Jasmine Pearl

Jasmine Pearl

Type; Green (Chinese), Flavoured with Jasmine

Price; £ 12-13 for 100 grams (shy of 4 oz)

Reasoning;

While this tea is techincally a green flavoured tea, I often times feel that the flavoured teas should be in a class all by themselves. Different production methods do make all the difference, and with different elements added, this adds a new complexity to tea.

Jasmine pearl is perhaps a beginner’s tea. I do not mean that it is simple; merely that it is a classic. Jasmine has long been used as a flavour to chinese teas, and the element is magnified in the pearl structure. I have seen many variations of this tea, and the one that struck me as the most fascinating, was in each pearl, a jasmine flower lay.

The effort and mount of time that is spent on the Jasmine Pearl, usually mean it is a bit pricier, but one can taste the difference in comparison to a simple jasmine tea. The essence is added to the teas by laying layer of tea, silk, jasmine, silk, tea, silk, and jasmine. Rarely letting the elements be mixed. The effort that is spent assures a well flavoured tea that is often strong, but not over powering. In a high quality Jasmine Pearl, each individual pearl is rolled, into its shape with just 2 leaves and a bud. One can judge the quality of the tea by the appearance of the pearls, the leaves once they've unraveled, and of course the taste.

I often times enjoy having a Jasmine Pearl as a way to gauge how serious a tea place takes their tea. Once you have had a nice, crisp, fresh, tasting Jasmine, you can tell which shops focus on their tea, and which ones focus less. I know it is overly harsh to judge a tea shop on a single tea, but the advantage is that Jasmine Pearl is becoming/is so popular that most shops carry it. And while one always has their favourites, there are so many different teas it is nice to see a variant on a fairly stable type.

I enjoy watching a good Jasmine Pearl in a glass tea pot, as it is always fascinating to watch them unravel. Unlike blooming teas, (a blog post hopefully later), these are rolled for their flavour, not for beauty, and yet it is striking to see them as they transform.

I will admit my bias, that Jasmine Pearls were my introduction into the world of teas, and as such, will always hold a place in my heart. (overly cheesy yes?) Though I will admit to be cautious and not to let this one over-brew, as there can be a thing as too much Jasmine.

-Tea Fanatic

Marybong Darjeeling First Flush

Marybong Darjeeling

“So magical, so mystical”

http://www.chamong.com/marybong-tea-estate.html

Type; Black Tea, Darjeeling, First Flush, FTGFOP

Price; aim for £ 8-9 for 100 grams (shy of 4 oz).

Reasoning;

A conversation with a friend, gossiping about which teas are favourites and which aren’t, leads into this blog post ; I feel it is time to announce my favourite of the black teas.

Marybong Darjeeling is my favourite black tea. And perhaps it is unfair to use this tea, as I have only found one tea-shop that carries it (Anteaques), but before we get into the Estate itself, I feel a crash course in Darjeeling is at hand.

One of the most interesting factors of a Darjeeling, is where they are grown. High in the Himalayas, the altitude, soil type, and atmosphere, are all reasons why this tea is so highly sought after. Darjeelings will have a first flush, and then a second flush tea. A usual safe way to analyze these two, is the first flush will be more crisp, with more citrus undertones, as well as floral, while the second flush is usually considered more well rounded, full-bodied, and contains sometimes a nuttiness to it. Usually a second flush is what is thought of when one has a Darjeeling. Another interesting fact is in regards to the amount of Darjeeling. The massive market for them is often times causing vendors to mix in teas with the Darjeelings. It has been suggested that 2x as much tea is labeled Darjeeling, than is actually grown there.

A fun fact is actually that Clipper ships, the tea racing ships, were created due to the market in variance in the two flushes of teas. First Flushes were highly sought after, and thus drove a demand for. This is also interesting because often times an individual will only like one, or the other, having a clear preference for either first flushes, or second flushes.

Another interesting fact that I always find, is that the same tea bush, can produce such a different flavour, in such a short period of time. This element is only compounded when one considers the different tea estates, and how each of these is very distinct.

Taking these elements into consideration, the Marybong estate is a smaller estate, and is less famous than others (say a Castleton or a Margaret's Hope). But I feel that this estate has one of the most distinctive first flushes. The elements of this tea are very complex, however the astringent, citrus undertones, with a floral mixture always make this one of my favourites. Letting it brew for longer than customary, one notes a peppery/zesty undertone which only compliments the notes further.

