Chinese Barbequed Pork - Cooking with Class



“COOKING WITH CLASS”

Food Demonstrations with Flair

Instructor: Staci Joers

Website: cookingwithclass.us

Email: mjoers@

Dim Sum

Literally meaning "to touch your heart," dim sum (pronounced Deem Sum) consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies such as the famous egg custard tarts. They are similar to hors d'oeuvres, the hot and cold delicacies served at French restaurants.

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum is inextricably linked to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. Travelers journeying along the famous Silk Road needed a place to rest, so teahouses began springing up along the roadside. Rural farmers, exhausted after long hours working in the fields, would also head to the local teahouse for an afternoon of tea and relaxing conversation. Still, it took several centuries for the culinary art of dim sum to develop. It was originally considered inappropriate to combine tea with food - in fact a famous 3rd century Imperial physician claimed this would lead to excessive weight gain. However, as tea's ability to aid in digestion and cleanse the palate became known, tea house proprietors began adding a variety of snacks, and the tradition of dim sum was born.

Today, dim sum is served throughout China, particularly in Shanghai. But, the best dim sum can be found in Canton, with its wide assortment of sweet and savory dishes ranging from meatballs to sweet cakes. Still, it is probably true that the best dim sum chefs are found not in China but in Hong Kong, where restaurants begin serving dim sum as early as 6:30 in the morning and continue through mid-afternoon. 

In the west, dim sum came about as a natural result of 19th Chinese immigrants - most of who were from the Canton region - settling on the East and West coasts. Some gourmands believe that dim sum inspired the whole idea of "brunch" - combining breakfast and lunch into one large midmorning meal. It is true that the word brunch only came into existence in the late 1800's. (There's also some thought that the Denver sandwich - the quintessential cowboy snack - came about when a Chinese cook tried to adapt Eggs Foo Yung to suit western tastes).

But back to dim sum. What is it, exactly? Let's start with what it is not. If you're the type that enjoys browsing through a menu, then a dim sum restaurant is not for you. There's no ordering; instead you choose from a wide assortment of snacks that the waiters bring out on carts and trays. Also, if you're looking to have a romantic lunch, then a dim sum restaurant probably isn't a good choice.  First off, the atmosphere is hardly conducive to romance, what with the clattering of trays, people calling out their orders, and large groups of people talking at each table.  Besides, the best way to enjoy dim sum is with a large group; otherwise you'll fill up on a few items and miss the opportunity to sample everything. 

What types of foods are served at a typical dim sum lunch? When it comes to cooking methods, many of the dishes are either steamed or deep-fried. Among the former, you'll find everything from steamed pork spareribs and char siu bao - steamed buns with roast pork - to har gao, those wonderful shrimp dumplings with the translucent skin. Deep-fried treats include mini spring rolls and Wu Gok, a type of taro turnover. Not to mention whatever other culinary creations the chef may come up with.  At a dim sum recently we were treated to delicious shrimp dumplings wrapped in seaweed and topped with a dollop of salmon caviar. Finally, there's dessert. Custard tarts are a must; you may also have a choice between mango and almond pudding. The entire above are washed down with copious amounts of green tea.

Although it may not be evident in the hustle and bustle of the carts rolling by, there is a certain order to how dim sum is served, with the lighter, steamed dishes coming first, followed by exotic items such as chicken's feet, then the deep-fried dishes, and finally dessert. An Asian acquaintance once told me that beginning dim sum with heavier, deep-fried foods is a little like inviting a friend for dinner and serving rice as the first course.

For the novice, the noisy atmosphere in a dim sum restaurant can take a bit of getting used to. But it's a great way to sample a large variety of tastes and flavors without feeling overly full. Somehow the typical Sunday brunch - consisting of eggs, sausage, bacon and various other dishes - just doesn't reach the same level of culinary art that you'll find at a dim sum restaurant.

Peony Dim Sum and Seafood Restaurant

11120 W Bluemound Rd

Milwaukee, WI 53226

414-443-6080

Chinese Barbequed Pork

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon orange peel -- grated

1 teaspoon ginger -- minced

1 teaspoon garlic -- minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt

Trim excess fat from pork. Cut the meat into 1"X 3""X 8"" long pieces.

Combine marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl; add pork and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight; turn meat occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove meat from marinade; reserve marinade. Place meat on a rack in a foil lined baking pan. Bake the meat uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place reserved marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil; set aside to cool.

