Tea on the Beach

I'm not dead. Just busy.

2010-08-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone... if anyone still reads this. I have been absurdly busy with work recently and quite honestly I forgot about my page. I think I will be moving this to FB. That way I'll remember to post stuff. I've tried many new teas but haven't put any down here... So yea look for me on FB

English Breakfast and muffins

2010-05-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! This is going to be a quick post because... well... I really don't have much to say on this one.

Name: English Breakfast
Type: Black
Company: Taylors of Harrogate
Purchased: In room tea at the Marriot O' Hare Hotel
Comments: Dry. I don't really understand how a tea can leave your mouth feeling dry but this one is good at doing that. The taste overall isn't anything special. But then again as you all know, I'm not especially fond of English Breakfast Tea. But I will still keep drinking it in hopes of one day finding one that I don't think is bland.

What do you think of English breakfast tea?

Addiction to tea

2010-04-29T11:02:00.001-05:00

A tea shop is a death trap for any big tea drinkers. Even if they try not to buy something... It's useless. I walked into the Mall of America the other day looking for a cheaper flight bag and maybe some shoes or pjs. I walked out with a bag of tea. The tea shop I went to is called Teavana. Honestly, I think it's a bit pricey but I do like their tea. The one I bought, which I am drinking right now, is something I recommend for anyone to try.

Name: Strawberry Slender Pu Erh. (Why the slender? Because Pu Erh is considered to be a weight loss tea.)
Type: Pu Erh, Fruit
Company: Teavana
Purchased: Teavana
Comments: Smooth and fruity. The strawberries over power the Pu erh a bit too much for tea purists but for people like myself who love strawberries it's a sure hit. (suddenly I feel like a saleswomen....)

Do you like strawberries?

2010-04-20T13:25:00.001-05:00

Ever heard of a company called Starbucks? If you haven't you need to get out more, no offense. In the MSP airport there is at least three of them. Recently while I was there in the wee hours of the morning I bought a cup of their Vanilla Rooibos. It sounded good so I figured I would try it. Sure enough, it was.

Name: Vanilla Rooibos
Type: Rooibos
Company: Starbucks
Purchased: Starbucks
Comments: Good flavor. Light on the vanilla and heavy on the Rooibos. I think it would make for a wonderful latte with pure Rooibos concentrate.

Do you like Rooibos tea?

Ginseng Punch!

2010-04-14T13:52:00.002-05:00

After updating to windows 7 with the help of a very awesome, super, amazing friend I can do pictures again! yay! So how have you all been? Haven't had any comments in awhile so I just thought I should ask. Had any good teas I should try?

As you probably guessed I am drinking hotel tea at the moment. I don't fancy it much though.

Name: Honey Lemon Ginseng
Type: Green
Company: Chado
Purchased: hotel tea
Comments: If I were to describe this tea like a fight it would go like this: You would step into the ring and the fight would commence with honey skating around you making everything sticky and slippery. He/she would bring you down with one clever roundhouse. Then Lemon would drag you to the floor in puckering fashion. Your eyes watering and your mouth stuck in the 'fish' position. Last would be Ginseng who would finish you off with a kick to the side. This tea is just too bitter with not enough flavor.

How do you like you bitter tea?

2010-04-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

For some reason my browser, Opera, hasn't let me upload pictures recently. Not sure what's going on...

Anyway. I'm drinking more hotel tea this morning. But I'm not at a hotel I'm at home. The tea I'm drinking is quite good. It would be hard to mess it up though I suppose. But then again if there is something to be made there is something that can mess it up.

Name: Peppermint
Type: Mint, Herbal
Company: Chado: High Tea
Purchased: From a hotel room.

What is your favorite mint tea?

Tea of Passion

2010-04-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

Everyone of us has their odd fascinations and pleasures in life. Some people love knitting, some love slimy things, or rocks....., food......., I could go on and on. If there is something out there, there is also someone who has a passion for it. I have an off fascination with passion fruit. Not the fruit itself really but more of the flavor. It's so intense. (and here you thought I was going to say tea didn't you? Well I figured saying tea would be too obvious seeing as how I made a blog for it.) Anyway, long story short. I found a Passion Fruit tea by Tulsi the other day and well the results are below.

Name: Passionfruit
Type: Tulsi, Fruit
Company: Organic India
Purchased: TjMaxx
Comments: All I tasted was tulsi with slight hints of Passion fruit. it was good regardless but I wished they added more passion fruit in.

What's your weird/odd fascination?

You say tomato I say tomato.

2010-04-02T11:41:00.001-05:00

Any addiction that affects your wallet can be a bad thing even if it's good for your health, that is unless it's keeping you alive. I know for sure that tea is not keeping me alive but man does it make one feel good after a good cup in the morning. I recently discovered a site called hitea.com. The hi stands for Hawaiian Islands and they have a lot of tea I haven't tried. I found this site via a little packet of tea my mom brought me when she came back from vacation there. I know I shouldn't buy more tea cause the cabinet is already overflowing but it's so tempting....

Oh yea but the tea I am drinking right now is quite good. Its purely green tea but I can't quite put a finger on what type. It reminds me more of a Japanese tea, such as a Sencha, then it does a Chinese tea.

Name: Pure Green Tea
Type: Green
Company: Hawaiian Islands
Purchased: I don't know where she got it. Sorry. (Well besides the fact that she got it in Hawaii haha)
Comments: Good flavor. Sencha aftertaste. Smooth. Still can't put my finger on the exact type of green.

What is your favorite type of green tea?

Hotel Tea

2010-03-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

It's ALIVE!!!! Yes the blog is still alive. Don't worry I haven't abandoned this gig yet I've just been a little busy with being a flight attendant.

I have more hotel tea for you. I thought for sure that this was going to be one of those posts where I tell you to stay away from this tea but it actually ended up being pretty good. Most hotel teas are a mystery until steeped unless they are provided by big name companies like Numi or Lipton. Other hotels, like the one the company put us up in, make their own. Which I think is really cool but also makes me kinda wary. I hope more hotels jump on the tea band wagon and provide more tea from the big name brands or their own.

Name: Tropical Citrus Green Tea
Type: Green
Company: Aloft (the name of the hotel)
Purchased: In room by the coffee
Comments: Great smell. would be good over ice with a few flavor shots. But it is just fine hot. It is a light flavor but slightly bitter aftertaste.

Do you like hotel tea?

Ooooooolong

2010-03-19T11:10:00.001-05:00

I am back and I have brought some Oolong with me. For some reason it seems like the majority of Oolong I see has some type of herbal mix blended with it. If it was a lower grade Oolong I could understand but for other grades, like the one I'm drinking, it just seems to be a waste of good Oolong.

Name: Fragrant Oolong
Type: Oolong
Company: China Mist
Purchased: Marshells in Newark, New Jersey
Comments: I've never liked the smell of Oolong and this one didn't do any better in that category. The taste however makes up for that. It's light and has a nice China tea finish to it.

