Little Yellow Teapot Goes to Bath, England (sort of)

Recently, the wonderful people behind the Britophile blog site Smitten by Britain took a trip to… no, not Asia… no, not South America… get ready for a shock…

They went to BRITAIN!

No, I’m not kidding. Here’s the post.

Unfortunately, when he found this out, my buddy, the Little Yellow Teapot, started moping around the house, mumbling. I would catch a phrase here and there. Things like, “My humans are a couple of duds… never take me anywhere… breakable, that’s all they ever say… hmph!” Then, I caught him using PhotoShop again to “put” himself into the picture, literally. (Don’t worry. He got permission from the blog owner to use the photos.)

To keep him happy and stop all the mumble grumble, I’m posting the photos here, along with his comments.

LYT: “Hey, this lady is hogging the phone booth!”

LYT: “Wow! Look at that bus. It’s as colorful as I am. Woo hoo! A couple of cuties walking my way.”

LYT: “Feeling a bit peckish. A Cornish Pasty sounds like it will hit the spot…with a pot of tea, of course!”

LYT: “Still feeling hungry. Thought I’d try this place (Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s Italian”), but I can’t seem to get any service. Hey, hungry teapot here!”

LYT: “This lion doesn’t scare me! Roar!”

Hope Little Yellow Teapot is happy now. The tea tends to taste a little “off” when he gets disgruntled.

Disclaimer: Thanks, Smitten by Britain, for sharing your trip with us and letting us "use" your photos.

My Tea Pantry Has Its Own Zip Code

Okay, this exploration into various teas is getting out of hand. How do I know? My tea pantry has grown large enough to need its own zip code. See what I mean on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

For Chilled Tea, Go With Basic Black

So many choices of teas to use to brew up some chilled tea. Black teas are the most prevalent, but which one can you depend on to produce a tasty tea? Four of my favorite black teas are put to the test with some interesting results, as you can see on my posting on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Also, see my other chilled tea assessments.

A fun video to watch while your tea is steeping.

Tea Sampler Heaven

When Cole Porter wrote that classic song, “Heaven, I’m in heaven,” he must have been talking about tea. You can have a piece of that heaven with tea sample sets. See what your options are on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Getting the Temperature Right with Tea Thermometers

Preparing teas in the right water temperature is essential if you want to enjoy something more than basic black tea. The more you get into better teas, the more important this becomes. Tea thermometers are the answer. But which one? Some things to look for are listed in my article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Tea Showdown — Eng. Breakfast Blend No. 1 vs. Scottish Breakfast

So many breakfast teas. It can be tricky selecting one. I’ve tried several and see distinct differences between them. Let’s start with a comparison of English Breakfast Blend No. 1 and Scottish Breakfast. Get the details on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

TeaGschwendner Redux

A couple of months have passed since hubby and I visited the TeaGschwendner shop in Raleigh, NC. The draw of that little tea shop (with the BIG tea selections) was so alluring that we had to schedule a second visit. We haven’t even tasted all of the teas we purchased on that first visit. Nevertheless, we couldn’t resist getting a few more.

While there, we chatted with owner Ryan Hinson. He is a true tea devoté and has some exciting plans for the store. I wish we lived closer, but then we’d probably spend all our time (and money) there. So, it’s likely best that we live some distance away.

One of the teas ready to sample was Diplomat’s Tea (Formosa Oolong/Darjeeling blend). Hubby and I tried some and then got a cupful to take with us. We also bought some of the dry tea to take home, and three other teas that smell heavenly (including more Bossa Nova).

As soon as we got home, the Little Yellow Teapot started bugging us about what was in the bag. He wouldn’t rest until we’d showed him. He seems very pleased by our purchases.

We are, too.

The Large Tea Leaf

The tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, is the source of that tasty and amazingly versatile beverage called “tea,” a simple name that belies the complexity that it is. Normally, the leaves used from this plant are fairly small, some even tiny. So, when we reviewed Buddha Hand Oolong Tea from California Tea House, we were amazed at the size of one of the leaves.

Of course, hubby and I are still learning about tea. That’s part of the “tea life,” where tea is more than just a beverage, it’s a way of life. So, we’re quite pleased to learn something new about tea here.

According to the California Tea House website:

Buddha Hand Oolong gets its name from the large, hand like leaves of 'Citron' tea variety from which it is derived and the Buddhist monks that first cultivated it for ceremonial teas.

