Welcome to my blog. I hope you will join me for a cup of tea!
All in Pairings
"Oolong" is a funny word. In Chinese it means "black dragon tea" and refers to a partially oxidized tea. This particular black dragon tea comes from Phoenix Mountain. I know, I realize this sounds like straight out of Chinese mythology. Misty mountains, remote tea gardens... Ok, now I am getting sidetracked!
A friend of mine introduced me to rooibos and I was instantly hooked on its naturally sweet, nutty flavor. Now let me introduce you to this magical beverage.Rooibos is a type of herbal tea from South Africa. The leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant are oxidized, which gives rooibos its distinctive reddish-brown color. The process is similar to that used to make tea from the Camellia Sinensis leaves. So similar that there is also green rooibos, which - like green tea - is the less oxidized or non-oxidized version. I’ve never tried green rooibos but I must say I am intrigued.
Whenever I enjoy tea, I need beautiful things around me. Flowers, for example. I've recently gathered my tasting notes for Gyokuro, also known as "jade dew" from Japan. When I think of Japanese art, the first thing that comes to mind are irises painted on a golden screen. Irises convey elegance and serenity. Now that we've set the mood, let's taste some tea!
Welcome to my blog and thank you for stopping by! If you are here, we probably have one thing in common. I am so passionate about it that I cannot keep it to myself any longer. I am talking about tea. By that I mean “tea” as in “tea ceremony”, “tea” as in “afternoon tea”. I mean the real thing. No sad-looking tea bags containing sad-looking tea dust here. The connection between tea and squirrels might sound far-fetched, but let me tell you how The Tea Squirrel was born.
