It has definitely been a rainy spring here in New England. As I look at the 10-day weather forecast, there are more clouds than suns and some of those clouds have lightning bolts coming out of them. Being an admitted doppler radar geek, I do love a good thunderstorm. But I digress from my cup of tea…
This morning’s tea is a black Ceylon tea from the Adawatte estate. Located about 1/2 – 3/4 mile above sea level on the eastern slopes of the mountains in the Uva district of Sri Lanka, this estate is a tea, rubber and forestry estate.
You can read about how tea cultivation came to the island of Sri lanka in one of my previous posts here. Originally, coffee was grown there.
The tea grown in the higher elevations of Sri Lanka tends to have a brighter, brisk quality to it. This tea is very characteristic of a high grown Uva.
I steeped the dark, chunky leaves for 4 minutes in 212 degree F water. The dark amber liquor has a minty, citrus aroma that carries on into its flavor notes. This tea would make a very refreshing iced tea with slices of juicy lemon and crisp sprigs of mint for garnish. Mmmm…now if the weather would just cooperate with some hot, sunny, iced tea drinking days…
Today I am attending a Garden Tea Party at the home of a dear friend. She has asked each guest to bring a plant to swap and also something chocolate to share. I was going to stop at my favorite local candy shop to pick up some dark chocolate creams. I especially love the ones filled with orange and raspberry cream. But then I came across this recipe in my blog wanderings. Made with melted milk chocolate, cocoa powder and milk chocolate chunks, it is sheer decadence in cookie form. In a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, I was so happy to see that cocoa was listed number one on the anti-oxidant list.
Tea and chocolate – what more can anyone ask for?
Giving chocolate to others is an intimate form of communication, a sharing of deep, dark secrets. ~Milton Zelman, “Chocolate News”
Art and Tea 
Oh my god! That cookie looks soooooo good! Make some for me sometime 🙂
That tea at first looks like an oolong, dark twisted leaves. I was surprised to find it a ceylon tea. Thanks for sharing. I agree with Aimee… cookie looks wonderful.
They are sooooo good, Aim. Sure, I can make some for you. 🙂
I know Bruce, I thought it was an interesting leaf style for a Ceylon. It’s actually designated “Pekoe” instead of OP or OP1 or BOP. It seems to have a chunkier look than other Ceylon leaf. I’m drinking another cup this morning and it really has an interesting minty note.
well, dear one – you should have been down in alabama with me while i was there, and the thermometer reached 100 degrees! thinking of you this sunday morning when the sun is “bearly” showing itself……xxx
Okay, now I wanna have a tea swap. I have bags and bags.
hello! Today I had a tea brewed from wild tea bushes growing in a forest near charleston. come read about it!