Quest for Earl Grey

One of my tea friends recently had a birthday. She's an Earl Grey fiend, so I purchased a bunch of EG samplers for her, from Adagio and other places.

I decided to try EG Lavender by Adagio for myself. I've tried other EG Lavender varieties - such as Metro Teas - and enjoyed the cuppas. I call EG Lavender the EG Gateway. I'll get there some day, folks.

But not with this variety. This doesn't taste anything like lavender! It brews up syrupy sweet - meaning it smells like syrup. And not in the way that the awesome Pancake Breakfast from 52teas does (which is my latest obsession). It's bizarre. I'm going to try to brew it w/less time, maybe that will help.

Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed that I trusted Adagio's EGs for a b-day present.

Agave Nectar - how sweet is it?

What is this stuff? I keep hearing about agave nectar as a sweetener for tea. I hadn't really heard about it until recently (other than its use in tequila production), but I'm learning it's no fad. I have the world's biggest sweet tooth, so I had to "investigate" this stuff to see what it's all about.

According to http://www.allaboutagave.com/, agave nectar is the sweet stuff found in spiky, cacti-like plants that grow in desert climates, particularly in Southern Mexico. Once an agave has grown to at least seven years old, the plant's leaves are cut off, revealing the pina of the plant - or the core. After harvesting, the pina resembles a huge pineapple and can weigh up to 150 pounds. (Yikes!)

Sap is then extracted from that pina/core, filtered and heated at a low temperature, which melts the carbs into sugars. There is light and dark agave nectars, but both can be made from the same plant.

All About Agave states that the taste is similar to honey. But I want to know from those of you who use agave nectar. What do you think? How does it taste? How would you rate it as a sweetener - for tea or otherwise?

Also, what is the best brand of agave nectar? Got any favorite places to purchase this pina puree?



 

Teaist Apprentice - on hiatus

Dear Readers - 

One of my favorite features about this blog is the story of Ally - a fictional character embarking on a journey to become a Teaist Apprentice. I have been posting updates on her adventures weekly, but have to take a break due to health reasons.

Many of you know I suffer from migraines, and had a recent spinal injury. Consequently I am in a lot of pain lately. I am seeing a doctor next week to discuss surgery options.

In the meantime, I have to take it easy. I will still be posting and updating, but I am not feeling as creative as usual so I'm putting the Teaist Apprentice on hold. (Plus I'm on lots of medication for the pain.)

Ally will return in May. Look forward to the following posts, and much more:

• participating in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony
• discussing how the earthquake affected Japan's tea market
• traveling to China to harvest tea crops 
• learning India's tea culture
• answering your questions 

Please continue to send questions for Ally to discuss in her adventures: keenteathyme@gmail.com, as well as suggestions for her travels. I appreciate all the feedback I've gotten so far! Thanks!

OK, that's a wrap. We'll see Ally in May! :)

Autumn by 52teas

Autumn blend by 52teas;
photo used with permission

This week's blend is reminiscent of autumn - hence the name!

What's in this blend? Here's what Frank had to say:

"I started with a nice caffeine-free rooibos base for that tinge of woodiness it has which I associate with leaves crackling underfeet and old trees battening down the hatches for the approaching winter. I added some fresh, organic cinnamon chips, and bits of organic vanilla beans, because what is fall without a little spice? Then I finished everything off with natural honey, vanilla and cinnamon flavors, in that order. The result is autumn in a cup, as I see it. I look forward to hearing what you think."

Grab it here now - while it lasts! And check out his awesome collection of teas while you place your order.


For more information on Frank, visit this post here and stay tuned to Keen Tea Thyme. We'll feature 52teas in the future. 

Frank @ 52teas has a way with tea

Those at Steepster know the power and wonder of the wonderful Frank, who is THE tea blender at 52teas.com, as well as the proprietor of Zoomdweebie's, a popular tea bar in the Midwest.

