Tea

I tried two more teas yesterday and fell in love with one and really enjoyed the other. My new love is oolong. I read an article in the Washington Post a few months ago about oolongs- it said that they are the champagne of teas (now that caught my attention) but that it takes a bit of effort to brew. Yes they are right. The tea is really very delicious and there is an extra step in brewing. I found 100% organic Wuyi oolong from Rishi Tea at Whole Foods and, thanks to the TeaChat boards, brewed a great cup. I rinsed two cups with the hot water then poured about 1/2 of hot water (just off the boil) over the tea leaves, swirling to make sure that all of the leaves were wet. After about 5 -10 seconds, I lifted the infuser and placed it in the second cup, added more hot water and brewed for about 3-4 minutes. Not so hard, just a quick additional step. I made a second cup from the same leaves, steeping for closer to 4 1/2 minutes. This cup was equally delicious but seemed more mellow. I am an oolong fan!

I also tried sencha for the first time. I found an organic tin from Rishi at Whole Foods. I read that this tea can be tricky to brew but felt I was ready to give it a go. Sencha is a green tea from Japan that can be described as vegetal. When brewed right, there is a balance of sweetness with the astringency. I am finding that I enjoy greeny green teas and thought that my cup yesterday had a bit of sweetness. It was really good- and I kept thinking of that tea after I had finished. uummm- must play around with this tea some more. I might stop at Teaism today after bookclub and try a cup there.

Tea

I had a some time before the Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams exhibit opened downtown so I headed over to Teaism. They recommended Hojicha- delicious! I really enjoyed this cup of tea. It had a nutty toasted layer over the "green" taste of the tea. There was just enough sweetness to make this perfect for sipping.

Here is the link to the tea at Teaism

http://www.teaism.com/TeaShop/ProductDetails4-19.html

I received a gift card for Christmas and knew just what to do with it. I placed an order from each of my two favorite teashops Rishi and Tealuxe. I love Rishi tea- Whole Foods carries it- my favorite from there is the Jasmine Pearl. I thought it looked like fun and it is. The pearls slowly open as they float and sink as the tea steeps. This tea is very very delicious. I ordered some Hojicha and Jade Cloud to try too.

My cousin loves Tealuxe after visiting there in Boston and when she made a cup of Peachy White I was hooked too. I ordered a bunch of samples as soon as I got home and they were all very very good. My fave Tealuxe flavors are Kiwi-Berry Coconut (black), Pear and Pomegranate (black), Monk's Blend (black with grenadine and vanilla), and Mango Mist (black), and Gen-Mai Cha (green with toasted and popped rice).

I also found some very good bag teas at Whole Foods- Mighty Leaf Green Tea Tropical (very yummy), and Green Dragon (the label says nutty but I also think of buttery in a good way- maybe smooth and rich would be a good way to describe this tea- great with food). I opened a tea bag and noticed that the leaves are big and look just like good quality loose tea leaves. No tiny bits or powder. Another yummy brand is ineeka. I like Himalayan Green best. I have the Green Limon (with lemongrass) at work but need to give it another go. It seems weak and watery but I haven't brewed it properly. I also have the Himalayan black which I find a bit strong. I think it would make a great chai. I love ineeka's tea bag- you gently tear open the bag, pull on some paper wings and then attach the bag to your cup. This gives the tea leaves plenty of room to expand.

I would like to also mentioned that I tried the blooming tea at Tenpehn- very delicious and fun. I was a little disappointed that they brought the teapot to me with the flower already opened- I would have liked to watch it unfold.

The wonderful helper at Rishi recommened a glass teapot to brew my teas- she said glass would perfect to see the leaves open as they brew, that it would be easy to clean, and perfect for all types of tea. I'm off to find one (those gift cards don't last long with me!) and to order some blooming tea.