Tea tasting: Teavana's Blackberry Mojito Green

+Murray Blehart  and +Christine Dalessio  gave me a lovely Christmas present: a bag of Teavana's Blackberry Mojito Green tea (http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/green-teas/p/blackberry-mojito-green-tea).

The tea in the bag has a very odd smell. It's sort of like dried fruit compote with something unidentifiable underneath.   Once brewed, the tea itself takes on the fruit compote aroma, without that weird undertone.

The initial taste is fruity as well -- clearly blackberry, with a hint of strawberry.  But then there's this sort of fizzy minty bite at the end.  It's not unpleasant, just decidedly odd.   With a name like Blackberry Mojito, I was expecting a minty tea with a hint of fruit, not a fruit tea with a hint of mint.

Adding honey kills off all but the faintest aftertaste of mint, by the way.

After a little bit of experimentation, I have found THE perfect use for this tea: it is made to be iced.  The addition of a little bit of lime brings out the mint somewhat more, and hey presto, it now actually does remind me of a mojito.

Tea tasting: Adagio's Assam Harmony

Assam tea is so named because it is grown and harvested in and around Assam, India.

I love a good Assam.  It's pure, unadulterated tea.  It's stronger and deeper than the usual run of the mill black tea, sometimes with malty tones and sometimes not.   When I think of "tea," this is the taste I imagine.

Adagio's Assam Harmony (https://www.adagio.com/black/assam_harmony.html) is a good Assam.  It's smooth and full-bodied with the nice palate-clearing bite of black tea.  Some of the reviews on Adagio's website identify undertones of raisin or caramel or malt, but I don't taste any of those.  I just taste pure strong black tea.   There's no bitterness, as you get with cheap blacks.  I love the taste of this tea as tea, but it's got enough depth to stand up to the common practice of adding milk and sugar without losing character.

Taken iced, it's a bracing, refreshing drink.  Again, I like the taste of the tea in itself, so I don't sweeten it at all.  Assam iced tea is excellent with a twist of lime and crushed mint, though.

Tea tasting: David's Teas' Mother's Little Helper

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, joyful Yule, happy Solstice, pleasant Kwanzaa, auspicious Saturnalia, etc.

As an antidote to holiday frenzy, the choice for today's tea is one intended for relaxation:  David's Teas' Mother's Little Helper (http://www.davidstea.com/organic-mother-s-little-helper?&TF=7DC6367FC0E7&DEID=), a tisane of peppermint, lemongrass, rosehips, hibiscus, chamomile flowers, valerian root, and cornflowers.   It has a fresh, grassy smell with the peppermint and chamomile notes being most notable in the aroma.  Peppermint dominates the initial taste of the tea, before shifting to a crisp, clean, grassy finish.  It says refreshing to me, but not relaxing.  There's only a hint of sweetness, arriving at the end of the flavor.  Someone who likes tea sweet would have to add sweetener.

Ultimately, the tea is soothing and refreshing, but not particularly relaxing to me.  Although if the valerian kicks in soon, that opinion may change.

Tea tasting: Adagio Christmas Tea

For the past several days, I have been savoring Adagio's Christmas tea (https://www.adagio.com/flavors/christmas.html).  Like most blends labeled "Christmas teas," this is a blend of black tea, orange, cinnamon and cloves, sometimes with other things sometimes not.  

Adagio's Christmas tea strikes a balance among the flavors that I particularly like.  The clove is the most noticeable; it's a spicy, zingy note.  The orange and cinnamon are background tastes that follow up on the clove, with the cinnamon hitting more strongly than the orange.  Adding honey brings the orange to the fore somewhat more.

For the record, this tea also works very nicely as a hot drink with a shot of spiced rum.  I've also blended it with hot spiced cider to good effect.
.

Bad tea

Last night I had the great misfortune of drinking bad tea.   It billed itself as a "passion fruit" herbal tea from a brand I had never heard of, and hope never to encounter again.  It was cloying, overly tart and smelled like an explosion in a cheap potpourri factory.   It probably could have been salvaged by diluting it with juice or fruited water and icing it, but it's hard to experiment when you're in a restaurant.

This unfortunate taste experience got me thinking: What's the worst tea you've ever had?

For me, hands down it is the over-steeped Lipton knock-off brand served in diners along the Garden State Parkway.  It manages to be bitter, acidic and unpleasant in so many different ways.

Tea tasting: Tea Forté White Ginger Pear

The White Ginger Pear from Tea Forté (http://www.teaforte.com/store/gourmet-tea/white-tea/white-ginger-pear/) is one of my favorite evening teas.  It's very hard to describe the flavor of this tea.  That's not a criticism because the flavor is really quite good.

The first word that comes to mind when I drink this tea is golden.  It tastes golden.  It starts off a little grassy and then follows up with a delightful sweetness.  It's got the feeling of pear without tasting precisely like a pear.  It's a rich, warm, soothing dessert tea.  I wouldn't want to add anything to its natural sweetness.

