It is indeed almost Spring - we have ants in the kitchen. I whipped out my Terra ant killer and they are feasting and tomorrow will be dead ants! So there.
I was bemoaning the fact that my neighbors had seen a robin, but I had not. However, yesterday when I came home from errand running, there were 15 on my front lawn, enjoying the sun! And I heard a red wing blackbird, who is a sure sign of Spring approaching. The ice is almost gone from the pond and there are only a few clumps of snow here and there. The creeks are running and the river is quite high. Our neighbor's snowdrops are blooming. I really want it to be Spring, in case you can't tell.
We have been having "wait-a-minute" weather. Wait a minute and it's different. We had sun, snow, rain, sun and what the weatherman calls dibbles - which I think are clumps of snow flakes that look like hail, but aren't. At the moment it is misting with an occasional snowflake or rain drop.
I have no new tea to report on, but I will soon, as I have ordered some early greens from Life in Teacup. Last year I had pre-Qing Ming and and another very early tea from Gingko and I understood why these are so precious - absolutely delicious! One was plucked and processed on March 5! I guess their Spring was a lot earlier than ours this year.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Make It So
What Ho, Star Trek and Earl Grey tea fans! There is a company that sells Captain Pickard's favorite beverage and it has good reviews. It is Think Geek, www.thinkgeek.com and the tea is.....Tea, Earl Grey, Hot. I ordered some to try and will report for duty when it arrives in my ready room. They also have a number of rather odd, but interesting things there.
As a result, I am finding myself wanting some Earl Grey. But, there is not a scrap, not even a tea bag of it to be found. Oh,Woe is I. I am consoling my self with Upton's Finest Russian Caravan,TB70, a blend of teas from India, China and Formosa. Unlike many others, there is no smokiness to this tea, which is supposed to emulate the scent of all those campfires on the way from China to Russian in the old days. No "odour de camel sweat", either, for which I am quite happy. Instead, the dry tan, grey and black leaves smell mostly of corn silage in the silo, which to this farm chick, was always a pleasant aroma.
I brewed the tea for 4 minutes, with boiling water. It smells like a pleasantly damp woods with some green hints and some roasted corn hints. The liqueur is a pleasant amber and does indeed taste roasty and woodsy, with a bit of spice and a long, smooth finish. It does well with a bit of milk in it as well. A very nice drink on a wet, cold, gloomy day.
I want this for my front door!
As a result, I am finding myself wanting some Earl Grey. But, there is not a scrap, not even a tea bag of it to be found. Oh,Woe is I. I am consoling my self with Upton's Finest Russian Caravan,TB70, a blend of teas from India, China and Formosa. Unlike many others, there is no smokiness to this tea, which is supposed to emulate the scent of all those campfires on the way from China to Russian in the old days. No "odour de camel sweat", either, for which I am quite happy. Instead, the dry tan, grey and black leaves smell mostly of corn silage in the silo, which to this farm chick, was always a pleasant aroma.
I brewed the tea for 4 minutes, with boiling water. It smells like a pleasantly damp woods with some green hints and some roasted corn hints. The liqueur is a pleasant amber and does indeed taste roasty and woodsy, with a bit of spice and a long, smooth finish. It does well with a bit of milk in it as well. A very nice drink on a wet, cold, gloomy day.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
It's A Lovely Day Today
It's a lovely day in the neighborhood. The sun is shining, I remembered to set the clocks ahead and spring is in the air. Quite literally, as there are returning birds flying around and singing their hearts out. The phoebes are back, with their distinctive song, for which they were named. I realized this morning that although I have been singing the praises of snow, I am sick of winter and want to move forward. I want to see the bulbs poking up noses with the promise of flowers, I want to know if the lavender survived and will there be enough tarragon, all those green things.
Having said that, I am not quite ready to switch to primarily green teas. It is still too cold. However, I noticed a sample of Jasmine Pearls tea from the Tea Spot and I haven't had Jasmine tea in a while, so... I am as changeable as our weather.
In the packet, the pretty little green and white balls gave off a sweet simple jasmine aroma. I brewed it for 3 minutes with water about 170 degrees. There was that same gentle aroma! This tea is lovely, a very gentle jasmine, sweet, but not overwhelming and definitely not one of the cloying ones. Just about perfect, I would say.
