Tea For Today

Welcome, Sunshine

2012-01-31T15:40:00.000-05:00

We have been having a whole string of beautiful days. Some were only half days, but around here, you celebrate sun. Perhaps you could even say we appreciate it more because it is somewhat rare in winter. In the summer, we often welcome a cloudy day that is little cooler.

Some tea news first of all. Choice Teas has just introduced an organic Korean Green Tea. It only comes in teabags at the moment. They also have some other new ones - decaf green, chai, and rooibos chai. All their teas are organic. Their website is http://www.choicesorganicteas.com/ At just 4.99 for 16 teabags, this is a good way to try out some Korean tea. Generally, it is prohibitively expensive.

Numi Tea has just gotten some awards for their organic teas and for their efforts at sustainability. http://www.numitea.com/ . I am pleased to see organic companies rewarded for their work in helping the planet and its people.

The New York Coffee and Tea Festival is taking place February 25-26 and there are lots of tea courses available to choose from.

The World Tea Expo, held in June in Las Vegas is 10 years old this year! Wow, I didn't know that, it's heartwarming that tea has been that important for that long. I'll have more information about it later on.

I am having Dragonwell Imperial Reserve from Teavana today. It is part of a swap I got from participating in the Tea Review Blog swap. I thought it suitable for the celebration of the Lunar Year of the Dragon. These lovely green leaves are so much fun. They are long, slender and absolutely flat as they are generally hand-fired in woks. They feel like silk as they run through my fingers. These seem to give off a sweet aroma. I am brewing them at about 170 for 2 minutes. Wow, does this smell wonderful. A cross between spring green and a sweet orchid. It is a very pale green. It tastes as good as it smells, delicate, sweet, spring grassy, a great way to welcome the new year in.

I drove by my neighbor farmer this week and spotted a flock of about 50 wild turkeys gleaning in his corn field. My little downy woodpeckers are back at the suet feeder and last night I heard the owls calling to each other in the woods - it is mating season and I suppose all the gents were telling the ladies how wonderful they are. I have been saving my yarn ends from my projects for the birds and soon I will string them through the bushes for them to use in their nests. I also put out dryer lint for the same purpose.

This is another German ancester's church. I guess they liked blue. At some point they had a flood, which rose above the pulpit and up over the balcony. I now understand what that is like.

Yaup, That's Tea

2012-01-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

I was reading a mystery by Susan Wittig Albert, Mourning Gloria, and came across yaupon holly tea, aka ilex vomitoria. As we can see from the Latin name for it, as well as the common name, it is part of the holly family. The second part of the name indicates it has been used in the past as a purgative. Ms Albert says that the leaves and twigs can be dried and used as tea, since it has caffeine in it, as an eye wash, a laxative and a purgative, depending on how strong you make it, and how much you drink. She said nothing about the taste. Wikipedia seems to think that the vomiting that was associated with this drink, as part of indigenous people's rituals, was actually learned behavior or caused by another drink.

This shrub can be grown in the Southeastern US. Perhaps some of you have it growing in your gardens, as it is quite attractive. If so, and you feel adventerous, try drying and brewing some. Let us know so we can find out what it tastes like. From several sources, other than Wikipedia, there seems to be a general consensus that it will not make one vomit.

I was waiting for a mammogram today and came across this quote in an O Magazine: "True happiness is sustainable delight in the beautiful moments of everyday life." That delight is a bulwark against sorrow, depression and the host of other things that can make our lives miserable. Flowers, sunset, sunrise, animals, friends, clouds, light in the dark, cool shadows on a hot day, there are so many. One certainly is drinking tea. There is so much there to appreciate. Warmth for both hands and tummy, scent and sight, a whole host of different tastes. It is a wonderful gift.

My gift today comes from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants http://www.thejasminepearl.com/ and was a gift, as it is a sample they included in my order for their wonderful t-shirt, "Pothead" - go check it out. The tea is Jasmine Peony Organic Green Tea with jasmine blossoms. It smells divine - very floral with the tiniest citrus hint. The leaves are quite long, with lots of jasmine. Because they are so long, I used a large teaspoon per cup with water about 180 degrees. The JPT folks say to brew 3-4 minutes. I did 3. The leaves are very slow to unfurl, and don't dance around much as they do. The liquor is a pretty pale yellow, with a very mellow jasmine aroma.

The taste is lovely, definitely jasmine, but neither too floral or too sweet, just mellow, as I mentioned. It is one of the few green teas I've had that is soft and sweet right to the end of a large cup, instead of getting bitter.

I liked this tea company's web site. There was a lot of information about each tea and a good bit of educational information as well. Also, a lot of their teas are organic, which I think is a big plus.

Part of the large central fountain in Durlach. I think I was going to translate this information on the sign, but I haven't yet!

Winter Warm

2012-01-24T15:11:00.000-05:00

Winter, what does that word conjure up for you? Coming into the warm after being in the cold. Growing up on the farm, it was a warm cow barn, new calves, molasses on the feed, and sneaking a little bit for myself from the barrel. It was a slow time, time to dream, time to fix what you didn't have time to fix in the summer or fall, the aroma of silage in the silos. The light was different then, too, with a gentle golden pinkness towards the end of a day.

Winter was also harsh, walking a mile to the bus stop, digging out after a storm, trying to keep the ice out of the ditches. Even fun was cold and often wet with sledding and ice skating to do. But there was always the knowledge of warmth waiting for us; warmth, hearty food, cats and dogs on laps and feet, the heat from the big black wood-burning stove, something warm to drink, generally chamomile tea, gathered in the summer and carrying with it the scent of warm July days.

It is winter and I am warm. There is tea to drink, which warms from the inside out. There are still cats to warm my lap. Life is good.

Today's tea is from one of my favorite companies, Upton Tea Imports. It is ZY64 - China Yunnan, Select Dao Ming. The dry leaves are long and twisted, brown and black with golden buds. They give off a kind of woodland aroma, laced with spice. The dark brown brewed tea smells more of roasted acorns or squash. This organic tea has a lot of body to it, so it feels like it is more than just colored water. As it cools only a little, more spice is apparent in the aroma. The taste has a floral edge to it. I tried it with milk and I think I liked it better. It seemed to have zoomed into a freshness stratosphere. Very interesting. I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water. I am a big Yunnan fan and this is one I will get more of, as it is quite different from the usual.

We're still in Durlach, Germany, as you can tell from the yellow sign on the right. This is not a perspective problem with curving lines, the houses and street are following the inside curve of the ancient city walls. Hopefully I will be able to find a picture of the outside curves of the walls.

A Wind in the Trees

2012-01-23T08:41:00.003-05:00

There's nothing like a hot cup of tea when you come in from a blustery winter walk. The Ernster cat went with me and ran ahead and back, but we both stopped at the spinney to hear the secrets the trees were telling on the wind, the groaning of old limbs, and the rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker. This morning's songster was silent, probably nestled in a hole somewhere to keep warm.

Once again I am having some Christmas present tea, something called Mim from a local shop. It comes from the Metropolitan Tea Company, which is a wholesaler, but I am sure they would tell you a store you could purchase it in. I did my usual 1 teaspoon, 212 degrees, 3.5 minutes that I use for new teas. I have read in a few places lately that official tea tasters push that to 5 minutes for all teas because no off flavors can hide that way. I've had some that were fine at 3.5, but awful at that longer time.

Th dry leaves were mostly short and black, with a few long, twisted ones and some gold leaves or buds. There was a faint, sharp aroma. However, by the time it got in my cup, it was an autumn woodsy scent of dry leaves and wood. It is a clear soft amber. It is woodsy tasting and somewhat astringent. Milk softens that edge. It is pretty bland, but seems to get heartier as it cools. This might be a good breakfast tea, if I made it stronger or indeed brewed it longer.

Just a small German garden I liked. The plaque on the left indicates this house survived the 1698 fire in Durlach. I was very impressed there, as everyone had these little gardens, often carving out a bit of street so they could put in a wisteria vine or something else pretty. I was also impressed that their houses were over 300 years old. Mine is almost 2.

Food hint for the day. If your spaghetti sauce is somewhat sharp, there are a couple things you can do with it to cure that. One is add a pinch of baking soda and stir. This is ok, but not optimal. The other is add a pork chop, with the fat, please, or some lard. My mother-in-law always said the pork sweetened the sauce and she was right. I know some of you will be having conniptions about lard, but have you ever read what is in margarine? You don't need much and if you can get some that doesn't have a bunch of chemicals in it, so much the better. Sometimes a teaspoon of sugar helps, but be careful not to use so much you get sweet and sour sauce - it's very weird.

I am loving the snow on the branches - they are so well defined. The evergreens have their own character; some look like lollipops, some like the spoon dancers in Beauty and the Beast, some have gawky stances, some are just naturally the shape we like for Christmas trees. They're all lovely. I am reminded of the old carole - "O Tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum, how lovely are your branches...."

Branching Out

2012-01-20T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hooray for snow. Beautiful sparkly white stuff. Hooray for tea to drink when it is cold. My next wish is for it to stay cold so we can keep the snow. Well, two wishes, because I would like the sun to hang around also.

Today I am having the last of the flavored green teas I got from Blue Raven Teas. It is called Caladosai and is made from sencha (Japanese) green tea, dried cherries, lime, lemongrass and Asian spices. I brewed it with water about 180, for 3 minutes. The resulting liquor was a pretty pale pink and smelled mostly of star anise and the green-ness of the sencha. That is just what it tasted like, as well, with the barest hint of fruit. I thought the dried fruits were strawberries but as I chewed them it was clear they were not. But they tasted good. I don't think this blend worked particularly well, as the star anise pretty well carried the day. It's a strong spice, brought out by heat and moisture. I like it, but only in moderate amounts. I think if I had made this in a pot, instead of just one cup, I would have liked it more, as the ingredients would've been able to blend better.

Driving around, seeing the tree branches, I have been noticing how the different trees put out their limbs. I have been marveling at the many genetic codes that make one tree short, one a giant, one send out branches in a cork-screw pattern, another vase-shaped, another very round, that one an arrow, etc. The trees that have grown apart from others have the room to be fully themselves and some are breathtaking in the beauty of the arrangement of their limbs. I still miss my favorite pine that went down in the tornado last spring, it had lovely branches.

I need to find beauty in the winter, it is not as apparent as it is in summer. Well, perhaps, it is a different sort of beauty, quieter, waiting to be seen instead of showing off. One very bright sight was spotting the brilliant red berries of some deciduous holly. Did you know that there is such a thing? I just found out myself. Even against brown and gray it really reaches out and grabs your eye.

What has been beautiful for you this winter?

One of the many, many medieval fountains preserved in Durlach, Germany. Note the frog climbing up the side of the bowl.

Of Ships and Shoes and Sealing Wax and Cabbages and Kings

2012-01-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, I am forced to put down my stuck up nose about mixes. I made a scone mix yesterday from King Arthur Flour, given to me along with so very many tea things for Christmas. They were absolutely delicious! I put some raisins in as I like raisins, but otherwise followed the recipe and baked them in my new scone baker. Such a cinch! We had them with lemon curd and Devonshire cream. Way to go sister-in-law! They didn't last long.

A. C. Cargill has written a fun piece about cats and tea lovers - see the Little Yellow Teapot link at the right. I must admit I am both and I also admit I share both tea and goodies with the worst beggar in the universe, Ernie, the Earnest. He is very serious about his pursuit of goodies. Usually he creeps up on my lap, purring as loudly as possible, but not looking at my tea. Slowly he edges closer, purr at high rev. Finally he ever so casually pokes his nose or a paw on my plate. When he was a kitten he wasn't nearly so subtle - then it was the lightening paw flick and away he went with his prize. At the present time I can make him wait his turn, but I usually pour him a small bit of tea because he will keep putting his nose in it and I don't want it to spill.

It is okay to share small bits of goodies with cats, but be careful they only get things that won't harm them. Please look on line to see what these may be. Of course, one could have well disciplined cats, but that, my friends is an oxymoron.

I am having some of my Christmas tea - Golden Monkey from Adagio. It is a pleasant, somewhat sweet tea with a nice woodsy edge to it and perhaps a pinch of spice to add interest. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water, but I think next time I am going to push it to 4 and see how it does. It is one of those all purpose teas, strong enough for breakfast, but pleasant enough to do for tea. Cold, it makes a very nice ice tea, as it is somewhat light at 3.5 minutes. I thought it was just fine with or without milk.

Did you know you can make tea from saffron, those expensive and heavenly orange stamens from autumn crocus? Hop on over to http://www.bellaonline.com/artibles/art174619.asp.zzz for an article about it. Bella online is a website with many areas of interest, geared mostly to women. Some of the tea articles are pretty good.

Here you have an Austrio-Hungarian Emperor and some of his summer palace near Vienna. it is so huge that the "short" tour takes over 2 hours and only covers about 1/20th of the rooms. The last emperor, Franz Joseph, much beloved by his people, was married to Cissy, even more beloved. She spent upwards of 8 hours a day beautifying herself for the evening. Her hair touched the floor. I am sorry, but I think that is a wasted life. But she was beautiful.

Nilgiri Noon

2012-01-17T11:45:00.000-05:00

It's a perfect day for tea. It is either snowing, sleeting or raining, depending on which minute you happen to look out the window. The cats have snagged all the warm spots and it is pretty gloomy, even with the lights on.

I am having some of Upton's Premium Quality BOP Nilgiri. BOP stands for Broken Orange Pekoe., meaning a largish leaf that has been chopped. Nilgiri is in the far southwest of India and means Blue Mountains. Perhaps they have a blueish haze like our Blue Ridge Mountains. Upton's recommends a 3 minute brew with boiling water. The smallish, dry, black and brown leaves give off an odor of old wood in the sun. The brewing tea has that fresh wash aroma.

Taste wise, this is nothing special. It just tastes like tea. It is pleasant and very middle-of-the-road. There is nothing wrong with that, as we can't spend all our time searching for each little nuance in every cup we drink, although that is also very pleasant and rewarding. I would serve this to people who aren't adventurous and I think it would make a good tea for a tea party as it is so pleasant. I think it would probably go well with almost anything you serve. For myself, I am going to push the steep time to 31/2 minutes and see how that affects the taste.

Just part of the houses built into the ancient walls of Durlach, Germany. They are from the 1500's, although they have undergone many transformations. This is a town that dates things from before and after "The Fire", which was in 1698. When I asked someone where old Durlach was, they told me most of it had been destroyed in the fire. I thought 20-30 years ago, not over 300. I took most of these picture because at least some of them would have been scenes my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather may have seen as a boy. It's quite a juxtaposition as I sit here in my 18 month old house.

Tummy Trouble? Turn to Tisanes

2012-01-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

We still have snow drifting down, turning everything to fairy land.

We also seem to be having tummy troubles. They seem to be going around the area. I thought I would talk about a few herbs that can be helpful and taste good, too.

The first that comes to mind is ginger because I am getting ready to plant a nice "hand" of ginger that is sprouting. This is extremely easy to do if you have some sandy soil around. I don't, but I have quick draining orchid soil and I am going to mix that with some potting soil and compost - my black gold - and in will go the ginger, a few inches under the top of the soil. I'll water it well and soon it will grow nice green shoots. In the fall, when the leaves die down I can harvest it and replant it. This will be a back porch plant, where it will get filtered sun and I will remember to feed and water it well. It needs to come in in the north, as it is a tropical plant.

In the meantime, I have cut off about 1 inch of it, peeled it and grated it for some tea. This is very soothing to an upset stomach and the 1 inch piece will make enough for about 3 cups, which I will sweeten with honey. Of course, if you happen to have ginger tea bags around, you don't need to do this, but I like it this way. A very easy way to keep a big hand of ginger is to peel it and put it in a plastic bag in the freezer. When you want some, grate it and return the rest. Works a treat, as they say.

Another tummy friendly herb is peppermint or spearmint, in fact, most of the mints. This is an extremely easy to grow plant, and if not controlled, it can take over, so if you plant it, put it somewhere by itself. You can snip all summer to add to tea or raitas or to put in Middle Eastern food. It does do wonders in calming your tum and you can drink it cool or iced as well. Alternating the ginger and peppermint throughout the day will help you feel better, as well as ensuring drinking enough liquids.

Our third tummy tamer is chamomile. Not only can it ease distress, but it is generally a calming herb for the whole system. It is very gentle and smells like apples. Again, it is an easy to grow plant, but it is far more polite than the mint family. I warn you, you need a lot to dry enough to be worthwhile.

For these and many other herbs, if you can't wait to grow them, I have found that Mountain Rose Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs,com/ has very good ones at reasonable prices. They also carry some herb seeds and some teas. Make sure you get their catelog, it has a lot of neat stuff and they carry wonderful catnip, heartily approved by Andy, Sarah, Bert and Ernie, the little beggers.

Oolong in the Snow

2012-01-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you Stephanie for hoping for snow for me. It snowed! Every little twig and branch is covered with it and it is absolutely beautiful! I think we have about 3 inches. Not a lot, but it is so much less gloomy looking. The wind is blowing, so we won't have the tree beauty for long, but I love it while we've got it.

Same church, another view. I love the soft yellow and blue.

Have you ever noticed how many things are fleeting? Roses in June, most of the pernnial flowers, sunrise, sunset? Perhaps if they were not we could not appreciate them as much. But there are those which are not, the love between spouses, parent and child, friendship, and they are of value beyond price. In the overall universe they are fleeting, what is 50 years compared to an eon? And great moments in our lives are fleeting, but overall, we hope the love lasts and we work toward nurturing that love.

A cup of good tea is fleeting, but it's taste can go in our memory store so that when we find it again, we are cheered. Such is a cup of Ali Shan (Formosa Oolong) from the puriTea. I don't think I've met an Ali Shan I didn't like. These high mountain teas are among the best Taiwan has to offer and this one is no exception. I brewed it for 3 minutes at 180 degrees, after giving it a quick rinse to help the leaves unfurl.

The resulting brew was a soft, pale yellow, smelling sweetly of things to come. From the aroma, which also had a slight vegetal edge, I think this is on the greener end of oxidation, which in Oolongs can range from 15-80% oxidized. It really does stand between green and black teas. The tea has a lovely flavor, being floral, vegetal and fruity, sometimes all at once, sometimes with 1 or 2 standing out. It is one of those teas that seems to compell you to come back for yet another sip.

Most, if not all Oolongs can be brewed at least three times, although you should only do the first for a minute, the second for 11/2, the third for 2, etc. Often the second one is the best, at least according to my taste. Next time I have this, I think that is what I will do.

A Tiny Little Teapot

2012-01-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

Attention all you Anglophiles - I was at T J Maxx this am and they had the cutest tea pot. It is a one cupper, with the British flag molded into the sides. It's white and comes with 10 English Breakfast teabags for $6.99. You mught want to check out your local T J or Marshall's if this is of interest. Of course I bought it - too cute to resist.

Speaking of teapots, I was looking around the house yesterday and thought I had best shrink my collection before we have to move, which I will NOT do. Between them and all my teas, it is getting ridiculous. This after I just got another one. Hopeless, just hopeless.

I am drinking a very nice Assam I got from my swap partner throught the Tea Blog Review tea swap, http://www.teareviewblog.com/ and look for "Tea Swap". I don't know whose it is, but it commendably brisk, malty and a great wake-me-up, which I needed after errand running today. It is not a nuanced cup, just a pleasantly straightforward, good-tasting Assam. Sometimes I am just tired of thinking about my tea and only want one that tastes good and requires nothing from me except making and swallowing. I am very happy there at least both these sorts of tea in the world. They are something to suit any mood or whimsey.

We got a wonderful food basket from my sister-in-law for Christmas and some of it was smoked duck breast (super tasting) and some was preserved duck leg. I bought some beans and dragged out the French cook books and I am going to make cassoulet, which is basically baked beans with a few different kinds of meat and lots of garlic. It is so good. There are very traditional ways of making it, but I think that this peasant dish originated as using up what was on hand before the recipes got set in stone. Therefore... I think many dishes from many cuisines were like that and that we should be able to interpret our dishes that way.

As you may be able to tell from the colors, this is the organ of Tuesday's church, on the back wall of the church. It is so beautifully fancy, especially since the church is pretty plain.

The weather predictors say we will get 1-6 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. I would love it, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Oh, M'Lord!

2012-01-09T14:42:00.003-05:00

M'Lord, Earl Grey seems to be getting shier and shier and hardly ever shows up in my cup in his best form. Perhaps he is getting old and frail. Like so many of the Earl Greys I've tried over the past 2-3 years, Simpson and Vail's Organic Darjeeling Earl Grey just cannot be seated in the House of Lords.

When I opened the packet, there was a faint sweet whiff of a lemon/floral fragrence to the small green, balck and brown leaves. I brewed it for 3 minutes with boiling water and there appeared a very, very, very faint whiff of bergamot. The brewed tea was the same, but it was also very bland. I brewed a cup with more tea, no better luck. I brewed more tea for a longer time and that was too long so it was much too astringent. Then I ran out of my sample. Usually S&V does their Earl Grey blends very well, but this was not a success.

This is the interior of yeaterday's church. The cross and the baptismal font hanging on the wall to the right of the altar are original to the building, although personally I think the cross is a lot older and the font is from a later, more fussy period than the 1600's. Not that it matters. The new font is on the left and matches the altar. It is such a thrill to be in the same place and in the same building where my ancester lived 260 years ago. The great ongoingness of life.

