What’s In My Cup: Licorice Spice

Tags

#whatsinmycup, family, food, tea, what's in my cup

Roller disco, bushy sideburns, bell bottoms, and funk were all popular in the 1970s…and some of them are trends that are better left in the past.

December 1978

But the trend of licorice tea has endured the test of time. My Dad and I both like black licorice, so this Christmas, my Dad picked me up a box of Stash Licorice Spice tea.

Licorice Spice is an herbal tea. It has no added sugar or sweetener, yet it possessed a light and sweet flavour. It is also moderately spiced with cinnamon, orange peel and oil, star anise, sarsaparilla, clove bud oil, and cardamom oil. If I hadn’t read the ingredients, I would have said this was a chamomile-based tea, (or even fennel tea) with that tell-tale grassy note. Instead, its main component is licorice root. but the licorice flavour, while present, is certainly not predominant. It’s a good blend licorice and spices…if you like licorice! 😉

When reading ingredients, keep in mind that licorice root and star anise are not the same thing, though they may taste similarly. They come from different plant families. Licorice root do not belong to the same plant family. Anise or anniseed is a fruit, from an umbellifier, a fragrant, flowering plant, the same as celery and fennel. Licorice root is also a flowering plant, alongside beans and legumes. The root is used because it contains a sweet-tasting acid that is purported to be 50 times sweeter than sucrose or cane sugar.

While both licorice root and cinnamon have a lot of health benefits, however, but both should only be consumed in small quantities. Pregnant and nursing women, and people with heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid licorice root completely. Licorice root and anise are not the same thing, although they taste similarly.

There’s nothing quite like the bond between a father and his little princess.

Anonymous

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Bellini

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, herbal tea, tea, what's in my cup

It’s the day after the time change and our annual autumn ritual of turning the clocks back took effect yesterday. Did you “fall” back into bed too? That extra hour snuggled under the covers is magical somehow, but it can bite you the next day. The trick is to go to bed an hour “earlier” than the clock now says because otherwise, you lose that “extra hour” and you suffer for it. I warned Little Guy but I don’t think he believed me, until I cheerfully dragged him from sweet slumber in time for math class.

I’d like to say the extra sleep made me chipper but that would be wishful thinking. However, it doesn’t mean that I won’t enjoy something chipper and magical in my cup…later today. I need my caffeine first thing in the a.m.

I discovered Tetley’s “bellini” peach orange herbal tea several years ago, and stockpiled it when it became hard to find. It seems the popularity of some flavours waxes and wanes faster than the moon, but I’m seeing it again on shelves and I’m thankful because it’s been a staple in my tea cupboard!

A bellini is a cocktail of prosecco, champagne, or other sparkling wine and peach juice or puree. It’s thought that it was named after Venetian artist, Giovanni Bellini, inspired by its pink colour which resembled the same pink used in one of his paintings. Since Giovanni Bellini died in 1516, I can’t really confirm that.

I find this a light and refreshing tea. It isn’t sickly sweet or have an artificial aftertaste like a lot of peach teas. It’s a blend of apple, orange peel, licorice, rosehip, beetroot, chicory, citric acid, hibiscus, ginger and peach granules. Typically ginger and licorice can overwhelm delicate flavours, but not here. If anything, it just add brightness the flavour. The colour is indeed a soft, warm pinky-peach, like the rosy hue of a winter sunset. Perfect for curling up under a blanket, with a good book!

Tetley Canada believes in sustainability and supports the Ethical Tea Partnership, the Rainforest Alliance and the Tea 2030 Coalition. They recommend using this tea in a homemade sorbet! I prefer this tea hot to cold (unless I add sugar to the iced tea), but a sorbet sounds delicious! I may just have to try this!

Sunrise paints the sky with pinks and the sunset with peaches. Cool to warm.

Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Happy Monday!

What’s in My Cup: Coco-Rooibos Chai

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, food photography, humour, photography, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time, what's in my cup

Friends who buy you tea are friends for life!

OK, so a friend didn’t buy it for me, but she shared and that’s close enough! She knows I like Rooisbos tea and Chai seasonings! In this case, it was cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. This tea also has coconut flakes, and pink peppercorns!

