{ Monday, February 17, 2003 }
By special request, Caterina's tea recommendations for Camellia sinensis aficionados & addicts, insomniacs and sensualists. Coffee is for stock brokers, tea is for poets! I only drink tea made from loose leaf tea, never tea bags, and use a strainer in my teapot, over which I pour boiling water. Most people let black tea steep only 3-4 minutes; I like my tea rich and dark, and so let it steep for 5-7. I generally drink it with 2% milk -- cream is too heavy for tea -- and always drink it from a china teacup, never a mug.
• Mariage Frères makes the best tea in the world; they do not, however, make the best web sites in the world -- browser crashes, insufficient selections, pop-up windows. And only the French part of the site is functioning. Best to go visit the shop on the Rue Bourg-Tibourg in the Marais in Paris, where linen-suited shopmen will get you whatever you like from ancient black tins. My favorites: Montagne D'Or, Eros, Bolero, Ruschka, Perles du Jasmin. The list goes on and on. The Perles du Jasmin are hand-rolled, and burst into beautiful spiders in your cup. This is ne plus ultra of tea, and what I mostly drink. I stock up when I can. You can get this tea in Vancouver (and Victoria) at the Bernstein & Gold in Yaletown when they have it in stock. It apparently takes Mariage Frères 6 months to fulfill an order and then they never send what has been ordered.
• Peet's Assam Golden Tip is an excellent morning tea. It is a full-bodied, extra-rich tea that goes well with milk, and with bickies. Peet's Assam Extra Fancy is almost twice as much and lacks the je ne sais quoi of the Golden Tip. I hadn't seen the Assam Mangalam Estate until today -- they don't have it in the stores as far as I know --but I'll have to try it and see if it is good.
• Golden Moon Rose Tea is wonderful, aromatic tea -- it smells just like roses -- and is excellent for daydreaming, thinking and writing poetry. Good afternoon tea, if you don't have anything pressing to do. Doesn't stand up very well to milk, so I like to drink this one with sugar. I buy this in bulk, since bulk tea on Golden Moon is such a good deal.
• Golden Moon Rasa Sinharaja Stronger, more caramel tea. Stands up well to milk, and is considered a "scholar's tea" -- good for novel writing, if you really want to sit down and start getting some brainwork done. Also good with sugar.
• Golden Moon White Tea White tea is lighter than regular black tea and doesn't do well with milk or sugar; it is a little like drinking a green tea, though not as earthy. This Golden Moon version has chrysanthemum in it, which is quite lovely aromatically. I find this tea very calming, so it is good for those days when you feel harried, or upset and want to sit still and breathe. I wanted to recommend Golden Moon's Shangri-La tea, but they don't seem to carry it anymore.
• Kousmichoff Russian Morning Tea is good for waking up to, and tends to be the one selected by those people who don't like "stinky" tea, i.e. those Lipton and Red Rose drinking guests of yours (It's OK, you can speak freely. We're all tea snobs here) but that you will also enjoy drinking. A good everyday, full-bodied tea without a lot of extra "tea experience". Robust enough for people who are used to drinking coffee.
• If you want more "tea experience", go for the Kousmichoff Anastasia Tea. I haven't been able to get my hands on this tea for a while -- I bought it at Meinhardt's in Vancouver, and they've yet to restock. But I was crazy for it while I had that one tin.
• Lindsay's Estate Decaffeinated Earl Grey. There are times when you know you must go to sleep but you also must drink tea. This is the only decaffeinated tea I've found that doesn't taste tepid and wrung-out. I'm not a big fan of herbal teas -- besides your standard peppermint and chamomile, which I get in bulk from some Swiss company -- I forget the name now, I always empty the boxes into glass jars when I get them. This tea is my personal Sleepy Time tea. Celestial Seasonings has never made much money off of me.
I could go on and on. There are more; I haven't even gotten into green tea yet (I quite like Republic of Tea's Moroccan Mint and your regular dime-store Genmai cha), but this should be enough get you started.
LINK | 6:01 PM | TB
For many years my wife and I (we now live in Sydney, but lived in New York for years) have been addicted to a tea called Yorkshire Gold from Harrogate Teas in England. Very full bodied. We like it strong with 2% milk ... and taken in the AM from blue and white banded Cornish Kitchenware mugs. The whole shabang. Makes us happy.
P.S: Love the detail of your site. Found same via Stuart's GeneralThinking.com profile (hobby of mine). When we reboot the online General Store (see remogeneralstore.com, primary obsession) we might tap into some of that Caterina product knowledge.
Thanks for the tip, Remo! Nice T-shirts!
