Mint Chocolate Clouds

I have to apologize for this one. I fell for the trap. I read mint and chocolate and it sounded really good. It tastes of mint and smells of chocolate but does it taste of tea? Barely. I was disappointed by this tea so I couldn't make it a tea of the month. You are welcome to have it, try it and share your opinions about it. It is a black tea so 90-100C water is necessary but again the tea flavour is minimal and the brew does not do well with milk.
I solemnly swear never to make this mistake again. I will choose teas and not flavours in the future.

Earl Green

Earl Green

Origin: Sri Lanka

Certification: Organic

Biodynamic green tea scented with bergamot oranges.

There are many variations of Earl Grey in tea. Lady Grey, Crème of Earl Grey,… They all have one thing in common, they are all scented with the rind or oil of bergamot oranges. Usually infused with black tea, this Earl Green is an exotic departure of Sri Lankan green tea and the same popular aroma that made Earl Grey “regular” tea.

Earl Green is best infused at 70-80 degrees. It is flavourful and bold and doesn’t need sweetening but can hold its own if you prefer a sweeter taste. Green tea is a perfect partner for bergamot oranges as there are little to no tannings and therefore minimal bitterness and aftertaste.

The legend of Earl Grey is told in many variations. One story claims a young Chinese boy was rescued by Earl Grey (then a soldier and later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) and presented him with the blend to express his appreciation. An unlikely story as Earl Grey II never visited China.

Another tale has two prominent English tea companies fighting for the invention of the blend.

Finally the Grey family claims that the tea was made as a special request for their family as the water available to them at the time contained a lot of lime. The bergamot flavour would have concealed the lime in the water.

All I know is that I'm glad someone came up with it.

Supplier Woes

Hi everyone,

My supplier woes are finally through. Apparently they were moving so my first order was ignored, then my second and I finally got a response with the third when I tried an alternate email. Their excuse was that they had received my order and it would be shipped out soon. Two weeks later and another email and it turns out they have been moving. How silly of me. Of course moving takes 2-3 months. But long story short they are in now so look forward to Earl Green coming within the next 2-3 days.

George Carlin on fruit teas

So it's been forever! Sorry guys, I'm working on it. This week I promise.

In the meantime, here is a quote from George Carlin about fruit flavoured teas. This has just made my night.

I would like to talk to you about fruit-flavored teas. These would be teas that are flavored like fruit. Fruit-flavored teas. You need to understand that. These are not fruits. They’re teas.

But they taste like fruit. All right? They have names like strawberry kiwi, lemon berry, orange mango, wild cherry, blackberry and cranberry. They taste like fruit. And they sound like fruits, too, don’t they? They’re not. They’re teas. Fruit-flavored teas. And frankly, I don’t understand this.

Personally, I’ve always been of a mind that if you’re looking for fruit flavor, if you’re genuinely interested in something that tastes like fruit, and you find yourself in the tea section, you’re probably in the wrong aisle.

My advice is, if it’s fruit flavor you’re after, play if safe, go ahead and get some fruit. I have found in my experience that fruit almost always turns out to be reliable source of fruit flavor.

Another good place you may wish to look for fruit flavor would be in fruit juice. Fruit juice is made by squeezing the juice out of the fruit. Apparently, the juice that runs out of the fruit has fruit flavor. Perhaps that’s why they call if fruit juice. It doesn’t taste like tea. For tea taste, you would need to get some tea.

So let’s sum this up: If it’s fruit flavor you want, you can’t go wrong with fruit. Or, as I’ve pointed out, fruit juice. Don’t be ordering tea. Tea has tea flavor. It’s not like fruit. It’s more like tea. If you want tea, I say order tea. That’s a different experience. It’s known as “having tea.”

Have you noticed, by the way, there are no tea-flavored fruits? Take a clue from nature.

Take that David's Tea!