What's your favorite Oolong?

Grey sky, Grey tea

2010-03-11T10:40:00.000-06:00

This one is for all you Earl Grey lovers. Besides Chamomile, the in-room tea that I brought back with me also included Earl Grey and this one is very pleasent. Not too over powering and has the right blend of Bergamot and black tea. Perfect for a day like today where it's raining, thundering and getting increasingly darker. (Is thundering a word? What an odd one that is)

Name: Earl Grey
Type: Black
Company: Numi
Purchased: In-room tea
Comments: Very smooth. Good hot, warm, and cold. No harsh after taste. In fact, not much after taste at all. It just ends on a fine note and leaves you wanting another sip.

Thunder with snow on the grounf is weird isn't?

Chamomile with a side of Chamomile

2010-03-10T10:01:00.001-06:00

Don't you love it when hotels give away free things? Well technically you are paying for them in your bill but it makes it more fun to think they are free. Tea for example is a great thing for hotels to give away. It's cheap and it can make people happy. Especially those that don't drink the in room coffee. Right now I am drinking one of the in-room teas. It's quite good.

Name: Chamomile - Egyptian Golden Sun
Type: Herbal
Company: Numi
Purchased: In room tea
Comments: Great flavor. So mellow and calming. I feel like I am laying in a field of flowers with the warm sun and a slight cool breeze blowing whenever I take a sip.

What is your favorite herbal tea?

The Noir

2010-03-08T10:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, while waiting for the hotel bus to come pick us up I was sitting by the fireplace in the lobby. A nice lady came by and asked me if I would like a cup of coffee. course I don't drink coffee so I asked her if I could switch that with a cup of tea. She walked into the hotel restaurant and brought me out a cup of black tea. As I sat there sipping it I thought that it could use a bit of honey or lemon to it. I'm not a major fan of black breakfast teas but this one was alright.

Name: Awake
Type: Black
Company: Tazo
Purchased: Given to me by the nice restaurant lady
Comments: If you like breakfast tea you will enjoy this one. I thought it could use a bit of honey or lemon but over all not bad on its own.

What is your favorite time to drink tea?

Never judge a tea by its name

2010-03-04T10:39:00.001-06:00

For a little while now there has been a box of tea sitting in our cupboard that I have been somewhat timid of trying. As it stared me down when I opened the cabinet doors this morning I decided it was time I tried it out.

Name: Egyptian Licorice
Type: Herbal, Spice
Company: Yogi
Purchased: I don't know where my mother bought this
Comments: It is spicy and sweet! Such a weird sensation. I don't mind the flavor but it isn't something I could drink everyday. It has the same color as apple juice which really throws me off.

What tea have you mis-judged?

Tea and Tell

2010-03-02T10:38:00.001-06:00

Have you ever opened up a package of loose leaf tea and thought, "Wow, what a weird concoction!" So I went to go look up the ingredients and here is what I found: Red Rooibos, apple bits, cinnamon, ginseng root, bean peels, ginger bits, mistletoe, St. John's Wort, lemongrass, field eryngo, cardamom, clove, black pepper and lemon peel. Not to mention it has a very unique smell. Not bad, mind you, just very unique.

Name: Ginseng Vitality
Type: Rooibos, Herbal, Spice
Company: Teavana
Purchased: Given to my mom from a friend
Comments: The Rooibos is almost drowned by all the other ingredients in the tea. The spices leave a slight tingly sensation and great after taste.

What weird tea have you tried lately?

Blue sky and Black tea

2010-02-27T10:36:00.001-06:00

Even though it is cold outside it is absolutely gorgeous! The way the sun hits the snow just right makes it so sparkley. I am currently drinking Genmaicha but as I was digging through our tea cupboard I realized that I didn't post about this most recent Earl Grey I had purchased. Now as far as boxes of tea goes they usually come in packs of 20 give or take 10. So when I got home and realized I had purchased a box that had fifty, I crossed my fingers tightly in hopes that it would be good. As I poured my hot water over the tea bag the next morning, a light scent of rich black tea mixed with the perfect amount of Bergamot floated up to my nose. I let it steep for a good 4 minutes and then tested the taste. You can find out the conclusion below:

Name: Earl Grey
Type: Black
Company: Ahmad Tea
Purchased: Tjmaxx
Comments: Not only does it have a pleasing scent but the taste is wonderful. It's light enough that people who don't like strong teas can drink it. However, it has a strong enough flavor that heavy tea drinkers that like lots of flavor will be pleased. I know that sounds weird but that is the best description I could think of.

Do you have a favorite Earl Grey?

oh btw: I named my car Earl Grey

Long time no tea

2010-02-26T23:19:00.002-06:00

Training is done! I have my wings and a week before I go on reserve. So I'll do what I can to try out new tea and then some. If you have any idea's let me know. Also, I will be traveling so if you have any tea houses you want me to know of... let me know!

Anyway, here's the tea for today.

Name: Snow Mint
Type: Green tea, Mint
Company/Purchased: bloomingtea.com (from a friend)
Comments: Subtle green tea. Slight mint aftertaste. Kinda hard to taste the mint at first but it starts to come out after a bit.

Ever had a mint tea that left you in bliss?

Holy bitter tea batman!

2010-02-04T21:03:00.000-06:00

If you like bitter tea with a hint of citrus then I have just the tea for you. It's a green tea with... well I don't really know. There are no ingredients on the back cover. In fact they don't even give a brew time! So I used my general knowledge and steeped it for about two minutes. Maybe it needed less. Maybe. I might just try it again tomorrow at 30 seconds and then 1 minute to see if it's any better. But my brain and my mouth are saying, "Please no. I beg you not to drink that again..." Oh and the bitterness wasn't the only weird thing! When was the last time you saw a tea bag (or tea pod as they call it) fizzle like alka seltzer when you put it in the water?

So anyway... avoid this if you can. Or if you really want to try a bitter tea go ahead:
Name: Citrus Green Tea
Type: Green and mysterious
Company: Genvalia
Purchased: Tried at training
Comments: bitterness....

Have you tried any tea that has sent you riveting at the seems?

Oh and don't worry I am cleansing my palate with Evening in Missoula at the moment. Lovely tea.

Your chai, my chai.

2010-02-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

Hello all!
Don't worry I haven't forgotten you; not yet anyway. Just kidding. Training started this week so I am quite busy. Homework, tests, learning, learning, and more learning. As one of my instructors said, "It's like trying to drink out of a fire hydrant." If you've ever watch them release the water from one you know that that would be no simple task. I'm not here to talk about that though, no I'm going to talk about a good chai I discovered while I was there.

Usually, like most other big tea people, I am not impressed by the general tea you find everywhere (like in hotels). I thought this was going to be your run of the mill chai. It was no such thing. It is actually a delicious blend of spices and green tea. Yes, that's right, green tea.

