Tea · Fiend

Saturday, a friend and I decided to visit one of Washington D.C.'s many historic homes, Hillwood House. Our plan was to tour the house and gardens, and then take what looked to be a promising afternoon tea at the on-site cafe. The gardens were lovely. The house was beautiful, but didn't quite live up to expectations. We were told that it would take up to three hours to tour both, and we were done in well under two hours. The atmosphere was somewhat disturbed by blue plastic chairs spread about and interrupting the view. But this review is really about the tea.

Expectations were further built up by the fact that we were told we wouldn't be able to be seated until 3, due to the many groups that would be taking lunch in the cafe. Afternoon tea wasn't served until 2:30 anyway, but we were starving about 1:30 so we went to see if we could get a seat early at least to grab some soup or a little snack to tide us over. We were immediately seated outside. After awhile, a waiter came to take our drink orders (hot chocolate and water). The water came out, but we waited and waited on the hot chocolate until finally I ordered another. Then both came at once, one in a tall glass and one in a mug, so Jess took one and I took one. Our soup took even longer to come. My borscht was pleasant enough, but Jess's chicken noodle tasted like Campbell's soup out of a can. 2:30 came, and we ordered afternoon tea. When I was choosing my pot, I asked what kind of darjeeling they were serving, as I like some gardens but not others. I was informed that "Darjeeling is a black tea" in a very patient voice, and then I asked where it came from. I was informed "Ashby's." I'd never had Ashby's loose leaf, but since I'm kind of picky about my darjeeling, I decided that Earl Grey would be a safer bet. I've never met an Earl that I didn't like! Our tea came in very small pots that had tea stains down the spout, and Jess's leaked when she poured. I opened it up to check on the steeping, and found a teaball inside, with no chain or visible way to remove it. I wiped off my soup spoon after a time when the tea looked done, and had nowhere to put the teaball except on the table, as the tea had been brought without the accompanying food. Once our food was brought, our waiter disappeared and never came back to check on us. Finally the food plate came. It included: one small scone (about palm-sized) with orange marmalade, smoked salmon on a miniscule piece of toast, shrimp salad on water crackers, two cookies, and two tea-sized chicken salad sandwiches. The devon cream, which I usually think of as for scones or crumpets, was next to the salmon. None of the foods were grouped in any logial order. The shrimp and chicken salads were extremely mediocre, and the two cookies resembled something from those plastic boxes from a grocery store bakery. Jessica's scone was a lumpy mess, although mine was probably the best part of the tea.

The tea itself was awful. It had very little flavor, and hardly any bergamot taste to it at all. Jessica's teaball did have a chain on it, that was dropped into the pot, and her tea was extremely bitter although she didn't leave the teaball in very long.

All in all, we were very underwhelmed. The service was terrible, we were completely neglected, and nothing was timely. And there is never any excuse for a dirty teapot. The tea part of the meal was $15, the hot chocolate was $1.95 and the soup (cup size) was $4.95. The hot chocolate was probably the only part worth the money. I would not go back or recommend it to anyone else. Lake Anne Coffeehouse may not have the same upper-crust atmosphere but the food and tea are both better.

I recently ordered Tao of Tea's white Earl Grey. Unfortunately, depending on your point of view, they delivered the wrong package, and I ended up with two tins of teas I didn't order: 500 Mile Chai (a masala) and a red chai. When I called up the company, they agreed to send me my tea, apologized, and said to put the box back out for the UPS guy to take back. They said if he didn't pick it up in a couple weeks to throw it out. (Well he didn't, so it's now been "thrown out" to the tea shrine). But I did finally get the tea I had ordered.

The leaves are a good quality silver needle, very light and completely unbroken. There are no fannings in the tin at all from what I can see. The leaves smell more like white tea than bergamot, but the flavor is excellent. I followed their steeping instructions of five minutes, and it worked out quite nicely. The tastes complement each other quite well, even though I'm quite loyal to my black earl greys. In fact, I haven't been impressed by green Earl Greys, but this is definitely something I would order again.

