With Christmas and New Year’s fast approaching, there’s no better time to make the night special by trying something new. So while you’re stocking up on the usual liquor and champagne, be sure to pick up some tea.

There are 3 reasons why having tea will be important this holiday season.

#1: Tea allows Everyone to Celebrate!
Not everyone drinks alcohol. Whether by reason of conviction, medical necessity, or the responsible choice to be the designated driver, or for those trying to shave off the carbs and the calories that come from alcohol, there are many reasons why you or your guests might want an alternative. Be prepared to have something festive that everyone can enjoy!

Festive Teas to have on hand: Tea of Good Tidings, Spiced Christmas Tea, White Christmas, Holiday Chai

Cinnamon Green Tea

#2: Tea is Hot!
Warm. Cozy. Toasty. In every sense of the word, tea really is hot. So, offer your guests an inviting cup of hot tea. Increase the feelings of warmth by having spicy chais or cinnamon teas on hand! Spices will make the body get warmer quicker by increasing your blood’s circulation! And they’ll feel more at home with your generous caring suggestion. Warm and happy guests = warm and happy party celebration.

#3 Tea makes a great mixer!
You can make an excellent mixer using sugar, tea and lemon. Make a tea-based simple syrup, bottle it and break out at your next festive occasion. To make it into a mixer, simply add seltzer or club soda for a refreshing tea-infused soda or spirited cocktail!

Tea Syrup

• Mix 2 cups of sugar with ¼ cup water in a saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until golden brown.
• Next, steep 3 teaspoons of your favorite tea (I like using Earl Grey!) in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes.

(NOTE: this needs to be stronger as you are creating a concentrate).

• Let tea cool.
• Now add 2 cups of the extra-strength tea and the juice from 1 lemon to the caramelized sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and let stand for 30-45 minutes.
• Pour syrup into glass bottle to store and serve.

To Serve: Fill your glass with ice, add a few teaspoons of the earl grey tea syrup (depending on your sweet tooth), and fill the rest of the glass with seltzer water and stir. Syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Don’t miss Madam Potts’ Mad Blog of Tea!

A veces me preguntan porqué soy tan complicada en mis gustos por el té, mis compañeros de trabajo ven con curiosidad el infusor y les extraña mi colección de tés; para ellos es más simple, ponen un satchet de tisana de manzanilla y ya, algo que terminan bebiéndose por reflejo, pero no por que les guste o lo disfruten.

Me gusta vivir la vida tal cual, de una manera intensa y disfrutando todo lo disfrutable, el té es una parte muy importante de ello y forma parte de mi ritual de llegar al trabajo y prepararme para la jornada; en esas circunstancias entiendo la ceremonia del té japonesa, ya que es un momento para la contemplación y la armonía, disfruto mi hora del té a la inglesa en la tarde y con unas cuantas galletitas, todo eso mientras no dejo de trabajar.

El fin de semana tuve una experiencia que me hizo recordar porqué amo los sabores naturales del té; me metí a un establecimiento que se veía decente y pedí un Chai, @arcioprea pidió un matcha; se veía bien, olía bien… hasta el primer sorbo… nos encontramos con una complicada mezcla de sustancias químicas que intentaba, de una manera muy pobre, imitar el sabor del té, disfrazándolo con endulzantes y sabores artificiales. Suficiente para satisfacer un paladar inexperto, pero no uno conocedor; acabamos nuestro trago artificial y nos quitamos el mal sabor de la boca con té de verdad, no algo que jamás en la vida conoció a Camellia sinensis.

Lo artificial jamás logrará superar a lo auténtico y eso se comprueba en el té, Camellia sinensis es tan honesta que no te guarda secretos, ella te dice en que tiempo fue cosechada, cuanto tiempo fue fermentada y se entrega a ti de una manera completa y sin reservas, luce ella y sabe como hacer lucir a sus acompañantes, sean especias o esencias. Nada supera a las hojas del té.