Pink Peppercorns are actually members of the cashew family and get their name from it’s pink berries. So while its flavour resembles black pepper, it’s actually sweeter and  slightly citrus-y, rather than hot and spicy. As with many spices, it’s a great way to add punch without pounds.

This particular tea is from David’s Tea and is back from retirement, baby! It’s a Kosher, caffeine-free rooibos base, which gives it a lovely golden colour. It’s also a Fair Trade tea so can feel warm inside too. The aroma from spices delivered what was promised, a warming with a rewarding spicy kick. My only disappointment was that I could barely taste the coconut flakes, which would help to set it apart from other chai. I think I’ll stick with one of my favorites, Rooibos Cinnamon Chai! Or maybe chocolatey S’more Chai or Chocolate Chai, or  the delicious Baked Apple Chai…so many to choose from…

David’s website suggests infusing Coco-Rooibos Chai with hot milk for a chai latte. I’m lactose intolerant, so if you try it, let me know what you think!

Finding friends with the same mental disorder – priceless!

Cheers! Happy Monday!

Another “OO” for Oolong

Tags

#whatsinmycup, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time, what's in my cup

It’s neither black tea nor green tea, even though it comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. Tea Masters can create a different flavours by even the slightest modifications in the process.

Oolong tea undergoes a more complex process than black or green tea. Black tea is fully fermented and oxidized; oolong tea is fermented but only partially oxidized.  Freshly picked tea leaves are withered, bruised and rolled, before being rolled a second time, roasted, and left to dry completely. The length of time in each process will influence the final product. Oolong tea will tend to have a lighter colour than black tea because the heating processes stops the fermentation process. 

Since the leaves are twisted or rolled twice in the process, they dry curled or are rolled in tiny balls. As the leaves steep, they unfurl. It’s fascinating to watch; David’s Tea shares a short video on their website. When we steep, osmotic diffusion occurs. Chemical compounds need time to diffuse into the water until the compounds in both the leaf and the water become equal. It’s important, therefore, that when you are steeping ooling tea, you choose an infuser that leaves space for the leaves to unfurl, giving you a more flavoursome and robust tea!

Another contributing factor to taste in oolong tea is when the leaves are harvested. Normally tea is grown year round but is not harvested in winter. Therefore, leaves in Spring can absorb floral notes around it, and in Fall, woody and malty notes. Generally, green tea and oolong are harvested in the Spring.

Maple Syrup Oolong

Be infused today with tea, love and joy!

Happy Monday!

Resources:

Oolong: Green or Black

7 Things You Need to Know About Oolong

Somewhere there’s tea…

Tags

#whatsinmycup, Bible, faith, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, what's in my cup

I’m not really a “stick my head in the sand” kind of person, but it’s true. I don’t watch the news. I hear enough in general conversation, or something on Facebook will tweak my interest and I’ll investigate, but I don’t often seek it out. There are thing I’ve known a long time. I know there is evil in the world. There is hatred and discrimination, and a terribly long history of it.

It breaks my heart.

It makes me anxious.

And afraid.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

1 Timothy 1:7

So while I live in this world, I keep myself separated from it by not immersing myself in every thought that Kim Kardashian has (most of them are not golden!), or filling my head with images of death and destruction.

I am also not oblivious to the world. I mourn and pray. I teach my children to live with integrity and love. I endeavour daily to be an active minister of reconciliation for the past, a person of peace in the present, and a harbinger of hope for the future. It’s not enough, but it’s a place to start. And if we never start, we will never move forward.

There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream, people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice and somewhere else the tea is getting cold.

Sylvester McCoy

Seasons

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea time, what's in my cup

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

Ecclesiastes 1:3

This is certainly the case for growing and harvesting tea leaves, and tea masters know the seasons can have an impact of flavour!

Tea comes from the plant, Camellia Sinensis. Tea trees are almost constantly in a state of germination, which is affected by climate and weather. Green tea flavour and aroma is the most affected by weather and climate changes. Too wet or dry, fluctuating temperatures, and frost can affect the quantity and quality of all the types of leaves and buds. Typically germination slows during the winter months (Dec-Feb), so most harvesting takes place bi-annually: Spring and Fall. Some areas are able to harvest 2 or 3 times.

