LisaKnowsTea

National Hot Tea Month

2012-01-09T09:16:00.016-05:00

January is National Hot Tea Month! It was the perfect time for me to go on a study and research trip all about tea in London and Sri Lanka. I can't wait to tell you what I learned and show you pictures from these beautiful countries.

While I'm organizing my notes and photos, please enjoy these two recipes for how to make the perfect pot of tea from my website.

Happy Sipping

my Ceylon teas from

Sri Lanka,

Lisa

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with a Few of My Favorite Things

2011-12-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

This has been an amazing year for me both professionally and personally. I love sharing with all of you about my passion for All Things Tea!

I will be leaving just after Christmas for London and Sri Lanka for study and research for my new book. I won't be posting most likely until I get back and then I will tell you all about my tea adventures. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things Christmas related from my home to yours along with a few of our traditions!

Every year our family has a tree trimming party starting when the kids were able to stand and put ornaments on the tree. When the kids were real little, my husband and I would have to do a little rearranging after they went to bed since everything was down at the bottom of the tree. I make fudge, just like my mom did, we play Christmas music, and eat appetizers. This year I tried to "break" tradition and serve ham with rolls instead of pigs-in-a-blanket! The kids revolted, so we had our traditional pigs-in-a-blanket again! I never thought that tradition would be so treasured or I'm not sure I would have started it!!!

This is my set of Christmas dishes from Tracy Porter which is now retired. We love to eat off of them for the month of December. The table looks so beautiful Christmas morning with the plates set up. I make cranberry bread and the same egg casserole I grew up eating Christmas morning. We serve tea from the festive teapots and my kids LOVE the homemade hot chocolate out of their Santa cups!

This Nativity set was hand-painted and given to my mom as a gift the year she was pregnant with me! I remember setting it up in our living room growing up. Since my mom is now in a nursing home, the nativity set got passed down to me. My daughter now does the honors of setting it up in our foyer to welcome all that visit during the holidays.

Here's a little closer view of the Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. It is the most beautiful set I have ever seen!

Our family will be going out for our annual Christmas tea together tomorrow which is something I look forward to all year!

What are some of your family Christmas traditions?

Wishing all you a very warm and wonderful Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Sipping, Lisa

Unique Gifts for Tea Lovers Part 2

2011-12-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

I just think the Babycakes Cupcake Maker is a novel idea and so did Roxanne Wyss. Roxanne and I share literary agents and I met her at an industry event this summer!

Her and her partner Kathy Moore actually wrote the little recipe booklet that comes with the Babycakes Cupcake Maker and their minds starting racing on how much more you could do with it. So that is how 175 Best Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes Cookbook was born.

I got the cookbook for review and couldn't help but think how PERFECT these recipes are for tea time. English tea time is all about having bite size savories and sweets while enjoying tea. This is also a great item and cookbook if you enjoying cooking with your kids. The cupcake maker is definitely an upgrade from the Easy Bake oven of my day.

Here are two recipes that would be perfect for your Holiday tea.

This recipe is great for an adult tea and the dried cranberries make it so festive!

Curried Chicken Salad Cups
Makes 16 wonton cups

Crusts
16 wonton wrappers (about 31⁄2 inches/ 16
8.5 cm square)

Filling
1 clove garlic, minced 1
1 tsp grated gingerroot 5 mL
1⁄2 tsp curry powder 2 mL
3 tbsp whipped cream cheese, softened 45 mL
3 tbsp sour cream 45 mL
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 mL
1 green onion, chopped 1
1 cup chopped cooked chicken 250 mL
3 tbsp sweetened dried cranberries 45 mL
or golden raisins
2 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts 30 mL
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
Additional dry-roasted peanuts
(optional)
Minced fresh cilantro

1. Crusts: Place 1 wonton wrapper on top of each well and gently press into well with the pie forming tool, making a cup.

2. Filling: In a medium bowl, combine garlic, ginger, curry powder, cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice. Stir in green onion, chicken, cranberries and peanuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon about 11⁄2 tbsp (22 mL) filling into each wonton cup.

3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until wontons are golden and filling is hot. Carefully transfer cups to a wire rack to cool slightly. Repeat with the remaining wontons and filling.

4. Garnish: Sprinkle with additional peanuts (if using) and cilantro. Serve immediately

Pairing suggestions: A spicy Indian Black Masala Chai or an Indian Black Assam tea

How fun would these be to make with your kids or grandkids!

White Chocolate Snowmen Cupcakes
Makes 32 cupcakes

Paper liners (optional)

Cupcakes
11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 300 mL
11⁄4 tsp baking powder 6 mL
1⁄4 tsp salt 1 mL
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 175 mL
6 tbsp butter, softened 90 mL
2 eggs, at room temperature 2
4 oz white chocolate, melted (see tip, 125 g
at right)
2⁄3 cup milk 150 mL

Decoration

White Chocolate Cream Cheese
Frosting
1 31⁄2- or 4-oz (105 or 125 g) white 1
chocolate bar
32 gumdrops, cut in half crosswise 32
32 11⁄2-inch (4 cm) pieces red shoestring 32
licorice
96 mini candy-coated chocolate candies 96
Confectioners’ (icing) sugar
or cornstarch
Fondant

1. Cupcakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat sugar and butter for 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in white chocolate. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, making three additions of flour and two of milk and beating on low speed until smooth.

3. If desired, place paper liners in wells. Fill each well with about 11⁄2 tbsp (22 mL) batter. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Decoration: Frost cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

5. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape down the side edge of the white chocolate bar to make shavings. Sprinkle shavings over frosting, giving it a “freshly fallen snow” look.

6. Place 2 gumdrop halves, cut side down, on opposite sides of each cupcake to make earmuffs. Arrange 1 strip of red licorice to look like a mouth and use candies to make eyes and a nose.

7. To make hats, on a cutting board lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll out fondant to about 1⁄8-inch (3 mm) thickness. For the center of each hat, cut a piece of fondant about 2 by 3⁄4 inches (5 by 2 cm). Fold it in half so it becomes a rectangle of about 1 by 3⁄4 inch (2.5 by 2 cm) (the double thickness will hold the shape of the hat better and be stronger). For the hat band, cut a strip of fondant about 3 by 1⁄2 inches (7.5 by 1 cm). Place the hat band over the edge of the rectangle, folding the ends under so that the hat band is the right size for the hat. Position a hat on the top edge of each cupcake.

Pairing Suggestion: An Indian Black Darjeeling or a Japanese Green Sencha tea or if looking for caffeine free suggestion for kids a Rooibos tea of any flavor

I think the Babycakes Cupcake Maker and the 175 Best Babycakes Cupcake maker Recipes would make a great gift combo for any age and makes having tea time that much easier! If you buy the cookbook, please share some of your favorite recipes with me.

Happy Sipping and Shopping, Lisa

Unique Gifts for Tea Lovers Part 1

2011-12-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

Well 'tis the season of gift buying for many! It is also a time that our schedules are packed full and our to-do lists are long! I will keep it brief since leisure reading time is at a minimum as well. I wanted to give you two suggestions for unique Christmas/Holiday gifts for you and your tea-loving friends on your shopping list! This week is one suggestion and next week, I will offer my second suggestion.

I just love the products that Tea Tagent has come out with. I think their logo says it all, "Designing the Art of Tea in America."

All Tea Tagent's products are made of sustainably harvested wild cherry trees from the Allegany Forest in Pennsylvania. Their wood contains no glues or plastic resins.

To keep your Tea Tangent piece looking good over time, just clean with warm soap and water and add a bit of food grade oil to help it age well over time.

I just love my Tea Nest Set that the company gave me this year at an industry event. It just gives the Tea Nest a place to sit after brewing and for storing. I keep it sitting out so that it is easy to use and it just looks good!!!

So if you are looking for a unique gift this season, may I suggest a product from Tea Tangent?

Happy Sipping and Shopping, Lisa

Ginger Crumb Cake and Thankfulness

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

I just returned from teaching a cooking and tea class at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This is my third year to teach there and it is always wonderful each time. The staff is great, the Viking kitchen is amazing, and Caroline in the coffee/tea department does a spectacular job prepping all the teas to serve with the recipes I demo. If you live in or around Chapel Hill, you will want to stop in, but be prepared to spend some time!

The theme for this class was Tea Around the World-Taste Tea and Food from Around the Globe. The recipes were all from my book, The World in Your Teacup. We traveled to China, Morocco, France, and ended our journey in England. For England, I chose to demo my great grandmother's recipe that has been passed down in my family. The recipe card I have is in my grandma's handwriting as my great grandmother shared it with her to bake, then she shared it with my mom, and my mom shared it with me. Now, I can share it with my family and all of you!

My great grandma Effie Johnson lost her mom at a young age and had to help at home a lot more after that. She learned how to cook and bake. When she finished school, she left home and worked as a live-in for several wealthy families as a cook of which one of them was an English doctor until she married in her mid-twenties. This is one of her recipes. It would make a good tea bread for in the morning or to serve as dessert after your Thanksgiving meal. This will be our family's Thanksgiving dessert this year!

Crumb Ginger Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup salted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons dark molasses

1 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

Fresh whipped cream to serve with cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles the consistency of cornmeal. You may also use a food processor and pulse slowly until mixture is the desired consistency. Take out 1 cup of mixture and set aside for topping. Add soda, salt, egg, molasses, vanilla, and buttermilk to the remaining mixture. Mix well with an electric mixer or by hand. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and pour the batter into it. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is set. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream.

I would suggest pairing it with a Chinese Black Keemun. The light smokey and sweet flavor of the Keemun compliments the ginger/cinnamon spices of this subtle sweet cake!

We have a tradition at my house growing up and now I have passed on this tradition with my family. Before we eat, each person at the table says what they are most thankful for in the past year. It can be more than one thing, but each person has to share at least one thing. It is a way of stopping for a moment to remember the spirit of Thanksgiving.

This year I have so much to be thankful for. My faith grows stronger through the challenges life offers, my husband and children bring such love into my life and home, and I love my job of teaching, inspiring, and exciting others about tea. I am THRILLED to share with you that I have been contracted to write my third book on tea with Chronicle Books. It is a new publisher for me and the book will out Spring of 2013!!!!

What are you most thankful for this year?

Happy Sipping, Eating, and Thanksgiving, Lisa

Need Some Easy No-Fuss Recipes Right Now?

2011-11-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

When I first heard about this book that my friend/colleague Katie Chin was writing, I became intrigued. I thought "Really, 300 Rice Cooker Recipes?" However, when I received the book for review, I was amazed at how much you could actually cook in a rice cooker.

Rice cookers date back to 1250 BC, but they have come a long way from there. If you already own a rice cooker, you will want to pull it out and try some of these recipes. If you don't have one, I hope that these recipes inspire you to go get one!

I have included a couple recipes below with tea pairing ideas for both that will be perfect for the holiday season.as the weather turns cooler.

Here is an inviting appetizer for the holidays. You can serve this dip with some pita wedges and vegetable crudites.

Moroccan Bean Dip (Bessara)
Makes 10 to 12 servings

• Medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
• Food processor

11⁄2 cups dried fava beans 375 mL
6 cups water 1.5 L
2 cloves garlic 2
11⁄2 tsp salt 7 mL
1 tsp ground cumin 5 mL
1⁄2 tsp sweet paprika 2 mL
1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 mL
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 60 mL
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil 75 mL
Additional sweet paprika
Finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Sort, rinse and soak fava beans (see pages 32-33). Drain and peel off skins.

2. Place soaked fava beans and water in the rice cooker bowl. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle and set a timer for 11⁄2 hours.

3. When the timer sounds, check to see if fava beans are tender. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3 tbsp (45 mL) cooking liquid.

4. In food processor, combine fava beans, reserved cooking liquid, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, cayenne and lemon juice; purée until smooth. With the motor running, through the feed tube, drizzle in oil; process until blended.

5. Transfer bean mixture to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through.

6. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Dust with paprika and garnish with parsley.

My pairing choice for this recipe is some Moroccan Chun Mee Green Tea otherwise known as Gunpowder Green Tea with Mint!

For a easy healthy meal for the family this fall, how about this Indian inspired dish?

Bombay Turkey

Makes 4 servings

Need medium to large rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off

2 tbsp ghee 30 mL
1 tbsp curry powder 15 mL
1 tsp salt 5 mL
1⁄2 tsp garam masala 2 mL
1⁄2 tsp ground cumin 2 mL
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 mL
1 lb lean ground turkey 500 g
1 cup finely chopped onion 250 mL
1⁄2 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped 1⁄2
1 cup pearl barley 250 mL
1 cup diced acorn or butternut squash 250 mL
1⁄2 cup diced Granny Smith or other tart apple 125 mL
2 cups chicken broth 500 mL

1. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or Regular cycle. When the bottom of the bowl gets hot, add ghee and swirl to coat. Sauté curry powder, salt, garam masala, cumin and pepper for 1 minute. Add turkey and onion; sauté, breaking turkey up with the back of a spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink.

2. Stir in yellow pepper, barley, squash, apple and broth. Close the lid and reset for the Regular cycle. Set a timer for 40 minutes.

