Tea-Infused Cranberry Curd Christmas Tart

Last months post showcased how to cook with tea and take your Thanksgiving Turkey to the next level by brining it with tea leaves. The recipe called for using Lapsang Souchong to add a smokiness to it, but I chose Yunnan Golden Buds (a favorite) and used those instead. I received comments asking for the recipe I served for dessert which was a Tea Infused Cranberry Curd Tart, so I thought that Decembers post would perfect for that and a great way to liven up your holiday table with something seriously easy, tasty and tea infused.

I originally found the recipe on Americas Test Kitchen and then decided to amend it. This is one of the easies desserts I’ve ever made and its delicious! Below is my version of their version. I also made mine in individual tartlet pans for each person instead of a larger one. I used the same Yunnan Golden Buds brewed tea, but Ive also made this with other types which were just as good: Assam; Kenya Black and even our Cape Cod Cranberry Orange Blend. There recipe is below and my changes are in BOLD ITALICS.

Hope you enjoy this tea-infused treat for Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Years or just because! Scroll down to find tea suggestions to pair with this along with a holiday movie that might go nicely with it as well. Snuggle up, pop on a movie, eat your tart and sip some tea!

– The Chief Leaf
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ATK’s CRANBERRY CURD TART

By Lan Lam
Serves: 8
Time: 1½ hours, plus 4 hours resting

TIPS:

• Use 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe.
• It’s strongly recommend to weigh the almond flour and cornstarch for the crust.
• If preferred, you can use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to whip the cream.
• The tart crust will be firm if you serve the tart on the day that it’s made; if you prefer a more tender crust, make the tart up to two days ahead.
• ATK tips on how to pipe the whipped cream into decorative patterns, see below.

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound (454 grams; 4 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries 
• 1 ¼ cups (8¾ ounces; 248 grams) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided (I reduced the sugar to 3/4c and added pure maple syrup to taste as it cooked down)
• ½ cup water (substitute brewed black tea for water)
• Pinch table salt
• 3 large egg yolks 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened (KerryGold Butter)
• Grated orange peel (not in the original recipe but adds so much interest)

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (4 ounces; 113 grams) almond flour
• ½ cup (2 ounces; 57 grams) cornstarch 
• ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces; 66 grams) sugar 
• ½ teaspoon table salt 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• ½ cup walnuts and pecans, chopped and toasted (not in the original recipe)

MAKING THE PUREE FILLING:

1. Bring cranberries, orange peel, sugar, tea or water and salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Adjust heat to maintain very gentle simmer.
3. Cover and cook until all cranberries have burst and started to shrivel, about 10 minutes.
4. While cranberries cook, whisk egg yolks and cornstarch in bowl until smooth.
5. Transfer hot cranberry mixture to food processor.
6. Immediately add yolk mixture and process until smooth (small flecks of cranberry skin will be visible), about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
7. Let mixture cool in processor bowl until skin forms and mixture registers 120 to 125 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. While mixture cools, make crust.

MAKING THE CRUST: 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in bowl until well combined.
3. Add melted butter and almond extract and stir with wooden spoon until uniform dough forms.
4. Crumble two-thirds of mixture over bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
5. Press dough to even thickness in bottom of pan.
6. Crumble remaining dough and scatter evenly around edge of pan.
7. Press crumbled dough into sides of pan. Press edges to even thickness.
8. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

BACK TO THE PUREE:

1. Add softened butter to cranberry puree and process until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract puree.
3. Transfer 2 tablespoons puree to medium bowl, then stir in cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup
4. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Before putting puree into crust, sprinkle toasted nuts on bottom.
6. Pour/Transfer puree to crust (it’s OK if crust is still warm) and smooth into even layer.
7. Let tart sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours. (Cover tart with large bowl and refrigerate after 4 hours if making ahead.)

WHIPPED CREAM DECORATING: 

• I added a touch of vanilla extract and maple syrup to the cream instead of the reserved puree to add to have a light cranberry cream flavor. I also used an electric mixer to beat into stiff peaks.
• Transfer to pastry bag fitted with pastry tip.
• Pipe decorative border around edge of tart.
• Transfer any remaining whipped cream to small serving bowl.

