Organic Long Island Strawberry (Flavored Green Tea)

PRIMARY NOTES:
Category: (FG): Flavored Green Tea
Variety: Green tea
Grade: Sencha – Made to Japanese specifications
Infusion: Bright, pale green to yellow, light colored cup.
Pairing Suggestions: Quiche, Cream cheese pastries, Chocolate croissant, Fruit yogurt, Macaroni and cheese, Pie

ORIGIN NOTES:
Ingredients From: China
Region(s): Hunan Province
Seasonality: Seasonal quality (Mar.-Apr. growth)
Shipping Port(s): Shanghai
Grade Composition: Sencha – Made to Japanese specifications
Growing Altitude(s): 1500-4500 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type(s): Traditional Pan Fired Green Tea

MORE ABOUT LONG ISLAND STRAWBERRY:

Long Island has been famous for its strawberries for as long as people have lived there.  Local history books describe people going on picnics and nature hikes to pick the wild berries as far back as the 1850's - and that's only recorded history.  Archaeological records show that the Native Americans who inhabited Long Island centuries ago were also fond of the sweet summertime fruit.   

After the Civil War, commercial farming on Long Island began to develop rapidly.  Among the new cash crops was the wild strawberry. It didn't hurt that the local farms were generally within a day’s drive of New York City.  Farmers began hauling their produce to markets around the City, spreading the word about the exceptional Long Island quality.  The strawberry’s popularity grew quickly and as time wore on, and car culture began to develop, roadside fruit stands popped up to cater to city folk partaking in the new found pleasure of the country drive.  To this day a journey out to Long Island will take you past many such stands and pick-your-own berry patches.   

A stop at such a stand was the inspiration behind this blended green tea. Company mythology has it that our master taster stopped to buy some berries one summer and was so dazzled by their sweet juiciness that he immediately called back to the office to declare a tea-eureka moment! A decision was quickly made to develop Long Island Strawberry tea. After experimenting with a number of teas, a Sencha style green from Hunan, China was chosen. The reason?  It’s a perfect match for the sweet flavor of strawberries.  Green tea forgoes the fermentation process required to produce black tea.  The leaf is steamed after plucking, then bruised either by machine or by hand. After that it’s pan or basket fired, leaving it with a distinctive glossy look and light sweetish flavor – an almost perfect match for the strawberry in terms of character profile.   

Blended together, the combination of strawberry flavoring and green tea produces a cup that is light and fresh, tempered with delicate notes of juicy sweet strawberry.  (The juiciness has been further enhanced by the addition of dried papaya pieces.)   Brew yourself a pot today and dream of a relaxing cruise through the countryside.  A fabulous tea!

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

Luxury Ingredients (Loose Tea and Pyramid Tea Bags): Green tea, Papaya + Strawberry pieces, and Natural flavors. Luxury Ingredients (Tea Bag /Classic):   Green tea, Natural flavors.

Allergens: Nuts: No Gluten: No Wheat: No Sulfites: No Soy Lecithin: No Crustacea: No Eggs: No Milk or dairy: No
• Packed at a factory that has a HACCP certified allergen control program.
• Packed at a factory that has nuts on the premises
Caffeine: Caffeine content: Low

Est. Antioxidant Guide:  Antioxidant Content: High: 7.50 – 9.99% polyphenols by dry weight. 

Note: The longer you steep your tea the more polyphenols will be extracted. (Test results based on 5 minutes steeping time. Polyphenol percentages may fluctuate with lot, grade of tea, testing method, temperature of water and freshness of tea)

BREWING RECOMMENDATIONS – 1 cup;  230-280ml,  8-10 fl oz):

Weaker Tea: ¾ teaspoon (1.7 gr. / 0.06 oz.)
Regular Strength Tea: 1 teaspoon (2.2 gr. / 0.08 oz.)
Stronger Tea: 1 ½ teaspoon (3.0 gr. / 0.11 oz.)
Sugg. Brewing Temp: 100’C / 212’F
Sugg. Brewing Time: Weaker < 3 min. / Regular Strength 4-5 min. / Stronger > 6-8 min*
Sugar: Not recommended
Milk: Not recommended
Lemon: Not recommended
Fresh Mint Sprig: Not recommended 

Hot tea brewing method:  

Traditional method (see note below): When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180°F/82°C. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon in your cup let the tea steep for about 3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of enchantment - do not remove the leaves from the cup. Adding milk and sugar is not recommended. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted. Look at the pattern of the leaves in the brew, not only do they foretell your fortune but you can see the bud and shoots presenting themselves, looking like they are about to be plucked. 

Modern Method: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 single serve packet for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Adding milk or sugar is not recommended. 

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher):  (to make 1 liter/quart):  Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea, 6 tea bags or 6 Q3 single serve packets into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)                                           

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving):  Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 single serve packet into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.  Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!) 

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT:

More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis), or rooibos (Asphalatus Linearis), the longer it is brewed….and the more tea or rooibos that is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.

Ideal Brewing Temperature: 100ºC/212ºF. Minimum Brewing Temperature: 90ºC/194ºF.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS NOTES:

• Green tea comes from the same plant as black, white or oolong teas, (Camellia Sinensis) and is an excellent source of a particularly powerful antioxidant and tea polyphenol known as ECGC.
• Antioxidants and tea polyphenols are documented in various research papers as inhibitors of various types of cancers in some cases. • In laboratory tests commissioned by The Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd, results noted that premium green teas grown at high altitude generally contained more antioxidants compared to low altitude common green teas.
• A cup of tea consumed without milk or sugar or any other additives contains no calories.
• One Japanese study concluded that women who drank 10 Japanese size (about 3 ounces per cup) cups of green tea per day were likely to live cancer free for 7.3 years longer than those that drank less quantities of green tea. Men exhibited a similar benefit but it was only 3.4 years as there was a higher incidence of smoking amongst men compared to women.

TRADITIONAL, THERAPEUTIC AND FOLK USE NOTES:

• Pineapple – Throughout the world the pineapple is seen as a symbol of hospitality. This tradition started in Spain.
• Strawberry - It is believed that strawberries were highly prized during the era of Ancient Rome, yet after the fall of Rome they seemed to be forgotten. The berries re-emerged in Europe during the middle ages and were a luxury saved for only the upper class until the mid-19^th (this was thanks to the introduction of railways)

CUPPING NOTES: