The Vital Oolong

For New Yorkers - Tonight

2010-03-24T00:33:00.000Z

If you happen to be in New York City on Wednesday evening, I suggest you make your way to the American Museum of Natural History. In conjuction with the exhibition "Travelling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathways to the Modern World" Morris Rossabi and Sebastian Beckwith will be discusing the history, beliefs and medicinal properties associated with various teas in the region. They will also be brewing up a selection of teas to illustrate the lecture. Tickets cost $20 and it will certainly be worth it.

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Silk Road and Tea
American Museum of Natural History
Wednesday 24th March, 6:30pm Linder Theatre, First Floor, enter at 77th St.

Ps// new tea shop has opened in Notting Hill. More to come....

Tea Revives You

2009-10-12T23:45:00.000+01:00

I love this and I'm going to get one for my kitchen...woop!

Glorious Tea Juice

2009-10-11T23:58:00.000+01:00

I can't resist British information films and this one is particularly wonderful.

The narrator's eyebrows are also pretty special.

2009-10-11T18:49:00.000+01:00

A recent article from The Times about the UK tea revolution featuring Henrietta Lovell of the Rare Tea Co. The comments are the best bits - my personal favourite is "My wife and I don't have the money to spend on fancy-schmancy tea from specialty farms in Timbuktu".

Japanese Tea Commercial

2009-09-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

Affinities: Tea and Chocolate

2009-09-06T13:49:00.001+01:00

My good friend Jonathan is a big fan of L'Artisan du Chocolat, the London based chocolate company. He recently showed me their TBars, chocolate infused with Darjeeling or matcha. Never one to hesitate over either tea or chocolate, I enthusiastically made my way to their new Westbourne Grove shop to sample these bars.

The pairing of tea and chocolate has a long heritage but according to Lydia Gautier, the combining of tea and melted chocolate only began in the 1980s, using at first only flavoured tea such as Earl Grey and Jasmine. The attempt to create a chocolate that marries the development of aromas in 'grand cru' teas and that of the chocolate only really began in the 1990s with the work of chocolatier Jacques Genin. He tried to create a product in which the respective properties of both the tea and the chocolate harmonised and enhanced each other.
In her book The Chocolate Connoisseur Chloé Doutre-Roussel says of him
"Like a perfumer, he intuits the flavour associations, the interactions and harmonies between them. When preparing a ganache, he knows the dance the aromas will perform."
Unfortunately, the TBars don't live up to this standard. Everything I love about Darjeeling was absent from the chocolate. The bar, made from Madagascan beans, is too dark and fruity for this delicate, acidic tea. The matcha bar was better but it is hard to detect any aromas over the sugar punch. Made with cocoa butter rather than cocoa, it had a negligent after taste. Very easy to eat, but not much to appreciate.

Next time in Paris I'll make a pilgrimage to Jacques Genin shop in the Marais and hopefully bring back some of his Puerh chocolates. In the meantime here is a video of him (in French) at his shop.

Name Change

2009-09-03T14:38:00.000+01:00

I recently had the wierd experience of the blog being mentioned by the New York Times in a an article about the Covent Garden Real Food Fair where I was, apparently, going to be on hand to discuss my favourite recipes etc... The wierd part was that it was also news to me.
A little bit of investigation revealed that there is a British food blog called More Tea, Vicar which is clearly who the NY Times were meant to link through.

Even though getting a plug from an international news paper is pretty exciting, I would rather it was for my own musings so I've decided to change the title of my blog. "More Tea Vicar?" (something an old friend would say to me over endless cups of tea in Bristol) is perhaps a bit whimsical and was never meant to be permanent. So welcome to The Vital Oolong!
"The Vital Oolong" is in turn a reference to P.G. Wodehouse, a writer I hold in some esteem. On the grayest of London days, or after a particularly boneheaded day at work, he never fails to cheer me up - much like a cup of tea.

Minor Crush

2009-08-25T00:06:00.005+01:00

I am a fan of French tea taster Christine Dattner, and cherish her volume Le Livre du Thé Vert (Plume, 2002)
Barbara Dufrene recently wrote a little piece about her career for World Tea News. It gives me courage to keep tasting and exploring new teas.

