How To Use An Aroma Cup Set

When tasting teas aroma plays a huge role in the overall flavor profile. A fun way to concentrate the perfume of your tea is to use an aroma cup. I've been getting more questions about how to use one so I thought it was time to do a 'how to'.

I've written about using an aroma cup set before (have a look, since I even posted a nifty video), but I wanted to lay out the steps a bit more clearly.  In my previous post, I discussed the importance of using your nose, which is something to keep in mind:

Think about how you perceive flavors with a stuffed-up nose- flavors appear muted or non-existent. According to this article (and quite a few others I stumbled upon), 80% of what we're tasting is actually coming from our sense of smell. Even without the research, the gorgeous aroma of a lightly oxidized oolong needs to be appreciated just as much as the flavor. Whenever I'm handed a plate of food, I always smell it first. I love getting a first impression through the aromas, and the same is true for tea. Without the aroma, you're not fully tasting the tea. 

What Is An Aroma Cup?

The aroma cup is actually a fairly recent creation. Reportedly invented in the 1970s in Taiwan, the Taiwanese government was trying to stimulate more interest in Taiwanese tea. The cup created a new way to enjoy the tea's perfume, and is a handy tool to help evaluate the aroma. The elongated narrow shape of the fragrance cup concentrates the aroma around your nose. 

The long shape of the fragrance cup is what sets it apart. A standard drinking cup is short and wide, so it doesn't really capture the aroma of the tea. The narrow aroma cups holds the fragrance long enough to sniff and enjoy. The cups are reminiscent of whiskey tasting glasses that have a tall neck to concentrate the scent. 

The tasting cup (left) and fragrance cup (right)

How To Use An Aroma Cup: The Gear

A set (wen xiang bei) comes with two pieces: the regular sized tasting cup, and the longer cup to capture the fragrance. There are many aroma cup sets on the market, and they're easy to find online. I have a simple white set that was gifted to me, but this set is inexpensive, and does the trick. The sets here are a little more decorative, if that's what you are looking for. If you'd like a few for a group tasting, this set is a good choice.

How To Use An Aroma Cup: The Steps

First, brew your tea. Aroma cups are usually suggested for fragrant oolongs such as the floral, high mountain varieties (Like those you'll find in Taiwan, where the cups were invented). But really you can use them to evaluate any type of tea you'd like. Prepare the tea with your method of choice, but choose a vessel that will easily pour into a smaller cup.

Once your tea is ready, fill the long fragrance cup to about 3/4 full. You don't want it all the way to the top, as you will get leaky when you try to turn the cups over. 

doesn't it look like a tall mushroom?

When your fragrance cup is filled correctly, place the tasting cup on top. The whole thing will look a little bit like a tall mushroom (photo above). Let it sit like this for a few seconds, to capture all of those beautiful aromas inside.

When you are ready, flip the cups upside down- hold that cup firmly (see the above photos for where I put my fingers)!! This takes a bit of practice, but there is no need to be afraid- the hot tea creates a bit of a vacuum seal, so it's not easy to spill if you've filled it correctly.

Once you've turned it over, it's time to lift up the fragrance cup. Again this can get a little splashy,  but with a little practice you'll get the hang of it (although if you visit my Instagram page, you'll see I still often make a mess). Once the cup is empty, get your nose right in there to experience the aroma. Close your eyes, inhale, and enjoy. 

When you're ready, you can drink the tea! 

Does An Aroma Cup Really Work?

To be honest, I'm not sure how much more aroma you're really getting by using an aroma cup, but it's a fun way to get more interactive with your tea. Is it totally necessary? Not really, especially if you're using a gaiwan. But if you're doing a tasting for a few people and you don't want them to all stick their nose in your gaiwan or teapot, an aroma cup is a great way for everyone to experience the changing aromas of the tea. It's also a nice interactive element to add to a group tasting.

What do you think? Is this something you'd like to use as part of your tea ritual, or maybe as an occasional way to help enjoy your tea? I like to pull out my aroma cup when I have a really fragrant tea, and it's also fun to use with friends.

Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail Recipe

It's tea cocktail time! Have you heard of an oolong hai? It's a deliciously refreshing Japanese tea cocktail that is super simple to make. You just need three ingredients- cold oolong tea, shochu, and ice.

What Is An Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail?
Oolong hai is a drink popular at izakaya restaurants and karaoke bars in Japan. I've had it at a few local Japanese places here in NY, and I just love the earthy, refreshing flavor. I'm imagining sitting out on our little patio in the springtime, listening to the birds and sipping an oolong hai.

The drink is called a 'hai', because it's short for 'highball'. A highball is basically whiskey with a mixer. The oolong hai is reminiscent of the original drink, with an interesting spin using shochu and tea. I find the oolong hai to be a bit more delicate than a highball. Depending on the variety of shochu you use the drink can be quite subtle, allowing the oolong tea to shine through.

Oolong Hai Ingredients
First, let's talk about the shochu. Shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor, usually made from sweet potato (imo), barley (mugi), or rice (kome). Each one has a different flavor, which will slightly change the overall flavor profile of your cocktail. Finding shochu may not be as simple as going to the liquor store. You may need to call around to see which store near you carries it. I had to visit a few stores until I found one that had it (I should have called ahead!). But you can also order it online, and as with any other liquor there are different grades and price points.

