Ceylon Star by DAVIDsTEA

I got this tea as a sample in my latest DAVIDsTEA order.  Last night I felt adventurous and decided to give it a try.

When I opened the package the tea smelled like... dream.  Yes, that's the first thing that popped into my head.  I even wrote it down in my little tea journal.  And yes, I do have a tea journal.  I jot notes down whenever I drink new tea because my head usually goes 100 miles per second and things get forgotten easily.

Back to the tea... What does a dream smell like exactly?  Well, it it is a good dream then it smells like vanilla, chocolate and the yummiest dessert you can think of.  That's what I smelled when I opened the package.  Things were looking up and I was very happy.  The aroma went hand in hand with the looks of the tea itself. Nice big black leaves with chunks of white chocolate and a big piece of star anise.  Gorgeous!

I steeped the tea in boiling water for 5 minutes.  The aroma of the steeping tea continued to lure me; sweet and delicious with slight hint of cinnamon even though there was no cinnamon listed in the ingredients.  At one point I would swear I got a whiff of vanilla pudding.  Yummy!

The steeped tea was dark orange in color and was smooth, mild tasting with no astringency.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Gone was the cinnamon and vanilla pudding and now the front seat belonged to cocoa and anise.

Overall it was a very pleasing tea.  For me it was a shame that it came with artificial flavoring because I tend to steer away from all things artificial when consumption is concerned.  Nevertheless, for someone that doesn't mind that, it's a delicious tea to try out.

Ingredients: Ceylon black tea, star anise, cocoa, white chocolate, natural and artificial flavoring. Contains coconut, dairy and soy.

Steeping temperature: Boiling
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Steeped in: porcelain teapot

Cheers!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their day.  Some people love this day, some people hate it.  I think that no matter whether you're single, married or in relationship of sorts, there is a little love for everyone on Valentines Day.  I for one, found love in the most unusual of places this morning.  I walked into my local thrift shop and there on the shelf sat this adorable and the most original of teapots I had a chance to get my hands on.  It was a love at first sight, I grabbed it and there was no letting go.

Now is evening and I'm sitting here, sipping on my Darjeeling with lavender and a splash of milk.  My lovely teapot is sitting over a candle warmer.  I've had my share of food and chocolate for today and now this tea is all I really need and want.  It's really that simple...

Love and blessings to all!!!

Of Personal Notes and 2004 Willow Grove Shu

Today I received a much anticipated delivery from Verdant Tea.  About two weeks ago I've ordered my very first pu'erh tea.  Never had it before, never tasted it, I couldn't wait to try it out.  I've read so many different reviews of various pu'erhs, the good and the bad and the more I read the more I wanted to get in the club.  You know, the club of people who know what pu'erh is all about.

For those of you who don't know what pu'erh tea is, there is an awesome Wikipedia article on pu'erh tea with all the details one can handle.

Verdant Tea's selection was not the largest at the moment. I don't know all the ins and outs of the pu'erh tea but apparently they are waiting for the new stock to come in.  Never the less, I've ordered Tea Trail 2004: Willow Grove Shu 50g, and a sample of Mt. Banzgang Farmer's Cooperative '03 Sheng.  I also received a complimentary sample of Flowering Green Jasmine tea.  I have never brewed flowers before and I just can't wait to do it.  Thank you Verdant Team!

The box was neatly packaged and included a personal note from the staff.  I thought that was such a nice touch! :)

I waited until after dinner to open the shu and steep a pot of it.  I didn't want to be rushed.  I wanted to savor and enjoy the moment.

The aroma of the tea was very delicate, mild, a bit musky and sweet.  The leaves were clumped in chunks and very dark in appearance.  Definitely did not look like any other tea that I've seen.

I wanted to make sure I steep this one correctly so I followed the Western brewing instructions from Verdant Tea website.  I rinsed the leaves first at 208F and then steeped the tea at 205F for 3 minutes.  I steeped in the glass teapot because I don't have a dedicated yixing teapot yet.

