Yummy Yunnan

Wow, I am having a tea that is the most interesting and one of the best I've had in a while.  I got it through Steepster Select's monthly program.  It is from the Tea Valley Company and is Phoenix Yunnan Gold.  The dry leaves gave off an aroma of chocolate, subtly laced with wine.  I brewed it for 2 1/2 minutes with boiling water, which is a little short for Yunnans, but recommended.

The resulting brew was a medium amber, with gold highlights around the edges.  It smelled fresh and a touch earthy.  The tea was deep and rich, with a piquant edge, somewhat earthy with the barest hint of peanut.  At this point, I am thinking it's okay, but not great.  So, I put some cream in it and entered a whole different dimension!  There was now a definite plum taste with an oak like aroma.  It was smooth and rounded and as I continued to drink, it morphed somewhat into a pineapple flavor, only one without bite, all the edges rounded off.

What a treat!  I think I used a tad too much tea and next time, I will be more careful in measuring.  I think, too, that brewing it any longer would ruin it.

The lilies in the pond down the hill are beginning to poke their heads above the waterline, and the ducks have returned to nest.  The blue herons are back in their rookery in the river.  Our little flock of goldfinches is very busy at the feeders.  First the females come and then the brighter colored males, all gossiping and singing.  It is indeed early spring, with wild swings of temperature and weather.  We had almost 80 one day last week and Tuesday  it was 16 when I got up.  The only plant to apparently suffer was the autumn clematis, which I am hoping will cover the front porch this year.  It doesn't flower until September and smells wonderful, a great farewell to summer.

There you are, pansies for Spring

Scones Of My Heart

I think I made the best scones of my life today.  Lime, ginger, coconut.  I'll give you the regular recipe first and then what I did.  The original is from Sacramental Magic in a Small-town Cafe by Brother Peter Reinhart

Sal's Scones

Set your oven for 350 degrees

Mix the following together:

3 3/4 cups flour (the recipe calls for 3 cups, which is cake batter, this works)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup currants

Melt 1/2 pound butter - 2 sticks or 1 stick and 1/2 cup mild oil

Mix the butter with
 1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice from the lemon you zested
 Stir into the dry ingredients quickly and pat out into a big circle about 2 inches high.  Mark it for 12 scones or
pat it out and cut into circles.

Bake for about 25 minutes  You can beat up one egg and brush it on the top if you wish.

These always come out really well, no matter what I add.

My changes.  I used the zest and juice from 3 limes, about 1/4 more sugar, about 1 cup of coconut and 1 of dried pineapple, instead of currants.  I mixed the zest, coconut and pineapple in with the dry.  I use freeze dried buttermilk, which also goes in the dry and then water for the liquid.  I put the lime juice in the measuring cup first and added enough water to make 1 1/4 cups.  The extra sugar was to compensate for unsweetened coconut and the extra tartness of the lime.

These are so exceptional, I had to share them.  Next time, I may use coconut milk for the liquid, still with the powdered buttermilk.  Last time I made dried fig and orange, which my husband thought were to die for.

In case you can't tell, I like to experiment.  They are going very nicely with some Yunnan Special Grade from Upton's.

Another german river town

Wonderful, Wonderful

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!

The Golden Buds of Yunnan

In Amalfi,Italy, in the cathedral, workmen discovered ol columns under the
external skin of the building, believed to come from Roman times.


I tried to write yesterday, but due to a severe storm the night before my computer was just totally wacko. We had no phone, either. As I drove around on some errands I could see where many small creeks had flooded badly, including one that ran down the dirt road next to us, making a mess for a long distance.


The river is running very,very high and fast, with a lot of mud and debris. It has gone over the lower and middle banks and in some places has crossed the 3rd and final bank. We are hoping it doesn't go much higher. The farmers are tearing their hair out because they are way behind Spring plowing and planting.


