Tea

Aah, Bliss! After some truly murderously hot days, the wind came up, the rain came down and it has been raining off and on for 3 days. We really needed both the cool and the rain. I don't think our cats would agree with either statement, so they go out and come in soaked, to drag their cold, wet tails across my ankles.Back when it was hot, I had some of the Kangaita tea left over and so I iced it. It was a bit strong for me, so I diluted it a little. I don't think it does very well as ice tea - it loses all it's lovely nuances and becomes just "tea, tea", which is the family designation for ordinary tea. It is much too nice a tea to do that with it. I actually prefer green ice tea. It seems to hold on to nuance, delicacy and flavor better than many black teas.There are at least three ways to make ice tea. My favorite is to put a somewhat strong amount of tea in a tea sock, in a jug, fill the jug with cold water, cover with plastic wrap and bung it into the fridge. For green tea, I let it go 5-6 hours, for black tea, it can go overnight. There is the sun tea method, where you put your tea in a glass container and set it in the sun all day. I have done this many times, with no ill effects, but I know we are warned not to, lest bacteria invade it and make us sick. I have not personally heard of this happening. I don't usually do it because my cats would knock it over.Last, but not least is the old brew a pot of strong tea method. This is good when you want some ice tea right away. I just make a regular pot, because I like my ice tea weak. There are also a multitude of ice tea makers on the market and I confess to being attracted to them. However, they are relatively expensive and refrigerator space and sunshine are not, so I will content myself with what I have.I take part in a tea swap and I got the cutest tea gadget, ideal for gardeners - a potted plant tea infuser. The plant part comes out of the pot and has an infuser attached. When you are done brewing your tea, you put it back in the pot. It is made from food grade silicone rubber. I am going to try it right now and see how it affects the taste. I am going to use my SD Bell tea, as I know what that tastes like. Well, I think there is a faint, very faint taste of something like rubber and I think the tea is a bit weak. But I am unused to making tea by the cup and if I do, I usually use a tea sock, so the tea has lots of room to open up. But it is cute.Yay, that blasted bully-boy blue jay got his comeuppance this morning! He was trying his usual land on another bird trick, which he uses to intimidate smaller birds at the feeders, but the hairy woodpecker, though smaller, has a fierce, long, sharp beak,and he just pecked him several times and that ended that. Ha ha, bully bird!

Milk and tea seem to be a topic that is popping up on this blog quite a bit lately. From exploring the correct way to add milk to A Tea Drinker's Experiment with Milk to my own toe-dipping into the whole issue of whether milk should be put in the cup first or not, the issue seems to be getting a thorough treatment. Or is it? Most seem to be missing an important question: Is milk added in to your tea in essence a flavoring of that tea?Read the rest of the article on The English Tea Store Blog.© 2013 A.C. Cargill photos and text

Milk and tea seem to be a topic that is popping up on this blog quite a bit lately. From exploring the correct way to add milk to A Tea Drinker’s Experiment with Milk to my own toe-dipping into the whole issue of whether milk should be put in the cup first or not, the […]

I’ve written about that elusive creature known as the perfect cup of tea on a number of occasions now. My most recent thoughts are here. I’m still not convinced that such an item exists. But I guess all we can do is to try our best to get as close as we can to that […]

At Bigelow Tea we are grinning from ear to ear during National Smile Month. We couldn’t be happier to tell you that smiles can make you happy! Yes, smiling begets more smiling, and it has been shown that when you smile more, you are happier.  Some recent studies have suggested that our emotions are reinforced—maybe even determined—by their equivalent facial expressions. That happens to us all the time: drinking our tea puts a smile on our face and instantly we feel happy and content. Or maybe it’s the other way around, indulging in our favorite tea flavors make us cheery, and then we smile more. Whichever the case, we are beaming with joy just because of our tea! On top of that happy news, green tea studies have shown that drinking tea may be one of the best (and simplest) things you can do to protect your teeth!  Tea is a natural source of fluoride, which is known to protect against tooth decay. In addition, Green tea has been shown via many studies to inhibit the growth of many of the bacteria that cause bad breath. A double bonus when we flash our pearly whites! So, whether you grab a delicate cup of Green Tea or a fabulous, hearty Black Tea like our aristocratic Earl Grey, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. It will put a stunning smile on your face and just might elevate your mood. We couldn’t ask for much more from a little cup of tea!  Image via, Flickr