Frank has created all kinds of wonderful blends: Pancake Breakfast, Strawberry Pie (honeybush), Coconut Cheesecake (honeybush) and many, many others. He blends one new, unique tea each week - hence the name "52teas." The catch? Each are available in a limited run, so you have to jump on the ones you want until they are gone for good. (Sometimes you can beg him to reblend in the steepster forums, but most of the teas are limited edition.)

Frank does have a permanent collection of blends - those which proved to be popular among online retailers and in his shop. (You can find Strawberry Pie there and it is divine!)

Frank and his awesome power with honeybush teas will be featured on this blog in the future, but right now I have spoken with him about featuring his weekly creations here. He was happy to oblige, so starting this week you can view his creations here; click on the images and you'll be transported to his site where you can purchase the blends. Make sure you mention you heard about the blend here. :)

• Week of April 18 Blend: Autumn

1st Interview with Ally

Reader Question 1) What is it about tea that you're hoping to learn more about? Origin? Processing? Interesting legends? What's drawing you in? 

Where Ally is taking classes

Ally sits with us for a moment during her training and discovery of what it means to be a Teaist. She's dressed comfortably in yoga attire, and holds a cup of plain green tea.


KiTT: How is your training so far?


Ally: It's been great. I'm learning a lot of things about tea I never knew.


KiTT: Readers are wondering: what is it about tea you are hoping to learn? 


Ally: There's a whole different perspective on tea in different cultures. We Americans just consider it another beverage, but tea in Japan involves an entire ceremony. I want to learn about the ceremony and participate in an authentic one. I'd love to learn about the history of tea; one time it was used as currency. 


KiTT: Are there any legends you'd like to learn about?


Ally: I'm big into the paranormal, so I'm always looking for ghost tales and legends. I'm reading "Green Tea and other ghost stories" so I'll let you know if I come across anything of interest. Also a book about ghosts and Tea Tables in WV. Not sure what it's about, but I'm looking into it. If you or your readers have any legends for me to investigate, let me know.


KiTT: What's drawing you in?


Ally: Tea is such a big part of this world in so many different ways. It's a beverage, it's a lifestyle, it's currency, it's calming. There are so many attributes. I want to learn as much as I can so I can open up my own tea house.


KiTT: Is that your goal, then?


Ally: Yes. My own tea house. Wouldn't that rock? *checks her watch* OK, gotta split. Lessons are starting back up.


KiTT: Thanks for taking a moment. Talk to you later and good luck!


Submit your questions for Ally to answer during her breaks by posting below or e-mailing me at keenteathyme@gmail.com. 

OK, Crazy Keenan is gone

I was annoyed, pissed yesterday! But that crazy woman has left the building. I am enjoying a cup of Pancake Breakfast tea and am searching for news articles. Later today I'll post the continuation of Ally's adventures in Tea-land as she becomes the first Teaist Apprentice.

Right now it's just me and this awesome blend by 52teas.

Pancake Breakfast Black Tea (posted on Steepster)
YAY! I returned to work this morning to find my 52teas order awaiting my arrival. I tore into this tea first and I gotta say, this is a new favorite! I was careful about steeping time, after reading the other reviews. I steeped no more than 3 minutes (work be damned!). I taste maple syrup (the good kind, not the table syrup), butter and buttermilk pancakes! So unique, so Frank. This is SO good! I added one packet of Splenda, which enhanced the goodness of flavors, I think. I’m reminded of my Oma’s pancakes – without the calories. Wonderful, delicious, savory. I’m in heaven! This should be a permanent part of the 52teas collection!

WTF, Steepster?

Something is up with steepster today. For some reason I was unable to log in, so I tried to reset my password. Nothing. Annoying.

Maybe I will start my own tea rating/review site! Take that!

I was about 10 notes away from 200!

I am tempted to blog in ALL CAPS but I shouldn't be mad at you, dear reader(s). It's just irritating and I have a migraine so everything annoys me easily.

Also, I was home sick today and watched a lot of Tosh.0. Dammit, you, I am turning into a fan. He's pretty funny. Definitely funnier than that Steve guy from The Office (who is leaving, you know, the 40-year-old virgin), and funnier than David Letterman. Not as funny as Jim Gaffigan though. The Gaff wins.