6 TEA PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:

You can’t go wrong with a perfect single origin black tea. The astringency from the black tea is cut by the tart/sweetness and is heavenly. Our Ceylon from Sri Lanka is stunning! Or try a Wuyi Dark Oolong for a real treat! Our Cape Cod Blend is also a delight with this lovely, easy-to-make dessert!

1. Assam (North India)
2. Ceylon TGOP (Sri Lanka)
3. Nilgiri (South India)
4. Sir Walter Scottish Blend (India/China Blend)
5. Wuyi Dark Roasted Oolong (China)
6. Cape Cod Cranberry Orange Blend

6 CHRISTMAS MOVIES TO: “EAT A SLICE OF TEA-INFUSED CRANBERRY TART WITH A CUPPA PEARL FINE TEAS” SUGGESTIONS:

1. The Holiday (2006) with Kate, Cameron, Jack and Jude (Amazon Prime or Lifetime)
2. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with Jimmy Steward and Margaret Sullavan (HBOMax)
3. A Christmas Carol (1938) with Reginal Owen (Max, Hulu, Prime, Apple TV)
4. The Christmas Chronicles (2018) with Kurt Russell (Netflix)
5. The Family Man (2000) with Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni (Prime, E!, Bravo)
6. Elf (2003) with Will Ferrell (Hulu, Max Amazon Channel, and Paramount+, Apple TV )

A Twist on Thanksgiving: Smokey Tea-Rubbed Turkey

This past weekend at one of our markets we had more than a few customers asking for “that really smoky tea”. That being Lapsang Souchong. I often see a slight uptick in this classic tea from China as the weather chills, but it was more than a few people asking about it on Sunday. That lead me to talk to them about other ways to use this interesting tea that will undoubtedly conjure up memories of campfires which is directly related to the way this tea is processed: over a wood fire. There’s a nice long, romantic history around this tea, and you can read about it here, but for this post I’m just going to focus on how you can fold this into Thanksgiving and really knock everyones cozy socks off at dinner.

There are two recipes I like, but the one from Christopher Kimballs Milk Street with the added dimension and flavor from a maple glaze is a standout! You’ll be upping your bird game with something deeply aromatic, well-seasoned and seriously unique. Cooking with tea is so fun. Give it a try!

Tea-Rubbed Maple Turkey Recipe from Christopher Kimball Milk Street
Servings: 12 Servings 3 to 3½ hours   Plus 24 hours to season

INGREDIENTS

For the Turkey and Gravy:

• 9 grams of lapsang souchong tea
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 12- to 14-pound turkey, neck and giblets discarded
• 4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Glaze:

• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup strong brewed lapsang souchong tea (see note above)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Gravy:

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

THE STEPS:

Prepare the Turkey:

1. To prepare the turkey, set a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan. Using paper towels, pat the turkey dry inside and out. Tuck the wings underneath.
2. Gently push your hand under the skin over the breasts, thighs and drumsticks to loosen. In a small bowl, combine the tea, salt and white pepper. Using your hands, spread half the mixture evenly under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining mixture over the skin, rubbing to coat evenly.
3. Set the turkey breast side up on the roasting rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.

Heat and rest:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lowest position. Pour 4 cups of the water into the roasting pan. Pull the turkey legs up and forward and insert a long skewer through one thigh to the other thigh.
2. Roast for 2 hours; the thickest part of the thigh should register 155°F to 160°F.

Prepare the glaze:

1. While the turkey roasts, prepare the glaze. In a large saucepan over medium, combine the maple syrup, brewed tea and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until large bubbles form, adjusting the heat to prevent boiling over, 8 to 10 minutes; you should have about ¾ cup glaze.
2. Reserve ¼ cup; transfer the remaining ½ cup glaze to a small bowl, stir in the vinegar and white pepper and reserve to serve with the turkey.

Continue to cook, then transfer:

1. Remove the turkey from the oven and brush with half of the reserved ¼ cup of glaze. Return the turkey to the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F and the thigh registers 175°F, brushing with the remaining glaze every 30 minutes, 1 to 1½ hours longer.
2. Tilt the turkey to let the liquid run out of the cavity into the pan, then transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 45 minutes.

Make the gravy, carve and serve:

1. To make the gravy, pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a fat separator and let settle for about 5 minutes. Pour 2 cups of defatted liquid into a large saucepan over medium-high and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons water and cornstarch.
2. Whisk the mixture into the simmering liquid and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy and the reserved glaze.