How's this for a fancy, schmancy altar? I believe it is in Sorrento, Italy.
Having said that, I am not quite ready to switch to primarily green teas. It is still too cold. However, I noticed a sample of Jasmine Pearls tea from the Tea Spot and I haven't had Jasmine tea in a while, so... I am as changeable as our weather.
In the packet, the pretty little green and white balls gave off a sweet simple jasmine aroma. I brewed it for 3 minutes with water about 170 degrees. There was that same gentle aroma! This tea is lovely, a very gentle jasmine, sweet, but not overwhelming and definitely not one of the cloying ones. Just about perfect, I would say.
How's this for a fancy, schmancy altar? I believe it is in Sorrento, Italy.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Intrigue In A Tea Cup
I have often contemplated trying to grow my own tea bush. This could be a problem as I live in New York and we can have sustained periods of below zero temperature. I know you can bring them inside, but I already have 4 gargantuan pots to haul around and I'm not sure I really want another one, especially one which has to be brought in when the temperature goes below 50. I am simply not that organized. I did hear a good idea about big pots, which I will pass on to you.
If your plant(s) are shallow rooted, you can put all those peanuts you get in packages in plastic bags and then put them in your pot and then add soil, so your pot is lighter to carry about. If you don't have peanuts, use perlite. The other thing you can do is cut a piece of styrofoam to fit inside your pot at the depth you want, making sure to add some drainage holes. I don't know if this would wok with a tea plant, because I don't know anything about their root system.
I ordered some teas from Siam Tea, www.siam-tee.de which specializes in teas from Northern Thailand. This company is new to me and owned by Thomas Kaspar, who writes for the English Tea Store blog. I was very pleased with their service. The first tea I am trying is Shi Er Black Pearls, Doi Mai Salong, North Thailand. Black they are, little balls, with some tails attached. I wasn't thinking and just bunged them in my tea strainer for 3.5 minutes. When I went to pull it out, it was absolutely stuffed with big leaves. Live and learn.
This is easily the most intriguing tea. The dry tea smelled of roasted wood - not burned, roasted, as if it were meat. There was also a bit of dark toast and roasted corn. As it was brewing it gave off a woodsy, flowery, toasted acorn aroma. The tea was a fairly light golden brown. To try and describe the flavor is almost impossible. The nearest I can come up with is flowery toasted acorns. It was delicious. One thing to watch out for and that is to drink it in small cups, because as it cools it loses some of its interest and the flavor gets very muted. Not that that's bad, I just prefer more depth. Next time I am going to go for multiple brews and give those leaves some room!
I have finished The China Tea Book by Luo Jialin, which I reviewed a few days ago. The second half was on the aesthetics of tea, setting the mood, which tea pots and cups to use, the role of floral arrangements and calligraphic art. It was fascinating. I may apply some of his thoughts, at least as far as tablescapes. I can't do much about walls and furniture. Again, there were many beautiful pictures. One of the best things about the book is that it seems to create a calm oasis in me.
If your plant(s) are shallow rooted, you can put all those peanuts you get in packages in plastic bags and then put them in your pot and then add soil, so your pot is lighter to carry about. If you don't have peanuts, use perlite. The other thing you can do is cut a piece of styrofoam to fit inside your pot at the depth you want, making sure to add some drainage holes. I don't know if this would wok with a tea plant, because I don't know anything about their root system.
I ordered some teas from Siam Tea, www.siam-tee.de which specializes in teas from Northern Thailand. This company is new to me and owned by Thomas Kaspar, who writes for the English Tea Store blog. I was very pleased with their service. The first tea I am trying is Shi Er Black Pearls, Doi Mai Salong, North Thailand. Black they are, little balls, with some tails attached. I wasn't thinking and just bunged them in my tea strainer for 3.5 minutes. When I went to pull it out, it was absolutely stuffed with big leaves. Live and learn.
This is easily the most intriguing tea. The dry tea smelled of roasted wood - not burned, roasted, as if it were meat. There was also a bit of dark toast and roasted corn. As it was brewing it gave off a woodsy, flowery, toasted acorn aroma. The tea was a fairly light golden brown. To try and describe the flavor is almost impossible. The nearest I can come up with is flowery toasted acorns. It was delicious. One thing to watch out for and that is to drink it in small cups, because as it cools it loses some of its interest and the flavor gets very muted. Not that that's bad, I just prefer more depth. Next time I am going to go for multiple brews and give those leaves some room!
