Russian Earl Grey Tea by TeaLeaves

January is National Hot Tea Month in the United States and Canada. So, what better time is there to try a hot tea blend that is new to me? Today I discovered a new-to-me blend from luxury purveyor of tea, TeaLeaves, at a patisserie adjoining the Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina. When I picked up a tin of this loose-leaf blend called Russian Earl Grey, I did not know what to expect.  Would the flavor be smoky like that of a Russian Caravan blend?

Now back on Folly Beach and having sampled a cup of the tea, I would describe this blend as an Earl Grey that carries a stronger than usual note of citrus.  No smoke detected.  This smooth, black tea is enjoyable plain, which is how I usually take my tea.  But I am thinking I will try the next cup with honey since I love the combination of honey with citrus.

If you find yourself in Charleston you may want to sample a tea at this establishment,  La Patisserie, which is found at 404 King Street.  If this one TeaLeaves blend is any indication, I am thinking that none of the teas at La Patisserie would disappoint.

2015 Nuo Mi Pu-Erh from Harney & Sons

Pu-erh is a type of tea that is relatively new to me, but ancient in its origins. Wanting me to branch out in my tea explorations, my husband gave me a tin of the 2015 Nuo Mi Pu-Erh from Harney & Sons as one of my many tea-related Christmas gifts. I am drinking this pu-erh as I write and am enjoying the third infusion of this rich, earthy brew.  Take a look at the Harney & Sons website to see a range of tasting notes on this tea along with recommended brewing methods and times.

Pu-erh originated in the Yunnan province of China thousands of years ago. It has a history that is closely entwined with that of the tea trade between China and other nations. The story goes that this tea was originally compressed into bricks or other shapes for easier transport. At some points in its history the compressed tea "bricks" were used as a form of currency.

Today, we classify Pu-erh in the category of "dark" teas which are fermented and aged, as opposed to solely oxidized, teas. According to the Yunnan government's definition, pu-erh is tea that must be made with a certain large leaf variety of camellia sinensis grown within a certain geographic region.

The drinking of Pu-erh, like many other teas, is reputed to carry health benefits.  Take a look at this WebMD article for a brief overview of such health benefits which include weight loss and improved LDL cholesterol levels.

My take away from this experience with brewing and drinking pu-erh is that it is a tea as complex in flavor as it is in its history and production.

Exploring the Asheville Goods "High Tea" Gift Box

I wrote an earlier blog post about the Asheville Goods “High Tea” Gift Box to give you an idea of what makes up this carefully curated collection.  Now, I will open up the packages and tins, have a taste of these teas and goods, and share the experience with you.

The teas in this gift box collection are selected to carry you through the day. If you follow my way of doing things, you will begin your morning with the brisk black Rwandan tea from TimaTea.  You will drink Dobra Tea’s green tea as a gentle afternoon pick me up, and then wind up your day with the soothing tisane from Asheville Tea Company.

First let’s talk about how to brew these loose teas.  Using the cute infuser which is enclosed in this gift box (pictured above) you will want to follow the brewing instructions on each tea package as your starting point for knowing how much of the loose tea to use and how long to infuse it in order  to brew a cup of tea.   

I drink a great deal of tea, so I generally brew my tea by the pot rather than the cup.  For a pot of tea, you will want to calculate out how much dry loose tea to use depending upon the size (cup capacity) of your tea pot. I use a tea pot with a built in infuser basket.  If you do not have this type of tea pot, you could use paper infuser bags such as those pictured above.  They work great.

Now, I want assure you that you are always free to experiment with both the amount of loose tea and the brewing time used to find the combination which suits your taste.  The suggestions on the packages are just a starting point.  So experiment and really taste your tea.  Each of these teas is a high quality tea that you will no doubt enjoy.  So if the first cup is not to your liking, experiment!

If you enjoy a sweetener in your tea, try the delicious wildflower honey from Mikell’s Farm which is included in the gift box. And if you enjoy a sweet something to eat with your tea, you will certainly love the lavender shortbread cookies made by Asheville’s Ivory Road Café& Kitchen.  The cookies freeze beautifully, so if you do not plan to eat them within a few weeks of purchase, pop them in the freezer to maintain their delicious, lavender-enhanced buttery flavor.

MORNING:

I drink a pot of black tea every morning with my breakfast.  This morning I brewed the black tea from Tima Tea of 3 Mountains which worked for me as a great morning wake up! This medium-bodied brew is slightly astringent and carries a distinct flavor profile which Tima Tea describes as being the flavor of the Rwandan terroir.  I like a fairly strong brew in the morning, so I steeped this tea for 5 minutes rather than that recommended 3.5 minutes.  Even with my  slightly longer than recommended brew time the tea did not taste bitter to me.  I look forward to enjoying this tea again with my morning meal.