**TIP: Don’t cover the turkey before it goes into the refrigerator; leaving it uncovered helps dry the skin overnight, which produces crispier skin. 

2 Teas to pair with Thanksgiving Lunch or Dinner:

Cape Cod Cranberry Orange Black Tea:
Fantastic iced and an alternative to sodas at dinner

Happy Belly Herbal Blend
For after dinner to help digestion from a day of eating

You can order this tea from us online, or come see us next weekend at farmers markets around the DC Metro area! Let us know if you decide to try this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!

– The Chief Leaf

Halloween Candy or Tea Brack?

_{Tea Brack infused with Sir Walter Scottish Tea}

Tough choice? Not for us!

First… Happy Halloween! We like this “holiday” and it’s not because of candy. The tradition is so deep and interesting and we dug in to find that tea is a part of it in some parts of the world, namely Ireland. We’d actually love for this to be a National Holiday with an official day off. Let’s lobby for that.

The last time I posted was Christmas. And here we are with only 55 days till this years Christmas. (Insert cliche: time flies). But before we officially tip into that season, which for us starts at 12:01am (check our website for new blends) we have to enjoy THIS season, or rather… today.

If you have followed us on Instagram or stopped by a market you may have seen our newest TeaLeaf Methi in our “Tea of Day” Stories or holding down the tent at the Fresh Farm Dupont Circle Market. After spending a few years in Africa she is back for a while before heading off to India and I thought it might be nice to fold her into the TeaLove blog and do a cameo. She was up to the challenge! Below is a very nice recipe for Tea Brack and a really great alternative to having candy with your afternoon tea. For us, its a no brainer. Anything with tea is our cuppa. No judgements if you choose the former, but we’re TeaCentric over here.

Please enjoy our first post of 2023 and if you make the Tea Brack, please tag us so we can see how yours turned out.

– Chief Leaf

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hello! Methi here. It’s Halloween! The pinnacle of the spooky season and one of my favorite holidays of the year. I enjoy getting into the spirit by re-watching classics like Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas. (The Chief Leaf is partial to The Great Pumpkin.) While dressing up as my favorite characters, putting up decorations, and chomping on candy are always fun, this year I looked into the origins of the holiday to find more sustainable ways to celebrate. 

Halloween, as we know it, comes from All Hallows Eve, which is always celebrated on October 31^st, the day before the Western Christian All Saints Day. This day marked the first day of Allhallowtide, a season in the liturgical calendar that was dedicated to the remembrance of the deceased, especially martyrs and saints. All Hallows Eve coincided with the Celtic pre-Christian festival, Samhain (pronounced SAH-win), a pagan harvest festival celebrated from October 31^st – November 1^st. Samhain celebrated the change of the seasons.  It was believed that during this time that the barrier between the human world and the spirit world thinned, and thus the practice of wearing costumes was adopted to avoid recognition by a traveling soul. Like All Hallows Eve, Samhain also has strong connections with honoring the ancestors and the deceased.

If you are looking for a truly traditional Halloween treat to bring to enjoy on Halloween, we have it. The Pearl Fine Tea’s motto is: “tea cures everything.” We know this. The Irish knew this too. Maybe that’s why they invented Tea Brack (sometimes known as Barmbrack), a delicious sweet bread made with dried fruits and black tea. This speckled sweet bread is customarily made only on Halloween in Ireland and is a party trick and a dessert all in one simple loaf. 

Usually, the baker would sneak in a ring (and sometimes other oddly specific yet symbolic items) into the batter, and whoever found the ring when the loaf was sliced was thought to be lucky and would marry within the year. 

Old-school symbolic items to be mixed into a Tea Brack loaf:
• A bean: poverty for life 
• A coin: wealth or good fortune 
• A matchstick: an unhappy marriage 
• A pea: will not marry in a year 
• A piece of cloth: bad luck and poverty 

While I absolutely encourage you to play with your food, it might be a good idea to wrap the ring in some aluminum foil before you drop it into your batter. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pearl Fine Tea’s Recipe for Halloween Irish Tea Brack
Yields one 9×5 inch loaf

Wet Ingredients: 

• ½ cup of black raisins
• ½ cup of golden raisins
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• ½ cup of dried prunes, quartered
• 300 mL of hot Sir Walter Scottish Blend black tea
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 4 tbsp of melted salted butter 
• 2 eggs
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of one mandarin orange
• 2-3 tbsp honey for glaze

