually hear too much about them, but the history is rich and the teas tasty. Here’s brief bit about Korean teas…
The first historical account of tea drinking in Korea dates back to 661 when it was used in a ceremony honoring the spirit of King Suro. It is thought the seeds made their way to Korea from China, in the hands of Buddhist scholars, in the sixth or seventh century. While tea first was introduced through Buddhist rituals and eventually enjoyed by all Koreans, it was the literati that elevated tea drinking to an art form. It is said there are more poems about tea written in Korean than in any other language.

Korean teas, from cultivation to style of teaware, naturally takes its greatest influence from China. However, over the centuries, the people and cultural traditions of Korea have made their own imprint and created their own style of tea drinking. Have you ever noticed a lidded cup with a strainer (all ceramic) that is short and round? Almost like a mushroom shape? That’s a Korean teacup. No teapot needed. The cup is made to be both. You’ll see the strainer is as large as the cup, letting the tea fully open to release its best flavor. It’s perfect for making multiples steepings of the same tealeaves.

Korean Tea Ceremony
Compared to Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies, the Korean tea ceremony is much more casual, with fewer rules. To find out more about the ceremony, contact Franchia, where you can take a workshop.

Korean Green Teas
Different from other tea producing regions, Korean tea plants are only picked three times during a harvest. The first tea picked (before April 20) is called Ujon and is most valuable. From April 20 to May 5/6, the second picking is called Sejak. The last picking is called Chungjak and is the least valuable.

There are five distinct tastes in drinking Korean teas: bitterness, sweetness, astringency, saltiness and sourness. To Korean Buddhists, tea is thought to evoke peacefulness, respectfulness, purity and quietness.

Tea was so closely connected to Buddhism that in the fourteeth Century, when Confucism was introduced, the culture of tea drinking almost died out completely. The only tea plants left had grown into wild trees in the southern regions (picked by the few that still drank tea).

Green teas are still made from these wild trees in the South. They are called the Wild Green Teas of Korea; their taste full of complexity and flavor from the soil their deep roots reach. They are well worth tasting.

Finding Korean Green Teas
In New York City, HanGawi and Franchia. On the web, Brian Wright, of Shan Shui Teas, carries an excellent selection.

If you are reading this, you are a beginner to teamaking or you’re trouble shooting. I offer some basic guidelines, a recipe so to speak. And with all recipes, they are good to follow in the beginning to understand measurements and ratios. Be sure to break away and experiment when you are ready.

Tea Making 101:

Teapot. If you don’t already have a teapot, find one that you will love to use everyday. Look for how well it pours (test it). What size works best for you? How easy is the lid to remove? Does it have a strainer? Is the strainer large enough for the leaves to open?

I recommend using a smaller teapot, rather than bigger, for better tasting tea. Often, tea brewed in a large teapot can taste “stewed” and you’ll have to use a lot more leaf.

Water. Spring or filter water is best. Tap water has chemicals that can add a tinny, chemical taste that the tea cannot overpower. Don’t use water that has been sitting in kettle on your stove for a month either. Fresh, unboiled water has the oxygen tea needs to release its best flavor.

Tealeaves. The magic ratio: 3 grams of tea to 6 ounces of water. Tealeaves vary in shape and size. The bigger the leaf, the more you will need to use. For example, brewing a black tea (leaves are smaller), use 1 teaspoon to 6 ounces of water. For a white tea (leaves are larger) use 2 tablespoons to 6 ounces of water.

Brewing. Following the 3 grams of tea to 6 ounces of water ratio, it will take 3 to 5 minutes to brew a loose tea. Black and oolong teas like very hot water (205 F), while green and white teas like it a bit cooler (160-185 F). Taste your tea as it brews and remove the leaves when you like the taste. Re-steep!

There’s a “front” to every teabowl. You can find it by looking for the indentation or marking or painting on the bowl - that is the front.

If someone makes matcha for you, they will hand you the bowl with the “front” facing you. To show respect to your host, turn the bowl (spin it on your left palm, in 2 even turns), so the “front” faces them (it’s not polite to put your lips over the design). If there’s not a design to give you a hint, turn the bowl 2 turns anyways. Then drink.
How to hold the bowl:
1. Cup your left hand directly under the bowl (all your fingers are underneath)
2. Curve your right hand around the right side (no fingers pointing above the bowl)
3. Let your elbows be loose and out to the side

Raise the bowl to your mouth in this position. It should feel very comfortable and relaxed.

Drink all the matcha, in 3 1/2 sips, with the last 1/2 sip making a slurping noise to show your enjoyment of the tea. Then examine the beauty of the bowl before setting it down.

Matcha, in Japanese, means “powdered tea.” It is whipped, not steeped, using a whisk made of split bamboo. Its’ origins date back to the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), China, where monks used it in Zen rituals. Visiting Japanese scholars, wanting to continue this Zen ritual at home, carried the first tea seeds to plant in Japan. This tradition would take it’s own form in Japan and evolve into the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Meanwhile, powdered tea dies out in China, being replaced by a new invention: steeping the leaves in a teapot or gaiwan.

