3 Teas that Steep Up Best by the Potful

Tea Blog

You probably have a teapot…or two…or three…or a whole bevy! So, why not put them to good use steeping up teas that are so enticing that you can drink them by the potful? “Great idea!” you say. I think so, too.

Awhile back I wrote an article about “gulper teas” that could be drunk by generous mouthfuls instead of dainty sips. Then, I wrote  another article, this time about “gulper teas to start your day.” These teas are all good to steep by the potful for several reasons:

• You will want at least two cupfuls.
• Your spouse will want at least two cupfuls.
• Your guests will want at least two cupfuls.
• Your kids and other relatives will want at least two cupfuls.
• The tea can sit in the pot while everyone gulps those two cupfuls (assuming that you don’t leave the tea leaves in the teapot – try…

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Tea Moments — First Stars

Tea Blog

“Twilight” isn’t just a series of novels and a TV show about vampires, werewolves, etc. It’s also not just a type of zone where tiny spaceships land on farmhouse rooftops or little boys can wish anything into existence they want. Twilight is a special time of day. A time for a great tea moment as you watch the first stars start to twinkle in the darkening sky.

Officially, there are two twilight times: morning twilight is between dawn and sunrise, and evening twilight is between sunset and dusk. The sunlight is subdued, with the spectrum being broken into a rainbow of reds, oranges, purples, and blues. Characteristic of this time is an absence of shadows and where things appear in silhouette. Photographers call this “sweet light,” and painters call it “blue hour.” Evening twilight precedes when stars begin to be visible in the sky (they are always there but not…

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Tea in the Movies — “Amadeus”

Tea Blog

Hollywood (translation: people who make movies with the primary intention of earning big bucks) tends to portray tea in a less than favorable light. A good example is from the award-winning (but not for tea) movie “Amadeus.”

First, this movie is pure drama with a pinch of reality thrown in here and there. There really was a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There really was an Italian composer named Antonio Salieri. From there the movie takes the fiction fork in the road, leaving the fact fork far behind. Setting such artistic license aside, we get to the big “tea scene” in the movie.

Picture this: “Wolfie” has, with the blessing of his patron and monarch Emperor Joseph II (known as the musical king), married his landlady’s daughter named Constanze (“Stanzie”) Weber. Papa Mozart is not pleased and rushes from Salzburg where he lives to Vienna where his son lives. He shows up…

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Teas of the World: Nepalese Teas

Tea Blog

Never heard of teas from Nepal? Never heard of Nepal? Okay. I understand. They and the country they come from aren’t on everyone’s radar. All the more reason to shine a spotlight on them here.

Topography and Teas Grown

Between two tea growing giants (China and India) lies the country of Nepal. Nepal teas are considered comparable to “classic” Darjeeling tea but sell at a more affordable price. This similarity with Darjeeling tea is because the main tea producing regions in eastern Nepal have more or less the same geographical and topographical conditions as the Darjeeling tea growing areas.

The aroma, fusion, taste, and color of these teas are considered superior to those of Darjeeling teas, but their low production quantities cannot meet a high demand and so keep these teas from gaining a big place in the market. The teas are produced both as orthodox and as CTC teas.

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5 Reasons to Use a Kyusu Teapot

Tea Blog

Recently, I listed why a cast iron teapot, popular in Japan, is a good tea steeping option. Time to look at another teapot style also popular in Japan: the kyusu.

The word “kyusu” means “teapot.” Many have the handle set at a 90-degree angle to the spout. These are yokode kyūsu (横手急須, side hand(le) teapot) and have a side handle and which is the more common type. Some, though, have the spout and handle on opposite sides of the teapot. These are ushirode kyūsu (後手急須, back hand(le) teapot), and are just like teapots in other parts of the world. A third type is uwade kyūsu (上手急須, top hand(le) teapot), where the handle is on top, like it is on the cast-iron teapots.

1 Taste

This ceramic teapot style is specially designed to brew green tea, and more specifically Japanese green teas which have their own unique flavor…

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Tea Blogging for Your Audience

Tea Blog

Tea blogs abound and, as varied as they are, so are their audiences. Gearing your tea blog to your audience is essential to get the intended readership. (Pardon me, my marketing background is showing.) This is very often forgotten in the excitement of posting your tea adventures online for the world to see.

What is a blog? The term “blog” is short for “web log” which was supposed to be a post-it-as-you-think-of-it type of writing. Sort of like an online journal or diary. As with many aspects of the Internet, the potential was seen to do a lot more with these blogs than just post your cute kitty or the kids in their Halloween costumes, etc., as much as we all (yes, me, too!) enjoy seeing them. The reach of blogs across a full spectrum of ages, races, cultures, and locations quickly made them the medium of choice for everything…

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The Colors of Darjeeling Tea Leaves

Tea Blog

Those of you who are used to black teas and green teas might wonder at the colors of Darjeeling tea leaves, with their varied hues. They certainly were a surprise and delight to hubby and me when we tried our first sample. And a bit puzzling.

Not all Darjeeling teas look this way since some are processed as white, green, and oolong teas. The ones processed as black teas usually do. (Although many Darjeeling teas are marketed commercially as “black teas,” almost all of them have oxidation that is less than 90%, so they are technically more oolong than black.) The hues can range from red/rust and dulled green to dark brown. These colors can really be seen after steeping when the leaf pieces have absorbed water and swollen back up to their original size.

So, why this color variation? Do the leaves go through some special processing that turns…

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Moving? Don’t Forget the Tea!

Tea Blog

Spring is historically a time of year when people think of deep cleaning their house or, better yet, selling it and moving to a new house. If you’re undertaking that latter option, that is, moving to a new abode, don’t forget to take some tea along for the ride. Moving can be a very thirst-inducing activity. Trust me, been there, done that.

For you bottled tea drinkers, the solution is simple: stock up. Duh!

The rest of us need to put forth a bit more effort. That can be as simple as carrying along a package of your favorite tea to as complicated as toting your Tea Princess Kit, your gongfu tea time equipage, or a whole box of everything for tea time, including an electric tea kettle and some jugs of water.

For a Fairly British Style Moving Tea Arrangement

Being one who relishes her Assam tea, steeped a…

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Companies That Started as Tea Sellers

Tea Blog

When you see the words “Tea Company” in a company’s name, you naturally assume that they primarily sell tea. Right? Well, it turns out that they may have started that way but quickly expanded to other foods, beverages, etc. In fact, a couple of them grew into nationwide chains.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P)

Founded in 1859 under the name The Great American Tea Company, the company established a small chain of retail tea and coffee stores in New York City  and a national mail order business that dealt in tea and spices. The firm was able to offer low prices by acting as both the wholesaler and retailer. The tea was marketed under their brand name “Our Own.” (Sadly, what kind of tea it was has been lost to the annals of time.)

Ten years later they changed the company name to The Great Atlantic…

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3 Teas That Steep Up Best by the Cupful

Tea Blog

Time is short, but you need tea. Steeping by the cupful is a great solution. Or you want to enjoy a tea that can be infused multiple times (2 to 12 or even more) in small amounts (or you’ll end up with a lot of tea!). Dig out that teacup or mug and put it to good use steeping up teas that are perfect by the cupful. “Great idea!” you say. I think so, too.

Awhile back I wrote an article about “sipper teas” that should be drunk by dainty sips. These teas are all good to steep by the cupful for several reasons:

• You’ll want to enjoy them in small amounts.
• You’ll want to sip and savor every drop.
• You’ll want to steep more than once from the tea leaves.
• You’ll want a tea that can steep up fairly quickly.

The key is to focus on those teas that…

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