I was having a cup of Keemun yesterday when I realized it was lunch time, so we had some leftover curry - what a lovely aroma that is. I tried the 2 together and was very pleasantly surprised. The Keemun was so sweet and the curry had an added piquancy. Deelish! The curry mix is my own blend from 2 brands of Garam Masala and Curry powder from my favorite Indian store. Otherwise I mix it myself. I can't tell you the names, I generally find the brand, in Hindi or some other language and then find the right color. Sounds weird, but it works, especially with the gram masala, which has a wide range of color. The one I like is kind of a greyish sandy color.

A Surprise For Tea

2012-01-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

I have known for at least 2 weeks that this is Hot Tea Month and haven't mentioned it. I am doing a tea tasting in about 2 weeks to celebrate. If you go over to Steph's Cup of tea, see the link on the right, you'll see a short article on a presentation she did at her library. Whatever you do, from tea with a friend to a tea party to a public presentation, celebrate! January can be a bit of a let-down from the hurry of the holiday season and around here it is often gray and ugly, so make an occasion to celebrate one of the best things in life - TEA

Did you know that Sara Lee Brands has bought out Tea Forte? Tea Forte is probably quite happy, but I always am discomfited when smallish companies catering to a unique market, tea drinkers for instance, get swallowed up. I worry about loss of individuality, about too much mass marketing etc. I don't want tea to become just another ho hum mall store, the same everywhere you go. End of freakout.

On the other hand, I am in favor of large population studies and one such was just released in the UK giving credence to black tea drinking of at least 3 cups a dayas an aid to good health. It can reduce the risk of heart disease 30 to 57 percent and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. I am sure it helps if one is also sensible about eating and exercise. Apparently black tea reduces cholesterol and helps prevent the build-up of placque in arteries. Go have some tea!

In Japan, a group of 20 tea farmers is going around Northern Japan to bring relief and hot tea to the folks still suffering from the tsunami and meltdown of the nuclear plant at Fukoshima. You can follow their journey at www.obubutea.com/2012/01/tohoku-caravan-day-1-kickoff-travel-dairy-farm There is also a place where you can donate to support this effort.

My own journey is a more humble one, only as far as my teapot. I am having American Tea Room's Nirvana. I have put this off for months, as it is a fruity tea with a Japanese Sencha base, two things I'm not crazy about. More fool, I. It contains rose petals, berries, fig and kiwi. It smells wonderful and the tea is crowded with big chunks of fig and dried berries. I wasn't as sure about the kiwi identification, but found them. I brewed it at about 175 for 3 minutes.

The tea brewed up into an old gold color and still smelled wonderfully of fresh fruit. It was sweet with a definite berry and fig taste. I couldn't discern the kiwi, but I think it may have been keeping the other fruits from being too sweet, as kiwi has something of a piquant taste. I loved it! It is so well done. I stuck some in the fridge, thinking this would make a good ice tea. Right on! I guess I will have to stop pre-judging my teas. I think this would be lovely with desserts at a tea. Too bad all my Christmas cookies are gone.
But summer's coming and I will be happy to present this to all my guests.

This is view of Durlach, Germany from which my many greats-grandfather, Christyan Ottman emigrated in 1751. He came to Schoharie, NY, like many others from the Palitinate region, had 12 children and when he died, he had over 100 grandchildren! Note the wonderful wisteria on the right. The church in the background is one he either attended or was christened in. The original baptismal font and cross are still part of it. I think the church was built some time in the 1600's. We had morning coffee across the square from the church in a building built in the 1500's. And here we tear things down as "too old" when they are only 100 years old.

Aroound the World With Tea

2012-01-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

One thing I love about tea is that it is a trip around the world, all in one cup. So far today I have been to China, Taiwan, Japan, and now Ceylon. Not too bad in the comfort of my kitchen, right? Of course, right.

My Ceylonese trip is sponsered by Port of Columbo Tea Company and has taken me to the Hilltop Estate, high up in the Sri Lankan central highlands. The dry tea is made of brown and some black medium leaves. It smells of oak barrels and dark tobacco. I brewed it for 4 minutes, with boiling water.

The resulting brew is a nice medium amber and the scent has shifted to that well-known fresh wash/fresh tea aroma. This is a plain tea, quite without nuances, but it tastes good and is refreshing. It goes very nicely with some milk and although I am sure folks who are more particular would never do it, I warmed the leftovers for breakfast and it was still quite tasty. For me, it is light enough to make ice tea with it. I don't care for heavy or strong teas in the summer.

Which may be coming this month, the rate the weather is going. It has been in the forties many days and there is no snow cover. I live in New York, near Binghamton, if that is any help in placing me, and generally by this time, there is about 1 foot of snow and the temperatures are generally well below freezing. It's lovely weather for walking, but I worry about the plants and animals. The cats are in heaven, though, even La Principessa has been out and about. One thing that is pleasant is you can see the shapes of trees and some of them have very beautiful branching.

Today has seen me finally fold over an omelet without it breaking up and looking awful. I have a new-to-me French cookbook to thank for that, as well as the library book sale. So I guess we will be having omelets for lunch for while so I can show off. It's the first one, I have to celebrate!

One of the many German churches I loved.

Up Up and Away!

2012-01-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, we certainly are journeying far up into the Himalayas of Nepal for our tea today. Simpson and Vail was kind enough to import some for us from the Ilam estate, simply call Nepal Ilam. It is listed as a black tea, but like many of its "neighboring" teas from Darjeeling, it looks more greenish, with pale brown, gray and green chopped leaves. There isn't a great deal of scent in my sample. Often there isn't until it begins to brew.

I brewed it for 3 minutes, with boiling water. There is now that good fresh, invigorating aroma of tea. The liquor is a palish gold/tan. At first I thought it was just a very bland tea, but then I noticed it had some sort of citrus lingering around the edges, more towards an orange than anything. It's not sharp, nor is it yet sweet. It's pleasant, but I think I need to drink more to give it a fair trial.

It is hard for me to reconcile my picture of the Himalayas, gathered from many a mountain climbing book, with somethng as domestic as a tea estate. But I keep going to Google Earth and looking and sure enough, there they are. Not quite up at the summits, of course.

In the very tidy town of Durlach, Germany, a very small front
garden

Let's Do the Shagadelic!

2012-01-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Okaaay. We got snow and today we had sun again! I can hardly contain myself. We also got cold - 6 degrees F when I got up this morning! Bring on the TEA! In great quantiteas! I must say, adding a third color, white, to the brown and gray and having that color sparkle, really makes my view of life a lot better.

Shagadelic English breakfast from The Tea Spot makes my morning view a lot better as well. This is a blend of 4 teas from 3 Asian countries, India, Ceylon and China. I can't tell you which ones, however. The small dark leaves give off a wonderful winey aroma, so I think there's some Keemun in there. I brewed it up for 4 minutes with some boiling water and just breathed in that wonderful scent, no with a touch of malt - aha - Assam.

The resulting darkish brew was just so smooth and malty and perhaps a bit earthy, with that touch of wine. A thoroughly good cup for a morning brew. Hefty enough to get you going and with enough depth that you can appreciate the nuances once you wake up.

One of my many German ancestors came from this small town. On the left, across from the church is a restaurant where we got to drink wonderful May Wine, flavored with Sweet Woodruff, which I am going to try and grow this year. On the hill behind me is a wonderful medieval monastary that is still going strong. Their abbot died in Dachau concentration camp in World War II.

"All The News That's Fit To Print"

2012-01-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone, I hope you welcomed the New Year in. We have finally had a bit of snow and at the moment, sunshine. It is so welcome. We have had so little of it this fall.

All sorts of news to start the year off. Bigelow Teas is having a drawing to win a trip for 2 to the Charleston Tea Plantation. Go to their Facebook page and look for Sweepstakes in the column on the left. I wish we could all win - wouldn't that be a party?!

Alex Zorach has announced that his wonderful website, http://www.ratetea.net/ has become http://www.ratetea.com/ Please note this and go visit the site, it is well worth it. You might want to visit his blog as well, which is always thought-provoking.

Bruce Richardson, well-known tea historian and writer is the new Tea Master for the Boston Harbor "Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum", which will re-open in June 2012. He will be designing teas based on the cargos of the 3 ships, all of them China teas. The ones tossed overboard on that famous night were Bohea, Congu and Souchong, black teas, and two greens, Singlo and Hyson. He will also be designing menus and foods for the 100 seat tea room at the museum. Definitely a summer destination for tea fans.

January 15-17 will find San Francisco home to the Winter Fancy Food Festival at the Moscone Center - tea included.

In the East, NYC will host the Coffee and Tea Festival at 7 W 34th St. That's near Macy's if you want to shop as well. The dates for this event are February 24-25. The Specialty Tea Institute will be having Level I, II and Professional classes.

Authentic Teas is now carrying herbal tisanes from Armenia. If you can't remember where that is, their site has maps. these are all wild grown, sustainable and hand processed from start to finish. There is a selection of six and if you can't make up your mind, there is a sampler available. http://www.authenticteas.com/

SerendipiTea http://www.serendipitea.com/ has Guatemalan tea on offer. This is the first time this tea has been for sale in the US. It comes from the Chirropec Tea Co-operative in northern Guatemala, near Coban. German settlers in the late 19th century introduced the tea, which is grown at an elevation of 4,300 feet. 4 ounces is $12, a very good price.

How's this for your everyday Royal Bible book cover? Solid gold. From the Imperial Museum in Vienna.

Add A Little Chocolate to Your Life

2011-12-31T15:46:00.000-05:00

Those wonderful stripes are early spring vineyards on the Rhine River. These would have to be hand harvested grapes. I did that a few autumns to make money when I was in college in the Finger Lakes of NYS. It was hard work on such steep hills and we didn't get paid much.

I can't believe that here it is the last day of the year and I am just now trying my Christmas teas. Oh well, a good way to see the year out. Today's is Chocolate Chai, from the Briar Patch, one of our local stores, who thankfully, is coming back to town to reopen. Her teas are available at http://www.owegobriarpatch.com/. The smallish leaves are black and mixed with spices and the tiniest white and chocolate chips I've ever seen. I brewed it up for 4 minutes, all the while sniffing the heady aroma of chai with the filip of chocolate. The chocolate really seems to add something, although the proof is in the brew.

Ah, yes, it is indeed a good brew! Not only does it smell good, but the spices are nicely balanced, along with the chocolate and they seem to chase each other around my mouth, first one is accented and then another. The nutmeg and cardamom vie for the ending with the ginger sometimes taking over. This is not so spicey as to put people off, but it is within range of those of us who prefer more in that department. If anything, I think the chocolate rounds everything out nicely, without being overwhelming.

I have noticed that chocolate also goes very well with puerh tea and if you want to try puerh, but are a bit afraid of it, you might want to look for some blended that way. I hesitated about puerh for a long time, but brewed right, it is a very pleasant woodland earthy tea. If it is brewed too long, some of us find it begins to edge more towards barnyard earthy.

Longing for Snow

2011-12-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had very nice Christmases, with lots of wonderful tea gifts. I certainly did. My sister-in-law gave me a whole tea party, complete with Devonshire cream, lemon curd, scone mix and a pan to bake them in. We're supposed to have company this week, so I am going to have afternoon tea with some of the goodies. I'm dying to try the pan.

My husband and I had to laugh - I bought him a bunch of good coffee and he practically cleaned the shelves of our local tea store. We got lots of specialty food items as gifts, so we are going to party hearty with our friends.

Speaking of which, I just had a pretty hearty tea. It is Keemun Encore, from Adagio Teas. A Chinese black tea, the thin wiry black and brown leaves gave off an aroma of smoke, mixed with roasting corn and, of all things, onions - very faint, but I think it was there. I brewed it up for 4 minutes with boiling water and the smoke remained, but the scent morphed also into red wine and that unmistakeable fresh tea smell. You can imagine I was wondering what the taste would be!

The taste was still smokey and the corn and wine were still there, but no onions. It was deep and solid and hearty. I happened to have it with a couple of Christmas cookies and I won't repeat the experience. They really set each other off in an unpleasant way. With a small ham sandwich, it was excellent. I can't say I really liked this tea a lot, but it was certainly an experience. That's what I like about tea, every cup is like an exotic trip.

See that white stuff on the mountain? That's snow, which I wish we had. I can say lots about being forced to notice things more carefully since we are in a gray/brown period, but my heart is longing for snow. Maybe 6 inches. Enough to cover everything nicely without it being too hard on anyone. Actually, I like lots and lots of snow, but I am trying to be nice
We went out for dinner on Christmas with a bunch of friends. We've never done that before, but I think we will again when our kids aren't here. We had a lovely time, with excellent food, wine and company. What more can you ask for? And no prep, no clean-up. Yum.

Merry Christmas Memories

2011-12-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to some wonderful Christmas music, the latest is some of James Galways wonderful offerings. I especially love the song, "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night" in German. There are so many. But I don't like hearing them 6 gazillian times in every store I go into, especially since the recordings are often bad. The two I mentioned bring back warm memories of Christmas pagents and my grandfather singing that old hymn in the language of his youth, just so my grandmother could hear it again. The flute music brings to mind my son who is now in Florida and the " Little Drummer Boy" has 2 attached to it. One is from when I was singing tenor in high school and our only words in that song were "pa rum pum pum". The other is my older son who loves drums.

When I was a child, we always opened presents at home with one set of grandparents and then went to my mother's parents for dinner. We never had stockings there, we always had a Christmas Plate. Often the best thing was a huge orange that was purchased at the Orange Store that opened just after Thanksgiving and had what was then very exotic - pink grapefruit and kumquats. I don't remember the meals but I do remember the books. I always got books for Christmas and the afternoon found me lost in them. When I
was a child, horses, dogs and Nancy Drew were my favorites. Mysteries are still my favorite books.

Oh Christmas Tree - my father always waited as long as possible before giving in to mymother and I, pleading for a tree and he always came home with the most pathetic trees, scrawny, scraggly and hard to see which side was the absolute worst. Even if I was along he picked the worst! But with my mother putting tinsel on one strand at a time, they usually looked at least ok and it was always a thrill to get out the remembered ornaments. There were even a few tiny tea pots. When my parents decided to get an artificial tree, my mother let my father pick it out. You guessed it - another Charlie Brown tree. But I gave her a small chubby tabletop tree as well. We lived on a farm, I don't know why we didn't just go out in the woods and cut one.

There are other wonderful memories of making cookies and sending them off, shopping in department stores with wonderful animated scenes in their windows, buying nuts at the nut store with a revolving Mr. Peanut, going to the fire house for a party and getting a book from Santa, playing an angel in the Christmas pagent, sitting in the church balcony and watching the light from a hundred candles spread through the building, finding just the right present for everyone, especially "Evening in Paris" sets for my mother. i never did know if she liked them or was just kind.

When we had our own kids I remember the year they picked out the tree from a friend's farm. It was huge! and our living room was tiny! We had to move almost all the furniture out and could only see someone else in the room from one or 2 spots. It was glorious! Then there was the year we had a new kitten who climbed the tree, so no antique ornaments and she chewed wires, so no lights and tinsel is bad for animals so we used a couple dozen candy canes. The kids were scathing about how bad it was, and well, it did look peculiar. But they loved the kitty, so it didn't really matter.

Wheerever you are have a Merry Christmas.

The Earl of Grey

2011-12-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

I do love Earl Grey teas and I am always disappointed when they don't live up to their potential. The Earl of Grey, which I got from The Tea Spot sadly falls into that category, for me. It is a pretty tea , black, with an attractive sprinkle of flower petals. The aroma is heavily citrus, almost like what is considered a "Russian" interpretation of the Earl. So far, so good.

I brewed it up for about 4 minutes with boiling water and was rewarded with a much softer scent, veering towards the creamy. Now I am feeling a trifle confused, but I press on, my curiosity piqued about what this will taste like.

This is actually a sweet tea, the sweetness coming from the addition of licorice root and vanilla. Hmm. It almost tastes like creamsicles - you know- those frozen sweets on a stick composed of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet or perhaps an Orange Julius drink. It is quite tasty and I kind of like it, but to me, it is not Earl Grey. Sorry, Tea Spot. Having said that, I am sure that many will like it.

I think I am getting very tired of flavored teas. The vast majority of them I do not like, as I can taste chemicals or they are too sweet, or taste like berries. What I do really like is TEA. The pure leaf. Of course there are exceptions. For me that includes some flowers, like jasmine or rose and some flavors in the citrus line, like Earl Grey or the one black currant I have found, blended by Tea Forte. I think I will go back to those for a while.

We are going out for dinner on Christmas day. We've never done that before but our local gang, those without family around, decided to get together and further decided that cooking and cleanup were low priorities. I am really looking forward to it.

Those lovely arches are the porch of a monastary church in the German hills.

For all of you for whom this is a celebratory time, have a wonderful, happy time and don't let the inevitable stresses get to you.

By the way, a few days ago, I said we were approaching the winter equinox. It is not, it is the winter solstice, which is today, the shortest day of the year. Hooray, hooray, it is all uphill from here!

Baking, Baking, Baking

2011-12-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

First of all, my very nice sister-in-law sent me this website that you all need to go look at www.joyofbaking.com/EnglishTeaParty.html So many really good recipes, complete with many videos - a real treasure trove.

To continue that theme I am going to give you "Gramma Geores Blueberry Buckle" That's pronounced Jor-.rees It's Swedish, but rare. Supposedly only our relatives here in the US have it, but I have found a few unrelated ones. Buckle is an old name for a fruited coffee cake, in the same family, sort of, as grunts and slumps. In my other grandmother's recipe book - the one from Switzerland, who had hotel service training - a coffee cake was made with coffee.

Anyway, back to the recipe. This is good anytime and is wonderful for tea.

Oven at 350, greased 9x12 pan
Mix in your mixer

3cups flour,
4 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup sugar

Add in the order given, mixing after each

2/3 cup of butter, softened
2 well-beaten eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 pint or more of blueberries

You can use frozen blueberries, but DO NOT thaw them before you add them.

Streusal topping 1/2 cup butter,
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
scant teaspoon cinnamon

There are 2 ways to do the streusal, either right away or 1/2 through the baking. The former oozes into the cake, the latter remains more on top. You choose.

Bake 35-40 minutes, turning once or twice for even baking. Leave it in the pan to cool.

No tea today, I am just not up for tasting, just drinking

A warm cup for a cold day

2011-12-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is another German ancestor's church. The wood work is so striking

I don't require a great deal from an English Breakfast tea. This is because it is intended for morning consumption and I am a morning zombie. All I need is for it to be black and not be so nuanced that I have to think about it. Oh, I am assuming it tastes good, too. Adagio's does just that.

The smallish leaves are black and twisted and have a slightly smokey aroma, along with something close to tobacco. Let me hasten to assure you the tea does not taste of either. I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water. It is very, very nice, smooth, rich, with a bit of a lemony twist. I didn't bother tasting it without milk, as most "breakfast", which are also known as British-style, teas are made to go with milk and sugar. I don't do the latter, except in very rare cases. For me, this is a perfect breakfast cup.

Winter appears to finally be arriving. There is a skim of ice near the shore on the pond and the ducks have departed. It snows a little every once in a while and up here on the hill, it is sticking. The chickadees are still singing in the woods and once in a while our screech owl serenades us. Serenades is a rather inaccurate word for this tiny owl's call, as it sounds pretty much like a shrill horse's whinny.

It is getting dark far too early, but very soon it will be the winter equinox and the days will begin to lengthen again. A definite sign of hope in the cold (as is my warm cup of tea).

News of the World

2011-12-09T13:59:00.000-05:00

I generally like Ceylon tea and the Kenilworth Estate produces some nice ones. So, I was looking forward to Adagio"s Ceylon Sonata, which hales from there. The classic black leaves gave off a sharp fruit aroma, with a wine undertaste. I brewed it for my standard 3.5 minutes with boiling water. It gave off a faint citrus aroma. However, I was sadly disappointed, as this was nothing special at all. It is supposed to be “ bright, lively, with a medium body and tangy finish” It did have a medium body, but try as I might, I couldn’t find the others. I thought maybe it was just me, but my husband didn’t think much of it, either. I shall try it again, perhaps with more tea or a longer brewing time.

For you lucky folks in NYC, Davids Tea, a Montreal based company, is opening 2 retail stores, one on the Upper East Side At 1124 3rd Ave. and one in the Village at 275 Bleecker St. They are one of the few places in town where you can just get one cup of fresh-brewed tea.

On the other side of the country, the Winter Fancy Food Show is being held January 15-17 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This is put on by the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade and features more than 1,300 exhibitors. This also includes beverages, such as our favorite.

India is strongly considering having one tea label for all it's teas, as Ceylon (Sri Lanka) does. This is an over-arching label, meant to increase recognition in the international market and will not replace estate labels or company labels, such as Thunderbolt Teas. Also, in India, for the first time, orthodox teas - full-leaf, often hand picked and processed - will cost less than CTC. This is due in part to the ban on exporting tea to Pakistan. Politics strikes again.

A Snowy Day For Tea

2011-12-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

Back in my heart's country, Switzerland.

We had snow again and this time it has lasted all day, all 1 inch of it. It was very pretty this morning, with the tree branches and pine boughs all outlined and glittering in the sun.

I just got my order from Lupicia Teas and they sent me 4 samples to try. It is so nice to get these little extras. We had a really busy day today and I was very ready for some tea by the time we got home. I decided I might as well try my new stash, so I am having Pettiagalla OP1, which is a Ceylon tea, from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, the big island off the southwest coast of India. I love the name Ratnapura, it is so exotic and takes me right across the seas to dream of someday visiting a tea plantation.