See, when you have to listen to me blog about everything besides tea, it's not nearly as fun. :(

WTF, Steepster?! WTF!?

Earl Grey Part Deux

OK. Had another EG today, testing the "watery fruit loop" essence of this tea. I don't know what it is but I just can't find a taste for it.

This one from Metro Tea smelled delicious - citrusy and bright - but the taste! Lots of fruit loopy and manly. This next sentence will make me sound like a weirdo, I know, but the EG Cream smelled like a man - like cologne. And very much not in a good way. I don't like heavy cologne on men; I call it "Pimp Diesel." So while this one is tasty and hearty, it has a certain Pimp Diesel quality to it.

Maybe I oversteeped. Maybe I'm completely ignorant about EG. OK, actually I am. But I need to conquer this taste. Help me out, teasters!

First Cuppa Tea...

Do you remember the first cup of tea you ever had? If you've been drinking tea for years - like me - it's not likely, unless you have some kinda super memory brain. :) But what about your first memories of tea? Did you have a tea ritual?

For example, I can remember coming home from school and making a cup of Constant Comment, Cinnamon Stick or Mint Medley (from Bigelow). I'd sip while munching on popcorn, my favorite after-school snack. (Side note: does anyone remember Pop Quiz popcorn? The bags were what we now call snack-size, and the butter was different colors: blue, green, pink. Same color in each bag. The bags had trivia questions on them... My husband swears I am making this up but I swear this did exist! Help me out, please, teasters.)

I would sip while doing my homework, stealing sugar cubes from the porcelain container they were stowed away in the cupboard. I didn't usually put the sugar IN the tea; I would suck on the cubes. I have a mega sweet-tooth. There is a family story about me hiding an open sugar packet in my sock when I was little. All you have to say is "Sugar packet" to my mom and she'll tell you the story, with tears of laughter in her eyes.

I digress.

Tea was - and is - a big part of my life. Once I got into brewing loose tea, making it became a fun experience. Now I enjoy my own little ritual. When I arrive at work, I get the water ready, grab a filter bag and make my cup of chai or whatever I am feeling at the moment. At home I do the same thing, finding peace and comfort in the routine. It's "me" time... it's a minute in which I don't have to think about work or anything else stressful, just enjoying the tea brewing.

Share your tea routine.

You're So Sweet...

In reviewing the results of the poll so far, I noticed some selecting "other" as their sweetener of choice.. By other, do you mean agave nectar? Or something else entirely?

Those of you who are purists, good for you! I enjoy my tea with Splenda, as I have a keen sugar tooth, and was once a part of the sugar crystal phase. So I'm trying to be better about my tea - for my teeth's sake!

Please post your sweetener preferences below. Just curious by the "other" choice; what am I missing?

RealiTEA - Tea Scented Perfumes

Tetley is launching a new Tea Scented perfume called "Le Brew," and features a Marilyn-Monroe chick on the bottle. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1373655/Tetley-launches-tea-scented-perfume-named-Le-Brew.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Tetley isn't the first to launch tea-scented frags. Demeter Fragrance, a fun company which offers one-of-a-kind and unique scents, has a few on their shelves already:

• Coriander Tea
• Grapefruit Tea
• Green Tea
• Hibiscus
• Chai Tea

...to name a few. I only scrolled to the "H" and gave up after five examples.

...wait, Chai Tea?! I may have to try that one!

Would you really want to smell like tea, though? As a room spray, sure. And as a shower gel/body wash, soap - that's all cool too. But as a perfume?

What do you think? Would you want to smell like brewed tea?

LeviTEA - fun tea breaks

Researching and learning about tea is fun, but once in a while you need a LeviTEA break - stop for a moment to ponder a fun fact or random question. (Levity is defined as a source of silly entertainment and/or amusement.)

This post will (try!) to keep track of the fun and silly tea facts, thoughts and ponderings of Keen Tea Thyme.

