Friday, June 28, 2013

New Teas From Le Palais Des Thés- Les Plaisirs Purs

photo courtesy of Le Palais des Thes

Quality French tea purveyor Le Palais des Thés has a new range of teas called Plaisirs Purs. These are are "Four exceptional blends, perfect for sunny summer days".  The teas are paired with fruit, plant, and flower extracts. The company generously sent samples of each tea to try. It's the perfect time of year for these sunny, refreshing teas.

I have tried the Le Citron, and La Fleur d'Oranger so far. Le Citron is the epitome of a summertime tea with a strong citrus flavor similar to lemon peel. There is smooth and bold black tea, without a hint of bitterness. The crisp lemon flavor is without the strange aftertaste I've found in many other flavored teas. I enjoyed the earthy black tea mingling with the sparkle of citrus. This would of course be a refreshing iced tea.This is a radiant cup that evokes a warm summer day. It takes me back to glasses of summertime lemon iced tea gulped after a neighborhood bike ride, or lazily sipped under a tree.

The dry leaves of  La Fleur d'Oranger smell so good, I'm tempted to use some in my home as an air freshener! I do admit that orange blossom is one of my most favorite floral scents. There is also a fresh orange essence, as if I had a newly peeled fruit sitting in my cup. The orange blossom fragrance became even stronger when steeped, which is quite pleasing. The tea is a delicate and mellow green, with the softness of orange blossom and a little punch of citrus. Even with the citrus flavor the overall effect is mellow and smooth.

I also sniffed the dry leaves of La Poire, and it brought to mind a super ripe pear that promises a juicy sweet taste. A review will be posted soon.

If you are looking for refreshing summer time teas, definitely add these to your list. The flavors are sure to comfort on a hot day. You can check the teas out online or visit on of their two Manhattan stores.

I've been invited to preview a few new products next week, so stay tuned for more news about Le Palais des Thés!


Friday, June 21, 2013

NYC Iced Tea review, and Suggestions!

Iced black tea from Cold Process
Happy 1st Day of Summer! I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about places for Iced Tea. First up, a review of a new one. On a gorgeously warm day I recently visited the pop-up Cold Process Coffee & Tea at Pier 57. This cheerful spot is located right near Chelsea Piers and a stone's throw from Chelsea Market. It's a difficult place to find, but if you just look past the highway towards the water at Pier 57 you can't miss the turquoise structure. When I was there they were offering an iced green as well as black. They cold steep the tea for 24 hours and the result is a strong brew that is smooth as can be. Not even the slightest hint of bitterness. Add a wedge of lemon and you're ready for refreshment. The tea and coffee come from Lamill, which I had read about but never tried. The black tea was so perfect that I look forward to tasting more. The friendly salesperson gave me two sample tea bags to try, and I can't wait to steep them. Review soon!

You may even spy a celebrity enjoying a drink here, Jake Gyllenhaal and Philip Seymour Hoffman are among the celebs recently spotted there. This is a great spot to take a break if you are cycling down the west side, or meandering the High Line on a hot day.

Where do you go for Iced Tea in NYC? You can visit almost any cafe and get a serving to go, but here are some of my favorites to try:

Press Tea- all of their tea preparations can be made iced. You really cannot choose poorly here! Delicious!

Harney & Sons Soho- Some of the best quality teas around, a solid choice for an iced tea.

Cold Process Coffee & Tea- as you can see from my review above, a great place for an iced tea near the pier.

DAVIDsTEA- their teas never disappoint, and there is always a refreshing flavor to try iced.

Kanlo Tea- A perfect place to pick up an iced tea and sit by the water in Tribeca.

Argo Tea- Argo has many different iced varieties, one of my favorites being their bubble tea.

Tea Lounge (Brooklyn)- There are usually a few iced tea selections. The black iced tea is surprisingly strong and tasty.

Culture tea Bar- I haven't been here myself, but it comes highly recommended from a trustworthy source.

Do you have a favorite spot for iced tea that isn't on the list? Please mention it in the comments! Happy Summer!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Spotlight: Happy Earth Tea


I've met so many wonderful tea enthusiasts through blogging. Everyone is friendly, interesting, and of course passionate about tea. With a full time job and two children it is difficult to keep up with correspondence, but I value all the people I've met around the world who love tea as much as I do! One of these individuals is Niraj Lama from Happy Earth Tea. Niraj is a native of Darjeeling, who has found himself living in Rochester NY. Tea has always been part of his life. After a few email exchanges we discovered many similarities in our children, and of course discussed our love for tea.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Steep Thoughts- Pavlovian Response to Tea?

I just read this article from The Atlantic, discussing the euphoric effects of beer created just by one sip. The knowledge that we are drinking beer, and the anticipation of the effect, causes a conditioned response from our brain. It got me thinking- as tea lovers, does the calming effects of tea begin with the first taste? Often, just the preparation of tea will soothe me. Listening to the water heat up, and the sound of water gently pouring into the pot. It could be a Pavlovian response conditioned through years of drinking tea and feeling the peaceful effects. If you're new to the work of Pavlov, you can read about it here.

From the article:
Our bodies anticipate the effects of alcohol by a conditioned response, like Pavlov's dogs. Our brains start to release euphoric signals in response to the taste of beer, even before alcohol even gets into our blood, because we seem to know what's coming.

What do you think? Have we conditioned ourselves to anticipate the feeling of serenity (or in some cases revitalization) of tea at the first sip? It definitely seems likely.