The largish black leaves give off an earthy, chocolate aroma which morphs into a floral, piquant citrus one by the time brewing is done - 3 minutes with boiling water. The light amber liquor is very smooth, with a fairly light body. The taste is smooth and light, also, with some floral/citrus notes. A very nice afternoon tea. I wouldn't put milk in it, as it really does quite nicely alone.

On line, this tea can be found at http://www.lupiciausa.com/ You might want to go check them out, as they have some really cute tins and other gifts that are inexpensive, just in time for holiday gifts.

Tea and Cookies

2011-12-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

I started some Christmas baking today. First up was Grandma Vopne's Swedish Christmas cake. I made it in 10 small pans, for gifts. It's kind of a white fruit cake with a few cherries, white raisins, coconut and almonds. Then Ma's Molasses Cookies for my husband and my mother's favorite sugar cookies. The last get rolled in a log and put in the fridge for another day. I am not much of a cookie baker - too fussy for me. I will do childhood favorites, remembering the times of baking with my mother and grandmothers, from recipes like Aunt Chrissy's Grandmother's Sour Cream Cookies and Dad's Favorite. Sometimes I'll even make New Year's Cookies, which are difficult to get the dough just right and then must be individually made on molds, one of which my great-grandfather carved out of wood for my great-grandmother. They are wonderful if you get them right and very impressive as the small ones are about 3x5" and the hand-made mold ones are about 4x6". They are something like springerli cookies in taste, but a bit like pie crust in texture.

To go with this great surge of activity I need tea! I just got some samples from Foxfire Teas http://www.foxfireteas.com/ and I am going to try their Foxfire Blend. It is a lively mix of organic Darjeeling, Keemun, Assam and Nilgiri. The small black and brown leaves give off a pleasant aroma of fresh tea. I brewed the tea up for 4 minutes with boiling water. It's giving off an aroma that reminds me of piquant steamy milk can washing solution. Remember, I grew up on a dairy farm before things were so mechanized. For me, this is a cozy, comforting smell, as I loved beng in the barn - anything was better than housework!

Surprisingly, the tea is a very light bodied, light amber colored brew. It is very pleasant, without having any particular characteristics that stand out. Foxfire says this is an "all day tea" and I would have to agree. It could be a gentle awakener and would certainly go with most foods without being intrusive and it's gentle enough to be a pleasant afternoon companion.

It's Good To Be Green

2011-12-04T12:51:00.002-05:00

St. Goar's Church on the Rhine River in Germany.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, not too cold, beautiful blue sky, nice breeze. The geese are grazing in the meadow and one of my squirrels has returned. They can be a pain, but they're cute and I am happy to see his return.

It is enhanced by the fact that I have found a flavored green tea I like. It is Simpson & Vail's Emerald Green Earl Grey, made from a Chinese Sencha. The dry leaves are a flat and silky mixed green, with a light floral scent of bergamot. I brew them for 2 minutes with water at 180 degrees. They unfold to large leaves and stems and leave a very bright soft green liquor, pleasantly smelling of both tea and bergamot! Actually, I got to smell the tea before the citrus. That is amazing. It is so hard to get bergamot right on, but Simpson & Vail did it.

The tea is pretty wonderful to drink, also. There is the fresh spring greeniness of grass, with the softest overlay of the floral/citrus bergamot. Very, very well done. I put some in the fridge to see how I would like it iced. It certainly is pretty enough and would go with a lot of summer foods and a lot of tea party fare of the more delicate sort. Hot, it would be lovely with sugar cookies or lemon cookies or pound cake. Better stop, I am making myself hungry and we have none of those in the cuppboard.

Oh yes, this is nice iced. More bergamot comes out and some of the Sencha is lost. I think I would just go for using it cold, without ice or hot.

January Tea Review BlogTea Swap

2011-12-03T17:12:00.005-05:00

Hey, Y' all It's time to sign up for The Tea Review BlogTea Swap, January 2012! You may either email me from my profile page or go to Facebook. This teaswap has been around for quite a while, thanks to Stephanie, the Tea Guru of the Tea Review Blog. Here's all the info you need:

Anyone may participate!

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP FOR OUR TEA SWAP BY CLICKING HERE! (the url is http://www.facebook.com/groups/teaswap )
Here are the rules for the tea swap:

* Signups for each month are from the 1st through the 30th of each month for the next month’s swap.

* On the 1st or 2nd of each month, everyone will receive an email letting them know who their partner is. Partners are selected randomly, and the person you send to is the person who will be sending to you and vice versa.

What you must include in your package to your partner

1. An assortment of teas, preferably according to your partner’s preferences in the email you will receive. You must send at the MINIMUM the equivalent of 20 tea bags or 2-4 oz of loose tea…but no one likes the minimum! The idea is to make your package REALLY nice and presentable. You may send either bagged or loose tea

2. A tea accessory. This can be a teabag rest, heat seal tea bags, a teaball, tea stir stick, teapot, or anything else that is associated with tea

3. An edible treat – something like a candy bar, candies, granola bars…something that would be nice to snack on while drinking tea! Be absolutely sure that the items you send are unopened, and not past the expiration date.

The idea is to make the package very special for your assigned partner. You receive your partners information during the first week of the month and all packages MUST BE MAILED by the 15th of the month.

I encourage everyone to email their partner once they receive their package to let them know it was received – if you have a blog, you might want to blog about it too!

Now, easily register for the tea swap by using the form below

Join The Tea Review Blog Free Tea Swap

* Your Name:

* Your Email

* Address
City

State

* Zip or Postal Code

Country

* Tell us what your favorite types of tea are:

* What is Your Favorite Candy?

What is Your Favorite Candy Bar?

* What is Your Favorite Color?

Any other special instructions we should give to your tea swap partner?

I have done this several timea and believe me, you always get a very nice package of tea and goodies. You only sign up on a month-to-month basis, so you can bow out anytime you want. Just let me know, one way or another.

Summer in the Darjeeling Hills

2011-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

I think this is a death of Christ scene. I would guess the bars are to prevent casual theft of the figures. It was the only thing in the church that was so protected. In a small German town.

It's a good day to go to an Indian tea estate, via Adagio Tea's Darjeeling Sungma Summer. As the name indicates, this organic tea was picked during the second, or summer flush of leaves. That means it has a little more body, , deeper flavor and less astringency than a first flush. The dry varied brown leaves give off an aroma composed of wine and cork. I brewed it at 212 dgrees for a little over 4 minutes and was rewarded with a medium brown cup, with a floral aroma reminiscent of a floral Oolong, with a grape edge.

This is a very nice tea with floral, grape and sweet components. It is juicy in that it makes your mouth feel juicy, as it does when chewing gum. That makes you want more. Which is fine with me, as this is a very nice cup of tea, which is needed today, as the gray uglies are back, spitting rain.

One brave little chickadee is singing his heart out at the bird feeder. They are cheerful little things and don't squabble as the sparrows do.

My favorite for the moment hibiscus, the double red, is getting ready to bloom again. They are such gorgeous flowers and easy to care for, easy to start from cuttings and give you such gorgeous flowers. Their one drawback is they do get a huge number of white flies in the winter, but it doesn't seem to harm them. I don't think these are the hibiscus in so many herbal tisanes. They have got to be much too pretty.

An Oolong Mystery

2011-12-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

Another store in town has gotten on the tea wagon! They had teas from Stash and Davidson's. I got some of the latter to try for today, Mountain Copper Oolong. They come in a nifty folded pasteboard holder which serves as a handle for the teabag within and each folder has the tea brewing instructions on it. The folder is also a handy bag rea. I am leaving it bagged, but the dry tea is clearly leaves, not dust. It is also organic and the tea bag ia made from a perferated paper. I brewed it for three minutes with water under the boil, following directions.

The liquor is an attractive old copper color and smells like a fairly typical non-floral Oolong, with spicey overtones. I probably shouldn't say that, since there are so many varieties of Oolong. However, I have found that many teas, such as Yunnan, Keemun, Oolong, and Assam have scents distinctive to their class, within a fair range. If you've been drinking tea for a while, don't you find this to be true?

The flavor of this tea is different and I can't quite put my finger on it. It is not floral and it isn't like one of thos that taste to me as though it were left in the oven too long. It's not really light, nor is it heavy and its effect on my tongue is fleeting. It definitely fits in the Oolong class, but I can't nail down the flavor at all.

We have sun and blue sky today and that makes me happy. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and half the population was out for a walk, with their dogs and cats. The deer were grazing in a far pasture and the geese were flying overhead. A very good day.

Another holiday memory to share. My mother did not like chocolate covered cherries and one Christmas I gave them to her, thinking that if I liked them, of course, she would. She thanked me profusely, but didn't eat them. Eventually my father clued me in. However, since we both loved them we always gave her a box every Christmas and she very nicely always gave them to us.

We had another gift tradition. There was a box that had once held elastic stockings. Ugly box, very ugly. Somehow, it got to be the family joke and every year someone would get a gag present in it. It traveled the country, being passed from one part of the family to another, getting uglier and shabbier every year. We couldn't wait until the round of Christmas phone calls began to see who got stuck with it.

The November Tropics

2011-11-30T14:43:00.000-05:00

I thought I would never say this, but I have found a tea that is better with sugar. It is Boston Tea Company's Tropical Mango. It is another sample from this very generous company. The tea has chunks of mango, which is almost my favorite dried fruit, and lots of safflower petals, making a pretty tea. It smelled more like banana/mango to me than straight mango. I brewed it for about 3.5 minutes with boiling water.

The heat seemed to bring out the mango aroma. Definitely mango, no banana. At first I wasn't real taken with it. It just seemed like an ordinary black tea. Then my husband started raving about it, so I thought I would try a little sugar. Lo and behold, there's the mango. Yum. However, I did notice that as the tea cooled, Mr. Banana was back again and I had fruit salad tea.

This might make a really nice base for a smoothy, to play up the favors of mango and banana. If you boiled it down and were careful about the sugar, it would make a nice dressing for a fruit salad. I guess I am thinking more of summer. It's so gray and grim, summer seems good.

We are having some cold days, but it hasn't been below freezing yet. I hope it's enough for the plants to pull all their juices back into their roots before it does freeze.

Downtown Amalfi, Italy from the cathedral steps. I don't think there is a level place in the whole town. My husband's family emigrated from here to Ischia about 1,000AD.

Darjeeling Day

2011-11-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

My favorite German church windows - all 90 feet of them.

At last, the weather is beginning to slide into November. It is getting colder rapidl y, the sky is gray upon gray and it is raining. Perfect weather for tea. But then, any weather is perfect for tea, isn't it?

The Boston Tea Company gifted me with some Darjeeling Tea Bags, so that is on for today. I do the usual for brewing - 1 tea bag, 212 degrees, 3.5 minutes. It has an intriguing smell, fruity, woodsy and nutty all at once, mostly hazelnuts, I think. It is a medium amber brew and tastes remarkably of nuts and what I imagine old oak would taste like. A very interesting flavor in tea.

I have to say I am really surprised and pleased to get such good rich flavor from teabags. But this is. Okay, I guess I have to admit I have turned into a tea snob. But I try to only be one at home.

I am feeling some sort of cross between gratitude and sentiment this season and find myself remembering Thanksgivings and Christmases past. I thought that this month, I would share some of mine and encourage you to share some of yours.

The first one that pops up is the first Christmas we were married and flew from Michigan to Rhode Island and then to Schenectady to be with our parents. Christmas Eve is special in Italian households for the 7 fish dinner that obeserves the fast from meat but also ensures good luck in the coming year. I hate fish in any way, shape or form. I can't stand the smell, the feel of it in my mouth nor the taste. But, hey, these are my very new in-laws and I will be a good daughter-in-law and eat up. That lasted until, much to my horror, my mother-in-law plopped an enormous hunk of conger eel on my plate. I tried to eat a bit - euuuw, fish grease - they're very fatty. I tried to hide it - not enough mashed potatoes in the world would hide that thing. I even tried to drop it on the floor for the dog, who wouldn't touch it and then I got another piece. Finally, my laughter-stricken husband told them I didn't like fish and all was forgiven. Since then, there had always been something non-fishy to eat, as my mother-in-law was one of the most loving people in the world.. So much for the good dughter-in-law gig.

Oh my, fights at the feeder station! The greedy little sparrows are giving the purple finches the bums rush. They are feisty, argumentative little buggers.

Java is Not Always Coffee

2011-11-28T15:19:00.002-05:00

All you skiers who are anticipating snowfall - in Switzerland, if you go high enough, you can still ski in May!

Aah, Cyber Monday. Check out your favorite tea venders, most of whom are having some good sales of 15-25% off, some with free shipping, as well.

We had a lovely holiday weekend. Guests on Thanksgiving brought wine and desserts and lots of fun conversation. Last night we invited our neighbors for a "Leftover Party" where we combined our leftovers or "made-overs" for a nice meal and again, some good conversation. We still have leftovers, however. I guess we'll have turkey quesadillas tonight.

No tea leftovers, however, as no one drank tea! I have some new samples from Simpson & Vail and so, I am having Java Malabar Plantation. The leaves are small and mainly dark brown. There didn't seem to be much scent. I brewed a teaspoon for about 3.5 minutes with boiling water. It gave off a very malty aroma with something like a coconut edge to it.

The brewed tea somehow tasted of wood, but there was a fruitiness there as well. The maltiness must come from the fact that the teas grown in Indonesia are from the same type of tea plant that grows in Assam. It is grown on the island of Java, at 4900 feet, in volcanic soil, all of which go into its flavor.

I liked it better with some cream, as more fruit came out, maybe pineapple.

Celebrate!

2011-11-27T16:06:00.000-05:00

Darstten Village

Joy to the World,
The Lord has come!

The season of Advent has begun, the joyous waiting for the celebration of the birth of Christ.

What tea shall I celebrate this with? I don’t like most of the holiday teas because they have too much clove in them, although Stash does a nice one that tastes like those chewy peppermints. Upton’s ZK55 wins for today. It comes from Sichuan Province, Zao Bei Jian Congou. The small black leaves look nothing like the picture in the on-line catalog, which are quite long and twisted - perhaps a shipping issue. They are black, however, and give off a sharp, winey smell, almost like a Keemun.

I brewed it up for 4 minutes with boiling water. The liquor is a dark, golden amber, with an almost malty smell. Indeed, the first sip reminded me of an Assam. However, there was much more going on here and the further I went in my cup, the more intrigued I was. There was the edginess of dark chocolate, followed by butter brickle and caramel, with a hint of an oak finish. Good grief, I sound like one of the snooty wine tasters, or snooty tea tasters. Well, that is what it tastes like to me. When I added milk it seemed to settle into something reminding me very much of good, homemade butterscotch pudding.

The sun is heading towards sundown and the lovely light is turning the bog trees a misty gold. It is kind of an enchanted moment, with the slim darkness of pitch pines before it.

The nature beat:

I saw a forsythia in bloom today, perhaps in celebration of this time of year? I wish, but it really is because our weather is so peculiar, the poor thing is confused. It was over 60 today - about 25 degrees warmer than it should be at this time of year. We are enjoying it, but we are concerned about the plants and animals.

We were visited by a very lazy bear - it only ate one suet holder, but left a very rank smell behind - even the bears are confused. - They should all be tucked up in their dens, hibernating until spring.

I also saw a flock of Canada geese taking a nap in the sun. There were about 30 of them, with 4 “watch geese” at compass points, alertly viewing the surrounding scene.

Thanksgiving Wishes

2011-11-21T19:12:00.000-05:00

Dear Tea Friends: It has become increasingly obvious that I will not be reviewing any tea until next Monday. I am woefully behind in preparation for out of town guests, a big Thanksgiving and and another party on Sunday.

I hope all of you have the very best celebrations you can manage. Treasure your friends and family, even if they seem impossible. Years from now, they will at least provide you with good stories to tell and you may even come to appreciate them. Life has a way of suddenly becoing too short, make the most of it.

Tea,Tulips and Panda Poop

2011-11-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

My Swiss grandmother's church on a rainy day.

Ya know, people think tea folk are weird for paying $40-50 a pound for good tea. That’s about 240 cups of tea. Really good coffee is at least $15 and that’s only 60 cups. Do the math. And then there are K cups. Unless you got a good deal, it is 75 cents to $1.00 per cup. That's the equivalent of $60 a pound.

However, I just heard about this odd tea in the Nov 25 issue of The Week magazine. A Chinese entrepreneur is going to make tea from panda poop, claiming it will have more antioxidants than green tea, with “a mature nutty taste and a very distinctive aroma.” I bet it will. Supposedly this will retail for about $3,400 a pound. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a review of it here.

The world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, hails from Indonesia, and passes through the Asian Palm Civet's digestive track. The civet looks like a golden rat and feeds pretty exclusively on coffee beans. It sells for about $600 a lb. or $50 a cup in some exclusive restaurants. [Civet kitty/rat poop]

People can be very silly. Not this this is new. During the height of Tulip Mania, in the mid 1600s fortunes could be made and lost over one tulip bulb, which could equal the sum of a craftsman’s yearly income.

Let us turn to more prosaic pursuits, a cup of easily purchased tea. I just ordered a huge bunch of samples from Upton's. This one is TB30, Kensington Blend, made from Assam, Ceylon and Keemun tea. The varied brown and black leaves are about 1/2 inch long and give off a very nice malty, woodsy aroma, with a hint of smoke. I brewed it for about 4.5 minutes - maybe a bit too long. It is a pleasant dark amber, smelling very much of the Assam, which I assume is its main component. Uptons says it is a bit lighter than their River Shannon blend and that it is best with milk. It is a breakfast tea, which I would heartily agree with. Unless, of course, you are really dragging in the afternoon,

By itself, it tastes, to me, like acorns or what bottled essence of crisp-fall-day might taste like. It is a bit astringent and certainly strong. I like my tea with milk, so it is no hardship to have it that way. I must say the milk mellows it considerably. I do think this would be ideal for breakfast, standing up well to hearty dishes. It might be good with a hearty lunch as well. It is going just fine with a gorgeous fall day.

Across the Sea to Japan

2011-11-19T11:35:00.000-05:00

Back to the Swiss mountains today.

It's another beautiful day in the neighborhood. I am going out later to finish some garden cleanup - the chrysanthemums are finally done. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I will put up some Christmas decorations on the lamp post and door. It may not be much. 5 weeks of doing very little has let my house get overrun with stuff and an urgent need to be dusted.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I have my menu set, except for how many desserts I want to do. We are having 5-6 friends come and they all have their orders on what to bring and how much work they have to do - at least the overnighters. I still have this bubble in my eye and sometimes it just seems like an overwhelming interference, although my vision improves almost daily. Sadly, there will be no tea at the meal, as they are all a bunch of super dedicated coffee people who refuse to drink tea. Bunch of weenies. However, I do have some very nice coffee from Gimmee Coffee and we'll have that.

At the moment I am kind of bored with black and Oolong teas, so I am having some green tea. I got it at Wegman's and it is from Japan, Ureshino Tama Ryokucha Tea. The instructions are to brew 1 teaspoon per cup for 1-1.5 minutes in waterat 175-190. I follow these directions, as I am not a regular Japanese tea drinker. However, the first cup brewed for 5 minutes because I forgot to turn on the timer. It looked and smelled awful, so I threw it out.

The next cup I did properly. The dry leaves looked like very fine grass clippings, only a much darker green. They smelled like a cross between hay and dry seaweed. The brewed liquor was a pretty yellow green, smelling very vegetal with a whiff of seaweed. It has a full mouth feel, with a small hit of astringency. To me, it has something of a muddled taste. I don't want to say it tastes like seaweed, but it reminds me of it. There is something in it that reminds me of kale or other strong green leafy veggies. That's as good as I can do. It is not a delicate tea.

The only references I can find to this tea are on a Czech site and it says it is made in the style of Chinese tea, but the picture looks nothing like the tea I bought as theirs is slightly snail shaped. Urishino is a town in Japan.

Aah, Sweet Spice

2011-11-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

I just can't leave this monastery, it was just so beautiful.

My friend from the Owego Briar Patch, who blends teas and was flooded out of her store, has re-opened in another town, but has the same e address www.owegobriarpatch.com . She has some very nice teas. (I don't know why that address is not linking, it works elsewhere.)

Bigelow teas is having a "Black Friday" sale from now until November 30. A lot of their nice gift things are about 20% off.

Finally, we are having a nice day. It is cool, but the sun is shining brilliantly, making lovely shadows on the lawn. I've been noticing again, the muted, but lovely palate of late Fall. There are bits of color everywhere - the gold of Tamaracks, the greeny yellow of some bushes, the red candles of sumac and the blazing of burning bush. There are still the bright browns of the oaks and a few beech trees. Nature gives up slowly.

I have finally finished my Master Gardener Program. I wish I could have attended more, as it was absolutely fascinating. We had really top-notch people and even things like lawns were interesting.

When the weather turns cold, my thoughts, tea wise, turn to Chai. I love the stuff, but it never seems right for the summer months. I happened to have a sample of Samovar's Masala Chai, black tea on hand, so I brewed it up. Their directions were quite good, but as usual my impatience won out. I did brew it for 10 minutes ( yes, me) and it is a fine cup, with cream and sugar. Everything in it, from cardamom to tea is organic, which is a big plus. The dry tea smells wonderfully of cardamom, which has something of a lemony aroma. Indeed, there were 4 fat pods in the packet. There is not enough clove to ruin it for me - I am picky about clove - but there was lots of action from the ginger and pepper. It was all very polite and not overwhelming. I would say it's about a 6 on a 1-10 scale of spice. Samovar's address is http://www.samovarlife.com/ It would be super with sweets, or a nice Indian meal.

