Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ajiri Kenyan Black Tea

While browsing in a local grocery store, I noticed a display of interesting tea boxes. I loved the design on the box, and noticed that the proceeds provide jobs for Kenyan women and pay school fees for orphans. How could I say no?

According to their website, "Through the sale of Ajiri Tea, we hope to create a sustainable cycle of community employment and education. Ajiri means "to employ" in Swahili, the national language of Kenya...We buy our tea from a tea factory in the Kisii district of Kenya and employ women in Kisii to handcraft the box labels, beads, and twine. All profits are sent back to the community through our donation to the Ajiri Foundation to educate orphans by paying their school fees and purchasing their books and uniforms." Seriously, how could I not buy a box of this tea?

The leaves are tiny, dark, and pellet-like. Not what I was expecting, but I didn't want to judge on just the leaf appearance alone. The leaves are processed using the cut, tear and curl (CTC) process, where leaves crushed to equal pieces.This process uses a short fermentation period, which yields a strong brew. The leaves have a lovely sweet cocoa scent. 
The liquor tastes of whole wheat toast, and dark chocolate. It is a strong brew that is very basic, perfect for the morning and would hold up well to milk and sugar. It's an easy tea to over-steep, so be very careful! A teaspoon for each cup is more than enough, and watch that you don't steep for more than 3 minutes.

There is an interview with the company's founder Sara Holby here. It gives more information about the tea and the company. It is an interesting read.

This tea was named a 2011 North American Tea Champion for CTC Black Tea at the World Tea Expo. Ajiri is a basic, tasty tea with a good cause. So pick some up if you see it in your area!

Monday, March 28, 2011

The Continuing Frustration with Restaurant Tea


To celebrate my Husband's birthday, we went out to a fairly new 3-star restaurant. Food was delicious, but tea was a huge letdown. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the lack of thought given to tea continues to be an issue. It's frustrating to enjoy a wonderful dinner just to have a sad cup of tea at the end. When we asked our server where the tea was from, he immediately boasted that their coffee was La Colombe, which is a popular higher end roaster (um, I didn't ask, but thanks for letting me know?). The only info he had about the tea was the website printed on the label, and that 'they have been happy with the product'. The selection? English Breakfast, Earl Grey, 'a green tea', chamomile, and peppermint. Sigh. I was so annoyed that I actually ordered coffee instead. I wanted a black tea, and didn't want to order English Breakfast at 8pm (even though I've asked for it when in this situation before) and I don't care for Earl Grey. Husband had the 'green tea'. What arrived was a tiny silver teapot with an enormous teabag inside. The pot looked as if it held about 8 ounces, but definitely not more. We had no idea how long the tea had been steeping, and were not given any instructions on when to take it out. The resulting brew actually wasn't bad, especially considering that there was far too much tea for the pot. Surprisingly, it didn't have much flavor, but was a bit bitter from being over-steeped.

My husband decided to have a chat with the server to see if we could get any more information about their tea choice. Apparently they had started out using loose tea but it was somehow tied to the coffee company, and so when they switched to La Colombe they had to find a new tea vendor. They picked an online vendor, and were satisfied. When hubby pointed out that no one told us when to remove the teabag, the server did comment that tea service needed to be worked on. I am confident that this server will communicate our comments to the management, but who knows if it will actually change anything. But they are a new restaurant, and open to suggestions. So hopefully our comments will be helpful. They did seem genuinely interested in what we had to say.

Sadly, coffee outsells tea in most high end restaurants. And not many diners speak up when the tea is unsatisfactory. Next time you are unhappy with the tea you are served, definitely talk to the server, or even the management. They are usually happy for the feedback, and if enough people speak up, it will lead to better tea choices.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Uses for Leftover Tea

There isn't usually much tea left in my pot, but when there is I usually try to re-use it. It's a nice way to show respect to the leaves, and is a natural way to solve household chores without chemical cleaners.

Leftover tea almost always gets diluted and given to my plants. I started doing this in the office, when it was easier to dump tea in the plants, instead of walking to the kitchen or bathroom. My office plants always look healthy, and after a little research I realized that my extreme laziness was actually beneficial.  The tannins are actually healthy for most plants. Be sure to dilute the tea first, as too much acid can be damaging. Tea leaves are also a good fertilizer for plants, but according to this site, it is better to compost the leaves first to break down some of that tannic acid.

This weekend I was pouring a little diluted cold tea into my plants, and wondered what other things I could do with the brew. I flashed back to a memory of waiting for a table at our favorite Chinese restaurant.The waiter used the tea left in the previous diner's pot to clean the table. At first I thought it was strange, but then remembered reading somewhere that tea had antibacterial properties. Turns out that tea is effective in removing grease, and is great as a glass cleaner. You can pour some leftover tea in a spray bottle, and dilute with a little water and use it as a mutli-purpose cleaner. You can also sprinkle dry tea leaves on your carpet (NOT wet!), let them sit for awhile, and vacuum up to deodorize.
I'm definitely going to try a trick this site recommends: soak pots and pans with a couple of teabags overnight to loosen caked on grime. I'll probably try it with leftover prepared tea to see if it works. We have quite a few pans that are grimy, and can use all the help they can get.