Of course, you'll also need an oolong tea. From everything I've seen, a medium to heavier-oxidized/roasted oolong is a good choice. I wouldn't use anything floral here, but you could certainly try one and see how it works. I decided to use a Muzha Tieguanyin for my cocktail, mainly because I had it in the house. Dong ding would work nicely too, whatever darker oolong you've got. I like to do a cold brewed tea, but if you don't want to wait, you can brew the tea to double strength and ice it.

Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail Recipe
The recipe is super simple! The basic recipe is six parts tea to four parts shochu.

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour over 120ml of shochu, then add 180ml of tea. Stir and enjoy!

Additions and Substitutions To Your Oolong Hai
If you feel like changing out the type of tea, you can make a sencha hai, which is also a popular drink and I'm sure it would be just as refreshing. I keep thinking hojicha would be a delicious substitution, which I'm going to try next!

If you'd like this to be closer to a classic highball you can add a fizzy component such as club soda or even ginger ale. A squeeze of lemon would also make it a nice summertime drink. It can be tailored to whatever flavors you feel like adding, since the shochu is so subtle.

Have you encountered any other interesting oolong hai cocktails? I'd love to hear your experience with them. Kanpai!

Tea Cocktail: Oolong Milk Punch

The last time I was in London I had a delicious afternoon tea experience at The Punch Room that included historic British recipes and tea cocktails. The most memorable tea cocktail we had was a milk punch. I've been thinking about that milk punch every since I tried it, and I finally decided to create one of my own, with a bit of a tea twist: the oolong milk punch!

Traditional English milk punch is a crystal-clear drink even though milk is added. How is this achieved? Well, you do add milk, but the alcohol curdles it and the curds are filtered out. This seems like a bit of a hassle, and I realized that using a milk oolong would create the milky mouthfeel and flavor, without adding actual milk!

After doing a bit of research I discovered that milk punch was popular in colonial America as well, in fact Benjamin Franklin had his own version of milk punch. Some recipes contained black tea, some contained green tea, and some didn't have any tea at all. I took a few traditional recipes and made a few tweaks. Instead of milk, we're using the milky oolong. Instead of brandy I'm doing a mix of brandy and cointreau. Instead of sugar, I decided on simple syrup to make mixing a bit easier. All of this combined to make my oolong milk punch.

Tips To Consider:

-Please don't use your fancy Jin Xuan tea here. The nuances will be lost in the cocktail. As much as I hate to say it, a flavored milk oolong is actually a good choice. Many of the inexpensive milk oolongs on the market are actually flavored to get that creamy taste and texture. Something like this tea would be just fine. You want a strong buttered popcorn flavor here, nothing subtle and delicate. 

-This recipe traditionally uses dark rum or brandy, but I like to also use grand marnier. The burnt orange flavor and little bit of sweetness works well with the lemon and oolong. Since grand marnier does contain sugar, I added less simple syrup to the mix. You can omit the simple syrup altogether if you don't want it too sweet. 

-You can add spices to this tea cocktail, such as nutmeg and cloves for a festive kick. They're also in many of the traditional recipes.

-I like to serve these in vintage punch cups that I just happen to have at home (what, doesn't everyone have vintage punch cups?), but of course any cocktail glass would do. Or if you have small teacups, that would also work nicely.

Tea Happiness' Tea Cocktail: Oolong Milk Punch

Makes 3 cocktails

1 large lemon

1.5 cups water

2 heaping tbsp milk oolong tea (see above for info)

1/4 cup dark rum or brandy

1/2 cup grand marnier

1-2 tbsp simple syrup (to taste, here is a recipe, it's super simple to make)

Using a vegetable peeler, peel off strips of lemon rind for the garnish. Juice the lemon and set aside.

Heat the water to about 180°, and steep the tea in a small pot for about 5 minutes. You can't over-steep here, you want the flavor good and strong. Allow tea to cool fully, and strain.

In a cocktail shaker combine the tea, alcohol, and lemon. Give a few shakes to combine. Add the simple syrup to taste, and stir. Pour into glasses and garnish with a few strips of lemon rind.

I love serving punch for holiday gatherings, and this oolong milk punch is flavorful and unexpected. Plus, you don't have to deal with curdled milk. The sweet citrus flavor is perfect to wake up the palate before the start of a meal, and pairs nicely with salty snacks- especially buttered popcorn! If you're looking for more winter tea cocktail ideas, be sure to also check out my chai spiced hot toddy. Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season! Cheers!

Review: The Little Red Cup Tea Da Hong Pao

If you enjoy Chinese oolongs, chances are you've had a few versions of Da Hong Pao. A tea that should be high-quality, it can actually vary greatly in quality and flavor depending on the source. I've had everything from the insipid to the truly inspiring.

Today's review is a Da Hong Pao from the little red cup tea co. This tea is mountain grown in Enshi Prefecture, in southwestern Hubei Province. I usually think of Da Hong Pao coming from Fujian, and I'm curious to learn more about the location of these tea trees. I didn't have time to gather more information before this review, so I will either update this post or create a new one once I find out more. But let's discuss the leaves at hand...

This Da Hong Pao is very aromatic. The dry leaves are sweet, fruity, and quite tempting. This tea brews up a deep dark amber color. Lovely to look at, and feels very appropriate for the fall weather that's lurking just around the corner.