While brewing, this pu'erh was almost trying to tell a story.

The aroma of the steeped tea was very woody.  Actually, the moment I smelled this pu'erh and took a sip, I was thrown back in memory lane to the mushroom picking trips I used to take with my grandpa when I was little.  Every time I took a sip I had this flashback.  All of a sudden I was seeing myself in the deep forest, picking mushrooms and being surrounded by pine trees.  That was quite a time travel! :D

Back to the tea.  The liquid color was gorgeous deep reddish brown and it was crystal clear.  The taste was full bodied, mild, delicate and pleasant.  I could smell and taste the woods and the pine and there was this ever slight astringency that started developing towards the end of every sip but which disappeared before the sip was over.  I can say with confidence that I very much enjoyed this delicious and special tea.

You might think, this is it but this shu wasn't done with me yet.  As I was sitting and sipping my tea, all of a sudden I was hit by a head rush.  I heard about this before but totally forgot and it took me by a surprise.  It was not bothersome but I definitely felt different.  This is some tea!

I gave the tea two steeps, second time I brewed it for 3 minutes as well.  To my surprise, after the second steep, the tea was darker and stronger.  Still very earthy, woody and full body.  I have never seen a tea getting stronger with subsequent steeps, this was the first.  Unfortunately, it was getting late in the evening and I couldn't continue with steeps.  Next time I will steep it earlier in the day and continue steeping until the flavor is gone.  This is definitely a lot of tea... It packs a punch.

Steeping temperature: 205F

Steeping time: 3 min

Steeped in: glass teapot

Cheers!!!

Creme Brule by DAVIDsTEA

For the past two days I've been kept busy by the biggest winter storm to hit southeastern Ontario in the last three years.  I've spent lots of time outside with my daughter, playing in the snow, hiking and taking photos.  Let me tell you... There is nothing better than coming back from the cold and having a great cup of tea.  For me at least. :)

I was happy to receive my latest DAVIDsTEA delivery one day early, the day before the big storm.  I felt prepared.  Bring it on Mother Nature!  Nothing can stop me now!

My delivery included Chinese Dragonwell, Japanese Sencha and Creme Brulee.   I ordered Creme Brulee tea because creme brulee is one of my favorite desserts and I just had to try it out.  Sooner or later it had to happen and so I figured now was the time.

After dinner I don't delay... It's rooibos time!

I rip the package open and inhale the intoxicating aroma.  I just love that first whiff...   Mmmm ... This is really creme brulee!!!  I wish it was in my oven!

The tea smells delicious and just like creme brulee should.  The sweet aroma of caramel with notes of rum cake awakens my senses and warms my soul.  It looks beautiful too.  I see the yellow flowers of calendula and red safflowers.  I think this is going to be good.

I steep the tea in boiling water for seven minutes in accordance with instructions.  The sweet aroma spreads throughout the kitchen and invites my husband who wants to know what I'm making.  "A tea", I say and he looks somewhat disappointed.  He doesn't drink tea.

The steeped tea is beautiful shade of orange color, mild and very pleasant on the tongue.  I'm having it with home made raisin scones and the combination couldn't be better. These two simply love each other.  It's great with milk or without.  Sometimes with blends like this I like to add a little milk for the creamy effect. It's very comforting.

All in all this is a very nice tea, I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint.  In addition, I just love the fact that Creme Brulee is made with all natural ingredients.  To me that's important component of quality and that is very important.

Ingredients (Organic): Green and Red Rooibos, safflowers, calendula marigold, natural flavoring

Steeping Temperature: 98C

Steeping Time: 7 minutes

Steeped in: Porcelain Teapot


Cheers!!!

Of Big Packages and Pretty Tea

Ohhhhh yes!! Another week and another order arrived on my doorstep today.  This package was bigger than usual as I ordered three varieties of tea and a silver tin.