The tannins in black tea actually bring out the rich color in wood floors. DIY network recommends adding tea to the bucket when mopping hardwood floors.

Does anyone have any other household uses for tea? Definitely let us know in the comments.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tea Companies Donating For Japan Relief

Edit: The list is growing! Thanks to the commenters here, and on steepster!

Here are a few tea companies that are helping to raise money for the Japan relief efforts. If you know of any others, please post them in the comments. Thanks to everyone over at Steepster, where I found most of my information. As I find more companies that are doing their part to help, I will add them to this post:

Kyoto Obubu tea:
In the spirit of the Operation Sakura (www.operationsakura.org) theme “Letting hope blossom” (the sakura flowers bloom in just two weeks!), we hope to aid our fellow tea lovers in Japan get through this hard time by raising funds that will help them rebuild their lives, and showing them that tea lovers are a global family!
The donation page is located at http://www.obubutea.com/donate and allows you to “purchase” virtual “Sakura Sencha of Hope” and “Sakura Sencha of Cheer”. We hope you will cooperate with us in this small effort to bring hope and cheer from one tea lover to another.
Funds raised thru this effort will go to the following in this order:
1. Obubu customers directly affected by the disaster
2. Tea farmers and tea businesses affected by the disaster
3. If the needs of the above have been met, we will donate the money to the Japanese Red Cross or other effort specifically related to the disaster
 We encourage people to send a message through the form at the bottom of http://www.obubutea.com/donate. Our partner, Matcha Latte Media, will be gathering volunteer translators through Operation Sakura to help translate these messages.

American Tea Room:
Now through March 31, 2011 American Tea Room will donate 10% off ALL online sales to Japanese Disaster Relief. American Tea Room has extensive relationships with Japanese Tea Growers and Tea Ware manufacturers and our heart goes out to all those who are affected by this recent tragedy

Yogic Chai:
Yogic Chai will donate 30% of sales to Japan's relief efforts until 3/31.

Bingleys tea:
With our hearts and sincere concern, Bingley’s Teas, for the next 60 days will have a Not-for-Profit suggestion of the Japanese Sencha in our line. Please consider connecting to part of the art of this wonderful country through their excellent tea and we will share 100% of the proceeds of your purchase to a relief group to Japan. Please share so we may be of as much help together as possible. Thank you!

Chi of tea:
ChiofTea.com is coordinating with Japanese Tea Company Kyoto Obubu to support their local fund raisers. Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations plans on announcing a fund raiser tomorrow to help in the search, rescue and recovery for many tea partners, family and friends in North Japan.

Vitalife Matcha:
Vitalife Matcha, a UK-based tea company that specialises in a Japanese green tea called ‘matcha’ has announced that it will be donating 25% of its profits over the next 4 months to help with the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.

Just Add Honey:
As we continue to offer good thoughts and love from afar, just add honey, a thoughtfully blended tea company, will donate 25% of all green tea sales to the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts

THE O DOR Tea House:
We have installed a solidarity Fund, which will be entirely devoted to Japan, underlined by some strict control, in order to bring to the Japanese population the first urgent needs, under the authority of Theodor Japan. Our gesture is not motivated by any commercial purposes.
There is no purchasing obligation linked with the donation.

East Pacific Tea:
Is donating 25% of their Japanese tea sales to disaster relief.

Pearl Fine Teas:
"If you follow us on Facebook, you already know about our pledge to donate 20% of sales from our Japanese Green teas to the American Red Cross and searchdogfoundation.org.
Given the magnitude of the crisis, we will increase our donation to 40% from now until April 30, 2011. And, if you spend $25 or more, you’ll get a $5.00 credit towards shipping. Just enter code JAPAN5 at checkout to receive the discount."

Hancha Tea:
is contributing 20% of all Japanese green tea sales through the end of March.

Samovar:
will donate 10% of all Japanese green tea sales

Tea Geek:
will contribute 20% of the sales of its Fukamushi Sencha to the Red Cross Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund

Adagio Teas:
15% of Japanese tea sales will be donated to Red Cross relief

In Pursuit of Tea:
We will donate 10% of all purchases of Japanese teas and products to the Red Cross to aid Japan

Monday, March 14, 2011

Booch success!

Over the past 2 1/2 weeks my gallon of Kombucha has been busy fermenting. We've been tasting it every few days to decide if it was ready to make its debut. At first, it was too sweet, then it didn't have enough fizz. But last night we decided that it was ready! I poured the liquid into bottles and put them in the fridge. Separating the liquid from Slimey (the original scoby), and putting it in the fridge stops the fermentation process.

