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.

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?

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?