DaisyChubb

I will probably use vanilla matcha instead of strawberry for this one.. but.. you guys: I ordered a Zoku! AH! I’M STOKED!
YAY for visa points to buy things for free when you’re broke!

This is the recipe that inspired me to buy the Strawberry matcha, even if I won’t use it in the recipe:

http://www.sweetestkitchen.com/2012/06/matcha-latte-strawberry-popsicles/

When I purchased my last set of matcha, there were a few fruit teas I wanted to try. I knew for sure I was trying Belgium Chocolate and Cheesecake – so what fruit would go with those two? Hmm.. Strawberry Cheesecake matcha? YES. Chocolate covered Strawberry matcha? Double YES! And thus, Strawberry matcha was in my cart and a legend was born! Found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/strawberry-matcha.html

How dramatic! Let’s get to the good stuff: as always, I fall in love with the first sniff. Cutting open the corner of the gold foil bag was like a flavour overload! The sweet strawberry scent was too good to be true – and happily for me, it tasted just like it smelled!!!

That can be rare in a tea, but I’ve come to learn that Red Leaf Tea sets their bar just as high as I set mine! That leaves me very rarely disappointed, and almost always happily surprised with the quality, scent and flavour! Strawberry was no exception!

(Excuse the amount of exclamation marks, I really can’t help it)

I ordered by my usual parameters: Basic Grade Matcha with Delicate flavouring. One day I will invest in tins, but right now I have a system that keeps my matcha fresh – a mix of the tiny tins from DavidsTea (from their “Wall” teas), and freezer bags kept in a special tin box. It’s pretty and I like it! I kind of thrive in a world of controlled chaos – it’s either the artist in me, or the lazy in me! Probably both – but I thought I should share my “technique” since the tins are a hot topic these days!

On to the taste! I truly was taken by surprise. The flavour is simple but so effective that from this experience, I can’t think of a better combination than matcha and strawberries. That’s not to say that RLT has amazing flavour combos and super unique matchas – there is something just so simple, comforting and naturally delicious about this Strawberry Matcha. It’s tangy and sweet – I prepared it first straight up with a bit of sugar, second as an iced matcha latte. The flavour was a mix between strawberry milk (I used to devour the stuff as a kid) and a melted strawberry milkshake!

This inspires me to get some good quality vanilla ice cream and whip it up in my blender with this matcha! I looove matcha icecream and strawberry icecream, so I can’t think of a better combo for a homemade matcha shake! Hello! Need to do this before summer ends though… it’s coming to a close 

At least this matcha can be a little taste of summer all year long!

uh oh, I tried that suggestion from Amanda and rubbed this all over half a watermelon- took a spoon to it and had a field day.

D-lish!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for this morning tea!

Mike asked me for a good morning tea, so today was definitely an English Breakfast day. Bliss sent me enough for at least 3 little pots – thank you thank you! It’s always good to have some EB on hand.

This EB definitely has some darjeeling notes to it – there’s something fruity in the smell and kind of harsh in the taste that is different from my usual EBs (the ones I have on hand are pretty smooth with no kick) – but the kick meant it would hold up to some cream and sugar! Yes indeed – a great way to start the day!

Yum!
I still had a lot of this from one of my first swaps way back when with Dinosara! And so – I made a small pot of it.

It has a hint of chocolate taste to it surprisingly – and I definitely get pistachio! There’s a hint of bitterness, even though I only used 160 degree water – but it’s very tasty. I’ll probably make the rest into iced tea so we’ll see how it fares then!

So this is the fate of a tea that has been with me at least 10 months, simply because I was saving it for an occasion. I went geocaching, that’s occasion enough! haha

Thank you to The Tea Merchant for the generous samples!

Today this tea was my muse, along with my new gaiwan!

http://www.daisychubb.com/review-plum-oolong-by-the-tea-merchant/

Yay for mail! It was a very happy day when the mail man buzzed the door instead of just leaving a slip to go pick up the packages from the post office the next day. The thing is – my boyfriend works from home. We should never have to go to the post office! Anyways…

This tea smelled SO good, but sadly it didn’t taste the way it smelled (the other Tea Merchant teas did, so this was my only non-favourite tea). The oolong came out loud and proud – with a hint of tartness/sourness that reminded me of hibiscus, but only in taste. It was quite gentle and did remind me of a plum. You know when you get a plum that isn’t overly juicy and has a sourness to it? Just like that!

I’m very happy to be able to try this unique flavour – thanks again TTM!

Uh oh, this tea is AMAZING.
Reminds me a LOT of DavidsTea’s Vanilla Oolong, which I haven’t had a taste of since the Christmas sampler.

As soon as I smelled the dry leaves, I had a serious craving. Like an addiction. Ah!