The brewed tea echos the fruitiness of the dry leaves, with the addition of strong mineral notes. It brings to mind an autumn hike near a waterfall. There is a lingering hint of spice that helps nurture those fall weather feelings. There is a touch of astringency to the tea, reminding me of plum skin. The hint of astringency doesn't actually lead to a bitter brew, which is quite nice. It's very smooth. I was heavy handed with the leaf and steep time, and everything was still quite well balanced.


This tea is nice and hearty, a good choice for the late morning or early afternoon. The mineral notes mellow out the brew just a touch, so I wouldn't have it first thing since I like a punchy morning tea. I prepared this tea in a gaiwan, one that is quite thick to retain the water's heat. This would also work well in a small teapot. It would be lovely to cozy up with a few steeps of this tea on a chilly day.

According to the little red cup website, finding this tea was quite a challenge which makes me even more curious to learn about the source:

It has taken us nearly ten years since we began our search for a great Da Hong Pao that is both organic and Fair Trade to get to the point where we can add this special oolong to our offerings.

I did an interview with the little red cup founder Martin Connelly back in 2015, be sure to check out our conversation to learn more about the company. Thank you to the little red cup tea co. for this sample! To learn more about this tea, you can visit the little red cup website.

Review: Global Tea Hut Tieguanyin 2017 Traditional Oolong

Tea reviews are fun to write, and give me the opportunity to share my tea tasting adventures with you. They can be helpful if you are mulling over what teas to buy, or looking for a particular brand or variety. Keep in mind that taste is subjective, and depending on how you prepare the tea and the water you use, you may have different results. I usually prepare the tea as instructed by the vendor, unless otherwise noted. If at first you're not happy with a tea, try adjusting your water temp, steep time, and amount of leaf. Keep experimenting and tasting!

I have to admit, I don't often reach for Tie Guan Yin. It's either too green and floral, or the roast isn't right for me. There are a few exceptions, and lately I've noticed more traditionally roasted Tie Guan Yin (TGY) popping up.

Today's tea is TGY is from Global Tea Hut. The weather has been cold and I'm reaching for many roasted, darker teas. Traditional Tie Guan Yin is definitely appropriate for this time of year. Global Tea Hut is an organization dedicated to spreading their love of tea around the world. They run a monthly subscription program that includes a tea magazine and a tin of tea every month.

I subscribed to Global Tea Hut for quite some time, but decided to end my subscription because I couldn't keep up with reading all the magazines and drinking all the tea. I still have a huge pile of tea and magazine from about a year ago to get through. Such tea blogger problems! I do recommend it if you are looking for a monthly tea subscription that is unique, and full of information. It's an interesting look at tea farmers, tea culture, history, and teaware. In each issue you can also meet members of 'The Hut' and learn about their tea journey.

I was recently sent the January 2018 issue which is all about TGY. I was excited to try this version, and see where it fell in the 'too green' or 'too roasted' categories. I apologize that in my excitement I didn't take full notes, so I don't have a record on the aroma of the dry leaf. I prepared the sample in my small white porcelain gaiwan. My water temp was originally 200F, and it made a gentle, smooth brew. I prefer my traditional TGY with a little bit more bite, so I changed the temp to 212º F, and I got the more dynamic flavor I was looking for. It did have a little astringency at this temperature, but that's what I prefer. If you're looking for a clean and smooth flavor, go with 200º.

The brewed tea is roasty, with notes of toasted sourdough bread. After one sip I could see freshly baked sourdough bread, cooling on the kitchen counter. There is a hint of tartness within the toasted bread flavor, so my mind went to the sourdough. It also has a juicy flavor I've come to recognize with TGY.  I think it's similar to stewed apples. Flavor is clean, and the roast isn't too aggressive. It is nicely balanced. Definitely a nice version of a traditional TGY.

Thank you to Global Tea Hut for providing the magazine and sample! I enjoyed sipping and reading all the info in the magazine. I hope to subscribe again when I find myself with a little extra time for reading.

To see what fruit I'd pair with a roasted Tie Guan Yin, check out the Oolong and Fruit Tea Pairing 101 I did with my tea pairing friends last year. For a comprehensive look at the tea reviews I've done, you can check out this link, here.

Review: Totem Tea Oriental Beauty Reserve

If pressed on what tea I drink most, I almost always say oolong. Usually a more oxidized one. I find them warming in the colder months, and refreshing as a cold-brew when the temperature rises. Today's review is for one of the more oxidized oolongs, Oriental Beauty Reserve from Totem Tea. It's a classic Taiwanese oolong also called bai hao, which translates to white down. This refers to the fuzzy white hairs on the buds.

Bai Hao oolong is a bug-bitten Taiwanese tea. I'm sure you've read about this type of tea before. Little green leafhopper bugs called Jacobiasca formosana munch on the leaves during the summer season, which causes a chemical reaction in the plants. When bitten, the plant releases the chemicals as a defense mechanism. The chemical defense is specifically made for the leaf-hopper critters, and it turns out this process also creates a delicious and aromatic leaf. The aroma and flavor is intensified during the oxidation process of the leaves. According to Totem's website, the tea leaves are oxidized to about 60%. The cultivar for this tea is Qing Xin Dapan.