Fresh leaves and buds harvested in the Spring are highly valued because they have had more daylight and more time to grow and absorb nutrients. It provides the tea with lighter flavour profile and sweet floral notes. Buds are picked along with two to four leaves, depending on the tree type, tree age, and the season. Older trees are more established and resilient, so more leaves will be picked. Those leaves are generally richer in flavour. Green and white teas are ordinarily harvested in the Spring and require minimal processing.

Larger farms will also harvest in summer, particularly those who provide tea leaves for mass distribution. These leaves grow quickly and provide a bolder flavour than those harvested in the Spring. But they also have little natural sweetness so are normally used as a base for flavoured teas.

While black, darjeeling and some white teas are harvested in Fall, it is the optimal season for Oolong tea. Oolong tea is neither green or black tea, and is processed differently. Tea masters can extract different flavours and aromas with the same leaves by adjusting that process. I will be discussing Oolong tea in another post. Tea harvested in the Fall has a fuller body and richer colour than Spring teas, and contains stronger floral or malty notes.

Regardless of the season…

…or at least tea!

Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm… what is beautiful is a joy for all seasons, a possession for all eternity.

Oscar Wilde

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Apple Cinnamon & Tumeric

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, food photography, spices, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea photography, tea time, what's in my cup

Tumeric is a spice that is acclaimed for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So it’s not wonder that Tetley has included it in it’s line of “super herbal teas”.

Tumeric is a perennial, flowering plant in the ginger family, most commonly used in Southern Asia and Middle Eastern cooking. When it is dried and ground,  it can also be used to dye fabric a rich, golden colour.

Tumeric is a perennial, flowering plant in the ginger family, most commonly used in Southern Asia and Middle Eastern cooking. Dried tumeric packs three times the flavour over fresh. Also, when it is dried and ground, it can be used to dye fabric a rich, golden colour.

Tetley’s Antiox tea is a rooibos base and includes cinnamon, white hibiscus, tumeric (of course), licorice root, rose hips, chicory root, orange peel, and apple. It also lists vitamin C, a nautral diuretic and antioxidant. Vitamin C helps protects cells against heart disease, cancer and other diseases, as well as helping your body absorb and store iron. It’s necessary for the formation of blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones.

As you can see, this herbal tea has a lovely, deep golden colour. The tea bag smells rather medicinal, but mellows once it is steeped. I could taste both the cinnamon and apple, but it was subtle, as it was also paired with earthy and gingery notes from the tumeric. Some people describe tumeric as bitter, mustard-y or horseradish-y. I found there was a slight tingle or heat from the tumeric, but it wasn’t unpleasant or overpowering. It’s definitely on the savoury scale.

Tea is the magic key to the vault where my brain is kept.

Frances Hardinge

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Bee the Change

Tags

#whatsinmycup, flatlay, food, food photography, honey, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea lover, tea quotes, tea time, what's in my cup

Did you know….
16 oz. of honey takes 1152 bees to travel 112 000 miles and visit 4.5 million flowers?

http://www.hivetracks.com

I believe there’s a degree of goodwill in all us. An innate desire to join with others to contribute to our world in a way that blesses. It may be in your local community or the global community, a grand or complex legacy for the next generation, or as simple as tending a garden for the birds and the bees.

In the tea community, there are organizations that promote fair business practices, safe working conditions, and sustainable resources. Right now, David’s Tea is donating 10% of the proceeds from their “Bee The Change” tea, to The Bee Conservancy, a non-profit organization that creates bee habitats in Canada & the US.

It’s a drop in a bucket, but as you add drops, the bucket fills up.

“Bee the Change” tea is a delight for all the senses too. Vibrant petals of echinacea, rose, marigold, pink cornflower, and red clover are combined with rooisbos and honeybush leaves, apple, rosehips, natural honey flavouring, and natural flavouring with stevia extract. Many of these ingredients are said to stabilize blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and boost the immune system. The aroma is a bright perfume of sweetness and flower, from the time the tin is opened to the very last drop!