Turn pork slices over and bake for 45 minutes longer; brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.

Cut into thin slices. Serve hot or cold.

NOTES: Chinese rice wine may be substituted for dry sherry.

Steamed Pork Buns

Dough:

4 tablespoons sugar

½ cup milk -- warmed

1/3 cup warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

Filling:

8 black mushrooms -- dried

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup green onions -- minced

2 teaspoons garlic -- minced

½ cup water

4 teaspoons hoisin sauce

4 teaspoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch -- dissolved in 2 T. H2O

1 ½ cups Chinese barbequed pork

Dissolve 2 T. of the sugar in milk and water. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand in a warm place until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Gradually mix in remaining 2 T. sugar, 2 C. flour and salt. Add more flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.

Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare filling: Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Discard stems and coarsely chop caps.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add green onions, garlic and mushrooms; stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in water, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Add cornstarch solution and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pork. Cool.

Punch down dough, then roll into a cylinder. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball; cover.

Flatten each ball and roll into a circle 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping T. filling in center. Gather edges of circle over filling, twist and pinch edges together to seal.

Place a 3" square of wax paper under each bun.

Place buns, seam side down, 2" apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light.

When buns have risen, steam them over high heat until tops are glazed and smooth, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Egg Tarts

Pastry dough:

1 ¾ cups flour

½ cup vegetable shortening -- chilled

¼ cup butter -- chilled

1 egg

2 tablespoons ice water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup evaporated milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Prepare dough: Place flour in a food processor. Cut shortening and butter into 1/2 inch chunks and distribute over flour. Process with on-off bursts until fat is the size of peas. Add egg, ice water and vanilla. Process until mixture just begins to form a ball. (Do not process completely to the ball stage, and don't worry if the dough has shortening streaks in it) Remove dough, shape into a patty 1 inch thick, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour of up to 2 days.

Prepare filling: In a small pan, heat the water and sugar until sugar dissolves; let cool. In a bowl, beat eggs slightly. Whisk in sugar-water syrup, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract, blending until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350.

On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry to about 1/4" thick. Cut the pastry into 14-4" circles (re-roll scraps and roll again if necessary). Fit circles into 2 1/2" tart pans. Lightly press dough into bottoms and sides of pans; trim edges.

Pour filling into pastry lined pans to within 1/4" of top. Place filled pans on a baking sheet; bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted in center of one comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Place pans on a rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pans. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Onion Cakes

3 1/3 cups flour

1 ¼ cups boiling water

¼ cup vegetable shortening

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 cup green onions -- chopped

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

Cooking oil -- peanut or vegetable

Dipping sauce:

½ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons green onions -- chopped

1 teaspoon garlic -- minced

1 teaspoon chili sauce

Place flour in a bowl. Add boiling water, stirring with a fork until dough is evenly moistened. On a lightly floured board, knead dough until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl.

On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a cylinder; cut into 12 equal portions.

Make each cake: Roll a portion of dough into an 8" circle about 1/8" thick; keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying. Brush with a thin film of shortening. Sprinkle with a small portion of sesame oil, green onions, salt and pepper. Roll dough into a cylinder and coil dough into a round patty; tuck end of dough underneath. Roll again to make an 8" circle about 1/8" thick.

Cooking: Place a wide frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add

2 T. cooking oil, swirling to coat sides. Add cake and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cakes; adding more cooking oil as needed.

Cut cakes into wedges. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Pot Stickers

2/3 pound ground pork

1 cup cabbage -- minced

2 green onions -- minced

1 egg

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon grated orange peel -- optional

½ teaspoon hot chili oil

36 won-ton wrappers

½ cup peanut oil

1 cup water

Hot chili oil -- for dipping

Chinese rice vinegar -- for dipping

Combine pork, cabbage, onion, egg, soy sauce, salt, orange peel and hot chili oil in a large bowl and mix well.

To assemble: Dust waxed paper with cornstarch. Set 1 rounded teaspoon filling in center of wonton skin, pressing lightly so filling forms a narrow band across the middle. Moisten rim of skin. Bring opposite sides together to form semicircle. Pinch corners together then seal the remainder by pinching together. Tap lightly on bottom so dumplings stand upright. Transfer to cornstarch dusted wax paper and cover with a dry kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining won-ton and filling.

