Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Twinnings: The perfect cup

How should tea be stored?
Tea absorbs moisture and kitchen smells. To keep your tea fresh and avoid spoiling the flavour, keep loose tea or teabags in a sealed jar or tin.

How do I make a good pot of tea?
These are the golden rules:

Tea loves oxygen – it helps the flavour develop, so always use freshly drawn cold water in the kettle.

Make sure your pot is clean.

Warm the pot by swirling a small amount of boiled water in it.

For black tea, only pour on freshly boiled water and do not over-boil it.

For green tea, always use the water just at the boil.

One teaspoon of loose tea per person and one teaspoon for the pot is about right, but add as much or as little to make it to the strength you like.

Some people believe that sugar masks the flavours in tea. Why not try a fruit tea if you prefer a sweeter taste?

A tea cosy extends the brewing time and can make the tea bitter and stewed. A removable infuser or teabags can help to get round this problem.

How long should I allow a teabag to brew?
We recommend that you allow the teabag to brew for two and a half to three minutes. This allows the flavour to fully develop. Then add milk or lemon or enjoy it black, whatever your preference.

And how long should I allow loose tea to brew?
We recommend that you allow loose tea to brew in a teapot for up to seven minutes. The general rule is: the larger the leaf, the longer the brewing time. Earl Grey and Lady Grey need five minutes, while a smaller leaf tea will only need about four minutes.

Does loose tea make better tea than teabags?
Both have their benefits. For many people, the ritual of preparing loose tea is a pleasure in itself, so this contributes to the enjoyment, while teabags are more convenient. At Twinings, the teas used for teabags are blended to be similar to our loose tea products. The leaf size is different but the quality in the cup will be the same.

Should the milk go in first or second?
Historically, the 'milk in first' rule was to protect the fine bone china it was served in - it's a very individual thing.

http://www.twinings.com/int/l2c_perfect_cup.php

Yorkshire Tea: How to make a proper brew

How to make a proper brew

Everyone has their own way of doing things, but here, our expert tea buyers reveal their secret to making a proper pot of Yorkshire Tea.

Get a proper pot on

Run the tap a little so the water is nicely aerated. Use water that has boiled just once - any more than that and the level of oxygen in the water is reduced and your tea can taste a bit ‘flat’.

Warm the teapot first by swilling boiling water around inside it, then warm the cups with the water from the teapot.

For a four-cup pot, use two teabags. For loose tea, use one teaspoon per person and one for the pot. (Our tea buyers like it really strong and use three or four.)

Add freshly boiled water to the pot, stir and leave to brew for 4-5 minutes depending on how strong you like it.

If you take milk, we recommend a splash of whole or semi-skimmed milk, with sugar if you take it.

A proper cuppa

Pour freshly boiled water directly onto your teabag in a mug. This way the tea infuses better than adding the teabag to water.

Leave to brew for 4-5 minutes according to taste.

Remove the teabag with a spoon giving it just one gentle squeeze.

Miffy or Tiffy?

People are very particular about their tea, but there’s one aspect of tea making that really sparks debate... milk or tea first? ‘Miffy or Tiffy?’, we call it. You’re bound to have your own theory, and if tea is brewed in a pot, there is no definitive right or wrong answer. If you’re making tea in a cup though, it’s never milk first - it reduces the water temperature so it doesn’t brew properly.

http://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/about-tea/yorkshire-tea-how-to-make-a-proper-brew.php

The Telegraph: How to make a perfect cup of tea

Instructions for a perfect cup of tea for one

Add 200ml of freshly boiled water to your tea bag (in a mug).
Allow the tea bag to brew for 2 minutes.
Remove the tea bag.
Add 10 ml of milk.
Wait 6 minutes before consumption for the cuppa to reach its optimum temperature of 60 degrees centigrade.

Scientists have discovered that the key to the best tasting brew is to let it sit for six minutes before drinking. Not only does it avoid scolding but by then it has cooled to 60C, the optimum temperature to let the flavours flood out.