For me, a good Bai Hao oolong is aromatic and fruity. This version from Totem tea definitely ticks off both boxes. The dry leaves have a muscatel-grape aroma going on, along with something earthy and fruity. Upon inspection there are quite a few of those fuzzy white buds.

The steeped tea s is a lovely amber/light coppery color, and smells juicy and sweet. The first taste reminds me of caramelized...grapes? I've never had caramelized grapes before, but this is what I imagine they would taste like! It's as if the grapes were stewed with honey. Fruity, sweet, a little hint of something sour. The flavor is deep with a full body. There is also a floral note, but as if I'm chewing on a flower petal, not actually steeped in flowers, if that makes sense. I can feel the softness of the petal. As I mentioned earlier, it's got a muscatel grape aroma that is similar to a darjeeling, but it's much darker.

I steeped this tea in a very small teapot, gongfu style. I like brewing oolongs like this in a gaiwan or small teapot, to truly get the essence of the leaves. You may need a few infusions before the leaves start to open up and tell their story. Since this tea can give quite a few steeps, I will often throw the leaves in a pitcher of cool water after my tea session, and put it in the fridge overnight. It makes a delicious iced tea, even when the leaves have been used a few times!

Thank you to Totem Tea for providing this sample for review. To learn more about the tea, you can visit their website here.

Tea Pairing 101: Oolong and Fruit

It's finally time for the next installment of Tea Pairing 101! This is the series Georgia, Jee, and I have been working diligently on, pairing interesting flavors together while making sure the ideas are easy to recreate at home.

This time around we decided to pair oolongs with fruit. We wanted to use seasonal fruits, and since it is early autumn we chose pears, plums, and persimmons. All three of these fruits have very different flavor profiles, but still paint a picture of early autumn. We decided to include fresh honeycomb on our fruit plate to enhance flavors and appearance. We discovered the honey was a smart addition, which I'll explain later.

We had the unique opportunity to have our pairing session in a super-swanky NYC apartment. Thanks to Lizzie at Compass, we spent the afternoon at 286 Spring Street, a dreamy penthouse filled with natural light, modern fixtures, and terraces for days. Quite an exclusive backdrop for enjoying tea and fruit.

It wasn't easy to pick just three oolongs to use for this pairing. If you're an oolong drinker you know there are many different styles to choose from, and they have a wide range in flavor. Oolongs are typically produced in China, and Taiwan, but you can find oolongs from other tea growing areas. Should we pick a region? Stick with similar oxidation levels? What about roasting? In the end we decided on three oolongs that are good examples of their style, and not difficult to find. The whole point is to enjoy the experience and not get stressed out about finding the most perfect thing.

As before, we took three teas and paired with three foods. We used 3 grams of tea steeped for 2 minutes each in professional tasting cups. We nibbled some fruit then sipped the tea to see how the two worked together.

Tea pairing Round 1: Bao Zhong
Our first tea was Wenshan Bao Zhong (2017) by Tillerman Tea. This is a lightly oxidized tea from Taiwan. Bao Zhong means 'wrapped style' which is the rolling style reflected in the slightly twisted leaves. Quick story: the first time I had a beautifully floral Bao Zhong, it was purchased by my husband for me on our second date! We went to a tea store that called it Pouchong, another way it may be referred to. I remember it being beautifully floral but also vegetal, and the tea from Tillerman also has these qualities.

The dry leaves have a dark military green color, with twisted inch-long leaves. The leaves have a needle-like shape. A floral aroma like a bouquet of fresh flowers emanates off of these leaves.  After steeping the aroma is still floral, but vegetal notes are also sneaking in. 

The tea has many layers of flavor. It's savory, creamy, and floral. We tasted steamed bok choy and creamed spinach. This is a smooth, medium bodied tea without a hint of bitterness. A tea I could drink all afternoon.

For the pairings, we had two options that could work. The pear was mild enough to accent the floral tea and also enhance the savory flavor. However, the pear didn't really add much to the experience. The plum turned out to be a better choice. Its sweetness worked well with the floral and savory notes, but didn't overpower the palate. The tart plum skin transformed the tea flavor, creating an interesting depth. The persimmon didn't work with this tea. The fruit was cloyingly sweet, and strangely the tea canceled out the flavor in the fruit. It was a peculiar experience, and not particularly appealing. The plum was the clear winner for me.

Tea Pairing Round 2: Tie Guan Yin
The Tie Guan Yin (TGY) we used is from NYC's T-Shop. This is a  heavily roasted TGY which is how I prefer to drink it, and is also the more traditional way to process the tea. I'm sure most of you have also had the lighter version of TGY, which is more floral and aromatic.

The dry leaves are tightly rolled dark reddish brown pellets, which is characteristic for this type of tea. The leaves have an aroma of fresh walnuts and dried cherries, reminding me of lazy autumn picnics.

The wet leaves present a roasty aroma, filled with chicory and dry twigs. It feels similar to kukicha in the dominance of that twiggy roasted goodness. The tea's flavor consists of chocolate, roast, and that chicory. A tea that reminds me of falling leaves and crisp mornings.