To cook: Place 2 heavy 12" skillets over low heat. Add 1/4 cup oil to each. Arrange dumplings in skillets in rows, fitting closely together. Increase heat to medium high and cook uncovered until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes, checking occasionally.

Add 1/2 cup water to each pan and cover immediately. Let steam until skins are translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking over med-high heat until bottoms are very crisp and well browned. Drain off excess oil if necessary. Loosen dumplings with spatula and transfer to serving dish. Serve immediately with chili oil and vinegar.

NOTES: For ginger soy sauce: Peel fresh ginger and grate on a microplane. In a small saucepan combine 1 T. minced fresh ginger, 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1 t. Thai red curry paste. Bring to a boil, the remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. Serve with dumplings.

Steamed Siu Mai with Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 pound ground pork

6 Chinese dried mushrooms -- soaked, drained, stemmed and finely chopped

¼ cup bamboo shoots, canned -- finely chopped

4 ounces shrimp -- minced

2 eggs -- beaten

Pinch salt and pepper

2 scallions -- minced

½ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sesame oil

36 won-ton wrappers

1 recipe Cantonese Sweet and Sour Sauce

Combine all ingredients except won-ton skins. Mix well.

Place about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture in the center of each won-ton skin, then pull edges up and twist to close tightly.

Place the dumplings in a bamboo steamer and cook for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce.

Cantonese Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon tomato sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Blend the cornstarch and water together, then place in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Heat on medium for 3-4 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Shrimp Dumplings with Ginger-Soy Sauce

6 Chinese mushrooms -- dried

4 ounces shrimp -- peeled, deveined and finely chopped

8 ounces ground pork

1 tablespoon shallots -- minced

4 green onions -- finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

12 won-ton wrappers

Place mushrooms in small bowl, add boiling water to cover and let stand until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain and squeeze excess liquid from mushrooms. Discard stems and place mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. In a bowl combine mushrooms, shrimp, ground pork, shallots, green onions, salt, sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Using wet hands mix until well combined.

Place wonton wrappers on work surface and cover with a damp towel. Working with one wrapper at a time, lay it on dumpling press and place 2 t. of filling in center. Dampen edges of wonton with water and fold one half of dumpling press over, pressing firmly to seal. Tap bottom to flatten, place on parchment lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper. Half fill wok with water (steamer should not touch the water) and bring to a boil. Arrange filled won tons in steamer, cover and place steamer over boiling water. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes, adding more water when necessary. Lift steamer off wok and carefully remove dumplings. Serve warm with soy sauce or ginger soy sauce.

NOTES: For ginger soy sauce: Peel fresh ginger and grate on a microplane. In a small saucepan combine 1 T. minced fresh ginger, 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1 t. Thai red curry paste. Bring to a boil, the remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. Serve with dumplings.

Lotus Buns

1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

½ cup warm water -- divided

¼ cup sugar -- superfine, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour -- divided

½ cup self-rising flour

1 tablespoon butter -- melted

¾ cup canned lotus nut paste -- (available in Asian Stores)

To prepare dough: Combine yeast with 2 T. warm water, 1 t. sugar and 1 t. all-purpose flour. Mix until well combined. Cover with kitchen towel and let stand until frothy, about 15 minutes.

Sift remaining all-purpose flour and self-rising flour into large bowl. Add yeast mixture, remaining sugar, remaining warm water and melted butter. Mix to form soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn onto floured surface again and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and roll or press each piece into a 2" circle. Cover dough with damp towel. Working with one round at a time, spoon 2 t. of lotus paste into the center. Gather edges together, twist to seal and cover with kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut 16 squares of parchment paper and place each bun, seam side down, on paper.

Half fill wok with water (steamer should not touch water) and bring to a boil. Working in batches, arrange buns in steamer, cover and place over boiling water. Steam 15-20 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok when necessary.

Lift steamer off wok and carefully remove buns. Serve warm.

Camelia Sinensis

A Humble Leaf, a Noble Drink

The tea plant is an evergreen shrub that grows mainly in tropical or sub-tropical regions. In its wild state, the tea plant can attain a height of over 10 meters; when cultivated, regular pruning keeps it at about 90 cm, a height convenient for harvesting. The buds and young shoots are covered with a fine down, hence the term pekoe (in Cantonese, Pak-Ho means hair).