Caterina | February 17, 2003 9:15 PMThat's Camellia sinensis. The specific epithet is always lowercase.
Been drinking too much Murchie's Orange Spice Tea - no doubt the tea for botanical pedants!
Mike | February 17, 2003 11:43 PMYup, Mike. Took it under advisement. Changed it.
Caterina | February 17, 2003 11:51 PMHey hey hey... another Vancouver tea drinker!
Granville Island Tea Company: my "go to" brew for the morning is Bukhtial Estate Assam. But for a special treat grab some Sikkim if Mark and Deb have it. If they're out, ask to try whatever they have from Nepal.
The Assam is strong, but the Nepalese and Darjeelings are light, and that Sikkim is a beautiful complex tea, full of constanly evolving flavour, with an overall flowery bouquet.
Ahhhhhhhhhh.
Chris Corrigan | February 18, 2003 10:02 AMas far as granville island tea company products go...
i am a BIG fan of the 'cream earl grey'.
a lovely rich earl grey with vanilla overtones. smooth. nice. so good i had to order some to be shipped my way now that i live in toronto!
sam | February 18, 2003 11:55 AMyay for tea! i'm in love with adagio teas (appropriately at adagioteas.com) -- particularly their flavored black teas (which have more of a sense-tingling aroma than actual flavor) and their jasmine suite no. 12 dragon pearls that open as they infuse.
leanne | February 18, 2003 12:46 PMWow! That red mudan is something else, Leanne. I just ordered some, and sent everyone who posted here a $5 gift certificate from Adagio -- Leanne, I sent yours to Moya.
Caterina | February 18, 2003 2:16 PMMay I recommend the book Eat Tea All sorts of great recipes using tea.
Morgan | February 18, 2003 5:30 PMI admit that I drink tea from a mug, but I always sip with my pinkie up. It's all the rage. Great post -- I rather like your reviews.
Mark Beemsterboer | February 18, 2003 8:16 PMExcellent suggestions. I've been addicted to Kusmi Troika lately. If you liked Anastasia, I suspect you'll also like Troika. The best selection of Kousmichoff teas I've found online is at cybercucina.com.
Brad | February 18, 2003 8:20 PMSeconded on the recommendation of Cybercuccina. A few years ago, when it was nearly impossible to find Kousmichoff anywhere Baltimore Coffee and Tea had a nice selection. They're super friendly and helpful, too.
My favorite Kousmichoff tea is Prince Vladimir. Petrouchka was one I thought I'd like better than I do, alas. Anastasia, Troika and Bouquets des Fleurs are also at the top of my list.
dargie | February 18, 2003 9:13 PMNext time you're in the Portland, OR area, you must stop into The Tao of Tea shops. It is truly like stepping into an ancient tea leaf paradise. Their website is delightful too.
Emily | February 18, 2003 9:18 PMGood to see a thumbs-up for Yorkshire Gold, straight from Betty's of Harrogate. My fiancée's room-mate (a native of Portugal) gets care packages of Yorkshire Tea (the red variety), because the stuff they call tea in US grocery stores... ugh.
I miss Cardew's tea-blenders of Oxford very very much; at least I got spend lots of time in Geel's tea-merchants on Warmoestraat in Amsterdam, while changing planes, which has an astonishing selection. Support your local tea-blender.
Anyway, Assam and variants thereof as the mainstay of your six-cups-a-day ration, with a spot of milk-first-not-tea-first. (Yes, I am British.) Bewley's Irish Breakfast is another workaday one. Darjeeling on afternoons: Whittard's single-estate ones are worth seeking out. Green gunpowder or a genmaicha as the sun sets. And perhaps a smoky Russian blend as nightcap.
I'm still trying to find an Earl Grey that doesn't saturate the tea in bergamot. I might just give the Granville Island people the nod.
nick | February 19, 2003 6:27 AMWow, a blog that intelligently talks about tea... good stuff. :) I've thought about starting a tea blog a number of times, but think it would be better as a group effort.
I was a bit surprised, though, by your description of white tea... I've always thought of white tea as less processed than green tea (it's dried in the sun) and it usually contains only the tips of selected tea leaves (which makes it more expensive, in general). I've also thought it as a close relative to green tea, but a much more acquired taste due to its extreme subtlety.
I love your description of it as a tea for when you "want to sit still and breathe." Perfect.
If you want to try some incredible white tea, I'd recommend Adam's Peak Rare White Tea from culinaryteas.com ... it has an incredible flavor for fans of white tea, and it's has a neat story behind it, too: http://www.culinarycafe.com/Store/Adams_Peak.html ... note, though, that it is very expensive with 4 oz. costing $55 (you can get 1/2 an ounce for about $6).
