Children's Books about Tea - More, More, More!

It's all about tea books around here right now...and books about history. For pleasure I'm reading "John Adams" by David McCullough. Really interesting but a bit hard to read in the one page increments I'm usually able to read in lately. BUT, for my Tea Pages "work" (I use that word VERY lightly) I've had some really interesting things to check out. It's been hard to decide what to read when I have time!

Today I'm going to look at two more children's books. Coming up, though, I'll be looking at the debut novel for a new young adult series, The Teashop Girls. I also received what could only be classified as the perfect book for me - "Knitting and Tea." Really. I hope it lives up to my very, very high hopes and expectations.

By the way, if you are interested in literature and have a quirky, sarcastic sense of humor there's a great new blog for you to check out. Completely irreverent and definitely amusing. (And, yes, I know the author so this isn't completely random.)

One other note - This week make sure you're checking back here at Tea Pages. We'll be having a give away of some gift certificates to Aura Teas...Details to come.

OK, back to children's books.

The first is Come to Tea on Planet Zum-Zee by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees. This 2005 publication is reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss book with its silly rhymes and unique cast of characters. This book introduces you to the Planet Zum-Zee where alien children of all shapes and sizes are coming to share tea and treats. From the fuzzy yellow aliens who bring cake to the bald, red and round aliens who bring pizza and the blue alien who brings...What is that stuff anyway?...the characters are fun and appealing to kids. The illustrations are bright and vibrant, drawing you in to the story. American readers will immediately notice a few Brit terms like when they "tucked in" to tea, but my kids didn't mind. Definitely one worth adding to your children's collection, whether you're a tea lover or not!



The second book I took a look at this week was Lady Ginny's Tea Parties
by Susan Rennick Jolliffe. (Thank you to Orca Book for supplying this text.)

Lady Ginny's was a totally new approach to tea books from the others I've reviewed. The concept is that a very proper poodle named Lady Ginny and her moody cat Codger will host one tea party per month for her various friends. Each tea has its own theme appropriate to the guests. The book is laid out as a scrapbook, documenting each tea. The author definitely put a great deal of thought into developing detailed accounts of each tea.

The age range recommended was 4 - 8, but I would suggest it for the older end of that range. The humor is a bit too mature for 4 year olds.

The illustrations are extremely detailed and busy. To be honest, I think the way text boxes were overlayed onto the illustrations made it difficult to read sometimes. It felt hard to focus on the text with the elaborate parties going on all around.

2 Wuyis and a White Tea

Hello to all my fine, forgiving readers...

Our house has been beset by one of the never ending viruses that seems to be making the rounds. My husband and I got to go out for Valentine's Day (small miracle!) to dinner and to see the new show "Dirty Dancing." We had a fabulous time. Unfortunately, as we returned home we found that my son's cough had escalated to croup. Ugh. Poor kid. We've since had this awful cough/ sore throat / tight chest / fever-y mess of an illness running through the house. First my son...then me...then my husband. My daughter is the latest with it. And IT NEVER SEEMS TO GO AWAY! My son is on day 10...BUT, I just couldn't bear to have any more time go by without posting. So, I'm back. As a thank you for your patience I'm going to review 3 teas today.


Organic Silver Star - David's Tea

This was one of several samples I received from David's Tea.

The leaf was soft, needle shaped and completely covered in downy white hair. There were some pieces of green leaf mixed in with the silver needle as well. The scent was sweet and lemony. It was actually reminiscent of something I'd smelled before - a connection that I suspect very few of you would make.

Many years ago I worked for the US Department of Agriculture doing research. Our primary medium for the research was potatoes. We used to collect samples of plants - leaves, potatoes, etc. We would weigh the samples and then dry them and re-weigh to assess water content. I remember there being a huge drying room, dark and hot and full of tall shelving with wire mesh racks that the bags of samples would go on. I will never forget the smell of that room - kind of like a sauna, but with this additional scent of dried autumn leaves. That is what this tea smelled like.

1 1/2 tsp per 8 ounces water for 4 minutes at 170 degrees - The tea brewed to a nearly colorless brew. There was an extremely pale yellow tint. (The second infusion yielded a slightly darker color.) It smelled of apples and honey. The taste was reminiscent of leaves, forests, and pine. It had a lovely sweetness to it. The after taste was of tulips and honey. The second infusion was a bit more lemony.

