Meet the tea farmer! Join Samovar Tea Lounge’s Jesse Jacobs as he talks with Hawaii Tea grower and producer Eva Lee.

How Earth Friendly is Your Tea?

©2009 Jennifer Leigh Sauer

Ever wonder what kind of impact tea has on the environment? That depends largely on the behavior of the tea drinker, according to tea technologist and longtime tea industry consultant Nigel Melican of of Teacraft Ltd who recently did an in-depth study on the carbon footprint of tea.

Researching tea’s carbon impact from Asian tea farm to American teapot (and landfill), Melican sought to find out whether tea is an environmental “saint or a sinner” when we measure its carbon footprint by a number of criteria. He found that several variables in the domain of the tea drinker herself have a great impact on the final result, and it seems worth sharing since we are on this planet together.

“If tea is well made, if we look at the supply chain properly, if we make some adjustments, we can actually get tea to be carbon neutral,” said Melican. “Some tea in some countries we could get to be carbon negative. Now that is quite something for a product which goes from where its grown, ten thousand miles [away], to the consumer…”

In his research, Melican discovered that tea’s carbon footprint (measured by the number of grams of carbon dioxide per cup) can vary greatly from over 200g CO2 per cup to -6g CO2 per cup, depending on how the tea is grown, processed, shipped, packaged, brewed, and discarded.

On average, a loose tea which you drink at a tea lounge has about 20g CO2 per cup. As a reference point, the carbon footprint of a cup of beer is 374g, a can of Coca Cola is 129g and a cup of cow’s milk is about 225g. As such, loose tea is a far better choice environmentally than any of these.

But here is where the tea drinker comes in. First, the tea selection made by a tea consumer plays an enormous role from the start. . Melican found that teabag tea has, in fact, ten times the carbon footprint of loose tea (all other variables being equal). I’ll repeat it in reverse. Loose tea has one tenth the carbon footprint of teabag tea.

Selecting a loose tea over a teabag tea means you (and the environment) are unencumbered of a number of carbon-intensive packaging materials like the nylon or paper teabag and its string, the box and the plastic wrap around the box. This is perhaps the best PR for loose tea I’ve ever found (although drinking loose tea speaks for itself).

Recycling or re-using tea (as well as its packaging) also improves its carbon footprint. Loose tea often comes in minimal, recyclable or re-usable containers, and this benefits the planet simply because the packaging is often re-used and not discarded in landfill. Composting tea rather than tossing it in the trash will also benefit the earth. If you don’t have a garden, offer your used tealeaves to friends and neighbors who do (they will thank you for it and so will the earth).

As well, the consumer can re-use tealeaves, improving its carbon footprint. Steeped tealeaves can be put to good use to fertilize houseplants or gardens, to clean one’s home or for skincare. A tea drinker can also re-use tea and tealeaves to cook, to clean, and to reduce odors in the home (leave loose tea out in a bowl or cup to absorb odors in a room, just like baking soda).

How a tea drinker heats the water for tea also has an impact. According to Melican, “Gas is best as there is only one conversion loss from burning the fossil fuel to produce heat energy to raise the water temperature in the kettle. With electricity, you get five separate losses: 1. turning fossil fuel into steam, 2. steam into electricity, 3. grid losses along the wires (voltage drop), 4. transformer losses as voltage is stepped up and down, and 5. in heating the water in the kettle.”

Melican said that when he set out to do the study to present at the 2009 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, he had no idea what he would find. “I was very happy to find, in actual fact, tea is actually a saint.” said Melican.

Finally, Mr. Melican would like to see mandatory carbon footprint labeling on all food products, a law which is being considered in England and which consumers in the U.S. and around the world can request of their representatives. In the meantime, sip your loose tea guilt-free and with abandon!

-Jennifer for Samovarlife.com

Jennifer Leigh Sauer, is a freelance photographer, award-winning video journalist, and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of The Way to Tea: Your Adventure Guide to San Francisco Tea Culture (2007).  Click here to reach her by email.