But leave it until after 17 minutes and 30 seconds and the tea will be past its best.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8577637/How-to-make-the-perfect-cup-of-tea-be-patient.html

Tea vs Coffee

http://visual.ly/health-benefits-coffee-vs-tea

Tea - Research

Different types of tea:

Black Tea - Black tea is a common tea made from the plant Camellia sinensis. Black tea is fermented more than green, white, and Oolong tea giving it a dark colour. It can be very bitter if the leaves are steeped in the hot water too long. It can be drunk with milk and/or sugar, or with a slice of lemon.
Oolong Tea - Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) produced through a unique process including withering under the strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of fermentation can range from 8% to 85%, depending on the variety and production style.
Green Tea - Green tea has several health benefits, partly because of the fluoride element in the tea leaves. Green tea is one of the most widely consumed teas in the entire world. It was initially used as a medicine for thousands of years in China and is now widely used all over Asia. It is made using the leaves of Chinese Camellia sinensis plant that are quickly heated after picking either by steaming or by dry cooking to minimize oxidation.
White Tea - White tea comes from the buds and leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing.
Pu-erh Tea - Pu-erh is a variety of fermented dark tea produced in Yunnan province, China. Fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo microbial fermentation and oxidation after they are dried and rolled. This process is a Chinese specialty and produces tea known as Hei Cha, commonly translated as dark, or black tea (this type of tea is completely different from what in West is known as "black tea", which in China is called "red tea")
Chai Tea 'Spiced tea.' - A tea from the Indian subcontinent to which herbs and spices have been added.
Earl Grey Tea - Earl Grey tea is one of the most well known flavoured teas: using oil of bergamot oranges.
English Breakfast Tea - English breakfast tea is a traditional blend of teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas and the most common form of tea in British tea culture. English breakfast tea is a black tea blend usually described as full-bodied, robust, and/or rich, and blended to go well with milk and sugar. The black teas included in the blend vary, with Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan teas predominating, and Keemun sometimes included in more expensive blends. Common brands of English breakfast tea include Twinings, Dilmah, Taylors of Harrogate, Ahmad Tea, Qualitea, Darvilles of Windsor and supermarket brands.
Jasmine Tea - Black or green tea infused with the scent of jasmine flowers, either as loose tea or, during processing, rolled up into small balls known as 'pearls'. The process of infusion can be repeated a number of times to intensify the taste.
Russian Caravan Tea - Russian Caravan is a blend of oolong, keemun, and lapsang souchong teas, all produced from Camellia sinensis the Chinese tea plant. It is described as an aromatic and full-bodied tea with a sweet, malty taste. Although a Chinese tea, its name originates from the 18th century camel caravans that facilitated the transcontinental tea trade from tea-producing areas (namely India, Ceylon and China) to Europe via Russia. It took at least half a year to make the 6,000 mile journey from the Chinese border to Russia, and the voyage was harsh. Some varieties do not include lapsang souchong, thus having a less smoky flavor.
Herbal Tea - A variety of plants are prepared and drunk in the same way as tea proper, either singly or in combination. They are sometimes called Tisanes. Some examples of flavours include; cranberry, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, ginger and rose petals.

Monday, 24 February 2014

Humour - Tea

An idea we had was to show how to create a bad cup of tea, but in a more comical way.

