Classic Savory Tea Haul

Its been awhile since I did a tea post. That's because I've been occupying my tea hobby reading my Meditation with Tea book which I just finished today (Huzzah)! I've learned quite a bit as to what each tea was specifically created for, which in turn has gotten me to appreciate certain teas that I never would have before. Now that I know what notes of flavor I'm looking for, I can can venture into more traditional teas and taste the entire bouquet and appreciate it. I've started to venture into two types of teas which I wasn't really into for years until I read this book: Oolongs and Blooming Teas.

I started getting into Oolong because I learned that Oolong has such a wide variety of ways that they are prepared. Oolong is a tea that is not completely oxidized to a Black form, but what I didn't know was that percent can range from 2% to 80% depending on the desired flavor. This gives you hundreds of options with flavors, notes, and texture. I don't think that a tea lover could get tired of Oolong for this simple fact alone.

As for the Blooming variety, I used to think that it was all for show. But after reading the book I now understand that most blooming teas were created for social occasions. Because they are tied together they take longer to bloom, making them a slow steeping tea easy to wait for the water to cool over a conversation. Taking this concept I realize that I can get a good pot of tea that doesn't get bitter when I'm working, or into a good read. As the weather is cooler I thought that blooming teas would be perfect those long cozy reads and painting sessions on the couch.

All these teas are from Bird Pick:

 
Super Grade Oolong: This tea is actually the tea of the month and when we had a sample of it Eugene fell in love with it. It carries a very traditional floral bite to it thats a desired characteristic of Oolong, but it had hints of a citrus zest as the finishing note. When I brewed it it came out a very golden color brew, so I assume that it has been half way oxidized. The leaves are also fairly tough, giving for a strong but fresh brew.


Osmanthus Milky Oolong: Confession; I'm on my second bag of this stuff. Lately this has been my go to tea. It's a traditional flavor with a modern twist. Milky Oolong is a fairly new type of tea on the market in the way that it's grown and harvested. No one is sure exactly how they do it, but the Oolong is a very green Oolong with a sweet milky after taste. The Oolong alone is phenomenal, giving way to very complex intense flavor, but the delicate bits of Osmanthus flower give it a sweet finish. I love this tea! I love how you just get hit with sensory overload the minute you open the packet and smell it while the water boils. Please get some if you can, you won't be disappointed!

Royal Red Peony Organic: One of the teas recommended in the book, I gave it a shot from the description of it being a good tea for entertaining. It was recommended as a perfect tea to take out on walks as it takes time to steep. I am so happy that I gave it a chance, as it is growing to become a new daily favorite of mine. Since it's a blooming tea there is no fuss with strainers and it comes out perfect every time. Another thing I love about this tea is that there is no such thing as over or under steeping it. So far my favorite steep of it is less than a minute freshly poured. It keeps its sweet dewy, light woody taste through the entire pot. People say you shouldn't brew more than one pot, but so far I've gone as far as two pots out of this one blossom.

Sprinkled Stars Blooming Green: I have yet to try this Blossoming Tea, but I got it because it's made of fragrant Jasmine Green leaves and shoots out bits of Osmanthus giving it its name. I also thought that the Easter Lily is a wonderful pairing between the two.

If any of these sound interesting to you please check them out on the web as they have been a great part of my tea exploration.

Cheers!




P.S. I wanted to do a shout out to Rachele from Nearsighted Owl for having me as a sponsor and featuring me and other talented bloggers in a post. Please check her blog of cats, fatshion, and everyday brilliance.

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Morning Cup Series 1

Hello everyone,
As one of my Crossing Fingers this month is to meditate daily, I've been spending some of my morning taking in a fresh brewed cup of tea in my office and letting the warming sun spread over my skin. It's been a great experience that has allowed my senses to linger more than they normally would.

It's said that ideally it's best to let your tea leaves go freely in the water for maximum flavor, and since I haven't been drinking much black lately I've just been throwing my tablespoons in a pot and letting them loose with no concern of small pieces to filter. This has been adding to my meditation, as they make such beautiful patterns. I wait to a certain time in the morning to enjoy my cup so I can see the light glide over my tea pot to illuminate the brew.

When I look into the pot I get the same feeling of watching leaves fall from trees; except they're held weightless in water. Occasionally I'll get bubbles, which adds to the beautiful little landscape. So... I decided to share them with you and create the beautiful photographs.

Here's what's in my collection so far:

Lovers Cup: One of my all time go to teas from Chado. It's a white tea heavily perfumed by rose petals. It also has raspberry leaves for a hint of sweetness. Such a delicate beautiful blend.

Premium Silky Green: A tea from my earlier Tea Haul from Bird Pick. I love the rustic texture of the leaves. And look at the little bubbles adding to the composition.

Orchid Oolong: Named for the fresh scent similar to Orchid's when steeped. This tea is heavenly in its deep golden hues and subtle floral taste. I got this batch from Chado as well.

There will be more photos of these to come. Enjoy!

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Herbal Haze Tea Haul

Bird Pick was having a sale the other day where all of the Herbal Teas were 20% off. As of the recent wacky weather changes I've been having trouble sleeping so I milled through the shop on what I could find. I was able to get two Herbals and a Tisane, Tisane's are a rarity for me, but this one was very unique that I couldn't resist.

At Bird Pick they do a great job of offering you samples of any tea you can imagine, they're also very knowledgeable on the benefits of each tea. Nothing like a little tea geek chat to get my spirits moving. What drew me to them this time around was the Chamomile Tea. Love had some the last time we were there and I was smitten by the taste that it had. So without further adieu, here's what I got:

Chamomile Flowers: I'm not sure if these are German or Roman, but these blossoms have a distinct thick honey taste to them. I often shy from Chamomile because after sometime they have a characteristic to have a hay like taste, which is rarely masked. So far these flowers have been a little wonder for me. I drink some every night I feel the fidgets and they seem to be giving me good solid hours of sleep.  I must warm people that the first time I drank it at home it made my throat swell which is a similar reaction I had to Chrysanthemum blossoms. Seems like if you have a weed allergy you should be careful with weed like flowery teas. I was able to cure it by using a tea sock which took out any fine bits left.

Tranquli Tea: This blend is famous at Bird's Pick. Some people take shots of this tea in concentration in replacement of certain medications and swear by it. It's a refreshing simple blend of mint, lavender, and chamomile. What makes it amazing is the sheer freshness of the ingredients which gives it a robust flavor. They sell these in bag for as well and I encourage anyone thats looking for a relaxing tea in the evenings to visit their website to get some.

Pineapple Dreams:  I'm not a Tisane person. I really don't enjoy the bitterness thats so characteristic of them and when I do it's loaded with honey. This is why I was so surprised that I was drawn to Pineapple Dreams. Most of a teas taste comes from it's scent, and this tea has the sweet scent of Pineapple balanced with sharp berries. Unlike most tropical tea this was not a super mixed fruity scent but a sweet simple scent of the fruit itself. When trying it, the bitterness was still there, but the difference was the sweet finish which was nice. Usually a tisane will sweep a throat with a dry feeling, this didn't at all. The layers of flavor are what sold me over this tea. Not an everyday tea but a good one to have in the collection.

I encourage anyone to check out the Bird's Pick website when they can. There's a little something for everyone.

www.birdpick.com

-Stef

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