Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Steep Thoughts- Do You Enjoy Coffee?


This morning a coworker made too much coffee and offered me a cup. I don't normally drink the gasoline that comes out of the office drip pot, but this person grinds his own beans, uses an electric kettle, and brews in a Chemex pot. My mug was empty so I figured I'd give it a try. I usually add milk to my coffee and I have to admit this cup was super smooth and flavorful without a drop of anything extra. I started to happily sip the coffee, enjoying the flavor and even thought to myself 'gee, maybe I should drink coffee more often' when I was reminded why I stopped in the first place. After a few minutes I started to feel nervous. I felt an unpleasant quivery feeling in my core. This is not the same quiver I get when I hug my children or look into my husband's smiling eyes. It is more of an 'um, my body is telling me this is not good' sort of feeling. Even though I drink endless cups of tea during the day, a large cup of coffee still gives me the jitters.

So as much as I love the idea of preparing coffee and enjoying the diversity of flavors, it's just not for me. But I can absolutely understand why you'd want to drink both. I also admit I've been seen drinking coffee on an occasional weekend morning in a small restaurant cup. I do much better with a small serving and not the mammoth 'small' size most cafes use for to-go cups. Sometimes the smell is just too tempting to resist.


I found it interesting that my co-worker's brewing process reminds me a bit of my own tea ritual. The joyful attention to detail is an important part of the process. Hand grinding beans and watching the water brew through the glass pot can be a meditative experience. Chemex pots are gorgeous enough to tempt me to brew coffee, but I have to remember the after effects. Has anyone tried to brew tea in a small Chemex? I'd love to know the results.

Do you drink coffee? Does it make you feel any differently than tea?

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Visit: tea drunk


Last year I was fortunate to attend a wonderful tea tasting with passionate expert Shunan at the NY Coffee & Tea festival. Shunan mentioned she was hoping to open a tea house named tea drunk.and I have had it on my list to visit ever since it opened a few months ago.


Recently my husband and I had a rare day to ourselves, so we had a delicious lunch at Momofuku Ssam bar and waddled over to tea drunk. This tea house is a place for serious teas with an authentic experience. The teas are hand selected directly from the farms in China, and you can see Shunan's passion through the list of carefully curated teas. To get a better sense of what the tea house is about, check out the 'about us' page. It expresses just how much love and expertise is put into each tea they carry.


After perusing the tempting menu of Chinese teas, we settled on the raw puerh 'song'. We wanted something bitter and strong enough to help our full bellies digest. After ordering you can pick out a tea pet that will cheerfully sit on your tea tray and take an active role in your tea preparation.


Sit back and focus on your tea being prepared in a gaiwan. The vessel is filled with leaves and the tea is steeped quickly, which allows for many infusions. We sat and enjoyed several cups of tea, and each infusion led to a deeper, more complex flavor. The tea was pleasantly bitter and earthy, with a an herbaceous taste that brings an ancient magical forest to mind. The flavor of the tea lingered long after we left, a gratifying reminder of our experience.


tea drunk also hosts classes, check out their events page for the schedule. I hope to try one soon. This is a true NYC gem, a place you can't find anywhere else in the city. Go sit at the tea bar, chat with with expert staff, and enjoy a beautiful tea. We will definitely be back as soon as possible!

tea drunk: 123 E. 7th St NY, NY Highly Recommended 

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Collections- Tea Steepers


Last week I showed off some of my favorite tea cups. This week, I am sharing a few of my favorite tea steepers. I don't really use these, because they typically don't allow enough room for the tea leaves to open up and exude their happiness. But I've been gifted a few over the years, and now they've become a fun collection. Each one has a little story either about where I found it, or who gave it to me. Sometimes the memories of an object are far more significant than their use.

I've had this teapot steeper since I was in college. I remember wandering around a grocery store one night, and finding it hidden among the bagged teas. I was just getting into loose tea at that point, and this little teapot inspired me to drink even more of it.


I picked up the robot at Pylones a few years ago. I was shopping for a friend and I just couldn't pass him up. He usually sits on my desk and cheers me on while I work. He always brings me a smile.


I actually won the orange leaf steeper from a contest through Miss Tea. I love the quirky orange color which looks quite cheerful sitting on my bookshelf.


The Manatea is one of my most favorite steepers, gifted by dear friends. It is a happy little creature and a popular conversation piece. I haven't used it to brew tea, but I imagine he'll look adorable hanging on the edge of a mug!

Do you have any tea steepers? I'd love to see some of your favorites!