3. When the timer sounds, check to make sure barley is tender. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 5 minutes. Switch to the Keep Warm cycle and let stand for 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

Variation - Bombay Chicken: Substitute lean ground chicken for the turkey.

My pairing choice for this Bombay Turkey is a cup of Masala Chai or an Indian Assam!

Remember to sip some tea and take some time for yourself during this busy season! Let me know if you try one of these recipes and I will pass on your review on to Katie Chin!

Happy Sipping, Lisa

Thanks to Robert Rose for sending me a copy of the book for review. Excerpted from 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Seattle - A Tea Town Part 3

2011-10-27T10:06:00.019-04:00

Monday was going to be my last day in Seattle and there was still so much more to discover. I started off the day meeting an author friend Jeanne Sauvage. She took me to tea at The Teacup. It is a lovely tea shop in the Queen Anne Hill area. They bring your pot of tea to your table and give you a timer. We connected over a couple pots of tea and even ran into my Japanese friends from the festival while we were there!

The afternoon I was on my own to discover Seattle. I headed back to Pike Place Market. My first stop was to visit Starbucks' original location which as I mentioned in my last post was named Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices.

It is interesting to watch this business change over the years. The word in the tea world is that Starbucks has invested quite a bit into their Tazo Tea brand. If your interested, here is an article about it. It will be fun to see what Starbucks does with tea in the next few years! It's not just about coffee anymore, so stayed tuned.

Pike Place Market is full of wonderful things. Here's a quick video for the feel of the market. It almost sounds like you could be in China! There were musicians playing throughout the market and this was just one of them.

As you can see from the video, there is plenty of fresh seafood to be had at the market. Here was my lunch which consisted of fresh crab cocktail and a calamari salad-YUM!

Along with seafood there is plenty of fresh produce and beautiful fresh flowers.

My next tea stop was a Chinese tea shop named Vital Tea Leaf. It is an intriguing shop. The location is next door to the Four Seasons Hotel just down from Pike Place Market.

The store carries many teas and teawares along with allowing you to taste free samples of tea. I sat down and was treated to some oolong tea served in a gaiwan which is a Chinese style of serving tea in a small cup with a lid and no handle. Look closely at the pictures, don't you just love the white porcelain "extra hand?" How many times do just need an extra hand?

After a day of tea and shopping, I walked back along the water instead of taking the monorail. It was suggested that I stop by Olympic Sculpture Park. It is full of sculptures by Internationally acclaimed artist Louise Bourgeois. Not only are the sculptures beautiful, but the view of Puget Sound is stunning. Here's a quick video of the view of Puget Sound from the Park.

What a wonderful trip filled with lots of good tea. Goodnight and Goodbye Seattle for now!

I hope you have enjoyed the tour of Seattle, although it has been slightly tea slanted! I can't wait for my next trip to the Northwest to discover more tea places. Which tea place was your favorite in my tour?

Happy Sipping with Memories of Seattle, Lisa

Seattle - A Tea Town Part 2

2011-10-19T11:29:00.001-04:00

After teaching classes for The Specialty Tea Institute, I attended the Northwest Tea Festival. It is a two day event that is open to the public. There are booths where you can buy new teawares and tea. There are also two days filled with classes to learn about all things tea.

I taught a Tea and Chocolate Pairing class using fine teas and pairing them with Guittard Chocolate bars with different percentages of cacao in each. One of the pairings even included a single origin tea with a single origin chocolate-very special! After my class, I had a book signing at the Perennial Tea Room booth.

In between teaching and book signings, I found time to look around. It was fun to sit at the Shizuoka Tea booth with Pearl Dexter leading a tea tasting event. We had to taste two teas separately and then tell if they were the same or different. It was challenging and fortunately, as the pressure was on, I answered correctly!

After a morning back at the tea festival, Sunday afternoon was devoted to a day of tasting wine. I went on a wine tour of boutique wineries. Yes, this tea gal likes wine too! Tea and wine are more similar than you may think. I use a lot of references to wine when I am teaching about tea so it was very apropos to have a day of tasting wine after so much tea tasting!

Our first stop was Covington Cellars for a lovely lunch and wine pairing. We walked into the room and all the candle light danced off the glass stemware for the tasting. The wine barrel room looked magical just lit by candlelight and small strands of little white lights!

The lunch was delicious and I highly recommend if you are in the area going to one of their events. The Gorgonzola Chocolate Truffles with Savory Candied Almonds were amazing to say the least. They say they will be packaging them for sale soon!

Our last stop on the tour was a small tasting room for Darby Wines. I just loved the lighting they had along one side of the tasting room. This would be a easy project for someone to do. Just cut out holes in some stained wood and build a box deep enough to hold bottles. The lighting behind it was just a fluorescent tube.

It was a fun tour and tasting. I did find some unique wines to purchase. Stayed tuned next week as I take you to some tea rooms, Pike's Market, and Puget Sound. Have I made you want to go visit Seattle yet?

Happy Sipping Tea and Wine, Lisa

Seattle - A Wonderful Tea Town Part 1

2011-10-13T10:18:00.001-04:00

SEATTLE IS FOR TEA LOVERS!

Some of you may be thinking that Seattle is all about coffee, but you would be amiss. Yes, Seattle is where Starbucks began, but you may not remember they started out as Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spices! We will return to that in another post..

Having never been to the Northwest before, I was excited to discover it. I knew I was in for a treat as our plane started its descent and I viewed the snow-capped mountains among the clouds! The city has a great transit system, so I figured out how to get to my hotel without the use of a shuttle or cab! The Monorail which was built for the World's Fair in 1962 was a wonderful way to transit between Seattle Center (where my speaking events were held) and downtown!

I arrived early to discover Seattle just a bit before I had to teach and speak. It was a perfect sunny day with a little briskness in the air. After lunch, I hopped on the monorail to Pike's Market with my colleague Kyle Stewart. We walked around a bit and then both of us were in desperate need of some tea.

We went to Perennial Tea Room. It is a located in a lovely alley just up the hill from Pike's Market. We were graciously greeted by the owners, Julee and Sue. After more than 2 years since my first book was published, it is always flattering to see my books in a shop. They happen carry both of my books!

We were served one of the teas of the day and then had the pleasure of tasting their Persian Gold. It is a black tea that is grown in Iran. Since having researched about Iran for my second book, The World in Your Teacup, it was wonderful to taste tea from that region. Since most of the tea is usually consumed in the country, not much is exported from Iran. The tea shop has photos of the growers and the tea was delicious. Kyle and I had a great time talking and sharing. Isn't that what drinking tea with friends is all about and Perennial Tea Room is a lovely place to do that in Seattle.

The next two days were filled with teaching Specialty Tea Institute Level I and II classes. We had a diverse group from all over the country wanting to learn more about tea. Some were from large corporations, some from midsized companies, and others were interested in starting a tea business.

If you are interested in knowing more about tea for yourself or interested in starting a tea business of your own, I think there is no better education than what the Specialty Tea Institute offers. With it being the educational division of The Tea Association of the USA, they have access to wonderful resources from people all over the globe.

It was wonderful after class to go down to the waterfront for a walk, a bite to eat, and amazing sunsets. How beautiful to see the mountains peaking through the clouds!

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of my tea experience in Seattle. In my next couple of posts, I will take you to the Northwest Tea Festival, two more tearooms, explore Pike's Market, and a wine tour!

Happy Sipping from Seattle, Lisa

Tea Education-Chefs and Sommeliers Take Notice

2011-09-29T09:43:00.000-04:00

This week, I am in Seattle teaching classes for the Specialty Tea Institute with my friend and colleague, Kyle Stewart of the Cultured Cup in Dallas, Texas The Cultured Cup ships their teas around North American and carries a huge selection of Mariage Frere teas. Kyle wrote a great piece about education with the Specialty Tea Institute especially geared towards the culinary world and sommeliers. I thought I would share it with you this week.

For many years, tea and coffee were an afterthought at top tier restaurants across the U.S. No More! As tea continues to become more popular, restaurants are replacing teabags with quality loose leaf tea. Typical Earl Grey and English Breakfast selections are being replaced with single estate first flush Darjeelings, Wuyi Mountain oolongs, and 40 year old cave-aged Pu-erh brick teas. As better teas appear in the American market, how do culinary and wine professionals learn the basics about premium tea?

Sharon Hage, the former chef-owner of York Street Restaurant in Dallas, Texas and five-time James Beard Award nominee, created dozens of tea and food pairing luncheons and dinners over nine years. Working closely with Kyle Stewart, co-owner of The Cultured Cup, the CIA educated Hage tasted and discussed the flavor profiles of hundreds of artisan teas.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Morning News

“Quality tea was just as important an ingredient for York Street as the pristine fish from Browne Trading Company or the free-range chicken from Windy Meadows Family Farm,” said Hage. But her tea journey didn’t stop with quality ingredients; she learned how to adjust the flavor profile of teas by manipulating the steeping technique variables (tea amount, temperature and time). “Learning about tea for me was similar to an artist discovering a new range of colors,” said the CIA trained chef.

For James Tidwell, Master Sommelier and Beverage Manager at Four Seasons Resort and Club near Dallas, Texas, learning about tea was similar to learning about wine. Tidwell, a long-time tea drinker, says “Wine professionals are being called upon to manage or present many facets of the hospitality industry. With roles changing, and well-rounded experts needed to fill key positions, knowledge of the world's second most-consumed beverage is essential. Therefore, certification by an independent organization is as necessary for the study of tea as for the study of wine.”

Tidwell, also a CIA graduate, took both introductory tea courses offered by the Specialty Tea Institute (STI), and highly recommends them to culinary and wine professionals. “Although Sharon Hage and I have spent years learning about tea, STI Levels One and Two quickly give culinary and wine professionals the information and skills they need to know about tea.”

Level One: Foundations of Tea
Level One provides a strong understanding of the five tea categories and two traditional styles of tea production (orthodox). Topics include the components of teas, growing regions and terroir, tea processing stages, a comparison of tea categories, and steeping, tasting and evaluating the characteristics of tea (called cupping).

Level Two: Foundations of Tea
Level Two examines CTC (cut, tear and curl) tea production, blending, flavoring and scenting, and introduces sensory evaluation of teas. Includes: an explanation of tea grading, how to name teas by country of origin, and how to examine, cup (prepare, taste and evaluate) and compare the characteristics of 5-6 pairs of teas.

Students successfully passing Levels One and Two qualify to continue their tea education with five Level Three classes. By successfully completing the seven courses comprising Levels One, Two and Three, students are awarded the title of Certified Tea Specialist (CTS). According to Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA, 65 people world-wide hold this title.

So chefs and sommeliers, what are you waiting for?

If you aren't learning about tea, you are behind on your game and training!

I am teaching a Tea and Chocolate Pairing class at the Northwest Tea Festival and doing a book signing afterwards on Saturday 10/1. If you're in the Seattle area, I would love to see you!

I look forward to sharing all about Seattle and the Northwest Tea Festival!

Happy Sipping from Seattle, Lisa

World Tea East Summary Part 2

2011-09-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

I hope last week was a fun look at some of the new products in store for you tea lovers out there. This week, I am continuing my virtual tour of World Tea East for you. There was a beautiful art exhibit by Michele Brody called Reflections in Tea where participants could write prayers for Japan on tea-stained paper filters and post them on a model tea house! It was stunning and touching.

We are going to move on now to tea accoutrements. For those that like to keep their tea warm in the teapot, have you tried a tea cosy?

Here are some from Set to a Tea

If you think tea or tea cozies need to be feminine, think again! These are known as HOBS by Thistledown Cozy!

How about a tea candle? THE LOVER, chocolate chai candle made in France has a unique long lasting scent of warm, sultry dark chocolate laced with complex notes of varied exotic spices and has top notes of chai tea blended with cinnamon, cardamon and vanilla. This is made by Tracy Stern.

Here are some wonderful silk scarves with teapots and tea leaves on them made by Harshita Designs

I was so pleased to be given a Tea Tangent seen below. I will be blogging specifically on this product in the near future. So UNIQUE...

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual tour of some fun tea products! Christmas isn't that far off so these might be easy finds for the tea lovers on your list-including youself!!!

After a day of teaching and looking around the expo, I taught two days of classes for the Specialty Tea Institute (STI). It was my first time as an instructor for them and it was exciting to teach Level I and II. I have been a student of STI for over five years earning my Certified Tea Specialist title in 2008. It is an honor to serve on the Educational and Certification Committee for STI's Advisory Board. It is thrilling to be part of cutting edge tea education in the world!

The students go through the coursework and they taste teas from around the world gaining insight into where the tea is grown, how it is processed, and the unique flavor profile to each tea. In the end a test is given.

To round out the trip, I did some sightseeing on the last day. A trip to Philly wouldn't be complete without seeing the Liberty Bell.

I finished by trip with a visit to Love Park and taking in the tastes of the Food Truck Scene!

Thanks for coming along for the tour! I hope you found some tea products you must have and enjoyed the review. Do you have any new favorites?

For those of you in the Atlanta area, I will be doing a demo at Williams-Sonoma Lenox on Satuday from 1-3 pm. We will be tasting teas and I will show you how to make a scone with tea in it. I hope to see you there!

Happy Sipping from Philly, Lisa

World Tea East-Philly Summary Part 1

2011-09-15T10:52:00.000-04:00

I just returned from an exciting tea show for the trade called World Tea East. It was held in Philadelphia, in the heart of the historic area. Tea shows are always fun for me as it is a time to see new tea products, old friends, meet lots of new ones, and taste tons of teas!

After teaching Tea 101 for the conference attendees at 8 a.m., I rushed to a board meeting for the Specialty Tea Institute, and then I was off to the expo floor to discover new tea and tea products.

For me, World Tea Expo shows are like a kid going into a candy store!!

So come with me as I tell you all about what I discovered. You may want to look for these things in your local tea store or online! These are some of my highlights, but every booth offered something a little different.

Here is the tea display for Rishi Tea. Their award-winning teas are lovely and all the people working the booth were so nice to talk to.

Here is a lineup of Teas Etc teas. Beth Johnston is the CEO of Teas Etc and a good friend. Teas Etc has won many awards for their teas and are great to work with.

Teas Etc offered many tasting throughout the show. I was lucky to participate in a tasting of a 60 year old Pu'erh and a 20 year old Baked Amber Oolong! For you tea geeks out there, you know this was a treat! For those that don't know about these tea treats, I will have to follow up with a blog!

Below is a picture of a Purple Tea from Kenya. I have been reading about this tea and was excited to finally taste and see it. There will be more to come on this tea in a separate blog.

Another tea friend at the show was SerendipiTea. The owner is Linda Villano who not only sells wonderful teas, but is a lovely person as well.

For those interested in teapots, the selection was vast and wide.

I thought this tea collection was cute from Adrea by Sadek. I seem to be on a bird kick lately, how about you?

And the show stopper for teapots, in my opinion, was the Sorapot by Joey Roth! It won one of the best product awards as well. Love it for its sleek design!

Next week, I finish my summary of World Tea East with some VERY cool tea products, a little Philly sight seeing, and my first time teaching for the Specialty Tea Institute! What is your favorite thing so far?

Happy Sipping from Philly's World Tea East, Lisa

Chilled Berry Tea-Wonderful End-of-Summer Recipe

2011-09-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

I met Katie Chin at The International Association of Culinary Professionals Annual Conference (IACP) in June. Katie is an Asian food expert, cookbook author, and TV host. Her most recent appearance was on The Cooking Channel's show
Food(ography). Be sure to check out her blog to see that segment as well as great Chinese recipes and tips.

Katie and I thought it would be fun for our readers to guest post on each other's sites. She has some wonderful recipes with tea as an ingredient that I thought my readers would love to try. I hope you enjoy Katie Chin's guest post below.

References to tea in Chinese literature go back approximately 5,000 years so it has obviously played an integral role in Chinese culture. While I love to sip cups of tea throughout the day, I also think it’s wonderful to incorporate tea into recipes for its amazing and subtle flavor.

Dried tea can be mixed with dried rice and brown sugar to create rich and delicate tea-smoked dishes or steeped with spices to create the most elegant, layered flavors. This recipe for Chilled Berry Tea combines the freshest berries at the peak of the summer season with star anise and passion fruit tea to create an amazingly refreshing, easy yet sophisticated dessert that will have your guests raving. The hint of mint leaves as garnish is the perfect compliment to this light and delicious recipe – the perfect ending to a late summer dinner party.

Chilled Berry Tea

5 whole star anise (if using broken pieces, use 1 tablespoon)
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 passion fruit tea bags
3 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
½ cup bananas, cut into ½-inch dice
fresh mint leaves for garnish

In a saucepan, place 1 ½ cups water and the star anise, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Return to a full boil and turn off the heat. Place the tea bags in the syrup, stir, and let cool. Remove the tea bags, and the star anise. Pour the chilled tea over the berries and bananas. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with mint leaves right before serving.

Thanks Katie for sharing your recipe. I hope you enjoyed the guest post. I will be blogging about her new book that just came out soon. Did you know that you could make 300 recipes in a rice cooker?

Happy Sipping and End-of-Summer, Lisa

Great Coffee Rubbed Pork and Brownies for Labor Day

2011-08-31T10:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read it right. I did say coffee rub. You know, some time back this tea gal used to be a coffee drinker. I do love the taste of coffee, it just doesn't love me back!

This is most likely the last artisan from the Williams-Sonoma Artisans Market I will feature for awhile. But, I think I might have saved the best for last! Virginia Willis is a friend and colleague of mine from Atlanta. We met some years ago and made a connection. She is a Southern chef and the acclaimed cookbook author of Bon Appetit, Y'all and the soon to be released Basic to Brilliant, Y'all which is available now for PreOrder.

While at Williams-Sonoma, the minute I smelled her French Quarter Spice Rub, I was immediately taken back to a time and place much earlier in my life-my first trip to New Orleans! I was 20 and decided to drive across the country for college from South Florida to Southern California all by myself. It was sort of a rite of passage into adulthood in my mind.

I can't believe my mom ever agreed to it, but I know as a mother now, she must have prayed for me the whole road trip. I had my trip planned out with all my stops. I drove straight to Alabama and stayed at a hotel for the first time all by myself. It was a strange feeling to say the least.

I woke up early to get on the road to hit New Orleans for the day. I drove my little Toyota Corolla into the French Quarter and parked. As I walked around, I stopped at a little cafe called Cafe Du Monde for some coffee and beignets. I don't know if it was because I was experiencing things for the first time on my own, the vibe of the French Quarter, the saxophonist playing in the background or what, but it was some of the best coffee and donuts I had ever had!

I am not sure how Virginia managed to package all those memories into her spice rub, but she did. I couldn't wait to get home and try it out. I decided to put the rub on sliced boneless pork loin, but it is good on chicken (which I sampled at Williams-Sonoma) and steak too. The rub gave the pork a unique flavor that we all loved-a spicy sweet coffee taste! It is an easy way to give flavor to your favorite meat. I think a Sri Lankan Ceylon iced tea or a hot cup of slightly smokey Chinese Keemun black tea would pair nicely with the rubbed pork!

To finish your meal without any real hassle, you'll love her Pecan Brownies Mise En Place! What is Mise En Place you might be asking? It is a French culinary term that chefs use to describe getting all their ingredients ready for a recipe. Well, Virginia has done that with her brownies using the finest ingredients-you just pour in the milk, Let me tell you, the brownies don't taste like the brownie mixes at the grocery store-not even close! I would pair the brownies with a hot cup of Indian Darjeeling tea or a Chinese Golden Monkey!

You will want to check out all the products at My Southern Pantry. It is a great head start to your Holiday cooking and shopping. After perusing, you might even wish you were Southern too!

If you are in the Atlanta area, the products will be at Williams-Sonoma Lenox this Saturday!

Happy Sipping and Labor Day, Lisa

Need Some New Tea Time Sandwich Recipes?

2011-08-25T11:32:00.001-04:00

How about 400 of them!

The 400 Best Sandwich Recipes is a cookbook chock-full of recipes that you could pair up with any tea time event. For me, tea time is anytime and all the time, so how perfect to have a cookbook that has easy to make sandwich recipes for any time of day or occasion that you can pair up with a cup of hot tea or a glass of iced tea! It runs the gamut from breakfast to lunch to dessert with a special section on condiments.

I met the author Alison Lewis at a blogging conference last fall. We chatted a bit and then exchanged cards. When we got home, we started following each other on twitter and facebook. I was so excited when her cookbook came out and thought it would be perfect for my tea-loving readers!

I cannot express how important networking is at conferences with follow up to the connections when you return home, but that subject is for another blog!

It was hard to choose which recipes to feature, but I narrowed it to two.

I loved the concept of Lunch Box Sushi, but not just for lunch boxes. This recipe would be great for a Japanese style tea or luncheon too. Pair this up with a cup of Sencha or for an interesting twist, make up a Iced Matcha Latte!

Lunch Box Sushi*

Serves 4 to 6

I came up with this idea because sushi for lunch is often requested at my house. These came out great, and I love using shrimp instead of crabmeat in this recipe.

1 tsp wasabi powder 5 mL
2 tbsp soy sauce 30 mL
2 cups cooked sushi short-grain 500 mL
rice, cooled
2 tbsp chopped green onions 30 mL
1 tsp Homemade Mayonnaise 5 mL
(page 321) or store-bought
1⁄8 tsp hot pepper flakes 0.5 mL
6 10-inch (25 cm) white or 6
whole wheat tortillas
6 sheets nori 6
11⁄2 lbs peeled cooked shrimp, 750 g
chopped
1 cup chopped avocado 250 mL
1 cup finely chopped cucumber 250 mL
1⁄3 cup soy sauce 75 mL

1. In a small bowl, combine wasabi and 1 tsp (5 mL) water. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce and mix well.

2. In a medium bowl, combine rice, wasabi mixture, green onions, mayonnaise and hot pepper flakes.

3. Line each tortilla with nori. Arrange rice mixture equally in center of each wrap. Add shrimp, avocado and cucumber. Fold both ends over filling. Roll up and serve with soy sauce.

Variation: You can use flavored tortillas in this recipe and imitation crab instead of shrimp.

Tip: Prepare your rice the day before. I like to prepare my sushi rice with seasoned vinegar and toasted sesame seeds.

I keep reminding myself that fall isn't that far off. This next recipe Pear, Pecan, and Gorgonzola Crostini would be perfect for tea time in the fall paired with a hot cup of naturally sweet Black Lychee Tea or a smokey Lapsong Souchong Tea.

Pear, Pecan and Gorgonzola Crostini*
Serves 8 to 10

I love to make crostini appetizers during autumn. Pecans, pears and Gorgonzola are some of my favorite fall ingredients, creating an awesome crostini.

8 to 10 baguette slices (about 8 to 10
1⁄2 inch/1 cm thick)
4 oz cream cheese, softened 125 g
1⁄4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola 60 mL
cheese
11⁄2 cups thinly sliced pear (about 375 mL
2 medium) (see Tip, right)
4 tbsp liquid honey (see Tip, below) 60 mL
1⁄2 cup chopped pecans, toasted 125 mL
(see Tip)

Tip: Store honey in a cool place away from direct sunlight in a tightly covered container. It is not necessary to refrigerate.

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

• Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches (10 cm) from heat

1. Arrange baguette slices on a large baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.

2. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and Gorgonzola. Spread bread slices evenly with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the Gorgonzola mixture. Top with pear slices. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pecans.

3. Broil crostini for 1 to 2 minutes or until pears are tender and cheese is slightly melted. Serve immediately.

Tip: When purchasing pears, look for ones that are fragrant and have no blemishes. I store mine in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.

I do hope you will try these recipes and pick up a copy of Alison's new cookbook for some new tea time inspiration!

Happy Sipping and Sandwiches, Lisa

**A special thank you to Robert Rose for sending me Alison's book.

Is the Kind of Water You Use to Make Tea Important?

2011-08-18T09:25:00.000-04:00

You bet it is!

I knew this already, but was once again reminded of it this past week.

In one of my Specialty Tea Institute Level 4 classes that I took last year, we had the opportunity to compare different water types with varying mineral levels using the same tea. We cupped (professionally tasted) one tea that was steeped in several different water types.

Wow, what a difference it made. It is so easy to taste the difference when compared side-by-side. However, when you are at home and only making one pot or cup of tea at a time, it may not be so easy to detect.

The tap water at my house is drinkable, but I do think it contains a lot of chlorine. At home, I don't have a fancy water filter telling me at what level each mineral is in my water like we do for the Specialty Tea Institute classes. I simply use the filtered water through my refrigerator to brew my tea. I have found it does the trick and brews even my high end teas well!

In the morning, my husband usually makes the first pot of tea and he always uses the filtered water.

However, my daughter has become quite the tea lover in recent years and she "steals" our tea. So, a second pot of tea is needed for the morning. I noticed when she would make the infusion from the same tea, it tasted different and not nearly as good. I just thought she wasn't getting the amount of tea or the time down right. But, I was wrong. She was doing everything the same except she was using un-filtered water.

It made a huge difference in the taste!

So, if you aren't using filtered or spring water for your tea, you really aren't getting the most out of it. Try a side-by-side experiment of making one pot of tea with tap water and one with filtered/spring water.

Did it make a difference?
Send a comment back and let me know the results!

Happy Sipping (with filtered water), Lisa

Have a Little Pickle with your Tea Time Sandwiches

2011-08-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, I headed back to the Williams-Sonoma Artisan's Market. I met up with my food friends for a little chat and sampling-again! The energy in the store was electrifying as it filled with people who wanted to try the samples and meet the artisans who create such wonderful food products.

This week's blog feature is Phickles Pickles and owner Angie Tillman. They are a pickle company located in Athens, GA. For those of you not familiar with the South, Athens is the home of the University of Georgia and the Bulldogs!!! I love to learn what inspires people to create. If you want to learn more about artisan Angie Tillman's story go here, but be prepared to be inspired to get pickles!

