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.