tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755630567823118342024-03-13T00:10:32.199-07:00Tea is my BoyfriendKelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-53339457436397707232013-09-24T19:18:00.000-07:002013-09-24T19:18:03.187-07:00Long time no post! (London recap)Sorry, been too busy drinking tea!<br />
I went to London on a school trip this summer and you better believe my boyfriend Tea and I had a good time there: we went on an accidental date to the Twinings shop!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAQONJOIhCFiyhuJNBnG2kSTK0q0ApDwBlb5Tp8j0BT-9ylhOrlN134EjZzd9tD8S2dMo95c9bruz_byVW6-onfQzZhUZTITHF_meDVO6j9p5K_SLBjbWA8CGRMIDFfx6IXjXVepMwUO/s1600/20060129120904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAQONJOIhCFiyhuJNBnG2kSTK0q0ApDwBlb5Tp8j0BT-9ylhOrlN134EjZzd9tD8S2dMo95c9bruz_byVW6-onfQzZhUZTITHF_meDVO6j9p5K_SLBjbWA8CGRMIDFfx6IXjXVepMwUO/s320/20060129120904.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: start;">I was in the neighborhood because I wanted to check out the spot where a book I did a term paper on was published back in the eighteenth century and I saw this sign out of the corner of my eye. Didn't even think to look up the Twinings shop and yet there it was practically right in front of me! Clearly, it was my destiny to go there.</span><span style="text-align: start;"><br />Now if you're think of Twinings as a somewhat upscale Lipton and wondering why I would go there...here's why. They had a sign that said "free cup of tea." Um. Who is going to turn <i>that</i> down?! Not me, that's for sure! (</span><span style="text-align: start;">You could only choose from a small selection of teas, but if I remember correctly I had the jasmine pearls which was very nice. Floral and full-bodied, perfectly steeped to prevent it from getting too astringent/bitter.) </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am dying to buy <a href="http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/fairy-ladies-golden-rings-green-tea.html" target="_blank">this </a>tea in particular!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Well, I was wrong about Twinings. First of all, I have to admit I had been pronouncing it "twin-ings," which I overheard one of the staff say is now most Americans pronounce it (at least I'm not alone!). So you don't make the same mistake, be sure to say "twine-ings" next time! Second, they actually do sell very nice tea. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Guess they just export the cheap stuff to the USA since most Americans won't know the difference- I'm reminded of a saying from a WWII pamphlet the British government distributed to the citizens about how the Americans can't make a good pot of tea, but you (the British) can't make a decent cup of coffee, so you should be nice to them when they mess up tea)</span>While I highly doubt it is direct from the farm like the tea I usually drink (hi there <a href="http://tealet.com/" target="_blank">Tealet</a>!), they have a stupendous selection of loose leaf oolongs and greens, and I was very sad I did not have more money and room in my suitcase.</span></div>
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The shop itself is really interesting, the back is a bit of a museum about the company's history. I wish I had taken some photos, but my phone has such a bad camera they would have been pretty useless. I am amazed the picture of the outside turned out as well as it did! </div>
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It was one of my goals for the trip to buy some loose leaf Lady Grey, which I'd had no luck doing at the grocery stores in the neighborhood of our hotel. Of course I was able to get it here, straight from the source! (Well, you know, the store anyway...) I had an art history professor at college who really loved Lady Grey tea and he has impeccable taste, so I had to get myself a tin! I'm delighted to report it is wonderful. I find the bergamot in Earl Grey too strong sometimes, but Lady Grey is more subtle on the bergamot and much more orangey and floral. It tastes great with tea biscuits and now that I'm back in New York, it tastes great with a $1 pound cake slice from a local Trini bakery <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(at only half a block away, that bakery will be the death of my waistline!)</span>.</div>
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Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-66713640345843937662013-03-24T11:39:00.000-07:002013-03-24T11:42:32.672-07:00NYC Coffee and Tea Fest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A giant tea party! Well sort of. As some of the vendors mentioned, tea is not really conducive to a trade show venue. BUT HEY. I am not complaining. There were so many chances to get 50% off tickets, so for $15 my boyfriend and I were able to try a whole bunch of different teas in an unusual and pretty fun environment. Yes it was crowded, but it was a pretty polite crowd, and I was getting a good vibe from all the positive energy.<br />
(Ok, one small complaint. I got there early to make sure I'd get a goodie bag because I bought tickets in November and I deserved it, haha. But mostly I just wanted the bag! In previous years (from pictures online) the NYC Coffee and Tea Fest logo was printed on the bag. This year it was just the logo of a major sponsor. BORING. They should have at least put the Fest's logo on the other side.)<br />
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Some good freebies in the bag (can you say KIND bars? yum! Also, my old favorite, Biscoff cookies.) and many tea samples to try onsite or to take home with you as well as free tea, coffee, or general beverage interest, magazines.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodies! I am excited to try Numa's new savory teas.</td></tr>