Working on a longer review for the blog – will post ASAP but first – prepping a chicken for the slow cooker. And enjoying this tea with some homemade English Muffin bread and honey! Happy Hump day!

WOW!

Thank you to The Tea Merchant for the generous samples!

This tea is out of this world! SOOO delicious!
Happily – it tastes JUST like it smells! Can you believe it? mmm, it’s liek biting into a fresh, still warm coconut macaroon. Not macaron, but maybe it tastes like one of those too. Amazing.

Sweet, coconutty and a hint of pastry. Beautiful white base – full leaves and bright green and white. Quality ingredients for a very high quality tea, what else can I say? Delicious!

No notes yet.

After discovering that this heavenly tea is making a comeback this fall, I made myself a double strong delicious pumpkiny latte to celebrate! eee!

Well, it’s also celebrating the opening of my teacup keychain etsy shop :D !!! When I think about it, maybe my shop is too specific… but then I think about tea drinkers and how amazing they are, and they deserve their own keychains dammit! There, all better. haha!

http://www.daisychubb.com/?p=1021 Daisy Chubb’s Tea & Trinkets!

I have to say, I’m sitting here tonight and feeling happy and grateful for my Steepster family. I love this place we can come and feel so at home!

I’m also grateful for Red Leaf Tea’s matcha program – it’s allowed me to try so many amazing teas that I otherwise could not afford at this time – and I and SUPER grateful for this cheesecake matcha!

Holy tasty! Creamy and tangy and sweet – without the feeling of a heavy stomach afterwards. so… I can have as many cups as I want. I like that.

I will definitely be trying this flavour with other matcha bases, because I am in matcha heaven right now!

Thanks to Jillian for giving me enough for one small pot worth!

I didn’t even know this blend existed, but I surely would have bought it up if I noticed it on sale! The dry leaves do not smell appealing – this could be because of the age of the tea, but it kind of smells strange!

No worries, as soon as it started to brew the strange smell went away. I brewed at 165 for 2 minutes since I was making a pot, and I have never made a whole pot of white tea before! The whole idea of using a pot is still taking some getting used to – I’m a one cup gal!

Anyways, I added a tiny dab agave and took a sip. Yummy white base! A creamy and nutty bai mu dan, with a hint of pineapple and coconut – definitely papaya and a little bit of banana for body.

It’d a mild cup, but just what I need right now to calm down my guilt for not taking another shift tonight after I already worked this morning. I’m just that sort of person though, I would have felt guilty if I couldn’t work it, and resentful if I had to work it haha! boop. tea!

Now I know this matcha isn’t terribly exciting (it’s no cheesecake, right?) and it’s not one of my favourite flavours (I wouldn’t seek out a blueberry anything really)… um.. yeah it’s kind of my favourite matcha right now!

It’s always SO creamy and sweet and juicy and PERFECT! So hello little blueberry matcha, thanks for being you! :D

This was my birthday tea on Sunday!
I haven’t touched it for months, but I was definitely in the mood and wanted to pick a special tea to christen my new little pot!

It was perfect. Enjoyed with a dash of maple syrup!

http://www.daisychubb.com/birthday-fun-exciting-news/
(Here’s my new pot and matching tea cup & saucer! So fancy! :D )

Had my birthday party last night, where I converted a few people with this tea! Yay!

Sadly, it wasn’t as tasty as it has been, simply because of the vessels I had on hand. They were plastic. Wow – it affected the flavour a LOT, but since my guests didn’t have any note of comparison, they were still quite impressed! I am happy for that :)

Today is my real birthday and it is kind of awful because I had a migraine last night as the party was winding down, and now today I feel weird and sick. Blargh.

I will have a blog post soon about the great tea gifts I received from my boyfriend, they are gorgeous and I am happy :)

Yay for tea, yay for new converts!

Cream of Earl Latte on this rainy day! Ah , a dash of sugar and it’s like a sweet, creamy, milky London Fog!

The perfect accompaniment to a supper of Grilled Cheese and tomato soup, enjoyed while watching Breaking Bad. :) A content moment!

I now have 5 new matchas on the way!
Cheesecake, come to momma!

To celebrate, I whipped up a quick and tasty cotton candy iced matcha latte! Whoo that’s a mouthful, in more ways than one! Delicious!

It’s definitely keeping me motivated while I design the game I’m working on. It’s exciting! And with any luck, will pay the rent! Ah, passions. ;)

Oops – I thought for sure I reviewed this one already!
First of all, I’m a prairie girl (S’toon/Regina) and I loooove S’toon berries. Picking them off a giant plant was the best part about certain campsites. I would just stand there with a bunch of other kids and just shovel them in.

