Winter is coming and I generally stay away from anything cold. But, it works for me, because I love hot tea - and it can be hard to drink a nice cup of hot tea in the humid summer. So as we get into winter, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes for a Masala tea. If you are not sure where to get spices, I'm including a link to Nirmala's Kitchen - it is a good place to start.
I think you'll enjoy this. Happy Winter!
To boiling water add:
1. Black tea leaves
2. Brown Sugar
3. Black pepper
4. Cloves
5. Ginger
6. Cardamom
7. Cinnamon
Let ingredients sit for about 10 minutes on low boil; strain into cup; and enjoy!
Spices can be found at:
http://www.nirmalaskitchen.com/products_home.php?type=2
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
The T-link on the sidebar
Check it out! nicecupofteaandasitdown is a great website with BISCUIT reviews! (for the Yanks: that means cookies.)
The British tradition of having tea with biscuits only amplifies the tea-drinking experience. It's a great site, recommended to me by a good friend--and of course I became addicted. I was in England at the time, so the reviews of the different biscuits were actually strictly relevant to my grocery shopping.
My favorite biscuit: ginger snaps! They go really well with tea. In England I used the McVities' Ginger Nuts, but in the US I buy the old-style type of ginger snap, they're less sugary and more gingery.
Another fave is Demitasse tea biscuits. I soon cooled on McVities' Digestives, even though I liked them for a bit--because they just felt too thick and buttery for me. But they're an essential installment for any British-style teatime.
Nowadays, though, we can be more modern and "chic" with our biscuit tastes--try Loacker vanilla or hazelnut wafers, Fig Newtons, or Alternative Baking Company's vegan cookies--available from co-ops or Trader Joe's, I believe. All go great with tea--sugary enough to be sweet, but not so sugary that they eclipse the taste of the tea. That's my major complaint with most biscuits.
And if you're REALLY looking to be healthy, have tea with an almond-and-raisin trail mix. It's like a variation on nutty coffee--with tea! Yum!
Ok, I'm done now. Enjoy!
The British tradition of having tea with biscuits only amplifies the tea-drinking experience. It's a great site, recommended to me by a good friend--and of course I became addicted. I was in England at the time, so the reviews of the different biscuits were actually strictly relevant to my grocery shopping.
My favorite biscuit: ginger snaps! They go really well with tea. In England I used the McVities' Ginger Nuts, but in the US I buy the old-style type of ginger snap, they're less sugary and more gingery.
Another fave is Demitasse tea biscuits. I soon cooled on McVities' Digestives, even though I liked them for a bit--because they just felt too thick and buttery for me. But they're an essential installment for any British-style teatime.
Nowadays, though, we can be more modern and "chic" with our biscuit tastes--try Loacker vanilla or hazelnut wafers, Fig Newtons, or Alternative Baking Company's vegan cookies--available from co-ops or Trader Joe's, I believe. All go great with tea--sugary enough to be sweet, but not so sugary that they eclipse the taste of the tea. That's my major complaint with most biscuits.
And if you're REALLY looking to be healthy, have tea with an almond-and-raisin trail mix. It's like a variation on nutty coffee--with tea! Yum!
Ok, I'm done now. Enjoy!
*This won't be a rave*
I went to Remedy Tea bar recently: http://www.remedytea.com/.
I have two things to say:
1) I got sick. It was probably due to the tea. Maybe they used bad milk! In all fairness, the tea thing I got (a "Caramel creme latte") tasted really good, but may have not been prepared properly.
2) I also tried some Green Tea poundcake. Good stuff, but not so good when paired with a very sweet tea--eat the two separately if at all, I would say.
I'm sad because I was pretty excited about this place. Nonetheless, sometimes tea is best when it's traditional--i.e., not made with cream and caramel drizzle. Sometimes you just need to brew some earl grey leaves and call it a day.
I have two things to say:
1) I got sick. It was probably due to the tea. Maybe they used bad milk! In all fairness, the tea thing I got (a "Caramel creme latte") tasted really good, but may have not been prepared properly.
2) I also tried some Green Tea poundcake. Good stuff, but not so good when paired with a very sweet tea--eat the two separately if at all, I would say.