The Sweet Life Cafe is right off of 123 in old town Fairfax, near the courthouse. It's in what looks like it used to be a house, but since has been turned into mostly offices. It opened a few weeks ago, and every time I drove by, I wanted to stop in, tantalized by coffee, tea, and sweets. Mostly by the tea, as I'm always looking for new places to take tea. The first time I stopped in, it was in the evening. I poked around, but it looked really bare, and like it shouldn't have been open yet. No one was around, so I left. I tried again this past Monday, but it is apparently closed on Mondays. Today as I walked up, a lady was walking out carrying a pastry, so I figured it was as good a time as any to drink some tea while I studied for my Caribbean history exam.

It was still looking quite bare, but I decided to wait and see what would happen. Eventually a woman came out from the back and was friendly enough. I asked her what teas she had, and she told me that she had teabags to go or loose leaf for pots. She showed me a caddy with Mighty Leaf teabags in it. I've tried Mighty Leaf once or twice, and was pleased, but I was here for a more leisurely experience, so I told her I wanted a pot. She led me through two two rooms that will eventually be the tea room, but aren't quite finished yet. There are about ten different loose leaf teas, including black, white, herbal, green, oolong, and rooibos. (Only one rooibos and one herbal that I noticed). She has a jasmine green with flowers, not the pearl kind, but I opted for the peach oolong, since Teavana has discontinued theirs. They are in glass jars in the Bell Jar style, with neat labels on the front naming the tea and the ingredients and little gold holders. They are lined up across the mantel of a brick fireplace that doesn't appear to be in use, as there is a decorative pumpkin in it. My only fault with this arrangement (as long as she doesn't use the fireplace) is that the leaves are in clear glass, and tea leaves should be kept in both air-tight and light-tight containers.

While the tea area (two rooms) has an unfinished look to it for sure, it shows promise. The room I'm in, which has two tables, is very warm and inviting with butter colored walls and curtains, and warm oak floors. There is an antique looking walnut cabinet in one corner containing decorative teapots and cups, with more located on another mantel (which isn't for a real fireplace, it's painted onto the wall). The tables are covered with attractive white table cloths, and all in all, it feels like a nice country tea room.

My tea was brought to me after a few moments, $3 for a small pot (all pots priced the same). The little pot holds enough tea for about medium sized teacups. The tea itself is good, although it tastes more like a black tea than an oolong, and the liquor is also dark for an oolong. The peach flavor is definitely there though. Honey, sugar, and milk are all available, although I'm drinking it black. (If you're drinking a non-black tea straight up, are you still drinking it black?)

All in all, I would definitely come back. I think it has good promise, and that the small faults will improve as the business truly gets off the ground (and hopefully she'll take my advice about storing the tea differently.)

Looking forward:
Hillwood House Tea
Tealuxe Review
Tao of Tea-White Earl Grey Review

There is no denying that there is a culture surrounding tea. Or rather, cultures, I should say, as its role varies from country to country. But here in the United States, it's definitely developing a culture all its own, something quite different from the coffee culture created by Starbucks. (I realize there were other coffeeshops before Starbucks, many of them better. However, the invasiveness of Starbucks was responsible for the coffee culture we have today with venti lattes and caramel machiattos alongside frapuccinos).

I notice this at Teavana, and frequently compare my customers there to my customers from Starbucks (where I worked for a year at one point). Teavana's customers, for the most part, tend to be much more relaxed and friendly, even if they aren't regulars. While I did form good rapport with my customers at Starbucks who came frequently, at Teavana, there is a camaraderie that is completely different. The atmosphere is much more relaxed, and people aren't quite as impatient to get their drinks. Tea nurtures patience, for you can't just push a button to make it come out (and in the older espresso machines that are much missed by coffee lovers at Starbucks), and so you learn to wait, and that every sip is worth the wait. So, five minutes later, if a tea is still steeping, people don't storm out in a huff.