Time for the fruit pairings. I was expecting the plum to work, mostly because it feels like an early fall fruit. My instinct wasn't correct. The plum didn't have much flavor when paired with this oolong. The tartness didn't combine with the roasty tea. The pear also didn't work well- it was just too bland for the tea. It didn't enhance, and it didn't compliment. The super-sweet persimmon actually worked beautifully with the tea. The cloying sweetness is rounded out by the earthy strength in the tea. The two contrasting flavors played off each other well, making a harmonious pairing. Winner!

Tea with a view of One World Trade Center

Tea Pairing Round 3: Xiao Hong Pao (little red robe):
This tea is from Seven Cups. I'm sure you've heard of Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao), the most famous Wuyi mountain oolong tea. Be sure to visit this page to learn about the processing of the Xiao Hong Pao. According to Seven Cups, the primary difference between Xiao Hong and Da Hong is in the special drying process that keeps the Xiao Hong from tasting too toasty. It allows for other flavors to come through, which is something we noticed more in the aroma than in the flavor of the tea.

The dry leaves are dark brown and quite beautiful- long, twisted, and varying in size. The leaves have a rich chocolate aroma. Very sweet, a little bit of roast, and something a bit syrupy. Lots going on with this tea.

After our infusion the wet leaves were still twisted, which made me think we could steep this tea many times before we really learn its secrets. The aroma of the wet leaves conjures up honey, dried fruit, and roasted butternut squash. Again, an autumn-appropriate tea! The brew tastes quite roasted with that chicory flavor we found in the TGY. It was a little bitter with a pleasing roundness and full body. I found this tea to be very comforting. It was interesting that the aroma was so sweet, but the tea itself was quite roasty. It's possible that we needed to play around with the temperature (we brewed the tea at 212º) and time, to get the brew just right.

For the fruit: The persimmon worked nicely to tame the bitterness, but it didn't do too much for me. I think the flavors were polar opposites (very roasted, and very sweet), and perhaps they were too far apart to truly be a pleasant balance. We had a strange experience with the pear- it seemed to erase the flavor of the tea, but then a moment later the tea lingered on the palate. Jee decided that the pear was similar to a palate cleanser, which was an interesting thought! The plum turned out to be our goldilocks- it created a nicely balanced flavor with the roasted tea. Sweet and tart worked well with the rich, roasted tea.

From left to right: Bao Zhong, TGY, XHP

The Outcome: Sweetness and Seasons
One of the important things we learned in this pairing is that the level of sweetness really makes a difference. The semi-sweet plum paired very differently than cavity-inducing persimmon. Making sure the fruit is ripe and in-season is also key. Fruit that is at the peak of flavor will pair very differently than unripe, bland fruit. The texture also influences the way the flavors feel on the palate. Since the flavor and texture can be unpredictable, it's important to taste all of your fruit to make sure it's how you imagined it would be. Pairings don't need to be limited to flavor profiles (plums with a tea that reminds you of tart plum skin, for example), but consider seasons. Teas that are picked in the same season as the fruit are an interesting study, or try to intentionally contrast the seasons and see how it changes things up.

Epilogue: Honey Is a Super Power:

Remember the honey I mentioned earlier? Honey turned out to be a unifying factor on the fruit plate. The honey always linked the tea and fruit together, and seemed to enhance the flavors. So, if you are using fruit that's perhaps a little out of season or not ripe enough, adding a little honey will work wonders. The pairing doesn't work quite so well? Try adding a little drizzle of honey. I don't think honey should be relied on to make the pairings work, but it is certainly a delicious way to harmonize flavors.

It's also important to remember that there are no right or wrong answers here. If you prefer a different flavor combination, great! Go with what you like. I hope you enjoyed our swanky paring adventure, we certainly did! Don't forget to check out what Georgia and Jee had to say.

You can read about our last two previous pairings here and here. Stay tuned, we'll be brainstorming another Tea Pairing 101 soon.

All About Aroma!

Whenever people ask me about how to learn more about tea, I always say 'taste, taste, taste!'. But there's another important factor- use your nose! It's easy to forget, but aroma and taste of course go hand in hand. You can't fully taste without using your nose. They combine together to give you the full picture.

Think about how you perceive flavors with a stuffed-up nose- flavors appear muted or non-existent. According to this article (and quite a few others I stumbled upon), 80% of what we're tasting is actually coming from our sense of smell. Even without the research, the gorgeous aroma of a lightly oxidized oolong needs to be appreciated just as much as the flavor. Whenever I'm handed a plate of food, I always smell it first. I love getting a first impression through the aromas, and the same is true for tea. Without the aroma, you're not fully tasting the tea. 

When enjoying the aroma of tea, you can reference an aroma wheel to clearly identify what you're sniffing. That's probably a professional thing to do, but I like to just close my eyes and let the aroma tell me its story. Just like taste, aroma also has a powerful element of memory and nostalgia. I once had a light oolong that brought me back to childhood at my parents' house, hiding under the crab apple tree. It reminded me of a carefree, happy time. These days aromas usually bring me to a food, or a fruit, or flower. 

To get into things a little deeper, there are two phenomena that happen when you sniff and then sip your tea. Retronasal olfaction, and orthonasal olfaction. From a JAMA article from 2005

Retronasal olfaction is the perception of odors emanating from the oral cavity during eating and drinking, as opposed to orthonasal olfaction, which occurs during sniffing.¹ The retronasal olfactory pathway, which contributes to the flavor of foods or drinks, is commonly associated with the sense of taste. 