I stuck a flower in the picture to show my love :)

The package included my beloved Dragonwell, Japanese Sencha and Creme Brule.  I just can't wait to try Creme Brule.  It's a mix of red and green rooibos with added safflowers, calendula and natural flavoring.  The label claims it to be organic... Hopefully. :)

I didn't know what calendula was so I googled it.  It is a variety of marigold in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean to Iran.  It is said to be anti-inflammatory and anti-viral.  The petals are edible and can be used in salads, to color cheese or as a replacement for saffron.  Apparently, they can also be used in my tea. :)

Orange Calendula

I couldn't resist and opened the package of Creme Brule to sneak a peak... Beautiful aroma and very pretty looking tea.  Look at all the colorful flowers in there!  If I'm not mistaken, the yellow ones are from calendula  (which can also be yellow) and the red ones are safflowers.

My package as usual, besides the ordered tea, included three complimentary samples... the mystery tea...the present within a present. Today I got:

1. Orange Pekoe (Fine black tea from Sri Lanka and Assam, India)
2. The Skinny (Oolong tea, pu'erh tea, ginger, ginseng, orange peel and natural flavoring)
3. Coco Chai Rooibos: (Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger root, cardamom, red pepper, cloves, pink peppercorns, artificial and natural flavoring)

All of the above I already got before which is a bummer because I love trying new teas, but if I remember correctly The Skinny was pretty good and it's all natural.  Coco Chai was delish as well but I'm not crazy about the artificial flavoring.

There is another order on the way, somewhere between Minnesota and here.  It's pu'erh from Verdant Tea and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  Straight pu'erh tea is such a mystery to me, everything I heard about it makes me want to try it even more.  Hopefully it arrives soon.

Cheers!!!

High Mountain Oolong by DAVIDsTEA

Just few months ago I didn't know what oolong was.  I knew about green tea, white tea, black tea and herbals.  Oolong was not in my vocabulary.

Ever since I switched over to loose tea I started paying closer attention to different kinds of teas and learning as much as I could.  The word oolong was being thrown around quite a bit and I began noticing oolong tea bags at the local health food store. I often wondered about this mysterious tea with a fancy name.  What exactly did it taste like?

About two weeks ago I decided to find out and ordered High Mountain Oolong from DAVIDsTEA after reading some great reviews on Steepster.  At $10 per 25g this tea is in the premium price range and as a result, my expectations were high.

Opening the package revealed beautifully curled green tea leaves with mild, unassuming aroma.  The smell was reminiscent of green tea only a lot more subtle.

I began the brewing process by first steeping the tea for 30 seconds to rinse and open up the leaves a bit.  I followed that with a 5 minute steep.  The water for both steeps was at near boiling at around 94C.  The leaves unfurled taking up a lot of space and looked gorgeous.

The steeped tea smelled delicious, a little sweet with a hint of wet wood aroma.  By taking a sip I was thrown into an array of flavors very foreign to me.  Oolong tea production lies somewhere in the middle between gentle handling and non-oxidation of green tea and complete oxidation of black tea.  What I was tasting here was definitely complex and very different from both green and black teas that I know.  There was something to this tea I couldn't put my finger on.  A very pleasant aroma that hit me every time I put my nose to the teacup and a delicious flavor that lingered with every sip.  It tasted buttery and a bit vegetal but not the same vegetal taste you would get from green tea.  I also detected a mild and very pleasant astringency at the back of my tongue.

By now I should be done with the tasting but no... something was luring me back.  That taste and aroma that returned every time I took a sip, that made this tea distinct from all the other teas I tried.  It intrigued me and made me sip over and over to try and figure it out.  It was sweet and a bit floral and when I closed my eyes I  imagined wild flowers in the woods after a pouring rain.

Overall this was a delicious tea, the kind that I wouldn't mind having every day.  In this price range though, it will have to remain a treat but a treat I'll be delighted to have.

Steeping temperature: 94C

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Steeped in: glass teapot


Cheers!!!

