Tea Party

I am all over loose leaf tea these days and my pal Sarah requested a tea entry so here we are.

Not being a coffee drinker I have become quite a fan of loose leaf tea. So much so that I have to remind myself that I once liked Early Grey when I'm out for breakfast and that is their only option next to Red Rose.

Warning: my apologies if I come across a 'Tea Snob'. I am NOT above a lovely cup of Red Rose.

At the moment my favorite teas are:

1. Quangzhou Milk Oolong

I get mine from the Coco Tea Co (http://www.cocoteaco.com) which is by my Mom's house in Dundas. It is not the cheapest, a small bag goes for about $20. BUT...you don't need much for a nice flavour, and I use the same leaves all day (sometimes 2 days)

Vendor Description: This limited-edition Oolong from the Wuyi Mountains of China is velvety smooth and lightly creamy, with a subtle hint of orchid. It’s said that it came about when the moon fell in love with a comet. The comet passed her by, as comets will do. The moon cried milky tears, which chilled the tea fields, withering the leaves and giving them a delicate creaminess. It’s been a rare luxury ever since.

Leaf: The leaf smells very much like a sweet milk candy. It has a very prominent sweet and milky aroma. It is rolled into tight little balls. There is a light green to almost black spectrum of colors.

2. Green Tea 'Geisha'

Tea in the Sahara (http://www.teainthesahara.ca)

My best gals gave me a wonderful massage from the Hammam Spa for my birthday and the tea they were serving was so lovely I had to buy some. I even made the girl search through the back when they didn't have any on the floor.

Vendor Description: Green Tea, Coconut, Pineapple, Cornflower & Rose blossoms. (Less descriptive than the previous vendor no?)

3. Brown Rice Tea

Typically served at Japanese and Korean restaurants.

I like this Green Tea because it is less bitter than most others I have tried. With most Green Teas I steep it for a split second, but with the brown rice green tea I can keep it in while I drink and it is still nice and subtle.

4. Flowering Tea

These only make my list because I find them so interesting to look at, but to be perfectly honest I have yet to make one that actually tastes good. But pair one of these tea bullets up with a clear tea pot and you have yourself a drinkable work of art.

Accessories

I also very much enjoy my accoutrements of tea accessories.

I LOVE the Bodum travel press.

All I have to do is put some loose tea leaves at the bottom, add water, steep and press the filter down and I have hot tea perfect all day. I just add hot water when I need to and never have to add more leaves. It is a bit of a mess to clean though. I also have the off white one and I wouldn't recommend that colour as it stains really easy.

Got one of these adorable things for Christmas (thanks Mom!) Very useful and adorable.

I also have this one, and it might not be the prettiest thing, but the base is handy. That is my #1 tea infuser requirement, somewhere to put it when you take it out of the water. Nerd alert.

And finally every loose tea lover needs the tea bag filter for on the go!

These are my favorite Tea things.

Plus bright cooper kettles and warm woolen mittens.

I haven't even scratched the Tea surface but I will keep you posted with anything new and exciting I come across that will make your tea drinking that much more.

Sorry if you are not a tea fan. That must have been very boring for you.

Thanks for sticking it out!