Stone stove left behind by immortals,
Lies crooked in the center of the stream.
Tea finished, two boats drift on abreast,
Tea smoke; wafting delicate fragrance.
~ Zhu Xi
By Laura Yeh
We’ve all done it — poured hot water over our bag or leaves of Sencha or Gunpowder, then walked away to take care of a small chore, grab the newspaper or make a quick phone call. Twenty minutes later we walk back into the kitchen and see it — remember it — the cup of tea we were so looking forward to enjoying.
Maybe it hadn’t been that long really. So we take a sip, make the too bitter face and pour it down the drain. What a waste!
Though it varies among different types of green tea, the steeping time should never exceed 3 minutes and temperature should never be more than 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Never use boiling water! I’ll typically bring water to a boil, and then let it sit and cool before I begin steeping my tea. But temperature and time do vary primarily based on the quality of tea. The best teas can be steeped at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit for only about 30 seconds and the leaves can be used multiple times. On the lower end you’ll want to steep at a higher temperature for 2-3 minutes before taking your first sip. But with whatever tea you’re enjoying, steeping it too long will release those tannins that make it bitter and almost unbearable to drink.
tea facts by .
It’s a fact that I love tea – I don’t think anyone would argue that point. However, I’m also a blender and love making fruit smoothies. So to foster my love for both, I began drinking Orange-Mango-Banana Vivanno Smoothies with a shot of matcha from Starbucks. Being the blender that I am, I thought – hmmm… I need to make my own version of the Orange-Mango-Banana Vivanno Smoothie. So today, I introduce to you, the BOngo Matcha Smoothie, straight from my kitchen to yours. The BOngo Matcha Smoothie is awesome! Just ask Melissa Wrzesniewsky (Twitter handle @lissisblissx), founder of Expanding Leaves tea blog who not only made the BOngo Matcha Smoothie, but sent in a photo!
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup organic milk (I use 2%)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (not from concentrate)
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha
- 1 tbs honey
Combine ingredients in your blender and blend for one (1) minute or until smooth. Then kick back and enjoy this highly nutritious, sweet-tooth quencher!
Try the BOngo Matcha Smoothie then send a snapshot of yourself enjoying this yummy smoothie to info@TeaEscapade.com. All submissions will be posted on the Tea Escapade Facebook Fan Page.
No, I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth, even though it has been awhile since my last tea review. Yes, I have been drinking tea, unfortunately, I’ve been overwhelmed with work and getting my tea fix while on the go from the closest Starbucks. But when I sat down today, for a cuppa tea, I had a sense of nostalgia. The sensory experience always forces me to slow down and center. Because who can drink a cup of tea without examining the leaves, inhaling the scents from the dry leaves while in the container, watching the dance of the leaves while steeping, then inhaling once again the liquor before taking that first sip? I did just that when preparing Blink Bonnie, the subject of today’s review.
Composition: Organic green tea from Sri Lanka.
Dry Visual: This green tea has quite a unique look. Very long, almost two inches, tightly rolled leaves. They are a predominantly a mixture of brown, rust, with a hint of light green. Thanks to LeafSpa for the photo.
Dry Aroma: This amazing loose leaf tea has a sweet almost sappy aroma.
Flavor: They say you have to give credit where credit is due. Blink Bonnie Organic Green Tea is amazing! Immediately in the first sip, I was impressed by the naturally sweet taste with honey and floral notes. Blink Bonnie is full-bodied with a distinct flavor unlike any green tea I have had before. It is not vegetal like I have experienced with Chinese Greens and requires no sweetener. Personally, I fear sweetener would negatively alter Blink Bonnie’s flavor profile.
In the first cup, I found this tea to have no astringency and only a subtle dryness. The second infusion, proved to exhibit a mild dryness. As the cup begins to cool, the floral quality became a bit more pronounced leaving it’s footprint on the back of my tongue.
Liquor: A beautiful amber hue.
Brewing Time: LeafSpa recommends steeping Blink Bonnie for 2 – 3 minutes in 180° water for 2 minutes. I steeped both my first and second infusion for the requisite 3 minutes. I’m already thinking about my third infusion.
Manufacturer: LeafSpa
Caffeine: Yes.
If you have had the opportunity to enjoy a cup of Organica Blink Bonnie tea, please stop by and share your experience. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!
~Tea was provided as a sample from LeafSpa.
green tea tea review by .
Each week Tea Escapade will scour available resources – cookbooks, the Web, even my own kitchen to identify great tea recipes for your personal use, tea room, or tea party.
This week’s selection, Green Tea and White Chocolate Ice Cream, comes from the book, “A Taste of Chocolate” published by Dawnya Sasse in 2007.
Ingredients:
8 oz white chocolate chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 C light cream
1 c heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla
5 lg. egg yolks (be sure they are at room temp)
3/4 c light brown sugar (more if you like sweet ice cream)
2 T match green tea powder
Preparation:
Chop the chocolate and set aside in a bowl. Mix the creams and extract in a saucepan and over medium heat boil (but stir, stir, stir). Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk up the egg yolks. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar with the green matcha. (make sure there are no green streaks in the mixture. Now add the brown sugar/green tea to the egg yolks and blend.
Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream to the egg/tea blend and whisk away. Add some more and wisk some more. When its all mixed together pour it back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the custard is thick about 170 degrees.
Remove the custard from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl of chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the custard cool to room temp and them cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
Next day: Freeze in an ice cream machine according to directions.
If you decide to make this divine dessert, please visit Tea Escapade to share the results. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!
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