AFTERNOON:

The Green tea from Dobra Tea hails from the Yunnan province in China.  I find green teas to be a little less forgiving when it comes to modifying brew time because they can become quite bitter if over brewed. So I would definitely start with the 1 minute brew time recommended for this tea.

I brewed today’s afternoon green tea, called “Dian Lu Eshan” as directed.  I used the small pot and cup combination that had been given to me by a Chinese friend of my daughter. This small pot is perfect for brewing teas which call for multiple infusions with short brew times.  If you do not have your own small teapot, do not worry. The infuser included with this gift box will be perfect for brewing this tea one cup at a time.

Once brewed, this tea is light and fresh in body and flavor.  And because you can brew multiple infusions from the same leaves, which is to say that you can pour hot water over the same wet leaves time and time again, this tea will go a long way.

EVENING:

At the end of a long and busy day, the relaxing properties of the Lavender Chamomile tisane from Asheville TeaCompany are just what is called for.  This naturally caffeine-free blend, with its light body and slightly sweet flavor, is the perfect addition to your evening routine.

You can brew this herbal blend for as long as you like.  It does not get bitter with an extended brewing time. (This is a useful note for the forgetful ones among us.) I brew this blend for 5 minutes before drinking, but that is not mandatory.

So today I enjoyed the full range of items offered in the Asheville Goods “High Tea” gift box.  I recommend this collection as a gift for yourself or for any tea lover in your life.

The Story of Robert Fortune in Tea and Books

Today, I have been sipping Upton Tea Imports’ black tea blend called Robert Fortune Blend 41.  Naming this blend after the Scottish adventurer, botanist, and plant hunter is apt as the blend contains both Chinese Yunnan and Indian Darjeeling tea. The life and exploits of Robert Fortune created a symbolic bridge between the worlds of China and India, and this unique tea blend does as well.

The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss describes Yunnan black teas as “lush, thirst-quenching treats.”  This same book describes spring Darjeeling teas as being characterized by “fresh exuberance” while later flushes of Darjeeling are described as “rich and smooth.”  In either case, Darjeeling, known as the “Queen of Indian teas,” adds a lighter note to the Chinese Yunnan and results here in a lovely, balanced black tea blend.

If you would like to read a lively account of the life and exploits of Robert Fortune, take a look at For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose.   The short version of the story goes something like this: Robert Fortune, as an “agent” of the East India Company, shipped/smuggled tea plants, seeds, and eight Chinese tea experts from China’s tea lands into India where they formed the foundation of what later became the Indian Tea Industry.

You can find bits and pieces of information about Robert Fortune in any of the books pictured here above. (Click on image to enlarge it.)  And if you are somewhat business oriented and interested in knowing more about the East India Company, you might want to look up a 2012 book called The Corporation that Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational.

(Disclaimer: The tea discussed here was provided to me by Upton Tea Imports.)

Peach Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports

Peachshed Inman, South Carolina by Margaret Law

(Image courtesy of The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC)

It may be the season for everything pumpkin flavored and scented in stores, but my mind goes back to thoughts of the peaches of this past summer. When given the opportunity to taste and review some teas from Upton Tea Imports, I chose to sample the “Naturally Flavored Peach Black Tea with Fruit Pieces” as one of my choices.  Why? I chose to sample peach tea because I grew up in the upstate of South Carolina which might otherwise be known as “peach country.” I have tasted many a peach in my life.  So I thought I would be a good judge of the authenticity of the peach flavor in this black tea blend.  And I have not been disappointed.

Upton Tea Imports’ “Naturally Flavored Peach Black Tea with Fruit Pieces” is delicious. The brew is rich and smooth and carries an authentic and natural peach flavor.  For a cup or pot of hot tea, I used boiling water on this tea blend and found that the steep time that worked best for me was 4 minutes.  I also tried a cold brew of this tea. For the cold brew tea I placed 1 tablespoon of tea in a pint of water.  I left this mix in the refrigerator to steep for 24 hours.  The result was a delicious, light bodied iced tea with a hint of peach flavor.

Whether you are looking for a hot or cold tea blend, the "Naturally Flavored Peach Black Tea with Fruit Pieces" from Upton Tea Imports is a great choice.

(Disclaimer: The tea discussed here was provided to me by Upton Tea Imports.)

A Book, Macarons, and Tea

Reading: Design for Tea: Wares from the Dragon Court to Afternoon Tea by Jane Pettigrew

This is a delightful book that I am thoroughly enjoying.  It is helping me in my new endeavor to understand the progression of accoutrements that have been associated with taking tea over these many years that tea has been drunk.

