Tea Sadness: Bubble Tea Contains Carcinogens

Oh no!! This is sad news indeed. I should have known, since they don't taste at all 'natural', but still...A recent article in the NY Daily News writes:

"...researchers from the University Hospital Aachen, for instance, found that the pearls contained polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs such as styrene, acetophenone, and brominated substances, chemicals that shouldn't be in food at all, researchers told German paper The Local."

Read the whole story here: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/tapioca-pearls-bubble-tea-carcinogens-polychlorinated-biphenyls-pcbs-article-1.1148110

I don't usually drink my milk tea with tapioca, and when other drinks come with it I ask for it without the pearls. You can make homemade bubble tea using the premade tapioca balls, but check the ingredients before you purchase them in the store. You can also substitute something healthier like nata de coco, which Argo uses in their bubble tea and it's quite delicious.

Argo's 'bubbles'

Empire Coffee & Tea

There are many shops selling tea in this city, but the area of Midtown west is a bit of a wasteland for tea purchasing. There is Radiance (my favorite) if you are in central Midtown, Argo, or even Whole Foods for a little farther north, but not much else if you are looking for a good selection of loose leaf teas. But, if you are willing to venture a little further south west, an old shop with NY attitude awaits.

These days when I think of the southern end of Hell's Kitchen, I think Lincoln Tunnel, and the tush-end of port authority (although, who can really say which is the non-tush end?). Unlike a few blocks farther north, the area still retains a bit of NYC grit, with older storefronts and fumes from the cars waiting to enter the tunnel. It's an area that I usually avoid because it's just a little too far from my office. But if you are willing to explore, there are good stores for meat, fish, and baked goods in the area. It's also the backdrop for Empire Coffee & Tea, a great store that sells a nice variety of loose teas.

The store was supposedly established in the early 1900s (I'm not sure if it's always been at that location), but this is not one of those quaint West Village shops with creaky floors that gently sag into the pavement. No, this is a utilitarian store front, with bags of coffee everywhere and containers of tea in the back. A few teapots and coffee mugs can be found, but you're here for your leaves and beans. There is also a to-go counter where you will find coffee and teas by the cup, and a few benches if you need to sit while you sip.

I was pleasantly surprised by the tea selection here. They have just about every type of tea in little plastic containers. I imagine they have larger storage vessels in the back, where the tea is kept away from air and light. They have some blends as well, and Sexy Tea (black tea, oolong, and apricot black)caught my eye. I was tempted to get some, but I'm not usually a fan of flavored blends. The service here is not what I would consider friendly, but knowledgeable and no-nonsense. Just my style. I was impressed when the salesperson knew the difference between the Yunnan black, the mainland China tea, and the China black tea. After some perusal I decided to get a 1/4 pound of Yunnan Black, since I've been craving that sweet, bold flavor. The container was whisked away, and within seconds the salesperson was ringing me up. 

As I was leaving I noticed the Sexy Tea is sold by the cup, and they have a Sexy Arnold Palmer, too. If I hadn't just finished my own freshly brewed pot, I would have give one a try. Who wouldn't? Although, I'm still not sure why it's considered sexy. It gives me a reason to go back and try an iced version before the weather cools down.

Empire Coffee & Tea may not have the old world charm of a historic West Village store, but it has the old-school New York appeal that is just as important. And Sexy Tea. It's a great place to visit if you are trapped at port authority or Penn Station or if you need a respite from the tourists in Times Square. Or even when you're stuck in traffic waiting to get over to NJ. It's also a great place to walk to if you work in Midtown West.

Empire Coffee & Tea: 568 9th Avenue, NY, NY 10036: Recommended for loose teas to purchase, and a quick cup to go

Company Spotlight: The Little Red Cup Tea Co.

Through conversations on twitter I've recently discovered The Little Red Cup Tea Company. I was originally attracted to their bold graphics, and then their focus on quality Chinese teas drew me in further.  Their teas are all organic and fair trade certified, which basically sealed the deal for me. From what I've learned through their website the small selection of teas have been lovingly chosen for quality and taste.

Through the rest of this month (better act fast) they have lowered the price of their 5 bag sampler, which is how I took the plunge to try their teas. The portions are generous and of good quality. So far I've tried two, the Keemun and Lu Mei green.