I have finished The China Tea Book by Luo Jialin, which I reviewed a few days ago. The second half was on the aesthetics of tea, setting the mood, which tea pots and cups to use, the role of floral arrangements and calligraphic art. It was fascinating. I may apply some of his thoughts, at least as far as tablescapes. I can't do much about walls and furniture. Again, there were many beautiful pictures. One of the best things about the book is that it seems to create a calm oasis in me.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Two Grumps and Two Goodies
I have been in a bit of a grumpy mood lately, and for once, tea related things did little to elevate it. I got this month's issue of a tea magazine, filled with lovely tea party settings and wonderful food. I saw some china that I admired and looked in their sources column for the manufacturer. Ow, ow, ow! A plate - one plate was $650. Another I liked was one plate, $450. Get real. How many of us are going to spend that much on a plate? It would be nice if they were a little more realistic. There are pretty things that are not the cost of a plane ticket to Europe.
To continue my rant. Tea itself. I got this in a tea swap I am part of and I know the person was trying to please and I am not ungrateful. I just hate this tea and couldn't get too much past the first few sips. Even my husband, who is no tea snob, asked if I was sure this was tea. The tea was DavidsTea Saigon Chai. The base is Assam, cardamom, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, clove, maybe orange and lots of other stuff mixed in. It smelled sweet with hints of pineapple, pepper, cinnamon and other things I could not identify. The brewed cup tasted like that and more - just a mess. In my very prejudiced opinion, any flavoring should let the taste of tea come through.
On to the good things. Newspapers are still favorites of mine and I like having them in print. I like the feel and smell and heft of them. Not to mention their ability to be used underneath any mess I may be making.
Plus, they often have articles on tea. Our local paper had a good one on the rise of the importance of tea and last week's NY Times had a full page on East Frisian tea. Which, by the way, can put any Breakfast tea under the table in terms of strength. East Frisia is known for being cold, damp and windy, which probably explains it. Wow! It's really wonderful to see tea getting mainstreamed.
I think this is Austria - I loved the steeple.
To continue my rant. Tea itself. I got this in a tea swap I am part of and I know the person was trying to please and I am not ungrateful. I just hate this tea and couldn't get too much past the first few sips. Even my husband, who is no tea snob, asked if I was sure this was tea. The tea was DavidsTea Saigon Chai. The base is Assam, cardamom, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, clove, maybe orange and lots of other stuff mixed in. It smelled sweet with hints of pineapple, pepper, cinnamon and other things I could not identify. The brewed cup tasted like that and more - just a mess. In my very prejudiced opinion, any flavoring should let the taste of tea come through.
On to the good things. Newspapers are still favorites of mine and I like having them in print. I like the feel and smell and heft of them. Not to mention their ability to be used underneath any mess I may be making.
Plus, they often have articles on tea. Our local paper had a good one on the rise of the importance of tea and last week's NY Times had a full page on East Frisian tea. Which, by the way, can put any Breakfast tea under the table in terms of strength. East Frisia is known for being cold, damp and windy, which probably explains it. Wow! It's really wonderful to see tea getting mainstreamed.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Birds, Mud and Tea
Today was hawk sighting day. I saw a harrier, a red-shouldered and a red-tailed hawk plus 2 others I couldn't identify. I'm also pretty sure I saw a golden eagle on the river, near where they nest. A good day for the birds. In our woods, not only is the pileated woodpecker busy, but 2 others. You can tell the difference, if you can't see them, by the rapidity and cadence of their drumming. The squirrels have been noticeablyy absent and I kind of miss them.
We are beginning mud season. One of the many we Northerners get in addition to the usual four. We've been flirting with pothole season, but this year wasn't too bad. Mud season lasts from when our heavy clay soil begins to thaw until you can actually walk on the ground with out stopping every three steps to clean the mud off your boots. It's the season that adds about a pound for every step you take, if it doesn't suck your shoes off. Driving can be very interesting on our back roads, as you can feel the car slithering along and you slow down to about 4 miles an hour, in the hopes you can stay on those curves switch backing down the hills. If it's a really good year for this season, you may still need to be dragged out of a mud puddle in May.