I love the array of different vegetables that Phickles Pickles uses in their jars. You can find carrots, tomatoes, okra, snap beans, asparagus and oh sometimes even cucumbers on a rare occasion! I bought their green tomato Wedgies and love the spicy and sour taste of them. They are perfect with a sandwich or even ON a sandwich with a glass of cold iced tea.

Here is another way you might like to use them. In my book, Tea with a Twist, I suggest using pickled okra or asparagus for stems with my flower power tea sandwiches. It is an easy thing to do. I am of the belief that a sandwich with a pickle or some Phickles Pickles is a lovely pairing, don't you think so?

If you don't live close, no worries because they will deliver their lovely southern products to your doorstep!

On a side note, I will be at Williams-Sonoma Lenox Square Atlanta store doing a tea and cooking demo on September 24th from 1-3 PM. I hope to see you there!

Happy Sipping and Sandwiches with Phickles, Lisa

Tea Book Review - The Secret Ingredient

2011-08-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

The Secret Ingredient (Simon and Schuster 2011) is a delightful easy read book. It is the second in a series of The TeaShop Girls by Laura Schaeffer. Laura does such a great job describing ingredients and recipes that this book should come with a warning that states, " Be prepared to have plenty of tea and scones on hand while reading."

The book is written for middle school age girls, but I found it fun as an adult too! My initial thought was that my 15 year old daughter would read the book and write up a review for it as a guest blogger. However, her prep work for high school got in the way of that plan. It worked out perfectly though because I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one for myself!!!

The setting of the book takes place at The Steeping Leaf which is a tea shop located in Madison, Wisconsin. The TeaShop Girls are a group of young ladies who meet at the shop for tea and talk time. One of the girls is Annie whose grandmother Louisa is the owner of the shop. Annie is competing to win a scone bake-off sponsored by one of the shop's tea suppliers with the grand prize being a trip to London!

I found myself cheering Annie on as she starts a blog, tries to find followers for her blog (key ingredient to getting to the bake-off) , and recipe testing in hopes of finding the "winning recipe." I love that this book encourages tea drinking, but also love that it encourages girls to start learning how to cook. There are other wonderful messages sprinkled throughout the book such as healthy eating, organic gardening, and activism for good causes.

The Secret Ingredient is the perfect gift for a young tween girl or for any young girl at heart that loves tea. I can't wait for my daughter to read it-I know she'll love it! Here is one of the recipes that was featured in the book. You will have to read the book to find out "the secret ingredient!"

Parmesan Berry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup strawberries
1/2 teaspoon secret ingredient
1/4 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together first, then cut in the butter. Stir in one beaten egg and add cheese and berries. Add the secret ingredient. Slowly add the buttermilk to form a thick dough. You may need slightly more than 2/3 cup. Knead the dough on a board, roll to a 1-inch thickness, and cut the dough into 2-inch triangles or rounds. Place each scone on a greased cookie sheet and brush the tops with milk. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes; serve warm. Makes about 12 scones.

Do you have a secret ingredient you put into your scones? Would love to hear about it!

Happy Sipping, Reading, and Scone Eating, Lisa

**Special thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me the book to review!

Have a Little Lemon with Your Tea

2011-07-28T07:00:00.004-04:00

People have been putting lemon in their tea for a long while. In my last blog, I wrote about mouthfeel. Lemons are sour and there is a mouthfeel to them. Just thinking about the taste of lemon, makes the saliva in your mouth flow. The sour flavor component helps to perk up flavors in food. Some people really enjoy the flavor lemon brings to tea-especially some black teas!

Drinking tea and pairing foods that have lemon as an ingredient can also create a wonderful balance of flavor and make for a very nice pairing. At the Williams-Sonoma Artisan's Market in Atlanta, I brought home some wonderful lemon accoutrements to my tea experience. A colleague of mine, Alisa Barry, owns the lovely Bella Cucina . She has some of the most amazing artisan food products. You might have seen her products sold at specialty food stores around the United States.

The first Bella Cucina item I chose was the Meyer Lemon Relish. It is a delectable mixture of Meyer Lemons, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Shallots, Vinegar, Lemon Thyme, and Salt. It is perfect to spread over a sliced baguette for a little afternoon snack. It is lovely paired with a hearty black tea such as an Indian Assam or Kenyan tea.

I also chose to pick up some of her delicious lemon curd. I am a lemon curd girl from way back and LOVE it on my scones. My kids LOVE it too, so I had to hide my stash from them until I was ready to eat it. The lemon curd is a nice balance of lemon to sweet and perfect on a scone. Below is my recipe for a basic scone that is calling out for some lemon curd to go with it.

Basic Sweet Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or mixer until it looks crumbly. Add vanilla to cream and then pour into flour mixture and mix with hands until it forms a ball. Remove dough from bowl, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to about ½-inch thickness. Be careful not to overwork the dough or the scones will become tough. Cut with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Makes approximately 12. (You may use different size cutters but be sure to adjust you cooking time if you do. The larger the size, the longer it needs to cook and vice versa.

If you live in the Atlanta area, you can visit Williams-Sonoma Artisan Market. They will have them on August 6 and also September 3. If you aren't in the area, you may order any Bella Cucina products online here. Do you love lemon with your tea?

Happy Sipping a Little Lemon with my Tea, Lisa

Tea and Cheese-A Wonderful Pairing

2011-07-21T11:15:00.001-04:00

Recently, I attended an Artisan's Market at Williams-Sonoma in Atlanta. I met up with some wonderful food artisans-some were friends of mine and some I met for the first time. While I was there, I bought some of my favorite products and have been trying them out in my kitchen! I am thrilled to be featuring these small business owners and their products on my blog.

I LOVE cheese and I haven't found too many people that don't. The first company I would like to feature is Sweet Grass Dairy. They are a 140-acre family owned and operated farm in southern Georgia. Their award-winning cheeses are made from the milk of their very own goats and Jersey Cows and delivered to you with our exceptional quality.

Some may be surprised that tea and cheese pair well together, but they do. You may be wondering why, so I will briefly explain. The term "mouthfeel" is used by tea experts to explain the sensation that is going on when tasting tea. Simply, mouthfeel is the way something coats or doesn't coat your mouth. What makes tea and cheese such a wonderful pairing is the contrast between the astringency in tea (drying sensation) with the fat (coating) in cheese. Tea's astringency refreshes the palate by giving it a stopping point and counterbalances the cheese.

After trying several samples, I decided upon their Green Hill Soft-Ripened Cow Cheese. It was even featured on the Martha Stewart Show. I thought it would pair wonderfully with my latest shipment of tea from Darjeeling and IT DID! The buttery rich flavor of the cheese and the muscatel tea with undertones of citrus flowers and peach=Perfect Pairing indeed.

If you haven't paired tea and cheese together, this would be a perfect start. Here's a recipe for a pastry encrusted cheese that is from Sweet Grass Dairy. While in the oven be sure to make a big pot of Darjeeling tea to go with it!

Ingredients:
1 piece Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill, COLD
10 Sheets Phyllo Dough
Butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. If you are lucky enough to live where you have access to fresh phyllo dough, then congratulations! For the rest of us, bring phyllo to room temperature, unroll, and cover with a barely damp towel to prevent drying out.
3. Take first sheet, and brush lightly with butter. Repeat 5-10 times being careful not to let raw phyllo dry out in between layers.
4. Place Green Hill in center of phyllo, and cut dough into a rough square that is larger than Green Hill by 3” on all sides.
5. Begin to pull dough to center of Green Hill and continue in a circular fashion keeping dough as tight as possible to the cheese. When all dough has been wrapped around cheese, turn over onto sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
6. Brush exterior with butter and place into oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the phyllo is just browned.
7. Remove from oven, let rest for 3-4 minutes.
8. Serve with fresh salad greens and/ or honey.

In my next blog, we will take a look at another great artisan food product! I can't wait to tell you about all my great finds and how they go wonderfully with tea!

Happy Sipping and Snacking on Cheese, Lisa

Darjeeling Tea & First Flush

2011-07-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Darjeeling Tea

I have gotten some questions about Darjeeling tea recently since I posted on Facebook and Twitter that I was enjoying my First Flush Darjeeling that I received directly from the Glenburn Tea Estate. Some of my followers wanted to know what kind of tea it was and why I love it.

So, what is Darjeeling tea and what the heck is a First Flush?

The tea is named for the region it comes from. The Darjeeling District is located in the northeast corner of India. It is a beautiful area at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. The tea grown there is at an elevation from 1,500 to 6,000 feet high. It is known to many people as "the Champagne of teas." I would have to agree with that!

Tea is similar to wine is so many ways. One way that it is similar is what is called the "terroir." The term was used to describe the taste of wine that encompasses the region, belonging to the specific appellation, sharing of soil, weather conditions, grapes, and wine-making savoir-faire which gives a specific personality to the wine. Basically this means that the taste of wine is influenced greatly by the "taste of place." This is very true of tea as well. The "terroir of tea" refers to not just a cultivar or specific variety although that contributes to the taste, but to many other things as well. The climate, soil, rainfall, weather, and the traditions of the country where the tea is produced all come into play.

So what is the "terroir" of Darjeeling teas. The high altitude is part of it, but that is not all of it. The area is known to have steep slopes that provide good drainage for the monsoon rains. The rainfall, humidity, and the mist from the cloud cover have an effect on the taste. The plant hybrid is a smaller leaf Chinese type known as Camellia sinensis sinensis which also contributes to the tea's unique taste. The processing of the tea also comes into play to give the tea such a distinct flavor.

It is important to know name Darjeeling tea is protected. Only tea that is cultivated, grown and produced in 87 designated tea gardens in the defined region of the District of Darjeeling can be called Darjeeling Tea. Darjeeling Tea has now been registered as a GI (Geographical Indication) in India. This officially places Darjeeling Tea in the esteemed company of a Cognac or Champagne - other famous GIs. The unique geographical conditions of Darjeeling help make its teas a rarity in the same way Cognac and Champagne are rare because they can only come from specific regions of France.

In Darjeeling, tea has "seasons." The first pluck of the season starts in March after tea plants have been dormant through the winter. This is what is known as a "first flush." It's flavor is described as light and bright, smooth on the palate with undertones of citrus flowers and peach and oh so delicious!

So hopefully I have tantalized you enough to try some Darjeeling tea! I love getting my tea direct from the plantation. If you are a business owner, you can order directly from Glenburn Tea Estate too. I had the privilege of meeting the lovely plantation owners, Anshuman and Husna-Tara Prakash at a trade event last year. I hope to visit their plantation in the very near future!

Did I mention that you can stay directly on the plantation? Well, that is for another post!

Happy Sipping Darjeeling Tea (of course), Lisa

(All photos in this blog post are courtesy of Glenburn Tea Estate and have copyright protection)

The Best Fourth of July

2011-07-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

I have been to many great fireworks over the years. However, one Fourth of July stands out among all the rest when I was 13. My Dad who was a professional singer had to do a concert in New York City right before the holiday. My mom and I were having typical mother-daughter issues and they thought some time away for me would be good. So, they decided that it would be a great idea to take me with him on his trip.

We toured the city including The World Trade Center which was an amazing building. He took me to some wonderful restaurants too. All of that was fantastic and I enjoyed spending time with my dad. The only thing that I was bummed about was that we were leaving the night of the Fourth of July which meant I wasn't going to be able to see any fireworks. Boy, was I wrong!

Our plane took off about 9:30 that clear evening. To my surprise, I was invited to the BEST fireworks display EVER! As our plane soared into the sky, I could see for miles all around New York City all the fireworks going off. It was amazing to be on top of the display. It seemed like there were over a dozen places that were having shows. The view from the plane was magical!

That trip made a big impact on me. My husband and I decided that we would do trips with our children when they turned 13. It would be their "welcome into the teenage world" kind of trips. It allow time to bond with them alone. We chose my husband to take our son and I was to take my daughter. Our trips were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to say the least. Each child was allowed to choose (within reason) what and where they wanted to go.

Zach chose to go to the mountains and take a trip to the Buford Pusser Museum in Tennessee. Here is my husband Joe and son Zach on their trip. My husband made friends with the workers at the museum This allowed them some private access into Pusser's car. It also allowed my husband to put on a jacket that Buford Pusser himself wore. Both of them are holding the Buford Pusser club which I am happy to say we are the proud owners of his and hers matching replicas."

Kate chose the beach and I was all in favor of that!

We went to the Charleston area and stayed on Seabrook Island. The condo we rented was right on the beach. Every morning we could wake up to the ocean, drink our tea on the deck, and then decide what we wanted to do. We ate girl food, sat on the beach, toured the city, and watch girl movies at night. The above picture was taken as a storm was rolling in. It was amazing to watch it across the ocean. Her birthday dinner out she tried escargot for the first time! It was wonderful to spend time with her and my husband felt the same way about their trip

So as we celebrate our country, I hope that you will celebrate your family as well. How about taking a trip with one of your children all by themselves-maybe for their 13th birthday or some other birthday. It is never too late! The memories will be precious.