Tea Forté advertises this tea as suitable for making iced tea.  (http://www.teaforte.com/store/gourmet-tea/white-tea/iced-white-ginger-pear/).  I don't agree.  The flavors are too delicate and require warmth to find their fullest expression.  They advise a 5-minute steeping time for iced tea, as opposed to the 2-4 minutes for hot tea; maybe that makes all the difference.

The White Ginger Pear goes really well with both yesterday's gingerbread recipe and the Russian Tea Cake cookies I posted a while ago.

Tea treats: Gingerbread

My house currently smells of gingerbread, which is the best thing about this time of year.  This recipe is for a dense cake-like gingerbread, not for thin cookies (although I have one for that too).  It is another entry from my mother's Big Green Book of recipes whose origins are lost to time.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease one 9-inch square cake pan, then sprinkle the pan with flour.

In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, combine well all of the ingredients.  Once combined, beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Pour gingerbread batter into greased and floured cake pan.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Tea tastings: Adagio Green Vanilla and Chocolate Black

Adagio Tea's Vanilla Green tea (http://www.adagio.com/green/vanilla_green.html) is a solid, but unremarkable green.  The vanilla survives in the aroma, but not such much in the flavor.  The teaspoon of wildflower honey that I put into the second cup completely obliterated any trace of vanilla.  Despite the lack of a prominent vanilla flavor, the quality of the underlying green tea makes this a worthwhile afternoon's drinking.

I ordered a fresh sample and did a re-tasting of Adagio's Chocolate Black tea ( http://www.adagio.com/flavors/chocolate.html).  The freshness of the tea makes all the difference in the world.  The tea now smells overwhelmingly of dark chocolate.  Upon tasting, it has tones that are more coffee-like than chocolate.  Adagio's website says the tea is designed to taste more like chocolate liquer than like chocolate cocoa powder, so the coffee tastes may be intentional. Not really liking coffee, it doesn't appeal to me.   I think for someone who likes the coffee flavors, this tea would be great.

Rather than trash the small tin of faded chocholate black leaves, I did an experiment combining half portions of the older, faded tea and the new, fresh tea.  That blending evened out the coffee-like flavors into more chocolate-y tones.  I'll finish the blended leaves, but I'm unlikely to buy more of this.

Guest Review: Adagio White Pear

I'd mentioned to several people that I will welcome guest tea reviews.  This one is from the lovely and talented   

Tea Tasting - Adagio White Pear

A wonderful box of tea samples arrived from Adagio yesterday. Some are gifts, some are MINE. This morning's pot of tea was focused on discovering if their White Pear compares at all to Celestial Seasonings' offering ('Perfectly Pear'), which has been discontinued with no easy buy-it-off-the-shelf replacement. That was my go-to light breakfast tea once I rediscovered it in my kitchen, and ran out just in time for it to disappear from the stores.

The dry tea itself does not smell very good. Almost musty, but it brews into a very nice, light, fruity tea, greeny-gold color. Definite pear flavor, no bitterness when brewed properly (approx. 4 min, at ~175-185 degrees). Not overly sweet or cloying, and no strange aftertaste like some fruit teas I've had. The flavor strengthens a bit more as it cools.

Honestly can't say exactly how this differs from CS White Pear, since it's been so long since I've had a cup. Very happy to have found a replacement for it, though. It will have a permanent place in my cabinet.

Tea tasting: Adagio's Dewy Cherry

The Adagio samples I ordered arrived today, and the first one I decided to sample was the herbal Dewy Cherry (https://www.adagio.com/herbal/dewy_cherry.html).

I just need to get one thing off my chest first: Dewy Cherry sounds like a stripper name.

The tea smells wonderful, like the best cherry pie filling.  The taste starts out with a tart bite that immediately shifts to full-bodied sweetness, and then the whole things smooths and mellows out.  That's a lot of things happening inside your mouth at once, but it all works.   The tea is sweet enough for me that I am not inclined to add honey or sugar.  Make sure you drink this slowly to give yourself time to savor the complexities.

I should add that the link to the webpage for the tea is generally the last thing I add when writing up a tasting.  I write my review first.  I say that because the description of the tea on Adagio's website is disconcertingly similar to what I came up with myself:

"Cherry pie, anyone? This delicious blend of sour cherries, apples, orange peels, rosehips and hibiscus flowers is an easy stand-in for dessert any day. Cheeky sweet and tart, with a clean finish. Naturally sweet and caffeine free."

I suppose I shouldn't have expected an adjective better than "cheeky" from a company willing to name its tea after a stripper.

Types of Tea 101

What Makes a Tea?