A Good Black Tea

2011-11-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

On November 3, I reviewed a Chim Chim Tea and thought I'd share the comment from their president, in case you missed it and would like to try their tea, also:

Thank you for tasting and reviewing our Chim Chim tea produced by Kapchebet Tea factory in Kericho, Kenya. We are proud of the quality and flavor of our tea. Our famous blend of four different grades BP1, PF1, PD & D1, is popular for its rich flavor and rich color. We would love for your bloggers to sample our tea, which we are happy to provide. They can visit our website at www.kaptea.com. Happy holiday happy tea tasting.

I am doing another Chim Chim today, as well. This is their Traditional Kenya Blend. Immediately upon opening the packet, there is a strong fruity aroma, with a bite on the edge. Wonderful! It reminded me of pineapple and carambola/star fruit. Both are sweet, both have a puckery edge. I didn't follow directions again and only brewed it for 21/2 minutes with boiling water. The tea is a CTC, but this time, the little pellets are a bit bigger.

At first, the dark brown liqueur smelled very strongly of a nicely roasting winter squash. This modified somewhat into just a very pleasant fresh tea aroma. At first I thought this was only a plain tea, but as I drank it, more nuances came out and I finally decided its smell and taste were really in the honey and pineapple line. It is quite good with milk and sugar. It would go with sturdier tea foods such as gingerbread, ham or beef sandwiches and would be lovely for breakfast. There's enough to it to make you sit up and notice, but not so much so as to overwhelm a feeble morning brain.

In case you are not familiar with starfruit they are about the size of a large lemon with 5 quite tall ridges going up and down the longer sides. If you cut the fruit across these ridges, you will have pretty, star shaped slices to decorate a fruit bowl, cake, pie, what ever strikes your fancy. In my never humble opinion, a little is plenty, as they add a piquancy to things, but would be overwhelming in large doses.

Grumpy Gertrude's Tea and Tea Swap

2011-11-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

Same monastery, huge rosemary. I would be jealous, but I was in a monastery!

Aaargh, as Charlie Brown would say. Do you ever have those days when you really "shoulda stood in bed?" Well, this one is mine. I woke up crabby, warning my husband to steer clear of me. Early sunshine gave way to clouds and not much has gone right since. I am going to have some tea in the hopes that some sort of joy can be restored. I did manage to get a number of Christmas presents on line, so all is not lost.

I am going to make my tea in my new pot that I got at the big day on Saturday. It is the prettiest aqua. I saw it as soon as I walked into my favorite store. It didn't hurt that it was 1/2 price. The other nice thing was I've been looking for a slanted end spatula for my frying pans for about 15 years and that was there too. I have one I 've had since we were married 38 years ago and I am always afraid it is going to break. I can rest a bit easier, now. I should count my blessings, big and small and not fuss.

I am having Eiffel Tower, a vanilla flavored black tea from Blue Raven Teas. Yup, smells like vanilla. Himself will like this, vanilla fan that he is. Hmm, this is a much better vanilla than most I've tasted, which I usually really don't like. This almost moves into the good cake or cookie department. I brewed it for about 3.5 minutes at 212 degrees. It seems very sweet to me, so I definitely would not add sugar. With cream added, it ismuch more rounded. I still wouldn't buy it for me, but it is well done.

My new pot is a sweetie, very well-mannered - no spitting or dribbling.

Another reminder about the tea swap. Go to www.facebook.com/groups/teaswap/ or email me from my profile page. It's fun!

Tea Swap, Tea Swap

2011-11-13T15:38:00.001-05:00

Hello again!

I forgot to tell you about a new Tea Swap I will evntually be heading up. It is the one associated with the Tea Review Blog. You can go to www.facebook.com/groups/teaswap/ to join or to get information on the rules. Or you can write me at my email, found with my profile.

I love doing tea swaps, as I find out so many teas I would not have purchased or haven't heard of. You get to state your preferences and meet some nice folks, who love tea. Let me know!

Spring In My Cup

2011-11-13T10:32:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite places - a monastery in Sorrento, Italy. The pillars are all reclaimed from other monasteries that closed, some are quite ancient.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in every way. Some good friends called and wanted to play hooky - of course we would join them. Downtown Owego was having a "Grand Reopening" of all the stores that are able to and there were sales and music and jugglers, cats and dogs all prettified and the streets crowded with shoppers, not repair trucks. The shop keepers looked worn, but happy to be functional again and people, including me, were buying presents and other stuff. It is wonderful to have our town coming back. There were also a raft of benefits for various churches, the theater, etc. who still need renovation. The sun shone on a happy day. I noticed in our very local paper, that the Briar Patch, home of some very nice teas, has also re-opened, sadly not here, but she is open and for that, I am thankful

Speaking of tea, Tea Sommelier Cynthia Gold has received a top award from the organization of Women Chefs and Resterauteurs for "Women Who Inspire" Cynthia has written a cookbook using tea, developed a tea program at one of Boston's big hotels and teaches about tea extensively at culinary schools and conferences. She was thrilled to receive this award, which usually goes to women in the wine industry. She feels this is a recognition that tea has come of age in the food and drink world, receiving the recognition we know it deserves. I am impressed and excited and I hope you are, too.

Alex Zorach has made major changes to his website over at http://ratetea.net/. You might want to go over there and check it out. This is a really good site and if you haven't checked it out, go and read up on your favorite teas.

Oops - I described yesterday's tea as green, but it really is an Oolong. I shouldn't make assumptions.

On tap for today is Serendipitea's Forever Spring Oolong. These tightly wrapped little green pellets give off an orchid aroma, crossed with a whiff of white kindergarten paste, so I know right away this will be a comforting tea. lol It is from the Song Bo region of Nantou, Taiwan, where it is harvested on a nearly year-round basis. I brewed it with water about 190 degrees for about 2 minutes. As it brews a more lilac aroma comes out. This is one of those teas you should use a glass container to brew in - it really is fun to watch these little pebbles stretch and unfold into long stems and leaves. You find yourself unable tobelieve such big leaves could ever be rolled into such tiny-ness.

The liqueur is a very pretty pale yellow green and after 2 minutes the leaves are not yet fully unfurled. Oh gosh, I'll have to do a second brew! The first is a lovely delicate sip, but no clear flavors discovered yet. I think I will let it cool a bit. Hmm, that is worth it. It is subtle tea, honey like with a bit of an astringency, like you might get from eating fresh pineapple. I think there is definitely some lilac flavor there as well. The orchid seems to have disappeared. It is one of those teas that keeps beckoning you onward, to have more and more, as each sip seems to be a bit different from the last.

The second cup has brewed for 2.5 minutes and is a pure, clear, light green, with a faint orchid scent, combined with a plain steamy one, which I can't describe. There might also bee the barest hint of rose on the far edges. It is a subtler, more orchid rendition of the first cup, and like it, it calls you onward to have more and more. So I am going to leave you all and go indulge myself. If you would like to, go to http://www.serendipitea.com/ and get some, it's worth it.

Good Bye, Old Friend

2011-11-11T15:55:00.000-05:00

OK, so these are spring flowers. They are still pretty and an antidote to the gray uglies out my window.

What a sad week. One of my oldest friends has expired. Before you feel too bad for me, I should say it is my Kitchen Aid mixer. Only 25, but then my last one which I bought used, lasted for 40 years. I did get a new one, but I shall miss my old faithful friend who gave me so many wonderful cakes, cookies, scones, bread, mashed potatoes, whipped cream, ice cream, profiteroles. I'm on my second Cuisinart, also. It always pays to buy the best you can afford. I always recommend to new kitchen folks to go to an industrial or professional cookware shop - the stuff is made to last and they have everything one needs to have a well-equipped kitchen. Or an over-equipped kitchen, as my case may be.

We tried to go for a walk today - I even got out my winter jacket - rats. It was just too cold, with the wind blowing a howling gale. I had to hurry home and have some tea to warm my toes and fingers.

I have reviewed this tea before, but it is a new year's batch, so... It is Pearl Jasmine from the puriTea - yes, that is the way they spell it. Two minutes at 180, or 3 1/2 if you mess up, like I did. It didn't matter, which is amazing, since Oolongs and greens can be picky. This is the same wonderful stuff that smells absolutely like jasmine flowers and tastes like them, too. It is a green tea that doesn't get bitter if you over do it or if your cup is very large. It is one of my 2 favorites. I must warn you, this is comparatively strong, but I don't find it overwhelming and it isn't sickly sweet or like perfume. it is simply, wonderful.

Hot Tea and Cold November

2011-11-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am again in Amalfi - I am hoping it will warm me up. LOL

The weather is hustling right along into November normality with cold rain. Some brave bird is still singing and the geese are flying from night quarters to feeding grounds. What a huge flock - there must be 100 or more, in waves of chevrons, taking a full minute to cross overhead. Did you know they take turns being point man? It is the hardest place, as the others benefit from the point goose's breaking of the air resistence. The point man goes to the last place when he's tired - the easiest - while the next one steps up and they keep rotating as they fly. I don't know who steps up to lead when they take off, perhaps the oldest.

Our buck now has 3 points on each side and at the moment seems to have lost his herd, as he is wandering up and down the road alone. All the deer have transitioned into their gray brown winter coats and it can be hard to see them against the trees. Not so hard when they are eyeing the bird feeders, however.

Boston Tea Company sent me some samples and with an eye toward Thanksgiving, I am trying one today. It is Organic Cranberry Lemon, in a "whole leaf sachet". Sure enough, there are nice big leaves, and bits of cranberry and lemon peel. The sachet itself is quite large. There's not much scent, but wait, as it brews, it gives off a milk and lemon sugar cookie aroma. The medium amber brew tastes sweet, fruity and of lemon peel. I found it hard to distinguish any cranberry flavor. In fact, it leaned more toward bubblegum than anything else. My friends in the fruity tea league will enjoy it.

Clean Linens and Tea

2011-11-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

The Amalfi Coast.

Have you got tea stained linens and don’t know what to do with them? Oxiclean to the rescue. This is available in most grocery stores, and places like Walmart, Target, Sam’s Clubs, etc. I have found that if you soak the items in a solution of Oxiclean and water - the package has directions - for a few days, all or almost all of the stains will come out. It doesn’t hurt the fabric. It will not do anything for burn marks - the fabric is altered forever. It works well on other stains as well -old or new. The Oxiclean people have come out with a spray specifically for old stains as well, but I have found soaking works better, and cheaper. I found that it works well on clothes with old stains, too and some of my treasured tees are now rejuvenated.

I just got my catalog from King Arthur Flour. They have 20 or more scone mixes, pans shaped to make those nice triangles and clotted cream, double Devon cream and lemon curd to put on them. So, if this is your sort of tea goody, hustle over to http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ and order up.

If you would like a weekly tea party recipe, Dawnya Sassa at http://www.teapartygirl.com/ sends them out for free. Most of them are quite good, very tasty things. Some don’t appeal to me, but that’s just personal taste. Signing up for them is free and Dawnya often does podcasts or has classes if you are on the mailing list.

I had the best tea! It’s from Silver Leaf Tea Company, Irish Breakfast Extra Fancy OP1. It is a mix of India and China Teas and upon opening the packet, I was struck by its deep, dark, winey aroma. The longish black and brown leaves are highlighted by golden buds. I brewed this for about 3.5 minutes with boiling water and really appreciated the good fresh tea aroma that fairly burst out of the pot. It is a very roasted aroma that reminds me strongly of all the British Isles tea. This is a very hearty tea with a tannic edge that is nevertheless smooth. It is a very satisfying tea, one that warms you to your toes. It goes wonderfully with milk and it is true to its name, being an excellent morning tea.

I can’t believe our weather. Here it is November 8 and we are finally having Indian summer. This on the heels of a week of heavy frosts. Not good for our plantings, who were all ready to go to sleep for the winter.

Celebrations

2011-11-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

I couldn't find my poppy pictures, so I am just showing this Italian church's roof brace.

I've been reading about various Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations on various tea blogs and thought I would add something about our family's cemetery visits. We lived in NYS so there was no Spanish or Mexican influences, but as children we cheerfully visited cemeteries for Memorial Day or funerals. We always visited every single relative or old friend and my great-grandmother or grandmother would tell us kids how they were related, who they were named for, stories of their lives and times so we would remember them. Many years later, I notice that we, in our turn, are telling our children and grands about Gramma and Grandpa Geores, Aunt Ettie, Gram Turnbull, Uncle Art and all the rest of the clan. I think this is part of the reason I have never been afraid of death - there are all those loved ones and characters there, waiting for me, with stories to tell.

Now that the downed trees are gone and the tree men with them, the deer are back, all set to once again eat up the birdseed. They look so sweet and innocent with their big ears and dainty feet, but there is evil in their hearts when it comes to black oil sunflower seed.

I've been back to the eye doctor and have only 1 more week of looking at my toes half the day! Hooray and hooray! He is very pleased with its healing and I am pleased to be able to see around the bubble that is holding up my retina. I had best have a celebratory cup of tea, don't you think? Being in a remembering mood, I am going to use the poppy china, which I got to remind me of the poppies along the railroads in Italy, as well as their enormous fields of bright red, wild poppies.

I am having the puriTea's Oriental Beauty or Bai Hao Oolong. My introduction to this tea, several years ago was so spectacularly good that it has been a favorite ever since. The dry tea is quite pretty, with leaves touched with silver and gold along the edges and a scattering of gold buds. It has a slightly sweet, somewhat woodsy scent. As it brews for 3 minutes with water about 190, it gives off a lemony aroma, almost a tea rose, with the woodsiness. The brew is a fairly dark yellow brown. I've not been doing multiple infusions with any teas lately - when you only have a half-hour of upright time, it is too time consuming. But I will get back to it.

Oh yes, this is a nice tea. It tastes like lemon-kissed roses with perhaps some rose stem thrown in to ground it, something in the woodsy end at any rate. I can imagine this with some Indian dishes, especially their rice pudding or some of the milder curries. I think it would go well with most tea sandwiches or desserts and probably with Mediterranean dishes as well. Hmm, I would imagine it would compliment white chocolate, too. We can't leave out chocolate, can we.

Oriental Beauty is a case for environmentally sound tea culture. It is a lowly bug which gives it its characteristic taste. The bugs (a form of leaf hopper) bites the leaves, the leaves produce an enzyme to thwart the bugs and we all benefit from the tea. Pretty cool, huh?

Hooray For Darjeeling

2011-11-04T09:39:00.000-04:00

The scissor cutter's art

Some good news from Darjeeling: The European Union, and hence, the World Trade Organization, has granted Darjeeling status as a Protected Geographical Indication or PGI. This will put an end to fraudulent claims from tea growers in other areas. This is much the same issue that has plagued food and wine producers, with companies from other areas riding on the coattails of highly regarded and well known commodities, while not having the same quality, or just being different. I am personally all for this. I want my Swiss cheese to be from Switzerland ( yes, Virginia, there IS a difference), my French champagne to be from its home. The final product, in wine, cheese and tea is a result of specific factors related to the concept of terroir, the minerals in the soil, the components of the air, the amount of rainfall or cloud cover etc. - all those infinitesimal things that produce that specific food or wine or tea from that area. This PGI protects and enhances and encourages the reputation of growers and producers.

I know this is something that can be argued on either side. I have nothing against Iowa Swiss cheese, as long as it is labelled Swiss type, for instance. For what it is, it is very good. But it is not Emmentaler or Gruyere. Similarly, I don't want tea from Rwanda labelled Darjeeling. It gives people the wrong impression, especially if the quality is poor. We have few enough orthodox tea producers and I think we need to support them, lest we lose them. So I say "Hooray for PGI and Darjeeling"

Which leads me right into today's tea, an Upton's Darjeeling, TM52, Kangra SFTGFOP1 from the Wah Estate in Darjeeling, India. This is a first flush from this spring. The smallish leaves are a mix sliding from green into brown and smell of fruit peels - maybe lemon - and drying vegetation with some orchid in there for good measure. The suggested brew time is 3 minutes with boiling water, but I have done that before with a first flush and it's been awful, so I decided to do 2.5 minutes at about 190.

Lucky me, I was rewarded with a very nice cup, with the aroma of an orchid Oolong, along with a green, vegetative scent. The tea did indeed taste like one of the orchid Oolongs - a natural flavor, not something added. It was smooth and flowery, with an undergirding of Springy greenness and a touch of astringency to perk it up. I would really recommend that if you are brewing first flushes that you treat them more like greens and Oolongs and not like sturdier blacks. It's been my experience that they are almost always much better that way

Off to Kenya

2011-11-03T14:40:00.000-04:00

Aah, Schweiz.

But we are going elsewhere today, for some Kenyan tea, kindly sent to me. It is Chimchim Tea and hails from the evergreen Kericho Highlands. This particular sample was marked D1. The tea is very, very finely cut, almost, dare I say it, dust? It gives of a scent of dry twig and hearty tea. The suggested brew time is 3 minutes, but I only did 2, as I was sure 3 minutes on tea this fine would yield an awful cup. Two was just fine.

The brewing aroma was metallic with a roasted winter squash component. The liquid was very, very dark brown. This is really quite a plain tea, which takes milk and cream quite happily. It would be a good breakfast tea, but remember -just 2 minutes.

We are hastening towards a winter look once again, all gray and brown. We still have a few touches of rust, magenta and some red. By far the most brilliant is the bright gold of the tamaracks. They are classified as evergreens, but lose their needles in the late fall, leaving the ground looking like cloth of gold. The burning bushes are all aflame and the ornamental grasses are blooming, so there is lots to see.

For some reason our squirrels seem to have disappeared. maybe their nest tree was felled. They often annoyed me greatly, but they were also amusing and I miss the cheeky little buggers.

Around the World With Food and Drink

2011-11-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

More Switzerland. I do love the country and the mountains.

We had pizza last night and I started wondering what tea you could serve with it. I always think of pizza and beer or pizza and coke. We decided that hot tea would be too weird, that maybe a fruity tea would work, definitely a black. Maybe a Ceylon or Keemun or a very muscatel autumnal Darjeeling, although I’m not sure that would ever be sturdy enough. Assam is too malty, Lapsang Souchong made us both go eeuw. What do you think? Personally, I’m going to stick with cola, Dr. Pepper, root beer or beer, hide-bound traditionalist that I guess I am.

We have a Swedish recipe for pot roast that calls for a cup of strong coffee with cream and sugar for the liquid. It is delicious. I was thinking that this would be the place to try a strong cup of Assam or Lapsang with cream and sugar. I think next pot roast, I will try it. The tea would help tenderize the meat, just as the coffee does and the resulting gravy would still have a hearty flavor. I’ll let you know.

India is nearing completion of a billion dollar public/private endeavor to upgrade tea fields and factories. Wow, that is a lot of money! Some is going to help farmers replant, as many tea bushes are so old they are no longer as productive. Factories will be re-tooled and there will be an emphasis on better marketing. I hope there will also be an emphasis on care for their workers.

In that vein, Tetulia Teas has been recognized by the United Nations for its humanitarian and environmentally sound tea farming in Bangladesh. It runs the only USDA approved organic tea farm in that area. Their teas are very tasty, as well.

Today, however, I am trying some Pu-erh, from the Verdant Tea company in Minneapolis http://bit.ly/ss-verdant. This a new company to me and comes via my monthly Steepster Select program. Its official name is Diyi Cornfields Shu and comes in small nest like shapes called toucha. It is individually wrapped in small printed pieces of thin paper. The tea is grown between rows of corn, which gives it some shade and also imparts flavors of corn and butter, which new pu-erh drinkers, like me seem to enjoy. it certainly smells like earth and corn, with a sweet overlay, kind of like that combination at the movies of buttered popcorn and sweetness given off by the candy and soda. I brewed it with boiling water for 5minutes, one toucha per 12 oz. of water - perfect for my ever-so-English teapot. I probably shouldn't say it, but I keep wanting to call it Do-It-Yourself Pu-erh. Really bad, eh?

It is a very dark brew and smells wonderful. It tastes that way too, really buttery, earthy and of corn. It is almost overwhelming in the way it all comes together and lingers in your mouth. This results in the flavors intensifying as you sip. I like it, but for my personal drinking, I would like it a bit more dilute. However, I think it would make a wonderful liquid for the Swedish pot roast, but without the cream and sugar. This has enough going on to not need embellishment.

May The Great Pumpkin Rise In Your Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-31T10:26:00.002-04:00

Looking across the valley

Some of you may have heard about blue tea and wondered what it is. While I was reading my tea books I discovered that back in the early days of tea shipping to foreign merchants, some Chinese discovered that if they added a blue dye, perhaps made from mallow flowers, to their tea, they could claim it was something very special and so, charge more. Once this was discovered, the market disappeared. Sometimes Oolong was referred to as "blue-green tea" because in processing, it is between green and black. I've tried looking it up on line, with no great or satisfactory results, although there is a discussion on Tea Chat about the translation of Chinese words relating to this. If any of you know more about this, please let me know. Currently, this is not something generally used to describe a class of tea.

For those of you who are close enough, the Ottawa Tea Festival is coming up this Saturday, November 5. The entrance fee covers all the free tea you can drink, plus a number of speakers and exhibits from around the world. Workshops are extra and cover things like pairing tea and chocolate, tea and food and tea blending. Sorry to give you such short notice, but I only heard about it today.

