The Earl Visits Turkey

Doesn't that look inviting; a bit mysterious, beckoning one to an adventure.  My cousin always told her kids they were having an adventure when she was lost.

Today, high up in a poison ivy covered tree I spotted a bunch of white morning glories - lovely against the red of the ivy.  The golden rod is fading, but the purple, blue  and white asters are starring the fields.  It is raining again and will off and on for the next three days, so we are under a flood watch.  Please God, no, we are barely out from under this one.  Today we got an enormous load of free new boots and shoes at the aid station.  They are so needed, as people's footwear is  practically being eaten by the mud and muck.

We have gone to many countries on this tea journey, but only once to Turkey.  Today, however, we are going there again, and the Earl of Grey is there as well.  From the top, the English label reads Tomurcuk, Earl Grey Tea Caykur.  The tea is produced in the Eastern Black Sea region with no pesticides or chemical additives and had 0.6% natural bergamot essence added.  The rest is in Turkish.  The dry leaves are small, a couple grades up from CTC, quite dark and with a delicate scent of bergamot. 

I brewed the tea with boiling water for 3.5 minutes, using a tespoon per cup.  The tea has a strong earthy aroma balanced with a delicate scent of bergamot.  It primarily tastes like the tea I had at my favorite Turkish restaurant, although the bergamot adds a very nice lightness of citrus, which in my opinion, it needs.  I've never been too sure I liked the restaurant tea, but this one, I really like.  You can get it from http://www.amazon.com/ if you want to try it.  It's not too expensive.  I bought some other Turkish teas as well, so you'll be hearing about them.  The plain ones, I may try with some of the Austin Sugar Works sugars, for the little addition of flavor.