Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions of Senok Tea
What is tea?
Tea comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis plant, which was first cultivated in China, then later introduced to India, Japan, Sri Lanka and other countries. From the country or estate, it is grown, how it is processed, the culture that prepares it, tea varies widely by flavor, aroma, appearance and brewing methods.
Main types of Tea?
Black tea that is withered, fully oxidized and dried. Black tea commonly yields a rich, golden amber brew. Some of the most popular types of black teas are bold breakfast teas, Dimbula’s and Darjeelings.
Green tea production avoids the oxidation process of the tea leaves, in order to retain its natural green color and flavor. In Japan, the leaves are steamed, while in other countries the leaves are pan-fired or dried through other methods. Green tea has a delicate flavor compared to that of black teas and the liquor is pale green or gold in color.
Oolong tea is produced mainly in China and Taiwan and is a partially oxidized tea. It ranges from tasting similar to a green tea to tasting slightly heavier and more robust like good black teas. The flavor can vary widely, depending on where the tea leaves are grown and how the tea is processed.
Originally from China, white tea is simply withered and dried, causing a very light to almost no oxidation. Its flavor is most similar to green tea but is usually creates a cup that is relatively creamy, soft and sweet.
Pu-erh (also spelled Pu’er) comes exclusively from China and is famous for its distinctively earthy flavor. Pu-erh is a tea that has been fermented, often stored underground for several years. Traditionally, Pu-erh is compressed into round cakes and can be very expensive.
Tea should not be confused with herbal infusions. Though herbal infusions are treated as teas and packages as such, they do not contain any actual tea leaves.
Herbal tea is simply the combination of boiling water and botanicals like fruits, flowers, barks, herbs, mints, spices, roots, berries and seeds.
YERBA MATE & GUAYUSA
Yerba Mate and Guayusa are naturally caffeinated herbal infusions from South America. They are treasured for their unique balance of caffeine and smooth, energizing effect. Yerba Mate is herbaceous, vegetal and grassy with a bittersweet flavor, while Guayusa has an earthy, rich, naturally smooth taste and a slightly sweet finish.
Caffeine in Tea
How the tea is actually prepared plays an important role in how much caffeine makes it into your cup. Everything, from the amount of tea used to water temperature and brewing time to whether the leaves are steeped loose, in a tea bag, or strainer, becomes a factor. In general, though, more tea, hotter water, and longer steeping all contribute to more caffeine per cup.
Approximately, a cup of black tea contains between 60-90g of caffeine per 8oz cup.
Green Tea contains less caffeine than black tea. However, it also is affected by brew time. The longer you leave your bag in the cup, the more caffeine you will get.
A cup of green tea contains approximately 35-70g of caffeine per 8oz cup
The caffeine content is mid–way between that of green and black teas, making them the healthier and more palatable option. A very favorite amongst connoisseurs, all oolongs hail from either China or Taiwan.
A cup of Oolong usually has between 50-75mg of caffeine per 8oz cup
Herbal tea is not derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant; herbal teas typically consists of a blend of herbs, fruits, and spices, which are naturally caffeine-free.
Tea tasting terminology
Aroma: The odor of the tea liquor, also called the nose or fragrance or bouquet.
Astringency: A lively, sharp and mouth-drying effect on the tongue. Not bitter, but a clean and refreshing quality. The sensation of astringency is caused by a reaction between polyphenols (tannins) and the protein in saliva.
Body: The tactile aspect of tea’s weight and substance in the mouth, variously subcategorized as light, medium, or full; also known as fullness.
Bright: A lively, clean style that refreshes the palate.
Character: A tea’s signature attributes depending upon origin, whether of its country, region or type.
Clean: Indicates purity of flavor and an absence of any off-tastes.
Finish: The lasting taste on your tongue after swallowing the tea.
Smooth: Round-bodied, fine-drinking teas.
Soft: Smooth, lush, and subsequently often (but not necessarily) timid in flavor
Thick: Describes the tea liquor having substance, but not necessarily strength.
How to brew
|Type of Tea||Water Temperature||Tea Bag||Loose Leaf|
|Black||boiling||3-5 minutes||3-5 minutes|
|Green||short of boiling||1-3 minutes||2-4 minutes|
|Herbal||boiling||5-7 minutes||5-7 minutes|
|White||short of boiling||30-60 seconds||2-3 minutes|
|Oolong||boiling||3-5 minutes||5-7 minutes|
The Tea Plant
Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camellia of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. Common names include “tea plant”, “tea shrub”, and “tea tree” (not to be confused with Melaleuca alternifolia, the source of tea tree oil, or Leptospermum scoparium, the New Zealand teatree).
There are two major varieties of Camellia sinensis that are grown: Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis for Chinese teas, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica for Indian Assam teas.
White tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from one or the other, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation. Kukicha (twig tea) is also harvested from Camellia sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves.
Tea and Health
All tea from the Camellia plant is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that detoxify cell-damaging free radicals in the body. Tea has about eight to ten times the polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables, according to long-time tea researcher John Weisburger, Ph.D., senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y.
Studies of humans, animals, and petri-dish experiments show that tea is highly beneficial to our health. Research suggests that regular tea drinkers — people who drink two cups or more a day — have less heart disease and stroke, lower total and LDL cholesterol, and recover from heart attacks faster.
Tea also helps soothe stress. A British study found that people who drank black tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute. The tea drinkers had lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Why does tea refresh you in hot weather?
Drinking a cup of steaming hot tea in warm weather seems unnatural, however, the hot tea activates temperature sensors in our bodies that trigger sweating. And sweating is a key mechanism our body uses to cool us down.
Senok has natural teas as well as a large range of flavoured black teas and flavoured green teas. The flavoured teas are made using either granular flavouring, liquid flavouring or wholly natural flavouring.
Please see the ingredients section to know which type is used in each product.
Is tea gluten free
Pure tea — black, green or white — is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is not related to the gluten grains wheat, barley and rye. Therefore, pure tea should be gluten-free.
- Use fresh cold water and bring it to the boil. (Note: Certain teas need boiling water, and others need to be just short of boiling)
- Depending on the temperature you need for the specific tea, heat your water.
- Add the correct amount of tea necessary for the cup or pot. Do not over add.
|Type of Tea||Amount per cup|
|Green||Japanese (Steamed)||1-2 tsp|
|Chinese (Pan Fired)||2 tsp|
This is based on making 200ml of tea.
Temperature of the water
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”
The temperature of the water is crucial. Certain teas require certain temperatures.
|Type of Tea||Water Temperature|
|Green||short of boiling 70-80°c|
|Herbal||Boiling – 100°c|
|White||short of boiling 70-80°c|
|Oolong||Boiling – 100°c|
The period that the tea is steeped is critical. Each type of tea has a particular brewing time.
|Type of Tea||Tea Bag||Loose Leaf|
|Black||3-5 minutes||3-5 minutes|
|Green||1-3 minutes||2-4 minutes|
|Herbal||5-7 minutes||5-7 minutes|
|White||30-60 seconds||2-3 minutes|
|Oolong||3-5 minutes||5-7 minutes|