Happy Celebrating and Sipping, Lisa

The Personal Side of Tea Part 3

2011-06-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

As I shared in my last blog post, tea is not just a beverage or a business to me. Tea is personal, but sometimes your personal life and your professional life intersect. If you would like to go back, here is Part 1 and Part 2 for your convenience. This is how the inspiration to my second book, The World in Your Teacup came about. It was my son's eighth surgery.

"My son was in the hospital recovering from mouth surgery. When we moved him from the intensive care unit to a regular hospital room, we met the night nurse who was assigned to his room. Her name was Shirley. After talking to her about the various concerns I had, I asked about her accent and where she was from. When Shirley told me she was from Kenya, I asked if she had lived near the area where the tea plantations were. Then my son piped up and tried to explain to the nurse, as best he could with his very swollen tongue, that I was—as he likes to call me—a “tea lady.” When I asked Shirley if she liked tea, her eyes immediately lit up. She told me that my questions reminded her of her home and the wonderful memories of family and friends drinking tea. She smiled and said that because of her and a few others the hospital started serving tea in the cafeteria.

As Shirley tended to my son’s medical needs, we talked for more than 45 minutes about our love of tea and the traditions of her native country. She left us for a time and then came back to introduce me to another nurse from Malawi whose father grew tea in that country. We chatted more about tea, and they reminisced about their homelands, tea, and the families they left behind.

It then dawned on me that here are three women, all from different countries, who have been united because of their love of tea. We might not have had anything else in common, but we experienced a bond by sharing our thoughts on that single beverage.

With that as my inspiration, I began to research the bond tea has created between the people of many nations, including my own. I found it fascinating to learn about how the very same beverage became so important to each country and how the practices and ceremonies surrounding that one beverage differed from one culture to another."

We just went through our ninth surgery with our son who is now 20. As we walked into the hospital, our trusty tea thermos accompanied us to the waiting room. We took our respective places and sipped our tea as we waited for it to be over. We love to hear the words from the doctor that everything is fine and the surgery went well!

Tea is for all occasions in my opnion. I sometimes get a text from my daughter who is now almost 15 that she is having a bad day at school or a text that says she just got a 100% on a test. It is on those days, that I have a pot of tea waiting for her when she gets off the bus. Sometimes I just make tea for her because its raining, or its cold, or just because. When she gets home, I stop working and we chat about the day over tea.

Tea is more than a business or a beverage-that's what I love about it. It is a way to spend time together, a way to connect, and a way of life. My faith, my family, and my tea have been through a lot! I can't imagine life without any of those three. I would love to hear how tea is personal to you!

Happy Sipping and Fourth of July, Lisa

The Personal Side of Tea Part 2

2011-06-22T09:07:00.000-04:00

In the last blog, I shared that although I'm a tea expert and tea book author, tea is also very personal to me. So today I want to continue with why I thought the movie Soul Surfer had such an impact on our family. If you need to be brought up to speed, you might want to read The Personal Side of Tea Part 1.

Although there wasn't any tragic accident, our family also has an amputee. My oldest child, Zach was born with several birth defects-one of which is missing his left foot and ankle. This is one of the reasons I chose a business that was flexible due to all the doctor visits that were needed. As you can see from the picture below, his disabilities haven't slowed him down. There were times when he was little that I caught myself saying, "Isn't he supposed to be handicapped?" as I would try to keep up with his constant running and climbing!

Just before his 5th grade year ended, he needed a revision to his limb to help his prosthesis fit better. He knew and we knew that it was going to be a long recovery. My husband and I weren't rookies at surgeries. We have learned how "to do" surgery as this was his fifth surgery and not his last. We have developed a routine for waiting for the outcome of the surgeries. One of them is bringing our tea with us.

As we began "our routine" of waiting while the surgery was going on, our trusted tea-stained thermos full of tea was there with us. As we settled in for the long wait to hear the outcome, it was comforting to sip our familiar brew and pray our son was going to be okay. Our tea time in the waiting room is reflective with quiet prayers being whispered.

He came home with badges just like the girl in the movie and his recovery was difficult. He spent a lot of time in his bed for almost three weeks because it hurt too bad to move. I had to carry him piggyback down the stairs when he wanted to come down. Then after that, it was a wheelchair for most of the summer. Some of our tea times were spent weeping together because it was so hard to see your child in so much pain!

Zach in his wheelchair with Kate by his side at his end-of-soccer-season party

A difficulty just doesn't happen to one person in the family, everyone is affected by it. What was so amazing to my husband and me, was our daughter Kate's actions who was just 5 years old at the time of the surgery. She sat by his side and played games with him in his bed. She even declared she wasn't going to swim that summer-even though she LOVED to swim-since Zach couldn't. She kept her word and didn't swim all summer long! Some of our tea times were spent marveling at how sweet and sacrificing our daughter was and is.

She is a different person having watched her older brother go through all of his difficulties and so are we. I watched my son's determination to get back to school and soccer in the fall. He had one week to rehab in his new prosthesis before heading to his first day of middle school and just two weeks before soccer started back up again. He would come home from both in pain and sometimes bleeding from his newly formed scars. We would ice his leg and then he would get right back up and do it again. Our tea time then was full of celebration because our son is a fighter and so is his family!

I love that tea can represent so many different things. It can be a pick-me-up when I need to get going in the morning. It can be a social event when I want to share time with friends and family. It can be a comfort for when things are grim. It can be a wonderful companion when I seek solitude or need some time alone. It can also be a celebration for a special occasion such as a bridal shower, baby shower, or a child accomplishing great things! What do you love about tea?

My love of tea goes beyond my business and is deeply personal at times. I wanted my readers to have a peek into my personal side of tea. Be sure to join me next time for the conclusion of the personal side of tea as I share more. It is interesting how business and personal connect when your business is tea!

Happy Sipping and Reflecting, Lisa

The Personal Side of Tea Part 1 and Happy Father's Day

2011-06-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

So yes, I'm a tea expert, author of 2 tea books, and have had a tea business for almost 11 years. I am an official tea geek and love to talk withering, oxidation, and recipes with the best of them, but tea is also very personal to me. It represents more than just a beverage or a business. It has a deep connection to my everyday life personally as well as with my family.

Our second family tea together!

My intial business concept started while I was pregnant with my daughter. I had an interest in tea and had bought some books, but never got a chance to read them since I was working. While I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to go onto bed rest twice. It is amazing what you have time to read when you are forced to lay in bed! After reading the tea books, I began to plan my tea business and as Kate grew so did my business plan. It took four years to investigate and figure out what kind of business I wanted to have.

My husband and I have tea time every weekend. It is the time we catch up on schedules, life, and us. We also use tea time for business stradegy and planning. It is a time we connect with each other. When we miss it for some reason, the week just doesn't go right. Some of our tea times we spend sharing about life's hardships and we have faced a few in our almost 21 years together.

My husband and business partner Joe and I having tea.

I was reminded of that several weeks ago when for Mother's Day, my husband, kids and I went to go see the movie Soul Surfer. For those of you who aren't familiar with the movie, it is based on the true life story of a young surfer who was bitten by a shark and lost her arm. Here's the trailer that explains a little more if you aren't familiar with the story.

So for Father's Day, I thought it would be good to share "our story", the personal side of tea for me, and how I couldn't have gotten through it all without my husband Joe's support.

Watching the movie as a family, we could relate so much to the struggles incurred when one them suddenly became an amputee. Watching the characters in the movie struggle with the tradegy after the shark bite hit very close to home with us. We all seemed to fight to hold back the tears through the movie as they tried to cope with a "new normal." From removing the bandages, to people's stares, I related to so much of it.

Be sure to join me next time as I explain why our family struggled through the movie as I share more of the personal side of tea. As I recount our struggles, I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a husband who is not only a great husband and business partner, but a Wonderful Daddy to our two children! Happy Father's Day Joe and all the other wonderful involved dads out there!

Do you have a personal side or story to tell about tea? Why don't you share it with everyone in the comments section!

Happy Sipping and Father's Day, Lisa

Celebrating National Iced Tea Month with my Mom's Beach Iced Tea Recipe

2011-06-08T09:50:00.000-04:00

June is National Iced Tea Month! My first love for tea was in the form of iced tea. Growing up in South Florida, it was the perfect thirst quenching beverage after a day at the beach or outside. My mom's now famous beach iced tea included fresh squeezed orange juice.

I have included an except from the Tropical Tea by the Sea chapter in my first book, Tea with a Twist. It gives a little background into my mom's beach iced tea.

"To escape the heat and keep four kids entertained, my parents would load the family in our car and head for the beach just five miles from our home. We would always go to Spanish River Park, which was adjacent to the ocean via a tunnel that went under Highway A1A. The park had playgrounds, grills, picnic tables, and huge shade trees that were great for climbing. It was easy to go back and forth from the park to the ocean and we would play for hours on end.

There is just something about the salt air and the cool ocean breezes to work up an appetite. My mom would always pack a picnic lunch for the family and make her special “beach iced tea”. After playing in the ocean waves and building sand castles fit for a king, I could hardly wait to sit down for our picnic and drink Mom’s refreshing brew that she only made for our special beach outings. It was filled with fresh squeezed orange juice from the oranges that grew right in our backyard. It was sure to quench your thirst after a hard day of playing in the water."

There is a complete tea party menu to go with the Beach Iced Tea such as Citrus Chicken Salad, Orange Tarragon Savory Scones, and Key Lime Coconut Bars. If interested check out my book, Tea with a Twist to get all of the recipes. Also included are some great entertaining ideas for a Tropical Tea by the Sea including what to do with the used orange rinds leftover from squeezing the oranges yourself! If you haven't ever seen orange groves, below is a quick video from my most recent trip to Florida and then the recipe for Beach Iced Tea.

Here's the Beach Iced Tea Recipe:

1. Use spring water or fresh, cold water from the tap. Do not reuse water you have already boiled because the oxygen will have evaporated and this affects the taste of the tea.

2. Measure 1/3 cup black Ceylon tea leaves into an infuser. For this large quantity, use a large infuser so the leaves have room to expand and steep properly. You can also put the leaves directly in the teapot and strain the tea when you pour it into the gallon container.

3. Heat the water until it reaches a full boil for black teas. A six-cup teapot is a good size to use. Pour the hot water over the tea leaves immediately and cover your teapot.

4. Steep the tea for the time instructed on the tea package or 3 to 5 minutes for black tea, over steeping can also cause the tea to taste bitter.

5. After the steeping, remove the leaves.

6. Squeeze enough oranges to get 4 cups of juice. Save empty orange rinds for later use. You may substitute refrigerated fresh squeezed orange juice not-from-concentrate, but it is not as good as the real thing Add orange juice to steeped tea and sweeten to taste. Add water to top off the pitcher.

In my next blog, we are going to the personal side of tea. Beyond being a tea expert and having a tea business, there is a personal side to tea that deeply connects me to the beverage. You will read all about that shortly. For now, I would love to hear about your favorite summer iced tea recipes!

Happy Summer and Sipping Iced Tea, Lisa

Reflections on my Tea Journey

2011-05-26T08:32:00.000-04:00

Upon returning home from my tea trip to Taiwan and Japan and blogging about it all, I am still amazed at the beauty and diversity of each region. However , what impressed me the most about the trip was the people! Everywhere we went, the people were so gracious to our group. We were greeted so warmly and all seemed to want to share their knowledge of tea with us. Many of them bestowed gifts of tea to us just for stopping by and listening! As I steep the teas that were given to us or the teas I purchased from places we visited, my appreciation of what is in my cup grows so much more.

I thought it to be such an honor to be in the presence of such educated tea individuals and yet they always seemed honored by our presence as well. The patience given to our group of Tea Master Steve as he taught us how to make oolong tea was impressive. The process of making my own tea was also very high on my list!

Getting to meet the farmers who put their effort into giving me a wonderful cup of tea, makes each infusion so much sweeter. Now as I drink the tea, I remember from where it came and who made it taste so special. Tea Master Steve and one of the farmers pictured here traveled several hours through the mountains to come to our graduation ceremony in Taiwan before we left for Japan.

I have to admit after hearing stories, I was somewhat apprehensive about traveling to Asia before I left . I had heard about the dangers of drinking the water and getting sick from the food. To be quite honest, the eastern-style bathrooms even made me a bit nervous! The culture in Taiwan and Japan are definitely different than here in the USA, but I would go back again without any hesitation and hope to very soon.

Thank you to all who put in their time to make our trip so educational, especially the hosts for our trip Thomas Shu and Josephine Pan. If you are interested in going this year, registration will begin soon. I will cherish my time that I was there and will remember (or try to) what I learned.

If you ever have the chance to go Taiwan and Japan and learn more about the culture, tea, and beauty of each country, I highly encourage to do it. In the June blogs, I am going to get personal and we will also talk about National Iced Tea Month! If your curious, you want want to miss it!!

Happy Sipping and Fondly Remembering the People of Taiwan and Japan, Lisa

Day 3 Part 2 O-Cha (Tea) Festival & Closing Traditional Japanese Dinner

2011-05-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

After my lovely visit to the garden and temple, our group was off to the World O-Cha (Tea) Festival 2010. This festival is only held once every three years. It was a conglomerate of tea buyers and sellers from all over the world. It was fun to be a part of such a global tea experience. Here is the entrance to the festival with people rushing about anxious to see this year's teas and new products.