The tea has the tell-tale pungent smell that is a product of the fermentation. Acidic and slightly sweet. You know from the smell that the brew will have a strong taste. I don't detect anything that smells like tea. Pungent effervescence is a good way to describe the taste. Fizzy, acidic, and tangy. Similar to store bought Kombucha, but a little more flavorful. There is a nice subtle sweetness as well. The tea is very drying on the palate. Peeps said this is because I fermented it a little longer, which gave it more fizz, and made it a bit dryer. I like it like this! I'm not tasting much of the oolong tea I used, but there is a slight earthiness.  The acidity is so strong that it's hard to detect. But I think it's there. The bubbles are small, and very pleasant.

And Slimey has produced an offspring! I took it out of the jar. It was a bit disgusting. Very firm, but soft, and well, slimey. If anyone would like a scoby to make your own Kombucha, let me know! It looks gross, but it does good work.

Next time I'll try using a different tea to see if the taste is any different. I'll have to do a little comparison taste test. Not sure if I will use black or green tea. Any suggestions?

I know Darjeeling is considered the 'Champagne of teas', but I think it should be Kombucha! At least it has a similar mouth feel. I'd say that the first Kombucha effort was a success! A new batch will be brewing soon.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A Boba Alternative

I usually don't reach for flavored teas, as I prefer a pure tea taste. The one real exception to this is bubble tea. I have a huge weakness for the stuff. It's sweet and milky, with a chew from the tapioca pearl bubbles (they are called boba). It is a hugely caloric drink, and is usually packed with all sorts of artificial ingredients. I usually shy away from artificial flavors and colors, but again, the weakness. Unless you are making bubble tea from scratch, it is difficult to find it without artificial additives.

I walked past Argo Tea cafe during my lunch hour, and the siren bubble song lured me in. I've only tried Argo once before, but I had a vague memory of seeing bubble tea on the menu. They offer it in different flavors: Mango, Coconut, or Raspberry. When I'm in a bubble tea shop, I usually order the basic 'milk tea' in the hopes that I'll actually get a little tea flavor instead of a burst of fake fruit. So, I asked for just black tea and milk.
Square Boba!
Judging on looks alone, this was no ordinary bubble tea. The boba were square! The appearance reminded me more of a fruit jelly drink than bubble tea. The first sip was a little confusing- it wasn't sweet! Just cold, milky tea.  Not a bad thing, but I was expecting the jolt of sugar on my tongue. But with my next sip I picked up a few of the square boba. Wow, the boba created little bursts of sweet tea flavor. Very cool! Very unexpected. Argo's website mentions that they use Nata De Coco for their boba, instead of tapioca. It is supposedly a healthier alternative. I like that this creates chewy, but not sticky boba. You don't have to barbarically pick your teeth after each sip. I also love that you get a milk choice (2%, skim, soy), as well as tea preference (black, green, or red).

It was nice to have some control over the sweetness of the drink. If you only take a few boba along with the tea, you don't have to get the intense shot of sugar that these drinks usually have (not that I mind the sweetness, of course). It is very user friendly. This is a healthier take on bubble tea that still retains the essence of the drink. I will definitely be trying another one soon. Perhaps with a flavoring.

I have to admit, I was originally turned off by Argo tea's signage in front of the store, so much so that I haven't made an effort for another visit. I am intrigued, and will definitely be back soon. But I still don't like the sign.

Argo Tea Cafe- 1792 Broadway NY, NY 10019

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A quick slurp into History

from http://tea.timzhao.com/ctcom/liter/dct.html
A few nights ago, while cleaning up from a small family gathering I took a few sips of what was left in our teapot. This is not an extraordinary activity but our cups were dirty, and I was thirsty. So I drank the tea directly from the spout. My husband seemed a little surprised by this, but not terribly. It seems a bit uncouth to drink from the spout, but I pointed out that the earliest known teapots were actually made to be used this way. 

Tea was consumed long before teapots were invented. Before teapots, powdered tea was created by rolling the tea leaves by hand, drying, then grinding them into a powder. The powder was frothed in wide bowls (just as Matcha still is today). Infusing tea, similar to what most of us do today, became popular at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China. The Chinese fashioned teapots out of purple 'zisha' clay. These are Yixing teapots, and were the first used for specifically brewing tea. Yixing pottery (not specifically teapots) dates back to the Sung Dynasty (960-1279). Yixing teapots are very special because they are quite porous and will take on the flavor of the tea you use. It is important to use just one type of tea for one pot. A detailed post on Yixing teapots will have to follow soon.