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Highlights: <a href="http://www.everlastingteas.com/" target="_blank">Everlasting</a> teas from Taiwan. We got to sample 7 different kinds of tea here, and they were offering some nice deals, $45 for three bags of tea, a gaiwan and a pitcher, plus 3 free tea lottery tickets. While we did not win the lottery (nor apparently, the other one held by Cup for Education, but at least we helped out some children), we did "win" with this tea. Very nice, unusual varieties.<br />
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Interesting: the old Armory bathrooms. I didn't even have any coffee, but with all that tea, I definitely needed to use these. The line for the ladies' room was a few yards long, but it went pretty quickly. Really weird bathrooms though, with urinals on one side that of course no one used. Interesting old tile work though!<br />
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Negatives: The audio for the lectures was garbled and fuzzy. I think a poor setup was creating some feedback with the mic and speakers, so we weren't able to understand a word!<br />
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I look forward to coming back next year, though I wonder if there will be much variety amongst the booths. I am hoping the random booths like Cabot cheese and the Empanada people will find ways to relate themselves to the theme a little bit better, and I could do without kitschy soap makers, but whatever. There was a great variety here, definitely something for everyone, whether you like fine green tea or novelty flavors.Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-74669577445468022072013-03-22T10:32:00.000-07:002013-03-24T14:17:03.287-07:00Irish TeaI may have a teensy bit of Irish in me somewhere, but as our host at the "Erin go braugh" tea at the Molly Brown House told us, everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day. Considering that all I really know about Ireland (despite having spent a few days there) reminds me of the potato famine, I've never really been sure to what the phrase "luck of the Irish" refers. It didn't seem like good luck to me!<br />
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But the tea at the Molly Brown House (shameless plug, I had the opportunity to intern there last summer, it's a great museum and I highly encourage you to go!) taught me what that saying really means. America gets a lot of criticism for its giant Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, since not even Ireland does much on this day, but maybe that's because there are more people of Irish descent here than in Ireland! Considering the struggle of the Irish to be accepted into American society (and how they worked their way from the turn-of-the-century caricatures to even being President!) I think it's well worth celebrating Irish heritage in a big way once a year. The Molly Brown House's blog Between the Lions has a<a href="http://mollybrownbtl.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/irish-in-denver/" target="_blank"> great article on the Irish in Denver</a> that has some of the information that was presented to us at the tea. (EDIT: There is an article in the March/April issue of TeaTime Magazine on teas at the Molly Brown House!)<br />
<a href="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/734444_10151782996013082_92723186_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/734444_10151782996013082_92723186_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>At the Molly Brown House, we were served, Victorian style, a very smooth blend of black and jasmine tea created just for the museum by Harney & Sons. Once back in New York, I had to try one of these Irish cream tea latte's from Argotea. Saint Patrick's day was apparently the last day they were serving these guys, but I asked nicely and the barista was happy to make me one today. I had almond milk since I didn't have any lactaid on me, but there were notes of the Irish cream between the almond milk and the black tea. Overall it was a pretty nice tea latte (though nothing beats the maté latte at Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe in Boulder! I tried hemp milk for the first time there -turns out it is a great pairing with yerba maté.) with a fairly complex flavor. It felt like I had a different flavor come out on each sip, which I really liked.<br />
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<br />Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-48979210157719221802012-08-13T15:27:00.002-07:002012-08-13T15:30:01.978-07:00Tealet!Okay, I'm getting a little too excited about Tealet.<br />
Just kidding, I don't think it is possible to get "too" excited about Tealet!<br />
Tealet works to connect smaller tea growers with the larger international market of individual tea drinkers. Their business model reduces the cost of fine teas to the consumer AND gives farmers larger profits. Read more about their business<a href="http://www.tealet.com/our-value" target="_blank"> here.</a><br />
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I met Elyse Petersen, founder of Tealet at the Boulder Tea Festival a few weekends ago and we talked a lot about the company and how she got it started. As soon as I got home, I jumped on her IndieGoGo page and became a member. That's right, for $60, I get a three bi-monthly shipments of tea, direct from the growers. (You've missed out on signing up for now, but you can still buy tea from <a href="http://www.tealet.com/" target="_blank">their website</a>, or wait and sign up for the membership in October) Tealet connects with growers (mostly organic, although uncertified) from around the world.<br />
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I still get giddy when I think of receiving my first shipment of tea!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There it is!!</td></tr>
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Two 37.5oz (a $30 value- and trust me, that's a bargain) re-sealable foil packes of THE most heavenly smelling DragonWell (LongWu) tea.<br />