I found this wall of art interesting. Our host, Thomas Shu, graciously explained what it was. All the symbols are done in calligraphy in Hanji (Chinese symbols) except for the one just to the left of my head which is in Japanese. They all say TEA. Although they all say the same thing, each one held its own beauty and looked so harmonious together. According to Thomas, harmony is a fundamental practice in the Asian culture. Harmony is also the spirit of tea.

Along with tea vendors there were other vendors selling many different kinds of teaware, books, pottery, etc. I found these cast iron kettles really beautiful. When I looked at the price and did my quick Yen to Dollar comparison, I understood why I found them beautiful! They were out of my price range so instead of buying one, I took a picture so we all could enjoy their beauty!

Along with vendors, there were demonstrations being held. Here is a man showing the old fashion way to make matcha. He had volunteers come up and demonstrate and most of them left out of breath. It is now done by automation, but the same practice of grinding the tea leaves on large stones is still done.

Different tea ceremonies were held in front of the large tea calligraphy wall. I was honored to be asked to be a part of a Chinese oolong ceremony with this young woman. I was thrilled to be a part of it.

I did feel sorry for the outside vendors because of the rain, not many were visiting them. I ventured out for some lunch and shopped all the while trying to avoid the large puddles. I found a lovely little pottery piece in the shape of tea leaf with blue and white flowers on it. It is the perfect container for my vitamins I take throughout the day.

At the close of the day, our group met with the directors of the festival. I hope to return again to this festival in three years!

Our group loaded back on the bus, one last time to our final meal together. We drove to a small seaside town that was know for its fresh off the boat sushi and sashimi. We all were asked to take off our shoes and to sit on cushions on the floor. A few day prior, we were asked to choose from a variety of menus that all sounded delicious. The "A A" place card next the tray of food was what I choose and I couldn't have been happier. Can you guess what might be in the wooden jewelry box looking item?

In the upper left corner, I had the freshest sashimi, in the upper right side was some tempura, in the center bottom was a soup called chawan mushi that had seafood, short necked clams, and ginger, and the surprise in the wooden box was why I chose this meal. It was broiled eel over a bed of rice. I hadn't ever had eel before and I wasn't disappointed. It was delicious as was the whole meal.

The dinner was a wonderful way to close the trip. I feel so blessed to have gone to Japan and hope you have enjoying following my journey in tea! In the next blog, I will share some of my reflections about the trip along with some cultural differences I found interesting.

Happy Sipping, Lisa

Day 3 Japanese Tea House and Temple

2011-05-05T09:06:00.000-04:00

Today was a rainy day, but I decided to venture out in the morning before going to the O-Cha (Tea) Festival. Since I have been traveling with a group, it was nice to take a walk by myself. It was really the first opportunity I had the whole trip to be alone. One of the members in our group told us about a temple behind our hotel that she could see from her window in her room. On my journey, I stumbled upon this small teahouse just behind the hotel. Although it wasn't open, I could just imagine the tea ceremonies that have taken place there through the years, can't you?

My journey then took me to a very interesting site and my emotions took me off guard. Although I didn't enter through these big heavy wooden gates, I just thought the entrance was so inviting. The roof over the doors was so ornate. My husband is a builder, so I am always interested in how things how built and the work that is involved.

What was so fascinating about this temple is that is it was preserved down through history. As you can see, it is surrounded by a city that was built around it and yet the temple and the beautiful zen garden remained intact or so I thought. Although I was in a city full of tall buildings and not far from a major train station, the gardens remained peaceful.

Below you can see the carpet of stone that has been manicured so nicely with even rows and sculptural rocks and plants to accent the rock carpet.

Everything was kept so nicely as to show respect for each part of the garden as an individual place. However, I kept wondering why I had this sense of sadness walking though the garden.

Even the raindrops landing in the pond added to the serenity of the garden in a unique way. The place held such beauty, that I desired to know more. I wondered if I may be allowed to enter the temple. The picture below shows the temple beyond the pond. I went through the doors and there was a kind gentleman with a jacket on that had a "Georgia" emblem on it. I thought great, we have something in common, he has a jacket from my home state! He spoke some English and told me that his son was in Georgia and worked for Coke. It is a small world, isn't it?

He allowed me to walk around inside the building. It was lovely inside although it didn't appear that old. He told me that the temple was rebuilt, but that the original one and the gardens were over 600 years old. Here is a view from inside the temple out to a lovely courtyard. I longed to know more about this place that had not been taken over by city buildings.

On the side of the garden and temple is a cemetery. It is evident that loved ones still come visit the ones they have lost.

Upon my return, I wanted to find out more about its history. Our host's daughter and interpreter for the trip, Kazuko found out more information for me through her father. He actually went over to the temple especially for me to find out more! The building is Buddhist temple named Hodaiji. The original temple used be be very large and was built in 1381. During the edo period (1600-1850) the Joseon mission came from Korea and stayed there on their way to Tokyo. They were duly impressed by its beauty and architecture.

The building was completely destroyed by an aerial bombing during World War II in 1944. It has since been rebuilt on the site, but much smaller in scale. There are 40 small stone figures throughout the garden. They are placed in the memory of the spirits of the dead children that were lost.

I was moved by this story and I think that explained some of my sadness through all the tranquility I felt while walking through the garden. If you are ever in the land of tea in Shizuoka, be sure to take time to walk through this beautiful garden.

Happy Sipping and Serenity, Lisa

Day 2 Part 2 Food in Japan & Hojicha Processing

2011-04-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

Oh, the food in Japan is something to be desired! Before I move on to the factory, I thought you might be interested in our lunch that was served at the tea auction facility. As a big foodie, I couldn't skip our lunch presentation for you. This is the Japanese version of a boxed lunch!

Inside the box was some riced topped with various kinds of delicious sushi and sashimi along with a small bottle of soy sauce and wasabi. It was so yummy and the perfect lunch to gear us up for the next part of the day!

After lunch we headed out to the hojicha factory. (Reminder of what hojicha is.) As the bus pulled up and we all climbed out, you could smell this lovely roasting aroma permeating the air. Once again were asked to put on hairnets and take off our shoes and put on slippers for sanitary purposes. Although the look isn't the most attractive, I appreciate the effort for cleanliness.

As we toured to facility, the smell was intoxicating. We watched how the tea is taken through to finalize it. Since most everything is done by machines, there were only two workers inside this plant working. You can again see the high sanitary level of the workers. The workers had to wear gloves as well. The mask is not just for sanitary purposes, but also so she doesn't breath in all the hojicha dust.

Below you can see how the back wall of this bin is covered in tea and beside it are large bags of tea ready to go to market.

After our tour of the plant, we headed off to a wholesale company selling teapots and teacups. Our day wrapped up with dinner on our own again. The first night out, we discovered this Thai restaurant called Colonial Kitchen so a group of us decided to venture out to try it. We were very fortunate to find an English speaking waiter. He was excited to practice his English too so it worked out well for everyone!

Can you tell we are tea people? With all the tea on the table, we had a hard time finding room for our plates. I loved the way they served tea in this restaurant, don't you?

In this picture is: Far back from left to right, Elise Scott of Pearl Fine Teas, Ken Rudee of Barnes and Watson Fine Teas, and Judith Krall-Russo of Tea Food History . In the front row is Newman Johnston of Teas Etc. and Lynayn Mielke of East-West Tea Emporium.

Here's a toast to you as you follow me on my journey to day three where we will discover a lovely historic Japanese teahouse, temple, and the big O-Cha (Tea) Festival!

Happy Sipping, Lisa

Day 2 Japanese Tea Processing & Shizouka Tea Auction

2011-04-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

Looking good in a hairnet, wouldn't you say? Today we headed to a tea refinery plant. This is where the aracha is taken for final drying, sorting, and blending. Again all of this is done by machine. Our group was asked to wear hairnets (interesting look for all), take off our shoes, and put on slippers to keep the facility clean. Here I am holding the finished tea-Sencha after final processing.

We were allowed to peer through large glass windows on the second floor at the processing center below.

It was quite impressive all the machinery used for final processing.

From there we left to go to the Shizuoka Tea Ichiba Tea Market which is where over 200 companies come to bid on about 1,500 kinds of tea in one day.

We watched a film of the auction process. When the doors are open to the buyers, there is a huge stampede to the auction tables to start cupping and bidding. It reminded me of videos you have seen on TV on Black Friday as the eager shoppers rush through the doors to get a great deal! After the film the men in charge so kindly explained the bidding process to us.

Each hat color represents a different position: the man in the yellow hat represents the broker, the man in the green hat represents the seller, and the man in the blue hat represents the buyer.

The tea is weighed out for cupping (professional way of tasting teas) using a scale and Japanese coins as the counter weight. The broker uses an abacus to tell the seller what price the buyer is willing to purchase the tea for. It was amazing to watch how quickly they moved the wooden pieces around on the abacus to calculate the price. The seller then decides if that price is good or he wants to negotiate further. The bidding stops when the parties all agree to the price.

Instead of shaking hands to seal up a business deal, all the men clap three times in unison and the deal is done! After the film and demonstration, our group was in store for a treat. Mr. Yamanashi, our host and man in the blue hat, had prepared for us to do a special cupping of his teas.

We headed down to the auction room where rows of stainless steel-topped tables lined the room. It was exciting to be in the same place where teas were sold. We had the opportunity to see and cup side-by-side different quality levels of the same tea to compare the difference. I always love to compare different qualities of the same tea side-by-side. Your palate can really tell the difference if you do it this way.

Some of the biggest part of tasting is actually smelling. Here you can see, we not only smell the dry leaf, but the wet leaf as well. The leaves will speak to you as to their quality and freshness.

How honored I was to meet and talk with these men in the Japanese tea industry. To my immediate right is Mr. Yamanashi, our host and President of Yamaichi Trading Company. To his right is his Taiwan friend Jackson Huang who arranged the Japanese portion of the trip for us. To my immediate left is Mr. Enomoto who is a partner with Mr. Yamanashi. To his left is Mr. Katsutaro who is now retired, but was an expert instructor on how to harvest and machine process tea.

Mr. Yamanashi was so kind to give all of us a big bag of samples of 10 different kinds of tea in varying grades. There was a friendly rival between he and Jackson Huang. He told me laughing in his best English after he gave me my samples, "I am the best host" while pointing over to his friend Jackson. It was funny to watch these old friends kid with each other! I kiddingly agreed with Mr. Yamanashi that he was "the very best host indeed."

Stay with me for part 2 of this wonderful day. I will show you a hojicha roasting facility and take you to a Thai dinner with my fellow tea friends.

Happy Sipping and Still Trying to Figure out how an Abacus Works, Lisa

Day 1 Part 2 The Japanese Tea Fields

2011-03-24T10:24:00.000-04:00

I am heading back to Japan's lovely tea fields. It is such a pleasure to share this with you especially in light of the recent tragedies...

After studying tea harvesting and initial processing and then a wonderful lunch experience in Shizouka, we headed to some tea gardens. All along our drive, we viewed tea being grown on the sides of the steep green hills. Can you see the tea on the hills? This area of Japan is quite beautiful.

We arrived at this lovely tea garden to tour. Every nook and cranny had been planted with tea plants. There wasn't any space wasted. The tea fields went straight up to the house and alongside the garage with rock walls used as retaining walls holding in the soil. Because the plants are machine harvested, do you notice how manicured the tea plants look? It was stunning.

You might be wondering about the aprons you see me and others wearing on the trip. We had separate ones for each country. They came in quite handy with the big pocket. Each of us was given a notebook so we could carefully log down what we were being taught and the pocket was just the right size for the notebook and my camera! In fact, I have referred to my notebook quite a bit while blogging about my trip.

I took some time by myself to enjoy the garden and meandered around. I discovered at the top of the tea garden was a small outdoor temple-like structure. It was such an interesting building, I felt compelled to go in to discover more.

As I walked up the pathway, I was intrigued with what I saw. There were lovely statuary pillars at either side of the entrance. Inside the small outdoor building, tea branches hung around some sort of alter-like structure underneath the roof. I was told later that this was a memorial. On this stretch of road alongside the tea garden, there have been many accidents from travelers. So, the local people built this memorial on top of the hill to have their souls rest peacefully and peaceful it is! I guess it would be similar in thought to the crosses we see in the USA where people have passed away.

From inside the memorial, you could view the tea gardens. It was so peaceful to be at the top of the hill and overlooking the tea fields. What would have made the moment perfect would have been a cup of tea. Wouldn't you agree?

Unfortunately we had to leave the garden. As we were gathering to walk back to our bus, this lovely elderly woman, who was a resident of the house and relative of our guide Mr. Yamanashi, approached our group. She was carrying handmade gifts for us. She told us that she was in her 90's and that she was a teacher at a senior center in the area. She taught others how to do this form of origami. She recycles old brochures and papers into beautiful things such as the umbrellas like the ones she is carrying in her hand.

I was so honored that she would give one to me. It even made it home safely on the plane without being crushed. I now have it hanging in my home office. I am delighted every time I look at it, as it is a reminder of the gracious lady and her beautiful tea gardens!

