The Assam Region of India and Its Tea
Assam Tea.
My sister just got back from a work trip to India and she brought me back goodies in the form of leaves....tea leaves! Today I tried the Assam tea. I wanted to tell you a little bit about tea and India that I learned from my Tea Book I mentioned in a previous post.
Tea trees were first discovered in Northeast India. Darjeeling and Assam are two of the most famous tea producing regions. There are many smaller regions that also produce tea to keep up with local demand. The Assam region is close to Burma and Bangladesh.
Assam has large, dark leaves and produces a full body tea. Back in 1860 the Orthodox method of processing tea was created by the British. It is a popular way to process black tea. The orthodox method consists of withering, rolling, oxidation, dehydration and sorting. Now for my impressions of this tea!
This isn't my first rodeo with Assam, but it is with this kind!
Look: The leaves look very similar to many black teas I've tried. In comparison to the tea I drink daily these leaves look a bit smaller and thinner.
Smell: The smell of the dry and brewed leaves was underwhelming. The smell was more like green tea, subtle and mellow. It's definitely not as fragrant as my earl grey and Ceylon mix.
Taste: The package says "English breakfast" and that is exactly what it tastes like! The flavor is very bold and stays on your tongue longer. It's a very heavy tea and a bit bitter. Adding some honey to this tea is PERFECT!
I hear you can try some great Assam tea from this shop :)
Have you ever had Assam? Do you have a specific type you like? Tell me about it in the comments!
Why Drinking Tea With Friends Is The Best
Tea Is Better Together.
Don't get me wrong, there are times where tea time is sacred. It can be a time where I savor every sip and quietly unwind. For me, drinking tea alone brings mindfulness and a time to reflect on my day or anything that is weighing heavily on my mind.
But there's just something about sharing a cup with a fellow tea enthusiast that makes the whole experience the best. I talked about drinking more tea with your mom earlier this week and this goes the same for friends!
Meet Whitney of Brown Books Green Tea! (She's on the left :) )
Photo Credit To Whitney's Guy!
Whitney and I have know each other for many years, and we have both become bloggers! If you enjoy a good book with your tea, her blog is perfect for you!
Whitney and I met at NaTra Tea's, which is a small tea shop in my neighborhood. You might remember the shop from a previous post I made about it. It was great to change my normal routine and meet Whitney at this cute little shop. Supporting a small business was an added benefit!
Sharing a cuppa with a friend does some important things.
Makes you adventurous: Whitney and I share a similar opinion on green tea, it can be hit or miss. We were discussing the good and bad green teas out there and it made me want to try a new one when usually I wouldn't. I took a chance on the Jasmine Pearls! I wasn't totally wowed by it but it wasn't terrible. I usually like a richer green tea and this wasn't it.
You get to catch up: Although Whitney lives very close, I think the last time I saw her was on my birthday back in January! It was nice to sit down and talk about what's going on in our lives and our plans for the future. Catching up is always nicer in person and with some tea.
Lots of Laughs: Part of catching up includes my favorite thing in the world, laughing. A good throwing back of the head in pure joy is good for the soul. Probably my favorite part was when we got into the issue of people (especially strangers) feeling the need to touch our hair? Hint: Don't touch people's hair. It's weird and we're wondering if your hands are clean!
You Get Inspired: Sitting down in a tea shop with Whitney and talking about what we're doing and our future plans gave me a positive outlook on the day. I've been in a rut recently and sitting down with a friend can show you that you're not alone and that it will all be ok! I think I thought of about 5 blog post ideas while we were talking. I hope I can remember them all :)
Oh yea and photo ops!
I would love to hear from you! Comment below with your favorite tea shop, bonus if it's in the DMV (Dc, MD, VA) so I can visit it!
Photo Credit to Whitney!
Baking the night away: Black Tea Cup Cakes
Tea & Honey.
I have one older sister and two younger siblings. My "little" sister just got accepted into a competitive writing residency for teens! I decided to make a sweet treat for her as a little congratulations!