Since it is Great Pumpkin Day, aka Halloween, I decided to try some Pumpkin Spice tea from the Boston Tea Company. They very kindly sent me this and two other blends. This one is "Ceylon tea flavored with pumpkin, exotic spices and sunflowers". It smells like pumpkin, with the usual array of spices one puts in a pie and its looks are enhanced by what I would guess are sunflower petals. There is a slight chemical hint to the scent. I am doing it with boiling water for 3.5 minutes. As it brews the hint of chemistry dissipates and the dark liquor is very pleasant smelling, indeed. Sweet is the first thing that comes to mind as I sip the tea, the pumpkin and spices come in at the end. However, they linger so that as I continue to sip, they make a whole, well-rounded impression of a perfectly spiced pumpkin. I added half & half and that did it no service at all. I added some sugar and that again rounded out the taste. For myself, I will drink it plain.

Snow, Another Good Reason For Tea

2011-10-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

More of Grandpa's view

Saturday it snowed - just enough to leave about an inch on things in the morning. By noon, the lovely, warm, bright sun has dissipated it all. The fur persons all ran out, tails up, noses twitching, to see this new thing. But wait! It is cold on the paws and it sticks. Meee- oooow! So they all rush in again, to warm their toes on our legs. Best have some tea, says I.

Silver Leaf Tea Company is offering a black tea from the Kenilworth Estate in Sri Lanka, still known as Ceylon in the tea world. The leaves are a pretty good size, almost all black with hints of brown. They have a deep throat-catching winey scent. I only brew it for 3 minutes, as my experience of both Ceylon and Assam is that they get nasty if brewed too long. All the tannin comes out and one could even say it was stewed. The resulting liquor is a very dark amber which gives off a combination of oak, fall vegetative matter and a roastiness. The tea itself, however, is only so-so, with no particular taste. It is much improved with a spot of half & half, which seems to bring out the oakiness and lift it into the pretty good realm.

Tea is always amazing me. Sometimes, with really good teas, you just get your socks knocked off, they ‘re so good. Some are subtle, some change their taste from the beginning of the cup to the end. Some teas are wonderful hot and dreadful iced. Some taste best with cream, others are awful that way. It is always an adventure and a comfort to have tea.

I bought some good coffee for my “best beau” and ya know what? All this tea drinking has sharpened my palette so that now I am better at coffee nuances as well. “Who’da thunk it?” If you have coffee drinkers in your house, the company is Gimmee Coffee, which originated in NYC, but I get it locally in Ithaca or on line at http://www.gimmeecoffee.com/ . The prices aren’t bad, the service is excellent and the coffee is roasted by them within a few days of delivery.

Since the flood, I have noticed that my water filter has been getting used about up 2-3 times as quickly and it is having a hard time filtering out all the chlorine. It’s a good thing we weren’t drinking it for several weeks.

Oooh, Oolong

2011-10-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

Another view from Grandpa's porch

I just got my latest issue of "Tea Time" magazine, with its reminder of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas to come. Not to mention Kwanzaa and many other holidays in the next 2 months. The one thing that struck me was their mention of Harney and Sons carrying Kosher teas. I don't know what one must do to make tea Kosher, do you? If so, please tell me.

Harney & Sons just happens to be the purveyor of today's tea, Da Hong Pao, an Oolong from Wuyi, China. It is part of the Steepster Select group for October. (I haven't reported on September's batch, as I got behind due to the flood and my eye.) The heavily twisted dark brown to black leaves smell like one of the "heavier" wine barrels, maybe a dark sherry, but there is that somewhat characteristic orchid aroma around the edges. Following directions, I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water. Unusual, I know. The resulting liquor is quite a light brown and guess what - smells like orchids, with a charred aged whiskey/wine barrel kick to it. The Harney site says it has been oxidized about 40%. It tastes just fine; soft, smooth, with the orchid and roasty/toasty flavors mingling just right. Tastes like "more". This particular selection comes from the "3 famous trees" of Chinese legend. Which I don't know, but will try to find out.

This month has also been Breast Cancer Awareness month and Harney's has tea for it. Jane's Garden Tea, is a blend of roses and green tea. Some of the cost for each order of this tea goes to a fund they established as a memorial to Jane Lloyd, who worked for them before her untimely death from cancer. The Boston Tea Company also has a Tea Leaves For Life sampler , part of which proceeds go for cancer research.

It's always nice to be able to get more than your money's worth, isn't it?

We're Off To See The Wegmans, The Wonderful Wegmans Of...

2011-10-28T15:01:00.001-04:00

This is a photo of the scenery from my grandfather's porch in Switzerland. How I would love to see that every morning.

We had snow! It snowed for about 2 hours, but none of it stuck, as the ground hasn't frozen yet. Quite dutifully, I thought, we had frost last night, the really truly end of summer.

Another Yunnan today. This is from that great culinary haven, Wegmans, their Yunnan English Breakfast Black Tea. I discovered they also have Double Devon Cream and Clotted Cream. As my friend Bev and I had already been pretty bad with cheeses and olives, I passed it up, for now. However....

Back to the main object of the day. The dry tea smells very typically Yunnan, sort of earthy, with a touch of cocoa, maybe a lick of spice. The mostly brown twisted leaves are enlivened by some gold buds. I brewed it for nearly 5 minutes, at a little below boiling. The resulting brew is very dark and smells like the inside of a cobbler's shop - tanned leather, shoe dye, but still with that hint of cocoa. Odd, I know, but it is an aroma I like, so don't be put off by it. Oh yum, this is a nice tea. The chocolate comes out in the liquor, it is the first thing I can taste. Then the spice comes in and some tannic action here as well - the latter probably from brewing it a bit too long and maybe a bit too much extra tea. I added some half and half and was quite pleased. This is sturdy enough for breakfast and while it has some complexities, you could drink it in a somewhat somnolent state and not feel you were doing it a huge injustice.

My Lovely Yunnan

2011-10-24T14:35:00.000-04:00

Swiss valley and Mountains

Ta Da! I am back to tasting tea! I've been longing for some new tea and finally feel like I have enough brain to give it the proper attention.

I was down in Owego this morning and while outwardly, much has returned to normal there are still many closed stores, a lot of stuff on the street sides to be taken away and lots of repair trucks of all sorts.

I got today's tea from Upton's before the flood. It is their ZY84, Yunnan Rare Grade. It has a lovely aroma in the packet, like fresh hay with a spicey twist. The leaves are gold and green and brown, with lots of buds.

I brewed if for about 4 minutes and 15 seconds. It gave off a complex aroma of roasted sweet corn, cocoa and earth. The liquor is a nice bright brown. The tea is somewhat sweet and slides down as smooth as silk. It is hard to describe, as there are elements of spice and cocoa, but it seems as though there are other nuances as well, but they disappear before I can put a name to them. I think I will just enjoy it. It's not the absolute best I've had, I can only afford that once in a while, but it is a pleasant everyday Yunnan.

Moving Towards Normal

2011-10-21T14:07:00.000-04:00

Hooray and Hooray and Hooray! I had my 2 week post-op visit with my doctor and I can now be upright for 30 minutes of every hour! Long enough to taste tea while actually drinking it from a cup. I can also drive, but I have to be sensible. I will try around our neighborhood before I go anywhere. During the day, when all the kids are in school. I even have some vision back, a bit odd around the edges, but to have it at all is wonderful.

I got to take a brief walk today and it smelled wonderful - that lovely toasty smell of dry leaves and earth. I even saw some tiny blue wild asters.

I just finished my book Tea and Chinese Culture. Ling Wang, the author covers a huge amount of ground. Of necessity, it is a mere skimming, but he has tried to get as much flavor in his book as possible. Tea was/is used for so many things - respect, honor, spirituality, bride prices, sealing of weddings, gifts, as well as everyday drinking. Even in the everyday, tea was appreciated in a way it seldom is in this country. This was a good introductery book. It made me feel sad, however, as we seem to have "thrown out the baby with the bath water" in our modern hurry and rush and pressured lives. I am hoping to continue my study of China, it really fascinates me, especially as it relates to tea. I am also resolving to take more time to appreciate tea, its accompaniments and other things in my life.

Tea Books

2011-10-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

Reading is one of the things I can do mostly upside down, so I have been reading or rereading more carefully, my collection of tea books. One I can recommend is the 1982(!) The Tea Lover's Treasury by James Norwood Pratt. It is often witty and funny and full of good information. One tidbit is in the brief tale of the clipper ships - those incredibly fast sailing ships of the tea trade - one ship carried 25,000 square feet of sail - about 10 tennis courts. He also gives space to not only the Boston Tea Party of revolutionary fame, but the ones in New York, Philadelphia, Greenich, NJ, Annapolis, Charleston and Edonton, NC. You can get a copy from http://www.alibris.com/ for not too much.

The second book I have reservations about. The author is Sara Perry and it is The New Tea Book. Being the wife of a sometime-editor, I recognize the white space surrounding the print that merely enlarges the book, as well as its cost. I personally think she is often inaccurate or uses too little information in her descriptions of tea and tea processing. However, many of her recipes are quite good.

All for today,my six minutes are way up, even counting having lunch and medicating my eye at the same time - such a multi-tasker

Making A List

2011-10-12T12:51:00.002-04:00

I am making a list of what you can do in six minutes. You can make a cup of tea. But then you must drink it through a straw, which, for me, means just drinking old faithfuls, as it is hard to think about all its goodnesses whilst almost upside down. And I have so many teas to try!

You can read books on tea, which I have been doing and will report on. In the middle of one, I realized how utterly foreign to me is China. Totally outside my fields of reference, but it makes me want to learn more. I will never have their aesthetic sense of tea and tea culture, but I am beginning to learn to appreciate it.

You can almost knit, but then the boring becomes excruciatingly slow and really, really, really not worth it.

You can crochet and so I am, learning to make straight edges. It is more absorbing than reading, somehow, so I can forget how much my back protests crouched over. One and a half dishcloths yesterday. I'll keep the embarassing ones for myself.

My cousin tells me we are having a new baby in the family, so I could crochet a baby blanket, but I can't go get baby yarn. Hurry down, Oct. 20.

Ta for now, I am going to fill up and set to heating my 2.5 quart water boiler, so it is easier to make tea. Thank you for all your kind wishes.

Rose Petal Tea

2011-10-07T17:51:00.000-04:00

The Herb Gardener blog for this week has a recipe and directions for Rose Petal Tea. I am going to keep it for next spring, when I should have more than one rose at a time - all very heady scents! I'm doing fine, but it's a bit boring - lie on my right side, sit up, lie on my left side. Oh well, at least I can read and have tea!

The 6 Minute Hours

2011-10-06T17:50:00.000-04:00

Hello tea friends - I had my second eye operation today. It all went well and both doctor and I are pleased. The only problem is I have to stay as face down as possible for the next 2 weeks, with 6 minutes an hour off for good behavior and neck stretching. As you might imagine, I probably won't do much blogging, although I will still drink tea. I am inconvenienced, but fine.

We've had sunshine all day! And.. we had bluebirds at the bird feeder! They are so just plain beautiful.

Gingerbread Pound Cake and a Confabulation of Crows

2011-10-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

We've had non-tea friends here, helping with driving as my eye heals, so I've not sampled anything new, but I did do something new in the way of tea accompaniments. I'd been wanting some pound cake or gingerbread to go with my Turkish tea, so I decided to have both. I accomplished this by using my go-to pound cake recipe from Baking with Julia (Child, of course) and splitting the batter. The first half was the usual, the second I added 1/2 the molasses and spices one would use in gingerbread and Voila! Gingerbread Pound Cake. It was a great success. The key to pound cake I have found is to follow Julia's recipe exactly, as to method, and it works beautifully everytime.

I got my Turkish tea at Amazon. I believe they have four kinds, perhaps more. Except for the Earl Gray, it only comes in one pound bags. I am going to get one of those Turkish samovar type pots sometime soon and make it the traditional way. Although the teas, to me, are on the earthy , as in clean fresh earth, side, they have no twigs that I can discern, being all very small leaved, perhaps chopped.

We were all so excited yesterday afternoon to see a large, beautiful Red-Headed Woodpecker at the bird-feeding station. That is 4 types of woodpeckers who come to feed here. There is also a Pileated in our woods, but I've not seen him yet. To add to the nature scene, one young, two-pronged buck has acquired a small harem of 2 does and 2 of this years half-grown fawns. They are quite lovely, but have too much of an eye for my hard won plantings. For some reason the crows decided to have a huge meeting this morning and had so many arguements, I could barely think for all the noise. I guess they have come to an agreement, as all is now silent.

Our flood workers have done a fantastic job. Most of Owego looks almost normal, if you can ignore people's weariness, the flood lines on the houses, the closed shops, restaurants, the aid stations, the 5,000 people in the surrounding areas who are still displaced, and the boarded up homes. There is much sadness and grief and anger, but there is hope and encouragement also. I really cannot say enough good about all the people who have been here and continue to be here to help. Many have worked to exhaustion to serve others.

Turks and Tea News

2011-10-02T11:07:00.001-04:00

These are Swiss mountains near the tiny hamlet if Nidflue in Kanton Bern and look! the sun is shining. I wish it would here.

Did you know there is a man aged 110 who is still actively involved in growing tea? Neither did I. Arthur Njuguna Komo lives and works in the Kamunyaka Valley in the foothills of Mt. Kenya. He has been farming tea since 1959, following in his grandfather's foot steps, and personally supervises the training of the teapickers. He is also heavily involved in workers' rights, supporting and training other farmers, growers and processors. Through his efforts, the KTDA - Kenya Tea Development Agency was established to work towards increased quality both in the tea and for the people involved in growing and producing it. One of his grandchildren, Joy Njuguna has created a tea blend to honor him, named "Grandpa's Anytime Tea". A fitting tribute. It is available from Royal Tea of Kenya, although only to wholesalers at the moment. Jane Pettigrew rates it highly. I am going to keep my eye on them, as their website says it will become available to online buyers soon.

The Tea Spot, some of whose teas I've reviewed here, has received a $460,00 grant to do researrch on biodegradable tea bags/filters for the commercial trade. Apparently cups, lids and stirrers are, but for some reason, teabags and filters used commercially, are not. Hats off to them and may they have great success. I know this is all possible, as one of our biggest farmers' markets has almost every container imagineable biodegradable. Now, if someone would only do that for paper/styrofoam plates...

Today I am trying 2 more Turkish teas. One of them I will give to my favorite Turkish restaurant, because they are such good cooks and such sweet people. I misread the amount of tea I was buying and got 500 grams of each, instead of 50! I am not brewing it the most traditional way, as I do not have a traditional Turkish tea pot. See http://missparty.net/2011/08/15/how-to-brew-turkish-tea-hot-strong-and-full-of-flavor for these directions. Mine is the western version of one cup, 1 teaspoon, boiling water, three minutes.

My first infusion is of Cayku Filliz Cayi, Special Turkish Tea, Filliz region. It comes in a big! red bag and the tiny, slivered leaves smell of good clean earth with a hint of floral. The brewing aroma is much the same, with a bit of leaf mold thrown in. It is a good plain, sturdy tea. Best, I think in small amounts and perhaps, for mornings. If you're not aware of it, the Turks usually serve tea in quite small glasses, maybe 2-3 ounces and traditionally, with sugar. I added some sugar, from Austin Sugar Works, but this is not my cup of tea. I like it plain better, or with a touch of cream.

The second, in a yellow striped bag is Cayku Rizi Turist Cayi, from the Rizi region. I brewed both of these the same way, as they both have the same small, slivered leaf configuration. This one seems to have a much gentler aroma, although definitely in the same earthy, leafmold, floral family. The taste is somewhat gentler as well and I think I prefer it to the first. I didn't bother with sugar, but went straight to a dab of cream and liked it very much

As sometimes happens, the taste of the tea follows directly in the foorsteps of the aroma, which to me, is one indication of a good tea. Although I would not rank either of these in the top standings, they would both be good breakfast tea and would also go well with sandwiches and something like gingerbread or chocolate cake. Oh gosh, now I made myself hungry and I haven't got either one in the house. Must be I have to bake, right?

NorthWest Tea Festival

2011-09-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

I have flubbed in not keeping you abreast of events, but this very weeekend, the Northwest Tea Festival is happening in the Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. I know Marilyn from Marmalady's will have a booth. I hope to do better in the news department soon.

Some Alarms Come True

2011-09-29T16:48:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends - Just had a detached retina operation - might not be back blogging untill sometime next week. Just got 2 new Turkish teas, so I'll be reporting on them. In the meantime, this might amuse you.

The Earl Visits Turkey

2011-09-28T16:26:00.000-04:00

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.

How Sweet It Is

2011-09-26T20:48:00.000-04:00

A very typical Swiss Chalet

Fall is really hustling right along and I have noticed some beautiful things. Just down the road from us is a about a ½ mile long hill of nothing but golden rod, along yellow sweep of color, glistening in the sun. The swamp maples are flaming red, redder than I’ve seen them in a long while. Redder even than the poison ivy or the more maroon of the sumac. Color is creeping around on the hills, but all of it is still pretty pale. Hopefully we will have a hard frost that will deepen the colors.

Our deceitful river has its moments of beauty also. Sometimes it is so still, we see those upside down reflections, so beloved of photographers. It is too soon for most people around here to view the river with anything but fear and distaste. The aid stations are still going strong, with many people coming for help. We are reminded that winter is not very far away.

I have a new product to tell you about, tea sugars. These are hand made by Elayne Crain at Austin Sugar Works www.austinsugarworks.com . They come in a number of shapes and flavors and I bought some to try. I got mint, ginger and lime and Elaine gave me some samples of rose and others I’ve not tried yet. The lime looks like a lime slice, the ginger is a lion, the rose is a rose and the mint looks likes snow flakes. I tried them with plain teas, so I could see how they affected the tea. They are all delicate flavors and could easily go in almost any cup of tea, although I think they would be wasted on a strong one. For me, I like the fact they add the gentlest amount of flavor to your tea, just a small, elusive hint, which is just perfect. I was afraid they would overwhelm the taste of the tea, but they don’t.

The sugars are all natural and hand made, as I said. They dissolve very quickly and they are pretty. They are much too expensive for everyday, but if you want to add a “sweet” touch to a special tea party, these could be the very thing. Elayne also suggests using them as decorations on cupcakes or cookies. Visit her site and check them out.

PS, I am still not a sugar in tea person, but I would use these at my tea parties to please my guests..

False Alarm

2011-09-22T15:26:00.001-04:00

This is the pulpit in a small but exquisite German church in which my many greats grandfather was christened.

Hello again. I do not have a detached retina, so no operation, hooray. I do have a problem, but the eye doctor says it will cure itself.

I was having some chutney with a chicken dish for lunch today. It's very good, but doesn't sell at the farmers market any longer, so I looked on line and there it is. It's called Chutney Fever and is made right here in Trumansburg, NY, about 10 miles north of Cornell University. It comes in 6 flavors, but I have only had 2 - Apricot Ginger and Peach Tamarind. They are delicious and organic and make wonderful tea sandwiches, either alone or with cheese or peanut butter or chicken, ham, etc. They are also very nice with scones. The online address is http://chutneyfever-store.stores.yahoo.net/ They are a little expensive, but a small amount has big results. I am a great fan of cheese and chutney sandwiches, myself, and these chutneys are a lot better than Major Grey's.

I am so glad to have our own water back and not have to mess with either bottled or overboiled water for my tea. And... we can now shower and wash our clothes safely. Owego continues to struggle with the devastation, but we are determined to bounce back.

Silver Leaf Tea Company, http://www.silverleaftea.com/ is the source for today's Evening Blend. it is a mix of Indian and Chinese teas and is billed as having lower caffeine. The dry leaves are huge, twisted and an interesting mix of brown and silver or pale green. The aroma is interesting, as well.giving off a gentle but definite mix of tree bark accented with peach and tamarind. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water, as there were no guidelines with it.

The resulting brew is very pale and doesn't smell like much other than fresh wash or milking parlor soap.. Even before tasting it, I wonder if I used too little. I probably should have weighed it instead of spooning and eye-balling it. Yup, it is just plain weak. I may make more today, if so, I'll write about it.

Well, I made it the right strength and I have to say it's hardly worth the effort. It's OK. It has a bit of tamarind taste, over a bit of earthiness, but it is really nothing special, although as I finish my very large mug of it, it seems to gain more depth.

Excuses, Excuses

2011-09-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Hello tea friends. Won't be here for a while - I have a retina detaching and have to have it repaired either today or tomorrow.

The Master Gardener class is really interesting and one of the people I ride with is a tea person. Totally cool, eh? The group from our county was not as snazzy or prepared as the others, but we have a good excuse - the flood. Sure is better than "The dog ate my homework", right?

I'll be back as soon as I can.

Bearly Here

2011-09-20T12:29:00.000-04:00

An old courtyard in Durlach, Germany.

We got beared again last night! The buggers really tore up the bird feeders. Oddly enough, they were only interested in seeds, not suet.

I received my monthely Steepster Select tea offering. This month is all oolongs. if they are as good as lat month's, I'll be a happy camper. Again, they are from companies I've not tried before.

That, my friends, is it for today as I must run off to take the first of my Master Gardener's classes. I am so pleased to finally be able to do it and doubly pleased to have something else to think about other than the misery in Owego. Sadly, others cannot so easily escape. My post woman's kid's house was totally condemned and they had just finally fixing it up. She has lost all her sparkle, as I am sure her son and his wife have.