I'm sad because I was pretty excited about this place. Nonetheless, sometimes tea is best when it's traditional--i.e., not made with cream and caramel drizzle. Sometimes you just need to brew some earl grey leaves and call it a day.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Sunday afternoon at ching ching CHA
My fellow blogger and I recently visited ching ching CHA with a good friend. The Chinese tea house is located in Georgetown (1063 Wisconsin Ave to be precise) and they have a wonderful selection of Asian teas, teapots, and even books on tea. They sell mostly herbal teas - not the kind you drink with milk...but for sweet tooths, there is plenty of sugar/honey for your tastes! The tea menu nicely describes the ingredients in each tea and its medicinal properties.
The tea house serves the tea in clay pots from China or iron pots from Japan (giving an authentic feel) and plenty of water which is heated right in front of you. I loved this - because I like to refill my tea cup with water (you can do this two to three times with one teaspoon or so of loose leaf before the taste of the tea goes away). The prices are reasonable (we bought a few pounds of rose and lavender tea for only $10.00) and the service is great. Our waiter always made sure our water tea pot had enough water for the three of us.
Its a great way to spend an afternoon drinking tea or you can purchase loose leaf tea (and maybe a book about the tea), take it home, and drink it on your time. The tea house plays soothing music and provides a nice ambiance to sit back and relax (by yourself or with friends). We spent a few hours in the tea house drinking tea with some snacks.
Rating: Two thumbs up. Good for young, old, introverts, or extroverts. We recommend you go and check it out - if anything you'll leave feeling relaxed and having enjoyed a nice cup of tea.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
tea tumbler
Recently, my fellow blogger and I made an important purchse: the loose-leaf tea tumbler. You can use it to brew loose-leaf tea! It's pretty much like a basic coffee thermos/flask, with the addition of a little tea-straining bucket. I've used it a couple of times now, and I definitely like it. Although, to be completely fair, you can sort of rig something like this on your own, with the use of one of those chain-ball tea strainers. But it is very neat and cute, and also keeps the tea fairly hot with a complete lid (instead of a lid with a hole, which I never understood--I mean, yeah, you can sip it on the go, but I try to avoid doing that anyway because I just end up with a second-degree burnt lower lip and chin).
Pluses: cute colors, and looks sophisticated. Also, the little tea bucket isn't too messy and it has a sipper with little holes to strain the tea as you drink it.
Minuses: it's plastic, which can keep things not so hot. Also, there are downsides if you want to make loose-leaf black tea and add milk and sugar, and then you're stuck because you have to take the bucket out, and add the milk etc. So, there's a point at which you wonder: why don't I just make the tea separately and pour it into a thermos? As far as I can tell, this thing is manufactured by REI, which means it's essentially American--which can explain the thinking behind the design. I can just see the designer thinking to himself, "why would anyone put milk in their tea?"
But yeah, I've kept this thing next to my laptop a couple of times over the last few weeks.
Available from: L.L. Bean, I believe, is so far the only retailer I can think of that has this. It might range from about $12-14.
And, of course, no commercial affiliation blah blah.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Naked Chocolate Cafe
This place is awesome.
I went recently and loved it--great, yummy cupcakes and delicious tea! They also have (though I didn't try it)--individual dessert fondue! Yummmm.
This is part of my vision for what tea shops and cafes Of the Future should be like--hip and zany, with a correspondingly hardcore adherence to traditionally good tea and coffee. (Not, need I add, like the broad, try-too-hard-to-do-everything-and-suck-at-it approach of the major cafe chains).
Plus, the tea cups they gave us were glass (Persian/Turkish style) and were different sizes, which I just thought was cool.
**Disclaimer: no commercial affiliation. Just wanted to tell you all about a good tea/dessert experience. :)
I went recently and loved it--great, yummy cupcakes and delicious tea! They also have (though I didn't try it)--individual dessert fondue! Yummmm.
This is part of my vision for what tea shops and cafes Of the Future should be like--hip and zany, with a correspondingly hardcore adherence to traditionally good tea and coffee. (Not, need I add, like the broad, try-too-hard-to-do-everything-and-suck-at-it approach of the major cafe chains).
Plus, the tea cups they gave us were glass (Persian/Turkish style) and were different sizes, which I just thought was cool.
**Disclaimer: no commercial affiliation. Just wanted to tell you all about a good tea/dessert experience. :)
Saturday, September 8, 2007
An Ode to Wright's Bar tea
Back in the US, and feeling it strongly now that I am on yet another college campus, I have noticed the dearth of good tea among US cafes. Starbucks sells Tazo or Republic of Tea, which is good tea for sure, but there' s something about adding cold-thermosed milk to a lightly brewed cup of Earl Grey that sours the whole experience (pun intended).
