Tea

Memorial Day is coming and the ads are full of specials for grilling and picnicking. But I am more reminded of the deeper meaning of the day. It was set aside to remember all those soldiers who gave their lives for our country, in one of our many, many wars. I am firmly anti-war, but ... The fact is many men and women have gone to war and paid horrific prices for the rest of us. So let us remember them and say thank you.Memorial Day is also a day to remember family and friends who have gone before us. I remember going with each of my grandmothers to decorate family graves. I'm not sure I understand the point of it, but I loved the stories that were told about the 2 sisters who married 2 brothers, about the family friend my great grandmother was named for, the baby boy who died at birth and the baby left behind in a New Jersey cemetery. There were the graves with odd headstones, and the ones where a whole family was wiped out in a diphtheria epidemic, and that of the many greats-grandfather who lived to be 91 and had 127 grandchildren when he died! There were sad tales and funny tales, but they wove my family into my heart and made them real.I hope your families are very real and precious and that you have someone to tell you their stories and that you, in turn, tell the next generation those same stories. Plant some rosemary for remembrance. I have some thyme from the cemetery where my parents and grandparents are buried - the whole place is covered with it and it smells wonderful when one walks on it.I lift my cup today to soldiers and families and friends - may we all grow in love. I am having some Kenyan tea from Camellia Sinensis Maison de The in Quebec, Canada, www.camellia-sinensis.com . It is part of a tea swap. It is called Kangaita and is both organic and fair trade. In the packet it smells wonderful, with a deep winey aroma. The medium sized leaves are very dark, but there is a lot of gold dust on the inner surfaces of the packet. I am brewing it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water. As it is brewing it has that deep wonderful fresh wash smell, coupled with old wine barrels and dark tree bark. The liqueur is a very pretty rosy amber.This smells so good, I can barely wait for it to cool enough to sip. Oh, my this is wonderful tea. It is very rich tasting, but has a light body. There is that woodsy, earthy quality, but it is combined with something very close to caramel. There is a pleasant, spicy note to the aftertaste. This really is one of the best teas I have had in a while. I am especially pleased because about 10 years ago, there was some wonderful Kenya tea and then there was a terrible slump and it was just awful, but this is one more proof that Kenya's orthodox tea can stand with the best.Wallflowers in Switzerland.

We had a busy weekend here at Miss Spenser's...we were finally able to share our House of Elliott Fashion Show Tea Party. We showcased clothing worn from 1900-1920. As some of you will recall, our previously scheduled event was May 4, unfortunately a surprise snow storm made it's way to Iowa causing wires to come down and our home to be without power...with GEO thermal and an all electric house, makes it a bit difficult to brew a pot of tea!! Thankfully, most guests were able to reschedule...and for those who couldn't make it...we are still, so very sorry! We hope we can make it up to you in future tea events!! Here are some highlights from this weekend ~ Enjoy! Just some of the Savories and Sandwiches that we served. Our Fancy Orange Cake in Chocolate Cups! Miss Spenser & her good friend, Mary, who was the perfect Flapper Girl! Thank you Mary for being such a great model for us! Be watching for a Special Post on the recreation of this Orange Flapper Dress! :) It was a lot of fun this weekend! Thank you to everyone who came!!

If memory serves right there’s only one major type of tea that’s named for a person and that would be Earl Grey, a variety that’s most often made by flavoring black tea with the aromatic oil from the peel of a citrus fruit called bergamot. Which makes for a very aromatic product indeed, and it’s certainly […]

While many of you tea drinkers out there will know exactly what these two terms mean, I feel that there is often some confusion about the difference between the two. This is partly because tea is often both loose-leaf and full-leaf. But despite not all loose-leaf tea being whole-leaf tea, and vice versa, I have […]

with the warmer weather comes a need for ample hydration for our bodies. During the week of May 20-26, Bigelow Tea will be celebrating Drink Water Week. “Water?” you ask… not tea? Well, of course, tea is made with water … so what’s not to love? Water is one of our most precious resources. It’s what makes Earth different from any other planet, and as humans we are made up of 60% water. We couldn’t live without it. In fact, we need plenty of water each day just to nourish our bodies. If you find drinking glass after glass of water monotonous, we have great news: other beverage intake—including tea!—can count towards your daily requirements. Fresh brewed iced tea is fantastic way to hydrate and cool down, and a marvelous flavored alternative to sugary drinks. And with so many varieties of Bigelow Tea, you can have any type or flavor you choose … and even mix and match your own! How about a lovely Perfect Peach and Pomegranate Pizzazz iced tea blend to refresh you throughout the day!   The summer months are fast approaching, and So yes, we are definitely observing Drink Water Week. Boil some right now and enjoy that cup of tea or a tall glass of iced tea! Refreshing isn’t it? Image by Snap® via Flickr.com