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Seriously<a href="http://www.tealet.com/dragon-well-longwu.html" target="_blank">, this stuff </a>is good. Sometimes I just go to my tea cupboard and take a wiff of the leaves, because they are that delicious. (I have to admit, I eat them after I make tea with them too. So. Good.)<br />
A very pungent, earthy, almost nutty-smelling leaf produces a very delicate liquor. Can be infused three times. Perhaps my 5 gram estimating skill is a little off, as I find I like to leave it in a little longer than 2-3 minutes to get the taste to match the strength of the scent. Notice how the leaves are so nice and big! And look where it comes from:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ten-acre tea farm that's been in the family for over 100 years!</td></tr>
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I couldn't be happier with my $60 investment, and I will definitely subscribe again when it runs out!<br />
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My boyfriend called this place a tea shop for "tea people" in contrast to places like <a href="http://www.argotea.com/" target="_blank">ArgoTea</a>, which though tasty, serve mostly fruity teas* and don't stock the "legit" (in his words) varieties of puerh, oolongs, and greens that you might be looking for. Good news is, IntoTea has over 100 varieties of very nice tea!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"> *They do have some fruity teas. We took a good walk before coming here, so I was thirsty and couldn't resist the Pear Pomegranate White. The fruit was nice and not overpowering.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A certain cutie pouring Jasmine Pearl. This smelled amazing!</td></tr>
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I'm definitely getting the Iron Goddess of Mercy (Ti Kuan Yin) oolong next time.</div>
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And there will surely be many "next times," as this place is in my boyfriend's neighborhood. And they have all sorts of delicious looking goodies (vegan and gluten-free options too), like the most delicious looking nut pie. The first time we went for breakfast and had very tasty toasted bagels with cream cheese. I had a ginger ginseng green that time (not very strong on the ginger, fyi), but I think the Bard's Tempest would be delicious with a bagel, or with one of their desserts.</div>
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Go!Go!Go!</div>
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<br />Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-10132717387879141722012-08-13T14:22:00.003-07:002012-08-13T14:22:45.909-07:00Montréal: Maple Icewine Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeR20Dj3A0hx4xJyG-DnlnWRaiXW9gXzPTudnPQuWv_WsNZUk7TMecydWTXR-6PfsD30A4i3NtXV3bCBy17FtW7m7M1pold1qcpGUAjkd1uJE8bfNJPta1MAuPVnQeThndzGlCagVGn7G/s1600/P1070631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeR20Dj3A0hx4xJyG-DnlnWRaiXW9gXzPTudnPQuWv_WsNZUk7TMecydWTXR-6PfsD30A4i3NtXV3bCBy17FtW7m7M1pold1qcpGUAjkd1uJE8bfNJPta1MAuPVnQeThndzGlCagVGn7G/s1600/P1070631.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
SO. After graduation, my sister and I took Amtrak to Montréal! I fell in love with Montréal in 2009 when I went there with my college's French department, so I was excited to go back, and I came home with a big stash of tea. I bought a pretty tasty box of maple tea last time I was there, but I wanted to try something new. I've heard icewine is really sweet and tasty, but at 459043950834CAD a glass, I had to pass on that one, so I was excited when I found this tea!<br />
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Now, since I have never tasted real icewine, I can't really tell you how this compares, but I can assure you that it is quite delicious! The scent and taste have yummy hints of sweet maple with a light, crisp, ever-sooo-slighty-sour fruity taste (I'm guessing the teeny note of sourness I'm detecting is to imitate the qualities of wine). Without anything added, this tea has a pleasant maple-sugary aftertaste that makes it very pleasant in the summer. If it lasts 'til winter, I'm sure it will be nice and warming then.<br />
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At less than 5CAD a box, I strongly recommend you pick up this tea if you're ever in the area!<br />
*Another note, lots of the maple teas you'll find don't actually have real maple in them as a flavoring. This one does!Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-74619274077273315822012-07-23T10:30:00.001-07:002012-07-23T10:30:26.194-07:00catching upA lot of things have been happening lately, such as graduating college and having a busy summer with lots of sewing and grad school reading when I get a spare moment between internships. And my family home has finally entered the 21st century by getting wifi! So now I can blog from somewhere other than the cold basement! hooray!<br />
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Here's just a teaser of some of the teas about which I'll be catching up:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81vGAJPHQ-iJ9sfLBPhmzHIL5U40dmOnMPRMatwDIgL93LMXcPTMPjG3N-3zNuuHZWMYyCfQJNGjLx1txRKm9U1qScH2mIFwHNKsRSgFW1CJy8JvmyD5k08oVEctY0BG4oYh_PRZnM58/s1600/P1070461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81vGAJPHQ-iJ9sfLBPhmzHIL5U40dmOnMPRMatwDIgL93LMXcPTMPjG3N-3zNuuHZWMYyCfQJNGjLx1txRKm9U1qScH2mIFwHNKsRSgFW1CJy8JvmyD5k08oVEctY0BG4oYh_PRZnM58/s320/P1070461.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Montréal tea haul!</div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-47067611162261084502012-05-11T17:50:00.000-07:002012-05-11T17:50:42.002-07:00Clinton, NY: Tradition -Jasmine Green TeaFound this one in the Language Office this past Thursday and helped myself to a pretty little packet. Let's see how it is!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERk0KwIGDhSHWKSBtY490LaZFoo4-MHEcd-gMMhWRQB2rNOnJcUjXxGRBuxwHJeiYbp-dsOL5DNGBIkxj70fHMS3Lv7VJIR8ZNjuHUa8YIzY9D9PKhlG9gPozd6imb7bi3fjZHoIX-ndW/s1600/P1070448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERk0KwIGDhSHWKSBtY490LaZFoo4-MHEcd-gMMhWRQB2rNOnJcUjXxGRBuxwHJeiYbp-dsOL5DNGBIkxj70fHMS3Lv7VJIR8ZNjuHUa8YIzY9D9PKhlG9gPozd6imb7bi3fjZHoIX-ndW/s400/P1070448.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Nice sachet, large and spacious for leaves to expand.