S’toon berry pies can be amazing or really bad – depends on the quality of berry. The big juicy berries make an amazing pie – the small hard ones make a crunchy/chewy type pie.

I digress! This tea smells soooo good – like a sweet, mapley berry pie! Sadly I can’t get the berry taste to come out in the steep. It tastes like a sweet, maple drizzled dark oolong – dry in texture, maybe a Taiwanese?

I’m definitely missing out on the berry flavour I get in the smell.

Okay now the important part! (lol) My birthday is next weekend and I’ve invited some new (non tea obsessed) friends for a tea party! I’m cooking and baking, trying my hand at some gluten-free treats as well, but I was kind of hoping for some tea party advice. I’d like to set up a little matcha tasting bar, I only have one big teapot, any advice or fun ideas on how to sample a bunch of fun teas? Thanks friends!

Oof! Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for sending this one my way!

It smelled so SO good – I brewed it up as per the package instructions – 3 mins in boiling water, and took a sip. Ah! My throat! haha it is a very spicy tea (to me) with a lot of hibiscus! This would be SO perfect to drink instead of neocitron when you’re sick, I think. Certainly cleaned my sinuses haha.

I put the rest in the fridge to try iced, it was too strong to finish the cup sadly. Very spicy and very.. hibiscusy? Anyways, it was SO unique and I certainly had fun trying it! Thanks!

2 Shoppers brand chai tea bags + half a packet rolo hot chocolate = Caramel Chocolate Chai. Um, yeah. It’s freaking amazing!

Today is not a fancy day. I have to work at 5. Silly evening shifts screwing up my Saturday night party (…not!)

This also works EXTREMELY well with homemade hot chocolate – throw in 2 chai tea bags and go to town. Really yummy. I add a dash of cayenne pepper with the regular hot chocolate, but this one will remain spicy-free and full caramel all the way!

I have never had a tea like this before! A huge thanks to Derek from PTS for sending this my way!

The leaves in my clear gong fu pot are gorgeous. They are bright green and they dance ! I have never tried a leaf that looks like this before – the leaves are like tiny snap peas in the shell. They seem to stand on end as they steep – I am mesmerized by them in the same way I am entertained by flowering teas.

The smell is like a creamy, fresh spring oolong, but the taste is totally different. It is very much a green tea. The tip of the tongue gets hit with an astringency that slides to the sides of the tongue and leaves a sweetness in its wake. I get some butter in the smell, but not in the taste, although the texture is smooth and almost creamy.

“feel the recurring sweetness well up and linger in your throat.” This really does happen! It’s the same quality as licorice root – so I can see this being a very soothing tea for a sore throat.

As an every day tea, this one is a bit too astringent for my liking – but it is very high quality and a nice treat when I need a break from my pu-erhs! Thank you Derek :)

Sometimes I think mangos are my favourite fruit. Then I remember watermelon! Sweet, juicy watermelon – oh yes! Both of these fruits can share the spotlight – but only when they are ripe, juicy and flavourful! Why did I pick some of the messiest fruits to be my favourite?

Luckily, the only thing that gets messy when I whip up a cup of this matcha is my cup and whisk! (…and my white shirt. That’s a story for another time) But hey! Virtually mess free! At least it’s not all over my face… although this matcha is delicious enough that I wouldn’t mind sticking my face into a huge bowl of it. Oh yes, can you tell that I am happy with this matcha? So happy! The flavour is sweet and true watermelon flavour! I like watermelon candies, but I hate watermelon jolly ranchers (too chemically), so I was very happy that this flavour lies between a watermelon flavouring and a real watermelon. That doesn’t really make sense, but I guess you’ll have to take my word for it lol.

Making this hot with a sprinkle of sugar takes it into treat territory! Seriously delicious matcha that has me drooling just thinking about it! Another great summer treat. Chopping up some watermelon to make a watermelon puree to go with this matcha (and a splash of vodka) is definitely on my to-do list.

I prefer my watermelon fruit straight from the fridge and icy cold, so it goes without saying that my favourite way to prepare this drink is ICED. I still haven’t gotten into the habit of just mixing matcha with cold water – so I mix it up double strong with 170 F water, add ice cubes and top with more water. This gives me a perfect result every time – no clumps (if I drink it right away!) and smooth as the rind of an in season watermelon. Oh yes, I went there.

For an extra treat, I experimented with cream and tried a “watermelon and cream” dessert tea. It was delicious! Let it be known – any fruit + cream = wonder! Too bad most flavours stick to strawberries&cream or peaches&cream, because I think I’m on to something here ;)
This also went well with vanilla soy milk and plain almond milk! I’m not picky – I always buy almond milk when it’s on sale because it’s so delish, creamy, and doesn’t affect my acid reflux! That’s the joy of these flavoured matchas – delicious flavour minus the calories! They don’t need milk and sugar to tantalize my tastebuds – even the basic matcha is smooth, grassy and even creamy! And so friends, here is the link to the watermelon matcha that haunts my dreams: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/watermelon-matcha.html

Matcha-Thon!

