Children's Books about Tea

Other than the REALLY important things like family and health, there are only two things that come close to reaching the obsession level I have about tea - knitting and reading. I am truly happy when my interests collide, as they have when I've gotten the opportunity to review books about tea.

Lucy's Tea Party by Sally O. Lee, 2005

This simply illustrated story about a rabbit named Lucy who decides to throw a tea party for her cat, Seymour, her bear, Billy, and her mother. Lucy, Seymour, and Billy make invitations, find the teaware, bake the cookies, and get dressed up. It's a sweet story that captures a moment in time that so many children engage in.

At the end of the book are invitations you can photocopy and color and a recipe for Lucy's sugar cookies.


Not Another Tea Party by Mark Shulman and Vincent Nguyen, 2006

A bossy girl named Hilary holds a tea party that she will never forget. Hilary isn't much fun to be around because she has so many rules. When a chameleon comes to join the tea party, he shows her that not everyone can be ordered around. He convinces the other guests to stand up to her...literally...and they march out the door. That's pretty impressive for a stuffed bear and an action figure. Hilary learns how to treat people if she wants to have friends. Gorgeous, rich illustrations.


Apple Juice Tea by Martha Weston, 1994

Polly has a hard time adjusting to her family's new guest, her Gran. Gran tries to make Polly happy, but Polly wants no part of it. Then comes the night when Gran babysits and serves apple juice tea. A friendship blooms and the tea parties become a nightly event. Very nice illustrations. This is a great book for a child expecting a visitor that they might not see very often. It speaks to those fears and insecurities children might have around adults.



Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk, 1994

This classic counting book has bright illustrations and clever rhymes. Miss Spider tries to find friends to join her for tea...but they all fear they'll be on the menu. Miss Spider eventually shows that she is a wonderful hostess, only interested in sharing tea with her friends.


Hannah and the Whistling Teakettle by Mindy Warshaw Skolsky, 2000

Hannah is going to visit her grandparents on her own for the first time. She wants to bring a very special present for her grandmother, a woman who refuses all presents on the basis that they are "not necessities." She picks out a whistling teakettle, believing she has finally found a "necessity." At first her grandmother refuses, but when the teakettle's whistle saves the family from robbers, she changes her mind. A clever story, but the robbers did worry my son, especially the (one or two) references to guns and shooting. Just be aware of that before you introduce it to children who may be worriers.


These were some nice volumes. I have a few others that I'm hoping to get to review soon. Please be sure to pass along your favorite titles too! I'd love to see what else is out there.

Have a great day everyone. (And it looks like Babette Donaldson will have a new addition to the Emma Lea series this spring!)

Tea of the Month Clubs - Part Two

TEA OF THE MONTH CLUBS - PART TWO

This is part two of my summary of some of the Tea of the Month (and Week) Clubs out there. You can view yesterday's post here.

As I noted yesterday, there are a number of other Tea Clubs out there that I won't be covering because they were companies I wasn't familiar with or they were companies that were more focused on offering "of the month" clubs, rather than specializing in tea. (Some of the others are listed on the Tea Guy Speaks' Tea of the Month Club List.) One other caveat - some companies include shipping in their quoted price. Some do not. So, please look carefully at the details before placing your order.

If there are other clubs you've tried, please let me know. I'd like to make sure my readers have a pretty comprehensive picture of what's out there. (If you are affiliated with the company, please be up front about it. I'm happy to share info, but I don't like being manipulated. Thanks.)

TEA CLUBS - PART TWO
Dean & Deluca
A new tea is delivered each month. (The amount of tea was not specified.)

• 3 months - $70 / 6 months - $142 / 12 months - $285

Golden Moon Tea
Golden Moon has six different clubs. One tea is sent monthly for 6 months or 12 months. Specific teas for each club are listed on the site.