All tea is produced from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to China and India.  The different types of tea vary based on the region or country where it is grown, which parts of the Camelia sinensis are used and how they are treated before brewing.  Any brewed drink that doesn’t include part of the Cameliia sinensis plant is not tea; it is a “tisane.” 

Types of Tea

There are five different recognized types of tea:

• Green teas, 

• White teas, 

• Oolongs (called Blue teas in China), 

• Black teas (called Red teas in Asia), and

• Post-fermented teas (called Dark teas in Asia).[1, 2]

The different types of tea are distinguished by the degree to which the tea leaves and/or buds are “fermented” or oxidized.  Tea does not undergo true chemical fermentation, although that term is used in the tea industry to describe the process.  Instead, tea properly undergoes oxidation, the process by which atoms lose electrons, resulting in chemical changes.[2]  The oxidation process causes changes to the flavor, aroma and overall appearance of the tea, resulting in different types of brews.

Green Tea

            “Green tea” has undergone the least amount of oxidation/fermentation of all of the tea varieties.  The leaf is briefly wilted to lose water, then heated before it completely dries and before any enzyme activity can take place.  The heating can be done in a variety of ways, including sun-drying, steaming, baking and pan-roasting.  Sub-varieties of green tea are based on the shape of the leaves and the method of drying.[2, 3] 

White Teas

            The category of tea is lightly oxidized/fermented before being baked dry.  It is usually made from young leaves and new growth buds.  Flavors can vary based on the size of the leaf used.[2]

Oolong Teas

            To create an oolong tea, the young Camellia sinensis leaf is grown to a slightly larger size before picking.  The leaves are then wilted in the sun for a short period of time before being “bruised,” usually by being placed into baskets and shaken.  The leaves are then exposed to and allowed to oxidize for a very brief time, in some cases less than 2 hours, before being baked dry.[4] 

Black Teas

            The most commonly found type of tea, black teas are fully oxidized or fermented.  After being picked and dried, black tea leaves are rolled, either by hand or by machine, causing the leaves to undergo chemical processes.  The leaves are allowed to oxidize until they turn a dark reddish-brown, then fired.  If the tea is intended to be used in tea bags, after firing it is passed through another machine to be cut into finer and smaller pieces.[5]  The taste of black tea can vary based on the place where plant is grown, the specific variety of plant and the exact methodology of the tea-maker.

Post-Fermented Teas

            Post-fermented tea leaves have been subjected to a microorganism-induced fermentation process, rather than the enzyme oxidation process used for other teas.[1]  Plucked tea leaves are briefly withered and/or sun-baked, twisted, then subjected to microbe activities before they are dried.[3]  The resulting infusion is much darker than other teas.  Post-fermented teas are sometimes known as “puer” teas.

Tisanes

Things that are often called tea, but are actually tisanes, include:  

• Rooibos or “Red Tea” or “Bush Tea”: Rooibos “tea” is made from the Aspalathus linearis plant, a member of the legume family, grown primarily in South Africa. 

• Mate “teas” are brewed from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) plant, a member of the holly family from South America. Yerba mate infusions are popular with coffee drinkers because they taste more like coffee than tea.

• Herbal “teas” are the most commonly found “tisanes.” They can be made from a vast variety of herbs, roots, bark, seeds, fruits, etc.  

[1] http://teaguardian.com/what-is-tea/tea-classification-1.html#.UqNllfRDuSp

[2] http://ratetea.com/topic/oxidation-of-tea/57/

[3]  http://teaguardian.com/what-is-tea/green-tea-nature.html#.UqNnS_RDuSo,

[3] http://teaguardian.com/what-is-tea/dark-tea-nature.html#.UqNq_fRDuSo

[4] http://www.teamuse.com/article_060601.html

[5] http://www.teamuse.com/article_060501.html

Tea tasting: Tea Forté White Ambrosia

I am all about comfort tea today, so I just brewed up an evening pot of another utter favorite of mine:  White Ambrosia by Tea Forté (http://www.teaforte.com/store/gourmet-tea/white-tea/white-ambrosia/).

The company's website describes it thusly:  "Rarest Pai Mu Tan white tea is plucked in early spring from a special varietal tea bush called "chaicha."  Blended with fragrant Madagascar vanilla and the tropical tea of island coconut.  Delicate, refreshing and divine."

That's a bit over the top, but this is exceptionally nice tea.  It doesn't taste tropical.  I would characterize it as floral.  This isn't the vanilla of sugar cookies or baking.  It's the vanilla of orchids.  The coconut provides a mellowing influence.  I'd call it "refined" rather than delicate.  This is a tea made for china cups and sipping, not travel mugs and blurry morning gulps (and not only because it's low in caffeine).