Sweet smell when foil pack opened. The liquor has a very floral aroma, and more full-bodied than I am used to in my jasmine tea (I usually drink Sunflower jasmine tea -the one that comes in the orange tin). A little stronger too. Looking at the opened leaves in the bag, I can see that this a little more than the amount I usually use per cup-- wait a second???!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgZdcEu3YBvE4a78hVW6lMrQGG9evjuPgX0izkG7vKoR3bgPC-1S-N7MffLeg3ZDd7QMWF1JT9JmRhrEnOJcwda4fxCilxflDSu5Gma0gSxQQdFSi_b3Cfy-tNXKM_3HLvGz_Wv66ja9X/s1600/P1070451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgZdcEu3YBvE4a78hVW6lMrQGG9evjuPgX0izkG7vKoR3bgPC-1S-N7MffLeg3ZDd7QMWF1JT9JmRhrEnOJcwda4fxCilxflDSu5Gma0gSxQQdFSi_b3Cfy-tNXKM_3HLvGz_Wv66ja9X/s400/P1070451.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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trans fat -in my tea?! Some one explain.</i></div>
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Even without the suspicious trans fat, I wouldn't get this tea again. Just not as good as other jasmines to make it worth it. I've mentioned before how I'm not a fan of green tea in teabags and although, as you can see, the leaves are still a decent size, it just seems a little off.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLnI-VnbhypdWvktqnEZ1_Aqt_gYK3PM2O1514Dfzbmm5vjbOtOuH79xbVYFoGtLTKTvn4BlJH6z_4OHso5CglZg-89eTe-9eZlu_aLjQyhCniLYwE5XaTTgQi-zBAWx7bzO47SFlmOv4/s1600/P1070454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLnI-VnbhypdWvktqnEZ1_Aqt_gYK3PM2O1514Dfzbmm5vjbOtOuH79xbVYFoGtLTKTvn4BlJH6z_4OHso5CglZg-89eTe-9eZlu_aLjQyhCniLYwE5XaTTgQi-zBAWx7bzO47SFlmOv4/s400/P1070454.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-65782685628735603472012-04-09T18:04:00.000-07:002012-05-11T18:06:38.535-07:00ebay: glutinous rice puerh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9Z8JqymyrPDD1UpuKqIorHNKt315_BVeYwyDLPqxCJVM_ga7FFUr_VT9paFuxBwUHxMjdL7pCErvcyLn1dy8G60oXcGdHxQuequEE9elG2Sftr5CSlskSjtBjNXcRAjdwsqiLi1XS287/s1600/P1070419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5B9GFHPXXGd_kY5Bfb8h991neBGF-lqFmh-GgKlL4mRYfk1aXWDFnhr0CJKKhY0nXd1MUl8LJgNFjoSbR5-4ohR-zxoo7sXKVFXMZIB6ruu1zLYe0QWFL_Livvi04jq6jxUg1g5Y2ebv/s1600/P1070414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5B9GFHPXXGd_kY5Bfb8h991neBGF-lqFmh-GgKlL4mRYfk1aXWDFnhr0CJKKhY0nXd1MUl8LJgNFjoSbR5-4ohR-zxoo7sXKVFXMZIB6ruu1zLYe0QWFL_Livvi04jq6jxUg1g5Y2ebv/s320/P1070414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9Z8JqymyrPDD1UpuKqIorHNKt315_BVeYwyDLPqxCJVM_ga7FFUr_VT9paFuxBwUHxMjdL7pCErvcyLn1dy8G60oXcGdHxQuequEE9elG2Sftr5CSlskSjtBjNXcRAjdwsqiLi1XS287/s1600/P1070419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9Z8JqymyrPDD1UpuKqIorHNKt315_BVeYwyDLPqxCJVM_ga7FFUr_VT9paFuxBwUHxMjdL7pCErvcyLn1dy8G60oXcGdHxQuequEE9elG2Sftr5CSlskSjtBjNXcRAjdwsqiLi1XS287/s320/P1070419.JPG" width="320" /></a>The cake is very pungent. In the most delicious sense of the word. The astringency of the tea is tempered by a hard-to-describe sort of almost sourness. I haven't eaten sticky rice in a few years, so I don't remember the smell, but I am assured by the internet that this indeed the smell I am struggling to describe.</div>
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This aroma is apparently imparted by an herb<br />
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"There exists an herb in China’s Yunnan Province who’s aroma closely resembles that of sticky glutinous rice. “Nuo Mi Xiang Nen Ye” translates to “Sweet Rice Tender Leaves.” This tea in maocha form, is left for months in close contact with Nuo Mi Xiang Nen Ye leaves until the tea leaves take on the scent of the herb. [...] Once steeped, the tea emits a sweet aroma identical to that of fresh sticky rice. The liquor is very brothy and resembles genmaicha in color and taste." -thanks to <a href="http://worldoftea.org/nuo-mi-xiang-sticky-rice-pu-erh/">worldoftea.org</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oIOjO6VLCIAvy79Keff67I_nD-AaO-6IdtjoHx669QH2Twf7mBJMY6SJ9gEipdPkrhPtKy3HDq0XV1TfDNA1YI4L_mqXThptdLdfUIrLrUxFGkN95fRkB8ldByoGFyNGE_ByK3QzCQGd/s1600/P1070420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oIOjO6VLCIAvy79Keff67I_nD-AaO-6IdtjoHx669QH2Twf7mBJMY6SJ9gEipdPkrhPtKy3HDq0XV1TfDNA1YI4L_mqXThptdLdfUIrLrUxFGkN95fRkB8ldByoGFyNGE_ByK3QzCQGd/s320/P1070420.JPG" width="320" /></a>
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I'm blogging "live" this time, instead of after as I usually do. As the tea is steeping, I'm getting a beautiful scent from the liquor that really does smell just like rice. I've heard it said that glutinous rice puerh is a good subsitute/alternative for gen mai cha, but so far, the aroma is really not that similar. There's no distinctive roasted smell and it seems like it will be much sweeter. Let's try it. Here goes:<br />
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Delicious! Very smooth. A slight ricey flavor lingers on the back of the tongue. <br />