• Tea of the Month Club: Monthly selection may be black, white, green, oolong, or flavored. 6 months - $65 / 12 months - $120
• White Tea Club: 6 months - $60 / 12 months - $110 (Note that only 4 white teas are offered and they are repeated throughout the year.)
• Green Tea Club: 6 months - $64 / 12 months - $122
• Flavored Tea Club: 6 months - $65 / 12 months - $120 (A mix of whites, blacks, oolongs, and greens)
  
• Black Tea Club: 6 months - $68 / 12 months - $116
• Oolong Tea Club: 6 months - $89 / 12 months - $157

Imperial Tea Court
Imperial Tea Court offers three club options. In the past they have offered teaware as a gift for joining. The tea selections are based on their new arrivals.

• Four Seasons Club: One tea is delivered each season - $110
• 6 Month Tea Club: One tea every other month - $160
• A Year of Tea: A new tea each month - $265
  

Peet's Coffee & Tea
Peet's Clubs offer two 4 ounce tins each month. (Another option provides two boxes of 24 teabags.) The specific teas are identified on the website. I could not tell if the Shareholders Club provides one tin or two of each tea.

• Teabag Club: 3 months - $36.70
  
• Loose Leaf Club: 3 months - $40.70 / 6 months - $80.40
• Premium Loose Leaf Club (single-origin teas): 4 months - $102.40
• Shareholder Tea Tour: 12 months - $160
  

Portsmouth Tea Company Tea Circle
Portsmouth Tea Company offers a 12 month program called the Portsmouth Tea Circle. Monthly you receive a large cannister of tea. (They state that the container makes 50 - 70 cups of tea, so I would guess it's around 5 or 6 ounces of tea.) You can allow Portsmouth Tea to choose your monthly selection or you can arrange to have your favorite tea delivered monthly for a year. Tea Circle members can also use Portsmouth's tea sommeliers to help them choose teas for their special events.

• Membership is $14.95 per month. It appears that you place your order for 1 month and then it is billed each following month until you tell them otherwise. (Don't make the mistake of marking the number of months you want as the quantity when you place the order.)

T Salon
Most month's selections are sent as a 3.5 ounce sample. Specific teas are delineated on the website.

• Red Fruit Tea Club (rooibos and honeybush blends) or White Tea Club: 3 month - $48 / 6 month - $90/ 12 months - $165
  
• Herbal Wellness Club or Black Tea Club: 3 month - $50 / 6 month - $90 / 12 month - $166
• Active Lifestyle Tea Club or T Salon Signature Club: 3 month - $50 / 6 month - $95 / 12 month - $185
• Green Tea Lover's Club: 3 month - $50 / 6 month - $96 / 12 month - $186
• All Organic Club: 3 month - $60 / 6 month - $110 / 12 month - $210
• Rare and Specialty Club: 3 month - $70 / 6 month - $130 / 12 month - $250

Tao of Tea World Tea Club
"Artisan quality pure leaf teas." Each month you receive two samples that make 25 - 30 cups of tea. (I would presume this is about 3 ounces, but I'm not sure.) World Tea Club members will also receive 10% on any other tea and teaware orders and in Tao of Tea stores. You can join at any time and for any length of time you wish. If you join for 4 months or more you receive a one cup/teapot set. (You are able to choose from several patterns when you join.)

• Prices are listed for all increments of time up to one year. These are just some of the prices to give you a gauge: 3 months - $60 / 6 months - $107 / 12 months - $215

Tea Cuppa
Three 3.5 ounce packages of tea are delivered every 3 months. A "smart teapot" is offered as a gift with each membership. There are four clubs offered.