It was long believed that the green teas and the black teas came from different plants. However, in 1843 botanist and adventurer Robert Fortune was able to prove that both teas were made from leaves of the Camelia Sinensis plant, the difference lying in whether or not the leaves were left to oxidize through contact with the air. The three major categories of tea are: the black teas (fermented) the oolongs (semi-fermented) and the green teas (not fermented).

The quality of the tea produced is determined by the season in which the tea is harvested, how it is harvested, and the way the leaves are treated. The first or spring harvest offers up the finest and most tender leaves. The second, in the summer, and the third, in the fall produce more abundant but less delicate crops.

Tea plantations are usually set out on the slopes of a hill where drainage is good. Although tea plants need constant moisture, waterlogged soil can lead to rotting of the roots. Some large trees are left growing on the plantation site; their leaves filter the burning afternoon sun and then act as a natural fertilizer when they fall to the ground.

The tea harvest today is generally mechanized, but traditionally, this was considered women's work, as women were judged more skilful at such a delicate task. A tea harvester gathers on average 30 to 35 kg of leaves every day, or 40 000 to 60 000 shoots.

The younger the leaves of the tea plant, the more tender they are and the higher their quality. The choicest pick is the bud (pekoe) and the first two leaves. The quality of the tea, as well as the price for which it can be sold, diminish as more of the large, tough, mature leaves are added. It is up to the plantation owner or manager to decide whether quality or quantity will predominate in production. World market prices will play a key role in this decision, as will the advice of the tea broker.

Regular pruning and cutting back every three years keep the tea plants at about 90 cm, a comfortable height for plucking. Pruning both encourages new growth, and forces the new shoots to develop horizontally to the top of the plant, creating what is known as the plucking table. Long bamboo sticks serve as visual cues for the tea pickers, showing the level below which the leaves must not be harvested. This promotes regrowth and avoids the accidental plucking of the mature, strong-tasting leaves that would produce a coarse, mediocre harvest.

Chinese tea breaks down into three basic types: black, green and oolong.

BLACK TEA

There are three major commercial categories often manufactured by the world's tea producing countries, green (unfermented), oolong(semi-fermented) and black (fermented). Black tea is also commonly known as red tea, a term originating in China where this type of tea has been cultivated for centuries. In more recent times, its popularity has grown and black teas are currently being produced in many other countries, such as India, Sri Lanka, Java, etc.

GREEN TEA

The world's finest green teas are produced from the small leaf China tea plant Camellia sinensis, variety sinensis. Young, tender budding leaves are traditionally hand-plucked and quickly processed without fermentation to produce a wonderfully fresh tasting tea. Dragon Well tea is produced in the Hangzhou's West Lake area, Zhejiang province, China. Most fine green teas are usually best prepared in a gaiwan (covered steeping cup) with lower temperature water (about 75degrees C/167 degrees F) and relatively short steeping times (about 1 minute or less). The wonderful flavors of quality green teas may be enjoyed through at least 3 or 4 separate infusions.

OOLONG TEA

There are three major production methods that determine the broadest categories of tea. Green tea is generally termed unfermented, black or red teas are fermented, and oolong teas comprise the semi-fermented family. Although the word fermented is often used by the tea community, it refers to a process involving enzyme and oxidation action that occurs within the leaf. To stimulate this action, the leaves are bruised in various methods, the most common of which is rolling. Oolong leave s rolled by hand or in a rotating drum usually exhibit a distinctive red fermented edge, while the inner portion of the leaf remains green in color. Oolong teas offer the greatest range of flavor from a light floral green style to the sweet richness of the dark styles.

Chinese Green Tea

Green Tea is the most natural of all Chinese tea classes. It's picked, natural dried, and then fried briefly (a process called "killing the green") to get rid of it's grassy smell. Fermentation process is skipped.

Green Tea has the most medical value and the least caffeine content of all Chinese tea classes. Aroma is medium to high, flavor is light to medium.

About 50% of China's teas is Green tea.

Chinese Oolong Tea

Oolong Tea is half way between green tea and black tea in a sense that it's half- fermented. It's also called "Qing Cha" (grass tea). Typical Oolong Tea leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of the process to soften tea leaves.

Oolong Tea leaves are withered and spread before undergoing a brief fermentation process. Then Oolong Tea is fried, rolled and roasted.