Let me tell you something about tea & honey, It's my favorite combination! I love the flavor that honey adds to pretty much any tea I've tried.
I have recently become obsessed with cookie decorators on Instagram like Tiny Kitchen Treats, Obsessive Cookie Designer and District Baking Co among others! I have been baking sugar cookies and trying to decorate them pretty for weeks. I finally broke my pattern and decided to bake something new.
Enter Pastry Affair, I found this recipe and I had to try it! I decided to make cupcakes because I had some pretty cupcake paper and toppers !
You can find the recipe here! I followed it exactly except I doubled the buttercream recipe because I'm a fatty who enjoys lots of frosting :) Here are some pictures of my process.
Here are my tea leaves, post milk!
I bought these on sale...valentine's day?!
The cupcakes aren't super sweet but the honey really comes through in the frosting and it makes it a perfect combination!
5 Reasons You Should Drink More Tea With Your Mom
My Mom.
Ain't she a beauty ??!
Back when I still lived at my parents' house I was able to sneakily take pictures of my mom and tea. I will sprinkle some throughout the post.
1) She Misses You: She may not always say it (or maybe she does) but she misses you. She loves you and wants to hang out! Whether you know it or not she is your best friend and confidant. I'm not sure there's a better way to surprise her or make her day than to schedule a tea date...or show up and make tea.
Here is a very old selfie that I convinced my mom to take with me :)
2) Tea Is Good For Her...And You: Tea has so many medicinal properties. I'm not sure why you aren't sharing the benefits with your mom right now!!
3) She Needs To Vent: When my mom and I have tea, we talk. We talk about happy things but we also talk about things that are bothering us or why our day was stressful. Sometimes your mom may not have another outlet that she feels comfortable venting to. Be her outlet! Even if you're just sitting there saying "uh huh," listen to her talk about all the things on her to do list and how there aren't enough hours in the day to do them all because she's your mom and she needs your support!
A stealthy picture I took of my mom one morning.
4) She Needs Some Unwinding Time: No matter if she's a stay at home mom or a working mom, she needs some HER time. Just like when you wanna have girls night, she wants to have daughter time. I recently moved out of my mom's house so hanging out with my older sister and I takes on a new meaning. When you have tea together you can take care of her, bring her some sweets and let her relax!
5) It's Your Job As Her Tea Butler: OK, so this is technically just a joke between my mom and I but I wanted to share. When I lived at home I would make my mom and I Tea every night and I joked about being her "kolfat" which means butler in Farsi. She then adopted this to "kolfateh Chayee" which is tea butler. This has been my nickname ever since. Perhaps this is a traditional viewpoint but as the child, you should learn to brew the perfect pot and make it for your mom! It's the least you can do after all she's done for you. So go out there and be the Kolfateh Chayee!
This photo is taken by my sister Sara and I believe this is actually coffee but I had to share because my mom is the prettiest :D
Call your mom up and make a tea date!
Shop Local: Especially Local Honey
Local >
As a hopeful small business owner it's no wonder I'm encouraging shopping small and local. Can you go to a department store and get yourself a journal? Sure! But why not get a hand crafted, unique one that I made in my own home?! (Esty opening soon!)
This discussion is mostly going to be centered around honey though. It's no surprise that drinking your tea plain without any sweeteners or additions will preserve it's natural herbal benefits more effectively. Additions to your tea can alter the state of the beverage and render it not as effective, especially if you are drinking tea for health purposes.
I love honey, I drink it in my tea everyday. I grew up drinking tea with sugar cubes but slowly started drifting away as I got older. Honey is a natural sweetener so it's a bit of a better choice than sugar. Honey can add many healthy properties to the tea. For example, it has antibacterial properties.
During spring time, honey can be a life saver. I'm sure those of you with allergies know that consuming local honey can be beneficial in curving some of your symptoms. I went out yesterday in search of local honey to support a small bee farmer and also to make sure allergies stay away. I stumbled upon Bee George Honey, made in my own town of Takoma Park! I didn't even know they existed!