Organic Fujian Pear

Origin: China

Infusion: 70-80ºC for 3-7 minutes

White tea is for me the perfect summer tea. It is so refreshing and mellow. Truly the type of tea you want, either iced or warm on a hot summers day. The infusion of pear to white tea is perfect. It’s sweet in aroma, retains its true white tea flavour and finishes with the slight tang of fruit. Unlike many flavoured teas,

This tea is very well suited for an iced tea. Brew as you usually would. Discard the leaves and let the tea sit for a few hours at room temperature. This intensifies the flavour while being economical on tea leaves and avoiding a bitter infusion. Sweeten to taste although this tea tastes fantastic even without any sweetener. The aroma and undertone of the pear, carries the tea all on its own. Refrigerating the tea is best if you don’t want to dilute the flavour.

For a hot infusion, 80ºC is really the maximum for this tea. I find that 70ºC for a longer amount of time if the best. If I don’t have the right temperature, I usually put 1 part cold water to 3 parts hot water and it works just as well. Another benefit of low temperature infusion is that you don’t need to wait for the tea to cool down. You can start drinking it right away.

What did you think?

Organic, Fair Trade Certified Assam

Origin: India

Instructions: 100 C for 3 to 5 minutes

Assamese tea has a bold, dark infusion with enough strength to hold up to milk and sugar with out compromising it's taste. The tea trees from Assam are native shrubs. When the British introduced the idea of cultivating tea in India, they imported a sturdy Chinese variety. After many failed attempts, they conceded that the native bush was indeed best suited to the geography of Assam.

Like the British, Indians like their tea strong and as a result, black tea is higher in caffeine than other types of tea. However, there is a way to decaffeinate any tea with 3 easy steps.

1- Pour hot water over tea leaves

2- Let sit for 30 seconds and drain the water

3- Pour more hot water over the leaves and steep as usual.

Easy and takes just a minute longer than usual to enjoy a cup of caffeine free tea.

What are your thoughts on the tea?

Canada Post Strike

Hello everyone,

The club is currently on hold as Canada Post sorts itself out. Once the strike is over, everything will be back on schedule.

Thank you for your patience.

Midnight Jasmine

Midnight Jasmine

Origin: China

Preparation: 70ºC for 1-3 minutes

The process of infusing the fragrance of jasmine flowers to tea leaves begins with a base of prepared green tea leaves. Sometimes an oolong base is used and although very rare is also sometimes made with a black tea base. The tea leaves are spread on huge trays with jasmine petals and placed in machines which control temperature and humidity for about 4 hours or so. In this time the dry leaves absorb the moisture and aroma of the flowers. The process is repeated sometimes up to 7 times for a more intense jasmine flavour. The petals are then blown away using giant fans and the tea leaves are roasted one final time to ensure it is dry and ready to package. Dried blossoms are sometimes left with the tea for esthetics but they are flavourless.

I found this tea was a bit on the weaker side of jasmine. It may only have been infused once or twice. It's a good tea for the novice jasmine drinker and it's pleasant enough but I would have liked a little more strength from it.

Genmaicha

Origin: Japan

Organic

Brewing Instructions: 80ºC for 1 to 3 minutes

This months tea was chosen to celebrate Japan who remains in our thoughts and hearts after the devastating earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption and nuclear disaster. So much destruction in so little time. Heartbreaking. Although donations are desperately needed, purchasing Japanese products goes a long way as well. In honour of this, I present April’s tea: Organic Japanese Genmaicha.

As legend has it, genmaicha was invented when a servant of a Samurai accidentally dropped some rice into his masters tea. The quick tempered Samurai is said to have killed the servant for his incompetence but rather than letting the tea go to waste, drank it anyway and was delighted by the newfound flavour. This rendition is unlikely, as raw or steamed rice in tea would not give the characteristic genmaicha flavours.

It is far more likely that genmaicha was created in rural Japan where the cost of tea was very high and the cost of rice not so much. When it tea was brought over to Japan, it was a drink for the wise and the rich but eventually made it into the cups of commoners as well. To stretch the very expensive leaf, rice was added as filler. The roasted rice added a new layer of flavour to the already popular tea and spread quickly among rural commoners and then to those living in cities as well.

Genmaicha is now enjoyed by people of all walks of life in Japan and all over the world. It is living up to it’s nickname of “the people’s tea” more and more.

Japanese sencha has a very unique taste. The grassy tones of Japanese tea can be overwhelming but the earthiness of the brown rice is a very nice accompaniment as it mellows out the flavour, gives a lovely amber liquid and cleanses the palate so it can be served with or immediately after a meal.