1. The Pursuit of Earl Grey or Gray: posted 4/5/2011

Last updated: 4/5/11

Quest for Earl Grey

It's begun. The Quest to Conquer EG Fears.

I'm an Earl Grey (EG) rookie, but it's time I finally branch out into bergamot and start enjoying the pleasures of this watery fruit loop tea.

OK, I'll be nicer to it once it starts tasting better.

List your fave EG varieties below and why. I'll link up to any reviews I do and may even try some based on your  opinions.

The first EG I tried after YEARS of shunning was the Earl Grey Moonlight by Adagio.
http://steepster.com/teas/adagio-teas/8397-earl-grey-moonlight
...I am typically NOT an Earl Grey fan, and maybe that distinction yields my appeased tastebuds. Overall, I love the combination of creamy vanilla and citrusy bergamot. A friend of mine who adores Earl Grey can’t stand it – she says the medley is too unlike Earl Grey to take it seriously. And I think that’s why I like it! :) I also added a bit of Splenda (two packets) because the bergamot flavor was too strong for me at first.

• Take a LeviTEA break to ponder: "Grey" can be spelled two ways - also with an "a," "Gray" - but when it comes to Earl Grey, I rarely see it with the "a." Why is that?

Teaist Apprentice - Part Two

...The field surrounding Ally is beautiful and lush. The breeze swirling about her is fresh and light, while the air smells faintly of summer rain - a refreshing and cleansing smell. She sips her tea, which magically stayed warm and in the cup. Bits of the air slip into her tea so that it tastes even more refreshing. "It's been a long day," she murmurs. "I must be hallucinating. Well, I'm talking to myself. That's the first step of insanity."

Ally walks through the field with flowers and grass brushing up against her legs. She finds herself on a path and looks ahead in the distance. There, sitting regally, is a bright red structure - a pagoda. It's a bit up the road, but she reaches it quickly. Time exists but bends.

Ally, cup still in hand, approaches the pagoda and stares into the eyes of what appears to be a statue of a man, clothed in silky garments and sporting a conical hat. Suddenly, the eyes blink and Ally jumps. "You scared me!" She blurts out, almost spilling the mug of tea.

"You scared me," the old man says in tattered English, speaking slowly. "What are you doing wondering around here?" He seizes up her clothes - her "study" clothes: yoga pants, a comfy slub tee and a zip-up hoodie.

How can I explain I just poured a cup of tea and appeared in Japan? Ally asks herself - without speaking aloud. "I'm trying to find my way to the tea," she says vaguely, not understanding that tea isn't just a singular object.

"The tea? I do not understand," the old man says. He shakes his head. "Nevermind that. I could use your help in the farming." He holds out his hand and Ally shakes it, surprised at how soft his hand is. "My name is Yamato."

"My name is Ally; nice to meet you," Ally says politely.

"Come with me, Ally-son. We will harvest tea and prepare for the royal tea ceremony!"
_______________________________________

Reader Question 1) What is it about tea that you're hoping to learn more about? Origin? Processing? Interesting legends? What's drawing you in? Ally will answer this question next week in ths 3rd installment of the Teaist Apprentice: Wed., April 13, 2011.

Reader Question 2) I want to know more about the Japanese tea ceremony. Ally will learn to harvest tea leaves, prep them for the ceremony and how the ceremony takes place in the 4th Installment of the Teaist Apprentice: Wed., April 20, 2011.


Send in your questions: keenteathyme@gmail.com

Dara Gold - Tea Stain Art

Check out the new feature on Keen Tea Thyme: Dara Gold's amazing Tea Stain Art! This wonder woman creates art using tea stains as the paint. Amazing!

She's a new feature on the site. Ask her questions about her work; we'll update the questions and images often. If you choose to buy anything from her site, make sure you mention you found her on Keen Tea Thyme! :)

http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/p/golds-tea-stain-art.html

Visit her Web site to see all of her amazing work:
http://www.daragold.ca/home.html

Results of the Brewing Question

The results are in on my poll... thanks to all who voted! Please check out the latest poll - what sweetener do you add to your tea?