Benoy Thapa, from Thunderbolt Tea, said that Darjeeling and Sikkim have experienced a bad earthquake, especially Skkim. he was asking for prayers for the people there. Darjeeling is functional again.

Tea and Coffee Memories

2011-09-18T15:12:00.000-04:00

Swiss Mountains

I had fully intended to try a new tea today, but it turns out to be a coffee day. We stopped at an Italian bakery that had sfogliatelle, approximately pronounced schh-foo-lia-dell, where the first 2 syllables kind of glide together and the main accent is on the last one. The perfect accompaniment to one of these crusty, custard filled clam shell pastries is espresso, so that is what we did. Yum.

The best part is the warm memories of my husband's aunt, Zizi and his mother, Josie, and cups of espresso around the kitchen table by the warm stove, laughing and talking and hearing the old stories. I have 4 of Zizi's espresso cups, tiny little pink chintz things and they bring back good memories. I use Ma's old espresso pot and if I am making pasta or bread, I have her old pot for those. I love to be reminded of these ladies.

I have tea memories, too. Fortunately or unfortunately, I had three grandmothers, my birth mother's mother and my stepmother's mother, my Grannie Grunt - why we gave her that nickname, I don't remember. She and I would cut large burdock leaves for parasols and go down the hill to the little stream in their pasture to have tea with the fairies. Her neighbors would wonder about this, but as a child, it was magic. For her, it was important to be in my world and not come out for those disapproving adults. We always found a small leaf or two to put some cookie bits on to float down the creek for the sprites who lived under the bridge, after we finished our tea and cookies.

My Gramma 'Duffee was not playful, but she would have a cup of green tea with me, using her sterling wedding teaspoons, while we sat on the porch and watched the sun go down over the valley. She, too would tell stories about her family and teaching in one room schools, raising turkeys and funny stories about my mother. I don't remember the cups we used, but I can still see the big box of Lipton's green tea and the old, rather ugly teapot she used. When she felt my cousin Sue and I were old enough, she gave each of us six of those spoons. She was a farm wife and there wasn't much in the way of elegant things like sterling. I treasure these spoons and the ones from Grannie G's side of the family.

My third grandmother, my father's mother, was old and crippled very badly with arthritis. She was from Switzerland, as was my grandfather. She mostly drank coffee, except for chamomile tea. Our yard was covered in chamomile and I remember her being carried out into the yard so she could direct me in picking the herb Then it would hang in the kitchen to dry, giving off a wonderful scent of apples. We drank a lot of it in the winter, heated by a big wood cookstove, listening to the wind howl around our old farm house, Mitzi, the dachshund in her basket. It tasted of high summer. I have her tiny little teapot and a long apron she always wore over her housedresses.

What about you? What are your tea memories? Please share them.

Up in the Mountains

2011-09-17T14:09:00.000-04:00

Here we are, in yesterday's church, looking at the organ.

I am home today and doing some neglected chores, as well as bringing in the plants for the winter. It is quite cool and while we've not had frost yet, things like basil and tomatoes are done for the year. One of the hibiscus is blooming its peachy little heart out, as are some begonias, so we get some color.

I am actually trying a new tea today. World Market offered me some tea a beautiful in-cup infuser to try, so I am It is a Mountain Wulong, from Hubei, China. The cup is ceramic, holds about 12 ounces and is a very pretty red with dragon like birds and stylized flowers on it, giving a Chinese feel. The ceramic infuser inset is rimmed with the same pattern, as is the cover.

Back to the tea, which is organic and Fair Trade. I used about 2.5 teaspoons in 185 degree water for 3 minutes. The long, twisted dry leaves are quite an attractive mix of black, gray and silver. They smell very distinctly grassy with a big dose of cooked winter squash and spinach. I am thinking - is this really a floral Oolong? Not to worry, once it is brewed, it is definitely floral, with a hint of tobacco. The leaves are quite large and fully unfurled.

The tea is floral, with a bit of a woody taste and at the end,some sort of sweet fruit, maybe peach or apricot. It is not particularly delicate and sometimes there seems to be a hint of lime in the aroma. A very pleasant experience. Thanks, World Market.

I am home tomorrow as well, so I hope to try another tea or two then.

Some Tea News

2011-09-16T19:44:00.001-04:00

This may look like a quilt, but it is actually the ceiling of a church, probably in Germany.

You have all been so patient, and I thank you. I think we are serving between 75 and 100 families a day at the aid station with food, cleaning supplies,baby and personal needs and candy. Candy is importent, it makes folks smile and brightens their day a bit. And we are only one, the biggest, but there are 5-6 other small ones, plus the folks who carry stuff out to those who can't get in. Today we got a big lot of stuff from the NY Mets baseball team - one of the wives is from Owego. We even have a huge mound of dog and cat food and a big bag of stuffed animals for the little kids. It is so nice to be able to give people not only necessities, but some treats, other than candy.

I do have some tea news for you. In 2012 Stash tea will be 40 years old. Amazing! It opend in a Victorian house in Portland Oregon in 1972 and was one of the firs to go on line in 1995. In 2005, they opened their first retail shop. Pretty cool.

Kenya has joined thethe ranks of Darjeeling and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in having a mark of origin device for their teas. The Kenyan one is the flag, fronted by a shiled with crossed spears and the words "Finest Premium Teas".

In Dooars, India, the workers are still on strike, albeit peacefully. They have been on strike for 5 months and the government has brought in mediation teams.

Tomorrow I get to stay home, so perhaps I will do some tea tasting then.

Goodness and Fall

2011-09-14T09:29:00.000-04:00

My heart is still weighted with the grief and exhaustion of the people in Owego and elsewhere, but I also see so much goodness and generosity from many, many people, not in the least, the ones whose job it is to serve. Our fire department was flooded out, so there are firemen from Long Island here to take up the slack and their downtime is spent working to help people at the aid station where I volunteer. Teacups up to them and all the other workers. School is starting again today and we have mail back. Some parts of town have electricity and gas back and while we still have to boil water, we can now shower and wash our clothes, if we have any way of doing that. I wish the Tide truck would set up in town to wash for people.

In the midst of disaster, there is always something good to hang on to. Fall is definitely striding along. The wild grapes are almost all purple and the wild rose hips are bright red. I saw the first aster blooming, a white one, generally they are blue. I found a wayside apple tree just down the road, before you get to the honey bee log. The apples are tasty - tart, but with good flavor. The pears are ripening also. The wooded hills are much further along in their leaf color. It seems too early for them to be doing this. Leaves are starting to fall, too. Somehow, it seems I just barely got used to summer and here it is, going, but in glorious color and tasty eats.

In our own yard, we have the Grand Canyon of Ivory Foster Road, further dug out by the storm. Just think, in millions of years, it may rival the other Grand Canyon, but I saw it’s birth, as did our ever-hopeful frog catcher, Bertie Baby. He went with me on my walk after the storm, but had to be carried part of the way. He’s an amazingly heavy small cat.

Kudos to the tiny Downy Woodpeckers. Whilst we were getting our 6-10 inches of rain, they were at the suet, chirping away. The big bully boys, the Jays and Grackles, didn’t even show up once. Guess we know who is hot air and who really has a brave heart.

I'm still not tasting tea - I haven't the mental energy for it. I have, however, been having comforting cups of Simpson and Vail's Victorian Earl Gray, and all my favorite Yunnans and Keemuns. They warm my tummy and my spirit.

Heart Sore

2011-09-11T22:39:00.000-04:00

It is raining again and we’re supposed to have rain on and off the next few days. I am afraid it only adds to the burdens of folks here. We went to a distribution center to help out today. It is heart-breaking. The streets are lined with huge piles of people’s clothes, carpets, furniture, their lives. It is all ruined and stinks. They are so tired. When they come to the center, their eyes are empty, they can’t think what they need. They talk too fast, spilling their agony or they are too silent, all of them overwhelmed by grief and weariness. In the midst of this, there is also much generosity. So many people willing to cook and clean and help where they can. So many taking care of their neighbors.

Sadly, my friend Carrie, at the Briar Patch will not be able to reopen her tea store, as the damage to the building is too severe. She was right next to the river. A lot of our small businesses had their homes there. We don’t know how many of them will be able to reopen. Before this, you would never be able to imagine the river could get high enough to reach them. But it did.

It's not only the river which did so much damage. This is an area with a superabundance of small rivers and streams and they all went over their banks, ripping and tearing at our roads and homes and businesses. Bridges are out, gravel is strewn all over, roadsides are non existent, it's an awful mess.

I really can’t be doing tea tasting these days. It may not be, but it seems so frivolous in the midst of so much tragedy. I’ll still be drinking it, but I haven’t the heart to do more than that. Think of us when you can and if you are so inclined, pray for us. I'll be back when I can.

Floods

2011-09-10T19:37:00.001-04:00

We need flowers these days. I live near Owego, NY, which is near Binghamton, both of which are on the Susquehanna River. Currently, not a great place to be. You may have seen us on the news. The river flooded as a result of the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee and the 6-10 inches of rain we got in 24 hours, after Hurricane Irene had slopped through 10 days earlier. The river rose and rose, 10 feet over flood stage, 8 feet over the previous record set 5 years ago. All of downtown Owego, all our business, schools, doctors' offices, nursing homes, hotels, grocerystores, parks, flooded.

We live on a mountain, so we were not flooded, but there's no place to go. We lost power, phone, e mail, cable, and have had to boil all our water. But we have water and gas, so we have stoves and today we got electronics back. There is even a grocery store and gas station. However, there is only one road out of our particular immediate area. Otherwise, it is either water or police barricades.

The same could not be said for the poor folks downtown, almost all of whom are in some shelter or other. They may be able to go home Tues. or Wed. But what will they find? An awful mess. We had a flood years ago and the amount of work needed to clean up doesn't bear thinking about. We shall all just have to help each other through this.

It may seem small of me to say, but in a very tiny way, I have a small idea of the stress and strain people in disaster areas go through. I am tired and cranky and have little patience. I look at the news and just want to cry. I cannot imagine the sorrow and fear the others have.

A Pearl of a Girl's Tea

2011-09-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

I need flowers today, it is so gloomy. However, the blue jays are definitely adding a bit of brazen brightness - they are alternating screaming their heads off at Ernie and eating great gobs of suet. Them I wish he would go after. Maybe they wouldn't be such show-offs.

It is a good day for tea - not only gray, but pretty chilly. Jasmine tea sounds about right and I have the last of the Steepster Select monthly teas, their Dragon Pearl Jasmine from Red Blossom Tea Company. The green and white balls give off a strong aroma of Jasmine, which seems surprisingly heavy and more along savory lines than overly floral. This is a white tea, instead of the usual green. I brewed it up for 2 minutes at 180 degrees. The resulting liquor was a soft gold, with a pleasant Jasmine scent.

The brew was smooth and soft, with a delicate, sweet taste of jasmine and a small surprising hint of some warm, sweet spice. Maybe ginger, maybe cardamom. Whatever it is, it is a very pleasant tea.

I have noticed something about brewed teas that I let cool on the counter before I put them in the fridge. They get quite dark, even this light Jasmine. Does anyone know why? If so, please tell me.

This is quite likely my last post until next Tuesday or Wednesday. We are leaving Thursday for Philly and tomorrow is packed with far too many things to do, including a visit to the vet for the Ernster, oh happy day.

I wish you all well and I'll be back with all sorts of good reports from World Tea East!

Plummy Tea

2011-09-05T13:03:00.001-04:00

I know I put this up before, but this is a tea wheel, I wish I knew which teas were in it.

Tea made it into the New York Times again. Twinings is changing its Earl Gray Blend! It’s never been my all time favorite, but they changed my favorite Prince of Wales which I don’t even buy any more. Dasterdly behavior. They should be horse whipped! But maybe I’ll get some when it reaches the US and see how it is. My preference is Upton’s - my blend of their Devonshire and Blue Flower. Then comes Simpson and Vail’s Victorian Earl Gray.

I wish the Times would publish some real tea news, like the World Tea East. I am so psyched about going. I have a notebook with the things I particularly want to catch. When I return, I shall blather on and on , stopping only for tea - hopefully, I will be able to get some new things there.

Non-tea news : Our local grocery store is now in the big time - refrigerated cat and dog food, just like they show on TV. I am afraid our poor kitties will have to make do. At about $2.50 for a meal, “let them eat cake” as Marie Antoinette supposedly said.

It is a dreary day, but good for new plantings as the cold rain slides down over my windows. Today is a flavored tea day and one I thought I would like more than I did. Isn’t that a downer of an introduction? Any way, the tea is Ice Wine from Blue Raven Teas, a black one. The leaves are large and darkly twisted, giving off a winey, fruity aroma. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes at boiling. The resulting brew was a very dark red, with a somewhat odd smell, kind of a mix of almond paste, grapes and raisins. Next time, I think 3 minutes would suffice.

I was expecting a light sweet ice wine taste. I have only had this lovely wine three times and it is absolutely wonderful stuff, a real dessert wine. What I got in my cup was not it, so I was hesitant to praise it. I finally realized it tasted just like Chinese plum wine, which is also sweet, but not delicate. If it had been billed as that, I would’ve been perfectly happy and said the blender did a good job. An ice wine, it wasn’t.

Tea For The World

2011-09-03T16:58:00.000-04:00

Further bits and bobs about World Tea East:

One of the many educational sessions looks at Fair Trade certified alternatives for tea and herbs. With more than 38 percent annual growth for Fair Trade certified teas and major commitments from industry leaders to certify their ingredients, Fair Trade tea is here to stay, according to the tea experts and organizers of World Tea East.

It's about time they figured that one out.

The "Think Tea in Every Menu Course" presentation looks at how many chefs and restaurants are experimenting with tea. Maybe I 'll see about some ideas translatable for our tables.

Some of the presenters you may not have heard of, but who are important in the tea world are:Dan Bolton, World Tea News; Charles Cain, Adagio Teas;Chris Cason, Tavalon Tea; Mim Enck, East Indies Coffee and Te;, Gail Gastelu, The Tea House Times; Dianna Harbin, certified tea specialist; Beth Johnston, Teas Etc.; Anupa Mueller, Eco-Prima, Inc. and Silver Tips Tea Room; Susan Peterson, Teaberry’s Tea Room;
Thomas Shu, ABC Tea House; Joe Simrany, President, Tea Association of the USA, Inc.; David Walker, Walker Teas and Todd Wickstrom, Rishi Teas.

That's in addition to the ones I have already told you about. It is quite a lineup.

Now, I must have some tea after all those people and ideas to think about. Forte is the signature tea of Tea Forte. Both are pronounced 4 Tay. As in my forte is math. It is billed as "a robust black with a hint of Jasmine". The aroma in the tin is a heavy black with a sharp, not quite floral scent. The leaves are definitely black, with quite a few dried jasmine flowers. I cannot distinguish the scent as that of Jasmine. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water. This one could not go for 5.

The brewing aroma was that of a malty, somewhat earthy tea, with a sweet edge, again, not identifiable. Well, this tea is a disappointment. It is just a plain okay tea with no hint at all of Jasmine. On the redeeming side, it is smooth and medium hearty and takes cream all right, so it's good for breakfast. I also got it on sale. On the whole, I am not taken with Tea Forte teas and except for their Black Current, which is wonderful, I won't be getting any more from them.

Yesterday and today we spent digging huge holes yet again for more of our plants - not many to go and only little ones. Hooray!!!!! I also finished a crocheted scarf for Frank. It is very funny looking - pregnant in some spots, malnourished in others. It wasn't until the end that I figured out how to keep my edges straight. I don't think anything exotic is in my future for yet a while. But I have a simple afghan I started long ago that I will finish. I also discovered why I gave up knitting - it is boring and to to become good at it will require a long time making boring things. I will stick to crocheting. After I finish the stupid scarf I started in knitting.

Meet Me At the World Tea East

2011-09-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

From a press release:

The real ‘tea party’ brings its platform to Philly, Sept. 9 – 10, for World Tea East, featuring Best New Products, Tea Tastings and Educational Opportunities, brought to us by the producers of the renowned World Tea Expo. This new event features 100 innovative manufacturers and suppliers, wonderful new tea products, expert-led educational sessions, focused tea tastings, pairing workshops and other special events for tea professionals, food and beverage manufacturers and decision makers in related industries.

The objective of the exposition is to support and fuel the expanding demand for specialty tea and related products in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States, and to provide solid tea education for the specialty teas' ever-growing popularity.

One noteworthy happening at World Tea East is an interactive art exhibit, called “Reflections in Tea.” Groundbreaking artist Michele Brody, in partnership with World Tea East, offer this one-of-a-kind, hands-on art exhibit, which will provide both hope and financial support to the tea-growing country of Japan. The art exhibit includes the temporary installation of a tea house constructed out of copper pipes with walls of tea-stained tea sacs. Delegates of World Tea East have the opportunity to write a message of hope or prayer on the tea sacs, as a way to offer encouragement to the families and individuals who suffered during the disasters in Japan. Attendees can make a voluntary contribution for each stained tea bag that they transcribe, and proceeds will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. At the conclusion of the show, the tea bags will be transformed into a “Wishing Quilt,” which will be sent as a gift to the residents of the Fukushima Prefecture. What a great idea, those folks could use a morale boost.

World Tea East also provides professionals with numerous opportunities to discover new tea products, optimize merchandise, gain product knowledge and network with peers in an intimate setting. The conference is expected to bring in a high-level audience of buyers and decision makers. As well as some tea bloggers, like Alex Zorach and myself.

There is a lot more to tell you about and I will bring you more tomorrow! Not only am I thrilled to be going, but I will meet up with some tea friends I have only read about. It will be wonderful to attend a tea party without rancor and rhetoric.

September is Here!

2011-09-01T15:24:00.000-04:00

This is the scene from the porch of my great-grandfather's house in Switzerland. I would love to have my morning tea looking at this!

A Happy September 1st to you all.

I happened to catch some reporters on TV asking people in our flooded towns and villages if they were resentful or angry about the help they were/weren't given yet. Obviously these reporters had no clue about small town/ rural life, where people have neighbors who watch out for each other and help each other in time of trouble. We keep track of the elderly and disabled and make sure they are okay. We know about disasters and we do all we can to be prepared. Reporters need to start looking for truth, not try to stir up something bad for a so-called better story. I had best hush up right now.

I was preaching one Sunday after a terrible flash flood. In one church, which wasn't hit too hard, everyone was complaining. In the second one, in which the church was flooded to the rafters, people were thankful that a memento was saved by a neighbor or their crippled child got out in time. What a difference.

I made an apple thingy, with biscuits on top. I was thinking about baked apples, so I added cinnamon, raisins and chopped nuts to the apples and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the topping. Just in time to have some with my tea. I thought a nice Yunnan would go well, so I am having Uptons' ZY85 China Yunnan Golden Tips Imperial. The packet is coated with lovely gold dust and instantly smelled like cocoa, with a spice chaser. Yum. 1.5 teaspoons of the fluffy leaves and buds at 210 degrees for 5 minutes. Yunnans really do well with this extended time.

Umm, wonderful brewing aroma, again with the chocolate and then some sort of wild meadow/forest scent. The liqueur is a medium amber. The taste is originally vegetal, then cocoa and finally spice, with a bit of nuttiness. Mostly the cocoa. It is very good, and plays nicely with cream, which seems to enhance the flavors. It does indeed go well with my apple "thingy"

Woe is I. The farmers' market is just too enticing. It is only when I can only stagger to the car with my load that I realize that I didn't really need 5 pounds of grapes, two pounds of cherries, more squash, another loaf of bread... Oh the list goes on and now what do I do with it all? And there's another one next week, flashing its lovely stuff at me. Oh woe! LOLOLOLOL

Tea and Pears.

2011-08-31T13:31:00.000-04:00

An old chapel and bell tower belonging to the church my Swiss grandmother was baptized in.

A good day for a walk. There are piles and piles and piles of wood chips from our trees. I covet them and will indeed use them as mulch, with lots of high nitrogen fertilizer. We saw a small stand of spotted touch-me-nots too, with their odd orange/yellow/brown flowers, somewhat similar to an individual hanging snapdragon. We even spotted a pretty pink mushroom and some no bigger than my pinky finger nail.

Farmers’ market day again. The local grapes - Concord and Himrod are in, as well as Ginger Gold apples. These are wonderful, but they don’t keep their flavor long and from the grocery stores, they aren’t worth much, so I will enjoy the moment, while I await the Winesaps and Northern Spy which generally arrive in October. We are close to the Cornell University farms and can get all sorts of apples from them. They let you taste before you buy, which is really nice. I got a pair of Alpaca wool socks, too. They are so soft. Amazing what you find at the market - everything from socks to fruits and veggies, flowers and pasture fed beef and chicken.

I also bought some pear nut bread, which I am having with some Pear Spice White Tea from Gay Grace Teas www.gaygraceteas.com . It is organic and contains star anise, helichrysum flowers and pear flavoring. In the packet, it is very pretty, but the tea looks overwhelmed by all the flowers and other bits. It seems some of it is bits of chili pepper. It smells rather medicinal, but also pear-like. It has a sweet taste, with some spice, but not much pear. I think it would appeal mostly to you herbal tea fans. Personally, it is not to my taste, although it seems to go nicely with the bread..

Ah, the Golden End of Summer

2011-08-30T15:51:00.001-04:00

A lovely old stone watering trough in Switzerland.

