Rose teas and tisanes: A February treat

 

February is the perfect month for drinking rose-scented teas or tisanes. The rose brings to mind February’s major celebration of hearts and love, Valentine’s Day.  We know that the heart and rose are both considered to be symbols of love and romance, but they are so much more.   These connections between roses and hearts, and love run deeper than the images depicted on Valentine greeting cards (which, by the way, have been printed and posted only since the early to mid-nineteenth century).

 

The rose carries many associations with love in the symbolic realm.  For example, the red rose was associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. When the Roman empire later became Christianized the rose came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.  You can read about abundant symbolism associated with the rose here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_(symbolism)

 But associations between the rose and the heart are more than symbolic. Consuming rose-scented tea is purported to have some general health benefits.  For a quick overview of this topic, take a look at an article from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/rose-tea-good-for-you#1

 

More specifically, in regards to ties between the rose and the heart, consuming rose-scented tea is considered to be good for the heart itself both physically and energetically.  Asheville herbalist, Joanne Zerdy*, writes:

 Rose (Rosa spp.) is a powerful botanical ally. Both rose petals and rosehips have many medicinal benefits for us inside and out. With their astringency, rose petals gently tighten the tissue of our internal organs (including the heart) as well as our skin. Rose might also aid the cardiovascular system by supporting the regulation of blood pressure. The benefits of rose petals on our nervous systems is well known; with its antianxiety, anti-inflammatory, and mood-boosting qualities, rose helps us to calm down and connect with our emotional centers. Rosehips have high concentrations of vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants. As such, they strengthen our immune systems as well as our cardiovascular health by improving blood circulation and restoring the elasticity of our blood vessels. Energetically, rose can help us to lighten our hearts and to maintain our emotional boundaries. The thorns on rose bushes and vines are great reminders of the importance of protecting our emotional selves in a balanced way. A final note: given the commercial nature of growing roses, it's really important to ensure that any rose that you consume has not been treated with pesticides. 

So, given the symbolic, physical and energetic ties between the rose and the heart I know that I will always consider February the perfect time to drink rose scented teas or tisanes.  Pictured above is the rose scented black tea from Dobra Tea and the heart blend tea from Finlay’s Garden, both here in Asheville.  I have been drinking both of these teas and you can too as all teas from these Asheville purveyors can be ordered online!

  

*Joanne Zerdy, PhD is a former university professor in theatre arts who turned to herbalism and grief work following the death of her son Finlay. Joanne completed a 1000-hour Herbal Immersion course through the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and is particularly interested in researching herbs for grieving and emotional healing. She puts her knowledge into practice through her Finlay's Garden teas and herbal honeys and through the grief work that she does through Inviting Abundance.

An Evening of Poetry and Tea

Asheville grown tea plant with resident bear.

I recently enjoyed a lovely evening of poetry and tea at Asheville's Dobra Tea.

We sipped tea, listened to tea poetry, and wrote poems.  Here's my poem:

Earth sends her gifts
through these leaves - 
filling me with life energy
as I sip the brew.

From taste to taste
with each new infusion
I follow the tea journey: 
an ancient Earthly offering.

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.

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.)

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 2

Day 2 of this Tea 101 MasterClass included a number of tea tastings.  We sampled black teas, herbals and infusions, and finally oolongs.  I came away from the tastings with a much greater appreciation for the flavors and aromas of fine teas.

black tea tasting notes

pu erh cake

herbals, infusions, and blends

Bruce Richardson leading the Gung Fu ceremonial tasting of oolongs

The tasting of the oolongs was done in the Gung Fu style ceremony.  It was fascinating and the teas were delicious.  I have a new-found appreciation for oolong teas.

At the end of Day 2 we visited the retail shop of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  We had great fun and all came away from the trip with much lighter wallets.

Lynn at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

Shelley Richardson at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

Our group at the Elmwood Inn Fine Teas retail shop 

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 1

Arriving at the Tea  101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas I was greeted by the open door of a historic Shaker building where the class was to be held.  The classroom space was pleasant, comfortable, and well organized.

Day 1 consisted of a combination of lectures and tastings.  The lectures on "Tea as a Lifestyle" and "Understanding Specialty Teas" were followed by tastings of white and green teas.

The lectures were presented by the famous and knowledgeable Bruce Richardson of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.  The tasting was a joint effort of Bruce & Shelley Richardson with Joanna Kirby, their friend and Director of Education.  After tasting these white and green teas I can say with all assurance that Elmwood Inn Fine Teas is my new "go to" source for fine teas.