“Bee the Change” is a kosher, caffeine-free infusion. It’s a light honeyed colour (not surprising) that intimates warmth. I found this floral, honeyed elixir to be vivid and cheerful. Would it be weird if I called it “sunny”? The honey is identifiable and sweet, but not provocative or cloying. I’m not a fan of floral teas for the most part, but I found this coupling beautifully balanced.

Not only have I helped my buzzy besties in a small way, but it’s my new favourite indulgence on a gray afternoon or a chilly evening.

The key to nature’s therapy is feeling like a tiny part of it, not a master over it. There’s amazing pride in seeing a bee land on a flower you planted – but that’s not your act of creation, it’s your act of joining in.

Victoria Coren Mitchell

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Earl Grey Cream

Tags

#whatsinmycup, tea, tea addict, tea cups, tea review, teacup, what's in my cup

I have found that when it comes to Earl Grey tea, there are 2 camps: those who love it and those who do not.

I am in the camp who does not.

However, any tea connoisseur will tell you that not all teas are equal since quality and blends can vary between producers. It never hurts to experiment.

This weekend, I tried two types of Earl Grey Cream tea, which is not quite the same as Earl Grey. To understand one, you must first understand the other.

Earl Grey tea is a blend of tea with the addition of oil of bergamot, which is extracted from the rind of the citrus fruit grown on bergamot orange trees. It is an unmistakable, highly floral aromatic that is also used in perfumed products. Originally, this tea wasn’t meant to be consumed with milk, but tea companies have modified the blend to include stronger black teas, such as ceylon, which lend themselves better to being consumed with milk. Tea companies have also been experimenting using unconventional tea bases, like green tea. Earl Grey Fog lattes have become very popular.

It’s assumed to have been named after Earl Charles Grey, the British prime minister in the 1830’s. Lady Jane was his wife. Charles Grey reputedly received this special blend of tea with the oil of bergamot after ending a tea monopoly by the East India Tea Company. The floral flavour was specially blended to help compensate for the lime levels in Earl Grey’s local water. The first advertisement on record for Earl Grey tea was in the 1880’s.

Earl Grey Cream teas differ in that they do not contain the oil of bergamot (so you don’t have that nasty oily film on the top of your tea cup) but they do mimic the floral flavour (or citrusy flavour, depending on your tastebuds).

Pluck’s tea contains black tea, corn flowers and natural flavours, where as David’s tea of the same name, contains organic black tea, natural earl gray cream flavor, blueberry centaury, and organic marigolds. Please don’t ask me what “natural flavours” mean… I found Pluck’s tea was more like an astringent black tea with a light traditional earl grey flavour. It was a moderate amber colour. David’s tea had the much stronger, heady smell and flavour of earl grey, but with a silky, creamy texture. It was less astringent than Pluck’s tea, and also a much darker colour.

Pluck’s Earl Grey Cream

While both teas surprised me, I still have to be “in the mood” for something floral. I still really like that Pluck’s tea is blended in smaller batcher in Canada for quality control, and their tea is sourced from an Ethical Tea Partnership supporting local growers and workers. Both teas are kosher; they are also caffeinated. For a decaf version, try a Lady Jane Grey blend.

Well, I’ll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field.

Quartermaster (“Q”), Skyfall

Happy Monday!

What’s In My Cup: Red Dragon Chai

Tags

#whatsinmycup, Christmas, food, holiday, tea, what's in my cup

I think Christmas is a wonderful time to drink tea.
And also after Christmas and before Christmas, and all the other days.

~Unkown

With no travel this Christmas (for the first time in 47 years), I had ample time to sip tea from an assortment of cups and tea pots. Last week, my friend and I each bought a box of Stash tea, and we traded some sachets. Her pick was Holiday Chai. My pick was Red Dragon Chai!

Red Dragon is a red rooibos base and therefore has no caffeine. It also contains cinnamon, ginger root, and clove. I found it a warm, comforting and cozy addition to the holidays. In fact, that’s how I started my Christmas morning. The aroma reminds me of apple cinnamon, and the colour is a rosy hue. The spice was lighter and brighter than Holiday Chai, which tasted strongly of clove. Instead, Red Dragon had a pleasant and balanced blend of spices. In fact, I used the tea bag a second time in a pot of regular black tea, and it added a soothing hint of chai.

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.

Charles Dickens

Happy Monday!