The results are posted below; remember, you could vote for multiple items. I will do my best to get as much info as you guys wanted here. I'm not in debt with student loans for an investigative journalism degree for nothing! :)

The results:

• 50% of you said you wanted to see tea reviews. I do a lot of reviews on steepster.com, and I don't want to compete with the lovely SororiTEA sisters, but I'll post some reviews. 
• 25% of you said you wanted fun stuff - puzzles, games, etc. I've got a tea crossword I will be posting in the month of April, and a few more puzzles/riddles. 
• And 62% each wanted histories of tea, interviews with master blenders and shop owners, and recipes.
• I've got plenty of interviews lined up. I love talking to people about their companies...and for some odd reason they like talking about them too! As for the histories of tea, stay tuned to the weekly installment of Teaist Apprentice, my fictional adventure into the world of tea.

If there's anything else you think my blog needs, e-mail me. I will be better about updating it daily, I blame my evil spine for getting hurt somehow and the muscle relaxers that bend reality...

Tea-ku Contest - Haiku about tea

This contest is in full swing - but you still have time to post or e-mail me your tea haiku. We'll vote on the favorites here. So post away! This contest runs from now through May 31. We'll vote on the favorites in June. Winner will receive a grand prize related to tea... (of course)

Need help on the rules & all that jazz? Refresh your memory here.

Get crackin', teaists! :)

SerendipiTEA - Tea Mantras

While working on my "tea calming" post, I came across some fun phrases re: tea. Here are some of the photos. I'm taking the easy way out on this post, guys, sorry. But feel free to add your personal tea mantras below.

http://simonemesham.wordpress.com/
The blog I found this pic from has some other great items. Check out the felt tea cups. I love it! :)

Next:

I sincerely hope there was more tea in the cup... but I'm a pessimist; it's half empty.

I typed "tea mantras" into Google images...as a teaist can I say how sick I am of the Tea Party? I don't mean any cute little girls' b-day parties, or ladies dressed for high tea. I don't mean us - fellow teaists swapping thoughts and discussions on tea. I mean the stupid political part. UGH.

Got any other pics of your tea mantras? Share below.

RealiTEA - Tea calms on Tosh.0

Apparently a well-known British phrase? Help me out, blokes. :)

OK, first off, I'm not a big fan of Tosh.0, nor Comedy Central (release South Park to a REAL channel so the cuss words aren't bleeped out. Yes, I'm 30 and still watch South Park. Never gets old. In your face, Simpsons).

But I've been home sick this weekend, doctor's orders. Most of my reader(s) - lol - know I suffer from migraines, but this is something worse. Somehow, the world's greatest couch potato/gamer got a herniated disc in her spine. We're not sure how this happened. It just hurts like a bleepity-bleep and sometimes the pills don't work.

Sometimes they do. I've had some crazy-ass dreams, ya'll.

Back to the topic. I have been neglecting my blog and for that I am sorry. So I've got a couple posts up my sleeve. First, tea calming on the (for whatever reason) popular Tosh.0. (Yes, I laugh at some of the videos. But when you boil down the TV show it's basically some wannabe comedian poking fun at internet videos. I can do that. My brother, who is freakin' hilarious, can do that. But I digress.)

There was a video in which some film maker was trying to promote an upcoming festival on a local news channel. In the middle of the interview, he threw up all over the reporter's desk. On live TV. Tosh does this web redemption segment when he gives the offending person another chance.

To calm Barfee he played soft music, set up a little desk Zen garden, and presented him with tea.

The tea did calm down the poor guy who was able to redo the interview and promote the festival. Or film. Or whatever. The point is, the tea helped. (I tried to find a link to the actual video...FAIL. Sorry folks.)

Tea has a calming effect. I've been drinking lots of tea lately, trying samples from new places, and trying to get more involved.

So I ask you, Dear Reader(s), what type of tea calms you the most? Post below. I'm Nosy Nancy today.