• Herbal Club or Fruit Tea Club: 6 months - $52 / 12 months - $98
• Black Club or Green/Oolong Club: 6 months - $68 / 12 months - $128
  

Tea Gschwendner
Tisane Passport provides herbal and fruit blends. Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $80 / 6 months - $140 / 12 months - $250

The Black Tea Passport provides a selection of black and oolong teas - "traditional favorites, single-estate specials, and popular flavored teas." Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $95 / 6 months - $160 / 12 months - $300

The Green Tea Passport provides green and white teas. Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $100 / 6 months - $175 / 12 months - $310

The Tourist Passport explores popular teas of many types and regions. Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $100 / 6 months - $180 / 12 months - $300

The Connoisseur Passport provides single estate black, white, green, and oolong teas. Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $120 / 6 months - $200 / 12 months - $350

Edmon's Reserve Passport provides special reserve teas that are extremely rare. Teas are shipped monthly and you will receive two or more types per month with a combined total of 200 grams of tea.

• 3 months - $165 / 6 months - $290 / 12 months - $450

Tea of the Month (Week!) Clubs - Part One

I have been receiving an abundance of messages about Tea of the Month Clubs. I'd always thought I should develop some kind of posting about it. But then, something new crossed my desk. A Tea of the WEEK Club. This club absolutely required further investigation.

ZOOMDWEEBIE'S TEA - Tea-of-the-Week
Zoomdweebie's Tea of Wichita, KS is a tea microblender. (How could you not love their motto? "We're Nerdy About Tea!") They have undertaken a really creative new project called 52 Teas. There will be a limited edition custom blend released each week that you can purchase individually or as part of their Tea-of-the-Week Club. These custom blends are sold in 2 ounce amounts. ($7 when purchased individually.) Through their forum, they are also soliciting suggestions from customers for the blends. They have been selling out quickly so it's worth checking the site regularly. Past blends have included Anise Biscotti Flavored Black Tea, Pumpkin Spice Chai, Coconut Mango Rooibos, and Vanilla Mate.

Tea of the Week Club Details:

• 6 weeks - $42
• 12 weeks - $84
• 26 weeks - $182
• 52 weeks - $364

TEA OF THE MONTH CLUBS - PART ONE
I came across so many Tea of the Month Clubs that I found it necessary to split this post into two parts. The second part will post tomorrow. There are a number of other Tea Clubs out there that I won't be covering because they were companies I wasn't familiar with or they were companies that were more focused on offering "of the month" clubs, rather than specializing in tea. (Some of the others are listed on the Tea Guy Speaks' Tea of the Month Club List.) One other caveat - some companies include shipping in their quoted price. Some do not. So, please look carefully at the details before placing your order. Here we go.

Adagio Teas
Adagio will deliver two 4 ounce tins to your house every other month. There are 5 different club options:

• Flavored Teas Club, Herbal Tea Club, and Decaf Tea Club: 6 months - $49 / 12 months - $99.
• Black Tea Club and Green/Oolong Tea Club: 6 months - $69 / 12 months - $129.

Art of Tea
Art of Tea supplies one tea monthly.

• 3 months - $40 / 6 months - $78 / 12 months - $150

Harney & Sons
Harney offers a loose leaf tea option (a 4 ounce tin per month) or a tea sachets option (20 sachets in a tin box each month).

• Loose leaf tea option: $150/year
• Tea sachets option: $162/year

In Pursuit of Tea
IPOT offers a 4 ounce sample of tea each month for 6 months. Shipping is a one time fee of $15. They are currently offering a tea strainer and package of fillable tea bags for free with your order. The specific teas for each club are outlined on their website.

• Herbal Tisane Club: 6 months - $78
• Maiden Voyage Club (tea assortment): 6 months - $109
  
• Black Tea Club: 6 months - $120
• Oolong from China and Taiwan: 6 months ($127.50, note that one month's selection is 2 oz.)
• Green and White Tea Club: 6 months - $147
  

Mark T. Wendell
MTW's Monthly Tea Tour provides 4 ounces of tea each month (except for the white tea (1.5 oz.) selection and the Mini Pei Fancy Oolong (3 oz.).) Along with each tea comes a description of the tea, its origin, and brewing recommendations. Specific teas are described on the website. Shipping is included in the price.

• 6 months - $80 / 12 months - $165.
  