What a gorgeous sight out my back window. It’s one of those moments in time - there is a soft mist the sun is hitting just right. It looks like the finest gold mesh over everything. It reminds me of one of my favorite paintings at the Smithsonian, where the artist has painted a gauze head covering so fine that the underlying cloth is clearly seen, as well as the gauze. I can tell you exactly where it is, but I don’t remember the name of either the artist or the painting. Typical of me.

It is now afternoon and this is one of those sterling summer days - warm enough, slight breeze, gorgeous sky. I was in trouble again today for not having enough suet out. This time, I got the lecture from Papa Jay. I ‘d rather listen to the Downy, she at least, is quieter and doesn't cal all her aunts and sisters and cousins by the dozen to add to the racket.

It must be heading for fall - the mums are available. I always get ones that are in bud, with only 1 or 2 flowers showing, other wise, they will be over long before it is too cold to have them. Unless I really am brave, they won’t go in this year’s garden - too much digging. I’d rather do roses and berries.

Today’s tea is from Culinary Teas, Darjeeling Soom, Gunpowder - BPS. I don’t know what those letters mean, Soom is the name of the tea estate. It is a black tea, very black, actually, very tightly rolled little pellets that smell of earth and chocolate, with a slightly sour twist at the edge for piquancy. I brew it up for 3.5 minutes with boiling water. Those little pellets sure do expand hugely into leaves that look chopped in half. The aroma is mostly earthy, with a mere hint of chocolate. The brew is a medium amber. It is smooth and medium bodied, with a slight earthiness, but mostly it is just a middle of the road tea, nothing awful, nothing special. However, a bit of cream and a little more cooling and this is a lovely, sweet tea, with indeed, some hints of cocoa. So, I guess I will serve it a bit about 120 degrees and it will come into its own

Can Good Tea Go Rogue?

2011-08-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ho boy, when Tea Forte says something has cinnamon in it, they really mean it.

Even before I got the top of the canister completely off, I was overwhelmed by

the incredibly strong aroma pouring out of it. Vienna Cinnamon is just too much, a prime example of the tea flavorer's imagination gone overboard. It is not as hot as Red Hots candy, but it is as strong. It is also sweet, without any sweetener. It is hard to tell that you are drinking tea. I really don't like this way of flavoring tea. I like plain tea best and if it is flavored, the flavor should be an enhancement or a fillip, not too much of what might have been a good thing. I mixed it with some very plain ice tea and then it was ok. However, I shall comfort myself with some good old PG Tips.

They say good things come in threes. But I ask, do they all have to come at

once? I am going to the World Tea Expo East, going to visit friends I haven't seen in too long and I signed up for the Master Gardener Program classes. They are starting before I return from Philadelphia, so I miss the first session. Phoo.

I have wanted to take this course to become a Master Gardener, for a very long time, but there never was one when I could take it. It is a longish course covering a whole host of things gardeners need to know. I am really thrilled to be able to do it.

Very locally we did not suffer from the wind and rain of Irene - just a bad storm here. However, a little east of us several towns and villages were flooded and I know that many more in the path of the storm had a lot of damage. Thankfully, it was not as bad as anticipated, although I am not sure that matters to those who lost loved ones . They have all my sympathy and whatever help I can give.

A Visit To Darjeeling

2011-08-27T14:45:00.002-04:00

These beautiful windows were buried and hidden during WWII. I am glad, as they are very beautiful in all their 90 foot tall splendor.

Yesterday we had a huge platter of corn for lunch, with the first of our own tomatoes. The platter reminded me of summer meals at my grandmother's when my cousins were home and there would be 10-15 people for lunch or dinner, with big platters of corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and what ever else was on the menu that day. Such good times. Lots of political and religious discussions. Never sex, not in that WASP household! The discussions were often loud, someone was always "dead wrong", but respectfully so. You learned to stick up for yourself. Today we had fried green tomatoes and corn pudding. I do love summer food, that sense of great abundance, made better when it comes from your own garden, or the famers' market.

It is warm and quite humid today, as we await Hurricane Irene, reminding me of the weather in India. So, I thought it very appropriate to have an Indian tea today. This is from the Silver Tips Tea Company, http://www.silvertipstea.com/ in Tarrytown, NY. It comes from the new Steepster Select program. It is Makaibari First Flush Darjeeling and indeed, is loaded with silver tips amongst the black and brown, smallish leaves. In the packet, they smell quite peppery. I follow directions and brew them with boiling water for three minutes, hoping they are right. I have often found that first flush teas do better with shorter time and cooler water. For those of you new to tea, first flush refers to the first new growth of leaves after the winter hiatus. Akin to new dandelion greens, the first radish, the first baby lettuces. It is often the most highly prized of all the teas.

A lot of the pepper dissipated with the brewing, but it is there with a faint vegetal aroma and something like roasted tomatoes. The liquor is a pleasant golden amber, just a few shades darker than our Bertie, the long-hair. Ooh, good tea, a taste of citrus, some pepper, definite green. An excellent first flush. Often firsts are too astringent or too lacking in body for me, but this has only the slightest astringency, which is the citrus, and the body of the tea is full and round. However, as it cools, it does develop a bit more astringency, so I would either make this one cup at a time or fiddle with the time and water temp, so it is good to the last drop.

Tea is a very individual drink and we all have to play with it a bit to find what we consider the optimum. We should use the company's guidelines first, and then adjust them to suit ourselves, as we gain experience.

If you are new to tea and want to expand your horizons, drink a lot of tea. Experiment, see what you really like. Fool around with your teas until you know what you like. I have found keeping a notebook helps and then I can go back and get more of what I really like. Trade tea with your friends. I have found that good companies like Simpson and Vail, Harney and Sons, Tea Trekker, Life in Teacup, Upton's and others have samples or sell by the ounce, so that for not too much money, you can try a wide variety of teas. Buy a good filter for your water or use something like Poland Spring bottled water to make your tea, it makes a difference.

The Calm BeforeThe Storm

2011-08-26T15:27:00.001-04:00

This is a view of our house from our next door neighbors back porch. To the left is our porch and little garden; just barely discernible from the roof peak is a rainbow. You see we are pretty well surrounded by woods.

The Bon Teavant blog http://bonteavant.com/ has a brief video of women tea pickers in Dong Ding. I think it is in Wednesdays article. Those ladies are fast! Thanks to them we have some wonderful teas to drink. Actually, most tea pickers are women, with men usually handling the processing.

It is a mixed weather day here, with sun and clouds and a good bit of warmth. I need to go out and bring in anything that high wind might carry off. I guess I’ll leave the bird feeders out until tomorrow evening. I just don’t want to get drenched bringing everything in.

Today I am baking bread and I am so pleased by how high the loaves have risen. I guess this batch of yeast is a bit more sprightly than the last. I am also making a peach and raspberry tart. I had to go by the farmers market again today and…

That tart will go nicely with my latest tea tasting - the Earl of Bengal from Teatulia. This company is a single garden, organic tea estate in Assam, selling directly to the States. I really like this tea. It is definitely a malty Assam, with a very pleasant hit of citrus. Not really a bergamot, just citrus. It is very smooth and a bit rich. Sweetener brings out the citrus a bit and milk seems to go ok, too.

Bohea For Me

2011-08-24T14:31:00.000-04:00

There it is, the Swiss flag.

My, it has been an interesting day or two. Yesterday’s earthquake - ok, West Coasters, we’re wimps. Want a tornado? Hurricane? It did not get this far north. Only once have I experienced an earthquake and it was very mild and interesting.

Today Libyans are claiming their freedom. Yay Libya! Learn to govern well. I will toast them with tea! And a good one it is, as the original tea called by this name was the tea the Colonists dumped in Boston Harbor in protest about “No taxation without representation”, the beginning of our struggles for freedom. It is Bohea, which I believe is pronounced to rhyme with tea. At that time, it was quite cheap and not of good quality. Not so today.

My particular cup is Bohea Imperial Organic, from Upton Teas, ZK72. It is a hand processed Congou from Fujian Province, China. The leaves are on the small side, very dark, twisted and smelling of smoke. Not as much as good Lapsang, but more than some may be comfortable with. I brewed it for 4.5 minutes with water at 212 degrees. A great deal of the smoke dissipated , leaving a clean milky aroma. The liquor is a pleasant medium amber.

Umm, what a good tasting tea. It is very mouth filling, smooth, with baked or roasted veggie elements. There is that hint of smoke, much modified from the aroma. There is also a hint of cocoa, in the way that cocoa often rounds out flavors. It actually is a rather delicate, rather than hearty tea, suitable for afternoon tea. You might also try it with a bleu cheese, as I know Lapsang Souchang is good that way.

It is very windy today and I hear tell we may get a hurricane tail by Sunday. Last time that happened, I acquired my sweet Orphan Andy cat. The one before I had to grab my youngest as he sailed by, nearly blown off the porch. We had no power for a week. One of our neighbors had a gas stove so our little cul-de-sac had a lot of communal meals. We all got together and played games and had a good time, since there wasn’t anything else we could do. I just hope we don’t lose any more trees. Enough already.

Slow Food and Slow Tea

2011-08-23T11:30:00.001-04:00

This is a picture that was all cut out with scissors. It is only about a foot square. It is an Old World craft, although I am sure it is also practised here in the USA.

It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood; warm, sunny, bright blue sky, great day to be out and about. My jaw no longer hurts from the tooth extraction and I can have hot tea today! The only real question is which?

Another flavored tea. I am trying to get through them and I am sorry I got whimsical and ordered so many. I really prefer plain teas, they have enough different flavors and are generally better teas. This one is Morning Meadow, from Blue Raven Teas. It is a green tea, with nice big leaves and it does indeed smell like all outdoors, with lots of additions, the clearest being dried apple pieces. It smells a bit of anise, pine, floral, apple - too much to clearly identify.

I brewed it up for about 2 minutes with 180 degree water. The resulting liquor is kind of an olive gold and smells like jasmine! And that is just what it tastes like - jasmine that is on the sweet side. No anise, pine or apple. Quel Surprise!

Alex Zorach’s blog - see at right - has a good article today on the Slow Food Movement, which I heartily endorse. Even when I was working and had kids we felt home cooked meals, together, were important. There is so much help these days from people like Rachel Ray and many others on the Food Channel and in magazines, so we can cook fast, but good and take the time to appreciate the food and each other.

As Alex said, this can apply to tea as well: taking the time to appreciate what we are drinking. Most of the time, I do that, savoring the dry leaves, the aroma, the pots and cups, the taste. I like knowing where my tea comes from, how it is made, who makes it (if possible). Sometimes, my brain is too full of other things and I just don’t care. There is room for both, but I am in trouble if the latter is always the case. Speaking from a life that is closer to the end, rather than the beginning - life isn’t worth much unless you appreciate its components. Tea time can be a brief time in your day that allows you to do just that.

If you are into herbal teas, there is a good article on the Herb Gardener’s Blog http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/ . It is about harvesting the herbs, but I am sure you could look them up on the blog and find a wealth of information. Be prepared, the top logo is a large snail.

Teeth Picked Tea

2011-08-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

It is certainly possible to find tea news in odd places. The News of the Weird column in Funny Times newspaper had this one. The historic Jiuhua Mountain Tea Plantation in Gushi, Henan Province, China has promised to hire 10 virgins, without scars or blemishes to pick tea in a special way. They are to do this using their teeth and dropping the leaves into small baskets tied around their necks. The reason for this is that this specially handled tea would bring prosperity and cure disease. The women are to be paid an unheard of $80 a day. (source, The London Mail) I wonder if this is really true? I wonder how much the tea would cost? Surely more than I would pay.

Fall is truly coming, now the day insects are doing their end of summer songs. The sound of the chain saw and axe is heard, as people get their wood ready for winter burning. The trees on the hills are no longer super green, but are shifting towards their autumn colors. Nights are cool, there is morning fog. I am partly excited - I love fall, but a little sad, as I love summer’s produce. This morning I made more pesto from our basil and picked some tomatoes. Next year I really have to treat them better. I am beginning to think about soups and stews instead of tomato salad.

I made a watermelon and feta salad last night, with orange mint and lime juice - the essence of summer. The watermelon was a really super tasty one. Ice tea with it on the porch and it was lovely. Orange mint has such a nice intense flavor. It is good in Indian raitas and makes an excellent addition to a tea you might want to jazz up a bit. I am going to dry some for winter. Our attic is perfect - too hot to breathe and good air circulation. We also have chocolate mint, which is another good tea jazzer upper. They are both pretty plants, but can be aggressive. I am sort of using them as ground covers, because I got tired of digging in our awful soil.

Report on Tao of Tea’s Ginger Peach as ice tea. It’s not much. Maybe I should have doubled the amount of tea as they suggest, but I don’t like strong ice tea. This was just cold from the fridge - no ice, but it just tasted blah, with a tiny hint of maybe the ginger. Oh well, I liked it hot.

That is my entire tea report for the day - I had a tooth out and can’t drink anything hot. So, of course, I am dying for a cup of tea. Going to the dentist - my favorite thing. NOT

Peachy Keen

2011-08-21T17:15:00.002-04:00

I am so excited. I just got my tea shipment from Steepster Select’s new monthly program, along with a nice, new infuser, suitable for a small pot or cup. The teas are Ginger Peach from The Tao of Tea, Dragon Pearl Jasmine from Red Blossom Tea Company and Makaibari First Flush Darjeeling from Silver Tips Tea. I am additionally pleased by their shredded paper packing, clear directions for each tea, a small blurb about each, and I have not had tea from any of these companies, so this will be another new journey for me.

Tea is so infinitely fascinating. There are so many varieties, so many sources and processes. The you can drink it hot or cold, cook with it, bake with it, dye your clothes (or leave a big blob on them), dye your hair, clean your carpet, mulch your garden, use it as a room deodorizer, the list goes on and on. You could live to be 100 and not finish with all you can do with tea. And it’s good for you. So much from one plant. Not to mention the flowers are pretty.

I decided to try the Ginger Peach first, as it is billed as being good for ice tea and that appeals to me in this muggy weather. It is from Fujian China, via Tao of Tea nd Steepster, as I mentioned. First, I am going to have it hot, made with boiling water and infusing it for 5 minutes - see how brave I am getting - actually leaving behind my 3.5 minutes! The black leaves are on the small side, with many, many pieces of dried peach, ginger and flower petals. It smells decidedly subtly peach, with the sharpness of ginger, but so well done, it took a while for me to realize this was ginger.

I found this to be an excellent blend. I could taste the tea, which was accented with the peach and ginger, not overwhelmed by them. It is a surprisingly light tea, smooth as silk. I will report to you tomorrow about how it is as ice tea.

Rosemary of http://www.therosemaryhouse.blogspot.com/ has kindly reminded me of another tea farm in Hawaii, Mauna Kea Teas. They are all organic and only raise about 50 lbs. of tea a year, which she says is delicious. I went to their web site and was impressed by some of their “Tea Talk” articles. Some day, I may try some of their teas, but I need to deal with what I have first.

Flowers For Tea

2011-08-20T10:53:00.001-04:00

Oh Boy! As many of you know, while I love tea, I also love espresso. Today we hit the local coffee shop, which also carries our local teas from the Briar Patch. I had a super drink/dessert - Affogato - emphasize the f’ and t, so it doesn’t sound like avocado. It’s ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over. So delicious. I would bet you could do that with a number of black teas and it would be excellent!

If you want to jazz up a tea party, you might consider turning it into a mystery. At http://www.mysteryteaparties.com/ you can either download or order print copies of directions for all you need to do one. There is a big selection and it really looks like a fun thing to do. A second idea I have seen is Teago or Tea Time Bingo, where things associated with tea are used instead of numbers to play a Bingo like game. Check it out at http://www.teatimebingo.com/ .

Did you know that Dartmouth College serves tea every day? Yup, it’s been happening there for over 80 years and everyone on campus is free to drop in. It is served in the English department’s library. Robert Frost once sipped here. A professor and librarian of the college, Edwin David Sanborn, started the tradition by inviting students to his home for tea and literary discussions. His son bequeathed money to build the English department and library, specifically with a tiny kitchen in which to prepare tea, plus funds for the purchase of tea and cookies, which has been happening since 1929. Students are the tea hosts and it is all very informal, but the tea is loose, cups and saucers and lemon slices abound. I think other schools should follow their example.

Today's tea is really a tisane, that is, it does not come from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. It is Globe Amaranth from Fuzhou, China. I purchased it in our local Chinese grocery. Globe Amaranth is very familiar to gardeners who raise the flowers for dried arrangements and potpourri. This version is the purpley pink one and it looks a lot like clover. Most of the flowerheads are intact and give off a slightly tangy fragrance.

I brewed the tisane twice, following instructions to use water at about 200 degrees for 3 minutes the first time and 4 the second. The first infusions was a very pale pink, with a mild vegetable scent. The taste was also mild, sharp, a little sweet and vaguely floral, quite pleasant. The second brew was definitely more pink, with a medicinal smell. It was mostly sharp, like a mild soft hibiscus.

Globe Amaranth is considered a health tea and is used to prevent aging, stop coughs and asthma, help the liver and is good for the skin. I often wonder how one herb can cover such a wide variety of bodily functions. I think it would be a nice drink, pretty to look at. I am not a lot into herbal medicine, although I am intrigued by it. The multiple, often very different, properties claimed for them tends to put me off.

Tea and Clover, With Shortbread on the Side.

2011-08-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

This is a house sided with stones. It is in a tiny remote village in the

Palatine region of Germany, from which some of my ancestors

emigrated.

Hooray, hooray! My clover is sprouting. This is the fastest that has happened. I guess the old tea really helped, in spite of a huge downpour. Thanks, Alex! Another use for tea is to compost it directly on your garden and house plants. I water the latter in the winter with leftover tea quite often and they seem to enjoy it. Most plants like things a bit on the acid side. It’s not tea, but roses love coffee grounds and ground up banana peel. I knew a man with wonderful roses who made the rounds of our town’s restaurants to collect coffee grounds for them.

It’s a beautiful morning, all misty and golden. A perfect morning for Golden Monkey from Teas Etc. This is a black organic tea from China. There are lots of gold buds and dust around these long, twisted leaves. They smell of tobacco, with a sharp, spice and fruit component. I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water. The golden amber liquid gave off an aroma of fresh wash, with a really zingy spicy, floral edge.

After all this, I was really expecting something super. Alas, it was not to be. The tea did not live up to its heralding and was quite bland, with nothing in the way of nuances. However, all was not lost. I did not finish it and when I sipped some of the cold tea it had a pleasant, woodsy, sweet taste. So perhaps this is one that is better served iced.

If you like shortbread with your tea, you might want to try McDuffie’s, from central New York. It is at least as good as Walkers and about ½ the price. (9 ounces is $3.99) Go to http://www.mcduffies.com/ for stores or ordering on line. The owners are shirttail relatives of mine. If they were named McTaggert, I’d still recommend them, the shortbread is excellent.

Oh dear, one of our fur persons is too smart and demanding. (Of course he's not spoiled.) He has figured out where I keep the catnip and that the cupboard door won’t quite close and so he gets it open and drags out the container, crying piteously for me to give him some. He now tries that twice a day. But I am mean and nasty and concerned for his health, so he only gets it a few times a week.

A Lifetime of Achievement

2011-08-18T09:01:00.001-04:00

The entrance to a church in Ravenna, Italy, filled with beautiful mosaics.

The World Tea East has just announced its debut Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement award winner - John Harney. John is receiving this award for his huge contributions to tea, in education, mentoring and innovation. He is respected and revered by the tea world. He and his two sons own Harney and Sons Tea, which operates out of Millerton, NY. No one deserves this more.

Today has gone nicely. I found some miniature roses for only 99 cents each. Even better was finding my new Tea Taster’s Journal by Elaine E. Terman of Wild Orchid Teas. I had seen this on another blog, which I cannot remember the name of. I am very pleased with it and even more pleased that Elaine sent me 3 samples of tea to begin my book! There is a short history of tea, and explanation of the different types, a discussion of tisanes and brewing and tasting guides for both. And…there is room for notes on up to 3 infusions, as well as room for other notes, all in a compact 9x5 inch book. Can you tell I like it?

So, here I am, trying one of Elaine’s generous samples. It is Vithanakanda OP1, from Ceylon. The dry leaves are large, twisted, black, with a good tea smell. I brewed it up in my newest tea pot - a small 4 cup from the Salvation Army - you can find such good stuff there; 3.5 minutes with boiling water, a biggish teaspoon per cup, as the leaves are large. It brews up to a fairly light amber, having that good-wash-on-the line scent I associate with fresh Ceylon tea. It has a deep woodsy taste, reminds me of tree bark in the sun. There is a bit of honey there as well. Even with that woodsiness, this is by no means a heavy tea. It is light and refreshing.

The current issue of Tea, A Magazine just arrived and I must say, this is a good one. There is a lengthy article about “The Men of Tea” and many other things related to men and tea. At last year’s World Tea Expo in Las Vegas it was noticed by many that there is a large growing interest in tea among younger men. Hooray, keep those generations coming!

Wonderful, Wonderful

2011-08-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

For the moment I learned how to put a picture up from email, no telling if I will forget again. I thought you might like to see who is doing all this yakking about tea. Yeah, I have mostly white hair. Does it count if I am really 29 inside? Actually, I am content to be who I am, where I am and the age I am. The yard behind me is ours, the trees are the ones I often talk about being back lit at night or in the morning.

