A Pearl of a Tea

We had company this weekend and took them to our newest favorite Thai restaurant.  They had a selection of about 12 teas, all from Harney's.  I had their Jasmine Pearl.  It came as a teabag with the ubiquitous pot of not too hot water, which is fine for greens.  It had a lovely aroma and tasted very good as well.  There was a good balance of the jasmine flavor and aroma, with that of a pleasant green tea.  I wondered how this would hold its own with the spicy Thai food, but it held its own very pleasantly and complimented the food quite nicely.  Altogether a very nice surprise.

We also took in one of summer's joys - the wonderful farmers' market in Ithaca, NY.  This is reminiscent of European markets, with all sorts of produce, wonderful baked goods, potters, clothiers, wine makers, crafts men and women, plant sellers and cider and cheese makers.  Set at the Southern tip of Cayuga Lake, it is quite a fun outing.

It has finally cooled off a bit and we are MOST thankful.  I was beginning to feel like a wrung out dish rag.

A wonderful old doorway in the summer palace of the Hapsburgs in Vienna, Austria.

Jasmine Tea and Strawberries

Today I am having Jasmine Tea.  This one hails from Sichuan Province, China, via Life  In Teacup, one of my favorite vendors.  It's a good thing the packet says green tea, as the tightly rolled leaves are almost black.  They have a very delicate scent of the flower and there are a few petals scattered throughout.  I brew it with water about 190 degrees, as Gingko recommends this.  The resulting brew is a strongish yellow and now smells more like paint than jasmine.  Odd.  The flavor is rather odd as well, it just isn't what I think of as "true" jasmine. It is flowery, but not overdone, more a jasmine bass note.  It is really only as it cools that the flavor comes true and then is one of those with a light taste, but a substantial mouth feel.  I am going to put it in the fridge and see how it is as ice tea.  What ho, gang, it is wonderful ice tea!

At the World Tea Expo, George and Kim Jage were presented with a special award by members of the world-wide tea community for their efforts in  founding and continuing to guide the Expo, as well as their efforts in promoting tea drinking.  Raise your tea cups high in gratitude!

Some very sad news is that the Chicago Tea Garden, run by Tony Gebley and purveyor of some very fine teas, is closing.  He is conducting sales of all teas and tea products.  They will be missed.

This has been quite the day for bird watching.  There was both a golden eagle and a bald eagle fishing in the river, as well as a great blue heron in the shallows, also searching for lunch.  A kildeer was flying over the meadow while an American kestral was seated in a tree.  Brown thrashers were all around, always amazing to me with their true rust color.  We now have not 2 but 3 rose-breasted grosbeaks at the feeder. The blander birds are either both female or one is a young'un.  They are such likeable birds, quiet and business like in their feeding..  There are more single turkeys wandering around!  Ours is recognizable by her oddly colored pale grey wings.

The mammal family was equally interesting as I spotted a couple of gray squirrels with golden tails, highlighted with cream.  We haven't seen much of "our" deer, only one or two once in a while.  last year there were 11, counting the fawns.  The clean up from the tornado was so loud and long, I think they went deeper into the woods.  They are lovely critters, but very destructive.

Oh Happy Day!  Local strawberries have arrived.  This first lot is not the best - too much rain and cold this past week, but by Monday, after a warm week, they should be wonderful.  Of course we had strawberry shortcake for dessert and strawberries on the pancakes for breakfast and strawberries plain and this next 2 weeks will be a glorious pig out of berries, including freezer jam.  Sometimes I love summer.  The farmers market opened and one of the people is offering herbal teas.  Sadly, I had run out of funds by then, so I didn't get any, but they'll be there next week and so will I.

Yaup, That's Tea

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!

Tea For The World

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.

The interior of the Meieringen Church, with its perfect acoustics.


I have discovered a new use for my large tea sock. If you don't know what this is, it is a handy little gadget that looks like the toe and arch part of a sock, with a metal ring around the top. I first discovered these when my friend, Ruth, married her husband, who is from Puerto Rico, where such socks are used to brew coffee. Upton's carries them in 2 sizes - mug and teapot. http://www.uptontea.com/







I have not been happy with my usual way of making ice tea directly in the pitcher as it involved pouring the tea through a strainer into another container and then back into my pitcher. It always seemed to involve spilling enough to be annoying. I tried using my largest teapot and it was okay, but still lacking. However, this method works very well, the ring rests on an inner ring in the pitcher, secured by the sock's hook. When I am done, I squeeze the sock, turn it inside out over the compost, rinse well and I am done. I only need two - one for green and one for black.







While I was at Wegman's, I noticed they had an aisle just for bottled teas. I usually ignore these, as they tend to be awful. However, I noticed that they had some from Ito En, which has a good reputation. They were also unsweetened, hooray, hooray.! I decided to try the Jasmine Green Tea. It comes in an attractive, recyclable plastic bottle. The label states there is only green tea, jasmine flowers and ascorbic acid in it. It further states it is brewed tea. The tea is a pretty pale gold and smells like jasmine. It tastes like a good jasmine tea, delicate and flowery, with a good balance between the flowers and the tea. You can actually taste that you are drinking green tea. I think I shall have to try some more, since this is so good.