I was searching online for pictures of early teapots, but they have been difficult to find! If I ever find myself in Hong Kong, there is a Museum of Tea Ware to visit. It supposedly has an example of one of the first teapots. Hopefully one of these days I will get there! My research results also varied a little bit with each source. So please have a look on your own if you are interested in the subject.

I could probably go on and on about teapots. There are so many different types, styles, and ways to use them. I have a small collection of them myself, and it's difficult to limit a collection to a specific type. There is so much to learn about teapots. There are Chinese style, Japanese style, Russian Samovars, porcelain, clay, pewter, silver, new and antique, on and on and on. There are experts in just about every type of teapot, and the rituals they are used for.
There is so much to learn about teapots and tea ceremonies, and I am nowhere near an expert in any of it. It is exciting that the scope of learning all things tea is practically limitless. There is always something new to discover. Information will continue to unfold as long as it is sought out. This is part of what makes enjoying tea so pleasurable.

Here are a few websites I found to learn more about teapots (feel free to add your own in the comments):
http://tea.timzhao.com/ctcom/index.html
http://www.teapots.net/
http://www.enjoyingtea.com/teapot.html
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa041601a.htm

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Restaurant Tea


Tea from Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Most restaurants offer tea on their menu. Choices could be from a basic limp bag of Lipton, all the way up to a selection of teas by the pot. If I'm out and the mood strikes, I may order tea if it is a reasonable price and something more than a basic bag of you know what (although if I'm really craving a cup and I'm in a diner, I may get that, too). Some friends have suggested that I bring my own tea bags. But that just seems rude and disrespectful to the restaurant. If I want a cup of tea that badly, I'll order what they have or just wait until later. Every so often I will be surprised by a perfect cup (or pot) while I am out. These experiences are usually few and far between. Just to note, I am talking about restaurants that focus on food, not tea shops, tea houses, or other establishments that actually specialize in tea.

Often restaurants will offer bagged tea that could easily be purchased by the box in any store for just a little more than their price for a pot.  If it is a tea that I like, I may usually order a pot to support the restaurant's tea service. Perhaps the inflated prices can be be compared to the mark-up on wine. What really bothers me is when a restaurant charges upwards of $6 for a pot of tea, and it's not prepared properly.

My husband and I enjoy splurging on a high-end meal now and again. Tea often gets overlooked at these restaurants, but coffee is always of high quality. When asked about a tea selection, 9 times out of 10 the server doesn't know much more than if the tea is black, green, or herbal. When they do offer loose leaves, the teas are not always brewed correctly.

I've had one crazy tea experience at a 4-star NY restaurant. I  ordered a 2nd flush Darjeeling (I was excited to see that this restaurant knew enough to say that it was a 2nd flush). The tea arrived in a dainty porcelain pot with all the appropriate accouterments. But when I gave it a taste, it was VERY bitter, and a dark maroon color. I love the full flavor that a 2nd flush Darjeeling allows. They can be a bit strong, but not bitter to the point of undrinkability.  When the server came over, I pointed out that the tea was too bitter. He gave me a snooty look and said 'well, it IS a second flush Darjeeling'. Um, thanks fella.  I sheepishly told him that I was familiar with this type of tea, and that it was over-steeped. I'm sure he also used too much tea. He let out a huge sigh, and whisked the tea away. When you are paying hundreds of dollars for dinner (I don't remember how much the pot of tea was, but I'm sure it was quite a bit), why would you want poorly prepared tea? Clearly he brewed the tea incorrectly, but didn't want to own up to it. Whatever the case, it is frustrating that coffee gets so much attention at high end restaurants, but teas do not. If a cup of coffee tasted off, it would be fixed without a problem.
An exception to this is a recent dinner my husband and I had at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. They have a separate tea menu, which was exciting to see. The menu didn't state if the tea was a particular brand, so I asked. It was from SerendipiTEA. I've had this brand at home, so paying $6 for a pot seemed a little much,  but in line with similar restaurants at this price point. I also know it is a fairly good quality tea. Besides, we were out for a special occasion, and I wanted a nice cup of tea! They had a black tea that I hadn't tried before, so I ordered it. The tea they prepared was fine, but it was a tiny bit on the weak side for me. Like most upscale restaurants, the leaves were removed from the pot before serving, and they were not included on the side. I wished that I could have steeped the tea for another 30 seconds or so. I'm sure if I had asked one of the servers, they would have brought fresh leaves for me, but that's not really the point. This restaurant was on the right track with their tea service. I just wish it would have been more interactive for me.

I guess the conclusion is just because a restaurant is 'fancy' it doesn't mean that their tea is better. It's possible that they do have quality leaves, but this gets lost if the tea is not prepared properly. Although when I am out and do get a good cup, it makes the meal all the more enjoyable whether I am at a local Thai joint, or 4 star restaurant. Tea lovers, what do you usually do? Do you have any solutions for all of the restaurants out there?