O-Cha
O-Cha offers an ongoing Green Tea of the Month Club. Rather than being a set 6 months or 12 months, you pay monthly. The teas are specified on the website.

• Monthly fee of $21.45 (including shipping)
  

Tavalon
Tavalon offers 2 medium jars of tea every other month. You will also receive Tavalon's Guide to Tea. There are 5 options. The specific teas sent in each package are listed on the website.

• Black Tea Club, Green/White/Oolong Tea, Variety Tea, Sommelier's Choice, or Herbal: 5 months - $50

Teavana
Teavana has 5 clubs, each of which can be purchased as a 6 month club or a 12 month club. You receive two 2 ounce samples of tea per month.

• Herbal Club: 6 month - $60 / 12 months - $110
• Black Tea Club: 6 months - $75 / 12 months - $140
• Green Tea Club: 6 months - $80 / 12 months - $150
• White Tea Club: 6 months - $140 / 12 months - $220
• Tea of the Month Club (3 teas, 2 ounces each, per month - one Asian, one "European style", and one Herbal): 6 months - $120 / 12 months - $220

Zhi Tea
Zhi sends a 4 ounce sample each month. The selection may be a white, black, oolong, green, or flavored tea. The tea list is on their website.

• 6 months - $95 / 12 months - $185
  

Falling Water - Teaposy

It's finally Friday! It's a really cold one here - 0 degrees when we got up. It might get as high as 10 degrees (F) today. My son is in love with winter and snow and it's been hard to explain why we can't go out to play. The sun makes it look lovely out. But at least there's no ice predicted again any time soon. :)

I've been finishing up my supply of Teaposy display teas as they were nearing their best buy date. I will be returning to more unscented/unflavored teas again soon. I will have some new book reviews and company overviews soon.

I've been hearing about many new "Tea of the Month" type offerings from companies lately. I'll be doing a write up of some of these over the weekend, including "52 week," a weekly offering from Zoomdweebie's.

Now, back to Falling Water by Teaposy.The unopened buds of these Teaposy displays are gorgeous on their own. This one was silver and sage with hints of gold and a soft, downy texture. Falling Water is silver needle (white) tea scented with jasmine. The liquor brewed to a lemony yellow. The scent was sweet like marigolds and honey. The flavor was light. At first there was a high floral note. The taste then deepens to honey, mellow tones. There is a long, lasting flavor. The jasmine is evident in the scent, but the taste is not overpowering. I didn't find this tea quite as flavorful as Noble Essence, but it was still very well done.

Now, nobody drinks these teas strictly for the flavor. We pay a premium for the display. Falling Water had the most spectacular unfolding of the flowering teas I have tried. The silver needles began to burst open almost immediately releasing large bubbles that floated to the top of the pot. A calendula flower slowly emerged from the center, as if it was growing before your very eyes. A stream of white blossoms floated up as the finale of the fireworks. Gorgeous. The kids were mesmerized...as you can see from these last photos.
Tea: Falling Water
Source: Teaposy
Type: White display tea
Brewing details: 1 blossom in 212 degree water for 5 minutes.
Comment: A stunning flowering tea. Definitely worth a try.

Starbucks and tea - Dare I try again?

This is my "bonus" post for the day.

Yesterday I was driving home from visiting someone in hospital and the traffic was wretched. It was getting dark and the sky was starting to look like snow. I decided I needed a little pick me up for the rest of my trip. I stopped at a Starbucks fully intending to overdose on caffeine in the form of coffee...But then a sign caught my eye.

I had been reading that Starbucks was intending to release a new line of tea drinks using full leaf teas. (You can view the full press release here.) There are now several categories of tea available. In addition to their previously available steeped tea, iced teas, and iced tea/lemonade drinks there are now tea lattes and tea infusions.

You likely remember my very disappointing experience with their green tea latte (with the inexplicable melon syrup). I was hesitant...very hesitant. But, I decided I owed it to my readers to give it a shot.

