Gourmet Coffee Chatter

Don’t know about you but where I am it’s been a pretty mild summer.  But the heat is coming soon, so here’s an adult summer slush drink for the hot days to come.

If you’re trying to cut back on caffeine use loose decaf tea. Serving a non-alcoholic crowd, try it with a fruit juice such as apple or guava juice.

The source of this recipe was allrecipes.com.

Until next time, happy steeping

You know something has worked its way into the social consciousness when it is referenced in poems, books and pundit’s quotes. This is true of gourmet tea. What follows are a few notable quotes about gourmet tea.

Li Ri Hua, a Ming Dynasty scholar
One should clean out a room in one’s home and place only a tea table and a chair in the room with some boiled water and fragrant tea. Afterwords, sit salutarily and allow one’s spirit to become tranquil, light, and natural.

Gladstone (1865) Victorian British Prime Minister
If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you.

Mick Jagger, “Live with Me”.
I got nasty habits; I take tea at three.

Lewis Carroll (1865) Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 6

“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice very earnestly.

“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”

Until next time – happy steeping.

Tea bags have become a fixture of the tea drinking world. They’re convenient and less messy to deal with. So why should you consider drinking loose leaf tea?

First, tea bags are made up of broken tea leaves called fannings. These pulverized remnants of the tea leaf have a shorter infusion time, but many of the flavoring oils are lost to evaporation resulting in an inferior cup of tea. Also, due the to mass production nature of tea bags it is made from mass production, low quality teas.

Pyramid tea bags strike a middle ground preserving more of tea leaf and giving expanded room for the tea to expand. The trade-off is the additional expense of the packaging.

Whole leaf tea is made up of whole leaves or part of of the leaves. This preserves the flavoring oils essential to give a superior cup. Secondly, loose leaf tea has room to expand and unfurl releasing more of the flavoring oils. Quality loose leaf tea will also stand up to multiple steepings, bringing the price per cup of tea very close to the cost of tea bag tea.

As for the mess a wide variety of steeping balls, steeping sticks, steeping baskets, steeping bags, etc. are available to manage the mess and appeal to the the aesthetic taste of everyone.

Until next time – happy steeping.

The Camellia sinensis plant can produce different kinds of tea. Among these are black teas, which are a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the green, white, and oolong types. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than its less oxidized counterparts contain. Black tea is often blended and mixed with different kinds of plants to come up with a variety of beverages.

Some of the most famous variants of black tea are:

~Earl Grey
~English breakfast and English afternoon
~Irish breakfast
~Darjeeling or what is more commonly referred to as the champagne of teas

For me ritual is such a big part of tea drinking. So the method of steeping plays a big role in the ritual. I’ve already written about my current favorite steeping basket but I was reading about steeping using a French Press today.

I’ve seen it done before but never really thought about it. But today it occurred to me that the French Press gives a sense of elegance to the steeping process.

So, for those situations where a whimsical steeper won’t do when preparing your Japanese green tea consider using a French Press.

Until next time, happy steeping.

Late 2009 saw a greatly reduced tea crop, sometimes significantly lower than even 2008 levels.  The good news so far in 2010 is a reversal of that trend.

Increased rain in Africa is producing increased crops in both Kenya and Tanzania.  Kenya, for example, is forecasting increases up to 60% over last year’s crop.   The Darjeeling, Dooars and Assam growing regions report better climate conditions in 2010 and increased crop yields.  The Sri Lanka crop reports in February report crop levels returning to normal, although March reports show hot weather decreasing crop yields.

This seems like generally good news for drinkers of  discount gourmet tea.  But whether the increased availability of tea translates to lower prices remains to be seen.

Until next time, happy steeping.

So much of tea drinking is about ritual. Whether your favorite tea is a Japan Green Sencha or a decaf black tea you have to get out the infuser, heat up the water, heat up the tea pot, steep the tea, and so forth. The end result is the delicious cup of tea, but the journey to get to it enhances the experience.

Over the years, I’ve tried several types of infusers but my current favorite is called the Tuffy Steeper. It is a steeping basket made of food grade silicone. Originally designed for backpacking its basket collapses to make it easier to transport. Ideal for those who have to make tea on the go or right at home, I think it also adds a sense of whimsy and fun to my steeping experience. Not to mention, it’s quite the conversation piece.

It can also be used to make coffee, giving you an on the go French Press experience.

Until next time – happy steeping.

My tea drinking experience largely revolves around black tea. Those paying attention are probably aware of my fondness for Russian Caravan Blend tea. Every now and again I branch out into green tea.

The woody aroma of the leaves is a nice change from black tea. Depending on the steep green tea is not as flavorful, but has a very soothing quality to it. (As I write I’m sipping a Japan Green Sencha.)

Given the somewhat slighter taste I may reinforce a green tea with a hint of lemon juice. But it is often fine just by itself.

Be aware that green tea doesn’t have the shelf life of black tea. Only about one year for green tea so proper storage is essential to getting the full life out of the tea. As the tea gets older it will lose some of its charm, important to consider if you don’t drink it frequently.

Until next time – happy steeping.

Tea is such a wonderful drink. Shrouded in ritual and conducive to contemplation. The very act of steeping tea one cup at a time seems to impose a relaxation that other drinks don’t.

For some, unfortunately, tea contains caffeine. Those more sensitive to caffeine may even find tea intolerable. Those not sensitive to caffeine may find it to be part of the attraction of tea.

There is good news. The first steep of the tea leaves contains the most caffeine. Each subsequent steep contains less caffeine and by the third steep the caffeine content is reduced to almost 2%. In some cultures, the first steep is thrown out and only the second and third steeps are drunk.

The other solution is decaf black tea. Decaffeinated teas offer a solution that removes the caffeine but allows the flavor of the tea to remain.

So whether it’s drinking the third steep or decaffeinated tea, here’s to eliminating the jitters from your tea experience.

Until next time – happy steeping.

There is something really special about an outstanding cup of discount gourmet tea. It’s not just the tea, it’s the ritual.

For me it starts with the aroma of the tea when you open the container. I can’t help it, I just have to lean in and take in the scent of the tea. For some teas this can be the most satisfying part of the experience as that wonderful perfume fills the air. Each sip then becomes an olfactory delight as one more time you soak up the fragrance of the tea.

Then there’s the sip. The cup held close to the lips, the warmth bathing your face. The first sips may be tentative due to the heat allowing you to breath in the tea. Then you sip allowing the liquid to cover your taste buds.

Ahhhh!

Not every cup is like that but when it is, it’s ecstatic and relaxing at the same time. Hope it’s the same for you.

Until next time – happy steeping.