Too Much Vanilla!

Kind of what it looks like here - greyish.

Our small flock of 4 grackles has really fascinated me this week. As I said in an earlier post, they are quite beautiful, with glossy black feathers and iridescent blue heads. They are about the size of a blue jay and I consider them one of "The Bully Boys" as they can crowd out smaller birds. They are too big and not built quite right to use either the suet or seed feeders. However, in the past 5-6 days, they have taught themselves to do both. They have been very persistent, overcoming many, many falls and upsets and are now expert feeders. I just wish they wouldn't claim everything and jab others on the head. They are not nearly as ferocious as some of the bossy little sparrows, however. Wow, when they want to hog the feeder, everyone else better look out!


On this very dull day I am having some green tea - green for spring, right? Actually, it is a mix of green and black teas, with jasmine and vanilla. This is Golden Moon's Vanilla Jasmine. You certainly can smell the vanilla, it is almost overwhelming. I don't catch any jasmine in the dry tea. I brewed it for 3 minutes with water off the boil for a minute or so. The brewing tea gave off a much more well-rounded aroma, of jasmine, with a hint of vanilla. I hoped it would taste well-balanced as well. I was not disappointed at first, as both flavors melded well. However, the vanilla, which did become overwhelming, stayed in my mouth looooooooong past the time it was pleasant. I also could not taste the tea, which I do not prefer.


We had "Squirrel Convocation" here this morning. Instead of the usual three, I guess they invited their cousins by the dozens to visit the bird feeder. There's not much there as I got smart and only put out enough for one day. However, superfast Ernie chased them away, once again nearly catching one. I guess we need to do sprint work with him, so he is faster.

The great celebration of Passover begins tonight. Best wishes to all of you who are celebrating. Next year in Jerusalem!

The Christian world is getting for our great celebration of Easter. I will not be writing anything on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as I take the first 2 days for a time of preparation and Sunday is filled with celebration. For those of you also celebrating, may it be a time of great joy and renewal for you all.

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.

Sweet Jasmine

This is a milk station in Darstetten, where the farmers would bring their milk to be collected for
transport to the dairy.

Yesterday was a beautiful Fall day. Today we have the flip side -
cold, dreary, gray. A perfect day for tea. But then, any day is, although some just seem to cry out for warm drinks.

Boston Tea Company has been very generous in sending me samples to review. Today's is Jasmine and I am really looking forward to it. The leaves are a very pretty green, filled with Jasmine blossoms. They are like silk as I run them through my fingers and smell sweetly of Jasmine. Just the right touch, too, not overwhelming or cloying.

Jasmine tea is almost always a green tea, this one is a Chun Mee. After the leaves are dried, they are layered with fresh Jasmine blossoms anywhere from 3-7 days. Usually the flowers are removed each day and a new batch added. Generally the flowers are not included in the final presentation, but these were.

I brewed the tea at about 180 degrees for about 1.5 minutes, happily sniffing the lovely aroma. The liquor is a beautiful pale green. The tea is very pleasant, well-balanced, sweet. You can taste both the green tea and the flowery Jasmine. While it is not the very best I have ever had, it is very good in its own right. I thought perhaps the leaves and flowers could be ground and added to a good vanilla ice cream. I was also thinking about cooking a delicate sweet with it, but I don't think it would stand up to the high temperatures of baking. However, it might make a very nice jasmine custard to pour over pound cake or poached peaches.

Green Tea on a Gray Day

A small herb garden.

I wondered if I should get hyped about the ending of winter and I guess the weather is getting back at me for my excitement. It is much colder and grayer today and we are supposed to have sleet to finish out the day. Well phoo to that, I am still going to live in hope! In fact I shall be so hopeful that I will have some green tea, which I usually think of as more a spring or summer tea, as it is “lighter” than black tea.

I have a whole box of "Uncle Feng's Jasmine Green Tea" This is one of my Asian market sweep- through teas. It was not very expensive. Upon opening the box, there is a delightful smell of Jasmine, almost of mock orange. The leaves are very green and fairly long and twisted. I brewed up about 2 teaspoons at 175 for about 2 minutes. Too long, so I threw it out and brewed the next cup for 1.5 minutes. Just right. Some greens are very fussy and get bitter very quickly. While this is not the best jasmine I have ever had, it is quite good for the exceedingly cheap price I paid. A fitting cup with which to look forward to Spring.

We are beginning the process of "down sizing" prior to our move this summer. Too many teapots, too many teas, too many books - quite literally a ton. So far, I only got rid of two tea books - they weren't very good, so I won't even offer them to my readers. At some point I will have a tea give away, but that's still down the road a piece. The books that really hurt to get rid of are the cook books, which I can read as happily as a mystery.