Now you've inspired me... perhaps I'll work up a tea-related post for my blog...
Ryan | February 19, 2003 6:47 AMKousmichoff Troika is like taking a caravan ride to Samarkand...bergamot, citrusy, Earl Grey-y, but better. Will have to get the Russian Morning; I haven't yet found a Kousmichoff tea that I didn't love.
shannon | February 19, 2003 7:25 AMThere really is something about tea that soothes the soul. I second the recommendation that white tea is the ultimate tea experience. I honestly believe it has magical properties. And it must be brewed and allowed to steep. I get my stash from Republic of Tea dot com. Yes, it's expensive, but do you ever hear people complaining about the price of a fine wine? Of course you don't.
francesa | February 19, 2003 9:32 AMI've never met a tea I didn't like, except for that Yunan crap which reminds me of fresh cow pies.
I love my white darjeeling. It just makes me feel good, like I'm out in a field of blooming azaleas on a beautiful sun-filled day. I can't really describe the flavor, other than excellent. I think I'll make myself a couple of cups tonight.
John Havard | February 19, 2003 9:51 AMi keep re-reading this entry, it's so inspiring. i am a dedicated tea drinker, though shamefully i never prepare loose tea at home & stick with the inferior bagged tea in a mug, even though i have a pretty nice tea set inherited from my grandparents.
mmm... looking forward to the green tea installment!
keight | February 19, 2003 11:25 AMSince no-one has mentioned it, I feel compelled to point out one of the best tea importers in the Americas:
Their website is quite useful (the ability to zoom in on the loose leaves is a nice touch), but their paper mailorder catalog is especially good, with peculiar historical articles galore, and good definitions.
The hand-rolled jamine green ball tea is often sold as Dragon Phoenix Pearl - here in Portland (OR), I've had an organic version, which was quite nice.
I have to respond to the poster who dismissed teas from the Yunan - they produce some fine black teas, general sold as "Golden Halo" or "Golden Needles" or "Golden Monkey" smooth, slightly sweet and smoky, without any hint of astringincy.
Toby Boyd | February 19, 2003 4:08 PMI am not choosy. I drink buckets of cheap hot black tea, no sugar, no milk, no manners.
When I was growing up, the family tea was Red Rose. I collected the cards. When I looked at the Space Age series just now, I felt as if I'd found a scrapbook from the days before I could ride a bike.
Eeksy-Peeksy | February 20, 2003 1:57 AMDamn, someone beat me to Upton. In the UK, a few Whittards have special floors with their more select varieties. Their website used to be good. Now it's not. Fortnum & Mason know their teas as well.
Also check out the rec.food.drink.tea newsgroup.
It's terrible that you can't get a decent cup of tea in London anywhere (other than in the privacy of your own home).
Chris.
(1st flush Margaret's Hope FTGFOP1 darjeeling, black)
Does a tea merchant, like Mariage Freres, *make* tea? That's interesting. It's more likely that they import directly from tea gardens (or, worse, through wholesalers) and stock them up for resale. So, if you're looking for the fresh stuff search out merchants who import directly and don't offer a zillion teas (unless the turn-around is relatively quick, you're leaves may suffer from lack of freshness and quality). Silk Road Teas comes to mind, and he doesn't have a website yet. Do a search on importers of tea, they usually offer a smaller, but higher-quality selection (and sell retail, too). For a change, I also recommend looking into supporting merchants who sell "fair trade teas" or organically grown teas. Usually tea estates (such as, the Ambootia Tea Gardens) that supply these teas also ensure that their tea pickers have a safe, clean environment to work and also earn a fair wage...have a cup of conscience, on me.
Cheers!
Anj | February 20, 2003 6:45 AMCaterina,
You might check twohillstea.com (they are based in Canada). When I was selling tea, a few years back, I was looking into purchasing from these folks (freight charges would've killed me back then, though. Mine, was a small outfit.) Anyway, they buy directly from the farms - "fresh, organic green teas". If you try them, do tell.
Anj | February 20, 2003 6:54 AMWell considering the Bostonians decided to dump so much of the stuff in the harbour, I am amazed that anyone in the Americas/Canada likes it. :)
The water MUST be boiling as it is poured onto the leaves, just boiled or nearly boiling just wont do!
Milk & Sugar go in the cup LAST (if you must).
Assam/Dharjeeling or E.Grey/Dharjeeling self blends are Excellent.
Nice post Cat.
Traducer | February 20, 2003 1:02 PMEeeep, sorry. Both the T-pot and cups have to be pre-warmed bone china.
Traducer | February 20, 2003 1:08 PMI was glad to see a white tea on your list.
