Some years ago when I worked in New York, Franchia was a frequent stop for their wonderful teas, their delicious vegan menu, and their soothing atmosphere. Since we moved out of the area, Franchia has been amongst the things I miss the most. So when I had the opportunity to visit The City recently for …
Month: August 2011
Review — Yorkshire Harrogate by The English Tea Store
Name: Yorkshire Harrogate Brand: English Tea Store Type: Black tea, blend Form: Loose leaf Review: Yorkshire Harrogate leaf is most peculiar: A blend of dark brown CTC (machine processed) tea with a few tips and leaves strewn in. I'm not quite sure what the tea-blender was going for when putting this tea together, but whatever …
Continue reading Review — Yorkshire Harrogate by The English Tea Store
Tea Kettle Philosophy — The Knowledge Scale
“Ponder ponder full of wonder” — my version of that chant over the boiling pot witches are often seen to be stirring in cheesy Hollywood movies. I’m chanting over the tea kettle while it sits on the stove burner and seems to be refusing to come to a boil. I’ve stood here many times, from …
Continue reading Tea Kettle Philosophy — The Knowledge Scale
Tea Tidbits and Trivia
And now, without any further ado, a few tea-related bits that didn't quite merit a full article but were too good not to share. Who drinks their tea the strongest? Hard to say, but in The Little Tea Book, published in 1903 by Arthur Gray, the author noted, "In the interior of Australia all the …
College Dorm Teatime
College dorm rooms tend to be tiny, so it is important to make every inch of space count. Tea loving college students, particularly those who favor loose leaf teas, need to be smart about their teaware, as too many items leads to clutter. When selecting some items for a dorm room, it's a good idea …
A Touch of Pu-erh
Pu-erh seems to be one of those love ’em or leave ’em teas. Some people say they taste like dirt. Other consider them heavenly. They can be purchased in cakes to enjoy now or to store in a safe place to age and improve over time. They also come in bricks and tuochas (little bird’s …
Panacea: A Poem Upon Tea
Are there more poems devoted to the joys of tea than to its cousin in the hot beverage field, coffee? I haven't done the research and thus concede that I might be wrong, but I'd be willing to bet that there are. There's just something about tea that inspires devotion and praise in a way that …
Bella Coola by English Tea Store
Name: Bella Coola Brand: English Tea Store Type: Herbal/fruit tisane Form: Loose Leaf Review: This is a fruity tisane that tastes remarkably like a cross between fruit punch and a low-sugar cranberry juice. The blend is typical of many tisanes, and includes a base of rosehips and hibiscus (the tisane is bright fuschia). This makes for …
Morning RouTEAne
Everyone has a morning routine, but tea lovers also have their morning rouTEAne. Just as those first tasks after waking are necessary to get your day off to a proper start, so is that morning tea — the first cuppa, numero uno, la première tasse, etc. Regardless of what comprises your personal ablutions, they are …
Is Snobbery Ruining Assam Tea?
As people learn more about tea and consequently seek better and more exotic teas, are some perfectly good teas getting pushed out of the market? It’s often called snobbery — or just a strong personal preference. My favorite tea is CTC Assam, a lower quality, machine processed tea from the Assam area of India that …
Tea Blog 