The tea plant has a number of varietals. This one (“Citron”) is quite impressive, producing flavorful and distinctive teas. Not to mention impressively sized leaves!

Hubby couldn’t resist preserving one of these large leaves. He pressed it flat between a folded paper towel for several days, checking it each day to make sure it didn’t stick. Here is the result:

As a reminder, here is what the tea leaves looked like dry and after steeping:

Tea lovers, let this be an example for you. Learn all you can about tea and enhance your enjoyment of it as a result. Enjoy!

Something to Watch While Your Tea Is Steeping

Time can seem to crawl by when you’re steeping tea. But patience is its own reward. You should give those tea leaves the time they need to interact with that hot water. It takes awhile for those tiny water molecules to swell up and unfurl those seemingly tiny tea leaf pieces.

For example:

To help pass the time, watch this wonderful and joyous celebration of this thing we call “life.”

Chilled Teas — So Far

With a heat wave rolling across the U.S. from coast to coast, I thought a

was in order. What this meant was including in tea reviews a test of each tea chilled.

So what’s all this business about “chilled tea” vs. “iced tea”? See my previous posting, “Beat the Heat” Chilled Tea Extravaganza.

Here’s a bit of a summary of my ratings on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews so far:

Full of Infusiasm for Tea

While I like the pieces of my loose teas to float free in the teapot, cup, or mug, there are times when using an infuser is essential. But which one do you use? And what are the advantages or disadvantages of each? I ponder this question in more depth on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

What Do Monkeys Have to Do with Tea?

Monkey names in tea and monkey legends about tea abound. What does it all mean? And then there are the stories about monkeys picking tea. Are they true? See my thoughts on it all on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Some Monkey Paw white tea shown here. Do those little pieces look like monkeys' paws to you?

Teatime Cookie Extravaganza

What’s teatime with cookies? Dull, boring, and anything but enjoyable. Never fear, there is a solution. Check out these options on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Japanese vs. Chinese Green Teas

There are lots of green teas. Many come from China and others from Japan. Both of these teas have similarities and differences. Get the scoop on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Click on the image below to read my review of a Japanese Sencha:

Oolong Ranking Bar

Oolongs aren’t green teas and they’re not black teas. They’re somewhere in-between. Some are more to the green side, others are closer to the middle, and still others are more to the black side. This depends in large part on how much oxidation of the tea leaves has been allowed to occur.

How do you know which you’re getting when you buy an Oolong? Well, those of you who buy from a tea shop like TeaGschwendner will be able to see and smell the dry tea before you buy.

The rest of you, read through the description on the tea vendors Website or read the package label. Many won’t say, so you may have to take your best guess.

For my reviews on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews I created this ranking bar, with the arrow indicating where along the scale from green to black the tea is:

This will help you when considering whether to try the tea. Let me know if it helps you.

Read this story about how Oolong tea was first made, why it is truly the pride of Asia and somewhat mysterious, but not quite as much as pu-erhs. See my Oolong Roundup for some information on different types of oolongs. Check out this Tie Guan Yin Oolong I tried awhile ago.

Metal vs. Porcelain and Bone China Teapots

There are lots of teapots out there, each suitable for steeping a particular type of tea. Metal teapots and ones made of porcelain or bone china dominate. So, how do they compare when it comes to that most important task of steeping your fine teas? A few ideas are on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Non-Tea Uses for Teabag Holders

Need a quick candle holder for that romantic dinner? How about something to hold down that stack of papers on your desk? We who do not drink bagged tea (at least, not on a regular basis) find other ways to use teabag holders. Get a few ideas on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

You Know You’re a Spoiled “Tea Princess” When…

Enjoying tea while dining out is a pretty iffy thing. For the most part, I have given up on trying to get anything above the mundane that most restaurants offer. Maybe it’s time to start carrying my own “Tea Princess” kit with me when we dine out. See what I mean on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Teas that Can Travel with You

Yes, you can have fines teas even when you are buzzing in a dozen directions at once during your busy day. Never settle for some inferior bagged stuff from the office break room or available from the local convenience mart. See the solution on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

The Advantages of Unblended Teas

Unblended teas can really come across with distinct flavors and characteristics. See what I mean on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Checking Out Some Teas from Shui Tea

“Quality Tea, Laid Back People…and Silly Humor!” — that’s the motto of Shui Tea, according to the sheet that came with the tea samples. It’s an attitude toward tea that I can really get into. Hubby and I are definitely laid back, enjoy quality tea, and have some of the silliest humor around. So, when Jim Schreiber, a real tea guy and the company owner, offered to send samples, who was I to refuse? Of course, I accepted.