Therefore, I have begun to miss my Wright's Bar tea.
Wright's Bar is on the LSE campus just off Kingsway, in the Holborn neighborhood of London. I am telling you these directions because it is a great place to get a cheap, quick cup of tea on your way down the Strand to see Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, etc. Obviously those things are important, but stop by for a cup of tea first.
Wright's Bar tea is 45 p (that's right, folks, less than 1 USD), is fresh-brewed and black, and can be requested with milk and sugar. And when I say milk and sugar, I mean hot milk and a huge scoop of sugar. Somehow, the product is not sickly sweet or disgusting, but comforting in the winter, caffeinating in the spring and summer, and generally a great way to spend your next 45 p.
Okay, so it's not the classiest tea joint in town, but I have a spot in my heart for this tea, and always will have. More importantly, I propose the following for American cafes: what can be learned from this experience? Not just for tea, but for coffee too?
Having partaken of plenty of coffee/tea since I was old enough to imbibe caffeine (and not get so jittery I had to be put down for a nap), I know the following:
1) a good hot drink is just that. HOT. I will not TELL you how many times I've gotten a Caramel Macchiato, or a Chai Tea Latte (don't even get me STARTED on how redundant that name is), and the drink is just not hot enough. Meaning, I have to drink it within 30 seconds to make sure it's just as hot at the end as the beginning. This was never a problem with Wright's Bar tea.
2) So, steam the milk for goodness' sake! And if a customer is requesting a hot cup of tea, maybe the cafe could offer them some hot milk instead of the cold thermos? (which, by the way, I'm convinced makes the milk sour? I mean, they sit out all day people.)
...Next time, I'm just going to ask for some hot milk. I'll report back and let you know what happens.
In the meantime, go to London. While there, have tea at Wright's Bar. Also, you could probably stop by The Wolseley or Harrod's for an actual sophisticated tea if you like. But don't blame me if you like Wright's Bar better.
*** More on London tea joints coming soon!
Therefore, I have begun to miss my Wright's Bar tea.
Wright's Bar is on the LSE campus just off Kingsway, in the Holborn neighborhood of London. I am telling you these directions because it is a great place to get a cheap, quick cup of tea on your way down the Strand to see Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, etc. Obviously those things are important, but stop by for a cup of tea first.
Wright's Bar tea is 45 p (that's right, folks, less than 1 USD), is fresh-brewed and black, and can be requested with milk and sugar. And when I say milk and sugar, I mean hot milk and a huge scoop of sugar. Somehow, the product is not sickly sweet or disgusting, but comforting in the winter, caffeinating in the spring and summer, and generally a great way to spend your next 45 p.
Okay, so it's not the classiest tea joint in town, but I have a spot in my heart for this tea, and always will have. More importantly, I propose the following for American cafes: what can be learned from this experience? Not just for tea, but for coffee too?
Having partaken of plenty of coffee/tea since I was old enough to imbibe caffeine (and not get so jittery I had to be put down for a nap), I know the following:
1) a good hot drink is just that. HOT. I will not TELL you how many times I've gotten a Caramel Macchiato, or a Chai Tea Latte (don't even get me STARTED on how redundant that name is), and the drink is just not hot enough. Meaning, I have to drink it within 30 seconds to make sure it's just as hot at the end as the beginning. This was never a problem with Wright's Bar tea.
2) So, steam the milk for goodness' sake! And if a customer is requesting a hot cup of tea, maybe the cafe could offer them some hot milk instead of the cold thermos? (which, by the way, I'm convinced makes the milk sour? I mean, they sit out all day people.)
...Next time, I'm just going to ask for some hot milk. I'll report back and let you know what happens.
In the meantime, go to London. While there, have tea at Wright's Bar. Also, you could probably stop by The Wolseley or Harrod's for an actual sophisticated tea if you like. But don't blame me if you like Wright's Bar better.
