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Tasting Coffee an Interesting Hour
How to spend an interesting hour as a coffee roaster. Sampling a rather unusual coffee from Brazil Read more...
International Tea Day 2021
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Tea_Day Happy Tea Drinking From all at Gently Stirred   Read more...
2020 First Early Darjeeling Tea Update
2020 First Early Darjeeling Tea Update
Dear Tea Lovers Just a short update on Early First Flush Teas. Obviously, due to current ‘lock-down’ and movement restrictions, work on all Indian tea farms and gardens was suspended.... Read more...
Gifts from Tea Friends, a South American Herbal, and an Old Favourite in Week 14
I know we can't all have the same taste but I honestly don't understand why this seems to be popular with everyone except me! It's a Lapacho with Orange and Vanilla - all three individual ingredients I really like, but altogether it's really not doing it for me. In fact 'plain' Lapacho is one of my favourites: woody, slightly spicy and just a little bitter. For me the additional flavour just gives it that icecream-y vibe: ‪#‎notafan Another afternoon at Backlit so a flask full of Darjeeling Makaibari FTGFOP is my ‪#‎teaoftheday. Traditionally... Read more...
Cherry Blossom, Stinging Nettle, and a Grasshopper in Week 13
Typically filthy weather for the Bank Holiday and the start of British Summer Time so I felt the urge for a warming brew. Winter Cocoa is a Herb Tisane with (amongst other things)cocoa nibs, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, and ginger. It was crying out to be added to some hot frothy almond milk. I made it in the same way as my previous trips into latte-land, but I've found my mini-zhuzzher so there was considerably less mess than last time. We've sold out of this blend so you won't find... Read more...
A Spring Sencha, a 'Greenbush', and a rather lovely Indian in Week 12
This famous Chinese Tea is from the province of Anhui. Wonderful large wiry leaves produce an aromatic tea with a full sweet taste. It is these needle shaped green and silver leaves that are used in the making of the wonderful ‘Peony’ or ‘Urchin’ arrangements, the leaves tied together with silk in the form of a rosette, which slowly opens up in warm water. Traditionally Lu Mu Dan Tea is picked under strict harvesting conditions that help retain its rarity and value for tea connoisseurs and collectors. I made this at... Read more...
Dragons, Phoenixes,and Mad Dogs on Week 11 of my #yearoftea
Oolongs are semi-fermented and most come from Taiwan. This is a Jin Xuan Milk Oolong from Fujian in China. It's a handmade tea so has a certain rarity to it. The leaves are first withered, then heated in milk steam. They're then hand-rolled then dried gently. Steeped for 3 minutes at 75°c it has much more character than the colour of the brew would indicate. It actually tastes creamy and a little 'hazelnutty'. I loved it and while it would probably be a touch too indulgent to drink daily, I... Read more...
The World's Most Expensive Porcelain Cup
The precious Chinese porcelain cup, also known as the “chicken cup” among art collectors, is decorated on both sides with a rooster, a hen and chicks walking amidst lilies and roses. This cup is representative of the height of the Chenghua Style in Chinese Art. The particularity of this style can be found in the paintwork, which is applied in several layers and which allows the cup to be dated between 1465 and 1487. There are only 17 known specimens worldwide, four of which are privately owned, the rest can... Read more...
Sparrow's Tongues, SCOBY, and Sweet Cherries on Week 10.
No 65 takes me to one of my favourite tea-growers: the Rukeri Cooperative in Rwanda produce this lovely organic and fairly traded F.O.P. The long leaves produce a dark russet brew which is strong, but not so much that it feels like a battle (more a good-natured tussle?) Like all Rwandan tea it's rich, nutty and a little biscuity. It works equally well both with and without milk (although it really benefits from a much shorter steep time if you're taking it black) I used 100°c and steeped for 2.5... Read more...
A flagrantly fragrant week...
 Week 9 Day 58 in ‪#‎yearoftea is a Maghrebi Tea which is a blend of Moroccan Spearmint and Chinese Gunpowder (rolled green tea). Usually taken for it's calming effect and it's improvement on digestion, although I know people who have it as a 'go to ' tea. I think it could be good with a white rum in the manner of a Mojito. **trundles off to do some research** A fabulously fragrant Formosa Orange Blossom Oolong is the 59th‪#‎teaoftheday Oolongs are semi-fermented and this one is flavoured with orange peel and flowers. I've... Read more...
Two tea gifts, a lovely tisane, and a heck of mess in the kitchen
Week 8 Year of tea Day 50 I've been way too buzzy the last couple of days so a decaff was the way to go. This is a Decaffeinated Chinese Sencha. In the Japanese-style, these leaves are steamed before drying which keeps more of the goodness in. It makes a bright and tangy brew with very little astringency. Because of the High Pressure Extraction process used for decaffeination, there's no 'orrible aftertaste either. ? I'm a very lucky girl. Today's ‪#‎teaoftheday is a gift from the lovely Estelle Liu. It's a black tea... Read more...
Chocolate Tea Latte (or how I learned to stop worrying and love flavoured black teas)
Thought I'd post my latte method from  #‎teaoftheday Have fun! 1/ Fill one half of a standard tea ball with the tea of your choice. I put mine in a measuring jug so I could gauge how much water I was adding. 2/ Bring your water to a full boil,I did 100°C as I was using a chocolate black tea.(I didn't dare use a flavoured green but now I'm feeling a whole heap braver) 3/ Add  1/4 pint (150ml) of boiling water to the tea. Set your timer for a full 5... Read more...