El té es como la vida, una experiencia que se renueva todos los días.

Visitar el blog de Mónica, Manifiesto Antipataneril.

One of the things I got “hooked” on in Europe was a cereal similar to Shredded Wheat called “Weetabix.” From the first bite, I thought, “Where has this wonderful stuff been all my life?” Well, I was surprised to learn that I needn’t have moved to Europe to enjoy this crunchy delight. It has been for sale in the U.S. since 1968.

Of course, Weetabix has been around a lot longer than that. It all started in Australia in the 1920s and was called “Weet-bix” (a shortening of “wheat biscuit”) by its inventor, Bennison Osborne. Around 1932, Osborne and his partner, Macfarlane, sold off the rights and went to Africa, forming the British & African Cereal Company Pty. Ltd., which became Weetabix Ltd. in 1936. They continued to make those flaky wheat biscuits, calling them “Weetabix” to distinguish them from the original product.

Weet-bix is still available in Australia and New Zealand but is not the same as the Weetabix products of today, since the product development of the two companies went different paths. In fact, I saw a message online from someone who had moved to Australia, was dissatisfied with the Weet-bix, and wanted some of the Weetabix she knew and loved. Alas, due to licensing issues, it is not available there.

Not a company to sit idly on its laurels, Weetabix Ltd. keeps adding to its product line. They have Muesli (a granola-like cereal), breakfast bars, bite-sized Weetabix, Ready Brek (made of finely-milled oats), and for you chocoholics their latest product, Chocolate Weetabix.

Company CEO Ken Wood studied engineering but followed advice to go into the food business, since we all have to eat. He’s only been with the company since 2004 but is quite dedicated to it, even consuming three Weetabix cakes for breakfast each day. It’s not as boring as it may sound. (My father ate Shredded Wheat or Wheaties Monday through Friday for breakfast.) Fruits, nuts, and yogurt are some of the toppings the company recommends.

Personally, I like my Weetabix with hot milk and diced peaches or fresh blueberries when available. Of course, that Chocolate Weetabix with some hot milk would be like wheaty cocoa. Then there’s the oaty Ready Brek that is heavenly with a bit of brown sugar or a little maple syrup. And they all go with a hearty black tea steeped up strong and smoothed with milk and a sweetener.

Nutritionally, you couldn’t ask for anything better if you tried, unless you tend to have gluten issues. Most of their products are also suitable for special diets (vegetarian, kosher, etc.).

Weetabix is also a company with a sense of humor. In May 2010, they sponsored an art competition involving sculptures made of wheat bales. Entries were such things as a huge bear eating a bowl of Weetabix, all made of bales.

Add some tasty nutrition and fiber to your diet with what has become a British tradition — Weetabix.

Stop by A.C.’s blog, Tea Time with A.C. Cargill!

It’s hard to imagine that once upon a time I found the term “orange pekoe” to be such a mystery. It’s really quite simple. “Pekoe” is a common grading of Indian and Ceylonian teas that has several finer gradings (each indicated by an additional letter added to the left of the others).

Here is one description of these gradings:

• Pekoe – P – not a quality designation, just means a whole leaf tea mostly from India and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)
• Orange Pekoe – OP - a slightly larger and possibly thinner tea leaf, but the “orange” doesn’t mean the color (legend says it’s the Dutch royal Family Orange Nassau)
• Flowery Orange Pekoe – FOP – the minimum grade for hand-plucked tea, the “flower” is the unopened bud of a tea leaf
• Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe – GFOP – means that certain leaves in the mix have a golden tip, which indicates higher quality
• Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe – TGFOP – most experts say this should be used when all tips are golden, unfortunately not always the case
• Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe – FTGFOP – designates a super-premium specialty tea
• Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe – SFTGFOP – another step up the grade scale

You will also see numbers after some of the above (example: SFTGFOP-1) or even further grading terms (example: SFTGFOP-Extra Fancy or SFTGFOP-Extra Special). There are also broken leaf grades, since this tea is usually a black tea and is often chopped into smaller pieces. Take the above grade designations and add a “B” (example: GFBOP for Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe).

