The Gift of Tea

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This week I received a lovely gift box of green tea all the way from America! I was told to make an exciting sounding tea lemonade with this but have only had the time to make a normal cup of tea this week. [I also visited the Whittards outlet shop but more on that next week!]

Brewing

"1) Boil water. 2) Place one sachet in cup. 3) Pour 8fl oz hot water over sachet. 4) Steep for 3 minutes."

This is a green tea so milk need not be added. While you are waiting for your tea to brew you can enjoy reading the packaging as I did ("For best karma, please reuse or recycle.")

Colour

Pale brown which has more in common with black tea than green tea.

Aroma

You can smell the mint strongly. It actually reminds me of mint sauce. This might sound odd for a tea but does help bring to mind the memory of delicious roast lamb.

Taste

I am happy to report it doesn't taste of mint sauce :) There is a strong mint flavour with a hint of lemon grass (a pleasant aftertaste). There is also an underlying taste of tea :) I couldn't taste the lemon essence but it probably helps bring out the other flavours.

Fantasia

I took a break from writing my Continuation Report (the reason this entry is so late!) to try this tea. I've been trying to find familiar films/series to watch which are conducive to the writing process and Fantasia has been one of the best yet [I've written 7 pages today :)].

Conclusion

An invigorating green tea which tastes strongly of mint.

Web-link

http://www.tazo.com/tazo.asp

See you all next week!

The State of Tea Drinking in Germany - Part 2

While I have returned to the UK this week I brought back some leaf tea from Germany with me.

Pictured is a delightful tea shop in the Arkaden at Potsdamer Platz. The staff were friendly and happily let me peruse their selection of teas which all have samples in little glass jars for your nose's pleasure.

The tea I chose to purchase smelled amazing - Blueberry Muffin tea :)

Brewing

Despite not being able to read German I have been able to ascertain that this tea should be brewed for between 2 and 4 minutes. I, as usual, preferred to brew it for longer. I decided to try the tea with and without milk as I was unable to determine the suggested course of action because of the language barrier.

Colour

A nice light brown which looks good with or without milk.

Aroma

There is a very strong smell of blueberry muffin which is almost overpowering in the bag. However when brewed the aroma is still present (and still lovely) but weaker. A good compromise I think.

Taste

In a similar vein to the sticky toffee flavoured tea from Whittard's this tea has a normal taste while the aroma provides a pleasant experience :)

I found that adding milk was my preferred choice for drinking this tea.

Cakes!

While I actually enjoyed this tea with a prototype cake (more on that after a tea party I have planned) I did also visit some friends this week (a delightful couple should you ever meet them). Their cake offering was an apricot flan with a good balance of sweetness (not too sweet as is common) and nice shortcrust pastry - lovely :)

Conclusion

German tea is definitely in a more than acceptable state, at least within Berlin.

Web-link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_culture#Germany

 - Good elsewhere too it would seem!

See you all next week!

P.S. The Riots

I strongly support the movement to drink tea in protest of the rioting in England currently. Show your support to our police forces, firemen and volunteers!

The State of Tea Drinking in Germany - Part 1

This week my I am in Berlin on holiday. When else will I get the opportunity to assess the state of tea consumption in this fine country?

At breakfast I chose to try Ronnefeldt's English Breakfast blend.

Brewing

No official timings so I defaulted to a few minutes brewing before adding some alpenmilch. The main point with this brand of tea though was the tea caddy system which is definitely a better solution than Twining's little tea bag strings.

Colour

A nice brown tea colour as expected.

Aroma

Smells like a standard tea - a good sign for tea abroad.

Taste

This is a fairly normal blend of Ceylon tea for a good breakfast cuppa. Definitely a successful tea. Apparently tea drinking is on the rise in Germany which can only be a good thing :)

Breakfast

In order to do this tea justice I did my best to assemble a Full English from the buffet. Very crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, tomato and some würst later and I had the closest approximation I could muster.

Conclusion

Deutschland has definitely succeeded at normal tea! 

Web-link

http://www.ronnefeldttea.ca/business/shop/category.php?id_category=7

See you all next week for more German shenanigans!

A Refreshing Workday Tea

This week my teapot was sadly destroyed by an evil washing machine (resonance is bad kids!) :( As such this week's tea is once more of the tea bag variety.

On a recent trip to replace my green tea at work I decided to be daring and try a tea company I was not familiar with - Clipper.

Brewing

"This is how we do it: always use fresh water, pour it over the tea bag while it's still boiling and allow to brew for 2-4 minutes. The rest is up to you"

A reasonable brewing time and though I usually favour stronger tea I have enjoyed this brewed both slowly and quickly. A quick brew will bring out more lemon flavour than a slow one will.

Colour

Very pale green, hard to see in my usual mug.

Aroma

The lemon smell is not particularly strong when you remove the tea bag from the packaging but when you make the tea it is very fragrant indeed. You must enjoy lemons to enjoy this tea.