The History of Tea: The Invention

The history of tea is long and complex, spreading across multiple cultures over the span of thousands of years.  Although tales exist in regards to the beginnings of tea being used as a beverage, no one is sure of its exact physical and cultural origins. - Wikipedia

All different types of tea except for rooibos, come from the same plant Camellia Sinensis which is said to have originated in Southeast Asia and more specifically somewhere near northeast India, north Burma, southwest China and Tibet.  From there the plant was introduced to more than 52 countries.

Few people know that tea is a second most popular beverage on earth, surpassed only by water. It is a very important part of the culture in many countries.

In China for example, according to Chinese saying, tea is one of seven basic daily necessities which are: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea.  There are also tea houses in most Chinese neighbourhoods and business districts offering many varieties of hot and cold tea beverages and tea friendly snacks.

In Japan there is a cultural activity called Japanese Tea Ceremony or The Way of Tea that involves ceremonial preparation and presentation of Matcha, the Japanese green powdered tea.

In Great Britain and Ireland, tea is not only a name for the beverage but also a name for the meal.

As we can see, tea has swept the world but the question is: where did it come from, when was it discovered and how?

Shen Nong - Unidentified artist, 1800s, Japan

The legend has it that the tea was discovered by accident by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 B.C.

Shen Nong was a scientist and inventor of Chinese medicine as well as agriculture.  He was of firm belief that  water should be boiled before drinking.  One day the Emperor and his servants were travelling when they decided to take a rest.  As servants began boiling water for their ruler, some dried leaves of nearby Camellia Sinensis bush fell into the boiling water changing the color and the taste slightly.  The Emperor took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the aroma and taste of the resulting concoction.  He also noticed that he felt somewhat refreshed and reinvigorated.  He then proclaimed that this drink is good for health and hence the tea was invented, although at first it was considered a medicinal beverage.  It wasn't until around 3rd century A.D. that tea became an everyday drink in China.

And as to the rest of the world?

Around 12th century Japanese Buddhist monk brought the tea to Japan where the tea ceremony emerged years later.  The tea was introduced to Europe at the start of 17th century and it was around 1650 when the tea was brought by the merchants to New York from where it spread through the rest of the nation.

Cheers!!

My journey with Dragonwell

I love dragons.  I did since I was a kid.  If your tea has a word dragon in it I will definitely try it at least once.  Hopefully it will live up to the name.  To me a dragon means that it's something out of ordinary, exciting, something that will make me pay attention.

When I first got introduced to loose tea, I had no idea where to go to find me a good green.  Even with the bags it was hit and miss and mostly miss.  I didn't even know what I was looking for but I knew that if I found it I would know.  I researched the world of loose green tea and found out that Dragonwell is the most popular green tea in China.  I just had to try that!

I decided to go with DAVIDsTEA for my first time.

I have to say this tea has surprised me in more ways than one.  I can't really compare it to anything else because this is the first straight loose green tea that I've tried and the only one so far.  For sure I cannot compare it to the bags either.  This one is a whole new animal all on its own.

I still remember the day that I got this tea.  I was so excited, the leaves looked beautiful, their aroma was delicate and nice.

I brewed myself a nice pot.  I counted the minutes in anticipation.  The water in the pot was turning a lovely shade of green.  All was good.  I lifted a lid and took a whiff....

This couldn't be.  I went back to the package to re-check whether I got what I ordered.  Yes, this was Dragonwell, but if this was the most popular tea in China why did it smell like that?  I couldn't put my finger on the smell... It was vegetal, grassy, asparagus like, spinach, or maybe all four together?  Definitely not what I expected.  I was disappointed.

I tasted the tea and the taste was definitely going hand in hand with the aroma.  Vegetal, grassy, asparagus like, spinach or all four?  I finished the pot and contemplated whether I should return the tea or give it another shot.  I knew from reviews that people liked it.  Was there something wrong with me?

I decided to give it another shot.  And another.  And another.

This was about two weeks ago and I am pleased to say that this tea has grown on me.  It has wrapped itself around and plunged it's roots into the very core of my being.  I love this tea.  After about few days I couldn't wait to get up in the morning and steep myself a nice pot.  It became an integral part of my morning.

