Saturday Morning Tea

Jun20

Good morning, dear tea friends! June is such a lovely time of year with warm days, not yet too hot, and a landscape of colorful, blooming growth. In my cup this morning is a first flush Darjeeling from the North Tukvar estate. If I had to describe this tea with only one word, it would be refreshing!

This tea estate was first planted in 1852 and is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains near Kanchendzonga peak. With altitudes ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest elevation tea gardens in Darjeeling district, in northeastern India. Its tea plants consist mainly of clonal bushes and China jat, meaning tea bushes with origins from China.

I steeped the leaves for 3 minutes in just under boiling point (212F) water.

The aroma is fragrant, fresh and vegetal with a whisper of flowers.

The golden tea liquor wakes up my mouth with its refreshing flavor. Floral notes are complemented by a citrus zest tang, which lingers long into the finish. It would make a delicious iced tea.

My son and his girlfriend gave me a gorgeous pink orchid plant for Mother’s Day. It’s a beautiful accompaniment for my tea table, don’t you think?

I’m off to Michigan next weekend for a 2-week visit with my family. I’ll be back with another tea post in July. Enjoy your tea and this great summer weather!

Saturday Morning Tea

May9

Good morning, dear tea friends! Spring is in full bloom here in my little corner of the world. I love to watch the landscape come alive with color – soft yellow greens, vibrant fuschia, cheery yellows, and delicate petal whites, to name a few. One of my favorite springtime colors is the glowing golden of a first flush Darjeeling, and that’s what’s in my cup this morning. This lovely selection is called Margaret’s Hope FTGFOP Tippy Cl. First Flush.

I’ve read that when the Margaret’s Hope Estate was first set up in the 1830s, it was called Bara Ringtong. It was later renamed Margaret’s Hope after the daughter of one of the managers in the early 20th century, Mr Bagdon. His daughter, Margaret, fell in love with the beautiful estate but, on a trip back to England, fell ill and died so she was never able to return and live there as she wanted to. A tragic story but a lovely tribute. It’s so hard to lose someone you love.

I steeped the leaves for 3 minutes in water just under the boiling point.

The gorgeous new spring growth brews a tea with a fresh flowery fragrance and flavor.

Light citrus hints play along the edges of the aroma and the mouth feel is smooth and buttery. A vegetal tang lingers in the finish. I could drink this tea all day long.

Now that I’m well caffeinated, it’s time for a walk in the spring sunshine. As always, thanks for stopping by and sharing a cuppa with me. See you in two weeks!

Saturday Morning Tea

Apr25

Good morning, dear tea friends! It’s lovely to be back to share a cup of tea with all of you. My visit to Michigan was a welcome and relaxing break, moreso than usual as I caught a spring cold on the plane ride out there. Despite cooler than normal temps here in New England, the landscape is painting over winter’s dull colors with a palette of fresh greens and splashes of yellow as the daffodils and forsythias start blooming. Oh, welcome spring!

Today’s tea is an interesting Ceylon black tea. Of the “spider leaf” style, with long, wiry dark leaf and a touch of silver tips , it’s called St. Clair FBOPF Ex Spl.

St. Clair is located in the Talawekellie District of south central Sri Lanka. It’s the home of one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, called St. Clair’s Falls after the tea estate, and also known as the “Little Niagara of Sri Lanka.”

I steeped the leaves for 4 minutes in boiling point (212F) water.

The aroma is sweet and winey with that Ceylon brightness.

The tea liquor is a deep, dark amber color with a flavor reminiscent of the cocoa earthiness of a China black tea. That said, it has the tangy bright flavor notes that wake up the tongue and clearly identify it as a Ceylon tea. Nuances of blackberries emerge as the tea cools. The finish is long and brisk.

The sun is shining in a light blue spring sky, a perfect day for taking a long walk to enjoy the blooms. Have a wonderful two weeks!