Name: my chai
Type: chai, green, spices
Company: one:one - Cooper's teapod
Purchased: Picked up in a bucket full of generic hotel teas.
Comments: Do not over steep. It will ruin the flavor. Steeps quickly for a chai so be mindful of the time. Once it's done you will have a cup o joy.

Do you have any chai you enjoy?

Tea squared

2010-01-26T11:50:00.001-06:00

Ready for yet another tea oddity? This one is a bit more down to earth then the other one below this post but it still has a few ingredients that I think will make your eyebrows raise. This tea, like the one below has Lemongrass, but that's not the eye brow raising ingredient. Centella Asiatica (Gotukola) is its name. Having an interesting background is its game. There is quite a bit that I could on and talk about with this herb, both its good and bad things but I figure if you guys are really interested you can do that on your own. It's a short article so don't worry. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gotu-kola-000253.htm

Name: Wellness Tea: De Stress
Type: Green, Spice, Herbal
Company: Tea of Life
Purchased: Tjmaxx
Comments: Good taste. Light smell, nothing special though. And yea I do actually feel less stressed out.

What tea do you drink to calm down?

New herbs and green tea

2010-01-25T15:08:00.000-06:00

Just watched Julie & Julia with my parents the other night; good movie. I couldn't help but think that it would be awesome to have people send me tea from around the world to try and then blog about it. But no I don't expect you guys to do that. Actually, the only thing I really want to see are more comments and more recommendations.

And now on with the show.

So I think I must really have a tea fetish because even when I go into stores like TJMaxx the one thing I always do is look for different types of tea. Ha! And wouldn't you know it. Today I found three. Well. ones Earl Grey but I haven't heard of the company before. But here's the one I'm drinking right now:

Name: Wellness Tea: Calming
Type: Green, Fruit, Veggie, Herbal ( I could keep going....)
Company: Tea of Life
Purchased: TJMaxx
Comments: I've heard of veggie drinks but never veggie tea. One of the main ingredients is hathawariya, which translates to Wild Asparagus. Next is Lemongrass and then wild cherry. The smell is really relaxing. The taste is better then I thought it would be. This would be a good night time tea to calm ones senses.

So people what weird teas have you tried lately?

Pudding and Tea

2010-01-23T19:46:00.000-06:00

I am by no means a food critic and I don't fancy that I will ever be one, but I do like food. Who doesn't? So many people pair food with drinks, wine being the most compared beverage; or so it would seem. Anyway, I found an interesting food and tea combination tonight.

Vanilla pudding and Rooibos Tea.

I combined the tea from Indigo and Teavana to get a really good tropical Rooibos mix.

Perhaps other puddings would also go well with tea. Any ideas?

Yunnan Pu er

2010-01-19T09:49:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I was at Indigo sipping on a Rooibos Latte (and then a Lychee bubble tea) and I came across a bag of Yunnan Pu er. Seeing as how one of our members has been raving about it I had to pick it up.

Many people, including myself, think of it at first as a green tea. As I looked into the background on good old Wikipedia I found out that it is actually in two classifications and some people only classify it as a post fermented tea. The whole history and information on the tea is quite interesting if you have time to go and read it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea

Name: Yunnan Pu er
Type: Green, post-fermented
Company/Purchased: Indigo
Comments: Honestly, I don't fancy the flavor. It doesn't come off as earthy like most green teas do. It reminds me more of green beans. However it isn't so bad that it's going to sit in my cabinet. I'm going to try different steep times and see if that does anything. I'll let you know what happens.

Have you tried Pu er?

If you have life you can drink tea!

2010-01-19T09:30:00.002-06:00

I thought this was super cool!

Gorgeous and sleepy tea.

2010-01-18T09:21:00.001-06:00

Hey everybody. It's been awhile I know. But I have a good excuse I've been given more hours at work! The funny thing is that in two weeks I won't be working there anymore. I'll be start training for a flight attendant position. It will be a mix of what I am doing right now but up in the air. Ah but anyway onto the tea!

Recently I've been drinking a lot of Might Leaf tea. Not the best tea in the world but I do like almost all of the teas we have at Dunn Bros. The only one I can't seem to like is the Vanilla Bean. Sounds really good but something about the flavors is off to me. Oh but speaking of interesting flavors lets get on to the teas of the day.

Name: Sleepy Time
Type: Herbal, Health
Company: Celestial Seasonings
Purchased: Cub Foods.
Comments: This tea is not kiddin around. It really will put you to sleep. I mean, it won't knock you out but if you find yourself over thinking a lot of things it helps calm your mind. Oh and don't worry the flavor is good too.

Name: get gorgeous
Type: Red, Rooibos, Herbal
Company: The Republic of Tea
Purchased: mom got it for me.
Comments: Rooibos and herbal is a weird blend. Good for your skin apparently, however, the taste leaves something to be desired.

What else should I try?

Get better soon tea

2010-01-11T10:58:00.000-06:00

Hello my fellow readers! I am sorry for the long delay in between posts. I've been busy; to say the least. I recently was hired at Compass Airlines and though training doesn't start till February first I've had a lot of stuff I've needed to do.

My other excuse is that I haven't had any new tea to drink in awhile. Until last week when I caught the flu or a cold... not sure which. Anyway, in our cabinet we had a cold season sampler of Yogi Tea. Which proved to be not only good but also very helpful. Each sampler pack comes with four different teas: Breathe Deep, Cold Season, Echinacea Immune Support, and Throat Comfort. If you have a cold I suggest you try these out. They won't help you with alleviating your symptoms right away like medicine does but it will help your body fight the virus to knock it back.

When your fighting the flu it's okay to take stuff like Tylenol Cold & Sinus but they only alleviate the symptoms they don't help kill the flu/cold. If you want to kill it faster take things like Vitamin c (I was taking ester c), vitamin d, and echinacea pills. Ah but I really do want to talk about that tea before I have to go to work so here we go:

Name: Breathe Deep
Type: Herbal
Company: Yogi
Purchased: Cubs
Taste: If your having trouble breathing this is a good one to sit and sip and hold your nose over.

Name: Cold Season
Same
Taste: One I would probably only drink when I have the flu but it does taste better then medicine. It's just very herby.

Name: Echinacea Immune Support
Same
Taste: My favorite of the box. Never thought a flower would taste good but it does. It's a bit strong but when you have the flu the stronger the better.

Name: Throat Comfort
Same
Taste: Second favorite. Very calming for when you have a sore throat and the like.

Hope everyone is faring well. What type of tea do you guys drink when you get the flu/cold?