This camaraderie extends to the world beyond the tea shop and into a bond between tea drinkers in the world at large. If I'm in class, and happen to mention I'm drinking tea, it generally leads to a long discussion of teas. While there is a great variety between different coffees grown in different regions, mentioning Sumatra just doesn't seem to inspire as much discussion. Tea as a conversation opener makes friends of strangers.

For example, I was in our campus coffeeshop today to get my usual cup of tea. Jazzman's serves Republic of Tea, and I can happily drink their teabags, since the business of the shop insures freshness. But I diverge. A girl ahead of me ordered a Mango Ceylon, which happens to be a tea I quite enjoy, but I had decided to try something different and order Vanilla Almond. As we stirred sugar into our teas at the beverage station (Splenda, in my case, along with a bit of skim milk), she asked what I was drinking, and we stood there for a few moments discussing what teas we liked and the various health benefits. At the end, we shook hands and went off on our ways to enjoy our respective cups of tea, warmed by hot liquid and companionship on a chilly fall day.

By the way, the Vanilla Almond with Splenda and milk is delicious, and feels very suited to fall.

So what's really in a name? The word "tea" is applied to many infusions that are not actually tea. But what's the difference? What's even the big deal? Well, it's only a big deal for the tea-obsessed like myself. First of all, what is tea? Tea leaves come from the Camellia family, and from one of two varieties: Camellia sinesis, which tends to be more common, or the Camellia assamica. Teas made from this would be your blacks, greens, oolongs, and whites. These may contain flavoring ingredients, such as bergamot oil in the case of Earl Grey, or jasmine in some green teas. But if it contains tea leaves, then it belongs in the tea category. All of these naturally contain caffeine, in varying amounts. Everything else falls into the category of herbal infusions/tisanes, which are frequently called "herbal teas." So what about red tea? Well red tea is another name for Rooibos, which is from the South African Red Bush plant, and therefore, herbal. With one exception, these are all naturally caffeine free. What's the exception? Yerba Mate/Mate Yerba, which is from South America and extremely high in caffeine. Because there is some chemical difference between the caffeine in mate and in coffee, the mate caffeine is sometimes called matteine, but should not be consumed by those who need to avoid caffeine, because it it still a stimulant. The jury is still out on how much of a difference actually exists between matteine and caffeine, but it is generally accepted that the caffeine in tea is more gently stimulating than that in coffee. Either way, it all warms you up on a cold day with 0 calories before milk and sugar, so it's all good!

I'm branching out a little bit here, and not writing directly about tea. Instead, I'm going to write a book review about a book ABOUT tea.  And it's not even a non-fiction book about tea, it's a novel.  But, please don't stop reading, because I promise I have good reason for diverging.

Jennifer Donnelly's The Tea Rose is a novel about murder, unions, mayhem, and the tea industry in 1888.  It's also a love story.  The story itself is quite diverting.  In fact, I couldn't put it down until I found out how things would turn out for the feisty Fiona Finnegan.  Parts are heart-wrenching and I strongly recommend having a kleenex or two handy while reading.  It starts out in East London with the story of a poor family struggling to make it while working for Burton Tea.  Fiona dreams of opening up her own tea shop with her sweetheart, but all goes awry.  It's extremely exciting.

So what does this all have to be about tea?  Well it's all centered around the tea industry for one. And Fiona has a sharp nose for tea, whether it be Assam or Darjeeling.  The author takes some liberties with the origins of scented tea, iced tea, and teabags, but it's entertaining nonetheless. And anyone who has spent any amount of time with large amounts of loose tea will empathize with Fiona that tea dust gets everywhere. All in all, watching the tea industry develop through the story is just as interesting as the plot itself was to me.  A few familiar names are even mentioned, such as Twinings and Tetley. 

So, I know I've written here before about the greatness of loose leaf over bagged tea.

