Gunpowder tea is a unique green, (or sometimes oolong) tea in which the dried tea leaves are rolled into tiny balls.  The origins of the name of this strong, delicious tea with a long shelf life are somewhat disputed.

The name is Chinese, (zhu cha), actually means “bead tea” or “pearl tea,” but gunpowder tea should not be confused with boba tea (which is sometimes called “pearl tea” in English).  Some people believe that the British gave gunpowder it’s English name when they first encountered it in China because it resembled the dark pellets of gunpowder.

Other folks believe that the tea was named such because the tea leave open up and “explode” when brewed.  Yet another possibility is that the name was derived from the Mandarin Chinese “gang pao de” which means “freshly brewed” and sounds similar to “gun-pow-der.”

When it comes to grading rooibos tea, the grade levels are mostly based upon the percentage of needle or leaf content to the percentage of stems.  The higher the content of leaves in the mix, the richer the flavor and darker the infusion.  The highest grades of rooibos do not remain in the local markets of South Africa where it is grown.  Instead, they are exported to Europe, and particularly Germany.  The high grade red tea is then used to create a variety of loose leaf blends in Germany for local consumption and export.  Rooibos tea is also gaining popularity in the United States, the UK, and Australia as well.

White teas have been adored by Chinese tea consumers for centuries. Till recently it had been virtually unknown outside of Asian countries, but is beginning to become well known in the West, very similar to the way green tea became so popular a few years back. The specific mixture of white tea from which many of the finest Blossoming Teas are actually produced is known as Silver Needle. Silver needle is the highest quality white tea because it is made just from the sensitive new sprouts that are protected in silver-white fur rather than a mixture of buds as well as standard green tea extract leaves. These types of delicate sprouts can only end up being harvested inside a short period at the beginning of spring every year and are refined entirely by hand.

Tea drinks come in a multitude of blends, colors and flavors. However, you might not be aware that just about all teas are harvested from the same bush; the Camellia Sinensis. The variety which exists within tea drinks is due to how a tea leaf is actually processed as well as which Camellia Sinensis bush the actual tea is harvested through. Leaves from the tea bush will soon start to wilt and oxidize when they are not dried out quickly following picking. The actual leaves change progressively more dark because the chlorophyll stops working and the tannins are freed. The time permitted for the teas leaves in order to oxidize before drying out has a lot to do with the kind of tea, (and specifically the color) that’s produced.  Green tea, for example, is dried quickly in order to retain the lush green color.

In Chinese tea tradition, semi-oxidized oolong teas tend to be collectively arranged as "qingcha," (literally "blue-green tea").The flavor of oolong changes hugely amongst the various sub-varieties. It may be sweet as well as fruity along with honey scents, or woodsy and heavy with roasting aromas, or even green as well as fresh along with bouquet scents, all with respect to the horticulture and elegance of manufacturing.  Several subvarieties associated with oolong, including some produced in the actual Wuyi Mountains in northern Fujian as well as in the main mountains associated with Taiwan, are among the most popular Chinese teas.

Different types of Oolong tea are refined differently, however the leaves tend to be formed in to two unique styles. A few are folded into lengthy curly simply leaves, while the other types are wrap-curled into little beads with tails. The former design is the classical of the two.

Many parents like the idea of their child being a star and if given the chance would respond to a casting call that could make that happen. But for parents this can turn into a tragedy with a new scam that was used by kidnappers in Toronto recently.

A casting call ad was placed on Craigslist by a woman who simply wanted to kidnap an infant. While the mother waited in the next room for the audition to finish the kidnapper simply ran off with the child. Luckily this story had a happy ending but not all kidnappings do. Parents should consider getting a GPS child locator for their child to protect them for just pennies as day.

It is crucial that you teach and review important numbers with your child, in the event of an emergency.  As early as possible, they should be taught not only their first and last name but their home phone number, including the area code, as well as their mom and dad’s phone numbers.  They should also learn their entire address, including the zip code and the phone number and address of a trusted friend or relative who lives nearby.  Make sure that, once your child learns “the numbers,” that you also review them frequently and update them whenever needed.  Preparing for emergencies before they happen are the best way to make sure the outcome is positive and happy. A electronic tracking device like the Amber Alert can also be useful in keeping kids safe.

One question many parents have when shopping for a child locator device like the Amber Alert Armor is if the cell phone provider will work with this personal tracking device. With this unit there is no need to change to any particular mobile phone provider since this convenient device will work with all carriers.

The only consideration that will need to be issued is whether or not your phone and service plan are capable of accessing email and phone based applications since this is how alerts and maps will be accessed. But every major cell phone carrier offers these capabilities making it unnecessary to change providers.

Whether a child wanders off or is abducted getting them home quickly is one of the most important things for keeping the situation safe. Statistics show that the longer a child is missing the less of a chance there will be a happy ending to the story. With the use of a Amber Alert Armor parents will have the abilities to find their children quickly in order to bring them home safely no matter how they went missing.
Of course waiting until after the incident occurs is too late, so parents need to get their child a personal tracking device before it is needed. That way should they ever wander off or even worse be kidnapped they will be carrying the tool that can help find them quickly to bring them home safely.