Dry Ingredients:

• 300 grams of all-purpose flour (roughly 2 cups)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Spice blend:
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves 
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice

Directions: 

1. Add the dried fruits to a large mixing bowl and submerge them in 300 mL of hot Sir Walter Scottish Blend black tea. Allow the fruits to soak for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2. There may be some liquid left in the bowl once the fruits are soaked. Don’t throw this out! You’ll need it to keep your tea brack batter moist once all the ingredients are combined. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside. 
4. Once the fruits are fully soaked, add the eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, and zest of the lemon and mandarin orange to the fruit and tea mixture. Mix well until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients (including the spice blend) to the bowl and stir until a light brown batter is formed. 
6. Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan and flatten the top. 

7. Bake for 1 hour until the loaf is well risen and golden in color. Check the level of completion with a skewer through the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the tea brack is fully baked. 
8. Brush the top of the loaf with honey to create a glaze. Return the loaf to the oven for 3 minutes to dry the honey glaze.

9. Allow the tea brack to cool for roughly an hour before removing it from the pan and setting it on a wire rack. 
10. Serve the tea brack with butter and a delicious pot or cup of Sir Walter Scottish blend and sit back and enjoy!

Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween!
~TeaLeaf Methi

12 Teas to pair with 12 Christmas Movies

• 

I haven’t posted since February. Busy year? A bit. So…

The first question I have about this holiday season is: how did this time go so fast? It seems the span of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was shorter this year. The second question is: Was your DVR on overdrive trying to catch holiday movies so you didn’t have to buy them on a streaming service? Yep.

Counting today, there are 12 days until Christmas Day and it’s now cram time. If you’re anything like me, binge watching Christmas movies (at least 1 per day) leading up to Christmas is a guilty pleasure. Extra points for an endless supply of tea and Christmas cookies, chocolate (what’s your favorite?), and a slice of pie. Or cake.

Below is a selection of some favorites and a recommendation for a tea to sip to as you watch! Let me know if you agree.

12. The Night Before. A highly underrated Christmas movie that’s pretty darn funny and is loaded with ugly Christmas sweaters.
• Pair with: Chocolate Puerh

. . . . . . . . .

11. Fred Claus. Vince Vaughn as the troublesome brother of Santa Claus? Yes! It’s not one of the more popular picks, but we like it!
• Pair with: Black Vanilla Bean or Rooibos Bourbon Vanilla (Caffeine-Free)

. . . . . . . . .

10. Elf. “I’m singing!! I’m in a store, and I am singing. I AM IN A STORE, AND I’M SINGING!” No other tea blend could be more perfect then our New England Blend which is for all the tea weirdos in the world!
• Pair with: New England Blend

. . . . . . . . .

9. Four Christmases. I think most of us will admit to trying to bypass spending time away from family at least once in their lives. A second shout out to Vince Vaughn as Joseph is everything. And the one-liners? Epic!
• Pair with: Naked Masala Chai

. . . . . . . . .

8. Love, Actually. Everyones favorite with the most heart wrenching stories from love lost to new love and everything in between. And… Hugh Grant actually drinks tea with a chocolate biscuit in the movie. (Bonus!)
• Pair with: Ginger Rose/Healing Heart.

. . . . . . . . .

7. The Shop Around the Corner. If you haven’t seen this Jimmy Stewart original, I highly recommend it. It takes place in Budapest and is just a delight. (Check out Mr. Matuschek who was the Great and Powerful Oz!)
• Pair with: Slava Ukraini! (Formerly Russian Caravan)

. . . . . . . . .

6. The Man Who Invented Christmas. The story behind the story of Dickens and A Christmas Carol. Plus Christopher Plumber? Wonderful! A brisk black tea blend will work perfectly with this movie!
• Pair with: Sir Walter Scottish Blend

. . . . . . . . .

5. The Holiday. Who wouldn’t want a nice little break in a charming English Cottage or a stay in a mansion in Santa Monica at the holidays?
• Pair with: British Black Currant

. . . . . . . . .

4. The Family Man. Nicholas Cage as a mash up between Scrooge and George Bailey is one of the best movies around. Check out the scene with his daughter Annie as she welcomes him to Earth.
• Pair with: 3PM Blend

. . . . . . . . .