I did a bit of researching on "Pai Mu Tan," more commonly known as Bai Mudan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Mudan) tea.  It's a white tea, so lightly oxidized after picking, made from both young leaves and plant shoots.  (Drinks, shoots and leaves . . . . yeah, it's a grammar book joke, so sue me.)  Some of the flavor notes in the White Ambrosia clearly come from the tea itself, and not just the additives.  A flowery quality frequently attributed to Bai Mudan tea, so I'm clearly not off base in finding this tea to be more floral than fruity.

I have to end with a shout-out to The Urban Muse (http://www.theurbanmuse.com/), my favorite day spa, located in Denville, NJ, for turning me on to this tea.   They offer Tea Forté teas to customers while they are waiting for services and sell a decent selection of these teas in the shop.

Tea tasting: Mighty Leaf's Pear Caramel Truffle Black

This is one of my favorite flavored black teas.  All of the flavors are very subtle.  I don't find it particularly fruity.  The black tea and caramel notes resonate most strongly for me.  I honestly don't detect truffle/chocolate at all.  There's a nice comforting smoothness to a cup of this tea, with no bitterness or bite.

The aroma of the tea in the bag is far stronger than the aroma once brewed.  I can smell the pear more than I can taste it; I think the pear quality best expresses itself in the smooth finish.

Tea Samples and Small packages

For those who want to be adventurous in their tea choices without committing to buying a large amount of tea they might not like, several companies offer small batches and samples for sale.

Adagio Teas (https://www.adagio.com) has sample sizes for sale for about $2-3 per sample (up to $5.00 for some of the really exceptional teas).  Each sample makes 5-10 cups of tea.

Mighty Leaf (http://www.mightyleaf.com) offers variety packs of its most popular bagged blends for around $10.

Teavana (http://www.teavana.com/) offers tastings in the store.  However, even their 2 oz. sizes of tea generally are more expensive than other brands (so far, completely worth the price for every one I've tried, but still).

Republic of Tea (http://www.republicoftea.com) offers an affordable mini-taster gift tin with samples of three teas.

Tea tasting: Adagio's Chocolate Black Tea

Today's tea is Adagio's Chocolate Black (http://www.adagio.com/flavors/chocolate.html).  I think I've been spoiled by the truly spectacular teas I've been drinking for the past month or so.  This one is merely adequate.  It's an adequate Ceylon black with no particularly remarkable features. There is nothing about the aroma or taste that screams "chocolate" to me.  There's a touch of bitterness in the flavor of the black that may appeal to people who like bitter flavors.

Now, to be fair. this is another tea that I've let sit for a little too long, this time because I simply forgot about it in the tea cabinet.  If you've seen my tea cabinet, this is less implausible than you'd think.  While it was sealed, I don't think the seal was as good as it could have been, so the age may have adversely affected the overall quality.

It's not a bad tea.  It's simply unremarkable and not particularly interesting.  But if I can buy a small sample, I'd be willing to re-taste it in a fresher form.

Oooh!  And look at that.  Adagio sells samples for $2.00 that make about 10 cups.  I am all over this.

Experiments!

I'm reporting today on the results of a few follow-ups from prior posts.

(1)  Plantation iced tea with dark coconut rum is profoundly awesome.

(2)  Black lavender iced tea is not awesome.  It's fairly awful.  I drank the top third of the glass and then dumped the rest.

(3)  Mom reports that Russian tea cakes made with chopped pecans turn out fairly well.

Tea tasting: Sally Lunn's Black Lavender

Today's tea tasting again comes from Sally Lunn's, my favorite tea shop, found in Chester, NJ.  (http://www.sallylunns.com/).  I need to do a full, proper review for Sally Lunn's.  But not today.

Sally Lunn's Black Lavender is just what it says on the tin: basic quality black tea with lavender.  The lavender is strong but not overwhelming.  Lavender tastes more or less like it smells, if that makes any sense.  It doesn't detract from the crispness of the black tea.  I definitely like this better than the similar in concept rose petal tea that I tried last week.  No awful potpourri flashbacks today.

Given that today was awful, cold and snowy here at Majestic Mount Mackyntoich, I only sampled today's tea hot.  I like lavender stirred into lemonade (something else Sally Lunn's offers), so in theory I'll like this tea iced.  Despite my dedication to the exploration of all things tea, I'll likely be waiting until the temperature rises above freezing again before conducting that experiment.

I also didn't try this tea with sweetener today.  I think it might become cloying if even slightly over-sweetened.  But that also is a taste-test for another day.

Tea tasting: Sally Lunn's Herbal Blood Orange

Today's tea is not one that you can order from the internet.  It's an in-house blend made by my favorite local tea shop, Sally Lunn's in Chester, NJ.

I made Herbal Blood Orange tea, brewed medium, with a teaspoon of clover honey.  What a very nice bit of comfort tea.  It's got an initial tang followed by a mouth full of delightful fruity sweetness.  It's almost like grown-up fruit punch.  Without the honey, the tang lasts longer, and citrus highlights emerge.  It's interesting and all, but I think I like the honeyed version better.

