61 Q: How do we choose tea for different seasons (in regard to health)?
A : Weather changes in four seasons, and the varieties of tea to drink should be adjusted accordingly. I don't agree with the idea of sticking to one tea and "lifelong tenure".
I like Hamed Green Flower Scented Tea in spring, because it can eradicate and scatter the coldness that has been accumulated in the body for a whole winter, and boost the positive functioning of human body, which brews one as energetic and animated as the plants in spring.
The suitable tea for summer is, I think, Hamed Green Green Tea. The nature of green tea is bitter and cold, and it can clear heat, get rid of hotness, dissolve toxin, enhance the capability of intestines and stomach, facilitate digestion, and prevent some common summer illnesses, such as laxness, and skin infection.
In autumn, I prefer Oolong Tea. The nature of Oolong is mild, neither cold nor hot, and it can eradicate the remaining hotness in body, restore sap and refresh mind and soul.
When it comes to winter, I am used to brewing a pot of Hamed Green Black Tea. Black Tea tastes pleasant and the nature is warm, and it contains abundant protein. Therefore, it is invigorating and restorative, and thus can strengthen and energize human body. But it is not advised for constipation sufferers.

62 Q: How is tea produced?
A : Different processing techniques result in different kinds of tea. I can only give a simple account.
Green tea: fresh leaves-fixing- rolling-drying
Yellow tea: fresh leaves-fixing- rolling-sealing
-drying
Dark Tea: fresh leaves-fixing- rolling-piling
-drying
White Tea: fresh leaves-withering-drying
OOlong Tea: fresh leaves-withering-rotating-fixing-rolling
-drying
Black Tea: fresh leaves-withering-rolling-fermentation-drying

-------The Science of Tea Manufacturing.

63 Q: What is the difference between green tea and black tea? What categories do Ti Kuan Yin, Hsien, Dragon Well, and Dongding Oolong Tea in market belong to?
A : The chief difference in manufacturing green tea and black tea is that black tea is subject to fermentation process while green tea is not. The major difference of characteristics lies in the color: both the water and the leaves of green tea are green, whereas those of black tea are all red. This distinction can be easily distinguished if you pay attention to it when drinking tea, since the difference is rather obvious after the tea is soaked. Ti Kuan Yin, Hsien, Oolong, and Dongding Oolong Tea available in market belong to blue tea; Dragon Well, Biluochun, Yinzhen(Silver Needles) and Maojian pertain to green tea.

------the Science of Tea Manufacturing

64 Q: Is the so-called "Gongfu Tea" the same as Gongfu Black Tea?
A : Simply speaking, Gongfu Tea is a way of brewing tea, whereas Gongfu Black Tea is a kind of tea.
Gongfu tea refers to a particular way of brewing and drinking Oolong Tea, which attaches importance to tea leaves, apparatus, water, and the technique of firing. The techniques are meticulous, thorough, systematic and deliberate, which embodies both science and elegance. The characteristics of this particular way are: more tea, but less water; the same tea is brewed for many times; and the time of brewing is short, which means that the tea is drunk immediately after brewing, and the brewing time ranges from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Nowadays, Gongfu tea can be divided into Min(Fujian) style, Canton Style, and Taiwan Style. As for Gongfu Black Tea, it is a unique breed of traditional tea of our country. The name is originated from the meticulous, thorough, systematic, deliberate and time consuming processes. Hamed Green Gongfu Black Tea is brewed from the high-quality Gongfu black tea of golden tippy, whose taste is mellow and pure, and it is the supreme of black tea.

-------------Sun yun, The Art of Life-Enjoying Gongfu Tea
-------- The Appraisal and Inspection of Tea

65 Q: How to tell the old tea from the new tea?
A : The key of distinguishing new tea and old tea primarily lies in the difference of color, smell and taste.
Color: Tea is mainly subject to the effects of oxygen and light in the course of storage. The color of green tea will change from the bright green of new tea to dry gray; black tea will change from black bloom to grey brown.
Taste: The taste of old tea will be lightened, and the fresh flavor of new will be weaken and turn "blunt".
Smell: Because of the oxidation, contraction and the slow volatilization of the fragrant substances in tea, the fresh scent of tea will become blurred.
The above distinctions are speaking for the majority varieties of tea. If the condition of preservation is good, the difference will be lessened. As for some varieties of tea whose quality does not deteriorate shrink after storage, then it will be a different case.