But I have a confession to make:

I still have bagged tea leftover from my less-informed days. Some of it, I haven't made a single cup in ages, but I hate wasting tea so I bring it to work and hope some other poor soul has less discriminating tastes.  

But, I didn't give it up completely.  I was a huge fan of two Bigelow teas, and I just couldn't let go of my past: "Lemon Lift" and "Constant Comment."  I drank the latter all through last winter with a small saucer of ginger snaps as a snack.

This morning I made myself a cup. And despite the foil freshness individually wrapped bag...it just tastes flat.  I guess it's Teavana's Holiday Blend forever now (a very similar taste.)  

And I found out that Teavana's Irish Breakfast is the same blend as PG Tips, so that's a good way to get that cheaper here. I still have to do a taste test on that, but I'll post the results. 

Lots of people these days enjoy bubble tea, a drink with balls of cooked tapioca in the bottom that are sucked up through a wide straw along with the beverage.  

But did you know that tapioca almost sank a ship?

This is a little off topic, but I thought it was a fun story.

Sun tea is a grand southern tradition, but now the FDA is putting out warnings.  Here is an article from the Washington Post answering people's fears.

Blacksburg, Va.: Is brewing sun tea safe? I have made mint sun tea before and then stumbled across some scary-looking FDA warnings about how it was going to kill me. It seemed so innocent. . . .

Walter Nicholls: We're glad you asked. Food and Drug Administration health science policy analyst LeeAnne Jackson tells us that, yes, sun tea could possibly cause food-borne illness. Tea leaves naturally contain bacteria. Sun tea is made by filling a jar with water and tea bags/tea leaves and letting it sit in the sun for several hours. The water temperature will reach about 130 degrees (instead of the usual 195 degrees in conventionally made tea), not nearly hot enough to kill pathogenic bacteria that might be present.

If you really want to try it, the FDA offers a few tips: Wash and sanitize the jar beforehand; don't leave tea in the sun for more than four hours; don't make more tea than you can use in one day; refrigerate the tea immediately; don't drink the tea if it is thick or syrupy.

(Food Section, 8/9/2006, P. F03)

According to this article, black tea and chocolate are both good sources of catechins, a type of antioxidant that has proven good for healthy hearts.  The article recommends drinking two cups of black tea with a piece of chocolate everyday or consuming four apples.  Personally, I think tea and chocolate sound like the best way to keep my heart ticking strong!

...I have returned.  

And I return with a long overdue review of a lovely little placed called "The British Pantry,"  located in Aldie, Virginia.  

A few weeks ago, on a trip down to Middleburg, a quaint little Virginia town, we stopped for lunch in another quaint little Virginia town (there are many), at The British Pantry.  This little boxy structure houses a little shop of British imports and a tiny cafe.  As soon as we entered, we started oohing and ahhing over the adorable merchandise.  There were lacy aprons, teapots, demitasse spoons and all sorts of other British paraphernalia.  Motivated by hunger, we took a spot on the patio before continuing our examination.  

The first order of business was to order a pot of PG Tips, which is the ubiquitous brand of English tea.  There was the option of having it bagged or loose leaf (we of course chose loose leaf).  Customers can also choose decaffeinated PG or Earl Grey.  It was brought to us in a pot with an adorable cozy, and each of us received a unique cup and saucer with demitasse spoons.  I poured out with the little strainer provided, and we opted to drink it the English style, with milk and sugar (although I usually drink my tea black).  

The food was delicious as well.  We each had variations of lox, bread, and crisps (chips for Americans) which were delicious.  I believe the cook herself was English, as was most of the staff.  

This particular time we opted out of dessert, but they had a dessert menu, and of course, afternoon tea.  These options will have to be investigated at a later date.  

Then it was into the little shop again, that sold frozen bridies and bangers, treacle tarts, McVity's Digestive Biscuits, a variety of imported candies, and assorted other imports as well.  If I ever have a British themed tea party, I'll certainly know where to pick up supplies.