I feel as though I am rather spoiled as I have spent the last couple days immersed in my sample of Brandy Oolong. This rather unique oolong is rather heavily oxidized and has just recently been introduced to those of us in the West. And boy am I delighted that it has finally made it. The dry leaves are long and twisted and a dark chocolate brown. The aroma they give off is that of molasses. Once brewed, the liquor is a dark amber and the aroma is still that of molasses but with some spice too it now. This tea has a very silky texture to it with a bit of dryness at the end of each sip. It has a very rich flavor with malt, spices and dark molasses which becomes even thicker as it cools. Very tasty indeed. This is a tea that takes to being resteeped with grace. I was able to get resteep it four times with a fifth being very possible as the leaves had more to give. And at just over $4 an ounce, this tea is a real treasure at a very low cost. I know that I plan on picking some up the next time I order. Water temp: 195 degrees Steep Time: 2 minutes

Drawing a simple stick figure is the extent of my artistic abilities.  Honestly, even that might be stretching it.  It’s not really a problem as I am more than willing to accept my lack of artistic ability.  But every once in a while, I’ll catch Bob Ross on PBS painting his happy little trees, making it look so easy, and I see a small glimmer of artistic salvation for me.   A few years back, my sister and her husband attended one of those Wine and Canvas type of bars in Chicago.  You know … drink wine while an instructor walks you through a masterpiece creation.  She posted pictures on Facebook and the whole thing looked like a ton of fun.  Especially the wine part.  I immediately pulled up my “To Do” list (since I have lists for everything) and added a “Tea + Art” type of event to it.   Why it took me a couple of years to put something like this together is beyond me, but fate led me to a gentleman by the name of Ed.  Ed teaches art classes – different media, different techniques, different hair, but in that same soothing voice as Bob Ross.  On April 17, we launched our very first “Blend and Brew” – an art + tea class at Selah {an art salon}.  The focus of our class was on creating a painting of a beautiful cherry blossom tree and sampling four green teas.  We talked about green tea-growing regions, flavor profiles, and a flurry of other tea facts – all while painting.  We even managed to chat about husbands, puppies, and past teas we’ve experienced.  The evening was so enjoyable that we have opted to host monthly “Blend and Brew” sessions. While I still hold tight to the fact that I will never be a Monet, there is something very relaxing about having a cup of tea and painting.  I was amazed at how different all of the paintings were, even though everyone was working off the same model.  If given the chance to attend a similar event in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend it!   Happy painting (and sipping)!

Tea Information: Leaf Type:  Black Where to Buy:  Amoda Tea Tea Description: This is our Mother’s Day Tea. One of the Amoda moms has been asking for a black tea “that’s not boring”. So we found one for her. There’s 7 different black teas layered in here! Medium-body, medium-strength, full taste. There’s citrus, malt and honey and that amazing smoky character that likes to linger. Learn more about this tea here. Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here. Taster’s Review: I have wanted to try this Lord Petersham Black Tea Blend from The Devotea for a long time now – and the monthly tea tasting box from Amoda Tea made that possible for me today!  Thank you, Amoda Tea! The Devotea maintains an active presence on Tea Trade, and that’s our home here on SororiTea Sisters too, so I’ve been hearing a lot about this tea blend.  I tried to win it back when the Devotea was hosting regular giveaways on Tea Trade, but, I never won anything.  Bummer!  I have been meaning to order from them for a while, but, every time I have funds available in my “Can Buy Tea” budget, somehow, I forget to order this! Now I HAVE to order more of this, because this blend is FREAKING awesome!  Seriously … it’s extraordinarily good.  I know I’ve said that this tea or that tea is good, and I’ve meant it.  But, if you have room for only one black tea in your tea cupboard – this is a tea you should definitely consider as your one and only.   I’ve encountered a few “one and only” black tea blends … this tea blend is absolutely a contender for that distinction as well. I think that Amoda Tea describes this tea well when they say that it’s medium-body, medium-strength with full-flavor.  It is all those things.  It doesn’t taste or feel too heavy or overwhelming.  It isn’t one of those “kick you in the backside” kind of teas that you would turn to on those mornings when you are too drowsy to focus.  Instead, it’s one of those teas that you drink because you LOVE tea and you want the optimal tea experience.  As I sit here and drink this, I am so astonished at how beautifully round it is.  It is completely satisfying in it’s flavor. I steeped this for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch, and this worked out perfectly.  It is not overly tannic, it isn’t bitter, it is just … divinely delicious.  A wonderfully balanced cuppa that tastes rich with its notes of sweet honey-like tones, malty goodness, and hints of earthy notes.  There is a citrus-like finish to it.  The smoky tones that Amoda Tea mentions in their description … there is just the right amount of smoke to this blend.  It doesn’t taste aggressively smoky. This is so close to perfection – this blend – that I can’t think of a black tea blend that I like better than this one at the moment.  There might be one … but, this tastes so good that it is clouding any other opinion that I might have! The post Lord Petersham Black Tea Blend from The Devotea appeared first on SororiTea Sisters.