My aroma set

Ok, that's as deep as I'll get into the sciency stuff...for now. While thinking about aroma, I realized I have an aroma set, designed to enjoy the scent of brewed tea. I'd only used it a few times since I'm not usually patient enough to sit and really meditate on the aroma before taking that first anticipated sip. The aroma cup is a neat little tool though. The tall cup (pictured above) is designed to capture the concentrated aroma, waiting for the user to discover hidden stories of the tea. It allows the tea drinker to experience aromas that may not be as apparent just from sniffing the surface of the tea.

Since I'm a klutz by nature, I need a bit more practice with the cups, but below is a little video on how to use it. First, you need to brew your tea- I used a gaiwan, and then poured the brew into a sharing pitcher. Then, you pour into the long cup, place the tasting cup on top, so the whole thing looks like a tall mushroom. Then you flip it over, and remove the tall cup. After the tall cup is emptied, bring it to your nose and inhale the beautiful aromas (that's the one thing you can't see in my video). Once you've experienced all the aroma, feel free to sniff and slurp the tea you've been waiting for.

I needed to sample Dancong Aria by Adagio, so this is what I decided to use for the aroma cup. Oolongs are so nuanced that they are great to use this way. As soon as I opened the bag, I was hit with a strong peach scent. It was so powerful I thought it may have been a flavored tea! But no, it was just the natural goodness of the mighty leaves. After brewing the tea and using the aroma cup, I was gifted with the aroma of peach, almonds, flowers, and dark chocolate. Even though the tea had left the aroma cup, it left a beautiful perfume behind. 

Dancong Aria

The aroma cup gives you an immense sensory experience without taste to change your perception. It is also a fun way to add an interactive step to your tea session. That is, if you can wait before diving in to that cup of tea! It might be a nice way to delay drinking a roasted oolong, when the water is so hot it could burn your tongue. I will definitely be using the aroma set for an upcoming Office Tea Club meeting.

Have you used an aroma set before? Did it enhance your tea session? How did it change your perception of the tea after you had a taste? Would love to hear your experience with it.

Tasting: Tillerman Tea Spring 2016 Dong Ding Roasted Oolong

February is always a tough month. The skies are often grey and dull. It's cold and dark when I wake up and return home from work. It's too cold to take long walks with the kids, so weekends are fidgety and anxious. For these and many other reasons, it's been a tough winter.

One of the bright spots is sharing tea with friends. It's amazing how much lighter and airy things feel after a few shared steeps. We try to cultivate this convivial feeling in the office with our weekly Tea Club meetups. We've recently tried to pay more attention to our tea and snack pairings and this week we had a successful go at it.

I love a good roasted oolong and decided to serve Tillerman Tea's Spring 2016 Dong Ding Roasted Oolong for our Office Tea Club gathering this week. We were doing a Valentine's Day theme with peach heart gummies and chocolates. I thought the roast and apricot notes would work well with the sweets. It's also been cold and snowy here and I find roasted oolongs to be super soothing and cozy in winter (but really I love them any time of year).

The Office Tea Club scaled the 'frozen summit' for Valentine's Day! We shared a Dong Ding oolong from @tillermantea paired with peach bellini hearts from @sugarfina and gorgeous artisanal chocolates. The roasty, nutty, and peachy notes in the tea worked beautifully with the gummies. And really what doesn't pair well with chocolate? 😉

A post shared by sara shacket (@tea_happiness) on Feb 14, 2017 at 1:13pm PST

Dong Ding (can also be written as Tung Ting) translates to 'frozen summit'. Makes sense since the tea is grown on its namesake mountain. The Tillerman Tea website helpfully tells us the tea was grown by Chen Fang Yan with the oolong cultivar Qing Xin. It's 20% oxidized, and roasted.

The dry leaves were nutty with hints of caramel and wood with a pleasing sugary sweetness. I noticed a light floral aroma as well. I'm not well versed in flowers so I couldn't tell you what kind. The first infusion was super roasty and comforting. Almonds, apricot, and nice crunchy toast came to mind. The tea is also quite sweet, which everyone found enjoyable. Subsequent steeps found the toast and apricot flavors sticking around, and each pour was super smooth and sweet.

I tasted one of the peach gummies that had been splashed with tea and it was delicious! The toast and apricot flavors in the tea seemed to highlight the juicy sweetness in the gummy candy. I had to dunk one right in my cup after that. Anyone want to create a peach oolong candy for me?

My potpourri

I have to confess-I kept the infused leaves on my desk for a couple of days, because they smelled so good. I may have taken a sniff here and there to boost my mood. Perhaps like a toasty, fruity tea potpourri. Or aromatherapy. I'll definitely need to purchase more of this tea since it did such a nice job of dissolving my winter blues.

To learn more about Tillerman tea, check out my interview with founder David Campbell, and check out their website. Thank you to Tillerman Tea for the samples.

Steep Thoughts: David Campbell of Tillerman Tea

David Campbell of Tillerman Tea

I'm excited to bring back interviews to the blog, and I've decided to call them Steep Thoughts since we get to go behind the scenes and learn more about folks in the tea industry.This week I'm excited to present David Campbell and his company Tillerman Tea.  The company features beautiful Taiwanese teas from growers that are sustainable and environmentally friendly in their practices. Learn a little bit about David's experience and passion for tea in our interview.