With gift in hand, we headed back to the hotel. We were on our own to eat dinner that night. A couple of my girlfriends and I shopped and hunted for a place to eat. It was interesting to find something as none of us spoke Japanese and not many Japanese in that area spoke English. We ended up eating at a place that had pictures on the menu so we could point out what we wanted!!!

Along this fun and lively shopping area, we noticed two Starbucks within a very short walking distance. You might find it interesting that their menu is slightly different to cater to their market. Hojicha (to refresh your memory on Hojicha) is served as a latte, hot tea and iced tea within all the Japanese market.

I hope you will continue to travel with me. Day 2 is going to be fun as we head to some processing plants-one of them is a Hojicha plant and the famous "Shizouka tea auction." You might find it interesting how they "calculate and seal their deal."

Happy Sipping and Reminiscing, Lisa

Quiet Reflection on Japan with Prayers, Support, & Iced Matcha Latte

2011-03-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

The news that I woke up to on March 11, took my breath away. Japan was on my mind already, since I was working on my blogs from my recent trip there. I had just been in contact with my new Japanese friends in tea for questions concerning particulars about one of my blogs. How fast life can change course. It didn't seem right to go on blogging about my trip without the mention of the most recent disaster. How beautiful the mountain range in Shizouka Prefecture was while I was there!

The one below is a neighborhood just outside of a processing plant that we visited.

I will continue my blogs about my trip, but I didn't want to show any disrespect to those who have been affected by this disaster. I have been in touch with my friends in Japan and I am waiting to hear back about their well being. My prayers and thoughts go out to the people of Japan during this horrible crisis. My personal financial support is going to Samaritan's Purse Relief Efforts. They are already on the ground in Japan with supply blankets, hygiene supplies, and water purification systems to those in need. There are also other organizations that are helping as well.

I thought it might be honoring to those in Japan on St. Patrick's Day, to make "your green drink of the day" an Iced Matcha Latte. While making it and drinking it, we can stop and pray for those in need and if you can support the relief effort financially, that would be wonderful as well!

Iced Matcha Latte

2 teaspoons Matcha powder

6 oz milk (cow, soy, or rice)

Favorite sweetener such as stevia, honey, etc.

Ice

Put Matcha into a martini shaker

(if you don't have one, try a large jar with tight fitting lid)

Dissolve matcha by adding 1 Tablespoon hot water or milk

and stir until matcha becomes a smooth paste

Fill shaker with 1 cup ice

Add milk

Sweeten to taste and stir

Shake well to blend green tea with milk

Strain your chilled green tea latte over a tall glass with fresh ice

Happy Sipping, Supporting, and Praying for those in Japan, Lisa

Day 1 Shizouka-Heart of Japanese Tea with Touch of France

2011-03-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

The day started great with breakfast at the hotel. I have to say that the crescent served was one of the best I have ever tasted! Who knew you would find a delicious crescent in Japan? After breakfast, we loaded up in our bus and headed to the tea fields. Shizouka is the largest tea growing region in Japan. It grows and produces roughly 60% of the teas for the nation. I was so excited to start exploring the region and tea production.

Our first stop was Shizuoka Tea Experiment Station. It has a small experimental tea farm and processing plant. Almost all tea is machine harvested in Japan. They either use a machine similar to this or a hand held device that is like a rounded hedge trimmer that is held by two workers on either side of the rows of plants. This machine is nice, because it not only cuts the leaf, but also gathers the leaves into large white bags.

Most farmers co-op with a factory to send their leaves for processing. Tea is processed differently in Japan than in Taiwan. Almost all the tea that comes out of Japan is green and is machine cut and processed. It also has a two step processing procedure.

In order to stop the oxidation of the leaves and allow them to stay green, the leaves are steamed. Then the tea leaves are sent to several different rolling machines while some of the moisture is being reduced. It is then sent to a final drying machine. At this point, the tea is a raw form called aracha. The aracha tea is then sent to a separate factory for further final processing. We will visit that on day two of our tea trip.

After a great morning of studying tea harvesting and processing, we got back in the bus and headed for lunch. As we pulled into the parking lot to our restaurant, it looked like we could have been in France. This lovely little cafe was so inviting! The name was Frutta Fresca - Tarte and Quiche.

We knew we were in Japan though because as soon as we sat down, we were brought some green tea! I just loved the pottery that it was served in, don't you?

The chef was apparently trained in France and has tried to bring back a touch of it to her home country. We all thought she had done a fabulous job. Her garden in the back of the restaurant was surrounded by hills with tea gardens on them . Along side the restaurant was a railroad track that had a steam engine train pass by as we ate. The surroundings couldn't have been any more perfect and the day was just beautiful!

Our table ordered 4 things and we ate family style to try all the delicious food. The groups favorite was the salad that was so fresh from her garden. This was truly a farm to table experience for us as we sipped tea grown right in the area and ate the delicious salad that came from her garden out back!

Some of us purchased a dessert to go from her bakery. I got a chocolate torte and had it for dessert that evening in my room with a cup of tea. The chef and her staff were all so friendly. They even came out to wave bye to our bus as we headed to our next stop. Our group had been so well received in Taiwan and now in Japan as well. It was an added bonus to know the people of Taiwan and Japan are so welcoming to foreigners.

Tea is such a universal bridge to new friendships. I am blessed to be in such a wonderful industry. In my next blog, I will take you to the tea fields of Shizouka and introduce you to more lovely people! What's in your cup today?

Happy Sipping and Remembering, Lisa

Jo Malone Tea Inspired Fragrances

2011-03-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

I am interrupting my Japan tea travels to share a really cool thing with you. I usually don't like interruptions, but this is one I didn't want my readers and fellow tea lovers to miss out on!!! When I hear about an interesting product or event having to do with tea, I love to tell everyone about it. Those that know me, know I LOVE ALL THINGS TEA!

I was recently invited to speak about tea for a Jo Malone event at the Neiman Marcus Atlanta store. Tim Harper and the team at Neiman's joined forces with the Jo Malone team to invite all their regular customers to an invitation-only afternoon tea for the launch of their new fragrance line. I was unfamiliar with the fragrance company and was pleased to learn all about it. What a treat to learn they have a new fragrance line which is TEA INSPIRED!

Before I tell you all about the fragrances, I want to share the Jo Malone story with you as I found it deeply inspirational. Jo Malone was the daughter of a esthetician and she too loved skin care and fragrances from an early age. It was evident when Jo created her first body oil as a child by mixing rose petals in some bath oil. She followed in her mother's footsteps by doing facials, but tragedy struck when she lost her mother at the young age of 19.

However, this didn't deter her ambitions. She soon became one of London's most sought after skin care technicians. To thank her 20 most loyal customers, Jo hand-mixed a nutmeg and ginger bath oil to give as gifts. One of those loyal customers loved the bath oil so much, she ordered 100 of them to give away at a prestigious dinner party. What a big hit that turned out to be! Eighty-six of the one hundred guests wanted more. This is how the Jo Malone brand was born or as the representative at this event said, "the rest is history."

This first store was opened in 1994 in the Chelsea area of London, England. In 1999, they moved their store to the prestigious Sloane Street address and it became their flagship store. In 2001, a New York store was opened followed by branches in Paris and Tokyo. Jo Malone has since sold her business to Estee Lauder. As a business owner, this story was inspiring to me to follow your passions and dreams. I hope it was inspiring to you as well!

As the guests listened to the presentation about the Jo Malone brand, tea, and the new tea fragrance blends, they nibbled on tasty treats from the tea trays on each table. Each tray was full of scones, finger sandwiches, and yummy desserts!

At the event, customers were introduced to the new fragrances inspired by English tea traditions. What are the tea fragrances? There are 3 basic fragrances and 2 mixers that are used to layer your fragrance which is what Jo Malone loves to do to create "your own unique scent."

Assam and Grapefruit - created for an invigorating morning scent, with notes of citrus and black Assam tea.

Earl Grey and Cucumber - created for an afternoon scent, with notes of oil of bergamot (which is the flavor in Earl Grey tea) and cool cucumber.

Fresh Mint - created for an evening affair, with lovely hints of mint, basil, and mate.

Sweet Lemon - used to layer with the above, with notes of pineapple, peach, and fresh green cypress.

Sweet Milk - used to also layer with the above, with warm notes of star anise, almond, and vanilla.

I hope this has not just inspired you to go try the new tea fragrances from Jo Malone, but has also inspired your entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. This new spring tea line is for a limited time only, so you better hurry if you are interested. Which one do you think might be your new
"cup of tea?"

Happy Sipping and Scents, Lisa

*First four photos courtesy of www.jomalone.co.uk You may also visit that site for further information on Jo Malone history, etc.

Japanese Green Teas

2011-02-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be informative and fun to go over Japan's green teas before I tell you about my adventures in the Japanese tea gardens. In my next few blogs, I will also explain simply how the teas are processed and show you pictures of it ALL, so stay tuned!

While in Japan, Mr. Yamanashi was our host. He gave us some wonderful literature on the green teas of his country. I loved the simple explanation. It made it very clear to me and hope to you too!

Sencha

Sencha- this tea is the most popular tea in Japan. It comes from the first and second harvests. The higher the grade, the more delicious the tea .

Fukamushicha - Also known as "deep-steamed Sencha." The leaves are steamed for a longer period of time than for regular Sencha. This results in a milder taste with reduced astringency.

Gyokuro - The tea plants are purposely shaded for three weeks prior to harvesting, which reduces the astringency and enhances the flavor. It is processed in the same fashion as Sencha.

Matcha

Matcha - A finely powdered tea made from Tencha, which like Gyokuro is grown in the shade and then processed. Matcha is primarily used in the Japanese tea ceremony but can also make a wonderful latte!

Bancha

Bancha - A tea with moderate astringency and flavor, harvested and processed between summer and autumn in the same manner as Sencha.

Genmaicha

Genmaicha - A tea made from Sencha and Bancha combined with toasted brown rice (Genmai). It has a distinctive savory aroma and flavor.

Hojicha - Well-roasted Sencha or Bancha. It has a savory aroma and uniquely flavorful taste that lends itself well to drinking after meals, especially in the evening due to its lower caffeine content than some other teas.

Two different kinds of Hojicha

Below is a new tea to me. Interesting that it is pan fired and not steamed as most Japanese teas are!

Kamairicha - Instead of steaming the new leaves, this tea is pan fired while being rolled. It lacks the characteristic of first-harvest aroma of Sencha, but has a light, refreshing taste.

I can't wait to show you all the places I visited. I hope this helps make the green teas of Japan a little clearer. Do you have a favorite Japanese tea?

Happy Sipping some Sencha, Lisa

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-Farewell Taiwan Hello Japan

2011-01-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

Our Final day in Taiwan, we had a closing ceremony where each participant was able to get up and tell the group what the trip meant to them. Although I had many favorite things, making tea and getting to know the farmers was high on my list. We were treated to a wonderful vegetarian buffet lunch afterwards. After lunch, we prepared for our trip to Japan. It was suggested that we pack our smaller bag for Japan and leave the other stored in the airport upon arrival. Boy, was that ever a good suggestion!

We had a 6:15 a.m. departure time. Four member of our group weren't coming with us to Japan. As you can see below, I don't think our bus could have fit one more person or one more bag on it.

You can just barely see my head peering out from all the luggage behind my friends Lynayn and Elise. I am glad there were no quick stops on our way to the airport! This was the first mode of transportation for the day. I have labeled this the automobile part of the trip!

We got to the Taiwan airport without any luggage falling! We then checked in for the second mode of transportation of the day-planes. Not all of us were on the same flight to Japan. We had our designated spot to meet in the Tokyo/Narita airport. There were six of us flying Delta. We arrived in Japan late as our plane didn't take off on time. We quickly found where to store our luggage, exchange our money, and go meet our group. There was a little mix up, but we managed to make it just in time to get on our first train which left from the airport.

The train part of our journey was two-part and the third mode of transportation of the day. After about an hour long train ride, we got off at the Shingansen station to switch trains. This time we would be traveling on Japan's high speed train known as the "bullet train." We only had about 15 minutes to figure out how to find our next train. The train station was very crowded as it was the beginning of evening rush hour and many commuters ride the train to and from work. We got on the train in just the nick of time and we were off. The ride is so smooth, you don't really realize how fast you are going.

We arrived on time and our hosts were there to greet us at the train station. We walked from the station to our hotel across the street and down just a bit. As we dropped off our luggage in the lobby, we had been traveling about 12 hours by this time. It occurred to me how grateful I was for the suggestion to leave our large piece of luggage at the airport.

Here are our hosts for the Japan part of our trip.

Mr. Yamanashi, his daughter who interpreted for us Kazuko Kirita and her husband

After a lovely introduction, we sat down to a wonderful Japanese meal. We cooked our food on the table. We were treated to a wonderful assortment of vegetables and Kobe beef. Some of us even had some cold Saki!

Here is the view from our hotel door as I greeted Japan hello and said goodnight! I couldn't wait to wake up and see it in the daylight. I hope you enjoyed my version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles! Has you ever been on a high speed train before? I would love to hear about your adventures!