I know I have to keep trying other loose green teas because drinking bagged green tea all these years has definitely taught my palate nothing, but for now this one has won my heart.  It's very much vegetal and a little grassy with some earthy tones thrown in there for good measure.... and it's delicious.  I know I want Dragonwell in my cupboard.  Always.

Steeping temperature: 82C

Steeping time: 5 min

Steeped in: Clear glass teapot

Cheers!!

Coco Chai Rooibos by DAVIDsTEA

This tea arrived at my doorstep as a sample included with my latest DAVIDsTEA order.  Since I've never had rooibos before, I was excited to try it.

Let's have us a cuppa!

Out of the drawer the scissors go, the package is snipped open and first whiff is inhaled.  The tea smells delicious which is a no particular surprise after noting the ingredients listed in the sample.  The aroma is sweet, I detect cinnamon and a little coconut.  It looks interesting too.  I love the added visual touch of red peppercorns, they just look adorable in there.  They are actually called pink peppercorns but they look definitely red to me.

I brew this tea according to the instructions on the packet.  The aroma now fills the kitchen, it's sweet and spicy, I'm loving it.

As I take the first sip my socks are being knocked off.  This stuff is amazing!  It's smooth and slightly sweet with no astringency, only pure and gentle love.  The coconut has now taken a back seat and what I really taste is apples and cinnamon, and let me tell you, I love apples and cinnamon.  The fact that rooibos is naturally caffeine free it's an added bonus.  I can drink this concoction and not worry about climbing the walls! Awesome!

The color is very pleasing to my eye, deep orange red and it tastes as good as it looks.

The only problem I find with this tea is that among listed ingredients there is also artificial flavoring.  I don't mean to be a pain in the behind but I tend to exclude anything made with artificial flavoring from my food and drink list.  This tea will be no exception but I am so impressed with the aroma and taste that I will look for something similar to this in the organic and all natural department.

Oh yes, I'm inspired to do one more thing.  Find me a jar of pink peppercorns.  Until today I didn't know about their existence and now I want these little guys.

Ingredients: Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pink peppercorns, natural and artificial flavouring

Brewing temperature: Boiling

Brewing time: 7 minutes

Brewed in: Chinese blue and white ceramic teapot

Cheers!!

It's Delivery Day!

I love the days when I wake up and know that something fun is due to arrive in the mail.  Notice, I included the word 'fun' because lots of things arrive in the mail everyday and none of them are fun.  They are mostly bills.

Today was a different kind of mail day.  I was expecting new delivery from DAVIDsTEA.  Last week I ordered Egyptian Chamomile (organic) and Peppermint Amour (organic).  I was out of both of these herbs and decided to give DAVIDsTEA a try.

The package took roughly a week to get to me and as usual included three free random samples. They put them in every online order.  Uh oh, that's like being a kid in a candy store and salesperson tells you to pull out your hand because he will throw some free candy your way.  What am I going to get?  What am I going to get?  The prospect of getting some mystery samples of tea is just as exciting as the main delivery itself.

First on to the main product.  The Egyptian Chamomile.  When I first opened the bag it smelled delightful, just like chamomile should.  It looked good too.  I'll be having a cup tonight before going to bed.

Organic Egyptian Chamomile

The second main product was Peppermint Amour.  It too smelled amazing, so good in fact that I couldn't take my nose out of the bag. I hope it will taste as good as it smells.  Judging by the reviews on Steepster I shouldn't be disappointed.

Organic Peppermint Amour

Moving on to my three free samples, they were:

1. Read My Lips (Chinese black tea, peppermint, dark chocolate, red lip sprinkles, pink peppercorns, natural and artificial flavouring)
2. Orange Pekoe (Fine black tea from Ceylon, Sri Lanka)
3. Coco Chai Rooibos (Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pink peppercorns, natural and artificial flavouring)

All three sound very exciting although I could do without the artificial flavouring.  Something about the word 'artificial' that makes me want to avoid it in my food or drinks.  Anyhow, a sample won't kill me and I will be trying these out for fun but anything that I'll buy with cold, hard cash will be artificial flavouring free.