*** More on London tea joints coming soon!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Douglas Adams and Tea
For those of you who are Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (book or film) fans this passage from Douglas Adams may be of interest to you. It's taken from Adams' The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time and basically suggests that most of us (ahem, Americans...) don't know how to make a good cup of tea. Well, you know, to be honest, at first I was a bit offended, how hard is it boil water and put in a teabag...? But, then I made tea the way Adams recommends, and you know, now I REALLY know how a good cup of tea is supposed to taste. I'm serious! If you spend just a few more minutes making that afternoon cup of tea the way Adams recommends, the tea is INCREDIBLE . Most of the time my tea is light or too dark and the water is either overboiled or underboiled (apparently I'm not good at boiling water), but sometimes I boil the water just right and brew the tea to the perfect time and wow, it is heaven. You can get that feeling everytime when you make tea according to Adams! Really! Try it out and let us know...
Enjoy your tea!
Adams (2002) pgs. 67-69
Tea
One or two Americans have asked me why the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to make it properly.
There is a very simple principle to the making of tea, and it's this - to get the proper flavor of tea, the water has to be boilING (not boilED) when it hits the tea leaves. If it's merely hot, then the tea will be insipid. That's why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as not to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And that's why the American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag, and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans are all mystified about why the English makes such a big thing out of tea because most Americans HAVE NEVER HAD A GOOD CUP OF TEA. That's why they don't understand. In fact, the truth of the matter is that most English people don't know how to make real tea anymore either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants.
So the best advice I can give to an American arriving in England is this: Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea. Go back to where you're staying and boil a kettle of water. While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed pack and sniff. Careful - you may feel a bit dizzy, but this is in fact perfectly legal. When the kettle has boiled, pour a little of it into a teapot, swirl it around, and tip it out again. Put a couple (or three, depending on the size of the pot) of tea bags into the pot. (If I was really trying to lead you into the paths of rightousness, I would tell you to use free leaves rather than bags, but let's just take this in easy stages). Bring the kettle back up to the boil, and then pour the boiling water as quickly as you can into a cup. Some people will tell you that you shouldn't have milk with Earl Grey, just a slice of lemon. Screw them. I like it with milk. If you think you will like it with milk, then it's probably best to put some milk into the bottom of the cup before you pour in the tea. If you pour milk into a cup of hot tea, you will scald the milk. If you think you will prefer it with a slice of lemon, then, well, add a slice of lemon.
Drink it. After a few moments you will begin to think that the place you've come to isn't maybe quite so strange and crazy after all.
Enjoy your tea!
Adams (2002) pgs. 67-69
Tea
One or two Americans have asked me why the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to make it properly.
There is a very simple principle to the making of tea, and it's this - to get the proper flavor of tea, the water has to be boilING (not boilED) when it hits the tea leaves. If it's merely hot, then the tea will be insipid. That's why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as not to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And that's why the American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag, and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans are all mystified about why the English makes such a big thing out of tea because most Americans HAVE NEVER HAD A GOOD CUP OF TEA. That's why they don't understand. In fact, the truth of the matter is that most English people don't know how to make real tea anymore either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants.
So the best advice I can give to an American arriving in England is this: Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea. Go back to where you're staying and boil a kettle of water. While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed pack and sniff. Careful - you may feel a bit dizzy, but this is in fact perfectly legal. When the kettle has boiled, pour a little of it into a teapot, swirl it around, and tip it out again. Put a couple (or three, depending on the size of the pot) of tea bags into the pot. (If I was really trying to lead you into the paths of rightousness, I would tell you to use free leaves rather than bags, but let's just take this in easy stages). Bring the kettle back up to the boil, and then pour the boiling water as quickly as you can into a cup. Some people will tell you that you shouldn't have milk with Earl Grey, just a slice of lemon. Screw them. I like it with milk. If you think you will like it with milk, then it's probably best to put some milk into the bottom of the cup before you pour in the tea. If you pour milk into a cup of hot tea, you will scald the milk. If you think you will prefer it with a slice of lemon, then, well, add a slice of lemon.
Drink it. After a few moments you will begin to think that the place you've come to isn't maybe quite so strange and crazy after all.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Welcome to the world of Chai Chic
Hello and welcome to the world of Chai Chic. In this blog we will be reviewing different types of teas, tea-related foods, and tea accessories from all over the world. Expect a younger, fresher, more modern take on tea--not your average, run-of-the-mill "tea and crumpets."
And yes, we might spice it up with some Chai from time to time. But it'll always be chic!
Enjoy!
And yes, we might spice it up with some Chai from time to time. But it'll always be chic!
Enjoy!
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