It had a lasting effect on me: ever since, I've been starting my morning with a cup of PG with milk and one sugar cube.  

I've always had trouble with my skin, and have tried a variety of things to get it to clear up.  I even was on Acutane for awhile, but all it did was dry out my lips.  Then, one day, it started clearing up. I attributed it to a lot of things: less makeup, getting older, being more of a fanatic about washing my face.  

But I have come to discover that it was none of these things.

It was tea.  The more tea I drank, the clearer my skin got.  Then, I started my summer job, and drank less tea.  My skin started breaking out again.  So, I started being concientious about drinking at least two cups of white tea while at work (white tea is supposedly the best for your skin), and voila, my skin has improved rapidly.  

Not saying it would work for everyone, but it helps me a lot (don't worry, I still wash my face!)

This morning, I just sat down to enjoy a cup of Republic of Tea's Pink Grapefruit Green Tea



I love grapefruit, so I was really looking forward to a sweet/tart tea this morning.  Unfortunately, it was incredibly bland, and mostly tasted like bad green tea.  I even added a little bit of sugar (I'm at work, so lacking in honey), but nothing helped, so I poured it down the drain.  In all fairness, I've had the tea for awhile, but since it's in a tin, it really should last for up to a year.  But then again, who knows how long it was in the tin in the first place?  That's my problem with bagged tea in general, as we all know, but I've generally had success with Republic of Tea, when I have to resort to bags. 

My teamug cozies came in the mail this weekend, and are absolutely adorable.  I ordered them in Harry Potter house colors, since I had four mugs I thought they would be cute for, and they work like a charm.  They even stretch enough to fit over a tea-for-one pot that I have.  

I think accoutrements are very important for a ritual enjoyment of tea. I'm not talking about tea ceremonies. I'm talking about the personal things we do surrounding our tea-drinking that make it such an escape.  Little luxuries.  Last night, for example.

I sit in front of a low table with my teacup and matching teapot, the latter warmed by a green and gray knit tea cozy.  After a few minutes of allowing my infusion to steep, I use the sterling silver strainer I found at Mount Vernon to hold back the bits of chil pod, chocolate and strawberry that make Azteca Fire so delicious.  Then I add milk poured from my china creamer, and a sugar cube, using the tongs that are only used in my tea corner.  I hold it up to my face and allow the steam to condense on my skin.  Then I sip. Relaxation in a cup.  

As the very existence of this journal suggests, I have a bit of an addiction to tea. Today is the perfect example.

As a thank you for doing some extra at work, my manager gave me a pound of tea. I picked out a variety: Moroccan Mint, Assam, Rooibos Rose Garden, Rooibos Peach, Night Night, and Masala Green Chai. I've tried all of these, and enjoyed them, so I'm glad to have them in my home collection.

However, the true evidence of addiction came about an hour ago, when I ordered four more teas online from Teavana that are no longer carried in stores: Lemon Verbena, Ginger Black, Rose Congo, and Citrus Green Earl Grey. And just now I noticed that there is also a rooibos Earl Grey that I am tempted to try.  So, I shall certainly have to be writing some tea reviews soon.

Today's Teavana blends were:

Rooibos Vanilla, Rooibos Sweet Amore, and Spiced Melange-hot, light sugar: a very autumny tasting beverage. The vanilla was the most dominant flavor. I think it was a bit of a case of too many flavors to really identify and focus, but it was tasty all the same.
Rooibos Orange, Rooibos Lemon Twist, and Strawberry-Kiwi: medium sugar, iced:  a tasty fruit punch type taste to it.
Rooibos Peach, Earl Grey Creme, and Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls: hot, medium sugar, whole milk: tastes like peach cobbler.  Especially good when the milk is frothed.


Rooibos teas just do really well in blends, I find, because the rooibos flavor itself isn't overwhelming, so whatever flavor it has is what comes through.

The other day, I saw a commercial for Snapple's new bottled white tea.