Tea and Stress

2009-08-23T12:43:00.000+01:00

The restorative power of tea is well known. However, it is not necessarily tea on its own that offers relief from stress. Even a short ritual of familiar, repeated movements can offer enough respite from your own thoughts to bring some perspective to a situation.
Drinking tea isn’t about sitting and doing nothing; it is almost a type of guided meditation.

Because they are slightly fiddly to prepare, oolong teas are the ones to reach for when you need to focus your mind on something other than the problem at hand. Since the colour of oolong teas vary so much between rusted green and bright gold, simply contemplating your brew can offer solace.

The work of discerning the different flavours in the tea you are tasting is part of why tea drinking blocks out the noise of the world. Concentrate on the texture of the tea you hold in your mouth. Tannins are drying and these are the components that give the sense of puckering in your mouth. Brew for too long and tannins can overwhelm the aromatic components, while short brewing will offer an insipid brew – a liqueur without the body needed to hold all the flavours in your mouth.

Another aspect of tea is the amount of sheer trouble people go to so you can have a cuppa. Tea is an intensively worked leaf and it is worth remembering the people who have been involved in its processing - from picking to steaming and to the leaves being hand-rolled.

After my flatmate, the personification of bravery, dealt with a half-decomposed mouse trapped under our fridge (while I hopped about uselessly), I sat us down to prepare a couple of oolongs to quiet the mind and the stomach.
A Dong Ding from Le Palais Des Thés and a Baozhong (light roast) from Tea Smith in Spitalfields did the trick.

The Boazhong was very special. I brewed it in a Yixing pot and the tea was meltingly flavourful, evoking white flowers and later, as it cooled, unripe melon and nectarine. After the first brew, my flatmate and I had a good sniff of the inside of the lid (it's where the all the aromas are concentrated) and we both experienced an intense smell of commercial perfume but without the accompanying alcohol. It disappeared almost instantly but it was lovely enough to bring a tear to Isabelle’s eye (really, I saw it).

Which ever tea choose to keep your spirits up, remind yourself that spending half an hour of concentrated effort on preparing tea is a better plan than hiding under the covers with Leonard Cohen.

Reading: Silence by Sara Maitland
Watching: mostly South Park
Drinking: Gin and Tonics

On Being Under Pressure

2009-08-06T18:39:00.003+01:00

I've invented a new fun game involving pouring hot water over tea leaves and playing Hunt the Teapot while it brews. The skill is locating your teapot before your leaves over-brew and the game becomes especially exciting if combined with Hunt the Strainer.

Having a messy kitchen and writing a dissertation is clearly taking its toll.

Reading: The Makioka Sisters
Watching: Downfall (for the laughs)
Drinking: Jing's Yunnan Gold

Milk and Sugar?

2009-04-10T20:30:00.005+01:00

I am of the firm opinion that if you need milk and sugar in your tea you are not drinking the right tea. However, if this piece of design by a fellow finn Tanja Sipilä was on the table, I might just make an exception. It is called the Newton because it uses the force of gravity to keep the sugar bowl in place when you pour you milk. It is available from Huset.com

African Tea - Pictures

2009-04-06T22:20:00.022+01:00

I have some important work to do tonight - so i'm procrastinating. Here are some more pics from Burkina Faso and Mali.

African Tea

2009-04-01T11:12:00.001+01:00

Needing to get my yearly Africa fix, some friends and I organised a trip to Burkina Faso and Mali. The FESPACO film festival was being held in Ouagadougou and we thought it would be the perfect time to see something of West Africa. I was left speechless with admiration for these beautiful countries, especially Burkina Faso which I would return to in a heartbeat. The south in particular is delightful with glorious countryside, very special people, and a capital city to lose your heart in. The only downside is the women are so beautiful and so exquisitely dressed that we, red-faced and in sweaty tee-shirts, were left rather beaten about the ego.

Of the two, Mali is the tea drinking country. Straddling the Sahara desert, the Sahel and in the south, sub-tropical grasslands, Mali has palpable Berber and Tuareg influences. The country is also very Muslim and all this is reflected in their tea drinking - a tradition familiar to anyone who has visited North Africa. The only difference is in Mali they do not add bushels of fresh mint.

