The Tea Box
I brought tea with me to camp this summer. After a few days of prodding, the girls wondered what my loose leaf tea contraptions were. I ended up buying a teapot for the table and our collection of a few teas of mine sprouted into nearly a dozen teas complete with a tea shop sign (Table Six Tea Room) and even a tea party near the end of the summer.
The tea box (signed by the girls who sat at the table or were just around me during the summer…but likely tea fans) is in transit right now, because I couldn’t figure out how to get it on the plane, which means I don’t have the tea I kept. (I did leave some behind, though recent reports indicate that no one is drinking tea anymore since I left.)
Anyway, I needed more tea because it’s been 3 days and counting. I got some 2nd Flush Darjeeling even though it’s out of season, China Jasmine (Moli Hua Cha), Cinnamon and Orange Rooibos (I didn’t like Rooibos at all until I had a Vanilla Cinnamon Rooibos blend that turned me over) and another personal favorite, India Malty Assam.
Jasmine almost tastes like coffee and having grown up on the stuff, I happen to like a tea that tastes like it without being anything like it. We’re just getting started and I have some teas coming back though most are just the boring teas that I knew the girls wouldn’t drink. Part of me almost wishes I’d brought it all, given that camp ends in a week…but my table counterpart appreciates what I left behind and after long days, it can be a small bit of comfort to drink a cup of your favorite teas.
Tea Box photo to come once it arrives, as it’s headed straight to my office on my desk.
Liquor v. Tea on Saturday Night Live
An Introduction To Tea
Well first off, read this. It’ll probably help.
The idea behind this blog is to make tea interesting, to the extent that’s necessary. I got into tea by accident, really. I drank coffee like anyone else, I guess for years and gave it up years ago mostly because it seems to make me thirsty. I always drank tea in teabags because well, I didn’t know any better.
As I began to frequent coffee shops, I’d pick loose leaf varieties but I didn’t know the actual difference (save for the visuals) between a white, black, green (or yellow) or oolong. Eventually I found myself drinking it more — mostly because I was spending increasing amounts of time in coffee shops — and trying different kinds each time I’d go out, just to see the differences.
After a while, I would recommend teas to friends and stock it at my own apartment. It’s evolved into a staple drink for me and there are few days where I don’t have more than 4 or 5 glasses a tea a day. I don’t even have the taste for soda or juice nearly as much as before.
So long story short, tea is fun. I want to share that with others and if it works, fun and if not, maybe I’ll keep learning along the way as a result. Let’s go on an adventure.
Someone sent me Kenya FOP! It came with a sample of Assam Marangi too. But I’m super pumped for my first cup of Kenya FOP since August. Unless I leave town or get visitors, I have a better tea supply at home than at a coffee shop.
I may or may not have went on a tea binge…
@ Happy Lucky’s during my last visit there. I got Blackberry Sage, Genmaicha and these other two. There may or may not be Kenya Fop en route to me from a friend, too. I pretty much drank this all summer long, but they don’t sell it locally because apparently it’s just not popular. (Because people don’t have good taste, that’s why…)
Meet:
Introduction: Made exclusively for us, this exceptional green Darjeeling is comprised of only the top leaves of the tea plant. After the leaves are carefully plucked, they are lightly baked at a low temperature to preserve their rich antioxidant properties. Blended with refreshing mandarin orange essence.
Flavor Profile: Cooling with distinct citrus taste.
Origin: India
Introduction: The region of Assam is the largest tea producing region in the world and home to some of the best black teas from India. It lies 120 miles East of Darjeeling (a high elevation tea growing area), and borders with China, Burma, and Bangladesh. The distinct tea varietal growing in Assam is the Camellia Assamica, a relatively larger leaf tea plant.
Flavor Profile: Rich, malty brew with a slight caramel sweetness.
