My Tea Break

Rediscovering Tea around the world

Category Archives: All over the world Tea


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Dinner at Roka

I recently had dinner at Roka, one of my favourite restaurants in London. Roka focus on contemporary Japanese robatayaki (open-charcoal grill) cuisine. At the centre of the restaurant there is a robata grill where you can see the chefs preparing your food.

I’ve been a few times and I always leave happy with the quality and consistency of the food and service. The service is great, the ambience nice and relaxed and the food among the best I have tasted.

Since I visited the Green T. House restaurant in Beijing , I am always looking for dishes and drinks that bring the culinary use of Tea into life and Roka is a great place for that. We started the meal with some sushi and Tea inspired cocktails. I had a Green Tea & Pear Bellini which is composed by dried green Tea, mashed pears and prosecco. The sparkling from prosecco together with the sweet pear flavour is a delicious combination. Luis went for a non-alcoholic version and had a Jasmine Tea with almond, mint and peach which was also delicious…

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As a main we chose some of their Robata signature dishes such as the Black Cod marinated in Yusu Miso which is unbelievable.

I didn’t want to go for a desert but one could not resist the Chocolate to Matcha Pudding Yo-nashi Ausi - a dark chocolate and matcha green Tea pudding with crunchy jivara and pear ice-cream. Sooooooo good!

If you’re looking for a special dining experience in London I highly recommend Roka.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


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Aged Tie Guan Yin (Iron Buddha)

This week I tried an aged Tie Guan Yin as part of the Canton Tea Club. Tie Guan Yin is an Oolong Tea also known as Iron Buddha.

This aged Tea was harvested in Spring 2007 and is handmade on a traditional Anxi Farm in the Fujian Province in China.It is heavily roasted and then stored for 4 years away from heat, light and humidity to let the deep, toasty flavours develop.

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The initial rich sweet cocoa flavour develops into a long, lingering, dark fruit taste, with hints of toasted oats and cinnamon along the way.

For more information about Oolong Tea please check our previous post that explains all about this Tea: blog.myteabreak.com/2011/03/11/oolong/

Happy Tea Break.

 

 


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Darjeeling White Tea

This week I had the privilege to try a Darjeeling White Tea –  The Arya Pearl first flush -  from the Arya Estate in Darjeeling, as part of the Canton Tea Club.

The Arya Tea Estate is located the Darjeeling district of West Bengal in India.  The Darjeeling region is widely known for its Black Tea so Darjeeling White Teas are extremely rare and difficult to find.  It is only produced in small quantities and by a few artisan Tea producers such as Arya Tea Estate. This estate sits at an average altitude of 1500 meters and covers 125 hectares, with just over 300 acres  under Tea plantation.

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This White Tea is processed in the same way as Chinese White Tea but the location and climate of Darjeeling give it a unique flavour.

The dry leaves have a mixture of white and green olive colour with a fresh aroma. The infusion is bright clear with a delicate smooth flavour and a sweet aftertaste.

Arya White Darjeeling Tea

The first time I tried this Tea I was just focused on enjoying. It is soooo special…. but the second time I sat down with the list of tasting notes provided by Canton and could definitely recognize the sweet flavour with a hint of vanilla and nutmeg.

This is an incredible Tea…

Happy Tea Break.


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Yogi Tea

Yogi Tea started as part of the practice of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine. The select spices in the brew were intended to be healing ingredients. Typically prepared as a mixture of cardamom seed, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, this invigorating tonic aids digestion, helps bone strength, soothes tired muscles and purifies the blood.

Although the heavily spiced Ayurvedic yogi Tea has been around for centuries, particularly in India’s northern state of Punjab, it came to America with Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s. Yogi Bhajan habitually served the aromatic Tea to his students after yoga practice and it became known as “yogi tea”.

                                                      Source: leablog.com via Kundalini Yoga on Pinterest

It’s very simple to make this Tea at home and it fills your house with its wonderful aroma.

Recipe:

  • 8 cups water
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Tbs cardamom seed
  • 2 Tbs whole cloves
  • 2 inches fresh ginger root (sliced)

Put all spices into a pot with water.

Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add honey and milk (ideally almond milk) to taste.

Serve hot or cold.

Health benefits:

  • Cinnamon: anti-microbial, anti-clotting, controls blood sugar, boosts brain function, helps warm the body in the onset of cold or flu.
  • Cardamom:antioxidant, aids digestion, improves circulation, stimulates appetite, good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and manganese.
  • Clove: anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, high phytonutrient content including manganese, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium
  •  Ginger: aids digestion; decreases arthritic swelling; destroys bacteria and viruses; lowers blood pressure; aids circulation. anti-microbial, anti-clotting, controls blood sugar, boosts brain function, helps warm the body in the onset of cold or flu.

Whether you drink this Tea to end your yoga practice, or just to warm up on a chilly day, yogi Tea offers a host of healthy benefits for your body.

Happy Yogi  Tea Break

Tania


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Sakura Tea – the cherry blossom infusion

Sakurayu, also known as cherry blossom Tea,  is a traditional Japanese infusion made with cherry blossoms petals. It is a very popular drink in Japanese weddings or other special celebrations because “Sakura” represents “beginning”.

This Tea is made with fresh cherry blossom petals which are pickled in salt and plum vinegar and then dried . As fresh cherry blossoms can be harvested only once a year, Japanese started pickling them in salt and plum vinegar in order to be able to enjoy the Sakura flavour throughout the whole year.