OOOOOooolong

2009-12-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

For Christmas…… I didn’t get any tea. I think people around me figure that I’m so tea crazy that they will just end up getting something I’ve already tasted. However, my mother received some Oolong tea from a friend of hers and it is very good.
Everything about this tea is impressive, right down to the packaging. The canister is shaped like a cylinder with Taiwanese characters. Most of it is translated, including the main paragraph on the front. I think the coolest part would be the ink painting though. It’s black and white and depicts a small mountain village next to a lake. Of course it’s just a copy but still it’s very beautiful.
In the canister the tea in held inside a golden plastic (I think) packet. The name TenRen’s Tea is printed all over the packet along with Taiwanese characters. And then there is the tea.

Name: High Mountain Oolong Tea
Type: Oolong
Company: Ten Ren’s Tea
Purchased: Mom’s friend said she purchased it in Taiwan.
Comments/ Taste: The first thing I noticed when I opened the bag was the smell. Tea doesn’t always smell good even if it tastes good but this one has a very earthy Asian smell to it. Quite wonderful. And the taste is also quite pleasing. I accidentally let it steep a couple minutes longer then I meant to but it didn’t ruin the flavor at all.

I think I am a new fan of Oolong. Do you have any Oolong teas that you have tried recently?

The Twelve Days of Christmas Tea

2009-12-26T11:17:00.000-06:00

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me
A perfectly pear white tea.

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two Shui Jin Gui Oolong tea. (Translates to Golden Turtle)

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Three different types of Earl Grey

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Four cups of Rooibos

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Five Golden tea cups

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Six cups of Ceylon.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Seven bubble teas.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eight cups with milk

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Nine pipping hot teapots

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Ten drums of loose leaf tea

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Eleven ladies drinking

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Twelve types of herbal

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Yunnan Black Tea

2009-12-15T10:58:00.000-06:00

You can discover coffee and tea shops in the weirdest places. Yesterday I was walking around the Mall of America with a couple of friends looking for a specialty coffee and tea shop. Instead of being out in the open like most of the stores, this one was hidden in the back of Sears. Which is surprising not because of where it is but because of the amount of specialty coffee and teas it has. I was going to pick up some Pu-erh but their bulk tea had yeast on it and so you had to go through this long process to clean it and quite honestly I don't feel like risking my health. So instead I went with the tea below.

Name: Yunnan Special Grade Organic ( I think it's gold tip Yunnan but I am unsure because he didn't mark it)
Type: Black, Yunnan
Company: Coffee and Tea LTD
Purchased: Coffee And Tea Shop in Sears in the Mall of America
Comments/Taste: Smooth and some what smoky flavor. It's a very unique black tea.

If you wish to learn more on the History of Yunnan Tea visit this website. It's short and informative. http://www.tuochatea.com/history_of_yunnan_tea.htm

Books & Tea

2009-12-15T10:24:00.001-06:00

Recently I happened upon a rather interesting magazine called Fresh Cup. The pages within explored different tea and certain areas where tea is produced. It had many articles that were interesting but two in particular caught my attention. One was about stats and trends of tea. It explained how Americans typically prefer sweet chai over the original chai which is spicy. Oooo! And did you know that chai originates from India? Makes sense as to why the original is spicy now doesn't it. The second article was about Laos and its forest of tea. The contains the oldest Camellia sinensis trees on Earth. Experts say the wild Yunnan broad leaf is identical to the famous tea found in the mountains of Xishangbanna, China. Try to say that name ten times fast. If you are looking for more interesting articles and happen upon one of these magazines go ahead and take a read; you just might find something out that you didn't know before.

Below I've listed some more books that you may take interest in.

Spirituality of Tea
One of our regular readers wrote a book which he has for sell on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Spirituality-Tea-Gods-Blessing-Spirit/dp/1449560261

Herbal Tea for Health and Healing
This guide is packed with delicious recipes and healthy tonics to treat specific symptoms and rejuvenate the body. Choose from rosehip tea, high in vitamin C to ward off a cold, or chamomile tea to promote sleep. There are recipes to help treat indigestion, coughs, headaches, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, as well as to promote energy and inner peace.

James Norwood Pratt's Tea Dictionary
Excerpt from the intro: "This is a dictionary of the language of tea spoken all over the world by an age-old global trade that links tea producers, dealers and consumers in a single world-wide community."

My Mother Loved Tea
This book explores how Bigelow the tea company was start with the help of a grandmother. "My father, David, just finished writing a book about my grandmother (his mother) Ruth Campbell Bigelow. It is such a lovely tribute to her and all she did to get Bigelow Tea, the company, started."

Do you have any books about tea that you like? If so please comment and let us know!

True Red Tea

2009-12-06T17:06:00.001-06:00

In my past couple of red tea posts I've talked all about Rooibos red tea, which is not the red tea that is shown on steeping charts. This unique tea generally is produced in Sri Lanka, once known as Ceylon. (Sri Lanka was once known as Ceylon.) It is between black and green in both taste and processing but like all other teas is unique in and of its self. The one I am drinking right now is somewhat fruity with a coppery after taste. I don't mind it but it has a bitter flavor in there somewhere that bothers me enough to not want to drink it every time I look at the can.

Name: Tropical Fruits
Type: Red
Company: Vyasa
Purchased: No idea...
Taste: Read above

I would like to try another red tea to get the full affect so if you have any suggestions please let me know!

It's morning here but it's always Evening in Missoula

2009-11-28T12:13:00.000-06:00

This is an herbal 'tea' post but I implore you purists not to leave yet. Our tea of the day, Evening in Missoula, is comprised of a bunch of cool ingredients which you can find by clicking on the picture. Usually I drink this tea in the evening because of it's calming affects on the mind but it makes a good tea to wake you up and get you going in the morning. It also has one of the most unique herbal tastes that I've ever had. It's almost like sarsaparilla or cream soda. But don't let that drive you away if you don't have either of those flavors because for each person different tastes can be presented.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:46:00.001-06:00

What makes a holiday tea? Is it the spices or fruits? I walked by a display of Christmas teas in Valley Natural Foods the other day and thought, what would make a good Thanksgiving tea? It's not like you can put turkey in your tea. The thought just kinda turns your stomach right?

So I want to know your thoughts: what would make a good Thanksgiving tea?

Here's a few of my ideas:
1. A black tea with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
2. Vanilla Bean, cinnamon, and perhaps some milk with froth?
3. Pecan shavings or Pecan flavoring with nutmeg. Probably a black tea.

99 Bottles of tea on the wall

2009-11-24T10:53:00.000-06:00

Actually, I only have two but it's more then enough at the moment. I picked up two different (very different) bottles of tea the other night. One contains Kombucha and the other is an assortment of green teas. i could be wrong and it could be just one type but I feel like I'm tasting a couple of different types of green in there.

Kombucha - The first thought that went through my head after I took a sip was, "WHOA! What a kick in the mouth!" I've never had a fizzy tea before and even now my mouth is going, "dude... its tea but its.... fizzy...." Then I read the nutrition facts. What an amazing little bottle of fizzy goodness. Antioxidants, probiotics, detoxifiers, and Polyphenols are some of the main body builders packed inside. They suggest you drink one a day to help with digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, and healthy skin & hair. Not approved by the FDA (figures) but still if they are mentioned this will most likely help out at least a little bit.