You feel these influences immediately as you cross the border. While Burkina Faso had a few roadside kiosks selling cups of Liptons and Nescafe, Malians were always brewing up fresh pots of morning, mid-morning, lunchtime, post-lunch and evening tea outside their shops and stalls.

Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of this Malian brew. Strong and very sweet, I appreciated the experience of drinking it by the banks of the River Bani with friends and Mopti's curio sellers than the tea itself. Made with cheap China green tea, it is boiled up for about 20 minutes over little braziers and then decanted into a teapot and well sugared. The brew is then repeatedly poured from a great height into small glasses to foam up the tea. I never managed to master this technique, even with the shouted encouragement of my travel companions.
"You've got to pour it from higher up! Higher! HIGHER"

The teapot and glass is then placed on a tray (by now wet and sticky from having poured the tea over my hand and tray rather than into the glass) and offered around. Only one or two glasses is ever needed since the tea is shared. The skill comes into foaming up the tea adequately and then being able to measure it out so that everyone gets to have a sip.

Every time we were invited to tea we would be told of a Dogon/Fulani/Bambara saying that goes "the sip is bitter like death, the second is mild like life and the third as sweet as love". After hearing the same saying from almost everyone we met, it lost its romance. I took down the Dogon version but looking back on my notes, I suspect that my transliteration will one day embarrass me so I won't repeat it.

After two weeks I did start to long for a cup of something special and I was glad we bookended our trip with time in Paris where good tea may be found if you know where to look - I urge you to make a beeline for La Maison des Trois Thés on Rue Gracieuse (no.33).

English Tea

2009-02-27T12:24:00.002Z

Living as I do in London, it is not uncommon for me to have to defend my position about tea. Whenever I profess to enjoy a cuppa, before I can say Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, I am asked if I like Liptons or Tetleys best. Or, worse, where I would suggest to find some really good chamomile. One doesn't want to be rude, but a short, sharp smack in the face usually works wonders - though does little to enlighten.

Gilles Brochard made the pointed comment that the English are not so passionate about tea as they are of milk. Ah yes. This is even more true with the advent of Starbucks and their crimes against coffee. No coffee should be served with half a litre of milk and froth and any tea needing the addition of milk to make it drinkable is certainly made from inferior leaves (not that you could tell since the leaves have been ground into dust - open an ordinary teabag, go on, it's eye-opening).

George Orwell, a man I hold in very high esteem, wrote a piece for the Evening Standard in 1946 called A Nice Cup of Tea in which he describes the how, in his view, one ought to make a pot of tea. It's a wonderful article full of vigorous opinion and he brings up the usual British tea controversies such as milk in first/last, warming the pot, teabags, sweetener etc... all of which are completely beyond my conception of tea drinking.

While I feel personally affronted when he states, "Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter", I feel physical pain when I read the advice in point six:
"One should take the teapot to the kettle, and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours"
This is a good idea only if you want to destroy every flavour compound in your tea and release into it a superabundance of tannins. This advice is propagated at every turn, and I've noticed modern kettles now stay on the boil for several long seconds before switching off. I can only assume it is on the mistaken assumption that tea ought to be scaled to get the best out of it.

I would dearly love to meet Mr. Orwell, mostly to compare our bookselling experiences and discuss the rise of Fascism in Europe, but I would firmly take issue with his article and perhaps treat him to some serious tea experiences. What he describes in the essay is what the English hold most dear, but everybody else finds very odd about English tea.

Also published in 1946 was George Mikes book How to be an Alien. He offers a very different take on English tea.

"The trouble with tea is that originally it was quite a good drink. So a group of the most eminent British scientists put their heads together, and made a complicated biological experiments to find a way of spoiling it. To the eternal glory of British science their labour bore fruit. They suggested that if you do not drink it clear, or with lemon or rum and sugar, but pour a few drops of cold milk into it, and no sugar at all, the desired object is achieved. Once this refreshing, aromatic, oriental beverage was successfully transformed into colourless and tasteless gargling-water, it suddenly became the national drink of Great Britain and Ireland - still retaining, indeed usurping, the high sounding title of tea."