Taste

This is a very refreshing tea and has quickly become my staple at work in this warm weather. If you brew it quickly the tea takes a back seat and you get a lovely, lemony libation. With a longer brewing time you get a nice green tea with hints of lemon. This is definitely the tea I would suggest to someone who hasn't tried green tea before!

Work & Music

This tea has been an excellent pick-me-up this week with an increased work load. I have also been accompanying it with a variety of good music including Marc Bolan & T-Rex and some comedy from "Weird Al" Yankovic (currently Pancreas is stuck in my head).

Conclusion

Vraiment rafraîchissante! J'adore les citrons.

Web-link

http://shop.clipper-teas.com/teas/green/fairtrade-green-tea-with-lemon

See you all next week!

Twinings Free Sample 2

For those of you who don't know, Twinings are currently giving away free samples (http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/free-samples/)! I took them up on their kind offer and chose a Blossom Earl Grey for this week's tea.

Brewing

"Use freshly drawn water. Use water at a rolling boil. Use one teabag per cup or one per person in a teapot. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or to your taste). This delicate tea is best enjoyed black or with just a touch of milk."

Your standard Twinings brewing instructions once again. I brew it strong and enjoyed it with milk as I would normal Earl Grey.

Colour

Dark brown.

Aroma

Though you can still smell the bergamot present in your usual Earl Grey tea it is much more restrained. The hint of orange blossom makes this tea nice and distinct from traditional Earl Grey.

Taste

I think this might be the tea with which to convert those who don't normally enjoy Earl Grey. With a weaker flavour the bergamot doesn't overpower the taste as much and this is a very refreshing tea.

Hard Work Pre-Quiz

I enjoyed this tea before clearing out the basement and heading off to a quiz in Withington. A quiz run by a man who can only really be described as a gentleman pirate (impressive facial hair and a waistcoat) who has possibly the most amazing voice I've heard outside of a particular episode of Black Books.

Conclusion

A lighter version of an old classic. Very refreshing.

Web-link

http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/taiwanese-high-mountain-oolong-6.html

See you all next week!

The Almost Tea

While out in Deansgate the other day I decided to be a little daring in my choice of tea. I went for the interestingly named Rooibos tea which until recently I knew nothing about (except that my friend Aisha was a fan of it).

For those who don't know Rooibos (or Redbush) tea is made from a bush found in Africa and is naturally caffeine free. Since it is not made from true tea leaves it counts as a herbal tea. It is still full of anti-oxidants though!

Brewing

"Use freshly drawn water. Use water at a rolling boil. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or to your taste) to release all of the flavour. Delicious with or without milk."

I brewed this tea for about 4 minutes but I didn't keep diligent track of the time since I was enjoying myself in a restaurant. I enjoyed this herbal tea with milk partly because if you can have milk in tea I normally do and partly because I left the waiter standing there for so long while I made my decision that it would have been rude not to. 

Colour

A rich red-brown colour that compares to most everyday teas.

Aroma

The aroma is nothing special, smelling very much like an ordinary tea.

Taste

This was the most interesting part as I had absolutely no idea what to expect because herbal teas have such a wide range of flavours. Rooibos tea, it turns out, tastes very similar to normal tea. In fact had I not known it was different I would likely have thought nothing of it and assumed it was simply normal tea. 

Since this is clearly marketed as caffeine free alternative and is a lot nicer than many decaf teas I can definitely see the appeal.

Cake & Conversation

I tried this tea with a slice of carrot cake (Café Rouge is yet another place which does a 'cake & coffee' deal) and a delightful conversation.

Conclusion

Very similar to your standard teas but without the caffeine. A pleasant surprise!

Web-link

http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/twinings-tea/redbush-teas/redbush-628.html

See you all next week for the second Twinings sample!

Twinnings Free Sample 1

For those of you who don't know, Twinnings are currently giving away free samples (http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/free-samples/)! I took them up on their kind offer and chose a flavoured green tea for this week's tea.

Brewing

"Allow one bag per person and add freshly boiled water. Leave to infuse for no more than two minutes to ensure you get a light, delicate, fresh taste. Always best enjoyed without milk."

This tea is brewed for much less time than the others in the Twinnings range. Also since this is a green tea no milk is required.

Colour

Very pale green-brown similar to normal green tea.

Aroma

Very light smell with orange definitely present. I'm not sure that I can smell the lotus flower but I do have a cold at the moment.

Taste

Delicate is definitely the case this is much lighter than normal green tea. If you're not a fan of green tea normally you might enjoy this. You can definitely taste the orange but it is again fairly light. Definitely refreshing but very weak compared to my usual tastes.

Television

I tried this while sat down for this week's episode of The Apprentice after a thorough spring cleaning of the house. It definitely helped refresh me during my well deserved sit down.