Tea House Finder

There's a splendid  little web site out there that finds tea shops throughout the U.S.: http://www.teamap.com/

You can search by state and zip code.  There's usually a link to the tea shop's own websites.

Unfortunately, the teamap site seems only poorly to moderately maintained -- there are places listed that are out of business.  So be sure to double check any information you find here.  teamap links to a number of other tea resources, again only moderately maintained.  There are some reviews of commercial teas, but not many.  I don't find the reviews that are there particularly informative.

The tea shop finder is very useful; the rest of the site (or its links) less so.  

Tea tasting: David's Tea Coconut Grove (Blanc Coco)

David's Tea may be less well-known than Teavana or Twinings or Republic of Tea, but they make amazingly good stuff.  I found them when I visited Quebec City last December and again this May.  They seem to be primarily a Canadian outfit, but they do have some shops in the US and they ship to the US.  (http://www.davidstea.com/)

The Coconut Grove tea is a white tea blend using Bai Mu Dan tea leaves, coconut and vanilla.  It's delightful and refreshing.  The coconut comes across strongly in the aroma, but much more lightly in the drinking flavor.  Never fear -- despite the strong coconut smell, it's not a liquid pina colada.  It still tastes primarily like tea.  There's a fruity undertone that comes from the Bai Mu Dan leaves.  The tea has a subtle sweetness all its own; I haven't tried sweetening it with anything yet.

I brewed it to a medium strength, giving the tea leaves the opportunity to express themselves.  A shorter steeping time likely would have emphasized the coconut and vanilla somewhat more.

It is very nice hot, but superlative when iced.   When iced, I think it would pair interestingly with lime rather than lemon.

Unfortunately, the Coconut Grove is a seasonal release; I bought it back in May while in Quebec City and just hadn't bothered to brew it until today.  It's not currently available.  I hope they bring it back come summer time.

By the way, anyone wanting to promote continued tea-tastings and reviews could do worse than to send me this:  http://www.davidstea.com/the-winter-collection?&TF=D36B1B50DFA0&DEID=

Tea tasting: Teavana Golden Monkey

I'm feeling under the weather today, so I wanted some straight up comfort tea.  I chose Teavana's Golden Monkey black tea.  Here's how Teavana's website describes it:

"Steeped in ancient lore and imperial exclusivity, this legendary top Chinese tea is the finest black tea from the fujian province. In 2011, it was served at the White House to the President of the United States and the President of China. A smooth tippy tea, rich with complex cocoa undertones manages to be extremely low in tannins yet rich in flavor. Originating during the Song Dynasty, this imperial tribute tea features golden tipped black leaves consisting of one leaf and one bud."  (http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/black-teas/p/golden-monkey-black-tea)

Even before reading the description I detected the cocoa undertones in the taste.  It starts with the sharp tang of black tea and then mellows out into a complex, rich, vaguely chocolate-like flavor.  It still tastes entirely like tea throughout.  This is not a flavored tea, it's a true black.   The low tannin level prevented it from being bitter even on re-heating.

I don't think it would ice well.  You'd lose the complexity of the flavors.  I put a little bit of honey into my third cup; it was spectacular.  The honey complemented the cocoa undertones really well, without the harsh bite of sugar.

Famous people's thoughts on the subject of tea

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
― C.S. Lewis

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”
― Lin Yutang, The Importance Of Living

“Tea ... is a religion of the art of life.”
― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea

“Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.”
― Confucius

Tea cookies

These are my mother's favorite cookies.  Her recipe calls them Russian Tea Cakes.  Where exactly she found the recipe has long been lost to time; I pulled this recipe from the family cookbook.  It makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

1 cup softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix on slow speed about 1 minute.  I've done this mixing by hand with no bad results.

Gradually stir 2-1/4 cups of flour into the other dry ingredients until "just combined"

Add 3/4 cups chopped nuts into the mixture.  The recipe calls for walnuts, but I like hazelnuts better.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.  Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and roll them in powdered sugar while still warm, and then again when cool.

Tea tasting: Teavana White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Tea

Rooibos is a plant grown in Africa.  Its leaves are used to make a tisane sometimes called "red tea" or "bush tea."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooibos).

I've not liked any of the various types of rooibos tea I've tried.  I've tried several reputable brands, like Twinings, but most of what I've tried has had an overly grassy or even chalky taste.

I was not expecting to like Teavana's White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos blend. I was wrong.  Although it tastes nothing like black tea, whatever blend of white chocolate and peppermint Teavana uses in the tisane has removed (or completely masked) the unpleasant (to me) tastes of the rooibos.  The white chocolate provides a mellowing influence; the peppermint tones are candy cane-like, with sweetness as well as mint.  The tea doesn't need sweetener to be palatable, but if you like sweeter tea then I do recommend honey over sugar.  I might even try melting a candy cane in it, being as it is that time of year.  I don't think it will ice well; this is a tea designed to be consumed hot.