The erudite Half-Dipper recently wrote a post about drinking tea in London. It is here.

*You can find the article in Orwell's Collected Essays published by Random House's Everyman Library (ISBN: 9781857152425). It's a wonderfully obese volume full of treasures that is well worth investing in if you have any interest in Europe between the wars and English social history. The essay itself is also available online.

*Gilles Brochard's latest book is Le Thé Dans L'Encrier (The Tea in the Inkwell). It is wonderful book about the relationship between tea and literature and includes a guide for serving tea to your favourite author. According to him, Amelie Nothomb, a writer of dark complex emotions with a distinct Gothic sensibility should be offered nothing less than a 20 year old Pu'erh.

Driving away the Droops

2009-02-16T23:17:00.002Z

I love the Victoria and Albert Museum and I've been going there since I was knee high to a teaplant. Their recent China Now exhibition was eye-opening and featured work by Chinese artist and ceramicist Lin Jing (on the left, lounging on one of her "Long Island" chairs)
The V&A shop is currently selling some of her limited edition teapots by that were featured in the exhibition. I particularly favour the Qiqi teapot (on the right) just because of it wonderful shape.

They also stock a fantastic tea towel that makes me smile everytime I see it.

Tea Palace

2009-02-10T23:13:00.004Z

Walking down Kensington Park Road today on my way to work today, the sun was bright and crisp and the air fresh. This made a change from the relentless drizzle and snowy slush of the past month. What caused me to drop to my knees and curse the sky on this beautiful day was finding out that the Tea Palace is closing.

Not going forever fortunately, but moving to a undisclosed central London location. Reopening in spring 09, I know that Tea Palace Mark II will be a wonderful oasis and continue to serve delicious teas with style and knowledge.
But I can't help but feel sore-hearted that my favourite place to recharge batteries, have plate of eggs Benedict on payday, or buy up tea presents for friends (it'll be tea or books - deal with it) is moving out of reach of my immediate clutches.

Take a Young Raven from the Nest.....

2009-02-07T14:23:00.002Z

This post is a little off-message since i'll be writing about a book of smells rather than a book about tea. But bear with me, because you'll love it.

Anyone interested in smells will find "If There Ever Was" fascinating. Subtitled "A Book of Extinct and Impossible Smells", the book was conceived to accompany an exhibition collecting a number of odours whose context has vanished (end of political era, extinction of plant components), or whose smells can only be imagined, such as the surface of the sun - mostly hydrogen, helium and copper.

The book, printed using a press, is a work of art in itself. Collecting together fourteen smells on scratch-n-sniff cards, each scent or odour is accompanied by a description of how it was imagined.
So, putting together the olfactory components that made up the scent of a medieval plague shield included "vinegar as this was the purifying base used at the time . We reconstituted rose leaves using rose oil and true raspberry leaves. We added different elements commonly used at the time to try preventing the settling of the Yersinia pestis (plague) bacteria, such as beeswax, angelica, orange peel, and clove. Also present in the plague shield is a smoky feeling because many fires of aromatic wood were lit at the time to try and fend off the polluted air."

Rub the scented page opposite and that's what you smell. A visceral historical experience as well as lesson in contemplation and in privileging our 'lesser sense'.

A proper review can be found here. One of the contributors Maki Ueda has a blog which can be found here. It's a delight.
Copies can be found at the ICA bookshop or online. (ISBN: 9780955747809)

St. Valentine's Day

2009-02-05T10:23:00.001Z

Here is a little selection of tea and tea-related items for those looking for a St. Valentine's Day gift. I’ve made few concessions to heart-shaped objects since this post is really just an extended hint for friends and family. (My birthday is coming up) I have not included abominations such as ‘love teas’, just teas to make people love you (or me love you) if you gift them on the 14th of February.