Keemun leaves

The Keemun's dry leaf smells sweet and earthy. It is a wood-like aroma that reminds me of an antique piece of furniture. After brewing, the tea has a malty and slightly smoky scent. The brewed Keemun has a distinct smokey/leathery flavor that makes me think of tobacco and leather jackets. It also has a red wine pungency to it. It feels like a good autumn tea. This would also be a nice tea for those that enjoy a smoky flavor, but when lapsang souchong is just too powerful. Since it's so strong, it would be a good morning tea. It would hold up well to milk if that is your preference.



Keemun



I also tried the Lu Mei green tea. The twisted leaves smell sweet and grassy. The brew is quite different from the dry leaf. On Steepster a few people complained about the bitterness of this tea, but it's just right for me. I actually prefer my green teas on the bitter side since I don't love the super vegetal, gentle teas (shhhh!). This tea is slightly vegetal yet bitter, reminding me of a roasted Brussels sprout. It also has a lingering mellow sweetness. It's a great morning tea since it's got an eye-opening punch. 

I adore the packaging with the bold black and red graphics. It would be great on a reusable tea tin (hint, hint) instead of brown bags. My one gripe is that they do not give brewing instructions on the package. I know how to brew the teas, but for the novice it would be annoying to first go to the website to look up brewing instructions. I assume it was to save money on packaging, but even a little brewing booklet in the shipment it would be helpful.

I look forward to trying the other three teas in the sampler. I hope this company continues to do well, and add more teas to their catalog.

My Favorite Tea

Do you have a favorite tea? For me, it's a very difficult question. But, when I think about the tea I care for most, I usually pick Darjeeling. This is because it was the first tea that opened my eyes to the beauty of tea. During my college years, I tried a Darjeeling and thought 'wow, this is amazing! Tea can taste like this??'. It opened up a new world for me. Just because a tea is your favorite, it doesn't mean it has to be the highest quality. Just what you like best.

If I had to pick a particular brand as 'best' it would have to be a very basic Twinnings Darjeeling. This is because it's the one that opened the door to other teas. I haven't actually had this brand's Darjeeling in ages, since now I've become more partial to single estate Darjeeling teas. But as I mentioned, this is a nostalgic choice.

I also had a funny experience with Darjeeling tea at a supposedly 4-star NY restaurant. A very rude waiter questioned me when I told him the tea he gave me was over-steeped. 'Well, this is a second flush Darjeeling, so it tends to be bitter', he said with a sneer. And I basically said 'I know how this tea should taste, and this is not how it should be'. He gave me a sour look and took the tea away. Pompous and uninformed is not a good formula for 4-star service. But it does make for a good story.

I'm asking you about your favorites because over at the Association of Tea Bloggers (of which I am a member), they are conducting a 2012 Tea Bloggers' Choice Awards. These are the only published awards celebrating the favorite teas of the consumers. Thats all of us that purchase and enjoy tea! So go ahead and comment on your favorite teas, and let's keep the conversation going! Let's see what teas come out on top.

Lots of ATB members are blogging about their favorite teas. You can check out a few here:
http://www.thesiptip.com/
http://the-cup-that-cheers.blogspot.com/
http://www.teaspoonsandpetals.com/
http://www.teaformeplease.com/
http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/

So let us know, what is your favorite?

Poppy's Story

Our newest correspondent Poppy wanted to share a little bit about herself. She was initially shy with her details, but with some gentle coaxing and a nice sip of Assam, she told me a bit of her story. She started life as part of a 1930s child's tea set. She saw many years of tea parties until being packed away in a basement and forgotten, while different families moved in and out of the house above her. One day she decided there was more to life than living in a musty basement, so she set off to explore...

For a very long time I had been sitting in newspaper with my fellow set mates, listening to feet stomp overhead. It had been a long time since I'd felt the glee of tiny little fingers playing tea party. I used to be the prized possession of a little girl, having tea with all of her playmates. But she grew older, and I got thrown in a box in the basement. It wasn't so bad, all of us cups passed the time by telling stories and holding contests for who had the least amount of chips. We befriended lots of spiders, and spiders have many stories to tell. One day not too long ago, I got tired of memories and stories, and wondered what the world had to share outside of this forgotten box.

While the rest of the set was sleeping, I wiggled out of the box and made my way up some stairs....

Looking around I found the kitchen, with very different appliances than I remembered. I noticed a little group of enormous teacups. I am naturally a bit shy, but I decided to approach them. I wanted to learn about this new world! I tried to strike up a conversation, but no one said a word to me. Rude!