The heat of our two days in the 70's has finally put some green on the trees and shrubs and we definitely are seeing the spring flowers coming along. Of course, up here on the hill, we are lagging behind, but ever so faintly there is some green out my window. Our ground is so saturated that our bird feeders fell over and their holes are filled to the brim with water.

I did wake up in time to see the Royal Wedding. Very nice. Now they must begin the task of learning to live together.


Today I am having Tea Trekker's 2009 PreQing Ming Yunnan Jumbo Golden Buds. Say that 6 times very fast. The dry leaves, well buds, are a lovely gold, with a small bit of brown, really almost nothing. The scent is at once sweet, spicey and sharp, recognizably Yunnan, but also different. I used about 1 Tablespoon per cup and brewed it for 3.5 minutes with water just under the boil. There is still a sharp aroma, almost unpleasant, but not really, with touches of cocoa and nut in it. It was at first, a cloudy pale gold, from the bud dust, which quickly became a dark amber. It seems to have a fairly thin body. It tastes a bit like hazelnuts mixed in with the more usual Yunnan taste. I can't decide if I like it or not. As it cooled, I decided I made it a little too strong and if I made it a bit weaker I'd appreciate it more. So I did and I found it to be much better.

Flowers for Early Spring.

It is always wonderful to me to see the early early signs of Spring. Yesterday I noticed the moss in the woods is greening up and some is beginning to sprout the seed stalks. When I was a kid, my cousins and I would gather moss and tiny plants for terrariums. They never lasted long, as we would water them too much or not enough.

When the deer came through the yard last night I saw that their coats were getting shaggy, in preparation for shedding their winter coats and returning to their pretty red ones for the summer. They are also pretty thin, so it is a good thing there are big patches of grass showing. In the brook, some of the weeds on the bottom were beginning to get green. Best of all I heard a red-wing blackbird singing and finally saw him, high up in a tree. At the moment I am watching a squirrel's contortions to get the last few seeds out of the bird feeder. I am torn between annoyance that they can eat so much and amusement with their antics.

Tuesday March 15, 2011
Didn't get too far yesterday, did I? Today the crow state is having some sort of meeting in my backyard. I wish they would come to an agreement and move on - they are noisy buggers.

Well, I will move on then, to the tea! Today I am returning to the blacks and my choice is The PuriTea's Jasmine Golden Yunnan. I am really eager to try this as I have not seen jasmine paired with Yunnan tea before. Upon opening the packet, there was a rush of a very sweet, almost candy, almost cherry, scent. It quickly was clear it was really jasmine, backed by some of the woodsy spicy aroma of a Yunnan. I can hardly wait until it is cool enough to drink. Being the coward that I am, I am brewing it for 5 of the 5-7 minutes they recommend.

It worked, the tea is pretty good. There is a very mild base of earth, wood and a tiny bit of spice, with the flights of jasmine above it. I really would not have believed that it would, the two seem so disparate. The Yunnan could have come through a bit more, but then it may not have worked at all. As it cools, there seems to be a bit of cherry or plum in it. I think this has been done quite well, as I think it would be difficult to pair the two.

Did you know that the green teas that are used in jasmine tea must be stored for a few months until the jasmine blooms? Also, it can take up to seven times of layering jasmine blossoms with the tea to produce the right flavor and scent. Makes me appreciate it even more.

Moonlight in My Cup

What a gorgeous day it is. Tuesday was, too until about the middle of my walk, when the wind came up and it was COLD. The temperature dropped 10 degrees in an hour.

I am having white tea today - specifically Jing Mai Moonlight White, from Yunnan, China, via Life in Teacup. It is so pretty dry, with some little round dark leaves and lots of silvery buds and bigger leaves. Some of it looks like it was dried in a flower press, the leaves are so precise. It has a fresh green, almost sharp smell. I follow Gingko's instructions and brew it with boiling water for a minute for 3 infusions, in my new little glass pot. The leaves don't unfurl a lot, they are as they are. She says it can go for 7 infusions, but I can't.