-------Chinese Tea Classic.

66 Q: How to select tea leaves?
A : The quality of tea can be judged by the shape, color and smell. Generally speaking, for green tea, the color of dry tea is black green or bright green, the tea water is vivid green and shiny, and the smell is the pleasant scent of chestnuts. For Oolong Tea, the shape of leaves is usually stick-like or granulated, the tea water is orange yellow and bright, and the taste is mellow and fresh and brisk with natural flower scents. These characteristics can be well experienced in Hamed Green Oolong Danzong Tea. And there are two different categories in black tea, the fannings and the strips. The shape of black fannings must be even, the color must be dark brown and rich in luster, the tea water must be brilliant red and bright and the taste should be thick strong, and fresh . As for strips of black tea, the shape is tight and tippy, the water brilliant red and the taste thick, strong and fresh. All the above are the indications of good tea.

67 Q: What is a good way to brew flower scented tea?
A : The raw materials of Hamed Green Flower Scented Tea is neat tea, and the tea is processed with all kinds of scented flowers to infiltrate the scents into the tea leaves, and thus the flower scented tea is produced. There are mainly 3 ways to brew Flower Scented Tea: one is to brew high-class flower scented tea in glasses, another is to brew ordinary tea in bowls with lids, and the last one is to brew tea in large pots and then pour out into small cups to drink. The high-class flower scented tea requires a temperature of 85¢XC, and for brewing ordinary tea, 100¢XC is suggested.

--------Fujian Tea

68 Q: What health-caring effects does Hamed Green Gingko Tea have?
A : Gingko is a rare plant that specially grows in China. In modern times, it is used in the treatment of coronary heart disease, miocardial infarction and chronic bronchitis. Hamed Green Gingko Teabags are health-caring tea produced with high-class green tea and gingko leaves, whose tea water is vivid green and bright, fragrance is pure, and taste is slightly bitter but sweet afterwards. The product combines the virtues of both green tea and gingko leaves, and it is salubrious if drunk regularly.

------The Encyclopedia of Picking, Gathering, Appraisal and Applications of Tea
--------Hamed Green Tea Classic.

69 Q: What is the scientific way to drink tea?
A : Drinking tea is the same as dining, which must be scientific and whose amount must be proper. Usually for a healthy adult, 12 grams of tea is adequate. And the time of drinking tea must be appropriate, the quantity must be adequate and the proportion of water to tea must be reasonable. The times of brewing are varied according to different kinds of tea. Different choices of tea can be brewed depending on seasons and habits. It is generally believed that the nature of black tea is hot, while that of green tea is cool. Therefore, drinking Hamed Green Green Tea in summer can drive away heat better, whereas drinking Hamed Green Black Tea in winter can heat up stomach and body.

-------Chinese Tea and Health

70 Q: The tea leaves of many kinds of packed tea cannot be seen from outside. Is price the only thing judging the quality of tea? Are there any other methods?
A : This problem happens to a lot of consumers when buying tea. Consumers will usually buy the familiar or famous brands, and those sold at high prices are not necessarily of good quality. Hamed Green Ltd mainly produces middle-class and high-class tea, and the prices are reasonable, in fact, it is your best choice. But, don't forget to pay attention to the time period of quality guarantee and the date of production. Never buy tea that has expired the date of guarantee.

71 Q: Is it good to drink tea before and after exercising?
A : Every time before I do some exercises, I drink a cup of Hamed Green Green Tea or Black Tea, because researches have proved that there is an anti-oxidant substance called flavone in green tea and black tea, which can protect cells and tissues against damage. Moreover, the theine that tea contains can freshen me up, and large amount of water supply is necessary after sports. Several gobs of natural and pure Hamed Green Oolong Tea and the thirst will be better satisfied.

72 Q: Is it good for children to drink tea? Will the theine in tea affectchildren?
A : To my belief, children younger than 3 years old should keep away from tea, because the theine in tea has stimulating effects to the central nerves, which might do harm to children's brain growth. However, so far there is no research that proves the negative effects of tea on children. Children older than 3 can drink light tea, but better not thick or strong tea.