The Madison County students and parents participating in the middle school Homestay program hosted a reception for our Sister City Delegation on Thursday evening. ?   This summer, ten Japanese students will come to Kentucky to stay a week with families here.  Next year, our students will go there to stay with the students they hosted this year.  ?   The five girls and five

If you were at all intrigued by the sampling of the 2009 Kim Jong Yeol (Butea) aged and re-roasted balhyocha from Pedro at O5tea, you may also find this post interesting. Once again it offers an interesting perspective on aging balhyocha. What is interesting about this tea is that it was picked from the same area, produced with the same methods, and by the same people that produced the 2011 and 2012 "ZeDa" brand balhyocha that is sold by Sam of Good Green Tea. The 2011 post states: "Sam acquired it from a small farm from Sancheong, Jiri Mountain, and that is was completely wild tea. He claimed that Mr. Hong has over 50 years experience making tea and that he makes it all by hand with only the help of his wife. Mr. Hong makes only Hwang cha (balhyocha) with his tea leaves and only produces 15 Kg per year (he keeps 5 KG of this tea). The production of this tea is all natural and even includes air drying the leaves on big heated boulders during night time instead of the standard ondol heated floors which are commonly used to produce balhyocha." Although one did try many 2006 balhyocha back in 2006, this is the oldest aged sample of balhyocha one has yet to try. 2006 was an excellent year for Korean tea and produced a great harvest. With that said, this should be an epic tasting... The dry leaf looks much the same as the 2011/2012 but smells of old musky smells. It carries a deep aged odour of sweet black cherry in the distance mixed with a very slight deep forest note. These leaves are stuffed in to a warmed pot.The first infusion is prepared with hotter water than what one would normally use for a balhyocha, a short rest in the cooling bowl. This first pot is light, juicy, watered-down fruity-pear taste. This initial taste disappears among the faintest date-woody-raisin tastes before disappearing on the breath. The mouthfeel is flat and watery- it supplies a light coating to the mid-deep throat. Clearly hotter water is still required.The second pot is filled with water that is quickly transferred from the cooling bowl. The taste opens with creamy, spicy, thick, malted-apricot notes with hints of bitter coco and tobacco underneath It is these tastes of coco and tobacco which are last to disappear on the breath. Seconds later a thin woody-forest note skirts underneath The mouthfeel is thin and taught, expansive in the mid- and upper- throat. Third pot comes with more pronounced woody-forest tastes which were just underling in the last infusion. They now mix evenly with the spicy-malted-apricot notes. There is a depth to all these tastes. The creaminess and thickness of last infusion is less here. There slightly more coarseness and dryness mixed in now. The throat feel is substantial now especially in the deep-mid throat. The sensation is that of a cool opening feeling there. The qi of this tea is very soft, ones face softens and a subtle warm tingling sensation is felt throughout the body. Minutes later a woody taste is left in the mouth. The fourth and fifth infusions are much the same as the third. The tea is just starting to become more watery now. There is a light, slightly malty-juicy-wood monotone flavour now dominating the profile. A lingering sweet malty-apricot taste lingers minutes later. Qi is strong now on the mind but almost unnoticeable on the body. The qi accumulates lightly in the chest making it feel light. The sixth, seventh, and eighth infusions are becoming more simple. It is a barely spicy, malty wood taste with a deep woody edge. As the infusions become more watery now they develop and thin-watery, sweet, malty, vague fruitiness, with raisin tones. Some tangy wood notes linger in the breath minutes later. The taste has a simple purity to it. These leaves are put to some overnight infusions which pull out a malty-sweet, juicy-apricot fruit taste with a thin barely noticeable woody bottom. The thin coating of fruit is long in the mouth. The second overnight infusion is a wate