For Christmas Eve:
3. A Christmas Carol. This holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, but the most poignant being that this is a movie loved by both me and my father. He recently passed away in late October, so this the first Christmas without our yearly discussion about the movie. He loved the Patrick Stewart and George C. Scott adaptations, and I love the Reginald Owen and Alastair Sims versions. To honor my dearly departed dad, and his favorite tea on Christmas Eve:
• Pair with: Earl Grey Creme or Rooibos Earl Grey (Caffeine-Free)

2. It’s A Wonderful Life. It’s just not the holiday season without George Bailey and Clarence the Angel, and the reminder to appreciate one’s life.
• Pair with: Cinnamon Orange Black Tea or Cinnamon Rooibos (Caffeine-Free)

. . . . . . . . .

For Christmas Day:
1. Charlie Brown Christmas. Maybe the best Christmas movie/cartoon every created.
• Pair with: Our Christmas Market Blend (Marche de Noel) or German Gingerbread

Happy Holidays!

-The Chief Leaf

. . . . . . . . .

THE 2 BEST DAYS OF FEBRUARY

(involve roses, chocolate + Bill Murray)

In my opinion, today (February 2nd) is the best day of the month. And when it rolls around, I can’t wait for the movie Groundhogs Day to play on loop for 24 hours. I literally watch it over and over again, and never tiring of: “Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today.”

By the time you are reading this, you already know that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow at 7:25am EST. It’s likely that I will have already watched Bill Murray re-live his day at least 3 or 4 times already – along with having polished off at least 2 pots of Dark Rose Tea. (Have you tried it?)

In 12 days, we’ll welcome February’s “Runner-Up” day: Valentine’s Day. As a kid, my father always gave all of us (me, my brother and my mother) heart-shaped boxes of chocolate every year. We would all sit on the sofa picking out our favorites and trading each other for ones we didn’t like. (Orange cream? Ew.) Needless to say, every time I see one of those Whitman or Russell Stover assorted chocolate boxes – I’m tempted – then come to my senses and remember how good chocolate teas are, keep on walking and head home to brew a pot of Chocolate Puerh. (FYI: no calories)

Both teas pair nicely with Punxsutawney Phil’s verdict today and to enjoy for Valentine’s Day. Have you considered sending Rose Tea or Chocolate Tea instead of actual flowers and chocolate this year to all the loves in your life?  And by “loves” I mean… anyone you appreciate, or just simply love. And it doesn’t have to be romantic. And it can also be… to yourself. #loveislove

Happy February!
Happy Groundhogs Day!
Happy Bill Murray! (is that a thing?)
Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you haven’t already subscribed to our monthly newsletter: click here.

(ps. I think Groundhogs Day should be a National Holiday and everyone should have off from work. Should I start a petition? Drop me a note if you agree!)

8 Minutes

 

“There’s only one thing more precious than our time
and that’s who we spend it on.” – Leo Christopher

Let that quote settle into your bones for a minute and you’ll quickly realize the magnitude of that statement. How and who do you spend your time with?

If you think about it, the only real currency that matters is time. And its finite. And human beings traditionally have a love/hate relationship with it. We skip the present moment (it feels too hard) and often live in the other two realms: Dwelling on the past, and worrying about the future. We also seem to default to 1 of 2 states of being:

• Too busy, not having enough time and wasting the present moment
• Thinking we have all the time in the world, and missing opportunity

Up until a few weeks ago that was sort of the norm. But things have changed and life is different. One day we were living life on autopilot plugging along not thinking about the present moment, still defaulting to one of the realms (past or future) and in an instant, everything stopped and we all experienced a collective kind of whiplash from the Black Swan (aka: the Corona Virus/Covid-19.)

Some say life as we knew it is gone (maybe that’s a good thing) and that as a global community we have entered a period of profound change. What that will look like on the other side anyones guess because it is still an unknown. And for humans, the unknown is scary.

So our relationship to time has changed in an instant and we’re trying to buy time with the hope that the purchase will save lives, and humanity as we know it. And all we can do is wait it out. All we can do is try to live in present moment and let time have its way.  This waiting has forced our hand and pushed us all into a collective TIME OUT.  For some it’s a welcome reprieve from life and a chance to regroup, take a breath and exhale slowly. For others its immensely uncomfortable.