It ranks up in my top 5 favorite teas. What are your thoughts?

Ancient Forest Black

Origin: Yunnan, China

Fair Trade Certified, Biodynamic & Organic

Brewing: 100C for 3-5 minutes with milk and sugar to taste

Description: A strong bold tea best consumed early in the morning or when you need a healthy boost of energy. This is no delicate tea. It's astringent and has a slight spice to it, like bitter cinnamon.

History: Chosen more for it's origin than it's flavour, Ancient Forest Black is from the Ancient Protected Tea Forests of Yunnan, China. This forest is the oldest human planted tea forest in the world with trees ranging in age from 500-3000+ The oldest tree in the world is found on this plantation and is rumoured to be 3750 years old.

The picture posted is from a user named Lawrence who took some amazing shots on a trip to Yunnan. See his album here on Picasa.

White Rose

What better tea for the month of February than White Rose? A romantic, sweet white tea with rose petals.

Out of the package it smells a little intoxicating but drop a teaspoon in a cup of almost boiling water and let it steep for 3-5 minutes and the scent mellows to a luscious honey aroma. It's sweet and sensual and absolutely delicious!

White tea is grown almost exclusively in China, (this particular blend is organic and Fair Trade Certified) and refers to the youngest leaves of the camellia sinensis shrub which are allowed to wilt naturally in the sunlight before being lightly roasted to stop the fermenting process. This results in the light, delicate flavour that makes it perfect for pairing. The name white tea comes from the fine silvery white hairs on the buds of the tea plant and also for the whitish gray colour of the infused tea.

Although white tea is usually paired with fruit, the roses are a very nice accompaniment to the tea as the flavour and scent really are very mellow and don't overpower the tea. I've added another favorite to my list.

Thoughts?

Fish

As you may have noticed, I put up some fish! You can feed them if you like. Just click on the water and little yellow pellets appear and the fish rush to eat them. It has really nothing to do with tea except the blue fish are called "Tea House Blue" but it is fun. :)

Matcha Cupcakes

I tried making matcha cupcakes and they turned out really good! I was pretty surprised, my baking is very hit or miss. Anyhow, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 tbsp matcha

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

Directions

1- Cream the butter and sugar

2- Blend in eggs

3- Sift in flour and matcha

4- Mix in a water

5- Pour into muffin cups/tin and bake at 350C for 25-30 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

I added cream cheese frosting an I thought it complimented the cupcakes nicely but my family seems to enjoy them plain. If anyone is interested in purchasing some organic matcha, I have lots so let me know. $6/30g. (compare to 30g of non-organic matcha at David's tea for $21)

Spiderweb Oolong

A quick announcement before we start; as you may have already noticed, in an effort to go as paperless as possible, the letter usually accompanying the tea will now be available online.

January’s tea of the month: Spiderweb Oolong

Don't worry, the name is a reference to the long, thin, twisted shape of the leaves and has absolutely nothing to do with spiders or their webs.

Much different than a regular Chinese oolong, this particular variety hails from India and as such has a very peculiar flavour. If I were to draw a similarity, I would have to say that it tastes and smells like an earl grey. The bergamot flavour is more like muscatel grapes and there is no aftertaste. It is a very mild aroma with the lovey rich flavour of oolong.

A generous teaspoon in 90-100 degree water for 3-5 minutes brings out all the lovely flavours of this tea.

As a quick side note, Dr. Oz reports that drinking oolong tea seems to help in weight loss. I would like to report that drinking tea makes the taste buds happy while green, oolong and white teas, which are usually consumed straight, are high in antioxidants and a fantastic calorie free beverage. So indulge!

Next months tea: White Rose

Say Tea

Yesterday I visited Say Tea with my sister in law.

Once you step in, this place feels like a tea shop. It's kinda somber and warm and smells yummy. The shelves are lined with cups and teapots of all kinds from all over the world. We looked at some Japanese cast iron vs. domestic cast iron ones and were surprised that the domestic ones were much heavier than the foreign ones. The travel mugs were very reasonably priced. I almost bought one but was distracted by the hideous pattern (black with neon flowers and a lavender silicone sleeve.) The tea cups were very eclectic. Some very cute and others very ornate.