Jim states on his Website that he “didn't learn how to drink tea like a normal person.” By that, he seems to mean that he didn’t learn how to drink tea like most people in the U.S. did, i.e., teabags full of dust dunked in barely hot water or powdered tea in a jar to make “instant” iced tea. (What constitutes a “normal person” is still a matter of debate among psychiatrists around the world and certainly in my household.) In any event, he certainly learned a thing or two about tea that most of us in the U.S. don’t know.

Jim’s big tea adventure began after college when he moved to Taichung City, Taiwan. From walk-ups serving bubble tea or green and oolong teas with lemon, to cruising the tea plantations surrounding the city, he learned quickly and brings this knowledge to his tea company (based in Chicago). Yet, he keeps things simple and fun for his customers.

Along with all this simplicity and fun, Shui Tea emphasizes the same approach to tea that I do. Use loose, full leaf teas whenever possible and let them expand in the water. Save the teabags for making some Southern-style sweet tea or to serve to unwanted guests. (There are a couple of teas for which I make an exception.) Let the tea taste come through without a lot of sugar (I use an artificial sweetener that keeps both my doctor and the dentist happy). Focus on a few exceptional teas as opposed to carrying a big chunk of the hundreds out there. It all sounds good to me.

Bottom line, Shui Tea knows that “a well-informed customer is a happy customer.” To that end, their site includes a bunch of tea info written in a very straightforward manner. From what types of tea there are, to the facts about caffeine, to tea terms, to brewing tips, you’ll be comfortable with tea in no time just by reading the site (which recently underwent a major redesign).

Shui Tea is on Twitter (Twitter name is “jimmydoestea”). Tweet Jim a friendly “Hello” and he’ll be sure to tweet back.

Check out Lainie Peterson’s review of Shui Tea’s Yin-Yang “Coffee Tea.” This could be a good tea for those of you transitioning away from coffee. (My “tea princess” tummy can’t stand even a hint of coffee, so you’ll have to let me know how you like it.)

My own reviews of the three samples Jim sent me are posted on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews, my companion blog.

• Pu-erh
• Act Normal Black Tea
• Imperial Mountain Green Tea

Hope you’ll have a moment to check them out. Meanwhile, happy tea drinking!

Tea Moments — Iced Tea and the Bug Zapper

For every problem there is a solution, even if the problem is a zapped bug plopping into my glass of chilled tea. Hubby found the solution, so now we can enjoy our tea moment in peace. See what it was on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Thinking Outside the Teapot

Thinking outside the box has led to some of the world’s great inventions. Who knows what thinking outside the teapot could lead to. Get a few inspirations for your next tea adventure on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Tea Accessories Just for the Heck of It

Tea accessories abound. But when do you have too many? What a silly question. It’s a logical impossibility. A true tea lover can never have too many tea accessories. At least, this one can’t. Read all about it on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

“Beat the Heat” Chilled Tea Extravaganza

June was a hot month — in fact, record setting in some areas. July looks like it’s going to trend that way, too. Never fear. You can “beat the heat” with a delectable chilled tea.

First, a word about chilled teas. Most people use the term “iced tea” since that’s how they usually cool their tea. That is, they dump a bunch of ice in it. To avoid getting an overly watered down tea, especially if you’re a sipper like I am instead of a gulper and the ice ends up melting, they have to start with overly strong tea. This results in uneven flavor. Us sippers get a strong flavor with the first sip and increasingly weaker tasting sips, ending in a watery sip at the last. If you sweeten with sugar, that sugar could fail to dissolve into the tea and end up collecting in the bottom of the glass, making that final sip not only watery but overly sweet.

Chilled tea, in contrast, is tea that has been steeped to the right strength according to your taste and then chilled in the refrigerator. It may not be as pretty as iced tea, which is usually more clear and looks picturesque in photos with plenty of ice cubes and a slice of lemon, but it’s tastier and, better yet, consistent in flavor from first sip to last. You have to be patient while the tea chills for a few hours or even overnight, but that patience will be rewarded.

