Alys's Tea Party Blend: Hala Kahiki

Thanks to my good friend +Michelle O'Malley, I have developed a true love for Hawaii.   I love its unique cultural blend, its food and its fascinating history.  I wanted to make a tea that spoke to me of plate lunch, shrimp trucks, plantation iced tea, scrambled eggs with mahi mahi and "two scoop rice," and the Hawaii that Joe and Michelle have let me experience.  I am glad to report that I pulled it off.

Hala kahiki is one of the Hawaiian words for "pineapple," one of the primary elements in this tea.  I've blended the flavors of coconut, pineapple and chai (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and lemongrass) to produce a cup that puts me right onto Sans Souci beach.  It's slightly sweet without needing any extra sweetener.

When the weather warms up a bit, I'm going to try this iced, but for now it is warm and cozy and welcoming.

Tea tasting: Christmas Teas, part 1

It's that time of year, so I picked up two Christmas-themed teas that I haven't tried before.   I'm not excited about either of them.  As a result, I will be stopping by Barnes and Noble tomorrow to get proper Christmas tea from Harney & Sons (one of my personal favorites).

Teavana's Joy 2016 was deeply disappointing.  To me, it has nothing to do with the smells or tastes of Christmas.  It is a blend of black tea plus oolong plus jasmine.  While it is a perfectly fine jasmine tea, jasmine is not a flavor or smell I associate with Christmas.  The jasmine is strong without being overwhelming.  So, if jasmine fits with your winter holiday celebrations, it's probably perfect for you.  For myself, I'll be saving this for after the holidays (probably for the depths of February).


Twinnings' Christmas Tea has the right cinnamon and clove flavors to make me think of gingerbread and pfeffernusse, but it's somewhat tame.  I think I've been spoiled by Harney & Sons' more vigorous blending of flavors.  If you aren't a fan of heavily flavored teas, I'd recommend Twinnings.   It's far from bad tea, because it's based on a good quality black, but it's not what my palate is really wanting right now.

Tomorrow or Thursday there will be more Christmas teas reviewed!

Tea tasting: Teavana's Poached Pear Cider

"Poached Pear Cider" is no longer Teavana's website for some reason.   From other sources, I can tell you that it's an herbal tisane composed of apple pieces, cardamom, cinnamon, citrus peel, cloves, ginger, hibiscus, lemongrass, and licorice root.

I wanted to love Poached Pear Cider.  I love pears and a tea flavored like pear cider sounded right up my alley.  Unfortunately, this tea just doesn't work for me at all.  It smells far better than it tastes.  The flavors are weak, even when I used 2 tsps for a cup and brew it for 6+ minutes.  It's not distinctly pear -flavored -- it's just a sort of undifferentiated fruit.   To be sure, the flavor isn't actively unpleasant, but it is terribly disappointing.

This tea might be ideal for combining with actual hard pear cider, though.  Would someone like to experiment and tell me the results?

Alys' Tea Party Blend: Mackyntoich Apple Crisp

I set out to make Mackyntoich Apple Crisp taste like dessert, and I largely succeeded, although it took some experimentation to get it right.  To get the proper taste from this tea, you need to use between 1.5 and 2 teaspoons per cup brewed.   Using more than the usual amount of tea gets the right flavor blend of apple and caramel, with the slightest hint of vanilla.

The apple and caramel notes make this tea more than sweet enough for my taste.  Adding a teaspoon of honey makes it sort of cloying.  But I think someone who loves sweet tea would find it just right.

I have only tried it hot, not iced, because it is the perfect warm drink for a winter night.  It's almost as good as actual apple crisp.  Almost.  :-)