Sipping Tea On The 35th Floor

Beautiful tea, a perfect view, and a trained staff do not always equal a good tea experience. This is what I learned at the second afternoon tea I had in London, at the Shangri-La hotel.

The hotel is in The Shard, which is an imposing glass building. It's a strange experience to be whisked up 35 floors to an immaculately decorated hotel. This isn't uncommon in NYC, but every time I do it, it feels a bit surreal. The hotel is lavish yet tasteful. Afternoon tea is served at Ting, the hotel lounge and restaurant. We were sat by the wall of windows with a dazzling view of London. Quite an impressive start.

There is a choice of two different types of afternoon tea. The Traditional, and South East Asian afternoon tea service (interesting- they just changed their online menu to be a Japanese afternoon tea which was not available when I went). I was wondering if there was a difference in serving method, and and asked our steward if there would be gaiwan service for the southeast Asian tea. My server had no idea what a gaiwan was. He looked at me and kept asking if that was a type of tea. Now I don't expect most places to know what a gaiwan is, but if you are a well known Asian hotel I'd hope you would at least be aware of what the vessel is for. Perhaps that is being too presumptuous? It was more surprising still when the 'amuse bouche' tea starter arrived on a gongfu bamboo tea tray with appropriately sized cups. But of course no gaiwan.

I have to admit the amuse bouche was the best part of the tea experience here. Creamy, velvety teh tarik was served in the small gongfu cups on the bamboo tray. The steward then poured water on what must have been dry ice embedded in the tray and the table was engulfed in misty wonder. It was a fun way to start, even if it was nonsensical and a bit too theatrical. I've only had teh tarik a couple of times before, and I must say I'm hooked. It was served warm, and just felt like a hug of pure cashmere.

We chose the Southeast Asian tea, which included various Vietnamese. Chinese, and Thai sweet and savory options. Unfortunately none of the food or pastry stood out for me. Everything was passably good, but not exactly outstanding. The memorable bite for me was the Chinese egg tart. I love Chinese custard tarts, and this one had the right amount of sweetness, crunch and flaky pastry. Many reviewers raved about the prawn dumplings which I found tasty, but far from memorable.

The tea menu here looked promising, and had a few nice choices in each category. I noticed single estate black teas, a sheng pu'erh, as well as two white teas and a longjing. Three oolongs are offered, and I decided on the Tie Guan Yin to see if it would hold up to some of the better versions I've had. 

The tea service started out well. The Tie Guan Yin was steeped for the right amount of time, using an appropriate amount of leaves if you were draining the entire pot at once. I enjoyed the fragrant sips while gazing out at the city of London. Things quickly went south however as the leaves were left in the teapot continuously steeping and producing a bitter, almost undrinkable brew. I asked for extra hot water but it couldn't save my pot of tea. Tea sadness. If this had been true gongfu style tea, all of the water would have been poured into our cups and nothing would have been left to steep. But since a traditional western teapot was used, each subsequent cup of tea was oversteeped. 

Even though the tea wasn't prepared properly, service in general was the right mix of attentive and unobtrusive. And of course, the view can't be beat. I don't think I'd be quick to recommend afternoon tea here, unless you're curious to try the East Asian afternoon tea experience. I'd rather seek out a place that specializes in gongfu tea service without the fancy bites of food. Given all of that, I'm grateful for the opportunity to gaze at such an impressive view in a luxe atmosphere while sipping tea. The teh tarik was delicious and I'm still wondering where I can get one of equal quality in NYC. 

Tea in London Part 3: Postcard Teas

My time in London was extremely limited, and I ended up only visiting a couple of tea shops. I had heard many good things about Postcard Teas, and my husband had brought back a few of their delicious teas from a previous trip, so I put it on the top of my list. They source teas very carefully, and work with small farms. From their website

We work with farms that produce small tea in 6 countries across Asia because we believe small producers of less than 15 acres are better for people, places, and planet than the larger producers who supply 99% of all the tea sold in the West including the teas sold as rare, fairly traded or beneficial to the environment. As with provenance, we are the first tea company in the world to sell tea exclusively from small farms.

Walking down the quiet little street to the shop, you feel as if you are in a charmed place. The day was misty and the exterior looked, well, like a postcard. It was exactly as I had imagined.

The small shop is tidy, with stunning Asian tea ware and a wall of their beautifully packaged teas. There was only one other couple in the shop, and they appeared to be tasting and discussing with the woman on staff. There also a back area for prep. When I walked in I noticed the salesperson was busy with the couple, so I started perusing the tea canisters. They also have a clever Tea Postcard program where you can pick the tea postcard (filled with a small amount of tea), write a message and send it anywhere in the world. I love this idea.

In the US, the salespeople are quick to be overly cheerful and helpful. I often find it annoying because I like to take my time and not get (cheerfully) shouted at. I was happy to relax and browse in the shop. Once the couple left, the salesperson went to the back, and was chatting with someone there. I did have a few questions and had to wait quite awhile until she came back. When she did we had a nice conversation about the teas, and I asked what she'd recommend (special oolongs), and what blends they had created just for the store. She told me that if I purchased a tea, I could get a tasting for free. I knew I was going to take some teas home, so I selected an oolong that looked interesting, and was happy to taste it. While I was sipping my tea I sat at the tea bar and admired the shop. I was left alone to contemplate my tea, which was quite peaceful. I enjoyed sipping and looking out the window to admire the rain-reflected cobblestones.