Yes, white tea is quite a bit like green tea. The Washington Post article, "White Tea, Rare and Exotic" does a decent job of describing where white tea comes from.
Golden Moon's combination of white tea with chrysanthemum sounds odd to me though. I think adding anything to a good white tea would completely mask the delicate flavor. I guess this is to be expected from a guy who doesn't like flowers in his tea.
Anyway, thanks for the nice tea post.
Brad Lauster | February 20, 2003 1:22 PMFollowing the inspiration I got from this post, I wrote up my own tea recommendations...
There seem to be several tea afficianados here... just putting feelers out, but is anyone interested in perhaps starting up a group tea blog? Could be kind of interesting if we got a number of different perspectives...
Ryan | February 20, 2003 3:15 PMI'm game, Ryan!
Caterina | February 21, 2003 12:52 AMA group tea blog! Please oh please! What a wonderful idea.
Amanda | February 21, 2003 1:22 PMA group tea blog! Please oh please! What a wonderful idea.
Amanda | February 21, 2003 1:23 PMBarry's Tea, which I was introduced to whilst living in Ireland, and now am completely addicted to, is my number one favorite tea. It can be procured through Baltimore Coffe and Tea, but I have been seeing some nice deli-type places carry it.
Mmm. Black tea so strong, so tasty, so refreshing.
Felicity | February 21, 2003 2:36 PMWhat a wonderful freak scene. I didn't expect to stumble across anyone more fixated on Camellia sinensis. Now I realize that I'm a bad amateur! Thanks for the great online oasis, Caterina.
With regard to my own tastes, like Felicity, I've recently become addicted to Barry's. Being a nocturnal creature, I'd be completely lost in the am w/o it. Highly recommended.
me | February 27, 2003 11:35 AMUpton's Nilgiri makes a nice iced tea, and try their Oolong Silvertip and Melange Noel. Also explore Ito En at www.itoen.com. The senchas (green tea) are wonderful.
Roger | February 27, 2003 10:36 PMYour site is wonderful . We are getting to enjoy the variety of teas more and more both for health reasons and now for savoring .
Recently, we heard of the Russian tea rhodiola - where can one purchase it ?
Thanks
Elizabeth
Saugerties, NY
Are there any Australian distributors of Kousmichoff tea? Otherwise, what would it cost in Australian dollars to buy online? I am a small
Take away food business In Australia that wants to introduce this type of tea into Australia. I have made many enquiries to find an Australian distributor but was unsuccessful. I would appreciate your assistance.
Thanks
Peter
I am looking to purchase Lipton Blackcurrant Tea.
I can not find it in the United States. Can someone help me locate a supplier?
Thank you,
Annette Franklin
ayfranklin@hotmail.com
Congratulations on a site which both informs and enthuses tyro and expert alike.
Can anyone point me at a source of "Troika", a Russian-Georgian blend? I'm been looking all over for it.
John
John Kehoe | March 17, 2004 11:20 AMAh, sweet mistress tea....
I love all of teas infinite varieties. From the most delicate and rare of Taiwanese oolongs, to the most course floor sweepings known by many names in teabag form, perhaps served up by one's aunt Helen.
I savor the way that tea encourages a private moment for oneself, or brings out a cogeniality and openess amongst friends like no other socially acceptable beverage. Whatever the label or brand, tea offers something to those who take the time to taste.
Except for poor quality Pu-er that tastes like fish food. That I can do without.
Jake | February 5, 2006 6:56 AMI'm a new-b to tea and have fallen in love with it. I'm only into loose leaf teas as they seem to be the most flavorful and decorative to enjoy. I have found all types of exotic loose leaf teas at www.theteabazaar.com and love the pictures they have. You can see detailed pictures of tea there.
Sam
Sam | February 11, 2006 1:12 PMcan some one tell me where I can buy very affordable loose herb tea in Vancouver, Canada? I'm now buying them in either Capers and Choices health food market, but I've juest found a web site called www.herbal.comw which sells at amazingly low price and honestly I felt somewhat upset. But I don't want to buy tea online, as I have to see them myself.
