When you’re in need of a little r&r, settle down with a new mag and a steaming cup of tea. Whether your fave is herbal, blended or black, take the time to recharge so you’ll be ready to present.

hip tea lingo
There is so much more out there than the “brisk” teas you find at the store. Don’t get overwhelmed, get serious, and find out what your options are.All tea comes from the perennial shrub, the Camellia sinensis. The different flavors are created from the process they go through after the leaves are harvested.

Black Teas: made from the Camellia sinensis; contain caffeine; fermented and dried; have a malty, rich flavor and an amber color

Green Teas: made from the Camellia sinensis; contain caffeine; unfermented and steamed to maintain their natural color and flavor; has a mild, delicate flavor and a light green or golden color

Oolong Teas: a cross between black and green teas; fermented, but not as much as black teas; fruity and floral flavors and a golden color

Herbal Teas: don’t actually have tea in them; blended from roots, flowers, berries, fruits, seeds and grasses; contain no caffeine

Chai: rich creamers and honey are combined with spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and are then added to the finest black teas

 

tea grades
Each tea is graded based on its leaf size. Teas are sorted using a mechanical sifter with several different sized screens.

Orange Pekoe: larger, primarily whole leaves that remain on the top screen

Broken Orange Pekoe: falls through the top screen

Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings: fall through a smaller screen

Dust: the finest particles; often used in mass produced teas

the perfect cup
When you want to chill with a cup of tea, you want it to be perfect. Here’s the scoop on making the ultimate cup:

1. Start with the best dried leaf and super-clean water
2. The correct amount of leaves varies, but rule-of-thumb is to use one teaspoon per person and one for the pot
3. When brewing black teas or flavored teas, boil your water and brew for three to four minutes; oolong teas require less than boiling water and a brew time of four to seven minutes; green tea requires below boiling water and a brew time of one to two minutes