Christeana

Today I had a delightful time with this tea, brewed in my gaiwan, and enjoyed for a few hours. Yup, hours. It’s remarkable how much it gives and how forgiving it can be (when I remember to not cook it in too-hot a bath).

There’s something about sipping this tea that centers and soothes. I found calm on a Monday.

Nothing high end or fussy about this, it is nonetheless tasty and roasted, thus mellow. While it thrives in warmer water, it puts up with my office’s auto-heated water tap stuff and still offers just a little caffeine to get me through the day without napping at my desk.

A perfectly blend-able background for creative additions. It’s affordable, and the company has a staunch reputation as a fair trade and organic supplier.

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On a hot night, I like nothing better than iced tea while I’m winding down. But most keep me up all night. With a very low caffeine level, I’m using this in the evenings. I make large batches every few days, and fridge in some canning jars I had laying around.

I love this tea with nothing added. The roasted-twiggy goodness really satisfies.

I had almost forgotten about a tin of this Nilgiri at the back of the cabinet. I found it behind the hibiscus flowers and allspice berries.

I sought something a little different this morning, but didn’t have time for a major presentation. I used a gaiwan, water boiled with a piece of bamboo charcoal, and didn’t add anything else. It’s balanced in flavor, and has good texture. It’s also remarkably not stale, and I know I have had this on hand for over a year.

This is soothing. Can be somewhat complex, if prepared in a gaiwan and not over-steeped. Many small cups may be prepared from the leaves. It’s better than average.

I had a recent volunteer gig in a hot and humid spot. I knew I’d be on my feet a lot, so I brewed up a batch of two parts of this tea, and then added 1 part each spearmint and peppermint to the liquor, and steeped that overnight in the fridge. Added a little agave, ice, and lemon; and had an all-day pick-me-up that saw me through some challenging work.

Ooh, just found another use for this herbal candy cup. Ever take a long drive, especially in Summer, when it’s hot?

Recently I read some advice for staying alert on long drives. Drinking plenty of fluids, though not too much caffeine, and keep slightly sour flavors going, while you suck on ice cubes. It’s supposed to keep you alert, and grounded in your body. Plus help you stop more often.

So in prep for a long drive, I threw some bags of Lemon Zinger in the bottom of a big cup of ice. Added just a bit of water, and yum. Long-Drive Liquid.

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Yummy – and not much work.

I know I spend a lot of time with some teas, making sure they are ready just as we drink them, and appreciating the brewing method, the subtle nuances in each carefully timed brew, the water, the …..you get it. This can be prepared this way, however, I prefer to use it as an anti-sipping tea.

This is a background to your day. A delightful backdrop for low-caffiene chai, enjoyed iced with fruit juice, etc. It’s great with many kinds of foods, and lends itself well to a low temp simmer on the stove, through coversations with friends.

I had made this a daily drinker. Then for a while, I went with a Genmaicha, as I wanted the soothing nature of roasted grain. But Genmaicha can be greener, grassy, and I wanted a roasted tea with a roasted grain.

What’s a girl to do? Re-invent. I found some organic hull-less barley at the natural foods store, in bulk. I roast about two-days worth at a time on the stove top, in a frying pan. And then combine with the tea for a rich, soothing, roasty-toasty cup.

I admit I find it a bit heavy in warm weather, and move to tea or tea and fuit combos. But it hasn’t been that hot, and I find a morning and an evening cup of this keeps me gently alert and happy.

So I don’t do tea bags much these days. I happened to get a chance to request a sample, from the company, and decided to try a “tea sachet” of the same stuff I drink hearty, strong, thick mug-fulls on a regualar basis.

I tried a cup of this at work. The tea has qualities that I don’t have a chance to savor when I overwhelm the flavor with lots of tea in the cup. This is a good reminder to explore, and not be so rigid with my brewing style.

So today I was a little testy. You know, not quite in a good mood, and trying to get through to Friday, smiling. About mid-morning, I needed a pick-me-up, without a lot of caffeine. I dumped a small heap of this in a mug, and it saw me through a rough patch.

Something about drinking tea flowers is uplifting. It’s not overly sweet tasting, but you feel a little sweeter afterward.

I drank the whole thing. Not very fussy about brewing it, either. Just kept the pot full and the liquor poured off. Got about 6 very decent pots of delicious afternoon.

I always really enjoy this. It’s wonderful, and the people I share it with agree. It’s not hard to brew, either. Good to the last possible sip, and the aroma in the cup is still something I linger over, when it’s done.

I use a Brita filter on my faucet, and for many things, it’s fine. But for the oolongs I have been exploring, the water seemed to be getting in the way. I’m so over bottled water, and I don’t live by a stream……So lately I have been using a piece of bamboo charcoal in the kettle, when I boil water for tea or miso soup. It seems to act as a filter, and also mineralize the water, to some extent. It’s made a huge difference, with the results being amazing pots of tea. Should have tried this long ago.

As this is my daily drink, I’m surprised to find a few changes in the latest batch I got in. There are fewer twigs than my last few 1-pound bags, and the tea appears a little darker roasted. The flavor, while not light, is a hint sweeter, too. To me this tea has plenty of that savory quality, umami.

I start my day with a teaspoon now, in a lidded, ceramic mug, loose. As I go through my day, I add another teaspoon or two, finishing at night with just hot water on the still flavorful leaves. While I dip into other teas quite a bit, this one is like a comfortable pair of slippers…always welcome.

Played with this at the office today. The soft water and low temp in our filter dispenser leaves me wanting…..so I used a boatload at a time, maybe 3 tablespoons, and drank and refilled my ceramic travel cup all day. It’s definitely not a palate elevating experience, but it’s not a distraction at work, either. And I rather like the harsh first cups, which help me brace for the morning onslaught.

This is a deeply sensual tea, aged to complexity, that can be steeped more than 20 times, and keeps on giving flavorful cups. It took a while for me to be able to get any decent flavor in this at home. If you try it, don’t give up. The water needs to be just off boiling, not cooled, and I steep no less than a tablespoon, mostly a bit more, at a time. Best in my smallest guywan.

This will do for the afternoon at work. I always think there is almost no caffeine in it, but then I don’t fall asleep on my commute from work, so there must be some.

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I have tried all different ways of brewing and drinking this. The flavor I brought out was wonderful, but nothing like the depth and richness brewed into it by Imen, at Tea Habitat. I clearly haven’t learned to brew tea yet.

Brewed from water stored in a clay vessel, and into a clay water pot, over a small clay charcoal stove, into a teapot made from clay from the same region as the tea…..well, it creates a layer of flavor and depth to the tea that must be tasted to be believed.

Just finished 2 weeks of drinking this daily.

I found that with just a few leaves in my cup, I still really enjoyed this.

Hojicha is my favorite daily drinker. This one is just fine for the first thing in the morning. Great cuppa later in the afternoon, when thoughts move beyond the work day.

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