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Superfluitea
the weird, the wacky & the wonderful in the world of tea

Tea Trivia:
· After water, tea is the most oft consumed beverage in the world!
· Herbal Teas actually have no relation to tea whatsoever as they are not made of the tea leaf or camelia sinensis plant - they are more aptly called 'tisanes'
· Yes it is true that Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford is credited with the advent of the ritual known as afernoon tea also called low tea since it was originally served at a low table, much like what we call a coffee table.
· Afternoon Tea includes finger sandwiches, scones, pastries & all manner of dainties
· High Tea (served at a high table, like a family's dinner table) is not the fanciest form of afternoon tea service. On the contrary, it is the end of the day meal taken by the working class and usually includes potted meats, hunks of breads, cheeses and so on with nary a petit four in sight
· Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is so heavy that it tends to cloud the taste of the tea
· Darjeeling tea from India is known as the 'Champagne' of teas
· The world's largest teapot is located in Chester, WV USA
· .... while the smallest one is apparently on an index finger somewhere

Technicaliteas:
HOW STEEP IS STEEP:

Black tea - Black is the most robust of the tea varieties and can be brewed in truly boiling water, usually steeped for 4-6 minutes.

Oolong tea - As to be expected, oolong tea falls between green and black. The best temperature is around 190°F. But oolong should be steeped longer than black tea, for around 5-8 minutes.

Green tea - You will need to be more gentle with your green teas. The water temperature should be around 150-160°F and only steeped for 2-4 minutes.

White tea - Another delicate tea that should be treated gently. Water can be a bit warmer than for green tea, at 180°F. You should let it steep longer though. At least 4-6 minutes.

Rooibos tea - This red herbal tea from South Africa is very hardy stuff and should be prepared with fully boiling water, just like black tea.

Most herbal teas - With so many different herbs that can be used for herbal tea blends, there is no way to give any temperature or steeping guidelines with any accuracy. Most herbs can be brewed in boiling water and steeped for about 5 minutes. You might need a bit of trial and error to get the perfect cup.

If you don't have a thermometer handy, you can tell the water temperature by watching the bubbles. Small bubbles will float to the surface of the water 160-170F, and you'll see strings of bubbles from the bottom of the kettle at 180-190F. After that, you'll have a full rolling boil."

(from: http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teabrewing/a/teatemp.htm)

CAFFEINE  based on 170 ml.(6 oz) Cup
· Black Tea: 34mg. 
· Green Tea: 8.36 mg.  
· Oolong Tea: 12.55 mg.  
· Rooibos Tea: 1 mg. 
· 170ml.(6oz) Cup of Coffee: 99 mg. 
· 170ml. Serving of Cola: 18.5 mg. 
· 56gr (2oz)Dark Chocolate Bar: 37mg
Caffeine content will increase with length of brewing or steeping time of the tea.

   NUTRITION (based on 170 ml.)
· Calories 2 Cal. or 7 kJ. 
· Protein 0 g. 
· Fat 0 g. 
· Carbohydrates .5 mg. 
· Sodium (from water used) 5 mg. Potassium 63 mg

Celebritea Sightings:
· Meryl Streep - Hotel Bel-Air
· David Mamet - Hotel Bel-Air
· Steven Spielberg - Victorian Manor
· Linda Evans - Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills
· Jean Claude Van Damme - Beverly Regent Hotel