I am totally surprised by the color of the brewed tea. It is so much darker than I expected. The first infusion is nutty/vegetal tasting. The second, which is almost the same color is also nutty, with perhaps a very slight metallic edge. There seems to be an aroma of raspberries, elusive, but present. The third is still going strong on the color and is beginning to taste a bit like raspberries. Very faintly, but as the tea cools, this flavor seems to come teasingly to the fore, along with a sort of hazelnut hint.

This is a quiet, unassertive tea which could be sipped all day. I am finding I really enjoy teas that have so many different nuances to them, especially if they can be spread over a day, so each of them can be savored more.

Oh, I had another of those green tea chocolates, which by the way, are called Green Kiss. They do grow on you. I think personally, I would like a little more chocolate in them.

Hot Tea in the Old Town Today

Another weeny Italian vehicle. After taking a bus on the Amalfi
drive, I really understand small cars.



It is a perfect winter day. Beautiful snow, [we got about 9 inches], beautiful sky, sun shining, a perfect day for a walk. I have to buy a ski mask, however. When I was a kid I stayed out ice-skating too long and froze parts of my face. Now, if the wind is just right and it is cold enough, my face is really painful where I froze it. Otherwise I will have to stay in or wrap up like a mummy. So today I guess I'll be a mummy and next week a bank robber. Better than inside, though.





I am so tempted to order a tea plant along with my other plants and seeds, but... not enough window space in the winter and definitely not enough humidity. In the winter, I prefer flowers to just greenery, so I guess I'll let you all do the personal tea thing.



Speaking of which, I have belatedly realized it is Hot Tea Month. We need to have a party and celebrate! I am too partied out, but I certainly intend to have lots of hot tea. Guess I will go and do that. I am having some Shui Jiu China Yunnan . Upton's number ZY65, which is organic. The leaves are medium sized, with a good bit of gold in them and they smell of old wood and spice. As it brews for 4 minutes - long for me, that aroma remains, along with a toasty/fire/grill edge - not smokey,but reminding me of those things.

It is a fairly light amber in the cup with a medium body and some maltiness. There is a bit of spice and a bit of astringency to make it piquant. It kind of grabs the back of your mouth and makes it juicy. There is a definite taste of mellow old wood as I drink it - it's better a little cooler and there is a trace of cotton candy. It's not the smoothest, most mellow Yunnan I have had, but I would consider it quite good and will get more. With some half and half, it does reach a very mellow, full state and this is probably the way I will continue to have it. At $ 7.50for 125 grams, it's a real bargain.

Going for the Gold

Ballenberg - the balcksmith's forge and inn

I let the Indigo Dreams from Madam Potts cool and it was delicious! More of the Jasmine came out - a winner every which way!


I discovered that I have two types of Yunnan tea from Adagio. One is Golden Yunnan, the other, Yunnan Gold. I think the former is now Golden Monkey. I didn't buy them that long ago, maybe in the late summer/early fall. Since I had the two I thought I would compare them.

Both of these teas are beautiful. Golden as their names imply. The GY is more gold and has less dust and bits of leaves. However, there is a very fine very golden dust on the underside of the top. Both have big somewhat fat leaves and buds. They smelled similar - like Yunnan, of course. The Y G was winey and smelled like an old house. Not unpleasant or moldy, just one that had been lived in a lot. To me, it was quite pleasant, reminding me of my grandmother's or great-aunt's houses. I guess where there had been a lot of good cooking. The G Y was also winey, lighter and more like a winery, in the room where the wooden casks of wine are stored. I brewed them both for 3.5 minutes with boiling water, using about 1.5 teaspoons per cup because the leaves are so big.

The YG brewed up darker and more intense with somewhat more depth of flavor. There was more of the slightly peppery flavor of Yunnan. However, the G Y seemed more complex, setting off more parts of my mouth with flavor. There was more nuttiness, more leather and wine barrel in it. Both were quite smooth and I would be hard-pressed to choose between them. I generally go for the most gold, as I usually like those Yunnans best. Here, there really isn't enough difference. As a side note, they both went very ,very well with a ham salad sandwich.