It doesn’t help that the last 3 years have been down right difficult for so many people and especially challenging in terms of finding ways to be in the moment and relax. I see this weekly at the farmers markets where I sell tea. Every week, I listen to people share their secrets, unload their stresses and everything in between. Some call me a TeaTherapist. But I’m just a good listener – because the truth is my answer to most of life’s challenges… the prescription I find most helpful… is always the same: Tea.

Yes, dear ones – Tea. Tea for everything, every challenge, every problem, every person. Tea for breakfast, tea for lunch, tea at tea time and tea for dinner. Because tea my friends, cures everything. Far fetched? Nope. And here’s why…

Tea forces you to have a direct relationship with time. It forces you to be in the present moment, to think about what you are doing. To pay attention, and to breath. And the beautiful part is that the investment is minimal. For the people that tell me that tea takes too long to make, is not worth the investment in time, I say: Phooey! It takes roughly 8 minutes. How do I know that?

Because I timed it.

From the time I decided to make tea and got out of my chair in my home office, walked down the steps and into the kitchen to…

• Filling the electric kettle with fresh water
• To choosing the tea vessel I wanted to use and getting it out of the cupboard
• To scooping and measuring the tea leaves (in this case green Korean Sejak)
• To waiting for the water to heat to 174˚ƒ
• To pouring the water over the leaves
• To infusing the leaves depending on type (in this case 2 min for Sejak)
• To taking the tea ware to my table
• To sitting down to sip the tea
• To finishing the first infusion (I then poured another)

EIGHT (8) MINUTES. A spec of time.

The point at which relaxation in the body started was the moment of thought for wanting to make tea. It just increased from there. Since we all have extra time on our hands now, why not give in to the healing power of what tea has to offer both physically, emotionally and mentally and use this gift of time to be present. You can add an extra minute each day working up to more and more time spent having tea – a kind of meditation if you like. No other distractions. Just you and your tea.

So the moral of this story is that time is relative; time can be our friend or foe. Lets choose the former. Let’s choose to carve out a tiny part of our day to spend with tea.

I wish you all safety and wellness…

Happy Sipping
~The Chief Leaf

Clean Your Kettle.

It happens to all of them eventually: you notice that icky weird build up of gunk on the inside of your tea kettle. Rinsing the inside doesn’t seem to do much in the way of removing that build up and soapy water does nothing either. It’s enough to make you want to chuck it and buy a new one. But hold off doing that, because cleaning the kettle is actually surprisingly easy!

Before we get to that, I’m sure you want to know what that stuff actually is and where it comes from:

First, know that it’s nothing harmful. Ordinary tap water, especially if its hard water contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Over time build-up of these minerals (called limescale) creates white powdery deposits inside your kettle. And it’s not easy to remove.  Some kettles actually get black deposits instead of white powdery ones on the inside. This comes from calcium deposits being heated in an empty kettle and leaving behind traces that carbonizes. Again, not dangerous but certainly unsightly.

Second, there are a few ways to remove the mineral deposits and descale your kettle whether its electric or the traditional stove top kind:

1. Vinegar and water: Boil equal parts white vinegar and water. Turn off the heat, and let the kettle sit for a few hours. Rinse and repeat as needed until the interior is clean.

2. Lemon juice: I’ve used this method a few times and it’s worked like a charm. Fill the kettle halfway and pour in pure lemon juice – roughly 2 cups – and bring to a boil. Repeat a few times if necessary and then rise inside of pot a few times to remove any lemon residue.

3. Citrus Acid powder: I like the one from Zojirushi that they make to clean their hot water heaters. You just pour in a packet of the dried citric acid into water and boil a few times until the minerals release. You’ll often see them floating around depending on how scale-y your pot has become. Once you see that it’s worked, rinse the inside of the pot a few times to remove any of the powder or your water/tea will taste lemony. Here is a link should you want to buy the packets rather then use what you have at home.

It’s important to keep your tea kettle sparkling clean so that the water being boiled doesn’t adversely affect the taste of your tea. Just simply check the inside of your kettle weekly to see if it needs descaling. If you notice build-up, you can now chose one of the methods above to clean it out. Plus, by regularly maintaining your tea tools, it extends the life of your gadget which ultimately keeps it out of a landfill. All good things… For the earth and for making good tea.

Happy Sipping!
~The Chief Leaf

Good Water. Good Tea.