In spite of which, there is no one happier than a Northerner to see the sun and count down to seed-starting, garden tilling, or the first blue birds arriving. We even welcome false summer, the next season, when it is 90 degrees in April just before it is 26 and the daffodils have only lasted for 2 days, again!
The solution to all of this is just to drink tea. It is good to celebrate the sun, calming for those necessary boot scraping sessions, comforting when it is gray and nasty. Tea is always available for any excuse.
Mine is another of the Charleston Tea Plantation teas. It is Charleston Breakfast, a black tea. The chopped leaves smell like dark fresh wood or rough tree bark. There was also a touch of cucumber and a hint of malt. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water. It smelled quite malty while brewing, with a sharp edge.
The tea was somewhat lighter than I expected and at first, I wasn't too taken with it. It seemed to be a bit sharp, or harsh. Then I remembered, that breakfast teas are generally in the style that is known as "English", that is, to be taken with milk and sugar. So in went the half & half and out came a much better cup of tea. It was now hearty, almost flowery and altogether much better behaved. I would rate this on the light side of breakfast teas, which tend to be much heftier. However, they are also generally a blend of China and Indian teas and this was labeled as only from Charleston Plantation. Therefore, if you find most breakfast teas too much of an awakening, you might want to try this one and come to consciousness more slowly.
The pleasant German river town
of Bacharach.
We are beginning mud season. One of the many we Northerners get in addition to the usual four. We've been flirting with pothole season, but this year wasn't too bad. Mud season lasts from when our heavy clay soil begins to thaw until you can actually walk on the ground with out stopping every three steps to clean the mud off your boots. It's the season that adds about a pound for every step you take, if it doesn't suck your shoes off. Driving can be very interesting on our back roads, as you can feel the car slithering along and you slow down to about 4 miles an hour, in the hopes you can stay on those curves switch backing down the hills. If it's a really good year for this season, you may still need to be dragged out of a mud puddle in May.
In spite of which, there is no one happier than a Northerner to see the sun and count down to seed-starting, garden tilling, or the first blue birds arriving. We even welcome false summer, the next season, when it is 90 degrees in April just before it is 26 and the daffodils have only lasted for 2 days, again!
The solution to all of this is just to drink tea. It is good to celebrate the sun, calming for those necessary boot scraping sessions, comforting when it is gray and nasty. Tea is always available for any excuse.
Mine is another of the Charleston Tea Plantation teas. It is Charleston Breakfast, a black tea. The chopped leaves smell like dark fresh wood or rough tree bark. There was also a touch of cucumber and a hint of malt. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water. It smelled quite malty while brewing, with a sharp edge.
The tea was somewhat lighter than I expected and at first, I wasn't too taken with it. It seemed to be a bit sharp, or harsh. Then I remembered, that breakfast teas are generally in the style that is known as "English", that is, to be taken with milk and sugar. So in went the half & half and out came a much better cup of tea. It was now hearty, almost flowery and altogether much better behaved. I would rate this on the light side of breakfast teas, which tend to be much heftier. However, they are also generally a blend of China and Indian teas and this was labeled as only from Charleston Plantation. Therefore, if you find most breakfast teas too much of an awakening, you might want to try this one and come to consciousness more slowly.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Raspberry Tea
Cold and nasty it is today, as Yoda would say. It snows at night and then sort of thaws during the day and sometimes it snows again, but it is all gray. My heart yearns for bright sun on the frozen white fields, as I didn't get my fill of it this winter. But my heart is also yearning for Spring and as I listen to the rapid beats of a drumming Pileated Woodpecker and the matings calls of the owls in the woods, I know it will soon be here.
I discovered that Bigelow's Charleston Tea Plantation is finally selling looseleaf teas, so I got some. The one I am having today is Rockville Raspberry. When I opend the tine, I was disappointed, as there was a strong smell of chemical raspberry. Rats. However, I persevered and brewed some up. I wasn't paying attention and brewed it for 5.5 minutes. Nevertheless, it wasn't bad and the flavor was not nearly as chemically as I was expecting. Of course, it wasn't really raspberry to my mind, that mingling of sweet and tart and intense flavor. I really find Mariages Freres does a much better job with their raspberry.
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