Ito En - Japans #1 Green Tea. It's great green tea but it has a slight tad of bitterness to it which I think takes away from the overall taste. I can definitely see why it's considered number one though. The packaging is appealing and the taste will fit many different types of green tea drinkers, which Japan has a whole lot of.

If you feel like trying something new that might kick you in the mouth give Kombucha a try. Or at least do it for the health benefits. Otherwise just stick to Ito En. Can't really go wrong there unless you just plain don't like green tea.

Both were purchased at Valley Natural foods but I'm sure you find find local providers by looking on Google.

Arizona Green Tea!

2009-11-20T19:13:00.002-06:00

Canned Green Tea. Doesn't bring up a very pleasant thought right away does it? But it's not all bad. Take for instance Arizona Green Tea. Unlike some other canned teas it has no artificial color or flavor. They added ginseng and honey give it an extra added boost of flavor as well. So if you haven't tried it already don't worry and go for it.

Have any other pre-made green tea suggestions?

Chai day

2009-11-08T17:48:00.001-06:00

When was the last time you had a chai and thought to yourself wow this is really good? Most of the chai 'lattes' these days from big name coffee shops are a powdered mixture or a syrup. If you asked my opinion Caribou has the best (especially if you like the traditional slightly more spicy chai). Starbucks has an intensely sweet chai (sorry couldn't stand it) and Dunn Brothers is somewhere in the middle. Generally I have a hard time finding a good chai from a packet but today I hit the jackpot! We walked into a new restaurant called Reve 324. I ordered a Coconut chai and was somewhat disappointed when they handed me a cup of hot water and a tea packet. However, as the tea steeped and the smell came out I started to change my mind. The taste was amazing. Neither the chai nor the coconut tried to overpower one another. And to add to the greatness; it was all organic. Here's all the info in case you wish to try out this or another type of their tea.

Name: Coconut Chai
Type: chai, Ceylon (a Sri Lanken Tea), black
Company: Zhena's Gypsy Tea
Purchased: Reve 324
Comments: Awesome. Can be steeped for a long time without any bitterness. I would love to try their other tea.

Have a favorite place to get chai, where do you go?

Green tea and Superfruit

2009-11-08T10:29:00.002-06:00

Morning everyone!
Ever heard of a superfruit? I thought it was just a term used by the company that produces the tea I'm drinking right now but it turns out that it refers to a marketing term about certain fruit. Key criteria for superfruit success appear to include novelty, perceived health benefits, convenience, reliable supply and effective promotion. Our superfruit in this case is Pomegranate. I'm not a terribly big fan of this fruit but it's not bad when mixed with green tea. You might as well just forget about your 'power' drinks too while your at it. This Pomegranate and green tea mixture packs an antioxidant punch. So even if you don't throughly enjoy the flavor you will enjoy knowing that you are helping your body in a big way.

Name: Pomegranate Green Tea
Type: Green, Fruit
Company: The Republic of Tea
Purchased: World Market
Comments: I steep it for about 3 minutes and it was fine. Ive steeped it over 5 before and it turned out to be really bitter. But I think you need at least 2 minutes to get the pomegranate to release its flavor.

Name: Green Tea with Pomegranate
Type: Green, Fruit
Company: Bigelow
Purchased: Tried it at my friend's place.
comments: What a pleasant flavor. I was expecting something mediocre but the taste is actually quite good. About 3 minutes of steep time.

Do you guys have any favorite teas?

Steeping: The do's and do not's

2009-11-04T10:43:00.000-06:00

I decided to devote an entire post to steeping because I think it's the one aspect of tea that a lot of people over look. If you have a box of tea try to experiment by steeping your tea for different amounts of time. You will be surprised at how it changes your tea. Any tea that has Camellia sinensis in it will eventually become bitter because of the Tannin it contains. One should still be careful even if the tea doesn't contain Camellia sinensis. Some herbal teas, when steeped too long, will create some very funky flavors. The unfortunate thing is that many people don't think anything of this and let the tea steep for far too long. Then they end up saying they don't like tea!

If you mess up try, try again. Even I have had plenty of teas where I thought they weren't so good the first time around and liked them the second try around. I've listed a little guide below for you on steeping times.

For each tea the time is going to differ. The times I've given below are just general guidelines. If your tea gives you a steep time use that. if no time is given use this and then go by taste as well.

White tea:
Believe it or not this category holds the longest steep time. It starts around 3-4 minutes and can go as long as 15 minutes!

Green tea:
With usually only 1 to 3 minutes of steeping time, this category tend to have the shortest and most picky steeping time. Even thirty 30 seconds more then what they say can ruin your tea if you over steep.

Oolong tea:
Now here's a nice variation for you; between 1 to 9 minutes. Most will end up around 3-5 but it truly depends on what Oolong tea you get.

Black Tea:
No matter where you look you will find that black tea is generally stepped 3 to 5 minutes.

Rooibos: You will see 5 minutes for steep time most commonly.

Herbal: There are so many different types of herbal teas that it would be hard for me to give a good number here. Usually, you should go by taste.

Well, that's all I have for you for now. Just always remember: The steep time will determine the taste of your tea.

Chamomile to the rescue!

2009-11-03T10:25:00.000-06:00

With all this hype about H1N1 and whatnot going around I figured it would be good to post a tea that boosts the immune system and contains lots of antioxidants. I've already discussed the health benefits of Tulsi so I figured I would skip it and go straight to our main character. I was digging around in our tea cabinet to find something different then my usual green tea and found my mothers Honey Chamomile Tulsi tea. It's caffeine-free, unfortunately, but I think the healthy benefits make up for that. In fact, Chamomile has a numerous amount health benefits. So the blend of Tulsi and Chamomile makes for quite a team. Ah! And there is honey in there as well! What a trio!

Name: Honey Chamomile
Type: Tulsi, Floral
Company: Organic India
Purchased: Don't know.... Mum bought it.
Comments: Soothing taste. Cooling after taste. Shouldn't be steeped for more then 6 mins.

Oh, how was Halloween you guys do anything fun?

The Earl of Grey

2009-10-27T12:17:00.002-05:00

People who drink tea and those who don't probably know of the name Earl Grey. It's one of the most famous teas in the world. Earl Grey is black tea that is blended with the oil from the rind of the Bergamot Orange. The tea is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister. You can search Google for that name and find pictures of him.

Name: Earl Grey
Type: Black, Organic Bergamot Oil
Company/Purchased: Trader Joes
Comments: I'm a very picky Earl Grey drinker. If its too bitter I can't drink it but if there is too much Bergamot it reminds me the smell of sterile hospitals. This one is a pretty good blend of both, though its a bit on the bitter side.