Why yes, I am drinking Cotton Candy matcha and watching corgi puppies while I write this review, thank you for asking. How could I not pair 2 adorable things in one. I have a cotton candy body spray – it may be made for children, but I care not! I will cover myself in the cute delicious smell and go out on the town! Yes. Cotton Candy is adorable to me. Adorably TASTY. You have to love the way it dissolves and covers your hands with sticky residue. I would much rather be covered in cotton candy than cheesy Dorito dust. Just sayin’.

There was no way in the world I was not picking up this matcha blend. I’ve had some great tasting cotton candy teas in the past so I knew it could be done! Also, I have this vast collection of cotton candy flavoured drink recipes to be made – and remade – matcha style! Pinterest can be very inspiring! The one that is most intriguing in a cotton candy lemonade, where you just pour sweet lemonade over a glass full of cotton candy. Has anyone ever tried matcha lemonade? That is pretty much what this matcha was MADE for, and I wish I had some friends to come have a summer party so I could make some and not get heartburn from drinking the whole pitcher. So, you’re invited! Just let me know when you’re coming so I can clean!

Yay! This Cotton Candy matcha takes me to my happy place! Fun times at the fair under a hot blue sky – that is what cotton candy is to me. I got the basic matcha with the delicate flavouring and it is just perfect! So much yummy cotton candy flavour – and it really blows my mind, because it doesn’t just taste generally sweet and sugary – it actually tastes like spun sugar! Bright pink and blue spun sugar that just melts on your tongue.

I enjoyed this flavour of matcha hot – but it also made a very refreshing and energizing iced tea. Since Cotton Candy is such a summer flavour, I was happy to have it by my side on a sweltering hot day. It is especially good sprinkled on some real vanilla icecream. Have you ever tried cotton candy ice cream? It’s usually made with a pretty cheap ice cream brand, and although it’s usually delicious anyways, it doesn’t even hold a candle to a high quality ice cream sprinkled with this wonderfully flavoured cotton candy matcha. A cold, sweet treat on a hot day!

Thank you for breaking the flavoured matcha mold and coming out with this great array of flavours, Red Leaf Tea. It’s inspiring, summery and delicious. It opens a lot of doors for all sorts of drinks, desserts and treats! Here it is: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cotton-candy-matcha.html

Okay, this one did not even cross my mind to try! It just sounded a little too strange.. well.. and also because other cola flavoured teas have not treated me well. (I’m looking at you Cherry Cola!)

Hey, I’m a nice guy. I thought I would let Mike help pick one of the Matchas in my last order. He’d been loving them iced in the summer – a great alternative to coffee and a fresh way to start the day and get a kick in the butt! Haha. So I make him scroll through the huuuge list of flavours, and what does he choose? Why, Cola Matcha of course!

When I opened the bag, the smell was uncanny! It actually smelled carbonated! Reminded me a lot of Cola flavoured freezies. That brings me to another reason I was a little nervous about this flavour: I hate-loathe-dislike-and-despise flat pop. It may as well be straight up syrup. And WARM?! Ugh I’m shuddering just thinking about a glass of flat warm pop being placed in front of me. So! I knew from the get-go we would not be drinking this hot! Haha

We whisked some up, iced latte style, but instead of topping with milk I topped with some ice cold filtered water. The smell was still true to a freshly opened bottle of cola – I still expected to hear the popping noises of a carbonated beverage! First sip?… wow. It tastes like Coke. And not in the bad way! (Has anyone gotten around to mixing this one with vanilla or cherry?) Hey what am I talking about, I have some vanilla left! Vanilla coke, I am coming for you!

Anyways – yes! It is so good! And Mike’s review? “Ohhhh I liked it… but – it didn’t taste like tea, it tasted like pop! Don’t you think? Mm.. I like it!” haha simple and true. Michael is happy with his choice, but luckily, so am I! I’m not sure if I totally agree that it tastes only like pop. Personally, I can definitely taste the slight grassiness of the matcha – and of course the distinctive green colour that goes with it! There is also a slight astringency that I definitely associate with matcha and not pop.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to kick the cola addiction. This has pure cola flavour without all the dyes and sugar. By all means, add some sugar to this matcha, but it doesn’t even come close to the amount you would get with a cup of real cola! In my opinion, it’s just, if not more, delicious. Here’s the link to this crazy matcha: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/coca-cola-matcha.html

And now, to wait for Dr. Pepper flavour. Hey – Dr. Pep freezies exist! The matcha in just a matter of time…