Currently this estate is in transitions to Organic, and while I am not completely sold in the matter, I can see this step only adding to the complexity of this tea. Located in the “Golden Valley”, Darjeeling teas are noted for growing at very high altitudes, and this tea is no exception, growing at 1970 metres above sea level. My friends who were drinking the tea thought they noted a peach undertone, or an apricot undertone, both of which I see possible in the delicate, delicious, divine, Darjeeling tea.

A tea well worth trying, especially if one wishes to try First Flushes. Delicate and Complex in ways that remind the drinker of a Chinese green, yet this tea is fully fermented, and is distinctly a black.

~~Tea Fanatic

Lavender Earl Grey

Earl Grey is perhaps the quintessential tea of Britain. It is what we all know. I believe that one could even be so bold as to say the most well known tea.

And while there may be numerous stories about Earl Grey, and how it came about to be, this post is not about the standard, more of a new take.

Lavender Earl Grey is still Earl Grey. The bergamot maintains its standard flavour, that is so distinct to the Earl Grey, and maintains a comfort, while the lavender, a flavour, and aroma that is itself a standard, adds to the blend harmonizing them both, while taking off more of the astringent nature of the tea, yet still very full-bodied. No lemon need be added, this tea's added complexity has an aroma most pleasant, with a flavour to match. I would strongly suggest this blend, or a similar blend, for those that are tired of the standard.

This particular blend was made by Sterling Tea, (http://www.sterlingtea.com/) though their prices are a tad bit higher than they should be, it is an interesting blend that I am amazed that I hadn't had before today.

-Tea Fanatic

The Path of Tea (Teashop)

(Photo is not mine, credit to Finijo)

The Path of Tea

2340 West Alabama, Houston Texas, 77098

713-252-4473

www.thepathoftea.com

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing this shop (twice) while I was in Houston. The first time visiting a friend from University, the second time on a road trip to see the Corpse Flower bloom. There is much to be said of this shop, it overall ranks fairly well. (I'd give it an 8 out of 10).

While there has been much discussion in the Texas tea community about the owner and proprietor, who comes off as a very sweet lady (though needs to spend a lot less time talking about the pH of water). The opinions that I have gained about her, Thia McKann, is that she has a tad bit of a complex. I was told a story about the first time a shop opened up in Dallas, that the owners received someone, sent by her, who wanted to make sure that they knew she was the ONLY certified tea master in Texas, and that they were not.

While I am not one for titles, this particularly irritates me. You can see direct evidence for this on her web-site, (link provided above), of her stating this fact("only 14 in the country"). Talking to other people, I have yet to find anyone that actually believes in her certification, as I heard talk that it was less real, and more for show, certification. Perhaps a blog entry should be titled on certifications in the tea community. Saying this I do have the highest respect for the Japanese Tea Ceremony, but as I don't see what her certification is in, I don't see what the point of saying that is, if not for show.

Regardless, this is about the shop, and I have to say that the environment was very nice. A very distinct Japanese element is held in the shop, with minimalist themes throughout the shop. I particularly enjoyed the fact that there was a smelling/tasting/inspecting area for the teas to one side, though many of the teas needed to be changed. This allowed for people to inspect the quality of the leaves, and judge them to the others to finalize there decision. A major plus in my book.

I ordered the Emerald Lily (Chinese Green), and was very pleasantly surprised. In-fact I even purchased extra, and look forward to sharing it with my friends. It was very pleasant to try this tea. My friend ordered a Lychee flavoured black tea and she was pleasantly surprised as well.

The madame of the shop, also makes a note to be particularly healthy. Everything (that I could find) in the shop that would use sugar, used a health alternative, (Xylitol), which tasted very similar, but is much easier on the body to digest. I particularly approved of this element, considering the fact that diabetes is a growing problem in the world.

The atmosphere in the shop was nice, busy, but very mellow and quite, not too noisy, and very relaxing. I also particularly liked the fact that you got to choose your tea cup. All the tea-cups are in ceramic, Japanese mug style, but they are different, and beautiful, adding a nice element for you to match it to your tea, allowing for you to pretend you are in a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

A very wide selection of tea, and they charge by the pot size, not by the type of tea. This is an element that I particularly like, as it encourages people to try new types of tea, not being limited by their wallet. Though when one does find a tea (as I found my Emerald Lily), it does tend to go on the pricier side. The madame of the shop swears by organic, and as a grower of produce....I see how people often trick the system, and am generally more skeptical of organic than I should be. All in all though, a nice shop, with a nice atmosphere, with nice tea. The only disadvantages are the tea can be pricey (only when purchasing though), and I wish the madame would take down her advertisement of her being the only tea expert, as it rubs people the wrong way. If she wishes to let people know she is a tea expert, let her say it in a less gaudy manner, and show it through wisdom, not through a piece of paper.