I then found a strange looking pink and white teapot with a cup. I didn't recognize the material they were made from. Bakelite? Seemed a bit flimsier than that. Anyway, they too ignored me. Don't these folks have interesting stories to tell? Tales of tea and gossip? I was about to hop over to a little girl in the room, when I noticed a big window. I took a look outside, and noticed a whole new world to explore. Inside and out of the house, everything looked so different from what I could remember. I started thinking about my previous life playing with children, and realized that I should see what else there is for a teacup to experience. Perhaps I could try new teas, and meet people that would want to actually talk to me. Perhaps I could lend a new opinion and perspective. I may be a tiny teacup, but I have a lot more exploring to do. 



Poppy will soon be visiting tea shops in the NYC area. If you see her around, be sure to say hello. She may be shy at first, but just give her some tea, and time to tell her stories.

Press Tea - Manhattan

I've been curious to try Press Tea as I heard they use a 'tea press' of some sort (hence the name). I needed a full lunch hour since the cafe is on Ludlow street, quite a hike from my office. I'm not often on the lower east side, except for an occasional trip for interesting food or live music. Or retro candy. The area turns into a bit of a frat party at night, but during the day it is quiet, and you can walk around and observe the history of the neighborhood (and eat at places too crowded at night). If you look past the fancy boutiques and uber cool restaurants, you can still see old details on the tenement buildings and catch a crumbling sign or two from the days when the area was known for tailors and street peddlers.

 

The cafe is a bright little shop with a few tables and a large gleaming machine that looks like something for espresso. But no, that's not for coffee. It's the tea press! No coffee here, the sole focus is tea in various forms. Hot, iced, with milk, sweetened, etc. One of the owners was behind the counter (forgive me, I forget his name), and was friendly and informative. He recommended an iced green tea blend, so that's what I went for. He let me smell the tea before brewing- it was mellow with a punch of Jasmine. It was very pleasing, and I knew it would be great iced. After ordering, the tea press was in action- they use the machine because it extracts full flavor from the tea, and it's quite efficient. It also gives control of the water temperature, which is important with delicate green and oolong teas. The process looked a bit like pulling an espresso. To chill the tea, the hot mixture was added to a cocktail shaker with ice and shaken vigorously. The tea was perfectly chilled, and very tasty. There was a slightly foamy layer that reminded me of the 'crema' that you get with a properly prepared espresso. This brew was sweetened (you can order it plain), and I was able to order it 'half sweet', since I don't usually like sugar in my tea. The subtle sweetness was a nice compliment to the green tea blend, but I'm glad I didn't ask for the full sweetness level since it would have been way too much for me. It was a refreshing choice for the sweaty summer afternoon. All of the drinks are made with loose teas carefully chosen by the owners. The selection is small, but well curated.

I found out the tea machine is actually the same used in many bubble tea places. But bubble tea joints usually use tea bags, not loose tea. I haven't noticed these machines at any bubble tea places around the city, I'll have to pay more attention next time.

My friend had a black tea blend that was billed as a coffee substitute. They add an herbal mixture to the tea that gives it a robust, coffee- like flavor. It was also delicious iced, and would be a great morning tea.

I will definitely be returning to Press Tea soon, to try their 'tea latte', and a few of other choices. We mentioned to the owner that they should open a shop on 9th avenue in Midtown West, since there is much more foot traffic during the day, and lots of tea loving office workers. Until then, I'll have to go on quiet work days, or when I happen to be in the area looking at expensive clothes and pastrami sandwiches.

Around the corner from Press Tea is another well known (perhaps infamous) tea-centric place, Teany. It's been years since I've visited, perhaps I'll go back if I can ever pull myself away from Press Tea. It won't be easy, but I'll try. Perhaps Poppy will have the will power to resist.

Press Tea:  168 Ludlow Street. New York, NY 10002. Recommended

The Tiniest Tea Happiness Correspondent

A new tea correspondent has joined our Tea Happiness team. Say hello to Poppy! She will be helping me scout out great places for tea all around NYC and beyond. Her full story is coming soon, but here are a few quick details:

Name: Poppy T. Cup
Likes: children, pure teas, playing 'tea party'
Dislikes: chips
Bio: I'm part of a children's tea set from the 1930s. I've been wrapped in a box in a dusty old basement for quite awhile, but it's time to see the world...

Stay tuned for more of Poppy's story, and her first tea outing!