Check out the local honey options in your area. These honeys will most likely be all natural with nothing artificial added, in their purest state and able to benefit you the most. Add some honey to your tea to help with allergies, have antibacterial properties and to make it taste DELICIOUS!
**100% honey, 0% nothing else**
WINKPENS: Write your thoughts in tea, literally
As I sit here drinking tea out of my beautiful Tea Thoughts glass created by my amazing friend Bridgett , I'm reviewing these extraordinary images of my logo from the lovely Jessica Chan. I'm always surprised by how many talented people I encounter!
What makes Jessica's images so cool? She drew them with tea. That's write she drew them with actual brewed tea! Ok, so you're probably wondering if Jessica is a magician or something. No, she's the creator of WINKPENS.
WINKPENS are no ordinary pens, they have a glass nib that can be filled with any liquid! This is a more modern and sustainable product. I found Jessica's product while searching tea things online and she agreed to be interviewed! Check out what I found out about WINKPENS!
Q: Are you a tea lover? If so what is your favorite kind?
A: I do drink tea occasionally and when I do, I love it! Chai teas are my favorite:)
Q: Do different types of teas produce a different result on paper?
A: Yes! This varies a lot actually and is dependent on what type of tea you're using and how concentrated/intense the color is. Herbal teas will give you more color whereas black teas will give you more neutral browns. The tea to water ratio will also make a huge difference in how vivid the color comes out to be. For example using two tea bags in only half a cup of water will be much deeper in color then if you used one bag per one cup of water.
Q: Do you have a favorite substance to write with?
A: I don't know that I have a favorite. It is dependent on what end result I am going for. Wine dries to be a deep purple, beet juice is naturally a bright red, soy sauce a golden brown, berry teas are beautiful as ink too and stain wonderfully!
Q: What is your vision for WINKPENS?
A: My vision with WINKPENS is to be an innovation leg in writing instruments -- by continuously creating "low-tech" products that elegantly marry history, modern aesthetics and environmental awareness with traditional function. I see WINKPENS being the special occasion pen, a perfect unique gift item, in the hands of both pen enthusiasts and also many creatives! There is a lot of opportunity for product expansion as well as collaborations with other companies and individuals (example stationary, wineries, artists) both domestically and internationally :)
Q: what has been the biggest challenge for you?
A: The biggest hurdles thus far have definitely been with manufacturing, as well as keeping up with costs. With so many material breaks, custom pieces, all the tooling needed to also having hand-made glass nibs. Let's just say the process will definitely be one I won't ever forget ! But, the journey and lessons learned have been invaluable. Each time we surpass the next unforeseen hurdle, the product has only evolved for the better. I promised myself I wouldn't launch the product until it was at the quality I had envisioned from the beginning.
Q: what is your favorite media to market the pen on?
A: Due to what finances will allow and the number of people connected to social media today, social media is definitely the most consistent source of marketing and engagement we do. WINKPENS is on facebook, instagram and twitter :)
Q: what is your favorite blog?
A: I can't say I have a favorite blog. I tend to seek out blogs that fulfill my current interest, example. If I am looking for thoughts on tea, you may just find me on this one !! ;)
Q: What is your favorite thing about the tea thoughts blog?
A:I love how modern and clean all the content is presented. The layout is beautiful, photos, and how everything is organized. Short and sweet writings with perfectly highlighted thoughts!
Not only did Jessica share some great information and sweet words about my blog but she also took the time to draw me these beautiful images with some black cherry tea.. woah. Creator, designer, boss lady and CRAZY talented!
If you're a calligraphers wanting to branch out and make your products even more unique or just someone shopping for a cool gift, check out WINKPENS!
Huge thank you to Jessica Chan for speaking with me about her product and recreating my logo with tea!