There is another package enroute to me and scheduled to arrive on Thursday.  It contains some Darjeeling and Oolong.  Can't wait!!

Cheers!!

Of Cheese Biscuits and a Post Dinner Cuppa

This morning I logged into the Blogger and found a post by Bernideen of Bernideen's Tea Time Blog in which I found a recipe for these wonderful Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I'm a sucker for baked goods especially in the winter time, so very quickly, I was burning with desire to try them out.

I baked these at the same time as I was cooking dinner because I just love multitasking. That and the fact that I wanted to have them ready right after dinner so I can enjoy them with my after dinner tea.  I didn't have old bay seasoning so I left that ingredient out but not to worry...

The biscuits turned out amazing! They were tasty and tender with wonderfully crumbly texture, I just couldn't get enough. They looked delicious too. I completely terrorized my family and didn't let anyone to have a crumb until they all finished their dinner and licked the plates with which everyone dutifully complied.

After scuffing several biscuits I had myself a nice cup of Silver Needle. Yum! What a wonderful after dinner snack!  The whole family loved it too!

Of Glass Teapots and Ginger Spiced Brew

Have you ever had one of these days when luck just smiles at you?  Of course you did, they happen to all of us every now and then.  Today it was my turn to have one of these days.

I walked into my favorite second hand shop and found Teaopia (now Teavana) glass teapot with infuser, completely intact.  I've been checking out different teapots for almost two years now.  Whenever I'm at my favorite second hand shops I always check the teapot and tea sets section.  I have never seen all glass teapot yet until today.  I'm so happy because I really wanted one and they are quite pricey.  Today I didn't need to worry about the price because at $2.99 it was a steal.  On the side note, there are so many things that I want and it's nice to score a steal every now and then, right?

Such wonderful turn of events simply had to be celebrated and the only way to do it was to brew something good in my new teapot.  After washing the pot carefully (oh my, this thing is so delicate, I can imagine it could shatter just by me staring at it for too long) and drying it thoroughly, it was time for the after dinner cuppa.

This had to be a special brew, possibly something I haven't had yet but wanted to try. I decided to try one of the samplers sent to me with my latest order of DAVIDsTEA: The Skinny. It's an organic oolong blend and I've been having my eye on it for a while.

The Organic Skinny Ingredients: Chinese oolong tea, Chinese pu'erh tea, ginger, eleuthero, orange peel, natural orange and ginger flavorings.

Upon tearing the sample package I was greeted with a delicious aroma reminiscent of citrus with a tiny hint of ginger. I really enjoyed that. Usually when the tea smells yummy pre-steep it is an indication of good things to come.

I steeped the tea for about 5 minutes at which point the color was beautiful shade of red, not too light and not too dark. The scent has now changed slightly. It was spicy with bigger emphasis on ginger. Taste-wise ginger was also very prominent but still not overwhelmingly so.  You have to know that I'm not a big fan of ginger in my tea (unless I need it for health reasons) and so this could have potentially been a tasting disaster.

I was pleasantly surprised. The tea was delicious in taste, very smooth and with a subtle hint of sweetness. My youngest daughter, who joined me in this sample tasting, added a tiny bit of organic cane sugar to it and she too has enjoyed his tea. It's maybe not something that I feel compelled to have a tin full in my tea cabinet but if available, I will most certainly have a cup of.

I give this tea a handsome 8/10

Till next time,

Cheers!!

Silver Needle White Tea from Teavana

I'm going to start my tea travels with the mention of my favorite white tea which is Silver Needle.  I happen to currently have the Teavana brand because that is the first and only Silver Needle that I tried.  If there are better brands, then all the better because I just adore this tea.