Saturday Morning Tea

Apr4

Good morning, dear tea friends! As I took a step outside the other day, the air smelled fresh and clean with that earthy aroma of growing things. It smelled like spring at last!

This is always a lovely time of year, a time of rebirth and awakening and……..first flush Darjeeling! I’m excited to introduce you to my first cuppa of the 2015 season –Risheehat SFTGFOP Ch. First Flush Organic.

The Risheehat Tea Estate is located in a valley with the perfect temperature and rainfall for producing high quality Darjeelings. It’s close to the Darjeeling city area and Kanchanjangha peak to the north. Here’s some information from their website:

“Risheehat literally means “Home of Holy Saints”. The Garden was established by British planters in the mid 19th century and was known as Tsering Bagan because of local population of the Tsering tribe.

Acquired by Jayshree Tea management in 1955, the garden is divided into two major divisions – Rishihat main division and Liza Hill Division. The estate today produces more than 180 tons per year of certified bio-organic teas and healthy zero% vacancy on its estate. The estate has Fair Trade certification, ISO 1901:2008 awarded by TUV NORD and also HAACCP, not to mention organic certificates for NPOP, POP and JAS by IMO.”

Here’s a lovely plucking of new growth. I steeped the leaves for 3 minutes in just under boiling point (212F) water.

The tea liquor is the color of golden sunshine. The aroma of the wet leaf is of fresh steamed baby peas with fragrant floral hints. The aroma of the tea is fresh and flowery with notes of tropical fruit.

The flavor is light and fresh, awakening my mouth with its gentle astringency. Notes of flowers and tropical fruit intermingle and linger in a long finish. This tea has a decent caffeine hit, which makes it a great choice for the morning or when you need an extra lift during the day.

I have crocus lifting their yellow cups to the sky in my front yard. They seem to have multiplied since last year. I’m headed out into the garden this afternoon to clear away the winter mulch and debris. Even though it’s dirty work, I’m always rewarded with the sight of what’s starting to peek through the soil. Another garden year has begun!

I’ll be returning next week to share a cup of tea with you as I’m making my spring trek to Michigan the following week.

Have a wonderful week!

Saturday Morning Tea

Mar21

Good morning, dear tea friends! Happy Spring to everyone in the northern hemisphere as we celebrated (finally!) the arrival of the Spring Equinox yesterday. The Equinoxes come twice a year, a time when the light and the dark are equally balanced. We’re now entering a time when the days will be longer than the nights, always welcome after a long, dark, snowy winter here in New England. Unfortunately, we still have glaciers of snow everywhere but those glaciers are slowly but surely receding to reveal peeks of dirt and grass at their edges. Now all we need are some spots of colorful crocus to liven up the dingy gray and brown landscape!

On to tea… I chose a China black tea today. It’s called Keemun Ji Hong Top Grade Organic, an impressive name, for sure. The long, brown leaves have a crimped appearance, as if each leaf was carefully pleated like the pleats on a little girl’s frock.

I steeped the leaves for 4 minutes in boiling point (212F) water. It’s amazing how the dark brown color quickly turned that distinctive red during steeping. Hence the name for China black teas – “red tea” or “hong cha.”

The leaves kept their “crepe paper” look even after steeping.

The aroma is fragrant with a whisper of orchid and a stronger note of cocoa.

The flavor is rich, velvety smooth and medium-bodied with notes of cocoa, stone fruit, and just a hint of sweet smoke. The tea liquor fills my mouth with a thick, solid presence, what’s called a “full mouth feel.”

This tea would stand up well to additions, like milk and sweetener. That said, as it cools, a lovely sweetness, like sweet wine, comes out. I recommend trying it plain first so you can discern and enjoy the many facets of its flavor.

Oh dear, I’m gazing out my window at gently falling snowflakes. Despite what the calendar says, winter isn’t ready to let go quite yet.

Until we meet again, enjoy many delicious cuppas!