I’m always on the lookout for new tea blends – encountering a new tea blend piques my curiosity.  A few months ago, when I was in San Francisco attending the Fancy Food Show, I visited a mall and noticed a small demo stand providing samples of David’s Tea.  From its bright turquoise logo to its young, chipper demo girls, I knew that this was going to be interesting.  Based on the long line of eager consumers waiting for a taste, it was clear others were just as interested.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that they also had a retail store in the mall.   I’m not the biggest fan of flavored tea, but when I looked through David’s Tea’s extensive list of tea blends, I realized that was their specialty.  They have the typical classics, like Earl Grey and English Breakfast, but they also carry some concoctions that makes one wonder, “Where is the actual tea?”  One “blend” even included popcorn.  Then it became clear to me.  Looking around their clean, somewhat minimalist store design, their bright colors and cheerful and calming ambiance, and especially their way of presenting teas, it was obvious that this brand was trying to be the next Starbucks.  Oh, and did I mention that their teas are all loose leaf?  With beautiful, almost artistic images of their teas that have names like “Fantasy Island,” “Bamboozled,” and “Countess of Seville,” David’s Tea is marketing to a new niche market of tea drinkers.  Just as Starbucks changed how people view and are willing to pay for coffee, David’s Tea seems to be attempting the same model.  And it looks to be working.   David’s Tea is barely five years old and it’s taking the U.S. by storm.  The company was founded in 2008 by a young, 30-something Canadian, David Segal, and his cousin, Herschel Segal.  They realized a new shift toward and “awakening” to tea.  According to David, “Tea had a stodgy reputation.  It was either very British or Asian. We made it North American and Modern.”  The result is very similar to Starbucks.  In New York City alone, there are four retail stores and I expect to see more by the end of the year.  It’s even becoming somewhat of a tourist attraction for bloggers like this Massachusetts student, who states, “If you are an extreme tea-lover who wants high-quality tea for a reasonable price, David’s is the place to be.” While I am not a fan of their teas (maybe it’s my English side that prefers regular ol’ Earl Grey), I can appreciate what they are doing for the tea industry.  They are bringing a new energy to tea and most specifically to loose-leaf tea.   However, could they disrupt the industry to where the younger/next generation of tea drinkers prefers a “Copabanana” to a nice cuppa Darjeeling?  I’m very curious to see how the brand will expand and what its impact will be on next generation of tea drinkers.  Seeing as how T Ching is a community of tea lovers and experts, what are your thoughts on David’s Tea? The post David’s Tea: The new “Starbucks” of tea? appeared first on T Ching.

I have had some truly wonderful oolongs from Driftwood Teas and I have high hopes for the latest that I am sampling. This is an organic tea grown in Thailand that is subjected to nitrogen increasing the natural gamma-Aminibutyric acid concentration by around 10x. The dry leaves have a strange aroma that almost reminds me of new plastic. Once brewed the liquor is a reddish amber in coloring and the aroma is definitely more appetizing though rather light. I am able to pick up hints of plums, brown sugar and juniper berries. This tea has a thin mouth feel with none of the lingering aftertaste that I so love in oolongs. Instead it has a rather sharp taste of juniper berries and cinnamon. While I am sure that this is a high quality oolong it has none of the attributes that I so love in this style of tea. I would definitely drink a cup if it was offered to me but this is not one that I would consider stocking in my own cupboard. • Water Temp: 190 degrees • Time: 2 minutes

Tea Type: Black Tea Where To Buy: Whittard of Chelsea 1886 Product Description: Darjeeling Happy Valley 2nd Flush  SFTGFOP1 Loose Tea. Darjeeling 2nd flush teas have a more developed slightly nutty taste than 1st flush teas and are more full-bodied. Happy Valley is a famous Darjeeling garden with an reputation for producing top quality teas. This is a rich cup with a beautiful flavor and a touch of the “muscatel” Darjeeling tea is renowned for. Tasters Review: Recently I received a sample of this Single Estate Black Tea from Whittard of Chelsea.  As many of you know I start each day with at least 1 Black Tea and then move on to other tea bases throughout the day. This was a delightful Darjeeling.  A nice 2nd Flush. This has a gentle sweet-woodsy flavor with a bit of nuttiness to it as well.  It’s rich and pleasing in every way.  It’s a more pronounced flavor that many of the Darjeelings I have been sipping on lately.  I can vouch for the ‘muscatel’ flavor they refer to in the product description – especially on the end of the sip on to the aftertaste which lingers admirably. The post Darjeeling Happy Valley 2nd Flush from Whittard of Chelsea appeared first on SororiTea Sisters.

Despite what the name might suggest, Punjana is not an Indian tea company, but rather is based in Ireland. More about them here. A tip of the hat to teadog.com, where I first ran across this one. Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

  Eat tea. Yes, that’s right. We love eating tea, when it comes to matcha that is. Matcha is the only tea we actually eat. The finely milled powder from shade grown organic Japanese green tea whips up into a … Continue reading →