In the Pink

I am on an Amalfi kick - much prettier there than it is here again today. Besides, if you are from Philadelphia and South, you need to see palm trees and blue sky. We had lunch just in back of the biggest palm tree, before we climbed the huge staircase up to the cathedral.


Tea Swaps are a great way to sample a bunch of teas without committing large amounts of cash to the project. It is truly astonishing how many different teas there are on the market. I just had one that is both new to me and new on the market. This is Red Leaf Tea's Pink Sonoma, one of their new wine-infused line.


When I brewed this cup in boiling water for about 3 minutes, I had no idea what it was. The dry tea didn't have a lot of scent and it pretty much looked like chopped grass, even though I later discovered it was white tea. As it brewed, it gave off a fruity, flowery, sharp scent I couldn't identify. That was how it tasted at first, also. In spite of its name, the liquor was not pink, but a soft clear yellow. As it cooled, however, it became sweeter and very grapey. It really was good! I let it cool completely , to see how it might be iced and I would definitely go for it, perhaps with some ice cubes made from the tea or brewed extra strong. I think it would make a very nice punch as well and would go nicely with a mild chicken salad with red grapes, or some of the milder sweets, like sugar cookies, angel cake or pound cake. The slight tartness of the tea would be a pleasant counterpoint.