Top 5 Most Expensive Teas In The World

So I was wondering today that there are so many types of tea in the world but then a thought hit me, what are the most expensive ones and obviously my query led me to google and i found a lot of search links but I’ve narrowed it down to these, most regarded expensive teas, pretty crazy if you ask me!

1. Yellow Gold Tea Buds – AUD 131.52  for 50 grams
   Now, this glistening tea is only sold in Singapore, so if you’re not from there – or planning a trip there anytime soon – you’re out of luck. There is only one mountain in the world where the tea gets harvested, and – to make it even rarer – it’s only harvested one day a year, and only with special golden scissors, and only from the top part of the tree.This tea is both as exclusive as, and as pretty as a piece of jewellery. What I mean is that they paint the tea leaves with real gold – 24 carats – and you’re seemingly supposed to consume that into your body. But don’t worry, apparently it’s not only non-toxic, it’s actually pretty healthy.

2. Panda dung tea – AUD 250/cup

   In the tea world they call the panda poo dung, but it’s really poo. So this Panda dung (poo) is the secret to this special tea, which has been reported to be sold for around $200 per cup. Why do people drink tea made of an animal’s poop? A few reasons, Panda’s only eat wild bamboo, and they only absorb around 30% of the nutrients in their food. That leaves 70% in their excrement (there are many ways of saying poo), which gets into the tea. Yes, it sounds gross – so don’t think about it when you’re gulping down this tea. Your body will love it!

   The tea is not actually made purely out of Panda dung, though. It’s just fertilized with it. A Chinese entrepreneur basically decided to cultivate tea leaves in the mountains of Ya’an, Sichuan and fertilize the leaves with the Panda dung. People loved the flavour, and paid him lots of money for it. Oh, China.
   

3. Da Hong Pao – AUD 1,555,210 /kg

   This tea is fabulous, in that it dates back as early as the 18th century (the Dao Guang Era FYI), and is still being talked about to this day. We’re actually talking about the best version of this tea – because there are a variety of options – but this one is the most expensive. So the Chinese government sold this tea in 1998 in an auction to the highest bidder, and received $900,000 for it. That comes out to around AUD1, 555, 210 per kilogram. This tea is more expensive than gold. I’d love to try it, really I would.

   What’s so special about this tea? A few Chinese government officials describe the tea as having a rich floral taste that lingers in the mouth, even several minutes after drinking. That’s pretty unique for a cup of tea.

   

4. Gyokuro – AUD 80 for 100 grams

   This tea is known as Sencha, which is a Japanese green tea that’s made without crushing the tea leaves. The leaves are really pampered – they’re shaded from the sun in the final two week before harvesting, which helps increase the amino acids in the leaves, giving them a sweeter flavour and distinctive aroma. This tea sells for about $80 AUD for 100grams, making it super expensive. Would you pay that much for tea?

   

5. Tieguanyin – AUD 3,732 / kg

   This is the motherload, the cherry on top, the big kahuna. Tieguanyin is the most expensive tea in the world, and, naturally, it comes from China. At the price of AUD 3,732 per kg, just thinking about this tea makes my heart beat faster.

   It’s named after a Buddhist deity called Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). It’s an oolong tea, meaning its oxidization is somewhere between that of black and green teas. Luckily for anyone who buys this luxurious tea, a leaf can be brewed up to seven times before it loses its flavour, so I guess its bang-for-your-buck value is very high. So why is this tea so unique? It brings the five senses into play with every sip:

   – Sight: The liquid is a sparkling golden colour, and the leaves are thick and bright. Pretty!
   – Sound: The leaves are pressed before being put into cloth bags, making a pitch-perfect ringing sound when poured into your cup.
   – Smell: It has a distinct chestnut flavour when prepared, making it distinctive among Oolong teas.
   – Taste: The rich flavour of this tea fills the mouth and tongue when swirled in the mouth.
   – Touch: The tea leaves themselves are heavy and solid, crisp to the touch.

   

In Pursuit of Healthiness : Cinnamon & Orange

Hi Guys!

Today I’ll be sharing with you a personal favourite recipe, it’s super healthy and yummy! I found the recipe online few years ago but I have tweeked it a little bit according to my own taste. It’s really refreshing and keeps you hydrated and detoxicfied through out the day. I like sipping it when I’m at the laptop just busy typing away.

So here it goes!

What you’ll need:

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 3 cinnamon sticks + peel (without pith) (you can also add any spices you want for more flavor: ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom)
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• You can add lemon slices if you want for a more ‘citrusy’ taste.

To make a quart of any of the brew, bring the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat; steep, covered, until the liquid cools to room temperature. Before serving, strain the whole spices (or not). If desired, sweeten it with a little honey, sugar, vanilla stevia, or a favorite sweetener, to taste. You can add pineapple juice to keeps it sweet, but there is a pop of tartness from the lemon and a punch of spiciness from the chai spices that I prefer to cut that with a touch of sweeter. This versatile tea can be served warm or chilled, and feel free to customize it with your preferred spices. Consider adding Citron, wine, or champagne and making an adults-only punch with it.