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A mouthful of later infusions have more of the astringent taste of ...wu-yi tea, but still with that delightful ricey taste at the end. I love the cute little tin too -I will definitely be buying this again!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowLtztOU_3vzKxvM3qMvn-o4SvWrJ9vFCRa1Gi_1Od0YfO5nkFAbNdNi38BDRDOYKUfsPjlZyYVEbAYA0iHv4Vb5uWue-qX4cyYDGESzV3elSRzcjKKTLehbK0qH0vRu9Nssp_MPtlr5/s1600/P1070421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowLtztOU_3vzKxvM3qMvn-o4SvWrJ9vFCRa1Gi_1Od0YfO5nkFAbNdNi38BDRDOYKUfsPjlZyYVEbAYA0iHv4Vb5uWue-qX4cyYDGESzV3elSRzcjKKTLehbK0qH0vRu9Nssp_MPtlr5/s320/P1070421.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-35560446507753519822012-02-20T13:18:00.000-08:002012-02-20T13:40:53.703-08:00Washington D.C.: Liberty Tea BagsI got this one when visiting D.C. for the first time this past summer and have been saving it for just this occasion! Happy Presidents' Day!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnHn4sYu7lzAF4DjqL3FXT7rR6Jz_JMxBB05BmJqwQtXzeCUr_zZVIQ0Ze-M6WLbELtQAY_qLkyjjsQIxQpJYI8sBFuU6RfgR2KTK5kRGbjhChfA1VoO9O7yyIgSRtn-7OFELhmvey4qF/s1600/P1070407.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnHn4sYu7lzAF4DjqL3FXT7rR6Jz_JMxBB05BmJqwQtXzeCUr_zZVIQ0Ze-M6WLbELtQAY_qLkyjjsQIxQpJYI8sBFuU6RfgR2KTK5kRGbjhChfA1VoO9O7yyIgSRtn-7OFELhmvey4qF/s400/P1070407.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711332613171266146" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zwXDCvpwJvWVlxnpX4AMC0ws-1-Mp2FKhihz4Ul4KFKZ5SBn3as3lVFf0QiVucIAyNvUK1za6UTYp9uphNvUMLSyhj4hGU7O5k09URevJXHIrNq8nVIuSr9FHqdB2U1o0B-fReBBZscV/s1600/P1070406.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zwXDCvpwJvWVlxnpX4AMC0ws-1-Mp2FKhihz4Ul4KFKZ5SBn3as3lVFf0QiVucIAyNvUK1za6UTYp9uphNvUMLSyhj4hGU7O5k09URevJXHIrNq8nVIuSr9FHqdB2U1o0B-fReBBZscV/s400/P1070406.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711332528501277570" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div> </div><br /><br />The back of the package tells an interesting story about tea subsitutes durin the American Revolution, including "New Jersey red root, sage, and raspberry leaves." This caffeine-free herbal tisane does look like green tea and is a pretty interesting blend. None of the ingredients stands out in particular, overpowering the others. Instead, you can taste each of them at different times as you swallow. You'll be left with a refresion, slightly minty aftertaste. <div>The package advises a steeping time of 5 minutes, but I left the bag in as I was drinking. The first few sips were a little too watery for me, but I drank it slowly and it got to be actually quite delicious the longer the bag steeped. A peach slice is a suggested garnish, which I think would be quite delicious with this tea poured over ice, during the summer. A little honey could a nice treat in this tea as well, though I found it to be crisp and refreshing, without being too floral or too minty, on its own.</div><div><br /></div><div>So if you're ever in D.C., I'd recommend picking this up! It's $8 at the Smithsonian gift shop for $20 bags, but if you're going to buy souvenirs, it's better than a magnet that falls off your refrigerator and breaks...</div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-72490323071865871322012-02-16T21:09:00.000-08:002012-02-16T21:31:46.377-08:00National Hot Tea Month -where was I?So, January was National Hot Tea Month. Who knew?<div>Certainly not I! Whoops!</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been two-timing Tea again, with a hot new date. Thesis.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center; ">...Actually, Tea, Thesis, and I have some pretty nice threesomes.</span></div><div>But sometimes Thesis gets a little out of hand and he and I have to take a short break from each other.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R1G1pn0a8P4UqEe0mBBzZF9IcdIuXgns_LX57omVE-4PHJ4E9zxs2uolR3plQqVkUfOXkqS7QINdbCjm01KngAE3OQMgx8SCACa27bXgfCEx4SLxBRX8j1h9lPRn31Iec6ZxUyp7uFkV/s1600/P1070405.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R1G1pn0a8P4UqEe0mBBzZF9IcdIuXgns_LX57omVE-4PHJ4E9zxs2uolR3plQqVkUfOXkqS7QINdbCjm01KngAE3OQMgx8SCACa27bXgfCEx4SLxBRX8j1h9lPRn31Iec6ZxUyp7uFkV/s400/P1070405.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709970911569155538" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div>Like tonight, with our friend Donut who came over to visit Twinings (Naturally Decaffeinated) English Breakfast Tea. Not the most exciting black tea (far from it- please look forward to a post about a very wonderful black tea, coming soon!), but at least there's no bite. Plus the slight bitterness canceled out the slightly-too-sweetness of the donut. I don't usually eat donuts, but this one was so small and cute...I could not resist the temptation to dunk it, Clark Gable style!<br /><br /><e><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xVoUWgs_FYM#t=07m25s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></e></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-56252064270862297552011-12-02T11:55:00.000-08:002011-12-02T18:13:50.688-08:00Central New York: TAZO, Awake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtLgcNy9WLFO7OVpyG2G-H-DYd70MOiO-XLXx-H4AcdhyT7r8PMY3wBZq5zgZLr_88RN1LykXoSFBmvnjsCi9FPDCwJ1tWbo5RvZrc7cuV4agEt8LA3D0SVY3Mpu68ZKbKDKn9EoscT7n/s1600/love.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtLgcNy9WLFO7OVpyG2G-H-DYd70MOiO-XLXx-H4AcdhyT7r8PMY3wBZq5zgZLr_88RN1LykXoSFBmvnjsCi9FPDCwJ1tWbo5RvZrc7cuV4agEt8LA3D0SVY3Mpu68ZKbKDKn9EoscT7n/s400/love.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681623708388830130" border="0" /></a><br />This combination is warming and refreshing at the same time. The milk helps to round out the flavour of the Awake tea, which I honestly find a bit hollow on its own. The blend of black teas is nice in theory, but I think the balance is somewhat off. There doesn't seem to be anything binding them together and I feel a little disjointed whenever I drink it plain (plus it doesn't wake me up at all!). Adding milk helps Awake actualize its depth potential and the touch of spice from Silk's fantastic Pumpkin Spice flavor is a really nice added touch. This combination is, as I said, refreshing since it's not heavy on the spices and you don't need sweetener.Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-81334613723388571162011-10-23T21:09:00.001-07:002011-10-23T22:22:19.331-07:00ebay: Mini puer #1, squareI've been lonely here on campus without my human boyfriend, so I've been spending a lot of quality shopping-therapy time with my other one, tea. I've got a LOT of posts to catch up on!<div><br /></div><div>Pretty recently, I scored on ebay with a good-sized box of assorted mini puer cakes! Over 30 varieties!