Check out these carbon-neutral loose-leaf, organic, and fair trade teas that are on special in celebration of Meilican’s findings: Downy Sprout White Tea , Yunnan Golden Bud Black Tea, Palace Pu-eh Tea, and the Maiden’s Ecstasy and Black Infusing Mug Gift Set.

Taste Tea like You Taste Wine

Although many people see tea as an alternative to coffee (in part because it is often served hot and it contains caffeine), the breadth of tea’s aromas and flavors is far more comparable to wine.

In a recent chat, Samovar’s founder Jesse Jacobs said, “Part of the joy of being a human being in flesh and blood is experiencing physical sensations. In terms of palate, tea’s an incredibly sensory, sensual way to connect with your own being human.”

He said the recent availability of high-end teas means that tea is just as capable of providing these experiences as wine. He added, “Tea is such an amazing way to trigger all your senses. You get a robust experience for very little time and money.”

Below are Jesse’s tea-tasting suggestions for oenephiles. These are not intended to replicate individual wines’ tastes, but to serve as a guide for affinities – the overall profile, the particular aromas, the intended use, and the goals of the drinker.

For the white wine drinker:
If drink dry white wines, try Bai Mu Dan (a full-bodied, dry white tea) or Nishi (a more delicate first flush sencha). If you like them light and citrusy, look for Lobocha (Samovar’s deep-steamed sencha) or Four Season’s Oolong (which has a very green flavor profile). Fans of sweeter whites will enjoy Hika Sencha, Japanese Kukicha, and Downy Sprout White.

For red wine aficionados:
If you love the striking profile of Beaujolais, check out Wuyi Oolong . If you lean toward a middle-to-light bodied, clean red, you’ll likely prefer the smoky-yet-light taste of Houjicha. If Pinot Noir’s rich body and aroma, sweet taste, light astringency, and lingering aftertaste get you going, then Phoenix Oolong is your best bet.

For pair-happy foodies:
Just like wine, tea makes an exceptional food pairing. Jesse said, “You can enjoy enhanced flavors, comparisons and contrasts through pairing it appropriately.” Although it’s a matter of trial and error (and personal taste), he suggested one rule of thumb: Don’t drown out the subtle flavors of either the tea or the food with its match. You can pair within cultures – Gyokuro has a great umami (savory astringency) for uni (sea urchin) – or cross cultures for innovative pairings, like Japanese tea with Peruvian food, or a strong Chinese tea like Lapsang Souchong with rich, creamy Italian sauces.

For the after-dinner imbiber:
If you want the richness and sweet notes of port, try Palace Pu-erh. Lychee Black is dark and fruity like a Cherry Lambic. If you prefer the sweet, aromatic qualities of the rare Hungarian Tokaji (also spelled “Tokay”), check out Osmanthus Silver Needle and Jasmine Pearl. Other “dessert teas” include Blood Orange Pu-erh, Russian Blend, and Moorish Mint.

For serious wine connoisseurs:
If you’re looking for complexity and variety in your quaffs, tea supplies it. For a particularly complex flavor profile, Jesse suggested oolongs, particularly Mu Za Tie Quan Yin , or Phoenix Oolong if you prefer more roastiness. If you’re a wine collector and love the process of aging (and adding value to) wine, look into pu-erh collecting. You can age it for many years, reroasting it to modify and enrich its flavor profile.

There are abundant parallels between wine and tea. Does your favorite white wine have the same brilliant color as a particular green tea? Do you love pairing the same meal with, say, a special red wine or black tea? Does the aroma of a certain oolong remind you of your last wine-fueled trip to Europe? Which other wines and teas have you noticed similarities between?

-Lindsey for Samovarlife.com

Lindsey “Vee” Goodwin is a professional tea writer and consultant. She founded Vee Tea, is a contributing editor to World Tea News, writes for non-industry publications about tea and writes web copy/press releases for tea companies. She is also a consultant to several tea companies and teaches about tea through staff training and individual/small group classes and tastings. Click here to reach her by email.

Great tea requires artful preparation, the highest quality tea leaves, and pure water.