 

You don’t have to be Erin Brockovitch to know that bad water is really bad for you.

(Good) water has so many health benefits that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. Tea can often be included in that total since tea is basically just leaves steeped in (hopefully) good water. Water is essential, and the human body is, after all, 70% water. We can survive a month or so without food but no more than a week without water. And, I know I can’t survive a day without good tea.

I talk all the time about “good tea” and my commitment to sourcing and blending it is the foundation of Pearl Fine Teas. I won’t sell anything I myself wouldn’t drink. There may be a tea or two that I personally just don’t care for, but every single tea on our menu is of the highest quality I can afford to source. If you start with really good tea, you have to have really good water in order to make a really good cuppa. See how that works? There is just no way of getting around it and why would you want to?

I hear from many of my clients and customers that they often use the hot water spout in the office or heat up a mug in the microwave. My response to that is always: Yikes!

I also hear that when they have a cup of tea brewed by us at area farmers markets, they say the tea tastes better than what they make/drink at home. That’s in part to the water filtration system I use (see below). I had ours calibrated to deal with DC water and take out the stuff that makes things icky and taste awful. There is virtually no smell or weird taste to our water. It goes through a 3-chamber system and does a great job filtering and helping our tea taste really, really good. Below is some information on what water type/quality does to your beloved cuppa:

TYPES OF WATER FOR MAKING TEA

• Distilled water: Distilled water is too soft (low in minerals) and will brew into flat-tasting tea. Avoid.
• Spring water: Optimal for tea, but some types are better than others. The best spring water for tea should be neutral in pH (about 7) and in flavor.
• Sparkling water: Not advised for making tea. Of course if you want to spike your bubbles with already made tea to flavor the water, you can certainly give it a try.
• Well water: With any pH above 7, it’s best to filter before brewing to prevent the unwanted flavor of extra minerals. Well water poses a special problem for tea brewing because its pH is almost always above 7. Test your well water. If it’s above about 8.5, it is hard water and it will brew a bitter tea.
• Microwaved water: A big No-No for tea making. Tea needs oxygen from the water for the flavor to come out and microwaved water is devoid of that leading to a rather awful tasting and lifeless cup of tea that will taste flat and weird. Avoid.
• Filtered Tap Water: Depending on the city you live in, filtered tap water could be just fine for making tea. There are many counter top filtration systems that can be purchased to take out some of the things your city might put into the water to keep it “clean”.
• RO / Reverse Osmosis: Also not recommended unless the water is remineralized. The tea will also taste flat and lifeless.

Some types of filtration systems for home use include the following and you can click on each one to read up on their offerings to see if it might be the right fit for you, your budget and your tea:

• Brita
• Aquasana (what I use)
• Berkey 
• Santeva

According to the CDC:  “…the top causes of disease outbreaks related to drinking water are Giardia intestinalis, hepatitis A, norovirus, and Shigella. Bad as that sounds, it’s far from a complete list. There are also health risks related to water contaminated with organic and inorganic matter, other bacteria and viruses and other pollutants. Some studies link high levels of lead in drinking water to delays in physical and mental development, short attention spans, and learning difficulties in children. There’s also evidence that arsenic in drinking water can lead to nerve, heart, skin, and blood vessel damage. And Cryptosporidium is responsible for potentially life-threatening diarrhea.”

Water and health are as interdependent as good water and good tea. So take care, filter your water, try not to use the microwave (buy a kettle), use good tea leaves and enjoy a great cuppa!

Happy Sipping!
~The Chief Leaf

 

Steep or Brew. What’s the difference?

 

Hey there, it’s been a while…

… So, last weekend at one of my markets, a customer asked me what the difference was between steeping and brewing.

I’d written a past blog post about this before, but at that very moment all of a sudden I was under the control of a massive brain freeze and had a hard time defining it intelligently even though I knew the difference. I stumbled my way through the explanation with a lot of, “You know what I mean?” He assured me that he did and was very kind about my very long-winded explanation.

That got me thinking that it was time to jump back on to the TeaLove Blog (and why not start with this topic for 2020) with a very succinct definition of the differences:

• Brewing and Steeping are both pretty much of the same process.
• Brewing is the ACT of making tea, while Steeping is the PROCESS involved.
• Brewing the perfect cup of tea requires carefully Steeping loose tea leaves in fresh water that’s heated correctly.