This would have been a very pleasant experience if the employees in the back hadn't started their conversation. They started mocking the previous people in the store, poking fun at their lack of tea knowledge. I was completely taken by surprise. They went on about it for quite some time. I was wondering what they'd say about me when I left. I've noticed a good amount of online tea bullying lately, and the conversation in the shop saddened me. I just don't understand why there are so many people in the tea world that think so much of themselves that they have to belittle others. For me, tea is about the experience just as much as the quality and flavor. Just because someone doesn't know as much as you, it doesn't mean they don't have as much enthusiasm or interest in the subject. I'm sure the employees in the shop were very knowledgeable and experienced. But clearly they don't care about their customers.

After awhile someone came out and I asked to pay for my tea. He rung up my sale and bagged my tea without saying a word. I started second-guessing myself until I realized that no matter where you are, there is no reason for poking fun at others. It's not only unprofessional, but it's cruel.

I have very mixed emotions about my visit. I was so taken with the store and their high-quality teas that I still don't know what to think about my experience. As much as I don't want to promote a place with such a negative attitude towards its customers, I'd recommend the store for the teas and quaint atmosphere. I also assume (and hope) I had a unique experience. Perhaps I'll say 'proceed with caution'.

I have one more tea shop to cover, so next week will be the final installment of the Tea in London series. I guess this means I need to go back soon!

Interview: Emilio Delpozo of The Jade Leaf

Photo Courtesy of Emilio Delpozo

If you've ever daydreamed of moving to Taiwan to immerse yourself in tea and culture, this week's interview is for you. Emilio Delpozo moved to Taiwan several years ago with the intention of studying Chinese medicine and found himself enraptured with tea, tea culture, and the local pottery techniques. He has built up a deep relationship with tea through working at a tea house, and learning traditional pottery techniques. He has started The Jade Leaf to sell unique Taiwanese teas and his own stunning teaware. He's been seeking out tea through word of mouth, even taking a scooter around tea farming areas to discover the best he can find.

Now that so many people are interested in tea it made sense that I share all the great tea I'm drinking with people outside of Taiwan. There's so much good tea in Taiwan ands there's much more variety than you would think. It seems that some people like to think they know everything about tea and have everything neatly categorized in their mind, but there's so many random tea variations to be found in Taiwan. I'm always finding new teas that I've never even heard of.

Learn more about Emilio's fascinating story, his love for tea, and his dedication to pottery below...

Interview: Jeff and Heidi Chen, Tea Ave

Photo Courtesy of Tea Ave

If you are a fan of oolong teas chances are you've seen Tea Ave mentioned on blogs, instagram, and steepster. They are a new  company getting noticed for the quality of their teas in beautifully designed packaging. After tasting a few samples I knew we needed to learn more about the company. Check out my interview with founders Jeff and Heidi Chen below. 

Tasting: Tea Ave Rose Oolong

 

It's nice to see so many new tea companies popping up these days, many of which are focusing on high quality teas sourced directly from the farmers. Tea Ave, a company that just launched their website this month focuses on high quality Taiwanese oolongs.

Today's tasting is a sample of the rose oolong, which is a combination of Alishan Jin Xuan oolong and Taiwanese roses. From their website,

Our scented oolongs are prepared using the ancient method, which means the tea leaves absorb the flower fragrance during the baking process, producing a scented tea that’s aromatic and flavorful without using any additives or chemicals. 

I received a delightful promotional package which included an aroma cup set along with the samples. I decided to use this to taste the tea. I wasn't completely clear on how to use the set (do I brew the tea in the aroma cup like in a gaiwan and pour into the tasting cup?), and I found this handy YouTube video. The tea is actually brewed in a separate vessel, so I'm glad I did some research first. Armed with this new information, I was ready to sample the tea.

The dry leaves had a mellow soft rose scent along with sweet candy and a light green grassy finish. It conjured up visions of strolling through a rose garden on a sunny cloudless day. The first infusion was similar to the dry leaves but grassier and floral-- less specifically rose, more of a floral oolong aroma that I've become familiar with.

Aroma Cup Set

The taste was buttery, sweet and creamy. I also kept picking up on a citrus note along with a rose/floral taste. It was soothing and delicate. I kept imagining fuzzy rose petals pressed up against my cheek. 

I did a second steeping which had the rose/floral and citrus components but with a strong woodsy note. It additionally had a honeydew melon element, and was less buttery. I think I liked the second steep more than the first, it was more complex.

I've actually never been a huge fan of rose in food or beverages. I love it as a perfume, but I've never enjoyed eating it. I found it soothing in this oolong, and not overpowering. This may not be a tea I'd order for myself, but I can definitely appreciate it. I'd recommend it for those that enjoy a rose flavor.

The promotional package I mentioned early sent by Tea Ave contained tea samples, the aroma cup set in an attractive box, a gift card, and a tote bag. Quite the package. I'm happy to report I have a duplicate package for a giveaway. I'll be posting the giveaway next week so stay tuned! I also have two more oolongs to review and I will be featuring an interview with the Tea Ave company founders.

Thank you to Tea Ave for the package.