Barefoot Tea

Tea Types: White Tea

What is white tea?

White tea is produced from young tea leaves and/or buds that are hand-picked from the tea plant and carefully withered to remove some of the moisture and then dried.  A white tea infusion yields a pale, Champagne colored beverage with a delicate and smooth taste.  White tea drinkers enjoy a “peach pit” quality to the taste with lingering notes of honey. Some of these notes may be enhanced with multiple infusions.  Join us for a future blog entry on multiple infusions. White tea offers a low caffeine option.

Traditionally, loose leaf white tea is classified as either “Silver Needle” (Yin Zhen Bai Hao) or “White Peony” (Bai Mu Dan).  While many white teas originate from China; India, Kenya, Malawi and Sri Lanka are manufacting white teas, as well.

Barefoot Tea, Silver Needle

 

White tea is growing in popularity in the U.S., particularly in bottled tea beverages as the word gets out about the apparent health benefits of white tea including its low level of caffeine and height of polyphenols.*  However, while newer to Americans, white tea is steeped in history with its first production in 11th century China. 

At Barefoot Tea, we offer Silver Needle, tea leaf buds said to be plucked only a few days of the year.  We recommend a 2-3 minute steep time and 30 seconds for multiple infusions.

Additionally, we offer our Gingerly White tea, which combines the best of White Peony tea and soothing ginger for a low caffeine, digestive helper.*

Since we love white tea in all forms, we also provide palate pleasing, combination blends of flavored green and white tea. Check out our Rocky Pont White and Stone Harbor Blend teas, built with care in taste, health and hospitali-TEA.* (OK, we couldn’t help ourselves with that reference!)

*Barefoot Tea provides tea and health information published in trade journals and public periodicals as a courtesy to our customers and is not intended as medical advice.

December 2, 2010 at 1:43 pm | Tea 101, Uncategorized | No comment

Tea Steep Times & Temps

October 30, 2010 at 8:54 pm | Tea 101 | No comment

Recipes: Steeping a Tea Latte

September 16, 2010 at 2:46 am | Tea 101 | No comment

Recipes: Blackberry Mojito

July 28, 2010 at 3:53 pm | News | No comment

Barefoot Tea’s Merchant Friends

When you visit Barefoot Tea in NJ, you get the benefit of visiting the best kept secret shopping destination in Cape May County, NJ.  Since Barefoot Tea is located in Woodland Village, a collection of boutique shops, you have the inside scoop on this special destination. Woodland Village, The Garden Greenhouse and our setting in Clermont, NJ provides the perfect escape for the day. Treat yourself, bring a friend (or several!) or surprise a family member with a special outing. You can find that unique gift, take in the live butterfly exhibit or relax with your favorite beverage on Barefoot Tea’s patio overlooking the beautifully manicured grounds. 

Psst…Many merchants in the Village fulfill phone orders and provide mailing services for those out of the area and nationwide.  Check out the Woodland Village Brochure.

Additionally, attractions just a stones’ throw from Woodland Village are Leamings Run Gardens and the Cape May County Zoo.

Woodland Village merchant website highlights include the following:

http://www.imaginebutterfliesnj.com/

http://www.thecandlewyckcottage.com/

http://www.gardengreenhouse.net/

Stay tuned for updates on Barefoot Tea’s other merchant friends!

July 24, 2010 at 9:43 pm | News | No comment

The Caffeine Question: Part Deux

For those sensitive to caffeine that still want to enjoy your favorite teas, you can reduce the level of caffeine in tea easily.

Pour your very hot to boiling water over your tea leaves and let sit for 60 seconds. Discard this first cup. Then, pour more hot to boiling water over your tea leaves again, let steep and enjoy a reduced-caffeine tea. Studies show that heat releases caffeine.

Barefoot Tea offers a variety of caffeine-free infusions as well as decaf teas that remove this step. Email us or visit our NJ store for more details.

July 18, 2010 at 8:27 pm | Tea 101 | No comment

What is a tea plant?

All tea comes from the same plant – camellia sinensis. While there are many types of infusions including herbal blends, fruit infusions, rooibos, honeybush, mate’ and a combination of all of those options that are steeped like tea and have a place in the tea world, they are different from white, green, oolong and black teas that come from one this one plant. The leaves of this plant have been enjoyed by peoples in many parts of the world for thousands of years.  It does sound pretty amazing when you think about that fact.  Yes, tea is second only to WATER as the most widely consumed beverage in the WORLD!  For this blog entry, let’s look at this treasured plant as it grows.

Have you ever wondered what a tea leaf looks like before it makes it to your teapot, favorite cup or icy cold glass? 

Wonder no more….here is a series of photos to show the tea leaf prior to its plucking.* *Photos from the Charleston Tea Plantation, Charleston, SC, the only tea plantation in North America.

July 7, 2010 at 10:26 pm | Tea 101 | No comment

Barefoot Tea Local Honey

Barefoot Tea is proud to offer local South Jersey honey. 

What is considered local? Honey is considered local within a 100 mile radius.  Our local honey comes from north of Millville, NJ. Why is this local honey important? For a number of reasons.  For many of our customers fighting allergies, local honey may offer relief. * While Barefoot Tea does not offer medical advice, studies have shown that local honey aides in improving allergy symptoms when consumed regularly, over a period of time.*  Since many of our customers hail from parts of NJ, the Philadelphia area, Delaware and surrounding regions, we wanted to supply a local option that may include some of these communities, as well as our Cape May County customers. In addition, we aim to support bee farmers and bee populations up and down the east coast and nationwide.  Currently, at the store, we feature local South Jersey Pine Barren and Blueberry honey.

Pine Barren honey is light with a slight herbal aftertaste. It pairs perfectly with many teas, but our favorite combinations include Limon Green, Bancha and our premium oolong tea.

Blueberry Honey has the essence of blueberry captured by the bees that pollinate NJ blueberry farms, but it should not be considered flavored. This honey offers the sweet background of the blueberry, but is not overt on the palate. We recommend pairing the Blueberry honey with our Blueberry Farm fruit tea and All that Ras green tea among other teas.

The quality of these honey’s add that special touch to to any baked good or acts as the secret ingredient for your next barbeque.

*Barefoot Tea provides health-related information published in public periodicals and trade journals as a courtesy to our customers and is not intended as medical advice.

June 25, 2010 at 8:30 pm | News | 2 comments

Free Tea Tastings: Fridays 5pm-6pm

Join us at the store on Fridays from 5 pm to 6 pm until Sept. 1 for free, no reservations needed tea tastings.  Have fun, taste some teas, learn about loose leaf teas and infusions, steeping guidelines and techniques.

June 23, 2010 at 12:14 am | News | No comment

Iced Tea: An American Tradition

Americans love their iced tea. According to statistics published by the U.S. Tea Association, almost 85% of tea consumed in the U.S. is iced tea.  ’Ever wonder how this tradition began?

According to reports, iced tea was created at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair by Englishman, Richard Blechynden, who traveled from India to represent teas from the Far East. The oppressive heat kept visitors from sampling the hot teas. Then in a moment of brillance, he poured his tea over ice and it became a hit. Americans have not looked back since.  

Barefoot Tea celebrates this tradition.  Customer top-rated iced teas include Island, Blackberry Infusion, Avalon, St. John, Sunrise and Ceylon teas to name a few. Keep an eye out for future recipes and iced tea brewing tips.

March 31, 2010 at 1:23 pm | News | No comment

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