                                                                                      Source: fwallpapers.com via Gosha on Pinterest

There are two ways to prepare Sakura Tea:

Take one or two flowers for each cup of Tea and remove as much salt of the flower as you like before using them. Pour hot water over it and you get a light colored tea. It has a light scent of sakura flowers and an intense flavor of cherry blossoms. Although edible the flowers remaining in the Tea usually are not eaten.

If you want to further remove the salt, it is better to first soak the blossoms for 5 minutes in warm water. You then put one or two flowers in a tea cup and pour hot water on it. Adjust the flavor and saltiness by adding some of the salty water with a spoon.

A common variation is to add a flower or two to green Tea when pouring hot water over the leaves. The result is a naturally flavored green Tea.

Sakura Tea has a subtle flowery scent and flavour with an unusual saltiness. The flavor of these sakura cherry blossoms, being the blossoms and not the fruit, is quite different from the cherry fruit flavor which is common in Japanese cherry green Teas which have cherry fruit flavoring).

If you’ve never had sakura Tea before, be prepared for a wonderfully unique experience!!

Happy Tea Break.

 


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Ravann Tea shop @ Vevey, Suisse

Hey,

I am back in Lausanne and have been discovering new Tea shops. The one on the pictures is at Vevey.

It is called Ravann thé & accessoires @ Rue du Théâtre 5, 1800 Vevey.

They have all kinds of teas and accessories. It is really worth it, in case you decide to come to Suisse!

Hope you enjoy it!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Happy Tea Break,

Mariana


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Canton Tea Club – 52 Teas in 52 Weeks

Hey Tea Addicts!

 I have the perfect way for you to learn more about Tea – Canton Tea Co has recently started a Tea Club!!! They already started, but you can join them at any time. With a subscription of £5 per week for UK Customers or £8 per week for international customers, You get to try a Tea per week – 52 high quality Teas in a year! Amazing right?!

Many of the teas are fiercely expensive so signing up for at least 2 weeks will always deliver value for money.

Please check their website for more information: cantonteaclub

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Happy Tea Break!


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Get Steeped With Fairmont

This November Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will once again pay tribute to the grand tradition of “taking tea” with its Get Steeped with Fairmont program.

Expanded from a one-day celebration to a full month of festivi‘teas’, the 2012 program is sure to impress with traditional afternoon tea services, sommelier-led tastings, fancy hat competitions, tea-infused cocktails, and even a new, special tea blend.

Get Steeped with Fairmont celebrations has started on Saturday, November 3, 2012 with official kick-off events at Fairmont locations around the globe.

From specialty treats like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s Maple Tea Cocktail made with Sortilège liquor (maple Whisky) and frosted with maple sugar to exclusive events like Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv’s kids’ tea parties and master classes, special activities and promotions will continue throughout the month.

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 A full schedule of Get Steeped happenings is available at fairmont.com/getsteeped. In the hotels and online, guests will also be able to purchase Eclipse, the first in a new series of Fairmont select tea blends which will be offered annually. Available for a limited time, this unique-to-Fairmont black tea is flavorful and full-bodied, offering up a citrusy zest with hints of oak cask and caramel sweetness.

This is a great initiative and looks delicious! Make sure you attend!

Happy Tea Break!


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Sing Tehus in Copenhagen

I just arrived from two days in Copenhagen and I obviously had to visit one of the local Tea shops. I decided to try Sing Tehus, a Danish /Japanese Tea House in the centre of Copenhagen.

The Tea menu is in Danish but you have a good variety of Tea choices from Hvid Te (White Tea); Grøn Te (Green Tea); Oolong Te; Sort Te (Black Tea); Te Med Aroma (Tea with Aroma) and Urte Tea (Herbal Tea).

The environment is very pleasant and calm with only a few tables available. You can also see how they brew the Tea which is always nice.

I chose a Lapsang Souchong from Formosa and my boyfriend chose a Green Oolong from Vietname. We both really enjoyed our Teas. The Oolong from Vietname was soft and refreshing with a delicate flowery aftertaste.   The Lapsang Suchong was robust, with its unique smoky flavour, but with a great balance. It was delicious…  We also chose the lemon and almond cake which was incredible with a very smooth texture.

 

The shop is amazing as well with the same great variety of Teas but also a wide rage of Tea accessories.

For more information about Sing Tehus you can visit them at Skindergate 25, 1159 Copenhagen , DK or go to their website http://singtehus.dk/

If you’re in Copenhagen this is definitely a nice place to enjoy your Tea Break.

Tania


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Genmaicha – Brown Rice Tea

Genmaicha, often called “Popcorn Tea”  or “Brown Rice Tea” is a traditional Japanese blend with Green Tea and roasted brown rice. 

Source: teashop.es via Tea on Pinterest

Although there are several versions about the origins of Genmaicha, it seems that it was invented about 90 years ago by a small Tea shop in Kyoto, Japan. The original motivation was to create a more affordable Tea for mass consumption. The reputation of being a cheap tea has stuck with Genmaicha until very recently. It was mostly made with low grade tea leaves from the late harvest (bancha) and the rice was used to mask any off-flavours. Nowadays,  you can find Genmaicha with much higher quality sencha or the addition of matcha and is now consumed by all social classes in Japan and abroad.

Genmaicha has a natural nutty and toasty flavour and aroma and can be served either as a hot or cold drink. It is delicious either way…

Source: teas.com.au via Teas on Pinterest

To brew this Tea you should use spring water (as always!), temperature should be between 70°C and 80°C and infuse between 2-3 min. The Tea leaves do not have to be removed after the first steeping, simply add more hot water after the first cup is enjoyed.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania

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