That time of year has finally come and national hot tea month is now upon us! National hot tea month can be an exciting yet confusing concept, so in this article, we are going to explain the answers to a few common questions.
These questions include what is national hot tea month, how national hot tea month started and how to celebrate national hot tea month.
Hopefully by the end of this article, you have a better understanding of the month, and you have a good idea of how you can celebrate it.
National Hot Tea Month explained in Complete Video
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When is National Hot Tea Month
Before we get started on tackling the question of what is national hot tea month, let’s start by covering when national hot tea month is. National hot tea month is observed in January in the United States. It is not to be confused with international tea day on May 22nd or National Iced Tea Day which is June 10th.
What is National Hot Tea Month
Now that we covered when is national hot tea month, let’s talk about what is national hot tea month. National hot tea month is all about enjoying hot teas in the month of January. It’s no coincidence that this falls on one of the two coldest months of the year, as this is the perfect time to curl up with a cup of your favorite hot tea.
Because it is “national” hot tea month and not “international” this custom is really only observed in the United States, although tea lovers around the world tend to recognize this month. What true tea lover would turn down an excuse to drink more tea?
History of Hot Teas in The United States
Boston tea party
While the first country that comes to mind when you think of hot tea may be England, tea has a role to play in the history and culture of the United States as well. Of course, there is no better example of the rebellious spirit of this former colony than the Boston tea party. In many ways, this act of dumping tea into the harbor kickstarted the revolution and led to the formation of the country.
Black tea is the most consumed tea type in the country
Black tea has consistently been the most common type of tea consumed in the United States, and it is mostly drunk as an iced tea. So called “sweet tea” has become an icon to represent the American South, and still to this day families in the Southern states brew this sweet drink using the same recipes their families have been using for generations.
In the south, there actually are a very small handful of tea fields. South Carolina is perhaps one of the better known states for tea production, as it benefits from mild winters, seasonal rainfall and slight elevation. Of course the tea culture in the United States pales in comparison to a country like Japan, but at least there is a whole month recognized for the consumption of hot tea!
How to Celebrate National Hot Tea Month
Now that we’ve learned what national hot tea month is, let’s talk a little bit about what you can do to celebrate it!
The simple answer is, you can celebrate national hot tea month by drinking tea, of course, but we wanted to give you a list of teas we recommend you try this month. These teas are best prepared hot. We’ll save the cold brewed teas for June, because right now it’s cold outside and we want you to be able to enjoy some nice warm tea.
Selection of the finest hot teas
Hojicha
First, we have hojicha. This roasted green tea is perfect for celebrating national hot tea month. During the roasting process, the tea leaves trade their natural fresh and vegetal flavors for warmer notes of coffee, caramel and chocolate. The roasted leaves also become less sensitive to higher water temperatures, so you can really brew hojicha hot if you want to. We recommend using 5 grams of leaves and 150ml of water at a temperature of around 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kukicha
The next tea on our list is Kukicha. While most Japanese green teas are made from the leaves of the tea plant, kukicha includes a lot of stems as well. These stems are lower in caffeine, milder in flavor and they can be brewed slightly hotter, without releasing a lot of bitterness. The kukicha osada is a nice light and floral tea made by the Osada family in Shizuoka.
The tea is grown in the so-called organic village of Isagawa, where a collection of small tea farmers have made a commitment to growing green tea without the use of pesticides or chemicals.
Nadeshiko Rose
To make things interesting, we also have the Nadeshiko Rose Japanese Fermented Tea. The Nadeshiko rose is a rare type of Japanese fermented tea. While most Japanese teas are green teas, this tea falls into a different category of tea known as “post fermented tea”.
In this case, the tea leaves are fermented with koji, which is also used to produce other Japanese classics like Soy Sauce, Sake and Miso. This fermentation process gives the tea a unique pink color and a darker flavor, with hints of strawberry. This tea can be prepared using hotter water, making it the perfect choice for national hot tea month!
Bancha
Bancha is another great tea to brew hot. After sencha, bancha is the second most popular type of tea in Japan. It is made from the older tea leaves lower down on the tea plant. These leaves are tougher, higher in minerals and lower in caffeine.
This tea is perfect for the evening time. It can help soothe the stomach, which is why it is often drunk after a meal, and it is lower in caffeine. While the younger tea leaves are known for their fresh, vegetal flavors, the taste of bancha is more subtle, with earthier notes of wood and a hint of citrus.
Matcha Latte
Finally we have the matcha latte powder. Nothing beats a well prepared matcha latte when it’s cold outside. You may find that this drink can be quite soothing and enjoyable, but also a good way to get started into the world of Japanese green tea.
These stronger flavors that Japanese green teas are known for may take some getting used to, but a little bit of oatmilk and a pinch of sugar can help them go down easier! For matcha lattes, we recommend using the latte grade matcha. This is a tea we discovered during our visit to Mr. Masuda’s tea field in Shizuoka. This tea is more affordable than a premium matcha and it has a strong flavor that carries through the oatmilk. Like all of the teas we offer, this one was grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals.
Conclusion about the National Hot Tea Month
Thank you all so much for taking the time to watch this video. If you would like to support this channel, we would really appreciate it if you could try some of our teas and let us know what you think. We’d also love it if you could like this video and subscribe to see more videos like this in the future. If you have any questions about green tea, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Until then, we’ll see you next time.