Another definition (paraphrased):

Sylvakandy Estate Orange Pekoe

A 7-tier grading system for black tea that relates to the size and physical condition of the leaf rather than a particular kind of tea, flavor, or quality. Often, Orange Pekoe teas are blends, with “orange pekoe” indicating that the tea is the second highest grade in the system. “Pekoe” is from the Chinese word meaning “white” as in the 2-leaves-and-a-bud combo plucked from the branch tip. When applied to Indian and Ceylonian teas, it indicates whole leaves that are uniform in size, even those from lower on the branch of the tea bush (Camellia Sinensis). “Orange” could either mean the Dutch House of Orange Nassau or the Chinese practice from ages past of adding orange blossoms to the tea leaves for flavor.

There are other definitions being bandied back and forth, but the main thing is these grades are a general guide. The more letters, the higher grade the tea is supposed to be. Of course, it’s not an exact system. While I have confidence in the honesty of tea growers to take care to label their teas accurately, the process involves some subjectivity on their part. In short, buyer beware. And have a bit of understanding. The people labeling these teas are working with large batches of tea leaves. Your pouch or tin is a small part of that batch and is not necessarily representative of the overall quality, so don’t downgrade the rest if you happen to get a bit that is “off.”

Whichever grade of Pekoe you choose, steep it up right and you will have a tasty cuppa!

Don’t miss A.C.’s blog, Tea Time with A.C. Cargill!

There are lots of tea storage containers on the market, making it hard to decide which ones you need for keeping your teas at their best. Simplify the decision by knowing their ins and outs.

Basically, some things should be kept IN these containers and some things should be kept OUT of them. Of course, your tea storage container also needs a fairly easy way to get tea in and out of it.

What should go IN a tea storage container:

• Tea (of course, it has to be able to come OUT, too!)

What should stay OUT of a tea storage container:

• Air (specifically Oxygen)
• Moisture/Humidity
• Odors
• Light
• Temperature extremes

As long as you keep these basics in mind, you won’t go wrong in your selection. Of course, how to store tea depends on the type of tea being stored. (Say that three times fast!) It also depends on whether you are talking long- or short-term storage.

Delicate teas, especially higher-quality greens, need special attention to store them and have them taste as good as when you received them. Exposure to humidity and oxygen can make these teas start to oxidize and lose nutrients, heat speeds up this process, while light turns them yellow-brown/black, takes away their aroma, and darkens the tea liquid. Properly stored, white, green, and the more greenish oolong teas can stay pretty fresh for about a year, while the dark oolongs and black teas will be fine for 12 to 18 months.

Teas with strong flavorings added, especially mint and cinnamon, need to be stored away from other teas, or they will all take on those flavors. Some samples I had received awhile back were like that. The cinnamony chai aroma dominated when I opened the shipping box, and all the teas needed to be set aside for awhile so the aroma would fade.

When researching storage containers, I kept coming across statements like, “The best way to store tea is at room temperature in an airtight tea tin.” The problem is that even a tea tin with a special seal around the lid doesn’t keep air out, nor humidity. Some comes in through the seams, which are usually not soldered, and some stays in the tin every time you open and close it. (Nature abhors a vacuum, meaning that the part of the interior of the tea tin not filled with tea is filled with — you guessed it! — air. Unlike plastic pouches, you can’t squeeze that air out before putting the lid back on, so it stays in the tea tin, attacking your tea.) That makes these tins unsuitable for long-term storage, especially of white and green teas. Not too good for the greener oolongs either.

Lots of glass containers are available, but, unless they are totally opaque like milk glass, they don’t keep out light. The better glass containers have special seals around the lid to help prevent air flow, but like the tins, there will still be air and humidity inside them. Ditto for ceramic tea canisters, even with a silicone gasket.

You could always use tins, glass containers, and canisters to put small (50 g) foil pouches of teas in as a short-term storage option.