Another key to great chilled tea: starting your iced tea or chilled tea with a tea that is a far cry from the powder you buy in a jar (instant tea) or the tea dust in bags you buy by the boxful.

Here are a few teas I’ve tested recently that are great options:

White Teas
The English Tea Store’s Snow Dragon White Tea — a flavorful chilled tea
The Republic of Tea’s Orange Blossom White Tea — this tea was a vast disappointment, tasting more like extremely weak Tang than white tea with orange

Oolong Teas
Golden Moon Imperial Formosa Oolong — gives your chilled tea a slightly smoky and earthy quality

Black Teas
Adagio Cranberry Black Tea — tart, sweet, tangy, yet the black tea flavor comes through, and a bit of sweetener to taste is a nice touch

Darjeeling Teas
Two Leaves and a Bud Darjeeling — deserving of the name “Champagne of Teas”

Green Teas

The English Tea Store Bohemian Raspberry Green Tea — the raspberry enhances the flavor of the black tea, hot or chilled (generally speaking, teas with fruit flavor added taste good chilled)

The English Tea Store Japanese Sencha Kyoto Cherry Tea — cherry scent and flavor that comes through even when chilled

The English Tea Store Japanese Sencha —this tea holds its grassy flavor and no bitterness; I can drink it unsweetened, but hubby thinks a touch of sweetener would be just right

The English Tea Store Chai Green Tea — the chilled tea conveys those wonderful spice (coriander, cardamom) aromas and flavors along with a grassy green teaness

Hsin Tung Chang Co Jasmine Green Tea — the liquid is lighter than the hot tea, the Jasmine is fainter, and the overall flavor is edgier, sweetener recommended

Now, we’re embarking on a whole new set of teas to try chilled. The reviews will be posted on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews, the tea rating site with the most detailed reviews and the cutest teapot on the Internet as your host. Don’t miss ’em!

Checking Out the California Tea House

The Internet is a wonderful thing. Thanks to it and Twitter, I got to know (sort of) the friendly folks at California Tea House without leaving my home in the Southeastern U.S.

As one who lives the “tea life” where tea isn’t just a beverage but a way of life, I’m so thrilled by this and other small tea vendors popping up throughout the States. It certainly gives me hope that we won’t all be stuck with tea dust in a bag.

Samples arrived in foil pouches (and one black plastic pouch) that block out light. Bravo! Light, air, heat, and moisture are anathemas of tea. They rob fines teas of their freshness and taste.

California Tea House doesn’t put a lot of info about the folks behind the scenes there on their site, and no photos, just cartoon images. Their “About Us” page focuses on additional descriptions of their products. I like to know a bit more than that about the people I’m dealing with, so I went searching to see what I could find.

Some items I found:

• The company founders are Will Bailey, a Texas native, and Ani Bailey, a Boston native and attorney who’s now a “California girl”.
• They have a PR firm that placed the same article about them on a bunch of different sites. (Smart!)
• They wanted their Website to be as cozy as a visit to a café. Thus, the Tea Tunes on their site. What’s a café without music?
• Ani studied in Spain and was inspired to follow her passion for tea that began in childhood to open her own version of a Moorish tea house (teterias).
• Ani writes guest blog posts on the benefits of tea, usually clear and understandable, with source citings.

Their Website has a lot of health information posted. In some places, they cite no sources, but I was very happy to see other places where there were plenty of source material citings. A lot of health claims are being made these days, often without any medical study citings. We all need to make sure that such claims are supported by science and fact, not just folklore. I would encourage Will and Ani to add citings to any page where a health claim is posted.

Like many tea vendors, the Baileys label all of their products as “teas,” even those not made from the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis). I would encourage them and others to rethink this and make a concerted effort to educate their customers. Labeling their herbals and rooibos as “infusions” is a good place to start. Tea is complicated enough without throwing all those non-teas into the mix. Just a thought.

Some of the teas that I’ll be sampling have been reviewed by others. Teaviews.com has several, with most ratings being at least 7 out of 10. There are also ratings on the California Tea House site and, for the most part, people seem to be rating teas 3-to-5 out of 5 stars. We’ll see how that translates into teapots. Should be fun!