</div><div>Only problem is, I don't know what they are!</div><div><br /><table style="text-align: center;width: auto; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOO9hfWvx6W2qBwnnCXZUx7PBwKs3P0ansSjOTD0SjjNTzsPnasu4HLMhr2yv4IDkSYpcbZVSpU_q39D-U8mseG_6IHYPh5Cgt2SpJNhUg1CqGg1T4PefL_W8eJjLbeDEPBtSGxTiPLM9/s1600/P1070312.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOO9hfWvx6W2qBwnnCXZUx7PBwKs3P0ansSjOTD0SjjNTzsPnasu4HLMhr2yv4IDkSYpcbZVSpU_q39D-U8mseG_6IHYPh5Cgt2SpJNhUg1CqGg1T4PefL_W8eJjLbeDEPBtSGxTiPLM9/s400/P1070312.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666915279434890722" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; ">Treasure!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br />Well, here goes the first one! This little square guy, so cute!<div><br /><div><br /><table style="text-align: center;width: auto; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRmBbQgqScjRQQyr-SYQN-g8tJZpNP5eBfrQSnZo6ZHnsGfCvVXUYOHIt-nYiQ7WTpivC19azaALFKObKO15bYgmzmByPLePOU6-6FFBEMOkN8_YFRQkaTr8ixwdUFX8FLtQoHhQJPNSo/s1600/P1070313.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRmBbQgqScjRQQyr-SYQN-g8tJZpNP5eBfrQSnZo6ZHnsGfCvVXUYOHIt-nYiQ7WTpivC19azaALFKObKO15bYgmzmByPLePOU6-6FFBEMOkN8_YFRQkaTr8ixwdUFX8FLtQoHhQJPNSo/s400/P1070313.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666917417414661250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; ">It would be funny to trick somebody into thinking this is a piece of chocolate!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br />The first infusion is very dark, nearly black. A wonderful full-bodied, earthy flavor, slightly astringent in the back of the mouth as you swallow. Rich. This tea has a more fermented aroma than the other puer I've been drinking. (A post on that to come!)<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mN2vCuhD_7Tx_Bm6S32bUxEqBy4MVpKzQy3DIB05Nkl89U24d8u0oIaAb3PCt5eKvwbBpqvpFUtxunVgfzgiRUgWQPLZPACe9yqHHq3REH1zg8kYzvnXnE1cJMVelYmXrOU2_qPt_2AM/s1600/P1070325.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 395px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mN2vCuhD_7Tx_Bm6S32bUxEqBy4MVpKzQy3DIB05Nkl89U24d8u0oIaAb3PCt5eKvwbBpqvpFUtxunVgfzgiRUgWQPLZPACe9yqHHq3REH1zg8kYzvnXnE1cJMVelYmXrOU2_qPt_2AM/s400/P1070325.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666924591137320738" /></a><div><br /></div><div>If I find out what the flavor is I will edit the post so that anyone who happens to read it can try to purchase a sample for his/herself. Recommended! </div></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-20260996988103166202011-09-25T17:20:00.000-07:002011-12-02T18:12:34.755-08:00Broomfield, CO: Tea of Life Red Tea Collection<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m0OUTBWr7c8VPrzchhrpwz562M80Iebl_epwzLujAYW6Z7RcUUQC8KfNsEvBS-MD-i96PzVC-rqUmGOA1OgTpc2tk_Kcft2c_8rfPqbE_GWTzRnuebO-9kSzuovA8G_1HGjmEIwBfrgs/s1600/P1070327.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9m0OUTBWr7c8VPrzchhrpwz562M80Iebl_epwzLujAYW6Z7RcUUQC8KfNsEvBS-MD-i96PzVC-rqUmGOA1OgTpc2tk_Kcft2c_8rfPqbE_GWTzRnuebO-9kSzuovA8G_1HGjmEIwBfrgs/s400/P1070327.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666930948838799090" /></a><br /><br />This collection was purchased at TJ Maxx/Home Goods <span class="Apple-style-span">(they have a great selection of teas you don't see at the grocery store!)</span> for my 20th birthday party, but there's still a lot left. <div>And it isn't because it was so good that I've been savouring it for over a year.</div><div><br /></div><div>With a selection of flavours like pomegranate, Lemon Tangerine, Tropical Sorbet, Melon, Black Cherry and Raspberry, you'd think these would be delicious, but they're just not. A little sweetener helps bring out the Raspberry, and the Pomegranate is pretty nice and smooth.</div><div>The Black Cherry however, is a different story. </div><div>A pretty funny one:</div><div><br /></div><div>So my family was sitting around the kitchen table this summer, playing a board game and my sister made herself a cup of tea. The Black Cherry one. She lifts the mug to her lips and exclaims "BEANS!" Now, my sister is known for her love of refried beans. So we do the nod and smile. But she takes a sip and - "BEANS!"</div><div><br /></div><div>That's right. This tea smelled and tasted just like bean-water. I kid you not.</div><div><br /><table style="text-align: center;width: auto; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DExhlSMpX3MzsJtCqa45bXUcsaUHrNHihPoRK1aPOao0Y8F2kV26Wnuf-kVhq7pV9HoIGSjs0MdoD5mbt67kioGC_JxWDN8jfaUURuNDRMU3VIGPvfih1cVubBOCfgJQSBR5bBDgh4vM/s1600/beans.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DExhlSMpX3MzsJtCqa45bXUcsaUHrNHihPoRK1aPOao0Y8F2kV26Wnuf-kVhq7pV9HoIGSjs0MdoD5mbt67kioGC_JxWDN8jfaUURuNDRMU3VIGPvfih1cVubBOCfgJQSBR5bBDgh4vM/s400/beans.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666926621808113362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; ">Just like beans!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><br />The melon flavor is way too fruity for me (and I typically like fruity things). I actually disliked rooibos tea for a long time, until I realized you're <i>supposed</i> to drink it with milk and honey. This does help round out the flavour and now I quite enjoy drinking it. This sounds kind of silly, but I find it a comforting drink! I haven't yet braved the bean -ahem, Black Cherry- flavor this way, though. Still a little chicken!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjcPHR6SCPDc5KN3Rwvpz3Rm4YP23OhpOkiwpB39YtlEtt3aFsZPRi8XL2B_v4Ps17vyWvu1ycK3TlPS2N9ahlkJl6SKrqDlgugR1wGBE8WOaE5N46Z_1NVW13c-EBBD1ijbEVDF8fUze/s1600/P1070328.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 223px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjcPHR6SCPDc5KN3Rwvpz3Rm4YP23OhpOkiwpB39YtlEtt3aFsZPRi8XL2B_v4Ps17vyWvu1ycK3TlPS2N9ahlkJl6SKrqDlgugR1wGBE8WOaE5N46Z_1NVW13c-EBBD1ijbEVDF8fUze/s400/P1070328.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666930948499438050" /></a>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-36433065163722950502011-08-25T08:44:00.000-07:002011-08-25T08:53:22.547-07:00Ahh, the sweet smell of collegeMy roommate tea and I are all settled in for a great final year of undergrad!<div>He's got bunk beds and everything, thanks to a great find: the tiered corner shelf!</div><div>