Lynn with Bruce Richardson

Tea 101 MasterClass: The Arrival

I arrived this morning at LEX, Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, ready to begin this tea adventure.  The rental car pick up area is right beside baggage claim, so I got my car and hit the road.  The drive from the airport to Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is a quick and easy one.

I saw fields of beautiful fences like these above along the route to Shaker Village.  Closer to the village, beautiful stone walls like these below lined the landscape.

Upon arrival, beautiful scenes greeted me.  The village is dotted with lovely vistas across fields, fences, and stone walls.  Inside the restaurant I found this curving Shaker staircase.

I am excited to begin the Tea 101 MasterClass organized by Elmwood Inn.  In the meanwhile I am relishing this venue, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.

Tea Tasting from Tea Time Magazine

Today, Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company, Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road Cafe and Kitchen, and I got together to taste five teas that we had recently read about in Tea Time magazine.  In the July/ August 2018 issue of this magazine, you will find an article entitled "15 Teas Every Tea Lover Should Taste."  We gathered to taste five of the black teas recommended in this article.

The five teas we tasted, pictured here below from left to right, are:

1) Darjeeling Wonder Tea from chadotea.com

2) Himalayan Golden Black Tea from nepaliteatraders.com

3) China Cangyuan Yunnan Organic Black Tea from svtea.com

4) Keemun Mao Feng Imperial Black Tea from globalteamart.com

5) Nilgiri 6892 from chadotea.com

Jessie and I found the Keemun from global tea mart to be our favorite tea of the five.  The tea had a slightly roasted or smoky flavor that paired beautifully with the pistachio nuts that we had on the table.  Jill preferred the Yunnan black tea from Simpson & Vail.  All five of the teas were smooth and refined.

Three Basic Teas & How to Enjoy Them

This book is a welcome and much needed addition to my library of books on tea.  It is a slim book, 84 pages long, but full of valuable information.  The author, Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace, MD, is a woman of many talents including an in-depth understanding of how we physiologically taste tea.

She begins this book by identifying what she considers to be the three basic teas: green, oolong, and black.  She discusses the ways that each of these teas is picked and processed.  She discusses the chemistry behind the taste of each tea type.  And she includes tips on how best to enjoy each of these types of tea - including food pairing suggestions!

I must admit that I skimmed over some sections of the book which discuss the chemistry of  tea flavors. But I read with interest all other sections - including her tea and food pairing suggestions.  I drink mostly black tea.  So, I was particularly interested to read her explanation of why raspberries and dark chocolate pair so beautifully with black tea.

This is an excellent book and well worth its modest price.  I recommend adding it to your library of books about tea.

My First Home Matcha

This morning I made matcha at home for the first time.  My daughter's friend had given her a canister of matcha powder, so being a lover of all things tea, I wanted to try it.  I looked up instructions online on how to prepare matcha, and this is what I came up with.

First, (above) I strained the matcha powder with a small kitchen strainer.

Second, (above) I poured just under boiling water into the powder and whisked it.  I must not have done it properly because, as you see, I did not get any froth.  This mixture tasted bitter and powdery to me, so I added sugar and milk to the bowl. See below.  Now that turned out to be delicious.

I don't think my methods were orthodox, however I produced a matcha which I enjoyed.

Tea at Twenty Six Divine, Charleston, South Carolina

In early January, my family and I enjoyed a lovely and cozy afternoon tea at Twenty Six Divine in Charleston, South Carolina.

As is fitting for an establishment located in Charleston, Twenty Six Divine serves teas produced by the Charleston Tea Plantation.

We had our fill of savories, scones, and sweets made by owners and chefs Jenn and Enan Parezo.

proprietress Jenn Parezo

This was a lovely experience that I highly recommend to any tea lover who visits Charleston, South Carolina.

Afternoon Tea at Ivory Road Cafe in Asheville, NC

I just returned home from a lovely afternoon tea at the Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen here in Asheville, North Carolina.  This event was a collaboration between Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road and Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company.  Jill and Jessie host these afternoon teas on a regular basis. The events are always a beautiful and relaxing experience - replete with delicious food, tea, music and company.

my table set for the tea tasting

The event began with a tasting of four different seasonal tea blends from the Asheville Tea Company.  We tasted the teas and selected a favorite.  Jessie then served us each our own piping hot pot of  the tea that we had ordered.  Jill brought a selection of tea treats to each table and we then sipped and ate our way through the abundant servings.

a pot of piping hot pumkin pie chai

Jessie Dean of the Asheville Tea Company

tea and tea wares from the Asheville Tea Company

The Ivory Road Cafe & Kitchen hosts tea events on a regular basis.  I recommend that you explore them if you find yourself in the vicinity of our beautiful mountain town, Asheville, North Carolina.