Eating: Macarons by A la Mode Macaron of Asheville, North Carolina

This new business in Asheville, North Carolina is a keeper!  I hope that it will stick around for a long while.  The French-style macarons that they make are melt in your mouth delicious.  Pictured are pistachio, rose, peaches n cream, and s'more.

Sipping: Marco Polo blend by Mariage Freres

I have had the Marco Polo blend before, but had forgotten just how much I enjoy it.   It is a fruity and flowery black tea blend which the Mariage Freres website describes as "a mysterious blend that will take you to distant lands and unforeseen territories."

Enjoying: New-to-me teapot and linens from Upstyled Setting

Kathy of Asheville's Upstyled Setting is selling off a large chunk of her huge inventory of china, silver, linens and party decor.  Contact her for an appointment if you are interested in seeing what she has available.  You can reach her at upstyledplacesetting (at) gmail (dot) com.

Blooming or Flowering Tea

Blooming or Flowering Teas are an art form originally from China. Each creation is made up of tea leaves hand tied around one or more flowers. The leaves and flowers are formed into a pod or bulb shape and are then set aside to dry.  When boiling water is poured over the pod, it unfurls to reveal a beautiful flower-like creation. This is an art form that requires time and contemplation - and a glass teapot or cup.

The two flowering teas I am highlighting here are "Seven Sons Congratulating" and "Dancing Snowflakes" both from Harney & Sons teas.  This first flowering tea pictured below is "Seven Sons Congratulating."  You see that once the pod opens you have a beautiful dark pink flower surrounded by a ring of white and a second outer ring of tea leaves.

The second tea pictured here below is "Dancing Snowflakes."  As the pod unfurls in hot water, tiny white flecks of flower rise to the top of the pot.  - thus giving this particular artful tea its name.

Trader Joe's Cream Early Grey Loose Tea

I enjoy cream Earl Grey tea blends, and this one from Trader Joe's does not disappoint.  Called "Earl Grey de la Creme," the name makes reference to the phrase "creme de la creme," the "best of the best," as well as noting that this is a cream Earl Grey blend.  As the package indicates, the blend contains a hint of vanilla, along with black tea, bergamot flavor, dried sunflower and dried cornflower.

At the suggestion on the package, I heated the water to a lower temperature than my usual 212 degrees. I heated the water to 200 degrees simply because that was a default setting on my adjustable temp tea kettle.  I steeped the leaves for 5 minutes. 

The brew is a light, perfumed tea that carries a somewhat floral and creamy flavor.  I am enjoying it with a Biscoff cookie.

Oliver Pluff Tea at Biltmore Estate

A short while ago I learned that Oliver Pluff tea is carried at Biltmore Estate here in Asheville.  My family and I visited the estate today, so while there, I could not resist purchasing a canister of Oliver Pluff's Biltmore Estate English Breakfast black tea blend.

I brewed a pot of this tea once we were back home.  It is very nice.  It is a light and smooth English Breakfast style blend.

I learned about Oliver Pluff teas a while back when my family and I were visiting Charleston, South Carolina.  I blogged about that discovery HERE.  I am smitten with this tea company because they incorporate a bit of tea history into their blends.  Also, their teas can be found at many historic sites - in the Southeast and perhaps more widely than that.  I don't know.  But I do know that I always enjoy finding their trademark black cans with white labels when I visit a historic site gift shop.

Christmas Morning Tea

We had a lovely Christmas morning at my house. As usual, the first thing I did upon waking up was to heat water for tea.  I brewed my first pot and drank it while opening gifts with my family.  After opening gifts, I just had to make Christmas morning's second pot of tea.  I used my new VAVA electric temperature controlled tea kettle to heat the water.  And once the water had boiled, I poured it over one of the tea blends that I had found in my stocking, the Victorian London Fog blend from Harney & Sons.  This tea was delicious!  It was smooth and tasted of vanilla and citrus.  Yum. I look forward to finishing off the sampler packet with another pot of tea in the coming days.

Bohea from Oliver Pluff & Co.

This morning I had my first taste of smoked tea.  This particular tea, called "Bohea" by it's producer, Oliver Pluff & Company, is lightly smoked. My understanding is that some other smoked teas carry a much heavier taste of smoke. This is my first taste of smoked tea, in spite of all the tea I have drunk over the years, because the idea of drinking a smoky flavor just did not appeal to me.  But after sampling Oliver Pluff's Bohea, I have revised my thoughts on the topic.  I'm not sure that this type of tea will ever be my favorite, but I am certainly enjoying this one.

According to Oliver Pluff's website, this type of tea was imported in large quantities during colonial times and was, in fact, so popular that the term "bohea" became a commonly used slang term for tea.