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZNyVALy5iLBBYeUg1aAADTPhPyMPDxkdjR0TdlGcNtuptWgOXKlEr4_Mk0VyhrpEmUBdyG3cT3h_D-pGxfMi83jGFsu4aJsWY0QW-rbz92EM3A7GfkMsdTUJnjwM3-7aMq52GGRksDb2/s1600/teashelf.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZNyVALy5iLBBYeUg1aAADTPhPyMPDxkdjR0TdlGcNtuptWgOXKlEr4_Mk0VyhrpEmUBdyG3cT3h_D-pGxfMi83jGFsu4aJsWY0QW-rbz92EM3A7GfkMsdTUJnjwM3-7aMq52GGRksDb2/s400/teashelf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644822021225665538" /></a>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-76349000180748419282011-08-25T08:38:00.000-07:002011-12-02T18:12:49.754-08:00Boulder, CO: Sadaf Special Blend Tea with Cardamom FlavorI purchased this 5-pack for a dollar this summer in my hometown of Boulder, CO. Walking in to the Caspian Mediterranean Market and Deli just off Pearl street, I was amazed at the huge selection of teas they offer, among lots of other items. This small place is packed full with great things! Next time I'm back I'll have to try their gyros, I hear they're great. I'll pick up another pack of tea as well. Almost all of the teas are a variety of ceylon, which is less "different" than I was expecting, and since I can't read the packaging on many of them, it is hard to figure out if what I'm buying is something special or something very similar to teas I've had before.<div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK93KCEpzkCV5Q9KyTpCvst77EoIoLiRUHZztJWBQjKp3vY_j9XIdRDAAZoSRZqbGRI51et7MEU8bxi1L1hhnwGwaJdAqYuf-iXXCiiTNLhCfmuLphLZOUCngFFOR-r79yHK4paQ6YKEC/s1600/sadaf.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 337px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK93KCEpzkCV5Q9KyTpCvst77EoIoLiRUHZztJWBQjKp3vY_j9XIdRDAAZoSRZqbGRI51et7MEU8bxi1L1hhnwGwaJdAqYuf-iXXCiiTNLhCfmuLphLZOUCngFFOR-r79yHK4paQ6YKEC/s400/sadaf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644841851697903666" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's why I chose this Sadaf Special Blend Tea with Cardamom Flavor. I've never had cardamom tea before and it comes in this handy small package, which makes it very affordable to try something new! There's two "pluses" right off the bat! </div><div><br /></div><div>And here's another one:<br /><div>The spicy cardamom scent hits you as soon as you open the box. Mmm! <div>But once you pour on the water, all you smell is that astringent scent typical of ceylon tea. Not that this is a bad thing, but I was expecting to taste that cardamom! </div><div><br /></div><div>Actually, you do sort of taste it in the back of your throat right after swallowing and in your whole mouth post-swallow when you are close to finishing the drink.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over all, nothing too special, but definitely worth trying. And if you're a black tea drinker and you're running out of your supply, you might consider switching to a one with this subtle cardamom flavor. According to numerous sites, such as <a href="http://naturalremediesbase.com/">http://naturalremediesbase.com</a></div><div>cardamom is a great wellness aid. The spicy, uplifting aroma seems to help aleviate depression, improve lung circulation, reduce chest congestion, soothe acidic stomachs, and is an antispasmodic, which makes it helpful for stopping hiccups or easing menstrual pains and pregnancy-induced nausea. Though since you shouldn't drink caffeine while pregnant, so you might want to just add cardamom to your foods or make an herbal blend ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm glad to have found out about the possible health benefits of cardamom through drinking this tea!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-6333243314359210872011-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:002011-12-02T18:13:15.547-08:00Minnesota? Traditional Medicinals: Organic BanchaSometimes when I'm at college, my grandmother sends me care packages. She's a wonderful woman, with great taste. I don't think in my whole life she's ever given me a gift I didn't love. She also happends to consistently pick winners in the tea she sends me.<span class="Apple-style-span"> <span class="Apple-style-span">(Which is more than can be said for my mother...but more on that comedy another time!)</span><br /></span><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBcxfhdqRxUi8YRJVyTvLpUFf7ywRrzOzlqcVjSnFkbOLs2ENoHEdNHVoD54kOBewomIPydAYEXvHkk5S5GuPY3bI9G4VSeCARfLYx4A_Dn5pTvEd1s1h4_K-EDnzGdkE_qda0l1iQR6i/s1600/P1070206.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBcxfhdqRxUi8YRJVyTvLpUFf7ywRrzOzlqcVjSnFkbOLs2ENoHEdNHVoD54kOBewomIPydAYEXvHkk5S5GuPY3bI9G4VSeCARfLYx4A_Dn5pTvEd1s1h4_K-EDnzGdkE_qda0l1iQR6i/s400/P1070206.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631663091343733730" /></a></div><br /><br />I usually avoid bagged green tea like the devil. I'm pretty sure the increased surface area causes more tannin to be released more quickly into the water, resulting in a bitter, over-steeped tasted, even if you've only had the bag submerged for a minute or two. But sometimes I want a quick cup of green, without leaves/strainer to clean up. <div><span class="Apple-style-span">Side note: I had no idea things mold so easily in the East! In my Colorado hometown, I leave a strainer lying on a dish until it is dry, as this facilitates clean-up. I did this my first week at college, and was shocked to find that two days later it was not only still wet, but moldy! Lesson learned!