Again I encourage everyone to inspect this shop for themselves, as it is certainly worth the trip. Please let me know what you think about it, or any thoughts/comments/concerns at all.

-Tea Fanatic

(http://finijo.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html) (Source of photo)

The Cultured Cup

The Cultured Cup

8312 Preston Center Plaza Drive | Dallas, TX 75225

http://www.culturedcup.com/

I recently have had the pleasure of experiencing this shop, though it has been a very interesting summer.

To be completely honest and open (and isn't that the point in a blog after all?) my first impression was that I was completely put off. After experiencing the delights of Europe, it was slightly less refreshing to see a "facade Europe". When I walked in the first time, I can think of little words to use to describe how I was treated than snubbed. I was not offered any service, and was not made welcome, while numerous other customers, both before and after were attended to.

If it hadn't been for the dearth of tea shops in Dallas, that may have been the end of my experience, but just as some seeds are sown on rocky land, they too can sprout, and I soon came to appreciate The Cultured Cup.

The Cultured Cup however does have a charm, and while I may not agree with everything that is said in the shop, or how some of the things are done (I doubt I will ever be convinced that serving tea, next to coffee, is acceptable), they do hold claim to possibly the United States's largest Mariage Freres tea distribution. Which has certainly wet my appetite for a visit in September.

The most negative thing about the shop, which has been confirmed by several people I have spoken with, is the level of pretentiousness . I know the irony in me stating this, as I am possibly one of the most snobby tea fanatics I know. However frequenting this place, has hopefully made me a bit wiser in the matter, in that I can not think of anything that puts people off more, than pretentiousness.

The first instance was a friend of mine, lets call him Luigi. We both worked at the same restaurant, and we both had a taste for some of the finer things in life. He comes from a very intense coffee background (his family has been growing coffee in plantations for several generations), and use to frequent the Cultured Cup, however when one of the owners went off on a tangent, making several mistakes about coffee, Luigi politely tried to correct him. One of the owners wouldn't acknowledge the fact that they might be wrong, and asserted that Luigi was wrong. In the world of business, I doubt I have seen many instances where it is ever a good idea to tell a customer they are wrong, especially when they are purchasing several hundred dollars of coffee a month. Goes with out saying, that Luigi does not purchase his coffee at the shop anymore.

Another instance I met with a couple people, that at the mention of the name, The Cultured Cup, gained a fearful look in their eye, and merely stated that one of the owners had acted like they knew everything. I too know this from experience, however name dropping a couple of the more difficult teas to find, and making a good friend in the shop, spared me the over-the-top lectures.

I am always one for learning more about tea, however how one is taught can be equally more important. I see it slipping into an irony that "The Path of Tea" suffers from, a review to come later. Just because one is a "Tea expert" doesn't necessarily entitle much, similar to a wishy-washy tea certification of a "Tea master". Tea is a great equalizer, perhaps a lesson that many of us tea drinkers have forgotten.

Not to make this post too lengthy, but through and through I give The Cultured Cup, a passable ranking and review. It tries, and I think it is in its trying too hard that puts people off. If it were to accept itself, and find its own way, as oppose to trying to be everything at once, people might regard it in a new light. I wish there were more seats, I wish that they would keep more teas in stock, as I right this review as they have been low/completely out of several teas for a long time. I wish they served scones. I wish they served tarts. I wish they were like the tea shops I have experienced in Edinburgh, but the bottom line is, they're not.

The owners/employees are nice people, and while it has taken me a month to appreciate them, I know that I will miss them when I am in Edinburgh. If I had any advice for anyone in the Dallas area it would be to check it out, and give it another-go.

~~~~~ EDIT
Reading back through this, I feel I do come off as overly harsh, and I would like to stress the facts that the owners really are nice, and sweet, and more than willing to spend far too much time nit-picking over what is the best tea for you to try, and it does have the largest tea selection I've seen in the United States (Larger than Teaism, Ching Ching Cha, and many others). The best way for one to determine if a place is right for you, or if you like a certain tea, is to give-it-a-go.

------Tea Fanatic

p.s. sorry for the poor picture quality, but was having fun with an iPhone.