ASSAM GREEN TEA

Follow the pack, but as a guide: one teaspoon per cup, water just off the boil for black tea and around 80C for green, steeped two to three minutes. Over-steeping is what makes tea bitter.

Airtight, away from light, moisture and strong smells. Tea absorbs odours readily, so do not keep it beside spices or coffee.

No. It is plain leaf with nothing added - no flavouring, no colour and no filler.

Six to twelve months sealed. It stays safe far longer but loses aroma, which is the point of drinking it.

Ask at the counter for the current grade. Grades vary by batch and we would rather tell you what is actually in stock than state something fixed here.

Yes. All true tea from the Camellia sinensis plant contains caffeine, green and black alike, though usually less per cup than coffee. Only herbal infusions are naturally caffeine free.

Almost always over-steeping or water that is too hot. Green tea wants water around 80C and two to three minutes; boiling water scalds the leaf and draws out the tannins that taste bitter.

CTC stands for crush, tear, curl - the leaf is machine-processed into small granules that brew strong and fast, which is why it suits milk tea. Orthodox tea keeps the leaf more intact and gives a lighter, more aromatic cup best drunk without milk.

It is plain leaf, packed fresh in small quantities, with no added flavouring, colour or filler. Tea loses its aroma in storage like any other leaf, so buying less more often beats buying a large tin.