Friday, February 7, 2014

Visit and tasting: Ippodo Tea

Kanro Gyokuro prepared cold-can you spot the ice cube?

I recently had a beautiful tea tasting at Ippodo, well known in Japan for high quality teas. The teas I tasted were fresh, vivid, inspiring. It was such a pleasurable experience.

Chihiro, one of the tea experts at Ippodo prepared many delicious teas for us. The first was the kanro 'sweet drop' gyokuro. Ippodo is well regarded for their gyokuro, and I couldn't wait to taste it. Since this was prepared cold, it took 20-30 minutes to brew. So more on this amazing tea later...

The first tea I tasted was hosen sencha,one of Ippodo's most popular teas. It is a mid grade sencha that is slightly bitter and vegetal. A delicious well-balanced sencha, and I can understand why it's so popular. The sweet freshness lingers on the tongue long after it is tasted.

I was fortunate to have arrived after they recently received the delivery of spring nodoka matcha. I love matcha but cannot seem to get it right when I prepare it at home. Chihiro mentioned the secret is to sift the matcha in the bowl before adding water. This seems like such a logical step, but one I have skipped over. I can't wait to try again at home! Water was taken from a decorative pot and added to the matcha bowl. The spring matcha was light and fresh, yet almost chocolaty with slight bitterness and umami. Definitely not like others I've tried.

Matcha!


Next we tried a hojicha, roasted sencha that is low in caffeine. It was smooth and bitter, reminding me of coffee you'd find in New Orleans that has chicory added to it. I could see this as a good starting point for coffee drinkers looking to move over to tea. I've had hojicha before, but not one quite as flavorful as this.

Iribancha leaves
We then sampled iribancha, which really stood out. After the first picking of the year, leaves, twigs and stems are taken from mature leaves found lower down the tea plant. The leaves are steamed, dried and roasted. The flavor of this tea reminded me of tobacco, or a fine scotch. Very smokey and strong but without a hint of bitterness. Chihiro said she enjoys this tea iced. I could definitely see doing this as it's refreshing yet interesting to drink. Definitely a tea I will be back to purchase, along with the gyokuro I mentioned earlier...

Kanro Gyokuro, not sweet, but a precious drop indeed
After tasting so many diverse teas, the kanro gyokuro was ready. This tea was unlike anything I've ever tried. Umami, seaweed and a savory flavor reminiscent of chicken broth bursts on the tongue. Such a surprising tea! I found it interesting that this tea isn't sweet at all even thought it is called 'sweet drop'. But it is certainly a tea you want to savor in small, precious drops.

The matcha selection. The Nodoka is in the back, in the pretty pink box
As a final tea, Chihiro prepared the New Year's matcha to compare with the spring matcha we tried earlier. It was rich yet gently sweet giving it a pronounced delicate feel.  Luxurious.

If you are new to Japanese teas you may feel intimidated to enter this small shop. But take my advice, and go! The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Tell them what flavors you like best, and they will steer you towards the right tea for you. The teas here are high quality and better than many Japanese teas you can find around the city. Ippodo occasionally offers tea workshops, and one will be coming up in April. You can follow their facebook page for updates.

A big thank you to Chihiro for presenting such lovely teas, and to Ana for coordinating the tasting!

Don't be intimidated, amazing tea awaits!
Ippodo Tea NY Store: 125 East 39th st. Highly recommended for tea to purchase, and a quick cup to go

Monday, February 3, 2014

Tea collections- Fancy Tea cups


Many tea lovers have a tea collection of some sort. Tea canisters, advertising, pots, steepers, you name it we can obsess over it. Each collected piece has a unique story to tell. Now that the fourth season of Downton Abbey has started, I've been thinking about my small collection vintage tea cups. I started collecting tea cups years ago, mostly inexpensive versions for tea parties. Nowadays my daughter and I will enjoy an occasional impromptu chamomile tea party, and I usually break out these less expensive 'fancy' cups. It makes our tea moment extra special. We get creative, imagining we are in a beautiful mansion, taking tea with royalty.


I also have a few cups I lock away in the china cabinet, away from curious little fingers. A few of my favorite cups are shown above. They are vintage Shelley, Paragon, and Meissen. These are definitely not for daily use. When I see them I dream of afternoon tea with beautiful sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. Perhaps something you'd see on Downton Abbey. The Meissen cup is actually from my grandmother, who also had an eye for collecting. Each vintage cup has its own special history. I love to imagine where they've been, and who has held them.

Do you have any tea collections? Why do you collect tea accessories? Let me know in the comments!