Company: Bigelow
Purchased: Cub Foods (i think...)
Comments: Needs no longer then three minutes for it's full flavor.

Type: Black, Fruit oil,
Company: Twinings
Purchased: Free tea bag from Marriott Hotel
Comments: Typical hotel tea taste. Nothing too special to be honest. Would taste good with a bit of milk.

Company/Purchased : World Market
Comments: One of my favorite Earl Grey teas. Has a wonderful flavor and is not too bitter. Perfect balance. Steep till 5 mins but not past 8 mins.

Name: Aged Earl Grey
Type: Italian Bergamot, Black
- No oil in this one. Actully this is quite interesting; read here: http://victorallens-coffee.stores.yahoo.net/numteaagearg.html
Company: Numi
Purchased: TJMaxx
Comments: The World Market brand was good but then I tried this one and thought I went to Earl Grey heaven. The smell is amazing, the taste is amazing. I need to get more!

Got anymore for me to try out? Let me know!

Jasmine

2009-10-22T12:21:00.004-05:00

Before I ever knew what tea was (not kidding) I drank a lot of Jasmine tea. Most of the time I would put about a 1/2 a teaspoon of honey while it was steeping to make it more sweet. I realize now that adding the honey in allows the tea to steep longer without having to worry about the tannin making it bitter. Which then allows the Jasmine to steep longer and provide that amazing floral flavor. The best part of the tea has to be the smell though. Even if you over steep it and it becomes bitter you can just sit there and smell it.

Name: Jasmine
Type: Green, Floral
Company/ Purchased: Caribou
Comments: Good taste, great aroma. Needed the honey to achieve the full flavor but still it tastes great.

Company: Yamamotoyama
Purchased: United Noodles Oriental Food
Comments: Same as above but honey is not needed as much.

If you have a Jasmine tea you love let me know!

Tea Blocks

2009-10-20T13:12:00.001-05:00

Tea never ceases to amaze me. I’m always finding or trying something new that I didn’t know existed. The other day one of our regular customers came in while I was working at Dunn Bros and said he had something for me. He remembered that I liked tea and handed me a bunch of green packets (which you see above). At first I thought it was some type of candy; maybe tea candy. Turns out that it’s called a tea block. There are no instructions on the little 2 by 1 inch packets. So I just did what I thought would work best. I poured the water directly over the tea block without a strainer not realizing that it was going to come apart. Luckily the tea is in rather large pieces so it was easy to filter them all.

Name: Mi Xiang/ Mixiang (Sticky Rice Tea)

Type: Green, Mixiang

Company: Yunnan Haichao Tea Blocks Co

Purchased: Given by awesome regular at Dunn Bros

Taste: Nutty, Grassy, Coppery aftertaste, musky

Comments: Most of the tea I drink smells good. This is the only one so far that I have not liked the smell of. It wasn’t terrible but not something I would sit there and keep under my nose. Once it was fully stepped I could tell why they call it sticky rice tea; because it really tastes like sticky rice! Can’t say it smells like it though.

Tea Mixer

2009-10-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

Tea is somewhat like alcohol you can mix different things and get many different flavors. However, there are somethings that you do not mix no matter what. For instance, you would never mix Baileys (an Irish whiskey and cream based liqueur) with Gin ( usually a strong liquor flavored with juniper berries). Not only would it taste bad but it would probably give you a stomach ache too. Here's another one on the "ok but wouldn't drink again" list: Rooibos tea mixed with grape juice. Don't know what I was thinking...

I did make a really good mix of Rooibos though. I mixed both the ones I have mentioned previously and it made a rather mellow and relaxed honeybush flavor.

Strawberries and Tea

2009-10-15T14:24:00.001-05:00

Name: Strawberry Green Tea (Actually not real sure if that’s the name cause there isn’t a name on it.)

Type: Green, Berry

Company: Cameron’s Bulk Tea

Purchased: Coborns

Taste: The typical green tea flavor is there but it is balanced nicely with a touch of strawberry but not so much so that the berry overwhelms it.

About a year ago and half ago I purchased a tea in bulk which I came to despise almost instantly. I bought it for its name and thought it would taste wonderful. Not so much. It was bitter and had absolutely no strawberry flavor whatsoever. However, today I decided it was time to open it again and see if perhaps I was the one at fault. And sure enough; I was. What was the problem you ask? Simple, I stepped it for too long. Usually green tea is steep from 1-3 minutes. Heaven only knows how long I steeped my first one for.

So moral of the story is always give tea a second chance and make sure you check the taste every minute. Everyone has different taste so even though it says to steep for 1 minute you may not like it and if you ruin a cup you can always try again later.

Rooibos in Paradise

2009-10-13T10:43:00.002-05:00

Name: Rooibos Tropical

Type: Red, Rooibos

Company / Purchased: Indigo

Taste: There are a few tropical hints but not enough to overpower the sweet and slightly nutty taste of the basic Rooibos flavor.

Mmoro. If you have already forgotten what this means then go check out the last post on Rooibos.

The Rooibos I’m drinking right now looks exactly like what you see in the picture above. It only needs to be steep for 5 – 7 minutes and once done it’s very soothing. I’m actually having trouble writing this post because it’s so relaxing. Picture yourself in your favorite place with your preferred drink of choice and you have the flavor of this tea.

I also suggest you try a Rooibos Latte if you ever get the chance. The warm milk froth mixed with the Rooibos froth is absolutely amazing.

Sorry nothing very educational in here today. Just too relaxed with this tea I guess…

Somewhere between Green & Black

2009-10-11T10:43:00.001-05:00

So far we have gone over three of the four main groups of tea. Today we are going to talk about the finally group called Oolong. Click on the picture above to find out about Oolong health benefits.

Name: Dragon Eye

Type: Oolong, Fruit, Safflower (Only added here and not in the tags because safflower is not used in many teas)

Company: Revolution

Purchased: P.F. Chang

Taste: Excellent flavor that has a smooth aftertaste.

This was actually my first time having an Oolong tea and I was quite impressed with the flavor. Although I will at some point have to try an Oolong without any other flavors added.

For those of you that don’t know, Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea that tends to be somewhere between green and black tea when oxidized. It has more of the green tea flavor but darker black tea color; however, it does not contain the grassy notes that green tea generally has. There are many different varieties of Oolong, just depending on where it’s harvested from and of course how it’s processed.

To tea or... not to tea...

2009-10-01T11:07:00.007-05:00

Name: Cinnamon Clove

Type: Herbal, Spice

Company: Revolution

Purchased: P.F. Chang

Taste: Very relaxing flavor. The cinnamon gives a refreshing zing while the cloves calm the cinnamon and provide a smooth aftertaste.

*Looked on their site and couldn't find it…. Odd…..