10 Benefits of Drinking Tea Over Coffee

Tea hydrates your body and replenishes your fluid intake. Tea has the added benefit of being pure H2O.
Studies have shown that tea have help to reduced the chances of developing certain types of cancer.
Tea will keep you going for longer. Tea and coffee have the same amount of caffeine, but coffee have a much bigger depressing act and reduces your energy levels. The caffeine buzz with coffee is also shorter and will drop quicker. For something that will keep your going all day, tea is the better choice.
Tea's easier to make than coffee. You simply have to place a teabag in a cup of hot water.
Tea is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants are a way keeping you looking fresh, feeling great.
Tea can make you lose weight. Green tea is a great for people who want to lose weight, green tea help to speed up your metabolism.
Tea is good for your teeth. Tea doesn't discolour and stain your teeth like coffee.
Tea can protect your bones. An Australian study recently found that people who drank tea on a regular basis had stronger bones.
Tea can help reduce stress. While the physical cause behind this remains unknown, it’s a well-known fact that tea is used cross-culturally as a bonding tool as well as refreshment, which goes some way to explaining why some cultures have tea so deeply ingrained as part of their customs (e.g. the British). Tea, or rather specifically, green tea has also been found to work as an antidepressant, meaning that taking a cup next time you're feeling a little low might just help boost your mood.
Tea can help strengthen your immune system. While it probably won't help out a huge amount while you're battling a bout of intense flu (apart from the benefits of just drinking something and helping to flush the bug out of your system), drinking tea can really help set up and improve your immune system for next time.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-drinking-tea-over-coffee.html

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Twitter

How to go viral on Twitter

Followers are a big part of getting thing to go viral. Celebrities have millions of followers and everything that they say and share will be seen by millions. Hashtags and re-tweets are a way for people who don't follow you to see your tweets.

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Fly-Posting

Fly-posting is the illegal display of an advertisement without consent. It is a method to cheaply advertise, sometimes used by event organisers and entertainment venues. Fly-posting can be cost-effective, have a high impact and is often regarded as creating and reflecting a particular image for a product. For small local events fly-posting on street furniture can provide a cheap and effective way of getting publicity. A fly-posting campaign for a two week period covering an urban area might cost £1- £1.50 per 4 sheet (60" x 40) poster, whereas a two week campaign using 48 sheet hoardings might be in the order of £1,400 (excluding printing). In most areas, it is illegal to place such posters on private property without the consent of the property owner, or to post on public property without a sign permit from the local government. Some areas, however, have public bulletin boards where notices may be posted. Furthermore, posters that are not visible from outside of private property are not considered to be a violation of sign ordinances.

Viral Communication - Kony

Kony Video

The Kony 2012 campaign is a good example of how quickly things can spread. Kony was a short film created by Invisible Children, it was released on the 5th March 2012. Kony was a war criminal in Africa and the point of the video was an experiment to make him famous and to put a stop to him. The video went viral across many social networking sites educating millions of people on who Kony was. By October 2012 the video had almost a 100 million views. The film told its views to take part in cover the night on the 20th April. Cover the night was where people were encouraged to put up Kony posters around their towns. Although Kony was a huge viral success, the fly postering was an unsuccessful stunt.

Could a viral video change the world?

Why Kony went viral.

It tells a story.
The video is about you.
It's action packed.
It was promoted by famous people.
The story isn't over.

Saturday, 15 February 2014

How things go viral?

Our new brief is about viral communication. The first thing I wanted to look at was how exactly things go viral. Here are some of the points I found:

Focus on current events and trends. If something is current people are more likely to search it on twitter and google etc thus resulting in the content being found, news breaks first almost always on Twitter, so pay attention to trending keywords and hashtags.
Make a video. Videos are a big part on the web and people will share them. Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube.
Get noticed by someone big. Things often go viral because celebrities will share and promote them. Celebrities have a big fan base, on twitter some have millions of followers that will see everything that they tweet.
Start a contest. If you can give away something of value, you can get people to like your Facebook page, follow you on Twitter and even require them to have to tweet about the contest or post it on their Facebook profile to pull even more people in. A lot of social media campaigns make good use of contests and giveaways to keep their current audience engaged and attract new people.
Humour. Funny videos and images are shared daily across social media sites.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Nick Kennedy

Nick Kennedys photo manipulation inspired my final sleeve. The distorted effect he creates gives the feel of movement, the buildings look like they are falling down.