Plastic sandwich bags can serve in a pinch, but not for long-term storage. They are usually clear, letting in light, and they aren’t all that airtight, letting in odors and oxygen. Sometimes after opening a foil tea pack, I fold it closed, put on a paperclip, and then put it in a plastic baggie as a temporary measure. For better long-term storage, many tea vendors are using heat-sealed polyfoil laminate, the only true seal according to tea consultant Nigel Melican of Teacraft. Buying the higher-end teas in smaller quantities and sealed in foil laminate pouches will help, too.

Good news for my fellow tea princesses. You can assure having a decent tea when dining out by carrying a few of your favorites with you in a tea wallet. It’s made for bagged teas, but that’s better than settling for those restaurant grade teas. Also, you will want to have those individually wrapped teabags like Twinings and Mighty Leaf offer. Keep your wallet stocked so you can grab it quickly when you head out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner at your favorite eatery.

Fresh ideas for your teas!

Visit Tea Time with A.C. Cargill to learn the ins and outs of the tea life.

Indulge in holiday goodies like fruitcake, mince and pumpkin pies, and Swiss cake rolls, then, wash it all down with tea, and you’ll keep from putting on those holiday pounds. Yeah, right!

I have to chuckle at all of the fantastical claims being made about tea these days. Many of these are just statements on a Website (my online search popped up 7,540,000 results, and no, I didn’t look at them all) with no links to actual studies conducted in a scientific manner. There are lots of sites and companies that will gladly accept your money in exchange for their miracle diet tea (usually green and wu-long/oolong, but some aren’t even teas).

As a consumer, what should you do? I say, “Take a practical approach.”

Here’s what I mean:

• Enjoy the holiday goodies, but in smaller amounts and only once a day.
• Instead of snacking on these goodies between meals, have a cup of tea. In fact, some diet counselors recommend that you have at least 3 cups of tea a day (they say it’s to increase antioxidants in your body).
• Eat your goody earlier in the day (I suggest before 5 p.m.) to give your body time to burn it up fully, and then you can have a light dinner.
• If you want dessert after dinner, have a flavored tea such as Holiday Spice instead.
• Avoid sugar, honey, and milk in your tea if you tend to drink a lot of it during the day.
• If you need a bit of flavor in your green tea, go for some lemon or even a bit of lime.
• You’ll probably be on the go a lot during the holidays, so take tea with you in a convenient travel mug. You won’t be tempted to grab a calorie-laden latté tea drink at one of those coffee shops.
• Contrary to what some say, the caffeine level in tea is not sufficient to keep you awake at night, so have a cupful at bedtime. It will relax you. Great for people who eat when they’re nervous (like me).

The main effect that tea is supposed to have on us that helps with keeping our weight down is increasing metabolism. Doug Balentine, director of nutrition sciences for a major tea company, doesn’t agree. While he acknowledges studies in Asia and the U.S. that show tea can modify fat oxidation and reduce abdominal fat, he states that any effect on your metabolism is basically due to the caffeine and are minimal at best.

If these tips don’t work, just blame the dryer for shrinking your pants and avoid the bathroom scale until the New Year. That’s my plan!

For a practical approach to tea, visit Tea Time with A.C. Cargill.

Name: Imperial Formosa Oolong

Brand: Golden Moon

Type: Oolong

Form: Loose leaf

Review: Fall is here and so I am breaking out the darker oolongs. Imperial Formosa Oolong by Golden Moon boasts a beautiful dry leaf of various colors: Red, light brown, dark brown, and a bit of silvery tip. The nose is gorgeous too, at once sweet, nutty and spicy. The tea infuses to one of the most beautiful liquors I have ever seen: Clear honey-gold tinged with red. Lovely.

