Frequently asked questions about our tea
What is the difference between green, black and oolong tea?
All types of tea (such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea and also white tea) are made from the leaves of the tea plant Camellia Sinensis. The difference between these teas lies in the degree of oxidation of the teas:
- Green tea in unoxidized
- Black tea is completely oxidized
- Oolong tea is partially oxidized (so it lies between green and black tea)
- White tea is only picked and dried. Mostly the degree of oxidation is only 1-4%
Can I pour your teas more than once? And if so, how often?
In short: yes, you can infuse most of our teas several times! Whether and how often you can infuse a tea several times depends on the type of tea and the quality level of the tea.
- Out green teas several infusions can always be prepared. Most varieties can be infused up to three times, especially high-quality teas like our Gyokuro even up to five times!
- Oolong has the most endurance of all teas. You can infuse most oolong teas four to five times. Our Shan Lin Xi even stumbles 8 infusions!
- Black tea can usually only be infused once.
What is the best way to pour your tea?
So that the aroma of the tea can develop as best as possible, you should choose a method when preparing your tea with which your tea has as much space as possible. This is the best way for the tea leaves to unfold and give their delicious taste to the water.
Large sieves and permanent filters, which are simply hung in a jug or cup, are well suited. We do not recommend a tea infuser. These are usually too small or too narrow to infuse tea properly.
Alternatively, you can pour your tea on the traditional Chinese preparation method. Since the topic is a bit more complex, we have written a great article for you on our blog. Click here!
What water temperature do I need to prepare tea?
Depending on the type of tea, a certain water temperature is recommended:
- Green tea: 60-80 degrees
- Black tea: 100 degrees
- Oolong tea: 85-95 degrees
- Rooibos tea: 100 degrees
For green tea and oolong tea, it is recommended to measure the temperature with a thermostat. Alternatively, a kettle with an adjustable temperature is suitable. If this is not possible, there is a rough rule of thumb for determining the water temperature: After boiling, the water loses 10 degrees of temperature every 5 minutes.
How do I dose my tea?
In general, it can be said that 10 to 12 grams of tea leaves are required for the preparation per liter of tea. For most teas, this weight corresponds to about 2 tablespoons. Particularly voluminous types of tea should be dosed with 3 tablespoons per liter. With compact varieties, such as our Oolong teas, one tablespoon is enough.
The amount can be varied depending on your preference. Feel free to experiment with your tea! We have precise preparation recommendations for each of our varieties on our blog for you. Click here!
Where do your teas come from?
We source all of our teas directly from the tea gardens. Our teas come from the following regions:
- Japan, Uji in Kyoto Prefecture
- Taiwan, highland regions like Shan Lin Xi or Nantou
- Indonesia, Java island
- India, Darjeeling and Assam
- Nepal, Dhankuta District
- South Africa, Cederbergen
In order to create even more transparency, we have recently included the origin of the teas on our labels. The exact origin of each tea can be seen on a small map!
Is your tea safe to consume?
Yes! All our teas are checked for residues and meet the EU requirements for tea by far. We also make sure that all of our teas are made sustainably and in harmony with nature. Buying tea is a matter of trust and we want to give our customers a secure feeling when enjoying their teas. We would be happy to send you laboratory results for our teas on request!
Tea lovers with a lactose intolerance should visit our Organic Milky Oolong watch out. The tea was steamed with milk and therefore contains lactose!
Why are your teas not organic certified?
Certification according to the EU organic regulation does not necessarily mean that the respective product is sustainable. In our eyes, the organic seal is too incomplete to be a reliable indicator of the sustainability of a product. There are certainly many products that have an organic label and are grown in an environmentally friendly manner. Nevertheless, the seal is often still a marketing tool, with the sole intention of persuading customers with a high level of environmental awareness to buy.
We have written an entire article on this topic and our corporate philosophy. You can read the article here Find!
Further questions?
Your question is not included here? No problem! Please send us an email with your question to hallo@friendsoftea.de!