I suspect my liking for this rooibos is likely a one time only thing.  While I might try another rooibos mixed with strong flavors, the essential taste of rooibos turns me off.

Tea tasting: Republic of Tea Rose Petal Tea

This blend was a gift that has been sitting sealed for about a year.  Tea shouldn't be let to sit this long when open, but sealed it is OK (if not optimal).  I've been reluctant to try it because the tea contains rosebuds the size of my fingertips, which are difficult to fit into most tea strainers.  The Tea-1000's basket laughs at rosebuds and brewed me up a nice afternoon pot to go with my Thanksgiving leftovers (stuffed mushrooms and pumpkin spice muffins for lunch).

The Rose Petal Tea is a seasonal blend that will be returning in January 2014 (http://www.republicoftea.com/rose-petal-tea-full-leaf/p/V02000/).

It is a blend of black tea with rose buds and rose petals.  The rose comes through incredibly strongly in the aroma of the tea, but far less so in flavor.  The aroma is a bit too overpowering for me; it's reminiscent of the evil potpourri my grandmother once gave me, which I had to dispose of using four garbage bags and tongs.   The rose scent dissipates after the tea has brewed for a while, making it palatable by the time it has cooled off enough to drink.  Fortunately.  

So, I'll drink it and finish the tin, but I'm unlikely to buy another tin.  If you're a big fan of roses, you might enjoy it more.

Tea tastings

I tried the Plantation Iced Tea recipe over the weekend, omitting the lemon grass and substituting two full cinnamon sticks for the ground cinnamon.  The cinnamon sticks were put in with 8-10 English Breakfast tea bags, then hot water was added.  I added the pineapple juice and sugar while the tea was still hot but after removing the tea bags.  It came out very nicely.

In this week's tea tastings, I tried Teavana's Strawberry Rose Champagne Oolong Tea (http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/oolong-teas/p/strawberry-rose-champagne-oolong-tea).  The dominant flavor is strawberry, with the rose appearing primarily in the scent rather than the flavor.  The tea finishes with a crisp, fizzy bite that evokes champagne.   It is better hot than iced.

I also tried Teavana's recommendation for a blend of its Youthberry and Wild Orange Blossom herbal blends.  (http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/best-tea-blends/p/youthberry-wild-orange-blossom-tea-blend).  After first experimenting with two teaspoons of each for a four-cup pot, which was far too weak, I increased the strength to four teaspoons of each for a four-cup pot.  That mix was about right.  The flavors blended very nicely, complementing each other without overshadowing each other.  The brew was fruity and multi-layered.  I have only tried it hot.  It sweetens better with the mellow sweetness of honey than with sugar.  I think it might ice well without a need for sugar.

Someone else's good idea

A post from another blog about dyeing with Starbuck's Tazo Teas:

http://collectiveindv.blogspot.com/2013/08/natural-dyeing-with-starbucks-tazo-teas.html

Plantation Iced Tea

This morning with breakfast I tried something called plantation iced tea.  It's a Hawaiian variant of iced tea made with black tea and pineapple juice.   It was delightful.  Refreshing without being overly sweet.  As I'm still recovering from yesterday afteroon's sugar overdose, overly sweet was the last thing I wanted.

Here's a recipe from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for refreshing plantation tea:

Bring two quarts of water just barely to a boil; add 8 standard tea bags or 1/2 cup of loose tea.  Let the tea steep for 3-4 minutes.

While the tea is still warm, add:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stalk of crushed lemongrass.  

Once the sugar has fully dissolved, add water to bring the mixture up to 1 gallon in volume.  Chill, then serve the mixture over ice with fresh mint and a pineapple wedge.

Tea on the Veranda at the Kahala Hotel in Honolulu

Today we (two of my charming companions pictured below) ventured out to afternoon tea on the Veranda, the restaurant in the Kahala Resort hotel just outside Honolulu.   I give the entire experience a solid B grade.

The ambiance was odd, to say the least.  The semi-open patio and dining room look out over the unbeatable vista of the Pacific Ocean.  From certain sections of the patio, guests can see pools where dolphins play and put on shows.   Unfortunately, today was overcast, with rain threatening at any moment, so the vibrant blue of the ocean was subdued to a mere blue-gray.   The seating arrangements were less than optimal for a group of five.  We were not able to sit at one of the normal tables, but instead had to make due with essentially a couch, some chairs and a coffee table.  Leaning over a coffee table just below the height of my knees is no way to eat a scone.  

While the furniture and decor were very clean, modern resort-ish with a hint of classic island themes, the background music was retro 50's lounge music, including that eternal elevator classic, "The Girl from Ipanema," which is now stuck in my head, thank you very much.  Had the Kahala gone all the way with the retro 50's theme, including the furniture and the uniforms of the waitstaff, it would have been far less discordant to hear Frank Sinatra singing "Witchcraft" while I waited for my tea.