Aah, Yunnan, you have such lovely teas! And I have found another super one. Just the aroma makes me feel happy and excited. This gem is China Yunnan Spiral Buds, from Upton Teas, ZY78. Upon opening the packet, I was hit with a deep sweet, spicy scent and lovely tightly curled golden buds, coated with gold dust. I was brave and brewed it for the recommended 5 minutes and was rewarded with some super tea.

The brewing tea first struck me as smelling of baked sweet potatoes, then spicy and a tad metallic. The tea tasted very initially of green banana and then settled into a spicy, earthy sweet mouthful, with a bit of copper and some vegetable floating over it.. The taste lingers and each sip enhances it. Wonderful, wonderful.

The red bellied woodpeckers have a second family and one is almost an albino, its markings are such a faint gray. Hopefully it will darken with age. Currently it’s coming to the suet feeder and wanting the father to feed it, but the father is trying to get it to be more independent. A noisy process.

I bought a small flat of basil that I am going to try to winter over. We have excellent windows for this, if we have sunshine. Last winter we had lots and it was wonderful. The year before was quite gray. I have learned how to water the orchids I bought and I must say they are now doing really well, sending out new shoots, blooming away. Outside the back porch, the clethera/summer sweet is in bloom and it smells so fine - a perfect accompaniment to meals. It is covered with baby bumble bees. I wish they were honey bees. We need our honey bees.

Don't forget the World Tea East, coming to Philadelphia Sept 11 and 12. Jane Pettigrew will be there, along with Bruce Richardson. On Thursday, there will be a "Around the World Tea Tasting". It will be on the expensive side, but it is all day and covers an awful lot of teas, all of which will be top-notch. Please go to http://www.worldteaeast.com/ and check out the offerings. I hope to see you there!

White or Green?

2011-08-16T08:42:00.001-04:00

I am feeling a little proud of myself. I was reading Alex Zorach’s article on uses for tea on http://www.ratetea.net/ and went out and did one. We have an awful lawn and whenever the weather is right, I sow some clover on it, hoping it will someday look halfway decent. He suggested using tea as mulch for new seeding and so, I cleaned out all the tea that is too old or that we hate and sprinkled it on top of the clover seed. Since it is slowly drizzling today and tomorrow is also calling for rain, I am hoping this will be productive.

I have also decided to relearn knitting and crocheting. And to that end got a couple of very simple books and so far, I have knitted a piece about 4x5”. Slow going. I had such a hard time figuring out how to cast on. I think this book's method is a particularly odd one for that task. We’ll see.

Let’s move on to tea, at least I can boil water. Or, this case, bring it to 180 degrees. I am having White Monkey Green, from the puriTea. It originally hails from the Taimu Mountains of Fujian Province, China.
I used 1 tsp. in 180 degrees water for 2 minutes. I used a small glass teapot, so I could watch the leaves do their up and down dance as they unfurled. The dry leaves smelled like alfalfa. They were kind of chunky green leaves, obviously not processed too much. The brewing tea smelled very springy green, but also of nice, ripe pears. The liquor was a very light gold. The tea in my cup was sweet and mild, with a bit of spice and fruit and a tinge of grassiness, but pleasantly so. The finish had a bit of astringency, which I thought just added a very pleasant nuance to this delightful cup.

More signs of the ending of summer - Purple Loosestrife is blooming; a few maples are beginning to shift from green to yellow; the evening insects are now very noisy and their noise is that of the close of the season. Purple Loosestrife is a tall, spiky plant with soft purple pink flowers. It is very pretty, but very invasive, choking out other native plants in small waterways. I am sad to see some summer things go, but I always welcome fall. Cooler temperatures will be very welcome for many people this year.

It's a Blog Carnival!

2011-08-15T07:44:00.002-04:00

Some tea professionals who keep track of trends have noticed that tea drinkers are no longer content to just savor their tea, they want to know all about it. To that end, Adagio Teas http://www.adagio.com/ has started a new endeavor- Adagio Roots Campaign - highlighting certain teas and the farmers who grow and process them. They are doing this in conjunction with the folks who are part of the Association of Tea Bloggers http://www.teabloggers.com/ . It is such a privilege to be able to not only try some top notch tea, but share, however briefly, in the lives of these dedicated people who bring us one of life’s true delights. At Adagio stores, there will be pre-addressed postcards for customers to write directly to the showcased farmers, which is a really nice, encouraging touch - good idea, Adagio!

The ATB is a great group of folk for whom tea is special and we want to share that with as many of you as we possibly can. We range from specialists in Pu‘erh or Oolongs to generalists like me. Some of us do very well-researched and thought-provoking articles about important issues related to tea. We review books and accessories, tea and teapots. We try to bring the news of the tea world to your computers. Today, all of us want all of you to join us and Adagio in celebrating the life and tea of Huang Jian Lin. So, we are having a Carnival, in which a group of us all write about the same subject. The address of the others is at the bottom of this blog.

Huang Jian Lin’s tea is Pi Lo Chun, from Dongting, Jiangsu, Fujian Province, China. It is a green tea, loaded with lovely silvery buds. Jian Lin started working in tea when he was about 20 and that has been his only job. In fact, tea is his life, as it is the life of many of those in his area. His home town is ideally suited to the production of this particular tea as it is in the shadow of a mountain and on the shore of a lake. This provides an ideal micro-climate and Pi Lo Chun is grown here to the exclusion of all other teas, so it receives extravagant, personalized care.

Like all true gardeners, Jian Lin is thrilled to see the final product, to hold it in his hands, to feel and smell the reward of all those hours of labor. I feel the same way when I finally have the first pesto of the season, or the first gorgeous daylily blooms. It makes the work and the wait all worthwhile. Even worth that bane of all gardeners around the world, weeding, which is Jian Lin’s most hated task, as he does it all by hand, so as not to harm the tea plants. As you may imagine, it is very slow, time-consuming work.

Pi Lo Chun can only be picked in the early spring, starting about 8 am, according to Jian Lin. It is hand-picked and hand-processed from start to finish. Jian Lin recommends 1 heaping teaspoon per cup, 180 degrees for 2 minutes. He further says this should be brewed in a glass cup, with no lid, so as to give it the honor it is due, as well as more air for the brewing. In addition, you can watch the leaves unfurl and dance about, which is a joy. I have a glass one cup tea pot I am going to use, without the lid. By the way, Gingko, from Life in Teacup also recommends this way of brewing.

In the packet it smells fresh green and springy, almost floral. Whilst brewing it has a definite meaty aroma, paired with asparagus.. The tea liquor is very full-bodied, very spring green with hints of floral. The leaves are small and tender. The tea seems somewhat hearty and savory for a green tea, but also delicate and sweet, with floral touches at the end. It seems to have the very essence of Spring.

Please go and visit my colleagues in this endeavor. Black Dragon Tea Bar, http://www.blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/ , Gongfu Girl http://www.gongfugirl.com/ , Leaf Joy, http://www.leafjoy.com/ ,Notes on Tea, http://www.notesontea.blogspot.com/ ,Tea Pages, http://www.teapages.blogspot.com/ The Tea Enthusiasts Scrapbook, http://www.theteaenthusiastsscrapbook.com/ , That Pour Girl http://www.thatpourgirltea.com/ and Walker Tea Review http://www.walkerteareview.com/ . You’ll find a wide range of articles about Adagio, Jian Lin and tea. Enjoy! I would also invite you to look through these blogs for more information on all things tea.

Take Me Out To The Tea Farm

2011-08-12T08:38:00.000-04:00

Did you know there was a tea plantation in Alabama? Neither did I. And there is one in Washington that produces green tea? Neither did I. However, I was looking at Laura Childs’ website and there they are!

Fairhope Tea Plantation got its start when Donnie Barrett rescued three tea plants from a tea research station that was destroyed by Hurricane Frederick in the 1960’s. These stations had been run by Lipton when the loss of China’s tea was threatened at that time. He now has about 20,000 bushes and produces about 50 -100 pounds of tea a year. You can purchase this tea at http://www.churchmouse.com/ , a gift shop in Alabama. If you are in the area of Fairhope, you can visit.

On the other side of the country, the Sakuma Brothers Farm, near Burlington, Washington http://shop.sakumabros.com/ has been growing tea for ten years. They sell white, green and Oolong. Their white tea was reviewed on Teaviews http://www.teaviews.com/ and received a very high rating.

Hopping across the ocean brings us to tea farms in Hawaii, of which there are at least three. One well-known one is Big Island Tea http://www.bigislandtea.com/. They produce organic, artisan teas.

You all have read here about Roy Fong of the Imperial Tea Court starting a tea farm in California and there are people starting one in British Columbia, Canada. It is really exciting to think of all these new ventures in the tea world. We may not rival India and China in metric tons, but it looks like North America is carving out its own little tea niche.

At the World Tea East, Lisa Boalt Richardson is giving an introduction to tea as part of the educational wing of the conference. Beth Johnson, the founder of Teas Etc. will be doing some tastings of black teas. Pearl Dexter from Tea Magazine, will be speaking about the history of tea in America. Jane Pettigrew is leading a tasting of pu’erh teas. In addition, the president of the American Tea Association will also be lecturing. And that is less than half of the speakers. Pretty exciting stuff!

On the Tea Caravan Route

2011-08-11T16:42:00.000-04:00

Swiss Covered bridge #2

It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood. The sun is shining, the sky is beautiful, there’s a breeze and it is cool enough to work in the garden. Summer is drawing ever onward towards fall, however. The acorns are in a second drop, the Great Mullein is forming seeds and the milkweed pods are getting fat. Did you know you can use milkweed fluff like down, to insulate clothing? True. Of course, there could be a real problem with it getting wet.

Another indicator of summer ending is the teasels are all hardening up and turning brown. This is a form of thistle and is common to the British Isles and probably many other countries. Sheep farmers in Scotland would use them to “tease” the wool to get out burrs and other dirt before it was spun and woven. There is a very old English song about this but I only know a word or two of it.

It is a perfect day for a nice cup of hot tea. I was going to try a Lapsang Souchong I have, but the smoke was too overwhelming for my mood and perhaps my person in general. So I am having some of Blue Raven’s Fruity Russian Caravan instead. This is named for the teas that would go overland, along the horse/camel caravan route, from China to Russia, taking 18 months to arrive at their destination. Along the way, the tea would be subjected to many campfires, which is why it usually has a whiff of smoke. I was immediately struck by the scent - plums, smoke and good China tea. The smoke was only a mere lick, not a bit overwhelming. I brewed up the attractive brown leaves for about 3.5 minutes with boiling water and further enjoyed the lovely aroma, hoping the tea would also be as pleasant.

I am so pleased. This is a very nice tea. You can taste the good blend of teas that are enhanced with the plum flavor. It is as if they were made to go together. You know I don’t say that lightly, as I am generally not a fruity tea person. Maybe I should say I wasn’t, because I am finding more good blends, where the tea is first and the flavors are a grace note. This is a tea that should be drunk on its own, without milk and sugar. The milk adds nothing and I think sweetener would kick up the plum so it would be out of balance. I should note that thanks to modern means of transport, there is no whiff of sweaty animals or humans to spoil this delicious brew.

Tea With Tiny Tyrants

2011-08-10T09:41:00.000-04:00

This is a scene from the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas last spring that we will see repeated in just a few weeks in Philadelphia at the World Tea East. MarketSpice is one of the many vendors who will be there showing off their wares. Can you tell I am excited to be going? I am like one of those wind-up dolls you can't turn off. The photo is by Albert Chau.

Even so, this is a big deal. So many of the larger tea events have taken place out West, especially in areas like Seattle, Portland and San Francisco that it is exciting to have this be in the East again. It is an affordable journey for many of us and an affordable business expense for the small business owner.

It was incredibly beautiful out back last night. The sky was a luminous silver tinged with gold and there was a mist behind the green/black of the trees, all seen through a silver sheen of rain. A moment in time, gone in less than a minute, when it all became just regular.

All you fans of Laura Childs’ teashop mystery series now have a tea to go with at least one of her books (Blood Orange Brewing). Today I am brewing Wegmans’ Blood Orange Black tea. It’s been going for 4 minutes at just under a boil and smells wonderful. Makes me wish I had made scones.

The dry leaves are small and dark brown, enlivened by bright orange peel and what looks like some of the inner orange as well. Perhaps it will whisper secrets to the inner me. I guess I am being made silly by all the noisy machines we have around here, now including driveway pavers. Always something new in the neighborhood.

Back to the tea, which smells as luscious in my cup as it did in the pot. It is a very attractive golden amber. Oh my, it is good. None of the harshness or odd tingliness that can come from some flavorings. Just an honest to goodness orange. A wee bit bitter, which to me is blood orange. Perfect with some dark chocolate or a blueberry muffin or some pecan sticky buns. Maybe a great way to wake up as well. Very well done flavoring.

Having said that I must say that it was not until I added cream that I could taste the tea base. So there I was with a liquid tea flavored Creamsicle. Pretty good actually. They should market these for adults. I also discovered the orange flavor lasted a little too long after I was done with it. I just wish the tea base were a little more forward. Otherwise, as good as this is, it is a waste of tea when all you can taste is the flavor.

Gosh, nothing like making myself hungry. A walk will help.

The blue chicory is making clouds along the roadsides, punctuated by the tall brown of some unknown weed, and the little yellow flowers of butter-and-eggs, which we loved as children. The daisies are gone, but the brown eyed susans are flourishing. There are still a few white clusters of wild roses in the woods and the reeds have nice fat brown seed heads.

This morning I was thinking about filling the suet feeders when along came a tiny downy woodpecker. They are usually quiet souls, giving a sharp chirp now and then, but this little girl - no red on her head - let loose a long loud tirade about how I’d best get right out there and feed her. Such a lot of noise from such a tiny being, who only weighs about 2 ounces. Once the suet was out, peace was restored until the ever-noisy jays arrived. They, however, are a bit shy of the red-bellied woodpeckers, who are bigger and have a really, really BIG bill.

Bengals for Breakfast

2011-08-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

Sustainability fans, Rejoice! Tea Tulia Teas, grown in Northern Bangladesh is organic, from its single garden cooperative to its totally recyclable and compostable packaging. They work to create “sustainable prosperity for Bangladeshi women, men and children through education, entrepreneurship, health and cattle-lending programs.” I had heard of them and wanted to give them a fair trial. Feeling cheap at the moment, I only bought small packets of tea bags. I still got a free sample, which I am now having - Bengal Breakfast. Each triangular sachet is made from corn and holds enough real leaf tea - not fannings or CTC for 2 cups of tea. Actually, I think if you took it out of the bag, it would do three.

As you might imagine Bengal Breakfast is an English Breakfast type. It has a very pleasant dry aroma, with a definite hint of citrus, along with the Assam. I brewed it for 3 minutes at 210 degrees. It continued with a lovely slight citrus, slight floral aroma. In the cup, it is a fairly light amber. It is a fine tea, pleasantly malty, but not heavily so and the citrus and flower are right there, though a bit more muted. An excellent tea.

For breakfast, I had their Black Tea, which is a somewhat stronger version of the Breakfast. I didn't find it as pleasant, but it is a decent cup of tea. By the way, one sachet will make 3 cups, but they're weak. It does indeed, do fine for 2.

Another way of recycling I discovered on the back of Tea Time Magazine. Perhaps you have broken the last cup of Great-Aunt Harriet's set and you are are heart broken. Don't despair completely, but contact the good folks at Vintage Revival, http://www.vintagerevival.com/ and they can take the pieces to make you some very pretty jewelry from it. My Gramma 'Duffee, who was not artistic, would, however, save bits of broken china from things she loved and glue them in pretty patterns on plain white dishes and hang those on the wall. I wish my uncle has offered them to us, I would have loved them.

I have been checking out the vendors at World Tea East and there is such a variety. There are the commercial ones for people in business,, but there are also folks selling tea themed clothing, at least 2 book publishers and several tea accessory sellers. There are many classes to take and I will describe more of them for you tomorrow.

World Tea East Coming to Philadelphia!

2011-08-08T09:30:00.001-04:00

Theat looks like a path I'd like to take - perhaps to Heidi's Grandfather's House and then up into the mountains...

World Tea East is coming up Sept. 9-10 at the Philadelphia Convention center.There is still time to sign up to go, especially if you are a tea business owner or planning to be one.

The purpose of this Expo is to support and fuel the expanding demand for specialty teas along the Eastern Seaboard and westward. The organizers are planning to provide some solid tea education and have about 14 seminars planned, as well as certification courses by the Specialty Tea Institute. There will be over a 100 leading manufacturers and suppliers present and there are at least 100 new products and teas being shown off.

The newbies that really caught my eye were Pu'Erh dessert teas - remember Pu'Erh does really well with chocolate; Rooibos espresso - this one was a bit of a stretch for me; Guayusa, an Amazonian tea/tisane in use for centuries; a floating basket for making ice tea - gotte get me one of those and lots of other goodies. I can see this will be a severe test of will power.

There will be lots of well-known tea folk there - Bruce Richardson and The Harneys are among them. Ajiri teas, who give their profits to the orphans of Kenya so they can get an education, will be there and I intend to see them, both to complement them on their tea and prizewinning packaging and for their good works.

For me, just being back in one of my favorite cities is a plus. We'll be staying with a friend in South Philly, near the Italian market district, oh yum. The convention center is merely a hop from Chinatown and only a slightly larger hop from my favorite gelato place in the USA. It will certainly be dessert on the way home. If only I will be able to make up my mind! Their very best creation is the darkest chocolate I've ever seen.

The ole tum is still not up for tea, so I'm not trying anything new , or old, for that matter. If you want to eamil me, the address is the title of this blog, nospacesatyahoodotcom.

Growing Herbs for Tea and Tisanes

2011-08-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Wood pile and mountains near Darstetten, Switzerland.

I have some sort of stomach bug, so I am not having much in the way of tea these days. Mostly just ginger or peppermint, both of which are good for the old tum. Both are a nice addition to regular tea as well. Ginger is good if you are prone to motion sickness and both can sweeten you breath. And you can grow both of them easily. Peppermint grows so easily it can become invasive and really only requires a moderately sunny spot. It roots easily in water, so a sprig from a friend's plant will put you in business.

Ginger is a tiny bit more difficult as you need to find some that has fresh looking buds on it. You plant this in a pot with some soil that has a high proportion of sand, water well and give it dappled sun. You can grow it outside, but it must come in at the first hint of cold. Go over to http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/ for more complete directions. I don't have any at the moment, but I have grown this before and it is quite simple.

My lemongrass, another ingredient in herbal tisanes or addition to regular teas, is not doing superbly well. One of the furpersons, Bert the Brat, has eaten far too much of it. It also is in poor soil. Soon I will be transplanting a number of my plants and this will definitely get some better soil and hopefully, some safety from this little marauder. This is another plant you can almost get for free if you have an Asian market nearby. Just look for shoots with roots attached, take them home and plant them. Or check out your farmers market. Mine has at least 2 people selling nice big plants for about $7.

Borage is not exactly a tea herb, but it has beautiful blue flowers that are edible and can add some pizazz to either ice or hot tea. The have a very slight cucumber taste. The leaves can be added to tea sandwiches or salad, as can the flowers. It reseeds itself with joyful abandon.

Pineapple sage does indeed smell like pineapple and has the same mild taste. This is a big fellow, but is so useful. It makes a tasty herbal tea and if you use it's pretty red flowers, which have a sweet taste, it is a lovely color. Again, it is handy in sandwiches and salads and in some desserts.

Rosemary, used sparingly makes a very nice tisane and I love it in salads. In fact, I love to gather a handful of herbs, chop them finely and sprinkle them in salads. They really spark up the taste, without being overwhelming. Kind of a less is more approach.

This is only a short list of all the possibilities there are in our gardens for either having as additions to our regular tea or making tisanes. There are many more and from time to time, I'll tell you about them.

What herbs do you grow and use in your teas? There is such an abundance of them and so much room to experiment.

2011-08-04T12:38:00.000-04:00

Another Swiss restaurant in Darstetten.

Good grief, the blue jays are having a hissy fit about something! Such squawking and swearing! One of this year's babies was yelling at a red-bellied woodpecker to either feed him or get off the suet, but was ignored. However, his papa gave him a couple of thunks on the head to hush up and behave.

Finally, we have had something like the rain we need. It rained most of the afternoon and night and some this morning. We surely needed it. It wouldn't hurt to have more.

Have you ever seen a sphinx moth? Officially known as a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. They pretty much like the same flowers that hummingbirds like and their wings beat in a blur, like the birds and they also hover and fly backwards. If you are not close enough, you can easily confuse the 2. We have them both around our bergamot and sweet spice bushes. It's so interesting to watch them.

In World Tea News I learned that the Japanese government is going to compensate tea farmers in affected ares for their losses due to radiation. I am reminding you that last year's Japanese tea is fine and any of this year's must pass stringent incoming inspection for radiation.

I brewed some of the Enchanted Forest tea I didn't care for hot as an ice tea and I must say, it really is improved. The flavoring is softened and smoothed, so it isn't as assertive. This I could like.

I just got some Nilgiri Tea from Mark T. Wendell and thought I would try that today. The large twisted leaves are a pleasant combination of brown and black and smell wonderful, like fresh, earthy tobacco. Nilgiri is in Southern India's Blue Mountains. I brewed it for 4 minutes with boiling water. What huge leaves! The brewing scent was very roasted and baked, with a hint of honey. The liquor was a lovely deep honey shade. The flavor is very smooth, earthy, with a hint of citrus. It is nowhere near as deep as the aroma would indicate. I can imagine this as a nice counterfoil to some afternoon tea goodies.