I am sure that those with a better palate would be able to discern many more differences and layers of flavor than I. I like to think I represent the average drinker of good loose teas. I really admire those with super palates and wish I had one, but there I am, along with most of us, I would guess.


Today's mail brought me a new book from Amazon – Mary Lou and Robert Heiss's newest – The Tea Enthusiasts Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas. It was $11.55 plus shipping. I haven't had a chance to look at it, but I am eager to, as their last book was excellent. This is quite different, more along the lines of Harney's book.

Looking for Gold Among The Yunnans

On the porch of the Amalfi Cathedral, looking at the hills, of which there
are more than you want to count.


Those of you who read this blog often know that one of my all-time favorite teas is Yunnan, preferably Yunnan Gold. I got some from Jing Tea in a tea swap and finally tried it. I brewed it as usual, although there may not have been quite enough for the size of my cup. I am not convinced it was all that fresh either, as the dry leaves did not have that characteristic “fresh wash on the line” smell I associate with Yunnans. It brewed up to a deep amber and the liquor did have some of the usual scent, but not much. It also had some of the typical taste, but it was very muted, almost bland, with not much earthiness or pepper. Again, there may have been too little for the size of my cup. Sadly, that's all there was. Maybe I'll order some when this year's stock arrives in the fall and give it another try.


A whole new rash of studies about the benefits of tea is making the rounds and I have to say, I really take them all with a grain of salt. I know tea is at least better for us than coffee and I am willing to agree that green tea may be the best of all. However, we need to read these studies with care. I suffered through a course in statistics in college and while I don't remember a whole lot, I remember enough to be able to tell if a study makes sense or is a lot of hooey.


So, what should you look for? If the study is trying to prove tea is a health benefit, you need to ask - “Who is doing it”? If it's a tea company or institute, forget it, they're already biased. How many people were in it? There was one making the rounds that only had 10 people – far too few. "Is what they are looking for measurable?" , not just based on how a subject feels. Along with that, is what they are trying to discover reasonable or silly? How long a time period does it cover? This can be tricky as some things happen right away. However, if a short – time period thing is only studied once, beware – there are lots of factors being left out. Again, who is doing it – are they published scientists or doctors? So, good luck in your sifting through studies, if that is what you're up to. I know there are many good holistic and alternative medicine folk out there and you need to ask the same questions of them, especially, are they credible in their field?

For now, I am just going to drink tea because I like it and it gives me a lot of pleasure.

How do I Love Yunnan Gold

How do I love thee, let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my [taste] can reach. My apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, whose sonnet I just borrowed. I am referring to my all time, always beloved Yunnan. I love it in all its forms, but the height, as far as I am concerned in Yunnan Gold, which is almost exclusively the buds, sometimes with a few first leaves.

This particular Gold is from Adagio, part of my summer/fall buying spree. It is pure gold, too, with a dry scent of a newly filled haymow. This is a wonderful scent to me, taking me back to my childhood when I would sneak into the hay barn in the evenings and just smell that wondrous odor of newly dry hay. It was the smell of sunshine and blue skies.

The brewing tea continues that with what I can only describe as a good fresh Golden Yunnan smell. As it is the buds, there is much less wood or spice to it, it is on the delicate side. The liquor is a lovely golden green amber, as opposed to a ruddy amber and the scent has shifted to include honey and fruit. The taste is that of timothy – a kind of hay, which has a long stem that one can chew as one walks through the fields. Along with it is a lingering spiciness with just the tiniest touch of what I call “green milk”, the milk from cows newly turned out to Spring grasses. Having said that, I have to say it is not the very best Yunnan I have had, but it is very good and I am glad I got lots. The taste lingers, filling my mouth, teasing my tongue. How very nice.

Clearly this description may seem very foreign to many of you. But we can only relate taste and scent to the things we have tasted or smelled. My background is primarily rural or garden oriented, so these are my reference points.