Water temperature also influences the final cup, and tea masters are vigilant about heating their water optimally to match the tea they are brewing. However, they determine the “readiness” of the water in different ways-visually, auditorially, and electronically.

Some look for visual signs of the water temperature to determine when the water is heated properly for the particular tea they intend to brew.

You may have heard tea masters talk about looking for “fish eyes” in the water.  This is when medium bubbles form just before the water moves towards a roiling boil.  This is when the water is ready for oolongs, generally.  The way the steam leaves the spout of the kettle—in wisps or in gusts–also signals the water’s readiness for some tea masters.

Lu Yu said:

When at the edges it chatters like a bubbling spring and looks like pearls innumerable strung together, it has reached the second stage.  When it leaps like breakers majestic and resounds like a swelling wave, it is at its peak.  Any more and the water will be boiled out and should not be used.2

David Lee Hoffman listens to the water.  During our tea time together, as the water began to get closer to boiling, he stopped the conversation and said “Listen!”  as he waited in anticipation for exactly the right crackling noise to emit from the iron kettle over the fire.  A skilled technical sound man, Hoffman has a keenly trained ear which he puts to good use as a tea master. He said he also pays attention to the way the steam rises from the spout at different temperatures.

Many tea masters simply use automated kettles that brew water to a pre-selected temperature, and still others in the slow food movement who like to be numerically exacting without the aid of electronic technology, will use a simple kitchen thermometer meant for liquids. (Note: these thermometers go up to only about 220ºF and will melt in the oven).

I rely on a combination of visual and auditory methods to brew water to the right temperature.  I watch for the intensity and velocity of the steam coming from the spout of the kettle, and if I am busy doing something while the kettle is heating, I listen for a certain sound I have become acquainted with that tells me how close the water is to boiling and always try to catch it before it boils.  If the whistle blows before I reach the kettle, I’ve failed.

I just recently had to buy a new tea kettle and notice that it makes different sounds than the old one, so I am having to learn the language of this new tea kettle.

You will also want to become familiar with the relationship between tea type and water temperature. Here are some basic guidelines, which are meant to be experimental bases:

Green and white teas tend to require cooler water temperatures, usually between 160-185ºF; oolongs do well in higher temperatures, approximately 185-205ºF; and black teas can be steeped in water 205º to boiling (212ºF).  If you play around, you might notice that steeping an oolong, for example, in cooler-than-optimal water will bring out more sweet notes in the tea.

This is just a brief overview of water for tea. Each aspect regarding water for tea is a subject in itself that some experts delve into one or the other with great vigor and in great depth.  Collecting and brewing good water is the first step to brewing good tea. However you brew it– drink, dream, share and be merry.

-Jennifer for Samovarlife.com

Jennifer Leigh Sauer, is a freelance photographer, award-winning video journalist, and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of The Way to Tea: Your Adventure Guide to San Francisco Tea Culture (2007).  Click here to reach her by email.

1, 2: The Classic of Tea, translated by Francis Ross Carpenter (Ecco Press, 1974)

To encourage and control leaf oxidation, the Tea Masters who make Oolongs employ various stages of withering, bruising (to encourage oxidation), roasting (to stop oxidation), rolling, and baking techniques. The amount that a particular tealeaf is allowed to oxidize before baking results in the range of oolong infusion color: from bright green or golden to amber or reddish infusions.

Oolong Teas that are more oxidized, as with black tea, have a darker, coppery, reddish-amber infusion. Less oxidized Oolongs have a greener or golden-green infusion.

Oolong Teas was first made in Fujian, China during the 18th century. Today Oolongs are produced in Guangdong and Fujian, China, Taiwan, Northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Oolongs can be made with spring, autumn, and winter leaves- with each harvest possessing unique characteristics.

Oolong teas have complex flavor profiles and there is a wide range of them. Some oolongs are processed into tightly packed pellets or pearls (pack rolled), while others are long and twisted (long rolled). These differences in appearance are created by distinct rolling techniques that vary from region to region.

Please see the Samovar Oolong Teas