There are fresh pastries in a tiered platter on the counter and boxed cookies & teas, including Marks and Spencer teas and biscuits. I miss Marks & Sparks. It's good to know you can still get some of their treats locally. Behind the counter in big glass jars there is a large selection of loose teas in big clear jars. Cleverly they've also made up small packages of the blends as samplers for $1.50.

For $2 they will prepare you a cup of tea. I tried the Monk's Blend. It was absolutely delicious! It was strong and dark and rich. The sweet and floral aroma from the orange blossoms is pleasant and not distracting from the tea flavour. I must go back and pick up some more.

A very good tea shop although they could do with some friendlier staff. Not to say they were unfriendly but they seemed a little gloomy.

David's Tea Review Part 2

Jumpy Monkey - I am having great big issues with this one right out of the package. It has coffee beans in it! COFFEE BEANS! Why on earth would anyone going to David's Tea want coffee in their beverage?

Pure Chai - Maybe David's Tea needs a lesson in terminology. Chai literally means tea therefore pure chai should mean pure tea. This however is heavily saturated with cinnamon. Really, it's the only thing you can taste. Like a candy heart without the heat.

Dragon Pearls - Beautifully rolled little marbles of tea leaves with a strong jasmine scent and rich oolong flavour. When they do real tea, they do it well.

Vanilla Oolong - Smells fantastic and was incredible as a candle but as a tea, it's similar to liquid soap. The vanilla aroma is far too strong and artificial that you can't really pay attention to the tea itself. If you try it while holding your breath, it tastes ok... Better off as a candle.

Japanese Sencha - Don't use too much of this at a time or it will taste too grassy but when used sparingly and in not too hot water then it has a nice fresh flavour. It is also organic.

Cream of Earl Grey - Not too bad. Again it smells fantastic and although I am not usually a fan of Earl Grey I really enjoyed this one. Maybe it's the cream of but the bergamot flavour wasn't as powerful in this one. It's the vanilla that makes the cream and it's absolutely lovely.

Overall, I find that David's Tea is really made for non-tea drinkers. The teas they promote and box up into very pretty boxes are fruity and floral and spicy and sweet. They smell great and they taste like everything except for tea. Not the place for an avid tea lover. I appreciate they trying to bring tea to a wider audience but for me it's just fancy flavours in a pretty package.

David's Tea Reviews

This Christmas I was given the fantastic gift of tea. A very big thank you to my sister-in-law for such a thoughtful gift. There have been a lot of tea places going up across Toronto lately. It seems ever time I step into a mall for the first time in a few months another tea place has popped up. Although I find this very exciting, I am really hoping this new found passion for tea is not a fad.

I'm loving the dozens and dozens of varieties of loose leaf tea available and within easy access. It's nice to be able to only buy a small quantity of tea when you just want to try it, instead of entire tin or box at the grocery store and have it sit in your cupboard untouched. I will give credit to the staff as well. They are well trained and they know their stuff. Premium teas require premium prices but it also raises certain questions. For the price, I would like to see more organic and Fair Trade teas available or at least some better communication about their efforts or plans.

As a side note, Infusions Tea Club only distributes organic teas from responsible plantations with Fair Trade Certification wherever possible.

But back to the original topic. As I sample the teas, I will be sharing my thoughts.

Baked Apple: A tisane of apples, nuts and spices. It wins more points for scent than flavour. The nuts over power the taste and scent of apple but there is a nice tangy aftertaste.

David's Organic Breakfast: My favorite thus far. Nice, rich, black tea blend. I'm also really liking the 50% biodynamic, 100% balanced and organic.

Love Tea: Black tea, rose petals, chocolate chips and strawberries. Although I was put off a bit by the tangy smell of the strawberries, this tea smells sinfully good. It would make a great candle but as for flavour, it's a little too much for me. There is too many flavours distracting from the tea.

Chocolate Chili Chai: Black tea, chocolate and chili peppers. Once again it smells sinfully good and the flavours don't fight one another in this blend. The kick of the chili really balances out the chocolate but I do wish the black tea was stronger. That would have really pulled it all together, if the tea had been a little more full bodied.