We all ordered the "Classic Tea," which included a choice of savory sandwiches plus scones, mini desserts, and a choice of tea.   The tea selection was limited and a little disappointing to me (but likely just fine for a normal person).  The Kahala uses standard off-the-shelf Harney & Sons teas.  No custom blends.  Harney & Sons teas are good, solid choices, but I was disappointed that all of the teas were blends and flavors that I could buy from the supermarket at home.  

I opted for the Caribe, a blend of black and green teas with strawberry and guava flavors.  I chose the Caribe because it was the only one of the ten teas offered that I hadn't already tasted (or actually own).  Another of our party went for the Yellow and Blue, a blend of chamomile, lavender and cornflowers.   

The Caribe was quite nice.  It was exactly the way I like my flavored blacks, with the primary flavor being the tea, and the fruity notes being only complements to the tea.  The strawberry was more noticeable than the guava, but that may be because guava is naturally a more mellow flavor.

The predominant flavor in the Yellow and Blue is chamomile, with the lavender and cornflower providing undertones.  It is a grassy, rather than sweet tea.  I tend to like it with about a teaspoon of honey per 12 oz. cup, which I find brings out the cornflower tones a little more.

If I sound disappointed so far, that's because I have not yet talked about the food.  The food was superb.  The clotted cream had just the right balance of sweetness and creaminess.  The lilikoi preserves managed to be both tart and sweet.   They gave us berry and chocolate scones; I would have preferred a plain scone to appreciate fully the natural flavors of the lilikoi preserves.

The savory sandwich choices were an interesting combination of classic British tea sandwiches and island flavors.    A flavorful mushroom turnover used locally grown Ali'i mushrooms.  The egg salad sandwich was on macadamia nut bread.   The ham sandwich came with Machengo cheese and parsley butter, along with a hint of some sort of pickled local vegetable.   For all their flavor, however, the savory portions could have been about a half-size larger.   The sweet scones combined with the astoundingly sweet desserts left everyone feeling over-sugared.  I would have happily sacrificed the second scone for more of the tarragon chicken salad with grapes and endive or the rare roast beef with herbed mayonnaise.

The deserts were the only other part of the Veranda tea experience that followed through on the 1950's retro theme of the music.  The Kahala pastry chefs dug back into classic 1950s cookbooks for a surprisingly light and fluffy white cake with coconut flakes and custard filling.  I found the bright blue macarons with curaçao ganache filling to be teeth-achingly sweet, but others at the table liked them much  more.   The frangiapane tart with pineapple and a dark rum glaze was a hit all around.

Overall, it was a thoroughly charming experience, with some room for improvement.  Simply replacing the chocolate chip scone with a plain scone would have tipped the balance of flavors away from overwhelming sweetness.  Someone who is not already a tea addict would find the tea selection less dull than I did.

So, should you find yourself in Honolulu, and don't want to spend the money for the far more expensive tea at the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki, the tea at the Kahala is a reasonable alternative.  

When did tea arrive in Europe?

Those who know me that one of my other passions in life is the Society for Creative Anachronism, a non-profit educational group dedicated to re-creating medieval and Renaissance Europe.   So, when I decided to blog about tea, one of the issues I set out to research whether tea was known and consumed in Europe prior to 1600.

Thus far, the answer appears to be yes.

The Jesuits working as missionaries in China appear to be the first Europeans to write about tea.   Gaspar da Cruz, a Portuguese Jesuit returning from mission work in China, wrote in 1560 about a drink he describes as "somewhat bitter, red and medicinall [sic]."[1]

Jan Hugo van Linschoten, a Dutch trader who often sailed with the Portuguese, wrote a memoir called "Linschoten's Travels," which was published in Dutch in 1595 and in English in 1598.  In that memoir, he wrote of a drink called "chaa" which is recognizable as tea.[1]   By 1615, English records refer to tea as "chaw."[2]

From these initial sparks, tea begins to finder wider exposure in Europe in the early 17th century.  In his book "Relatione della Grande Monarchia della China," published in 1643, the Jesuit Alvaro Semedo wrote about the Chinese custom of offering tea to guests.[1]   The first tea imports arrived in the port of The Hague around 1610, and tea-drinking became highly fashionable in that area by the 1640s. [3]  It is said that Cardinal Mazarin drank tea to relieve his gout.[4]

This research is a work in progress.  I am working on finding reliably readable copies of the primary sources quoted by the secondary sources I've found so far.



[1]  The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most
Popular Drug by Bennett Alan Weinberg, Bonnie K. Bealer (Psychology
Press, Jan 1, 2001), at 63.

[2]  Id., at 67.

[3]  Id., at 66; The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss & Robert J. Heiss (Random House LLC, 2011) at 19, 335.