Matcha is the heart of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, a four-hour event where the ideals of harmony of man and nature are practiced. You can participate in several versions of the ceremony, ranging from 20 minutes to the full four-hour, depending on how well you sit on your knees. I can’t make it more than an hour, but I think it’s an incredible beautiful experience. Be sure not to wear jeans.

Health Benefits
Matcha is very good for you. Instead of just drinking the steep of tea leaves, you are actually injesting the tea leaves themselves. Matcha contains vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K. It is known to be rich in catechin polyphenols compounds with high antioxidant activity, said to protect from many kinds of cancer, increase cardiovascular health and slow the aging process. Besides that, it gives you a nice, smiley rush.

Making Matcha
Matcha predates teapots. You will need different tools to make it.

You will need:
teabowl (chawan in Japanese)
bamboo whisk
filtered water (heated to just under boiling)
sifter (optional)

1. Sift matcha powder (this step is optional - but will make a better froth)
2. Warm your teabowl by rinsing it with heated water
3. Dry it with a towel
4. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sifted matcha to the center of teabowl
5. Add 3 ounces of heated water
6. Quickly whisk in a back and forth motion (not circular)
7. Drink

In NYC, have it made for you at: Cha-An and Kai by Ito En

Find matcha online at: Matcha Source

With the first sign of daffodils sprouting in the City’s parks, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s the arrival of spring announced so sweetly. I started really noticing the City’s flowers a few years ago. I’ve learned the daffodils bloom first, then the tulips, and then the roses. Every year they return and inspire.
In addition to enjoying the beauty of flowers, they are delicious to drink. While the bloom of a flower is short, you can drink its brew all year around.

There are two different definitions of flowers teas. The first is a term to describe the infusion of flower blossoms. These infusions are naturally without caffeine and have their own unique health benefits.

Chamomile
One of the most popular blossoms for drinking, it has a light apple taste and is famous for soothing, relaxing and helping us sleep. It’s also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. A strong brew of chamomile, let to cool, can be used as a mouthwash.

Chrysanthemum
In China, this blossom has been said to “attract the soul of the sky and earth,” for it’s ability to endure cold weather. It represents nobility and elegance. Health benefits: improving eyesight, neutralizing toxins and protecting the liver.

Elder Flower
Most often found in Europe, it is becoming popular in the US as well. These very tiny star-shaped blossoms yield a yellow color and taste of sweet apricot. It is known to help the respiratory system, especially in easing coughs, and increase perspiration.

Honeysuckle Flower
This flower is often found it herbal blends, but can be enjoyed on its own as well. You can find it stores that carry Chinese herbal remedies. It is sweet smelling and tasting. Health benefits: soothe sore throats, reduce fever and rid toxins.

Lavender
The word lavender comes from the Latin word lavare, meaning, “to wash.” How fitting for this lovely aromatic blossom which is often used in scenting baths and soaps. As a brew, its taste is very similar to its aroma. It’s known to aid in sleeping and relieving nervous tension. You can also apply it as a cool compress to help sunburns and skin problems.

The second type of flower tea comes from China. It describes a tea (made from the Camellia sinensis tea plant) this is scented or blended with flower blossoms. Typically, jasmine, osmanthus and chrysanthemum flowers are used.

Flower Display Teas
China, the birthplace of tea, has cultivated more ways of making teas than any other country. A great signature of Chinese tea making is the display tea – handcrafted out of tealeaves. Traditionally, only the finest tealeaves are used and blossoms are often “sewn” together with the tea. The shape of the display tea changes when steeped in hot water – enjoy the show that unfolds.

Jasmine Tea
Jasmine teas are teas scented with the jasmine flower. The tea can be a black, oolong, green or white tea. Traditionally, the tea is scented by placing it with jasmine blossoms overnight - and then removing them the next morning. Jasmine blossoms are known to calm nerves and help headaches.

Osmanthus Tea
Osmanthus blossoms are often used to scent oolong, white and pu-erh teas. They are small yellow flowers that grow in Southern China and Taiwan. They add apricot and subtle peach notes to the taste of the tea. The blossoms are known to aid digestion.
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By Karen Dunlap, published in Asian Food & Lifestyle, March/April 2006

Oolong Tea Cocktail
4 ounces Vertical Vodka
2 ounces Osmanthus Oolong
2 ounces simple syrup
1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice

Shake, pour and drink.

Last summer, at Cibar in Gramery Park, I hosted with friends the first of a new style of tea parties in New York City. The party, the first of an on-going experiment in creating a new American tea culture, was an attempt to introduce people to the pleasures of tea.

The party focused on oolongs (since that’s what hooked me). Guests enjoyed a tea tasting of oolongs served cold brewed, gung-fu style and in a cocktail. The party, free to the public, was graciously sponsored by In Pursuit of Tea and Vertical Vodka.