I couldn't bring myself to try the tea infusions on my first try. The Berry Chai Infusion is a chai tea concentrate steamed with aronia berry and black currant juice. The Apple Chai Infusion is chai concentrate steamed with apple juice. I just couldn't work those flavors out. Actually, the apple chai sounded a lot like an apple cider drink, but I decided to start with something that would use real tea rather than a concentrate.

There are three new tea lattes using full leaf tea. The Black Tea Latte is Indian black tea with "classic syrup" (whatever that is) and steamed milk. The Vanilla Rooibos Latte combines rooibos with Tahitian vanilla and cinnamon, "classic syrup" and steamed milk. The last is a London Fog Tea Latte.

I chose the London Fog which I knew had Earl Grey tea. The Tazo version of Earl Grey adds lavender along with the bergamot to the black tea. I had ordered the largest size but was a bit horrified as I watched the barista put five shots of syrup in the cup first. I was having flashbacks to that frightening, sicky sweet green tea drink. I was wishing I had asked for her to go light on the syrup. She then added the water, the tea bag, and the steamed milk.

I kept the bag in for about 2 minutes, maybe a bit longer. (I was thinking that they should have given some guidance on this point. As my husband mentioned, with coffee they are so concerned about making sure you have the same experience each time and that they craft your experience. With tea, you're really on your own. Brew it yourself and hope it comes out okay.) The leaves were pre-packed into silk pouches with Tazo tags.

My first sip brought a burst of floral notes. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I took a second sip and felt myself smile. By the third sip I was completely in love. Really. It was fantastic. I think the steamed milk had picked up much of the Earl Grey scent, explaining that first burst of floral. As I drank more, that flavor became a bit more subtle. The lavender was very apparent and actually quite wonderful. It was sweet, sweeter than I would make at home, but it wasn't overly sweet. It was very well balanced. I was trying to work out the flavor of the syrup, but I couldn't make it out. I stopped at another Starbucks (since there are 1000 of them within 20 miles of here) and was told that it was vanilla syrup. Ahhhh....yes, it was.

The only other thing I will say is that the scent was very long lasting. It permeated my hair. I kept getting whiffs of lavender for hours after. I'm not complaining, except for the fact that it made me wish I had more.

French Press Mug

OK, so I didn't get to this on Friday after all. Oh well. Just something for you to look forward to. :)

I hope you had a nice weekend. As a reward for your patience, I really will be making two posts today.

This post is about a very cool product I received as a Christmas gift from my husband. It is a French Press Mug from Planetary Design.

At first the mug appears to be a typical thermal travel mug. Mine is a gorgeous cornflower blue with a generous handle and a well-fitting cover with a slide closure. But there is far more to this mug than meets the eye.

This innovative mug has a removable coffee press option, which, I might add, works beautifully for tea. Place your tea leaves in the bottom of the mug, pour in your water and place the press on top, snapping it into place as you would for the other cover. When your tea is done steeping, slowly press the plunger down to stop the brewing. (Because the leaves are not completely closed off from the water, a small amount of
brewing is still occurring. However, the mesh is so fine and the surface area of water to leaf, so small, that I think the effect is negligible.) There is a mesh covered drinking spout on the plunger cover so you can enjoy your tea on the go. This seems like a fantastic option for someone wanting to take a cup of fresh tea for their trip to work.

I feel like Ron Popeil here, but WAIT, THERE'S MORE! The bottom of the mug also snaps off to reveal a small lidded canister. With this canister you can bring along more tea for brewing later in the day (or maybe for your trip home.)

I don't say this lightly, but really, it's genius. I kept thinking of how I would have loved this when I used to commute on the train. It would have even been great in my last office where I had an electric kettle but not much room for teapots and teaware.

So, that's my rave for the day. I'm feeling a little Oprah-esque, but sorry, I won't be giving away any cars today.

