From ‘once upon a time’ to ‘tea today’, we’re taking the mystery out of tea history…
Tea BC
The Chinese have used tea for thousands of years. An early reference to tea drinking dates back to 2737BC when Emperor Shen Nung sat under a tree and set about boiling some water to quench his thirst. A leaf from the Camellia Sinensis plant fell into the boiling water and gave him his first cup of tea! Now that’s what we call a happy accident.
Tea AD
The first teas arrived in Britain from China about 300 years ago and found their way into Irish hearts and homes through imports from British colonies. But today, hardly any of the tea we drink comes from China. The main countries supplying our daily cup of tea are now Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
The Tea Plant
The tea plant is a member of the Camellia family. It's an evergreen plant which grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates, producing a small, camellia-like flower. Only the leaves are used in tea, hence the phrase 'tea leaves'. A mature tea plant produces a growth of new shoots called a 'flush'. Tea pickers gather flushes by hand and in perfect growing conditions the plants will grow new flushes every two weeks.
Tea Blending
Tea is an agricultural crop and, just like wine, is subject to variations from tea garden to tea garden because of soil altitude, climate, harvesting and processing. There are approximately 3000 different tea gardens worldwide. Each garden has its own subtle shade and nuance of flavour, colour, brightness, strength and aroma.
Until the beginning of the 20th Century, most tea was sold as loose, original tea, displayed in chests. These were known as 'direct garden teas'. But today, the secret of all good teas lies in the blending. Your favourite brand (hopefully ours!) will comprise of between ten and thirty different types of tea. The skill of the Barry’s Tea blender is how he can select tea from the appropriate gardens in order to produce the familiar taste associated with Barry’s Tea. This taste must remain consistent no matter what time of the year it is purchased.
Tea Processing
Processing determines which type of tea is produced, whether it's black, green, semi-green or oolong. The post-picking period is just as important as the growing conditions, and can be compared to the intricacies of making wine.
Tea Tasting
Tea tasting is as skilled a profession as wine tasting. At a tasting, tea is made from each sample in separate tea pots and infused according to the taster's requirements. The taster assesses every element, from the flavour, smell and colour to the uniformity of size of the dry leaves.
Tea Talk
Like wine, tea has its own language! Tea can be:
- Brisk: a lively taste
- Pungent: bite without bitterness - the most desirable
- Grey: teas which have a greyish appearance caused by too much abrasion during sorting
- Even: teas true to their particular grade and which compromise particles of a leaf which are even in size
- Bright: a good, bright colour is an important indicator of quality
- Body: an indication of strength
Tea Today
Today, a new era of tea is upon us! The dawn of Speciality Teas is shining brightly as health and wellbeing are on everyone's minds (and on everyone's lips thanks to our fantastic new range!) As you would expect, Barry's have a range of exquisite caffeine-free teas that put the special in Speciality Teas. The range includes Green Teas, Herbal Teas and Fruit Infusions.
Ireland or Tealand?
Many Irish people drink more than 6 cups per day! The average is 4 cups a day – you probably even have one in your hand as you're reading this!
The Irish palate for tea is unrivalled – we have a reputation for selecting the best quality teas. We are proud to say that Barry's Tea virtually pioneered the use of African tea. Today our blends are mainly African, which accounts for its characteristic freshness, brightness and unique taste you'll find in a cup of Barry's Tea.