Tea Time!
Lately I’ve found myself steeping and brewing tea more than I have done in a long while. It started a few weeks ago when I remembered the bagfuls of tea I have been keeping in our cupboard. Hidden treasure unearthed!
I have loved drinking tea more than I can remember. I am a coffee fanatic, but a tea lover too. It’s refreshing to know that you are getting the best of both worlds in drinking tea- the nutritional and health benefits and at the same time- the “satisfying experience” - the aroma and taste- while sipping a cup of a freshly steeped tea.
My first experience was with Lipton Earl Grey’s tea. Love it for the simple and subtle flavor with an aroma that is relaxing. Going beyond my description, it’s ”a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit”. Iced or hot, I’ve loved this beverage!
In the 80′s I was introduced to the goodness and healthy version of “green tea and rice tea”… equally good. Green tea is served in Chinese restaurants which are almost everywhere back home. There’s herbal tea that is a common concoction at home. My mother ad father would boil this and drink cupful after cupful. I have been introduced to “ampalaya tea” which I find really bitter but is really good in controlling your blood sugar levels.
My quest to ecperience the best tea had led me to a lot of tasting and binging… I have been experimenting and have probably tried a good number of flavors out there. You can probably get any famous flavors out there in the “tea/coffee” aisle of superstores. And believe me I have tried a very good number of flavors and brands- from chai, berries, green, herbal, citrus, rooibos, oolong, white, black- name it, IK have probably tried it.
TeaQuent is a tea shop in Bellingham which I and my husband had stumbled upon during one of our trips. Being a tea and coffee affecionados, we were in the store and enjoying the selection. Any flavoured tea with warm apple cider is really good beverage to try. We had one at the store and we enjoyed it. We have purchased as well a couple of rooibos (non-caffienated but more anti-oxiodants) flavors- Afrika blend and chocomint (go figure!). Among dozens and dozens of blends, I have chosen almond green and amuraja chai to add to my goodies that day. After enjoying 3-4 cups of each in various occasions- I should say that I had a great buy.
I also keep “oolong” tea in my cupboard which was a gift from a Taiwanese friend. I enjoy it after a heavy dinner- it’s really good to just kind of wash my palate and relax after a sumptious meal. This is one of the best tea flavors I had. Fascinated by how this “lose leaf” tea is prepared and packaged, my Taiwanese friend and I enjoyed a conversation over a cup of tea…
The oolong tea- being an integral part of Taiwanese local culture has been both a source of livelihood and a way life in the highwer areas of the regions. One of the most famous and highly praised variety is from Alishan. This is the brand that she gave me. The “high mountain” varieties- are harvested by local farmers from aboriginal plantations rolling through the mist on lush mountain slopes. The location, altitude and the way the tea is processed differentiate its characteristice- taste, scent and color. The Alishan lose leaf tea is sweeter, with a rich aroma and colour. I enjoy this really hot and would brew it 2-3 times after the initial preparation.
Further on the tea preparation, I love putting soy milk in it. Well, depends on the blend but I find it really good with chai and rooibos blend. I have enjoyed the green tea latte (half sweet and soy) at Starbucks. I have tried concocting this at home- it turned out really good but I need to get a good “mancha” powder. For now, I have an array of flavors to chose from and enjoy.
It’s an enjoyable journey of discovery. IK know that there are more blends ans flavors to taste and enjoy- I love the fact that tea has a long list of powerful benefits and nutritional value. Let’s enjoy a cup now while we connect again for another update. Cheers!
Advertisement