You can see this product and other Planetary Design products, including their Tea Brewer, at http://www.planetarydesign.us.

Darjeeling Poobong White - SpecialTeas

Hi all,

If all goes well, you should be able to get two reviews today. The first will be for SpecialTeas' Poobong White. The second is for a very cool new piece of teaware I received as a post-Christmas gift.

I must start by saying that this was a sample I received from a friend. (Thanks again, CK.) That being the case, I cannot attest to its freshness or hold it up as representative of SpecialTeas' offerings. I just wanted to put that disclaimer out there.

Just a quick refresher - white tea is the least processed of all the teas. These leaves are picked, generally before they are full open, steamed and dried. That is it. There

These leaves are positively gorgeous. They look like fall leaves - olive, rust, and chestnut. The pieces are large and flat. Truly spectacular.

The scent was very subtle. Like cut grass and almonds.

This tea brewed to a very pale yellow. The scent of the brewed tea was drastically different from the dry leaf. In my cup I detected a sweetness and the aromas of pear, mint, and pomegranates.

The flavor of this tea was honey-like and sweet. I caught the taste of biting into a juicy peach on a warm summer day. Something reminiscent of mint provided a little bite and a long aftertaste.

Tea: Darjeeling Poobong White
Source: SpecialTeas
Type: White tea
Brewing details: 2 tsp in 6 ounces water at 180 degrees for 4 minutes.
Comment: SpecialTeas is currently waiting for word from their growers as to when this tea will be available again. Definitely worth a try.

The Teapot Cafe - Boxborough, MA

Last Saturday I had the chance to visit The Teapot Cafe in Boxborough, MA. I had been hearing about this tea shop for years but hadn't yet gotten there. (I'd tried to go one other time, but there was a bridal shower going on that day.) The cafe came under its current ownership in August of 2007.

Boxborough is a beautiful rural community filled with large old homes and lovely wooded areas. The Teapot Cafe is situated in a colonial home built in the 1770s, sharing the building with a law firm and a fantastic fabric shop called The Quilted Crow. (The Teapot Cafe site says that the building was actually a barn that was relocated from NH to its current site and rebuilt in the early 1980s. The Quilted Crow info. just notes its age as being from the 1770s.)

As you enter the front of The Teapot Cafe you are faced with a collection of gift items for sale. I must admit that at that moment I was more focused on getting to my reservation on time so I didn't do much perusing. I often find spaces like that feel a bit cluttered to me. I made my way through the gift shop into the cafe space.

The cafe has a very rustic feel, in keeping with the period of the house. The wide planks of the wooden floor, the exposed beams, the paned windows, and the subtle color of the sage walls created a nice feel. I was a bit puzzled by the art in the room, however. The black and white photographs on the wall were lovely - part of a rotating exhibit I presume. I couldn't quite comprehend the various LPs that were on the shelves along with the bowls made of melted LPs. I was really unclear as to how they fit the mood of the space.

There are two rooms with a hostess station and sideboard of loose leaf Harney & Sons tea for sale in the middle. One cafe room had three tables and the one I was in had six.

The tea menu was quite extensive - all loose leaf. I believe that it was all sourced from Harney & Sons. There were 7 black teas, 9 flavored teas, 3 green teas, and 6 herbal infusions. I decided to try the Russian Country Blend. It was a smoky tea, somewhat reminiscent of Mark T. Wendell's Afternoon Tea, but with a bit more smoke. It was served in a 2 cup ceramic pot and was brought to the table brewed with the leaves already removed. Extra points for this. Very good tea and brewed perfectly.

The food was served in the traditional three tiered arrangement. There were 4 types of sandwich. They were actually full sized sandwiches made with three thinly sliced pieces of bread with the crusts (mostly) removed. My favorite of the four was a honey ham with cheese and chipotle mustard. Well balanced flavors. I also enjoyed the turkey with cranberry chutney. Less successful was the cucumber and radish sandwich which seemed exceedingly dry and flavorless. I was also less than impressed with the hot house tomato and provolone sandwich. The center piece of bread had become very soggy. It reminded me of the way my sandwich would sometimes come out of my lunch box when I was a kid.