Come discover Japan green tea with me in the next few blogs!

Happy Sipping, Lisa

Taiwan Day 7 & 8 Shopping, Making Snacks, and the Tea Leaf Hopper

2011-01-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, please join me as I continue my blog of my wonderful tea adventure to Taiwan and Japan!

After returning to Taipei about 11:00 p.m. from the our journey to the tea fields of central Taiwan, checking back into our hotel, and gathering our luggage that we left behind, we were all pretty tired. Our next day started a little later as we were traveling close by. Our first stop was this lovely little town just about an hour away. The town had a scenic river running right through it.

We toured of factory that supplies tea for an international company that is known around the world. Due to confidentiality, I cannot share the name of the company which is disappointing! What struck me was how immaculately clean the facility was. Can you see the floors are stainless steel? I hadn't ever seen that before and was wondering how I might install that somewhere in my house! Some tea was in the baskets to the right withering and to the left were bags full of tea ready to be sent off.

After touring the plant, we walked out to see some of the gardens. Here is Jackson Huang talking with one of the tea farmers. I would have brought back one of those straw hats if I could have figured out how to get it back without crushing it. I think it would have been fun to hang it in my office!

The rest of the day was for shopping in Yinge, which is a ceramic town that specializes in tea sets that harmonize well with Taiwan oolongs. Some of group shopped for their stores, but since I don't owe a tea shop, I was shopping just for myself and gifts for others. Here is my Christmas present to myself. It is a handmade piece that over time will take on a crackled look. I LOVE it!

Our next day was filled with more learning experiences. We headed to the Oriental Beauty district. Our first stop was to a museum to learn about this area and tea farming. This part of Taiwan was settled by the Hakka people which is a subgroup of the Chinese with their own linguistic dialect. Our guides Thomas and Josephine happen to be Hakka, so it was fun at the end of our museum tour to make a traditional Hakka snack.

It starts with sesame seeds, black and white peanuts, and pumpkin seeds that are ground up into a paste. We were shown how to use this large "mortal and pestle" type system for grinding it all up. It required some elbow grease for sure. It tasted quite good all on its own.

After it was all ground up into a paste, we spooned it into cups that contained green tea powder and puffed rice. Hot water was added to it for a Hakka "protein/energy" drink! There were also a few other snacks as you can see!

Probably the most intriguing thing to this area is the Fancy Formosa Silver Tip tea. Its wonderful and unique flavor is contributed to the leaf hopper. It is a small little bug that eats the leaves of the tea plant during a specific period in the summer. Seen below on a Camellia Sinensis plant, this small bug has a huge impact on flavor!

While the farmers are busy with their other crops, this bug infests the tea plants. This attack makes the plant respond with a chemical defense to help it repel the insect and protect itself. As I learned in my last Specialty Tea Institute Level 4 Technology of Tea class, that this stress to the tea plant is known as a physical biotic stress. The compound that the plant produces to rid itself of the bugs actually changes the flavor of the leaves to a wonderfully unique brew. Now how cool is that?

Our next stop was to visit Mr. Lou who is the head of The Formosa Black Tea Company. We all felt famous as we stepped off the bus to a camera crew filming our visit.

We watched an informative film and toured the facility which has a lovely display of the history of the company. What I thought was very interesting is the way Mr. Lou and his company has kept up with the demand for tea and changed its ways depending on what the market is demanding. His company is now a large supplier of green tea powder to Japan for beauty and cosmetic products. If you have beauty products that contain green tea-it might just be from The Formosa Black Tea Company! I was honored to meet Mr. Lou seen below.

Our final event of the day was the Grand Cupping. It was set up by Norman Shu of ABC Tea Company. We cupped (professional way to taste tea) about 30 different type of teas. It was the biggest cupping I had ever done at one time.

Join me for the next blog as I take you to our closing ceremony. Then I have my own Planes, Trains, and Automobiles experience to Japan! I hope you can keep journeying with me to Japan.

Is there anything new you learned through my blog? I would love to hear!

Happy Sharing Taiwan and Sipping Oolong, Lisa

Christmas Wishes and Recipe for Giving

2010-12-15T10:22:00.000-05:00

Growing up in South Florida meant the "Winter Wonderland" at Christmas time was sand going between your toes while you walked barefoot on the beach. The closest we got to chestnuts roasting on an open fire was the crackle and pop the LP made as our treasured Nat King Cole Christmas album played the tune on our record player. My dad is a huge Nat fan and has collected his albums for years. In fact, I often wondered if that was why his album was the only holiday music we owned growing up-nobody could out do Nat King Cole.

My dad was also a singer himself. For several years, my father was asked to be a part of a Living Christmas Tree production in St. Petersburg, Florida. When I was around 8 or so, I was asked to be a part of the production. My role was to just sit still on my dad's lap as he sang the old favorite that I had heard every year-The Christmas Song better known as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. The night of the performance I was so nervous that my mom kept having to take me to the ladies room. I was afraid I was going to miss my stage debut due to a nervous bladder!

Alas, my time had come to go on stage. I remember getting up onto my dad's lap and nervously looking out into the audience when I realized I couldn't even see them. The lights on stage were so bright that all I could see was their bright beams . So, I just looked at my dad as he sang my favorite Christmas song to me and I forgot all about the audience. I have to say his rendition that night of The Christmas Song was the best I had ever heard-even Nat King Cole couldn't out sing my dad!

My South Florida upbringing didn't allow me to experiment with recipes for roasting chestnuts on an open fire, but here is my Microwave Chocolate Truffle Recipe instead. Some of my readers have emailed me that it has become their "new favorite" Holiday Recipe-so good and so easy. I think the best gifts are those from the heart that you make. It is such a great gift for this time of year!

Easy Microwave Chocolate Truffles

from Tea with a Twist - All About Chocolate Tea Party

Truffles

½ cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoon butter cut into chunks
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
10 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (60%) I like Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips* (If not using chip, break up chocolate into small pieces)
½ teaspoon salt

Cocoa Mixture
Mix 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/3 cup powder sugar together. For a saltier taste add 1/8 teaspoon fine salt.

Microwave cream, butter and sugar in 2 quart microwavable glass bowl on high for 1 ½ minutes. Stir well; heat an additional 1 minute longer or until mixture comes to full boil. Stir in vanilla and chocolate into cream mixture until chocolate is completely melted. Add salt and blend. Chill until firm enough to shape into balls about 3 hours. Shape into 1-inch balls. If desired roll truffles in Cocoa Mixture. Another option is to roll in finely ground nuts and salt. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes about 2 dozen.

Happy Christmas, Sipping, and Giving, Lisa

Taiwan Day 6 Head in the Clouds

2010-12-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

The view from my hotel was once again beautiful. I knew I was in for a treat as I woke up to this stunning view seen below. We packed up our stuff again and loaded into our vans. This was our third hotel to stay in since I had come to Taiwan. It was lots of packing and unpacking, but totally worth the effort. That morning we were to visit one tea district and then in the afternoon we could visit another.

The first tea district was Shan-Lin-Si. It is in the mountains about 4,000 feet high. According to the tea master, his tea garden was the most photographed of all the tea fields in Taiwan. He says he built the garden according to the lay of the land which gave him this "Baqua" shape. If you are not familiar with "Baqua" as I was not, it is a Feng Shui term used to describe a shape that means there are 8 sides going in 4 directions in a circular fashion. I think the picture of the tea garden best describes it.

The tea master told us the people visit from all over to study the garden and try to recreate it, but they can't. Since the world is a unique place and no two people are just alike, I guess no two tea gardens can be the same either! But we all enjoyed a taste of the wonderful teas from this garden. He had interesting cups for us to sip our tea from. They were small white porcelain cups with two small blue fish painted on the bottom of the cup. As the tea swirled in my cup, it almost made the little fish look like they were swimming!

After our lovely visit and tasting at the "Baqua" tea garden, we headed to our next destination, but not before a wonderful lunch. I just loved the way the meals in Taiwan are served family style. I have to say I got quite adept at using chopsticks after using them for every meal!

Our drive in the mountains was quite interesting. The picture below shows our vans enroute to the tea garden. We are not on a one way road as it may appear. This road is two-way traffic winding up and around the mountains-sometimes with full 180 degree turns. There was a three-way radio being used so that the drivers could communicate between each other. Since I was in the last van, we would be alerted to oncoming vehicles and we would pull over. It appeared many times that there wasn't enough room for the sometimes large vehicles to get by, but they always seemed to manage.

In addition to the narrow two-way roads winding up and down the mountain, there were many places that the road had been washed out due to typhoons and storms. If you can see beyond the fog (yes, it was foggy too) in the picture below, the road has been washed out with no guard rails either. To make it just a little bit more interesting, it was raining on and off due to the typhoon that was edging its way along Taiwan. I have to say, it made for a very exciting drive and I was very glad for the beautiful scenery to turn my attention away from our travel conditions!

Our vans got us safely to our next stop which was in the Ali Shan Tea District. Tea Master Steve surprised us by showing up at the tea garden. The garden is run by one of the farmers he has been working with to help make his tea production more modern. It amused me to see that it doesn't matter where you are in the world, men love their toys and remotes. Below is a picture of how the solar panel (black covering) and the rain protective panel (white covering) can cover the withering tea leaves which would be laying on the a canvas on the concrete. But, the cool thing is, it can all be done by one click of a button from a remote control! We saw many other automated things that Steve has helped the farmer with and then we were off to his tea fields!

A short trip from the factory was a beautiful tea garden. To top it off, the sun came out and the sky turned blue.

WOW!!

The garden was literally in the clouds. I always wonder when I fly and look out the window of the plane, what it would be like to be in the clouds. Now, I know. The tea fields were lush and green. The contrast between the vibrant green leaves of the Camellia Sinensis, the white billowy clouds, and the blue sky took my breath away. Talk about feeling like you were on top of the world.

We managed to get down the mountain safely without incident, even though we added darkness into the other problematic road conditions. After a wonderful dinner, we then transferred from our vans into the larger bus and headed back to Taipei for our next adventure. Below is our group enjoying their dinner and thankful for arriving safely out of the mountains.

This day was so amazing. How I wish all of you could "be on top of the world." I am looking forward to sharing with you the rest of my tea trip in the next few blogs.

What part of my trip has been your favorite to read about? Do you feel like I am taking you there virtually? I do hope so.

Happy Travels and Sipping, Lisa

Taiwan Day 5 Finish Hands On Tea Making

2010-12-02T11:13:00.002-05:00

After processing tea all night, we arrived at our hotel around 2:30 a.m. I knew we were staying around the Sun Moon Lake area, but since we had checked it so late, I had no idea we were right on the lake. Here is the peaceful view I woke up to the next morning. It was almost magical looking as the fog was lifting off the lake and the sun was just peaking over the mountains. Although I could have enjoyed many cups of tea while watching the sun come up, I still had tea of my own to finish processing.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, our group was back to TRES to finish our tea. Although I was tired, I was anxious to finish my hands-on experience in making oolong. When we got there, a worker was already busy finishing the next step of the processing. Each one in the group got a chance to "bag" the tea. Below are some of my highlights. After the tea comes out of the steamer, it is wrapped in a canvas bag. The fragrant aroma of the freshly steamed tea leaves was lovely.

It was fascinating to see how the tea was tied up in the canvas into a ball. You can see me tightening the tea ball above on a machine that twist the canvas bag into a tight ball. Then the canvas wrapped tea was placed on a rolling machine and allowed to roll around which is seen below. This process of steaming, bagging, and rolling happens repeatedly.

I have to admit that we cheated just a bit in our hands on tea making experience. For sake of time, our group left the rest of the rolling and the final baking up to Tea Master Steve and his team of workers. However, the opportunity to get to be a part of making tea with all of the steps and to work with Tea Master Steve Huang, was UNFORGETABLE.

We bid farewell to our new friend Steve and headed out to our next learning adventures. We were treated to a wonderful film at Lugu Farmers Association and Visitors Center. There they also had a museum that we toured. Inside the museum they had a typical tea farmers house. Our host/guide Thomas Shu told us that he grew up in a house very similar to the replica at the museum.

After a wonderful taste of their teas, we were off to the Ling Ji Tea Garden. It was there we were introduced to this interesting way of brewing their tea through ice. The ice is at the top and it drips down into the tea leaves which is in the second chamber. It then is collected at the bottom and put into containers to drink. I have never seen this before and wonder if it is done here in the US at all????

The owner of this tea shop had set up a cupping for us on the most exquisite table. Her unique approach to tea was based on a 1-10 baking of oolongs. The flavors were wonderful and I was enticed to buy her #8 which I thought was floral and delicious!

After a lovely dinner, we headed to a new hotel for some much needed rest. The next day was going to be a treat as we headed to the Shan-Lin-Si Tea District and the AliShan Tea District. The views and the tea fields were breathtaking. I was literally "in the clouds" on top of a mountain.

I hope you are enjoying my trip to Taiwan virtually! Does anyone want to go to Taiwan now? How about trying your hand at making your own tea?

Happy Sipping, Lisa