Oolong Tea is the chosen tea for the famous Kung Fu Cha brewing process. It's the serious Chinese tea drinker's tea. Aroma ranges from light to medium. Beginners in Oolong Tea should be careful as even though flavor is only mild to medium, the tea could be very strong.

Chinese Black Tea

Chinese Black tea produces full-body amber when brewed. Black tea undergoes withering (drying), left to ferment for a long while, and then roasted. Black tea leaves become completely oxidized after processing.

Black tea has a robust taste with a mild aroma. It contains the highest amount of caffeine in Chinese tea classes.

Chinese red Tea

Red leaves and red tea color, its characteristic of Red Tea's fermentation process.

There are 3 subclasses of Chinese Red Tea - "Kung Fu Red Tea", "Ted Tea Bits" and "Small Species Red Tea".

Chinese Red Tea has low aroma and medium flavor.

Chinese White Tea

White Tea is sometimes considered a subclass of Green Tea. It is only withered and then roasted. It gets its name from the white down on the leaf buds. It has very low caffeine content.

Chinese Yellow Tea

Yellow Tea has yellow leaves and yellow tea color. It's an uncommon class of Chinese tea.

Flavor is mild and refreshing.

Chinese Flower Tea

Chinese Flower Tea is a unique class of Chinese tea. It subdivides into Flower Tea and Scented Tea. 

Flower Tea is a simple concept that dried flowers are used, without much processing, to make tea. Scented Tea uses green tea, red tea as base and mix with scent of flowers.

Chinese Flower Tea has light to medium flavor and medium to strong aroma.

Chinese Compressed Tea

Most Chinese Compressed Tea uses Black Tea as base tea. It's steamed and compressed into bricks, cakes, columns and other shapes. 

Compressed Tea has all the characteristics of Black Tea. It can be stored for years and decades. Aged Compressed Tea has a tamed flavor that Compressed Tea fans would pay huge price for.

Categories and Grades

The Classification of Tea

The black teas are divided into three major categories: whole leaf teas, broken leaf teas, and powdered leaf teas. These categories are subdivided into several grades, depending on the type of harvesting and treatment they undergo. Nevertheless, the quality of a tea does not depend on the size of its leaves, but rather on its provenance, and the type of plucking. It should be noted that a powdered leaf will give a stronger tea than a broken leaf, and that the latter will be more robust than a whole leaf tea. The classification is basically similar for the green teas.

The Black Teas

Whole Leaf Teas

Flowery Orange Pekoe (F.O.P.): the product of a fine plucking, this tea contains buds, or golden tips, and small leaves, rolled lengthwise.

Orange Pekoe (O.P.): it is also the product of a fine plucking, but a slightly later one, when the buds have become leaves.

Souchong (S): made of very large, mature leaves; often spruce smoked.

Flowery Pekoe (F.P.): obtained by a special kind of rolling from which the leaves emerge as balls, this tea is very robust and colored.

Pekoe (P): rolled as above, but using a second leaf, the infusion it offers is even more highly colored, and the aroma less delicate.

Pekoe Souchong (P.S.): the product of the third leaf, this tea is of poor quality.

Broken-Leaf Teas

Broken Orange Pekoe (B.O.P.): very high quality tea, the product of a fine plucking, it is made up of leaves that have been purposely broken (chopped) or from debris culled from the sorting process.

Broken Pekoe (B.P.): an inferior tea, made from second and third leaves.

Broken Pekoe Souchong (B.P.S.) and Broken Tea (B.T.): very mediocre quality.

Powdered Leaf Teas

Fannings: made of small, flat pieces, with or without some buds, this category breaks down into: Orange Fannings (O.F.), Pekoe Fannings (P.F.) and Fannings (F), depending on the size of the leaves.

Dust: made up of even finer pieces, these teas are used to make tea bags, and produce very robust, dark infusions.

The Green Teas

Gunpowder: the product of a fine plucking, the leaves are rolled into balls ranging in size from a pinhead to a small marble. It is considered by some to be the best of the green teas.

Chun-Mee: the equivalent of Flowery Orange Pekoe, this is another of the great teas.

Natural Leaf or Imperial: its whole leaves, not rolled into balls, give a very mild tea.

Matcha: this powdered tea is used for Japanese ceremonies. It has a pronounced, bitter taste.

Young Hyson: made up of very young leaves, it is sought after by tea connoisseurs.

Hyson: made from larger leaves.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download