Emmanuelle | April 16, 2006 2:39 PMhi! stumbled on your blog while googling teas. i have over 40 pounds (yes, pounds!) of loose tea in my cupboards, been to england and india. i love assams, ceylons, and darjeelings. just had some first flush 2006 flown over from india (goldentipstea.com). other good online sites: upton, specialteas.com (excellent), enjoyingtea.com (For china greens and whites, and japan sencha), and theteatable.com for lots of blends (samovar blend, tzarina blend, yunnans, decaf OP.
assam mangalam is one of my all time fave assams! puttabong and arya organic good first flushes. arya ruby is an excellent oolong type.
ceylons: lovers' leap is excellent and affordable.
white pai mu tan from enjoying tea is good price and awesome taste.
one note: do NOT use boiling water for greens and first flushes! they are too delicate. same for some whites. 160-180 degrees for greens. whites boil, but then let sit for 1-2 mins.
i only use boiling for black teas, except first flush darjeelings.
i do have some bagged tea, but it's yorkshire gold and bewleys (decaf and gold). some barry's too. PG tips, but not so great tea.
if anyone wants to talk tea, feel free to email me! i've tried over 60 teas, and just started this 2 years ago. now i'm collecting antique tea cups, saucers and pots.......another addiction!
Black tea is by far the most consumed tea in the Western world. Black tea actually starts out green, but during the production process, the tea oxidizes and turns black releasing the tea's full flavor. Far more complex, black tea is comprised by a multitude of flavors and aromas. We take pride in only importing the finest black tea from growers who understand the nature of black tea's complexity.
loose leaf tea | May 23, 2006 11:14 AMHi everyone,
Does anyone know if there's a distributor for Frere Mariage tea in the USA for a high end gourmet market/
any help would be appreciated.
THANKS!!
Hi everyone,
Does anyone know if there's a distributor for Frere Mariage tea in the USA for a high end gourmet market/
any help would be appreciated.
THANKS!!
Just a note, Silk Road Teas does have a Website. The site lists our teas and provides order information in PDF format. Soon the site will be commercial and you will be able to order tea.
Visit us at www.silkroadteas.com.
I have recently fallen in love with display teas, and can't seem to get enough of them! I usually buy from www.kasora.com the best source I've found. I'm afraid to say that I haven't really ventured out into the rest of the tea world--I've normally been a coffee drinker--but I just recently bought a serious tea pot to replace the ridiculous one I've had for years (in the shape of a chicken no less). I have no idea why I bought it exactly. The display teas I make in a glass, so I don't need it for them. Maybe it's a sign that I'm ready to abandon coffee altogether and start drinking tea.
Kathy | August 26, 2006 8:37 PMDid anybody ever try Tulsi Tea. My friend brought it over and we loved it. I know you can buy it 100% organic at www.organicindia.com, but I'm not sure which stores have them.
miki | August 28, 2006 8:54 PMHere is an absolutely fantastic site for YiXing and Tetsubin teapots http://www.sensationalteas.com/ . They also have a limited, but excellent selection of teas.
Wes | November 28, 2006 9:08 PMI just ran into a tea community at http://www.teatalk.info
Good to see it, trying to get into it myself
mark | January 26, 2007 11:23 AMI have had some great tea from a northeast store and they have a web site at Http://www.tealaden.com
There seems to be a larger selection in the store in Albany,NY than on the internet but they said they would be expznding thier selection soon.
Johnny | January 27, 2007 2:47 PMHi,
Okey, everyone knows that all red blooded 'North Americans' love their coffee. Then there are those red blooded 'North Americans' that swear by their 'Green Tea' or any tea for that matter. So what's good for you? Coffee or Tea? Honestly I don't know. Both have their 'Yins' and 'Yans'. I love tea, not because I sell it, but solely because like wine tea accompanies food so much better. Now that's something new. Isn't it?
Tea is not just a 'stand alone' beverage that you sip between the meals. It is also a very versatile natural drink that goes perfectly well with food. Unlike coffee, tea naturally complements food by rounding off its flavors. Without smothering your appetite tea fills those flavor gaps in a dish that if left unfulfilled leave you craving for more food. This sating property of tea, by itself makes it a healthier food accompaniment then water or wine. But then tea is known to have other health benefits.
Theres loads of interesting information about 'tea and food pairing' at www.petittea.com . Just check it out and then lets argue about whats better, tea or coffee.
Till next time
Cheers
Hi Caterina
Just wanted to ket you know I have found a new source for tea in Vancouver. Farfalla, in Gastown carries a great selection of Kusmi, Le Palais des The & Hediard. It is also a tea house that has some beautiful soaps from Florence.
Hope this helps you with your Anastasia addiction.
I love Chinese teas after spending 3 years working in Shanghai, where I became particularly partial to white and green tea. I would definitely recommend Jing Tea in the UK, who have the best Dragon Well green tea and Silver Needle white tea I have tasted outside of China. They turned be away from Mariage Frere, they are smaller and more independent which I always love!
Jacqui | August 4, 2008 3:34 PM{ Post a comment }
No, no, coffee is for >closers
Chris | February 17, 2003 8:08 PM