Ceylon Leaf Cookies
Bakinspiration.
Ok, ok.. I know that's not a word but I retrieved a print from Lily & Val! Valerie is an incredible artist and hand draws these images with chalk on a chalk board then digitizes them. I was so excited to get this in the mail.
Today was really gloomy and this print got here just in time. Life is what you bake it is probably going to be my new life motto!
I decided to take a basic earl grey cookie recipe and use ceylon tea instead.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 2 cups flour
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons crushed ceylon leaves (or tea of your choice)
- Zest the orange!
- Crush the tea leaves!
- Cream butter with sugar and add orange zest
- Mix dry ingredients together
- Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture
- Cut the dough in half and roll into logs on parchment paper
- Wrap parchment paper around logs and place in freezer until the logs are firm
- Cut the logs into slices and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake for 13 -15 minutes or until edges are golden brown
Review: Delicious and buttery. The orange zest is a subtle but great addition to the taste.
Regrets: I didn't crush the tea leaves as much as I should have
American Tea Room's Peppermint Choco Latte
Caffeine Free.
You've heard me rave about American Tea Room before. It's been blistery cold this week and I decided to have some extra tea. When I ordered the caramel tea they included a free sample of the Peppermint Choco Latte. At first I read "caffeine free" and thought pfffff not worth my time. I started this blog to be adventurous so I stepped out of my comfort zone.
Look.
With a Rooibos base, the leaves are beautiful.
Smell: Even while the tea was in the pot brewing, my kitchen was filled with a distinct chocolate aroma.
Taste: It wasn't until I pressed the tea to my lips that the peppermint introduced itself. I didn't sweeten this tea so I was able to really taste the flavor. It had a robust, chocolate taste. The peppermint was there at first sip but was immediately conquered by the chocolate.
This was not my favorite tea, not because it didn't taste good but because it's not the taste combination I favor. When it comes to sweets, I love peppermint everything! I have never loved peppermint in regards to tea. I like my tea bold. Maybe one day I'll fall in love with a peppermint type tea, until then I'll stick to black.
How do you feel about peppermint tea?!
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Have you ever heard of Matcha? I've seen it everywhere and a company has offered to send me a sample to try... I am so excited! Stay tuned :)
Full Ceylon Tea.
Ceylon only.
The tea that I drink on a daily basis is a melange of earl grey and ceylon leaves. For Norouz, my mother gave me a HUGE bag of my favorite tea. Before my mom gave me the tea, I had gone to the Iranian super market and decided to try a different black tea! I came across a pure ceylon and was curious what the difference was and what the earl grey adds to it.
Did you know that Sri Lanka where this tea comes from used to be called Ceylon?? The name stayed the same.
Aren't these leaves so pretty?!
Smell: The earl grey and ceylon mix is very fragrant. The ceylon only tea still has a wonderful smell but it's not as potent. The earl grey must add that extra kick!
Color: Perhaps I made a stronger brew than usual but I believe that this tea was darker than usual!
Taste: Although I missed the fragrance as I drank, this ceylon only tea was delicious. The taste was just as bold and full bodied.
Overall Review: THUMBS UP CEYLON!
Tea & Food Pairings
Grand Tea.
I'm always finding new tea companies on Instagram, which is why I love it! I stumbled across Grand Tea. I really enjoy how this site helps other tea sellers get noticed through the directory. Not only is this a tea company but the owner does contests, which brings me to this post.
There is a photo contest centered around favorite tea and food pairings. This inspired me to think about what I like with my tea. First off, do sweets count as food?? When it comes down to it my favorite pairing is something that can be dunked. I can dunk biscuits, cookies, scones and so much more! I especially like these cookies made from almond. They are called Ba-do-mee.
My grandfather used to say that sweets were a necessity after dinner to help settle your stomach. This has been a tradition in my family
When I got home from work the sun was still shining and I leaped at the opportunity to have a little photo shoot :)
Please share with me your favorite tea pairing!