I first found out about the white tea and its benefits back in September 2012 and right away I wanted to score myself a package.  Back then I was still oblivious to the loose tea existence and so I began my search for the perfect cup of bagged white tea.  I bought countless boxes of bagged white tea and each time I was more disappointed than the next.  Not only the taste wasn't anything special, but also every brand of white tea I bought brewed into ugly brown liquid even though white tea supposed to have gorgeous golden color.  My white tea was looking darker than my green tea!  How could that be? Every website I checked said that the color indicates the freshness and quality of the tea and so I thought I'm simply not having any luck finding fresh, top quality white tea.  Sadly, I eventually gave up and went back to drinking green tea.

My Silver Needle Storage Tin

When in December I finally discovered Teavana, I also discovered that they carried Silver Needle which I knew was premium brand loose white tea.  I was super excited and immediately bought myself a tin full of it.  What a delight!!  The only regret I have is that I haven't done it sooner.

I store my Silver Needle in a metal tin, which is mostly white in appearance (as you can see in the picture to the left) because this is such light and delicate tea.  Although I have a fondness for glass jars and would love to stare at those beautiful tea buds whenever I'm in the kitchen, I do understand that tea leaves have specific storage guidelines and should not be exposed to several things, one of them being light.  I could always put the jar in my tea cabinet but then I couldn't stare at it anyways so for now I will keep the tin.



I love opening the tin and taking a whiff of the wonderful aroma this tea emanates.  The buds are of various sizes, some smaller, some larger and they are all covered in tiny white hair, giving the tea a bit of a silver hue.   Add to it their pointy shape and you got the name Silver Needle.  Nobody told me this... I figured it out myself... Ha!

Silver Needle before brewing

Silver Needle after brewing

I usually brew this tea for about seven minutes or so, a bit longer than the recommended five.  I find that I get more flavor this way and you cannot go wrong with that.  I don't worry about bitterness because I found that no matter what I do, this tea simply doesn't turn bitter.  Ever.

The resulting brew has a gorgeous golden color and the aroma reminds me of raw honey.  As to taste, it is very light, a bit sweet and slightly floral... maybe even a hint of honey as well.

My youngest daughter who is seven years old often asks to have a sip of this tea and when I give her the mug I usually don't get it back.  I don't add any honey or sugar to my teas so I think it speaks volumes if seven years old likes it.

On the scale of 1-10 I give this tea a full 10.  Remember, I'm not a seasoned tea critic, only an average woman who happens to like tea... but I do like this one... a lot.

Cheers!!

How did it all began?

This blog happened because I wanted to log my tea experiences.  Not because I'm some kind of tea connoisseur, tea critic or any of the sorts.  It happened because I rediscovered loose tea again.

My tea affair began before Christmas when I was buying presents for the family.  Couple of people suggested tea gifts and I remember thinking "what could be so exciting about a tea?".  I mean, I like to drink tea, I have a cup of green and white tea every day but popping a bag into the cup is hardly exciting at all and how many exciting tea gift choices could there be?

Without further due, I dived into the world of tea and discovered that:

1. There are countless gift ideas for tea.  Who would have known?
2. Tea in Canada doesn't only come in tea bags!  

I'm obviously being sarcastic here, deep down inside I already knew that there are options other than tea bags, but that thought haven't entered my conscious mind for years.  You probably reading this and laughing but to me this is not a laughing matter.  Unless you buy your tea somewhere other than supermarket or convenience store, you would never know that loose tea exists in Canada.

Silver Needle White Tea

Since I was a little girl, as far as my memories take me, my mom always drank tea.  I remember tea leaves on the bottom of tea cups, the cool little tea infuser my mom had and the intoxicating aroma of tea when you popped the lid of the tea can.

Somewhere between that and my adulthood the image of a tin filled with little wonders that were the beautifully rolled whole tea leaves has been replaced with image and convenience of a tea bag.  And so my excitement fizzled.  I find that sad.


Now that I've rediscovered this wondrous plant again, I want to document my journey into its world and I want you there with me.  We might not always agree on everything that I'll say, but I think it will be fun.

Cheers!