After writing with rapture about the pleasures of a cup of coffee (see my earlier blog titled "Cup of Joe") you will probably be surprised to learn that I was raised by a British mother and I drank only tea from the time I was a toddler until I left home for college. My mom likes to tell the story of how, after diving out of a shopping cart and breaking (bending, really) my collarbone as a 2-year-old, the only thing I asked for to make me feel better was a cup of tea! This was probably because my mother used tea to cure every type of ailment a person could contract. Tummy-ache? Headache? Depressed? The solution was always a cup of strong, black tea.
Not too long ago, I visited a local tea establishment called Sweet Simplici-Tea in Sykesville, Maryland. A friend and I enjoyed all the delicious and numerous courses of unusual treats such as pear and asiago cheese scones and almond shortbread cookies. I found the food to be well-prepared, fresh, and tasty. I even considered treating my British mother to an afternoon tea there. However, the problem was the tea itself.
Sweet Simplicity has a full menu just for their teas. No, variety is not the problem. They carry many different herbal, green, and black teas with assorted flavorings. I selected an Assam, which is a black, caffeinated tea from India, traditionally used in chai. It is also commonly used in English Breakfast Tea. In this case, the pot of tea that was delivered to my table was horrifically weak. Barely light grey in color and utterly tasteless, it almost seemed as if the kitchen staff had forgotten to add tea leaves to the boiling water! No, I won't be returning there for tea with my mom.
If there is one thing the British are picky about, it is their tea. It must be HOT! The water must be at a full, rolling boil when it is poured over the tea leaves. One heaping teaspoon of leaves should be used per cup of water, plus an additional spoonful for the pot. Black teas should steep for at least 5 minutes before being poured. The color of the tea should be a rich, dark brown. Whole milk should be served, as well as lemon slices and sweeteners. Sugar cubes are a nice touch.
If you want to make delicious tea at home, there are several excellent varieties of tea that can be purchased locally. If you are looking for black tea, I recommend Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea. You can buy 80 teabags in a box for about $3 which is quite a bargain. These teabags are STRONG! They make a very full-bodied, flavorful tea. I also love Trader Joe's Decaf Green Tea. This is a simple tea, no added flavorings, but the taste is clean and grassy. I often have a cup with my lunch.
I also love a cup of herbal tea in the evening, after dinner, as a way of relaxing without turning to wine. My preference is a fruity tea, such as Twinings Black Currant and Vanilla Herbal Tea. Celestial Seasonings makes many superb flavors of fruity herbal tea as well, including a delicious blueberry, raspberry, peach, and mango acai zinger. Tazo makes their own version called Passion which is packed full of fruity flavors and a deep berry color. These are just a few of my favorites.
And I haven't even gotten into all the health benefits of tea, which is loaded with antioxidants, and may even help with weight loss. So enjoy a cup of tea, hot or iced, black or green, and let me know if you discover a particularly delicious flavor!
hocofood@@@
Not too long ago, I visited a local tea establishment called Sweet Simplici-Tea in Sykesville, Maryland. A friend and I enjoyed all the delicious and numerous courses of unusual treats such as pear and asiago cheese scones and almond shortbread cookies. I found the food to be well-prepared, fresh, and tasty. I even considered treating my British mother to an afternoon tea there. However, the problem was the tea itself.
Sweet Simplicity has a full menu just for their teas. No, variety is not the problem. They carry many different herbal, green, and black teas with assorted flavorings. I selected an Assam, which is a black, caffeinated tea from India, traditionally used in chai. It is also commonly used in English Breakfast Tea. In this case, the pot of tea that was delivered to my table was horrifically weak. Barely light grey in color and utterly tasteless, it almost seemed as if the kitchen staff had forgotten to add tea leaves to the boiling water! No, I won't be returning there for tea with my mom.
If there is one thing the British are picky about, it is their tea. It must be HOT! The water must be at a full, rolling boil when it is poured over the tea leaves. One heaping teaspoon of leaves should be used per cup of water, plus an additional spoonful for the pot. Black teas should steep for at least 5 minutes before being poured. The color of the tea should be a rich, dark brown. Whole milk should be served, as well as lemon slices and sweeteners. Sugar cubes are a nice touch.
If you want to make delicious tea at home, there are several excellent varieties of tea that can be purchased locally. If you are looking for black tea, I recommend Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea. You can buy 80 teabags in a box for about $3 which is quite a bargain. These teabags are STRONG! They make a very full-bodied, flavorful tea. I also love Trader Joe's Decaf Green Tea. This is a simple tea, no added flavorings, but the taste is clean and grassy. I often have a cup with my lunch.
I also love a cup of herbal tea in the evening, after dinner, as a way of relaxing without turning to wine. My preference is a fruity tea, such as Twinings Black Currant and Vanilla Herbal Tea. Celestial Seasonings makes many superb flavors of fruity herbal tea as well, including a delicious blueberry, raspberry, peach, and mango acai zinger. Tazo makes their own version called Passion which is packed full of fruity flavors and a deep berry color. These are just a few of my favorites.
And I haven't even gotten into all the health benefits of tea, which is loaded with antioxidants, and may even help with weight loss. So enjoy a cup of tea, hot or iced, black or green, and let me know if you discover a particularly delicious flavor!
hocofood@@@
They carry many different herbal, green, and black teas with assorted flavorings..
ReplyDeleteThank you for post..
Herbal Tea