Name: Ginger Peach

Type: Herbal, Spice

Company: Revolution

Purchased: P.F. hang

Taste: Not the best combo of flavors but you can certainly taste the peach. If you don’t mind the smell of dried peaches this is a good tea for you. As the tea steeps it lets out a peachy type of smell. Not of fresh peaches but of dried ones.

Herbal teas can really be a hit or miss with flavors. Most of the time the tea companies get it right but every once in awhile I come across one that just doesn’t sit right in ones mouth. Of course some teas need a second shot to prove their worth. I don’t think Ginger Peach would do that.

Tasty Tea

2009-09-30T10:23:00.003-05:00

Kia Ora and good morning! (Kia is hello in Maori {which is the indigenous language of New Zealand}

- Pronounced: kia (key-ya) ora (or-a) and Maori (mow-ree like read)

There are many many many black tea flavors out there. But of all that I have tried so far the Blackcurrant black tea has my number one spot. Blackcurrant is a species of berry resident to central and northern Europe and northern Asia. It is a dark purple color and very high in vitamin C.

Name: Blackcurrant Black Tea

Type: Black, blackcurrant

Company: Twinings of London

Purchased: World Market

Taste: This is my favorite of the blackcurrant teas I’ve tried. Such a rich and happy flavor.

Name: China White Blackcurrant

Type: White, blackcurrant

Company: Harrisons & Crosfield

Purchased: Brit’s Pub in Minneapolis

Taste: don’t steep longer than 2 minutes, becomes too intense. However, it seems that if milk is added it gains a new and interesting flavor. And again never add milk and lemon.

Sometime I’m going to stop by Indigo and taste their Blackcurrant that they sell in bulk. It smelled really good.

Haere rā

Kill the flu with tea

2009-09-28T10:28:00.002-05:00

Guten Tag!

It’s a cold and blustery morning outside which means it’s a great morning tea. Especially a tea that wakes you up and makes you feel good. The one I’m speaking of I am drinking right now; big surprise there.

Name: Green Tea Echinacea

Type: Green tea, Herb

Company: Yogi

Purchased: Cub Foods

Taste: Has more of a green tea taste then it does of the herby Echinacea but the immune boosting herb definitely does give a bit of a zing that wakes you up and makes you feel good.

The Yogi Tea brand has a great line of teas for this time of year. They mix their tea with ingredients that naturally build up your body's defenses and lift your mood. Echinacea for example is an herb that has been claimed to boost the body's immune system and help fight off infections like the flu. Not to mention it tastes great. Just think of it as a good tasting cold medicine.

Red Tea and Rooibos

2009-09-26T10:49:00.004-05:00

Mmoro everyone! {Mmoro means good morning in Sesotho (Lesotho, South Africa)}

Today we're going to talk about the two different types of red type. The first type is completely oxidized bud leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. This is not to be confused with the more common type of red tea which, like herbal tea, doesn't actually contain any of the Camellia sinensis plant. Rooibos, pronounced roy-bos, can only be found growing in South Africa in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape province. Like tea made from the Camellia sinensis and herbal tea Rooibos can have many different herbs, spices, fruits etc, added to it. Speaking of which here is what I'm drinking right now:

Name: Pacific Sunrise

Type: Rooibos

Company/Purchased : Teavana

(Really good tea but a warning to those who purchased tea from there: do not ask for their tea tins unless you need them. I thought they came free and I looked at my receipt later only to realize they charged for them.)

Name: African Nectar

Type: Rooibos

Company: Mighty Leaf

Purchased: Dunn Bros

Rooibos is one of those teas that can surprise me with a different flavor even after the third or fourth try of the same type of tea. I wasn't very fond of the taste of Pacific Sunrise at first but the second time I tried it I thought it had a very relaxing flavor. Almost reminds me of warm milk. On the other hand, the African Nectar I only like with a bit of honey added to it. Perhaps I'll give it another try next time I'm at work and we'll see if I find yet another different flavor.

If you try any of these teas I try or have a tea you want me to try out let me know! Send me an e-mail or just feel free to comment on my most recent post.

Have a great day!

Tea that is not tea.

2009-09-22T11:14:00.001-05:00

I would like to introduce you to a rather unique but calming herbal 'tea' called Tulsi Tea. In India one of their most important/ sacred herbs is called Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil. It is different from the basil that you would find in Pesto and comes in different varieties. It has been said that this tea will help in relieving cold symptoms. With all this H1N1 cold and flu going it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up 'teas' like this to help boost your immune system. You can find out more by going to their site by clicking on the picture above.

Name: Jasmine

Type: Tulsi, Herbal

Company: Organic India

Purchased: Valley Natural Foods

The Jasmine flavor combined with the Tulsi creates a very soothing and unique taste. The aftertaste (which is almost as important as the main taste) also has a pleasant lingering. If you're into trying out different international flavors give this one a try. If any of you have tried it let me know what you think.

Their Honey Chamomile flavor is also very good.

You say Longjing, I say Dragonwell.

2009-09-20T10:46:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone. I’m sitting here in St. Cloud, MN waiting for my tea to cool. I don’t want to get antsy and put cold water in there because what I’ve tasted of it thus far tastes pretty good.

Name: Longjing tea also known as Dragonwell here in the states.

Type: Green, Chinese

Company / Purchased: Caribou Coffee. Apparently they make their own tea too?

I’ve been sitting here for about 10 minutes not and it’s starting to take on some taste characteristics that I’m not too fond of. Not my favorite green tea but it has a subtle flavor that makes up for its lack of uniqueness. If I were to put a finger on it I would say it’s the after taste I don’t like. The initial flavor is somewhat grassy. I’m sure if I were to try the higher quality version it would be a bit more satisfying but unfortunately I just can’t find myself enjoying this one. Not bad, just not my favorite. Oh, and according to the wiki the tea leaves can be eaten after they are infused. Sitting here and ripping into a tea bag and then eating the leaves would probably look pretty weird to the other people around me.

(Side note: I can’t help but laugh whenever I hear her call out drinks. Cause now I know exactly what they are and what goes into them. Is it wrong that I work at Dunn Bros but like Caribou? Don’t get me wrong though I know Dunn Bros has better coffee but Caribou has my Passion Fruit Green Tea Smoothie.)

Ginseng and Green Tea

2009-09-18T11:20:00.001-05:00

Name: Ginseng

Type: Green, Ginseng

Company/Purchased: Honestly, I don't remember or know the name of the first Ginseng tea I had because I bought it while I was in China. But if I ever go back there I remembered exactly where I purchased it.

Taste: Amazing. Left a wonderful, but strong aftertaste.

Company/Purchased: Dynasty / United Noodle.

Taste: Somewhat coppery. Not as good as the first but still had that wonderful aftertaste.