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>This green tea is the bright green color that I've come to expect from Japanese green tea, and was frustrated not to find in cups at home during my tragic Celestial Seasonings* green childhood. If you look at the bag after a cup or two, you will find that the leaves are actually slightly larger than your standard tea-bag leaves, perhaps a manifestation of Traditional Medicinal's pharmacopoeial-grade herbs. This tea doesn't become horribly bitter, even when over-steeped, and makes a pretty nice cup or two, per bag. It doesn't have a lot of body to it, like you get when brewing loose-leaf green, but it is a great quick-fix. If you bring tea in your purse like I do, I'd definitely recommend carrying around a pack or two of this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oddly enough, TM's <a href="http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/green_teas">website</a> no longer lists this tea. Instead we have "Golden Green Tea," on the American site. Though if you look at the <a href="http://fr.traditionalmedicinals.com/boisson_tisanes/product/149">Canadian French version</a>, it is still called Bancha. I'm almost out of my Bancha, so I will try to get my hands on some "Golden Green" to see if they're the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone else drink TM tea? I swear by their "Organic Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat" when I'm sick.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35ljgwS-gQeDOLu5K4pxZrUru7BWTVXd2Ob9uePwaHiQ22kXKCkoWUFqu0CwZNfi_QDbcP0GlRkMWJxnEEbNlgK9QU7UkaJlK4yqjHt7uYuJ9sUAeW0DXt5whOKPZth978kFP2CXYDjfq/s288/P1070208.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35ljgwS-gQeDOLu5K4pxZrUru7BWTVXd2Ob9uePwaHiQ22kXKCkoWUFqu0CwZNfi_QDbcP0GlRkMWJxnEEbNlgK9QU7UkaJlK4yqjHt7uYuJ9sUAeW0DXt5whOKPZth978kFP2CXYDjfq/s288/P1070208.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></div></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-84280895321996242772011-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:002011-12-02T18:13:32.911-08:00Florence: Tisana Della BuonanotteOkay, it is a tisane, not a tea.<div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPljO7iJ9s74v-I_TvBpMTpcfkfPg7i097frNcUyyr9qstojhGjqXRAiJZJP5k7un9mnRr0XkdWjyn-5wpJFT5dIjxfP2GyP_GOhwt96Abcys_kAqxl-dh68EhaxCPU-CtRMd3vRm6TEl/s1600/P1070197.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPljO7iJ9s74v-I_TvBpMTpcfkfPg7i097frNcUyyr9qstojhGjqXRAiJZJP5k7un9mnRr0XkdWjyn-5wpJFT5dIjxfP2GyP_GOhwt96Abcys_kAqxl-dh68EhaxCPU-CtRMd3vRm6TEl/s400/P1070197.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631201499484364786" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Ingredients: (courtesy of wordreference.com)<div>Hawthorn</div></div><div>Lime blossom</div><div>Lemon balm</div><div>Passionflower</div><div>Orange blossom</div><div>Marigold</div><div>Petals of wild poppies</div><div><br /></div><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div> After going to Morocco, I made a point of buying a tea in every country I visited while in Europe, so I was very excited to find this tisane in Florence. I think it cost me three euros at the market in the Piazza Santo Spirito. (Here's a shout-out to Gusto Panini in the same piazza, the best and cheapest place to get lunch in Florence!) </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifktjTf7jdQG8nuV4v8U7fHCU6QmJtz3Qu8-CDY43L2Q1GIx81EM2zDfcfX-5Td5vz3fmRAOsQz_N6XO-h1N38sGt8NWx5VOo_Yipc-mDI7UpK-1wv7kEDEYHzea5XyPND3-B1Pzln3t5K/s1600/florencemarket.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifktjTf7jdQG8nuV4v8U7fHCU6QmJtz3Qu8-CDY43L2Q1GIx81EM2zDfcfX-5Td5vz3fmRAOsQz_N6XO-h1N38sGt8NWx5VOo_Yipc-mDI7UpK-1wv7kEDEYHzea5XyPND3-B1Pzln3t5K/s400/florencemarket.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631205084968361122" /></a><br /></div><div>I didn't end up opening this until I got back to America the following month. Would I have brought it with me if I had? I doubt it! The liquor is a cloudy purpleish black and it tastes extremely earthy. As in, the earth. Maybe I'm just not preparing it properly? I'm keeping it around for now in hopes that I find out something that will make it magically turn delicious.<div></div><div><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxzDhgdtoSDpROXQKbzzq_foVMnT9V926pqxsZtFjx-Zf5hSIKNOI37bO_caaHWIVUo1-WQ6J13CKmZDxnT6M8YqZAUVgQ3Supi8ZYOh1r71Cl3DxHQmBuTVzMWR6MnKVa-MziOqRGTsU/s1600/florencetea.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxzDhgdtoSDpROXQKbzzq_foVMnT9V926pqxsZtFjx-Zf5hSIKNOI37bO_caaHWIVUo1-WQ6J13CKmZDxnT6M8YqZAUVgQ3Supi8ZYOh1r71Cl3DxHQmBuTVzMWR6MnKVa-MziOqRGTsU/s400/florencetea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631209347368751970" /></a></div></div>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275563056782311834.post-2319995001800419962011-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:002011-07-18T20:43:00.846-07:00Tea is my boyfriend.Yep, that's right. We've been dating for, gee, about 13 years now, I guess. I'm not quite sure when we started seeing each other, but we are childhood sweethearts!<div><br /></div><div>"_____ is my boyfriend" is a phrase I've used since high school to describe how much I love something. My other steady boyfriend is "eggs." I have a steady human boyfriend too, and since he also loves tea and eggs, I think he's alright with being the newest addition to this polyamorous relationship ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>I like reading blogs, but never succeeded in keeping up with any of the ones I've tried to make. But this time, I shall not fail!</div><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PCkwc7whFNDCXCefna3eLIFdJcL-NaVMxhTlgFJqXX4?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3w1K8ZbonNBDfjCQWf46-mKrUP2A-pyC8EOQKAgGOTLStDBm7UHZOEbgRD-RSTIO5civKB-KxAY_s61MiZhiUe1qzh_WjmM_Efw8jk9S4fFRRpig8ZKSAENQlWOhVn7hf9X65ZoT8yXO/s144/P1070193.JPG" height="125" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115336457760845187576/TeaIsMyBoyfriend?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCO63htnChJWBxgE&feat=embedwebsite">Tea is my Boyfriend</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Kelseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10046409445822781128noreply@blogger.com0