Anyhow, that's all for now. More as I drink.

What is everyone else drinking? I'd love to hear from you.

Upcoming tea selections

It's almost time for me to order another batch of tea. The only problem... too many to choose from! As you may have noticed, I have started a poll so please help me decide. Eventually we will try them all but I would like to keep the teas diverse every month. Here are my narrowed down choices

Black Teas:

Ancient Forest Black - Fair Trade, Biodynamic & Organic. A Chinese black tea from the ancient protected tea tree forests of the Yunnan Province which is full bodied, earthy and apparently like no other black tea anyone has ever tasted before. I am curious.

Los Andes - Organic. From the only real tea plantation in Latin America, half the leaves picked are from the plantation and the other half from neighbouring farms. The plantation manager travels to the many farms to ensure the production and organic standards are adhered to. The estate is very commited to the social development, education, and health of its workers. Perhaps less for the taste and more for the social impact, I would like to support this plantation.


White Tea

Silver Needle: Organic silver leaf buds yield a piquant fresh flavour with a flowery finish and a light astringency. If I were to compare it, it reminds me of a peppermint tea without the bite.

Strawberry, Blueberry or Lemon White: Organic. 3 flavours to choose from. Fruit is the perfect companion for white tea. The flavour of the fruit is infused over multiple days but the flavour remains light and fragrant without overpowering the white tea taste.

White Rose - Organic and infused with rose petals this tea is silky smooth and very healthy. It's high in vitamin C and contains the same amount of anioxidants as green tea.

Any thoughts or requests are welcome.

December 2010 - Kashmiri Chai

Allergy Alert: Contains Almonds!

It’s already December and what better way to warm us up than a cup of spicy aromatic tea blend from exotic Kashmir. This traditional recipe is flavoured with cardamom, cinnamon, and almond flakes for a rich, semi-sweet and nutty flavor. In addition to being delicious, this tea is also Organic, Fair Trade Certified and Biodynamic.

There is no such thing as a tea time in India nor is there such a thing as preparing a cup of tea. Tea is prepared by the potful throughout the day and shared among family and friends. A coworker once asked me how to make a cup as she had never used a tea bag and water dispenser before. She was so used to boiling a pot that the idea of a single cup was foreign to her. Tea is considered an essential part of any meal or snack, whether to be served with or to finish the meal. It greets the morning, energizes when you need a pick up and calms you down after a long day. It welcomes guests and at the end of the night, sends them on their way. In fact, although India is the second largest producer of tea in the world, 70% of the tea it produces is consumed domestically.

Although undocumented, the camellia sinensis plant was indigenous to some regions of northern India and had been used as a beverage long before the British introduced it for commercial growth and popularized it throughout the country and the world. The flavour loving Indians of course added their own twist to the beverage and masala chai was born!

The traditional way to brew chai is to measure 1 part milk, 1 part water and 1 teaspoon of tea per person. Everything is brought to a boil in the pot then strained, served promptly and sweetened to taste.

For a simpler method, steep one generous teaspoon in a cup of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Water that isn’t hot enough will make for a weak infusion while water that is over-boiled looses oxygen which results in a very flat flavour. Strain the tea then add milk and sugar to taste.

Happy Holidays!

Japanese Shincha

Our first tea is a delicious Japanese shincha. Japanese green tea differs from the Chinese variety in the way it is prepared. Where Chinese teas are roasted after picking, the Japanese variety (sencha) is flash steamed for 15-20 seconds to halt oxidation. The result is a very light, crisp flavour reminiscent of fresh leafy green vegetables. Shincha refers to tea that is picked at the very beginning of the season which gives the tea very mellow and refreshing tones. Overall, this is a very high quality tea.

To prepare this tea, the ideal temperature for the water is 70C. This means when small bubbles start to form at the bottom of the pot when boiling. It can also be achieved by letting boiling water cool for about 2 minutes. 1 tsp of tea per cup is enough to be re-brewed 3-4 times. Using 70C water ensures that the tea will not overstep so the leaves can be left in the cup or pot without turning bitter.

What was you impression of the tea?