According to the book The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide (2007), smoked tea was developed by accident in the Wuyi Shan region of China in 1646.  In advance of an invading army, local villagers in that area hid their tea by burying it in the mountains. Before burying the tea they needed to dry it to prevent it from rotting. So they dried the tea over pinewood cut from the surrounding area, where it adopted the smoky flavor. Later, the "ruined" tea was offered to Dutch traders who sampled it and loved it. Thus the practice of drinking a smoked tea was born.  

This book is an excellent resource with a useful index. So, I recommend searching it out to learn more about the history around smoked teas.

Rosewater Iced Tea

Today I had the pleasure of tasting Rosewater Iced Tea for the first time.  My daughter and I discovered it at the Mediterranean Deli on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  When I saw it, I knew it was something special.  I tried it, and ended up drinking more glasses of it than I care to admit.  It was delicious: a traditional Southern (sweetened) iced tea - with a hint of something more.

After that fortuitous find, and a filling lunch, I did a little online research where I learned that rosewater tea is also sometimes referred to as Lebanese tea or Persian tea.  Online you can find many recipes for brewing rosewater tea.

See a wonderful article on this particular iced tea from this particular deli in the online journal, Southern Things which is "a student edited and authored online journal of writing on Southern material culture published at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill." As this article succinctly states, The Mediterranean Deli's rosewater tea simultaneously offers customers "the comfort of the familiar and the thrill of the exotic."

I think that sums it up nicely.

Ajiri Tea from Kenya

This morning I am drinking a mango flavored black tea from Kenya.  It is produced by Ajiri tea.  I was delighted to find the tea and its charming packaging in one of our local Whole Foods Markets.

The black mango blend that I am enjoying is medium bodied and smooth.  The mango flavoring is balanced and not too highly perfumed.  So I am glad to have discovered this delightful addition to my tea cabinet.

3 Mountains Tea

I recently learned about 3 Mountains teas from a friend here in Asheville - and was pleased to later discover that the company and its associated organization, Africa Healing Exchange, are based here in Asheville.

This morning I am drinking the Rwandan Black Orthodox tea which is made available to the U.S. market through 3 Mountains.  As I have written earlier, I enjoy strong black teas.  This tea is full-bodied but well-rounded and smooth to the finish.  Highly recommended!

If you are in Asheville you will find this tea on the menu at Dobra tea.  If you are not in Asheville, you can purchase this tea and other Rwandan products through the 3 Mountains website.  Happy drinking!

Hope Tea from Thistle Farms

Today I am drinking another tea purchased from Thistle Farms.  This one is a black tea from Uganda which they call "Hope" tea. It is a strong, full-bodied tea with earthy tones.  This is my favorite type of tea.  It would be perfect for those who like to add milk and a sweetener to their tea.  But I take mine black.

The Way of Tea and Justice

Today I am drinking a moringa blend black tea which I purchased from Thistle Farms.  This tea, which is a blend of moringa leaves, black tea, lemon balm, and lemongrass, is reputed to be rich in antioxidants and other healthful components.  I, myself, enjoy this particular tea blend as an afternoon pick-me-up because it has a perky, lemony flavor, and a bit of caffeine.

I first learned about Thistle Farms and its founder, Becca Stevens, back in 2011 when they were featured in a series on National Public Radio.  I immediately searched for Thistle Farms online and learned more about its mission.  I have been an admirer of the Thistle Farms enterprise, products, and founder, ever since.

To go along with this moringa blend tea, I have begun re-reading Becca Stevens' book, The Way of Tea and Justice: Rescuing the World's Favorite Beverage from its Violent History (2014).  I highly recommend this book to any tea lover who also has a concern for the plight of tea plantation workers, who are mainly women, and a concern for social justice in general.

New To Me: Butter + Toast Pottery and G & Tea

Today I am enjoying two things that are new to me.  The first is an art pottery mug that I found at a thrift store this morning.  The maker's mark on the bottom of the mug reads "Butter + Toast."  So I have done a little online sleuthing and have discovered that Butter + Toast was a design company founded in 1986 by RISD graduates Gibb Browlie and Michael Lamar.  If you follow the links you will see that these two talented men are now engaged in other activities, but are still in the art and design field.

The second "new to me" thing I am enjoying right now is the tea that I am drinking from this mug.  I recently purchased a 2 ounce bag of "G & Tea" created by Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company. As the name of this tea blend suggests, it is inspired by the botanicals that are typically found in a gin and tonic cocktail.  This loose tea mix blends green tea, lime peel, lime basil, rosemary, and juniper.  It is delicious and a great afternoon pick me up.