[4]  World of Caffeine, at 66.

Basic morning caffeine

There's tea for drinking and savoring and then there's tea that serves the basic purpose of getting me up and moving in the morning.  That being said, there's still no reason to drink bad tea.  My current go-to "utility tea" is Twinings Black Current Breeze.  The black current flavor is not strong; this is not a fruity tea.  The black current instead is a residual flavor note that lingers after the essential black tea flavor.  This is a tea that can be steeped to great strength without turning bitter.  It ices well for summer.

So, what is your favorite "utility tea"?

Review: T-Sac Tea Filters

One of the inconveniences of using loose tea is getting the tea into the tea ball and then cleaning out the ball afterwards.  Some tisanes I've purchased recently have chunks of dried fruit in them, which makes getting the tisane into the tea ball without also getting leaves and herbs and assorted stuff all over the kitchen more than a bit challenging.

A company called T-Sac now makes disposable paper filter baggies for tea.  They come in various sizes, including one that holds enough tea for a 12-cup pot or iced tea pitcher.  The mouths of the baggies are wide enough to fit a tablespoon, making it far easier to spoon in some of the "chunkier" teas.  Plus, there's the advantage of minimal clean up.  Particularly when I would make tea in my office, the minimal clean up was a big advantage.

I first found the filters in a local tea shop.  Conveniently, most stores that sell tea on line carry them.  (For example: http://www.republicoftea.com/T-Sac-Tea-Filter-100-count/p/V00969/).    Amazon even carries them (http://www.amazon.com/T-Sac-Disposable-Paper-Filter-Count/dp/B001BLCIN4).

Unlike regular tea bags, the T-Sacs retain a lot of water.  When making tea using a filter baggie, plan on losing about an inch of water off the top of the cup unless you wring out the bag before disposing of it.  Also keep the "sloppage" factor in mind when pulling the filter baggie out of the cup.  Again, unless you use a spoon and wring the baggie out, you are going to slop tea and hot water all over your fingers and the table.  I keep a little bowl nearby while I'm steeping the tea so I can deposit the used filter baggie there, let it dry out a bit, and then dispose of it.

Review: The God-Emperor of All Tea Pots

+Robert Peterson and +Pam McDermott  went to Las Vegas on vacation and brought me back a collection of excellent teas from Teavana, as well as a tea kettle that I have dubbed The God-Emperor of All Tea Pots, or the Tea-1000 for short. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-1000)  It is pictured below after its inaugural use, with a steaming cup of Black Dragon Pearl tea beside it.

It is made by Breville (www.breville.com).  Note that the Breville people do not call it the Tea-1000, which is truly a missed opportunity.

Inside the glass carafe is a basket that holds the tea leaves (or tisane components).  The basket attaches to a bar that allows it to slide up and down within the carafe; the basket is removable for cleaning.  I can program the Tea-1000 based on the type of tea (black, green, white, oolong, herbal or "custom") and the desired strength of the brew.  The Tea-1000 will then heat the water to the optimal temperature based on the type of tea and desired strength, then automatically lower the basket into the water to steep for the optimal time for the type of tea and the desired strength.

The sheer coolness of this contraption cannot be expressed in mere words.   I have been using it for four days now, both for the new Teavana blends and for some of my existing loose tea.  The combination of the right water temperature and brewing time has awakened new subtleties in the old, familiar teas.

The Tea-1000's idea of strong is STRONG.  Not quite "take the paint off cars" strong, but definitely a bracing cuppa.  I am experimenting with exactly what strength level is right for which blends.  Medium seems to work quite nicely for my good flavored blacks (Mighty Leaf's Pear Caramel primarily, on which more will be said another day).

I am quickly going to be irrevocably spoiled for mere hot water and tea bags.

Another option available with the Tea-1000, which I haven't yet had occasion to use because I've got nothing but time on my hands at the moment, is the pre-programming.  As with the newer coffee makers, I can set up the water and tea leaves the night before and program the brewing to commence at a specific time in the morning, allowing me to walk out of the bedroom to a steaming cup of tea first thing in the morning.

So far, my only "complaint" about the Tea-1000 is that the basket is a little annoying to clean.  By "a little annoying" I mean only slightly more difficult than cleaning a mesh tea ball.  The carafe must be hand-washed on the inside only; there are very detailed care and handling instructions included with the device.  Given my current state of abundant free time, the careful cleaning required is not an issue, but it does give me cause to wonder whether I'll still be using it when I'm once again working 60 hour weeks.  

Introduction

This is a blog about tea, tea houses, tea parties, tea snacks, tea pots and, really, all things tea.  Tea is one of my favorite things.  I feel about tea the way other people feel about wine; I can taste flavor notes and savor the tones of the various tea types and blends.

This is my first experiment with blogging about anything.  We'll see how it goes.  So welcome.  Pull a seat up to the table.