I'm going to need some more time with this tea to develop a strong opinion. For now, I will say that it was clean and pleasant and deserving of some more tries.


Wuyi Oolong - Mighty Leaf Tea

This is the first of two oolongs I recently received from Mighty Leaf Tea. (The other was the Jade Oolong.)

The dry leaf was dark brown with long, twisted leaf pieces. The scent was that difficult to describe oolong scent. I must echo the frustration of many, many tea writers/reviewers who cannot come up with a description for oolong's aroma. There was some smokiness to this particular tea's scent also.

1 tsp in 6 ounces water for 3 1/2 minutes at 190 degrees: The tea brewed to a peach colored liquor. The scent was like a musky black tea. The first infusion tasted of lemon and mint. I couldn't quite get the taste I anticipated from this oolong. The second brew was much darker, more like a black tea. The flavors were richer and more complex.


Super Butterfly Wuyi - David's Tea

This tea, while also a Wuyi oolong, could not have been more different from the Mighty Leaf version.

The dry leaf was tightly rolled and a mix of olive, dark green, and ebony colors. The scent was rich and chocolate-y.

1 tsp per 6 ounces water for 3 1/2 minutes at 200 degrees - The aroma of this brewed tea was oolong with a lovely sweetness. The color was maize, yellow-orange liquor.

This was an extraordinarily full flavored tea - gorgeous and intoxicating. It was sweet and slightly floral. It reminded me of the greener oolongs I've been partial to lately. The second infusion was also excellent - rich, honey, and slightly savory.

Another batch of tisanes...

For some reason I've been receiving quite a few samples of herbal infusions. I'm not sure why the shift. Maybe people are trying to send me things that I haven't already tried. While I generally prefer true tea, I am always happy to try something new. I have had some really pleasant surprises lately with herbals. Here are just a few of the newer arrivals:

Aura Teas - Herbal Dream Chai
Ingredients: Mint, Chamomile, Rose Petals, Bay Leaves, Coriander, Cumin Seeds, and Ginger Root
Brewing: 2 tsp per 4 ounces water for 2 1/2 minutes at 212 degrees
The dry mix of this tea included large pieces of mint leaves and a colorful assortment of seeds, chamomile buds, and pink rose petals. It smelled like mint and herbs, reminding me of this natural food store I occasionally visit back in Maine called "The Store." You know the kind of place - slightly dark, full of bins of herbs and beans and rices...(No, this is not representative of all natural food stores, by any means, but definitely of a particular type of store that was established in the '80s and '90s.) The tea brewed to a yellow/honey colored liquor with a scent that reminded me of rosemary, pine, bay leaves, and then, mint. The flavor was primarily minty but with the lightness of chamomile. It wasn't overly spicy, but it was complex.

David's Tea - Spicy Chocolate Rooibos (Organic)
Ingredients: Rooibos, pink peppercorns, banana, and apple
Brewing: 1 1/2 tsp per 8 ounces water for 5 minutes at 212 degrees
I was intrigued by this one when it arrived. Then last night I attended a class on tea and chocolate pairing (more on that later.) We were served a chocolate rooibos that was really impressive so it guaranteed that this would go on today's tasting list.

The dry blend was a mix of the dark and rust colors of the rooibos with bright pink peppercorns and chunks of dried fruit. It reminded me of a field in Maine with the pink and white granite peeking up through the soil and the bright lichens growing on the stones. The scent was nothing less than shocking. It was a stunning amount of aroma. I kept settling on Circus Peanuts (the marshmallow-y candy) as the closest thing. The chocolate scent snuck in there too.

It brewed to an orange-y red liquor with the scent of chocolate, orange, and the aforementioned Circus Peanuts. I think it was the banana that was giving me that sensation.

The flavor was of orange, bananas, and chocolate. Sweet, like candy. It reminded me a little of those orange cream filled chocolates. Truly fabulous. What an incredible treat. A real winner. Can I say more?

Rishi Tea - Organic Cinnamon Plum
Ingredients: (All organic) Cinnamon, Fair Trade hibiscus, currants, licorice root, natural plum flavor
Brewing: 1 tbs in 8 ounces water for 5 minutes at 212 degrees

I actually received this sample a couple months back in a surprise package from Rishi. (Thanks Rishi.)