Conclusion

Delicate and light with hints of orange. Nice after a spring clean!

Web-link

http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/green-teas/green-tea-with-orange-and-lotus-flower/

See you all next week!

And Now For Something Completely Different!

It may not have escaped your notice that today is one of the hottest days of the year (I write these in advance, so it's probably raining by the time you read this). Having disproved the old adage that hot tea makes you cooler in the summer (this has never, ever worked for me or anyone I've asked under the age of 40. Lies I tell you!) and with this being tennis season I felt some iced tea was in order.

Ingredients

• 8 Tea bags (I have a penchant for Earl Grey)

• Water

• Lemon

• Sugar (I used brown but caster is fine)

• Ice cubes

Brewing

1. Boil 4 cups of fresh, cold water in a saucepan.

2. Add the tea bags and leave to brew, while covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Remove tea bags.

4. Pour tea into large jug.

5. Add 4 cups cold water to jug.

6. Add sugar and lemon to taste.

7. Add ice cubes to cool the tea to desired temperature.

8. Enjoy!

Colour

Your iced tea will be a darker brown than commercial brands.

Aroma

As the tea is cold there is less aroma than usual but you can still pick out the bergamot as well as the lemon. It definitely has a nicer smell than shop bought ice tea.

Taste

Though I would normally consider sugar in Earl Grey to be sacrilege (though I do add milk which is seen as equally bad by some) it works very well in iced tea. The normally strong flavour of the tea is subdued but still present. All-in-all a pleasant experience.

Interesting Facts

Iced tea makes up for 85% of all tea consumed in the United States. 

There is a very nice story about the recipe being invented at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair but sadly recipes have been found dating back to the 1870s.

Conclusion

Follow instructions. Be refreshed!

Web-link

http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/speciality-teas/earl-grey/

See you all next week!

Another Dessert Tea!

It appears that Whittards are particularly fond of dessert based tea and so this week we turn to the delightful Loose Leaf Apple Crumble Flavoured Tea!

This tea was discovered by Tom B and the tasting sample kindly donated by Rach T.

Brewing

"Always drink lightly brewed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of leaves per 6-cup teapot. Warm the pot first with a splash of hot water. Add the tea and pour on boiling water. Brew for 2-5 minutes. Do not add milk."

The instructions don't differ much from the other Whittard teas. Again milk is not required and I went for ~5 minutes brewing time (this is a very light tea).

Colour

Very pale brown.

Aroma

A lovely light smell of apples with a hint of cinnammon. This might not quite send you to an English orchard as the advertising blurb claims but very enjoyable.

Taste

I expected this tea to be along similar lines to the Sticky Toffee Tea but once again I was surprised! It is very light with hints of apple, cinnamon and vanilla and much more reminiscent of a herbal tea.Personally I'm a fan of strong tea so I feel this is unlikely to become a regular addition to my afternoon. That said, however, it was a refreshing change and definitely worth a try.

Television

There's no music this week as I had guests around for the tea tasting. Instead our conversation had an old episode of Supermarket Sweep for background featuring Dale Winton's orange face (though not as orange as

David Dicknson

!). Hilarity of course ensued as the ineptitude of the contestants became apparent.

Conclusion

Light and refreshing. Smells of apples and cinnamon. Delightful.

Web-link

http://www.whittard.co.uk/tea/flavoured_tea/loose_apple_crumble_tea.htm

See you all next week!

The First Weekly Tea

The idea of me presenting my tea of the week was suggested at my birthday party last month. Since I am always happy to oblige in such endeavours I am going to start a weekly tea review blog :D

So this weeks tea is Whittard's Loose Leaf Sticky Toffee Pudding Flavoured Tea (currently 25% off in their Manchester store). It sounded crazy so I simply had to try it.

Brewing:

"Always drink lightly brewed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of leaves per 6-cup pot. Boil freshly drawn water, warm the pot first with a splash of hot water. Add the tea and pour on boiling water. Brew for 2-5 minutes. Do not add milk."

Brewing the tea is straightforward but it should be enjoyed without milk. I personally think that brewing this tea for 5 minutes is best to really get a strong aroma.

Colour:

A traditional light brown tea colour

Aroma:

It does exactly what it says on the tin! Just open the packet and take a long deep breath to truly get that sticky toffee pudding smell in your nostrils. A wonderful treat :)

Taste:

I had no idea what to expect when tasting this tea, would it go down like syrup? Well disappointingly it tastes like normal tea (but with the amazing smell described above). However, I feel this is probably for the best as I don't know as if I could drink an entire cup of sticky toffee syrup (this is a lie, I totally could but probably shouldn't). These sentiments were also expressed by those who tasted the tea with me, so we have a consensus.

Conclusion:

Nice tea taste, amazing smell. Warming and lovely.

Web-link:

http://www.whittard.co.uk/tea/flavoured_tea/sticky_toffee_pudding_tea.htm

See you all next week!