Now, Snapple likes to spread myths. Did you know that the "facts" in their bottle caps are not necessarily true?  Well, now they are misleading the public with their white tea commercial, which doesn't tell the whole story about white tea.  A tea farmer explains that white tea comes from the youngest buds on the tea plant.  That is partially true.  The highest quality white teas are picked from the top while young.  However, the difference between green, white, oolong, and black teas is in the fermentation process of each type.  White teas are simply the least processed of the teas, then green, then oolong, then black. 

I have to admit to a certain curiosity regarding Snapple's bottled white teas though. I generally don't drink bottled tea as it is usually too sweet, and I'm sure that these flavored incarnations are no different. If I do decide to try them, I will certainly let you know what I think.

Currently drinking: Teavana's Night, Night mixed with Peppermint. 

tamoteru recently commented on a blend that she made and enjoyed, so I thought I'd make a brief entry on blends.  If there is anything I've discovered, it's that you can make a blend out of practically anything.  If you mix too many things, it does become a bit overly-complex in terms of the number of tastes however. 

What are the rules for blending teas?  Well, quite simply there aren't any. Just like making a dish, you just have to think about what flavors go well together, and what won't clash.  In general though, here are a few ideas:

I have found that blending teas with herbal infusions works quite well.  Black and green teas go well with mint and lemon flavored infusions, for example.  Try blending a jasmine green with peppermint...delicious!  Greens also do well with floral tasting infusions.  You can also get inspiration from existing blends...say you tried a raspberry black that you enjoyed.  Well, try mixing a similar but unscented black tea with a raspberry infusion, and voila!

If you want something a bit tart, try blending a raspberry infusion with a lemon infusion.

In terms of brand names, my main experience is of course with Teavana's teas, so I am going to recommend a few of my favorites. Of course, many times you can substitute your own favorite brand if it has a similar flavor, although some are specialties of the company. 

Here are a few recommendations:

Casablanca Spice with Peppermint:  Casablanca Spice is a spiced black tea, very similar to a masala chai but with a bit of chocolate thrown in, while the peppermint is organic peppermint leaves.  Try it iced, with a bit of sugar, and it tastes like a peppermint patty.  Quite refreshing.

Rooibos Rose Garden with Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls:  The Rooibos Rose Garden is a green (in terms of fermentation) rooibos with rose hips in it, with a very light, floral taste, while the Jasmine is a jasmine green handrolled into pearls.  Great hot or iced, with or without sugar: the flavor is delightfully subtle. 

I'd love to have any other suggestions!

As promised, an entry on pairing food with tea:

"The Academy of Food & Wine has discovered that by pairing certain teas with specific foods and in some cases wine, not only is the flavor of the food and wine enhanced, but the specific quality of the tea is highlighted". - Tea Council of the UK

Milk and cookies. Wine and cheese.  Some beverages just naturally link themselves with certain types of food.  (I suggest coca-cola and popcorn for movie days)  Through the idea of afternoon tea, that particular beverage has become associated with cucumber sandwiches.  Just as different wines complement different types of foods, so do the wide variety of teas. 

Here are a few suggestions: 

Ceylon (black) for traditional teatime fare, such as cucumber sandwiches or lemon tarts.
Dragonwell or Sencha  (green) for seafood, salads, and chicken
Lapsang Souchang (smoked black) with smoked meats and cheeses
Golden Monkey or Assam  with chocolate desserts

Oolongs are traditionally served with Chinese food, while the green tea Genmaicha is usually served with sushi.  Thai iced tea would of course be delicious with Thai food, while a Masala Chai would go well with spicy food, such as Indian food. 

Personal tastes, however, play a part in what foods should be paired with what teas.  For example, one of my favorite afternoon snacks is a cup of a black tea such as Bigelow's Constant Comment or Teavana's Holiday Blend  (both orange spiced black teas) with a plate of ginger snaps.  I think the flavor of both is greatly enhanced. 

Information from Teatime Worldwide, Adagio, and Globetrends