The dry blend was vibrantly colored with large pieces of flower petal, dried berries, and chunks of root. It reminded me a bit of potpourri. The scent was of berry juice blends and cinnamon. It brewed to a cherry red liquor with a scent of berry and cinnamon and mulled cider.

The flavor was quite sweet and bold, full of berry flavor and cinnamon spice. It reminded me of Thanksgiving and Christmas...winter nights. What a gorgeous winter treat.

Thank you to Aura, David's Tea, and Rishi for these fabulous offerings.

Baxter Tea Company - Good Tea, Good Cause

Hello all,

I hope you're having a great day wherever you are. We're suddenly having a winter warm up. It's been in the teens and 20s here, but today it's supposed to be 55 degrees. I'm practically watching our snowmen melt before our very eyes.

Today I wanted to share some info. about a new-ish tea company that cropped up in Maine. I was born and raised in Maine and have a strong affinity for that part of the world. As soon as I'm on I-95 it feels like I'm heading home. So I thought it would be interesting to highlight some of the tea companies that have set up shop there. I've only found two so far! Baxter Tea Company is one of these two.

Baxter Tea was established by Maine native Lisa Liberatore to provide high quality tea and to help with causes she believes in. The company is named for the 200,000 acre Baxter State Park, a gorgeous refuge of mountains (including Mount Katahdin), lakes and forest land. Lisa's love for Baxter State Park is closely intertwined with her business plan. 10% of the sales from online loose tea sales are donated to support the ongoing preservation of this land. Another key part of the company's charity work is supporting fundraising efforts for schools through their "Baxter Tea Company Tea and Coffee Fundraisers."

These are worthy goals and connections, certainly. As someone who spent all of my professional career to date in the non-profit sector, I am a great admirer of business owners who give back in these ways. But let's be honest. What is most important is the tea, right?

Rest assured, Baxter Tea Company has the tea side covered very well. Their products include a range of loose teas (scented, unscented, and herbal), iced tea blends in pre-made filter packs, pre-packaged teas by Bromley's and Teaposy (flowering teas), as well as teaware and accessories. They have also added coffee to their offerings.

Baxter Tea provided me with four samples to try - China Black Rose, Earl Grey, Mandarin Flavored Sencha, and Blueberry Rooibos. I thought all of these were very well done blends - not overly scented, clean flavors, and well-formed tea leaves.

• Mandarin Flavored Sencha - I was hesitant about this one. I sometimes worry that flavoring is used to mask poorer quality tea. I also have had some really good and really not good orange teas. I assure you that there was no need for hesitation here. It was a wonderful blend. The orange blended beautifully with the sencha flavor. Rather than masking flavors, I felt like it made them even brighter. I suspect this would make an outstanding iced tea.
  
• The China Black Rose wasn't my favorite - there was something about the scent that was reminding me of candy and Fruit Loops. The flavor of the tea was nice, it just wasn't something I would choose on a regular basis.
  
• The Blueberry Rooibos was surprisingly good. I am generally hesitant about blueberry teas. I think blueberry is very hard to capture without it tasting artificial. And rooibos is such a hit or miss with me. Again, it isn't something I'd buy regularly, but it was a really pleasant change. Nicely done.
• The Earl Grey was among the best I've ever had. Seriously. The scenting was so subtle. It was an amazing black with a light, ethereal quality added by the scenting. Ironically, in the past, my favorite Earl Greys have been the bolder ones. This couldn't have been more different, but it was amazing. I would highly recommend giving it a try. (I also used it to mimic Starbucks' London Fog latte with great results - 1 1/2 cups Baxter Earl Grey, 2 tbs Torani Vanilla Syrup, and about 1/4 cup foamed milk. Mmmm....)
  

Based on my initial experience with Baxter Tea, I would definitely recommend checking out their offerings. Great tea that supports an excellent cause.

***Completely unrelated note - After my initial excitement over the Starbucks London Fog latte I decided to try their Black Tea latte. Completely lackluster, IMHO. It reminded me of when I was sick as a kid and my mom would make me a mug of Red Rose tea with milk and sugar in it. It wasn't bad. It just really wasn't very interesting. (I was told that it's Indian black tea, steamed milk and "Classic syrup," which is just a simple syrup.)