73 Q: Is tea a kind of Chinese medicine? What are its medical functions?
A : Tea is a kind of Chinese medicine. In the Herbal Gleanings of Tang Dynasty, it is said, " Medicines are the healer of diseases, while tea is the remedy for all illnesses." The medical functions of tea mainly include clearing heat, intoxication, quenching thirst, soothing the nerves, restoring eyesight, smoothen digestion, sobering drunkenness and diuresis, getting rid of phlegm, anti-cancer, anti-mutation, and reducing blood pressure and blood fat. So you can just drink tea without worries, because there is no research so far that proves any side effects of tea on human.

74 Q: How to tell the genuine tea from the false or fake tea?
A : Genuine tea has distinctions from fake tea not only in appearance and shape, but also in biochemical characteristics. Genuine tea can be distinguished from fake tea with the methods of seeing, smelling, touching and tasting.
Those with the unique fresh scent of tea are genuine, whereas those that smell grass-like or strange are false. And the smell is more distinguishable when the leaves are burned. Take a hold of leaves onto a white porcelain plate and examine the leaves. Genuine green tea must be dark green, black tea black and Oolong tea blackish green. If it is difficult to tell from the smell and the color, then put some leaves in a cup and add water. It can be judged from the spread leaf. The saw teeth of hackly shaped tea leaves are always dense in the upper part and sparse in the lower part, and smooth near the stem. On the back of the leaf, veins are protuberant and the main vein is prominent. Side veins extend to 1/3 of the leaf length to the edge and bend upward and arc-shaped. The veins are interwoven with each other to form a close network, whereas the side veins of other plant leaves are distributed feather-like, and reach the edge of the leaf directly.

------Chinese Tea Classic

75 Q: Does a greener color mean a better quality for Green Tea?
A : The color of tea varies according to different breeds and different classes, and the good color is the fresh and luster one. However, it is not the case for green tea that the greener tea, the better quality. For example, high-class West Lake Dragon Well is vivid and yellowish green, Superfine Huang Shan Mao Feng has the color of ivory and so on. You should pay more attention to it when buying tea next time.

76 Q: There are a lot of brands of tea called famous tea. What kind of tea can be called famous, anyway?
A : There is no unanimous idea as to what is famous tea, nor there a definite standard for assessing whether a tea is famous. But one point is certain that famous tea must possess elegant appearance and super quality, and it must be the top of the best tea.

-------Chinese Tea Classic

77 Q: Does tea need washing before drinking?
A : The term " Tea washing" is usually used in varieties of Oolong Tea, and it has two purposes:
(1) Dipping and soaking the tea in water can wash away some of the substances on the surface of tea, such as tea ashes.
(2) Soakage can help to reduce the flame flavor of the tea, and facilitate the volatilization of the fragrance.

78 Q: Is the quality of old tea necessarily bad?
A : In fact, new tea and old tea are only relative terms. "Tea must be new, and wine must be old " is people's summary on the long experience of drinking tea. However, old tea is not necessarily bad. Some of the varieties are better after being properly preserved for a period of time, such as West Lake Dragon Well, Qiqiang, Dongting Biluochun and so on. If kept in the lime jar for a month, the tea will be even better. Wuyi Yan Tea is another example, for which older tea is fragrant and pure flavored; for the Black Tea of Wunan, the Fu Brick Tea, the LiuBao (Six Castles) Tea of Guangxi, and the Pu-erh Tea of Yunan, their quality will be improved instead of ruined if stored properly.

79 Q: How long can the period of quality guarantee for tea be?
A : There is no specific provision on the length of quality guarantee for tea. The moisture content of raw materials and production of Hamed Green tea is strictly controlled with advanced technology of preservation. Therefore, Hamed Green Tea can be preserved for 1-2 years at normal temperature. The key of tea preservation lies in the moisture content of the tea and the moistureproof capacity of materials used in small teabag packages. If the moisture content can be maintained below 7%, the tea's quality will not deteriorate in 12 months; below 6% and canned airproof like "tin food", the tea will not deteriorate in 3 years. If the moisture content exceeds 9%, it is hard to sustain the quality in 3 months.

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