The infused nose remains sweet and somewhat fruity. On the palate, the tea is medium bodied and its flavors are as complex as the colors of the dry leaf: I taste a blend of candied chestnuts and a hint of fruit, with maybe a tiny bit of citrus. The finish is slightly floral with some mineral notes. Unlike some lesser-grade Formosa oolongs, Golden Moon’s version is extremely smooth, with no harshness or bitterness. Because the tea does not easily get bitter, try experimenting with steep times. A longer steep brings out the tea’s depth while shorter steeps produce a light, crisp, refreshing tea.

Imperial Formosa Oolong is great for multiple steeps and lasts a long, long time. I’m sipping my 4th infusion and the tea shows no sign of breaking down or fading away. This makes it very cost-effective and a great option for folks who like to sit down with one cup of tea each day that just needs “refreshing” with hot water.

Preparation Tips: This is a hardy tea that can stand high temperatures, though I’d recommend bringing the water temperature down just a bit after boiling: 200F-208F works pretty well.

Serving Tips: This makes an excellent and refined iced tea. Consider serving it with a formal meal, such as Thanksgiving dinner: It is great with food, and its lovely color will sparkle in a wine glass or champagne flute!

Stop by Lainie’s blog, Lainie Sips!

Recently, I revisited some teas from Japan that I had tried previously and had reacted to with less than a positive and enthusiastic manner. The results were a revelation.

Part of learning and growing is re-trying something you tried years (or maybe even only months, weeks, or days) ago all over again to see if you still react to it the same way. Often, your reaction will be different because it will be influenced by the intervening experiences and acquiring of new knowledge. (This is often called the “The Knowledge Spiral.”)

Japanese Sencha

The first time trying a Sencha, for example, I was very bothered by how much it tasted like grass to me. Being used to the maltiness of Assam black tea smoothed with milk and sweetened with a bit of sugar substitute, or having a green tea that was pretty nondescript, I reacted from that standpoint, meaning that the Sencha was actually a bit of a shock. Since then, however, I have come to appreciate the flavor, which isn’t quite as “grassy” as it first seemed.

Genmaicha, that most unique Japanese green tea and toasted rice combo, has actually become a favorite for both hubby and me. This one is no surprise, though, since our first sampling of it was a pleasant and rewarding experience. It is a tea that satisfies and comforts. We tend to sip it and savor that toasty flavor along with the taste of the green tea. Truly unique. We have tried several different makers’ versions, with nary a disappointment in the bunch.

Houjicha (or Hojicha as it is sometimes spelled) is another Japanese tea that we have rethought since our first try of it. At that time, hubby and I considered this a tea to reserve for a once or twice a year tea experience. Now, it seems more like a monthly or even weekly tea to have. A quality houjicha can produce several infusions from a small amount of tea leaves. One thing we appreciate more now is the varying taste and strength of each infusion. It is fairly normal for the 5th or 6th infusion to be quite different in both areas. What we had thought of at the time as a fault in the tea we now see as a limit in our scope of vision, something that has widened in relation to our tea tasting frequency.

I pass this along to you so that you can revisit a tea from your past, especially if it’s one that you initially reacted to negatively because the aroma or flavor was not in line with your expectations built up from previous tea tastings. Also consider that year by year the flavor of these teas can change due to changing weather conditions and other factors.

Just as people deserve a second chance, so do teas!

Stop by A.C.’s blog, Tea Time with A.C. Cargill!

The Subject: English Breakfast Blend No. 2
Company: The English Tea Store

Straight Tea Rating:

About the new rating designation.

Water temperature: 212° F
Steeping time: 5 mins.
Tea type: Black
Additions: N/A
Aroma, dry leaves: Malty, jammy, rich

1st Infusion:
Aroma, plain — Malty, jammy, hint of fruity
Taste, plain — Malty, jammy, astringent, hint of fruity
Color, plain — Red-brown
Taste, enhanced — Smooth, caramelly, slightly fruity as cools

2nd Infusion: Weak, not recommended

Comments:
A BIT OF A PET PEEVE HERE: Tea videos are great, but I wish tea companies would also put the teas used in their blends in a text description on their Website. Ditto for steeping instructions. Having to view a video to get this information is getting tedious.