A warm mug of this when the weather is cold and gloomy really hits the spot. It’s soothing, warming, and comforting. And it’s a nice alternative to coffee and much more exciting and flavorful than just plain ole tea. As a bonus, it’s packed with vitamin C to keep the sickie germs at bay.

As the tea simmers on the stove like you’d simmer apple cider, it perfumes your house with a heavenly aroma. Oh and enjoy this tea with some lemon bars and banana bread! yummm

Chai all over Pakistan

 

To show you Chais (tea) all over Pakistan, there is only one guide you need, my good friend and travel photographer (also a huge tea lover like me), Danial Shah.

Danial is a regular contributor at Dawn newspaper and Express Tribune (international New York Times), an adventure seeker, wandering tirelessly around Pakistan, from the Arabian sea to the Himalayan mountains. With his permission, I am going to share some of his pictures of different chais he’s had on his travels around Pakistan. No one covers this universal love Pakistanis have for chai than him. It’s a language we all understand, every matter can be solved over a cuppa!

The reason I’m sharing  Danial’s story today instead of my own is because when you find like-minded people who share your passion it creates a sense of community. It unites us, and I’m sure you all have a similar story! so do send me pictures of how people enjoy tea in your country!

Have a good one!

 

 

 

 

 

All images are copy right © Danial shah

You can follow danial shah at:
W http://www.danialshah.com
F facebook.com/DanialShah.official
I @danialshah_

Healthy Teas You Should Be Drinking (Instead Of Coffee Or Soda)

Tea is a delicious beverage that can cool you down in the hot summer months and warm you up in the winter.

But did you know that many types of tea also have great health benefits? These 4 teas  can help improve your health and quench your thirst at the same time.

1. Oolong tea activates enzymes that cut down triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood. One study showed that women who consumed oolong tea burned a slightly larger amount of fat than those who drank only water. The health benefits of oolong tea are basically doubled because of the combined qualities of black tea and green tea. According to the Tea Association  of the United States, oolong tea falls somewhere between green and black teas, as its leaves are only partially oxidized. There are numerous kinds of tea in this world; but oolong tea might be one of the most beneficial.
2. Black tea, with its rich, full-bodied flavor isn’t only a delight to the taste buds, but it’s brimming with health benefits, as well. Black tea is one of the most highly caffeinated varieties of tea, with about 40 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Black tea also contains thearubigins and theaflavins, two types of antioxidants that have been linked to lower cholesterol levels.
3. Green tea is an excellent source of catechins, another type of antioxidant. A subgroup of this compound known as EGCG has been studied for its potential role in preventing cancer and heart disease. One study showed that drinking one cup of green tea per day could decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10 percent. If you look at the ingredients list for any fat burning supplement, chances are that green tea will be on there.This is because green tea has been shown to increase fat burning and boost the metabolic rate, in human controlled trials.
4. White tea, with its many proven health benefits, is the ultimate multi-tasker of teas. Much like green tea, white tea contains catechins, which may help fight cancer and cardiovascular disease. Drinking white tea might also reduce the risk of cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors, according to the American Cancer Society. White tea is a natural killer of bacteria and viruses. The antioxidants so abundant in white tea tone the entire immune system, providing protection against a variety of invaders and a wide range of diseases. Its helps guard against the common cold and flu, and can ease the symptoms of HIV.

What are you waiting for? Ditch the soda and coffee, and try out one of these natural and healthy teas to improve your health and quench your thirst!

   

  

Brew it like you mean it!

Do you love tea as much as I do? Well may be I am preconditioned to love tea because in my home country (Pakistan) its like air to us and what if I told you that you maybe brewing tea wrong? So every Pakistani knows a thing or two about brewing tea. But I live in Melbourne and for the life of me I couldn’t find loose dried tea leaves at any of the big stores, Coles or Woolworths. Why is that a problem you ask? Because if you like a strong cup of tea (which I do) tea bags are just not gonna cut it. So I bought Tapal (I was feeling really homesick) tea leaves from an Indian store.

So let’s get brewing! Oh but first you need these things:

– Tea strainer
– Saucepan
– Tea leaves
– Milk
– Sugar

So here are the steps for a perfect cup of tea or as we call it, Chai:

1. Add 1 cup water to a saucepan and let it boil.
2. When the water starts boiling add 1.5 tsp tapal dried tea leaves
3. Let the leaves simmer in the water after a 1-2 minutes add milk. Now I add milk according to the colour I want, so the more you add the lighter the colour of your tea.
4. Let the mixture simmer for about 30-40 seconds
5. Switch the stove off and take the tea strainer and keep it over your cup and pour the tea into your mug and add sugar, I add 1.5 tsp of brown sugar.
6. Enjoy your perfectly brewed tea!

How do you like your tea?