The second tier was a small gingerbread cookie and a scone with clotted cream and jam. These were both excellent. The bite-sized scone was simply perfect.

The last tier, the sweets, were decadent and wonderful. It included a rich chocolate brownie, a black and white cookie, a luscious pecan tart, and lemon cranberry bread. I ate every single bit and was in heaven. My only disappointment was that I had run out of tea at this point. I would have been happy to pay for another pot, but I didn't see a server and decided to just enjoy the desserts. (I wasn't asked if I wanted more tea, so it seemed like the tea comes with the 2 cup pot only.) I was also wishing I had asked for a glass of water.

I had a very nice visit all in all. The tea was excellent and the food was generally very successful. I certainly know a few people in my life who would enjoy this cafe with the added allure of an adjoining fabric store. Afternoon tea is served at The Teapot Cafe at 2:30 from Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations are required and they must be made by telephone 24 hours in advance. Lunch is also served at the cafe Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:30 to 2:00. That menu includes soups, sandwiches, and desserts. It is worth noting that The Teapot Cafe uses many locally grown ingredients from area farms.

Coconut Masala Chai - Yogic Chai

Have I mentioned that I adore chai? I have been fortunate to try many, many different kinds and have discovered some wonderful versions. Chai recipes vary from region to region, town to town, and even house to house. Families have their own family recipes that are handed down. (And, of course, each family thinks they have the best recipe.)

One of my great discoveries last year was a company called Yogic Chai. They offer a wide range of interesting takes on this beverage. I recently received some new samples of their products to try and I've been looking forward to experimenting with them.

Today's chai was a Coconut Masala Chai. I had tried some outstanding coconut teas from Spotted Leopard Teas in 2008 so I was excited about this tea.

The dry leaf was gorgeous - reminded me of snow. There were dark rolled Assam leaves mixed with fine flaked coconut, pieces of clove and cinnamon sticks, dried ginger, and green cardamom. I love that this company uses Fair Trade tea and organic ingredients. Bonus points. The scent of this leaf was of cardamom and ginger. I placed 1 tsp of the tea in 8 ounces of water in a pan and brought it to a boil. For my first batch, I simmered it for 3 minutes.

The scent of the brewed tea was warm, spicy, and full of cloves. The liquor was the color of apple cider. A few sips of this tea, both sweetened and unsweetened, convinced me that I had underbrewed this tea. The flavor was too weak and bland.

I started over. I again placed 1 tsp of the tea in 8 ounces of water. This time I simmered for 4 minutes. This method produced a much better tea.

Unsweetened - I detected a very distinct ginger bite and the rich spiciness of cloves. The coconut was there, very subtly, in the background.

With 1/2 tbs maple syrup - The ginger was even more apparent. I was really tasting the elements of the masala blend. It was an excellent masala chai, but the coconut just wasn't bold enough for me.

With the maple syrup and milk - The milk simply washed out the flavors. I think I will have to try substituting some milk for some of the water in the brewing if I wish to have this with milk. Alternately, the instructions on Yogic Chai's website suggest adding 1/4 cup milk after the tea has simmered and bring it to a boil without letting it boil over.

With sugar instead of maple syrup - The sugar dampened the bite of the ginger. It provided a flavorful, yet less spicy version, of this tea.

With sugar and milk - Sweet and smooth chai. Flavorful, but it tasted a bit more like commercially sold chai drinks.

Tea: Coconut Masala Chai
Source: Yogic Chai
Type: Chai (black tea base)
Brewing details: 1 tsp in 8 ounces water in a saucepan brought to a boil then simmered 4 min.
Comment: A lovely spicy chai. I'm going to have to go back to Spotted Leopard for my coconut fix, but Yogic has still produced a nice blend.