Reviews will be posted on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews.

Tea and the Flag

The poet in me got inspired by the 4th of July holiday. Many of us have celebrations involving picnics and fireworks. I like to toast our freedom with a nice hot cuppa tea. Steep up one and read my poetic efforts on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Be kind. It’s not perfect.

Kalahari Tasting Chart

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Kalahari Tea Worldcup contest is still going on! For entering you get a discount code towards tea, it's that simple! http://bit.ly/cDTSV5

Founded in 1999, Kalahari Limited has dedicated themselves to “bringing authentically South African products to America,” according to their Website.

In May, my buddy, the Little Yellow Teapot, helped hubby and me test some samples:

• ChocoLatté Green Tea, Matcha Mint
• ChocoLatté Raspberry Truffle 
• ChocoLatté Cherry Vanilla 
• Highlands Honey 
• Kalahari Reserve 
• Zambezi Red Chai

Since then, we’ve tried some other rooibos drinks, too, including Florida Orange Rooibos from The English Tea Store.

At this point, we’re not too anxious to try others. Rooibos is known to be full of health benefits, but it has a flavor that is somewhat off-putting to people who are used to the flavor of teas (rooibos is not a tea, it’s an herbal infusion).

Click on the image of the taste guide below to get a larger, printable version:

Trying a Chilled Tea from Zhi Tea

Zhi Tea, a fairly new (about 2 years old) tea company based in Austin, Texas, is promoting chilled teas by sending out samples to bloggers like me. Considering the heat now dominating the southern U.S., their timing couldn’t be better.

I’ll be trying White Pomegranate. According to their Website, this tea is a “hand-crafted blend of our top-grade organic India Oothu Estate White Bai Mudan - that also contains organic high in Vitamin C rose hips!” They describe the taste as “Nectafarious and rich, the chocolate-y overtones of the tea combine effortlessly with the sweet-tartness of the pomegranate flavor.” Hubby and I will see if this is in line with our experience.
Some other teas with pomegranate hubby and I have tried:

• Monk’s Blend Black Tea from The English Tea Store.
• Green Tea Pomegranate from The Republic of Tea — Basically, tea dust in a hemp bag.

About the Company
Zhi Tea, according to their Website, was founded on a dream. That dream was to sell high quality teas. Jeffrey Lorien is the CEO. Candice Oneida is his partner.

Jeff calls himself “Dr. Oolong” and has a blog by that name. Anyone who does not have a medical license but who calls him/herself “Dr.” better have a PhD. Otherwise, he/she needs to post a very clear disclaimer. Jeff was a former programmer at Amazon.com during their early days. No medical degree or PhD in sight.
On the plus side, their Website, though containing a number of misspellings, is full of great information and some very nice photos by Candice. There is also a useful video or two. If you’re new to tea, check out their “New to Tea” page.

As a lover of good tea, I am saddened that tea companies like this one promote such ideas as “organic” and “fair trade.” However, being based in one of the more liberal/progressive areas of the country outside of California and Washington, DC, they don’t surprise me. There is no question that their teas taste good. There are plenty of reviews and comments online to this effect. So, if you want to buy their teas, do so for the tea, but bear in mind that you are ipso facto supporting those nonsense ideas and causing yourself, your friends, your neighbors, and tea growers everywhere harm in the long run.

I’m not picking on Zhi Tea here. Lots of tea companies are jumping on this bandwagon, such as Two Leaves and a Bud. I just can’t stay silent any longer and watch our food supply around the world get tighter and prices get higher. We need to rethink things before we’re all paying $100 for a 1-lb. box of rice at the grocery store.

By the way, I hope the pouch that the sample came in is not standard. Jeff and Candice most assuredly know that tea needs to be stored away from light, air, heat, and moisture. A pouch with a clear side doesn’t exactly keep out light. (Boston Tea also sent samples in a pouch similar to this but said it was just a sample pouch, not the kind they usually ship their teas in.)

My review will be posted soon on The Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews, the cutest little teapot reviewing tea on the Internet. And, no, their penchant for the faddy will not influence my review (other than the standard deduction of a half teapot for each fad they follow unless hubby and I really really really like the tea). Based on the 4 reviews I saw on Teaviews.com, I’m not too sure we will. Hubby, Little Yellow Teapot, and I will, of course, make our own assessment.