Basically “To Steep” something means “to soak” and that’s what we do when make tea. We take leaves, often dried and add them to hot (or cold) water to soak and extract whats in them into water. Steeping is reserved for tea. You wouldn’t hear someone say they are steeping coffee.

BREWING A CUPPA

How does one go about this? First you need to gather the correct tools and ingredients: tea leaves, a vessel (pot, mug, cup), an infuser of some kind and really good water. (Water is as important as the tea you are about to make, but we’ll reserve the topic of water quality for a future post.)

STEEPING YOUR TEA

Here’s where you can make or break your cuppa. Though some consider steeping tea an art form, it’s really quite a simple process that begins the moment you pour hot (or cold) water over tea leaves. The temperature and length of time is dependent upon the type of tea you are making. I often use these guidelines for tea making and it’s on our packages to give people easy-to-follow tea-making instructions. That said, you can always play around with time and temperature to figure out what tastes best to your palate:

• White Tea: 170˚–175˚F (2–4 minutes)
• Green Tea: 140˚–175˚F (:45–2 minutes)
• Yellow Tea: 170˚–175˚F (2–3 minutes)
• Light Oolong Tea: 165˚–175˚F (:30–1 minute)
• Dark Oolong Tea: 180˚–185˚F (:45–2 minutes)
• Black Tea + Pu’erh: 200˚–205˚F (1–3 minutes)
• Rooibos + Herbals: 205˚–212˚F (3–5+ minutes)

Now that you are set with a good understanding you can go forth to brew and steep. The next important decision is: What tea will you choose? You can head on over to the Pearl Fine Teas website and likely find something splendid.

I’m armed with a Tippy Assam sample in my cup (that just arrived from India yesterday) and will steep this tea until it turns to water!

Happy 2020!
Happy Sipping!

~The Chief Leaf

12 Books. 12 Teas: #04 Wabi Sabi

 

 

“In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi–sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”

For April, let’s settle into the notion that there is beauty in imperfection – even tea. This brings us to this months choice for our fourth Book and Tea pairing which will explore these ideas and help us all understand that it’s perfectly ok not to be perfect.

April 2019
• Book 4: Wabi Sabi
• Tea 4: Matcha

Beth Kempton has a Masters Degree in Japanese and has spent many years living and working in Japan. Over the years she has studied papermaking, flower arranging, pottery, calligraphy, the tea ceremony and weaving in Japan. Collectively these experiences have led to a deep love the country and a rare understanding of cultural and linguistic nuances. As founder and CEO of Do What You Love, Beth has produced and delivered online course and workshops that have helped thousands of people all over the world. Her blog was recently named Best Happiness Blogs on the Planet.

Wabi Sabi

“Wabi Sabi is a whole new way of looking at the world – and your life – inspired by centuries-old Japanese wisdom. Wabi sabi (“wah-bi sah-bi”) is a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics, which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life’s challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism. From honouring the rhythm of the seasons to creating a welcoming home, from reframing failure to ageing with grace, Wabi Sabi will teach you find more joy and inspiration throughout your perfectly imperfect life.”

 

Matcha
“The origins of matcha can be traced all the way back to the Tang Dynasty in China. … Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist Monk, spent the better part of his life studying Buddhism in China. In 1191, Eisai returned permanently to Japan, bringing with him tea seeds along with the Zen Buddhist methods of preparing powdered green tea.”

Have you tried Matcha? Experienced its duality of both stimulating and relaxing the body, mind and spirit?

Made from tencha leaves that are shaded for at least one month before harvest. The best leaves are plucked carefully  from organic tea fields during harvest season, from May – July. Tea leaves are then ground into a powder, but not before the plucked tea leaves are de-stemmed and de-veined, to reduce  bitter flavors. The super fine powder is the result of using traditional granite stone grinders to ensure and achieve a high quality finished matcha product that has little to no bitterness.

I hope you decided to join in, find a new book and tea to make you feel joyful and connected. If you don’t already follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, we hope you will and share your thoughts about the book and the tea.

Tag us if you decide to post any photos of you reading the suggested book, drinking the suggested tea and be sure to use the hashtags:

#12Books12Teas
#PearlFineTeas

Lastly, please consider purchasing your book(s) from a small local independent bookshops. We have a few of these still left in DC.

Happy Reading!
Happy Sipping!
~The Chief Leaf