Okay, I got that off my chest. On with the review.

The person in the video for this tea says it is a blend of high-grown Kenyan, Ceylon, and 2nd Flush Assam. The larger tea leaf size, as compared to the dust of the English Breakfast Blend No. 1, was a welcome sight.

We found that the tea steeped perfectly after just 5 minutes. To steep longer would have increased the astringency. The liquid was somewhat astringent even after this steep time, but have no fear. It’s meant to be that way, since it can stand up to having milk added to it, unlike delicate teas whose taste gets smothered by that milk. As the tea cooled a bit (with the milk and sweetener in it), both hubby and I detected a bit of fruitiness, probably from the Ceylon tea in the blend. Small wonder that one of the company owners says this is his favorite tea.

Want to guarantee great presents under the Christmas tree? Switch from milk and cookies to a hot cup of this tea (with milk and sweetener) with some Dark Chocolate McVitie’s Digestives. Santa will be so thrilled that he’ll leave you TWO of everything!

Looking for more great reviews? Check out Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews!

El origen de este fascinante y popular té está lleno de leyendas, que hablan de un lazo entre oriente y occidente, además es uno de los más sencillos y sin embargo, de los más deliciosos.

Earl es un título nobiliario de la corte británica cuya equivalencia más cercana sería a “Conde” y la familia Grey ostenta ese título desde aproximadamente 1311. El más famoso de ellos es el primer ministro Charles Grey, segundo Earl, es una de las figuras políticas liberales más influyentes en la historia del Reino Unido y artífice del acta de reforma de 1822. El té Earl Grey recibe su nombre gracias a este personaje.

Cada casa fabricante de té tiene su propia versión de su origen, en las que se menciona que el 2do. Earl Grey recibió el té como un regalo de parte de China, hojas de té negro perfumadas con aceite de naranja bergamota; algunas leyendas tienen tintes más dramáticos que otras. La versión de la marca Twinnings (a la venta en English Tea Store) ostenta el empaque oficial y la firma del 6º Earl Grey.

La naranja bergamota (Citrus bergamia) es un cítrico que se le cultiva comercialmente en Calabria, Italia y que se usa para la elaboración de mermeladas y conservas; sin embargo su producto más usado es el aceite de esencia, que tiene varios usos, entre ellos el perfumar y dar sabor a las hojas de té negro, pero además tiene usos en la aromaterapia como antidepresivo, la perfumería (casi la mitad de los perfumes lo contienen), la elaboración de jabones orgánicos (con efectos desinflamatorios y astringentes) y según estudios científicos el aceite esencial de bergamota puede contrarrestar los efectos de ciertas drogas y es un neuroprotector que fortalece las neuronas contra el desgaste. Si juntamos estos beneficios, junto con las propiedades del té negro tenemos una excelente bebida para comenzar el día.

El Earl Grey es, como ya mencionamos muy aromático, las hojas, que suelen ser alargadas, despiden una fragancia muy parecida a la de la naranja de Sevilla fresca, el limón real y la cáscara de naranja cristalizada, pues tiene un ligerísimo toque dulce; al ser remojadas en agua caliente, el aroma cítrico se vuelve más ácido y pierde por completo el toque dulce, pero aromatiza deliciosamente toda una habitación.

El color del té es oscuro, como el de todos los tés negros, un sorbo nos da un sabor ácido y amargo, que se convierte en una sensación de frescura en la lengua; combinado con leche pierde una buena parte el sabor amargo pero no el toque fresco, lo cual deja un agradable sabor.

El té Earl Grey es considerado elegante, forma parte de las expresiones inglesas, por ejemplo “an Earl Grey type [of person]” o una persona del tipo que toma Earl Grey, es alguien de gustos refinados, mientras que “an English Breakfast type” se refiere a alguien sencillo.

¿Quieres leer más posts escritos por Mónica? Visita Manifiesto Antipataneril.