One of the great things about drinking tea is that you don’t have to worry about it becoming a bad addiction or it doing unhealthy things to your body. Although, I don’t like to go a day without a cup I know I can get by just fine without it. So anyway, today felt like a Ginseng type of day so I put on a cup of Ginseng tea. As you can tell from my comments above I love the aftertaste. It’s my main reason for drinking it besides the fact that it’s good, really good, for you.

Ginseng is typically grown in Northern Asia, however there is other types now being produced in other parts of the world. Canada for instance produces the most American Ginseng. Go figure… There's a lot of good that Ginseng does for the body, Listed below in this site are some of them:

Just check out all that they list here on the bottom of the article, it's amazing: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/health-benefits-of-ginseng-tea.html

If you don't mind trying out new things I really suggest you give this tea a try. It's going to taste a bit weird at first but as it begins to cool down the flavors really start to emerge. On my tea packet it says between 1 and 3 minutes steep time. I usually do mine at about 2 minutes. I like to obtain all the flavor but I don't like to risk it being bitter.

Tea Time Ladies and Gents!

2009-09-17T17:27:00.003-05:00

Fancy a spot of tea? If you do then perhaps I can take a bit of your time to tell you about a very well known tea called English Breakfast. Often served with milk or a slice a lemon, but never both because lemon will curdle the milk. This tea can be found in just about any coffee shop you go into to. Over at the coffee shop I work at, Dunn Bros, they use the Mighty Leaf brand of tea for their hot tea as well as their bulk iced tea mix. Although it is called English Breakfast, this tea is really good for any time of the time. Personally I like to drink black teas at night and green teas during the morning.

Name: English Breakfast

Type: Black, Keenum Chinese black tea

Company/ Purchased: Bigelow / From a hotel (Hey I didn’t steal it. All I did was take the free ones in the room)

Company/Purchased: Mighty Leaf / Dunn Bros

Company/ Purchased: Tea of Life / Tj Maxx

Taste: Very rich taste and almost enough caffeine to rival a cup of coffee. Most people like to drink their tea hot but I prefer to wait for the full flavor. Many times when I drink tea I find that the pinnacle of taste comes when it reaches 100 degrees F. This I find is especially true for black tea.

Cheerio

Good Morning Genmaicha!

2009-09-12T11:32:00.005-05:00

Name: Genmaicha

Type: Japanese, brown rice tea

Company/Purchased: Indigo

Company/Purchased: Numi / TjMaxx

Taste: Sweet and nutty, and somewhat grassy. Once its cooled past tongue burning hot its very enjoyable. This tea is actually quite hard to explain when it comes to taste because it is unlike any of the other green teas out there.

This tea is known as brown rice tea because it is combined with roasted brown rice. It is also called Popcorn tea because of the resemblance the rice has to popcorn when it pops. So if you ever buy Genmaicha and find 'popcorn' bits in the bag, don’t worry its only the rice grains that have popped. This tea, like Gunpowder, is very finicky with its steeping time. If you have about a teaspoon of the tea you should allow for no more than a minute and a half for steep time.

By the way: Please feel free to comment about anything you read. Comments are nice.

Tea + Bubble + Milk = Bubble Tea!

2009-09-10T17:33:00.009-05:00

We're going to take a slight detour today and talk about a new fad in tea land.

Bubble Tea!

Bubble tea is tea, usually black tea, served with boba balls (prepared by mixing tapioca and carrageenan powder). The liquid part of it is called milk tea. This can then be blended with other flavors such as Lychee, Jasmine, kiwi, etc. I won’t go into it too much because there is a lot more to milk tea then one would think. Just Wiki and find the extra info you want. You can also get bubble tea without the bubbles (or pearls as they are really called) but what is the fun in that?

The tea house I currently buy my drink infatuation from is called Indigo. It's a small shop located in Burnsville, MN. They have by far some of the best tea I have ever had. Not to mention their bubble tea is just astounding. So far I’ve tried both their black and green versions, and I am happy to say that both are great. While you can get the traditional types of bubble tea, I am hooked on the Taro flavored bubble tea. Sounds gross right? I know, but the flavor is amazing. It has a somewhat chocolaty taste to it. I first learned of Taro from an encounter with Poi in Hawai’i. That is a whole other story in itself.

For now here's a quick look into the others I’ve had:

Taro Coconut Bubble Tea – Made with black milk tea

- Its good but almost a little too flavorful; if that's possible. It's one of those drinks where you want to stop but can't.

Honeydew Bubble Tea – Made with green milk tea

- Really tastes like honeydew melon! It was amazing. Not my favorite but one I would recommend it to other people who like honeydew melon.

Strawberry Lychee Bubble Tea – Made with black milk tea

- I think I was in heaven when I first tasted it. The combination of tropical Lychee with good old strawberry made for a great taste combination. I was told it is also good with raspberry.

I'm finishing up my Taro Coconut at the moment. So many pearls at the bottom! Oh, word of advice, if you don't like tapioca don't get the pearls.

If you are new to bubble tea and are not sure of what to try just go with your tried and true favorite flavors to mix with your tea. If you need suggestions let me know!
Adiós!

Edible Gunpowder

2009-09-09T11:06:00.005-05:00

Name: Gunpowder
Type: Chinese Green Tea
Company/Purchased: TeaVana
Taste: Somewhat ofa coppery aftertaste but it's not bad. It doesn't linger. The main taste however, is slightly grassy with that wonderful slightly peppery flavor. If stepped right it can also have a slight nutty flavor to it.

Of all the teas I drink, Green tea is some of the most finicky. Steep it too long and it is very bitter and has none of the original flavor. Steep it too little and it has no taste. Gunpowder only needs about a minute of steep time. So you can't go and get lost in Facebook or go clean your bedroom while waiting for the full flavor of this tea to develop. I learned that the hard way and ruined a good cup of tea my first time.

Gunpowder is believed to have received its name from the English word for the gunpowder pellets used for cannons. Below you will see two pictures. See if you can figure out which is tea and which is actual gunpowder pellets.

There are four ways you can use to tell the difference between which of the pictures below is true gunpowder and which is tea.

1. 1. Light them on fire. Not advisable unless you know how to handle flaming gunpowder.

2. 2. Steep them. Also not advisable unless you have the proper water container. No a fish tank will not work.

3. 3. Put them in your mouth. Good luck….

4. 4. Go to youtube.com and watch what happens to save your fingers.

Here is the answer just in case you didn't figure it out: A: Cannon Gunpowder, B: Tea Gunpowder

Introductions and Salutations

2009-09-08T10:25:00.002-05:00

Hello all! Welcome to my tea blog. I'm going to do my best to update as much as I can but not so much that you can't keep up. I'll try to stick with one format and font for each post but if people find something that would be easier on the eyes feel free to let me know.

Here is the format I'll be using:

Name:

Type:

Company:

Purchased:

Taste:

I'm going to do this each time that way if you think it sounds interesting you know where to get it.

Feel free to comment and talk about other tea you have tried.