My most local tea shop to work is The Tea Palace on Westbourne Grove. I love going there on a weekday when its quiet and I can enjoy a perfectly brewed pot of the new season's Darjeeling (they usually carry two or three first flushes). Their gift selection is always secondary to the tea they sell, but includes some elegant, well-chosen items such as silver tea measures and Yixing teapots. They've also started selling candles. Sold individually or in a gift box with the relevant tea, Darjeeling Mist and Spirit of Sencha smell glorious and perfect for the bathroom of your tea loving friend. If you are not planning on adding to their tea stash that is.
If so, then you cannot go far wrong with their tea selection. (They carry a bunch of infusions as well, but that doesn't concern us here) I particularly like their range of single estate black teas. I recently bought a Ceylon Silver Tip which is clear and smooth and redolent of caramel. Nothing better to wake up to on St. Valentine's Day, especially if it's made for you by the one you love.

Ok, here is my concession to heart-shaped pink things. Take a stroll around the Mariage Frères
website. They are selling a Yin Zhen white tea whose buds have been shaped into hearts enclosing rose and jasmine flowers. Like with all flowering teas it will look spectacular in a glass teapot though there is a danger of a tasteless, though pretty, disappointment. However, Mariage Frères know their tea, so my hopes run high that the description on the website - flowery perfume, delightfully soft with a velvety texture - is realised.

Jing Tea is one of my favourite tea suppliers and they are particularly good at sourcing oolongs and, more importantly, describing them in a way that makes your mouth water. I was reading about their Iron Arhat Oolong (Wuyi Tie Luo Han Wu Long) and almost fainted with desire. They also sell a really delicious Oolong Ali Shan.
(By the way, Jing has a new blog which can be found here.)

Another London tea merchant is Postcard Teas. They carry a wonderful selection of teas sourced in China and India by the owner. Their tins are all decorated with vintage tea postcards. This makes the tea buying process tricky because often the tea you want doesn't correspond to the tin you have your eye on. The only solution is to buy both. I love their Island Breakfast - a blend of Sri Lankan black teas, and their Jade Oolong.
Their website also lists a selection of tea accessories such as hand-embroidered tea towels.

LEAF Sale

2009-02-02T13:03:00.006Z

British tea company LEAF are having a sale on their tea accessories until the end of Monday 2nd of February. Their Yellow Cups tea towel is particularly nice, as is their hand-printed tea cosy by John Booth and Arounna Khounnoraj (seen on the right).

Their website is here.

Tea Images

2009-02-01T18:59:00.001Z

Incidentally, Le Palais des Thes has created some lovely tea screensavers. They can be found and downloaded here.

Kyoto Journal

2009-01-29T14:35:00.000Z

The 71st issue of the Kyoto Journal is devoted to tea and it looks like it's jam-packed with interesting features. To source a copy try their website (subscriptions and back issues), or California-based Teance (Unfortunately, while the magazine is only $12, their postage to the Europe is almost $40).

Weights and Measures

2008-06-20T21:52:00.003+01:00

Having been shown the difference between teas made with the right dry leaf to water ratio, I am impatient to buy myself a dinky scale before starting on my mountainous Paris tea stash.

My teacher at the tea school used a balance that measures weights accurate to a precision of 0.1 grams. It's very sleek and I covet it so I am impatient to find something similar in London.

My search has been hampered however, by the fact that the shops that sell very precise scales are also the ones that also supply drug dealers (funny that). The struggle is persuading someone convinced that you are a nascent addict that you don't need a scale accurate to 100th of gram since, in fact, you will be measuring tea rather than crack.
"Who measures tea? It comes in a bag"

I am prepared to look foolish, I need my scales. The search continues.

Tea in Paris: Part 2 - Vive La Revolution!

2008-05-29T10:36:00.017+01:00

The eight arrondissement is the place to go for an expensive cup of tea. This is the quartier housing Ladurée and the Hotel de Crillon and some of the city's favourite tea emporiums and luxe food halls. This is not really the place to find interesting teas.
But, in the spirit of investigation I visited some of the doyens of tea merchants including Betjeman and Barton (since 1919), Hediard (since 1854) and Fauchon (opened their shop in 1886 and have been serving tea since 1898).
I wasn't really impressed with any of these shops. Only Betjeman and Barton was a dedicated tea shop while both Hediard and Fauchon only sell loose leaf tea as part of their luxury food stock. Fauchon's tea selection was pretty small and some of their tea is stored in a clear perspex self-service counter.
Hediard carries a selection of about 200 teas but nothing caught my eye. Their 7 golden rules of tea preparation however, include "Scald the teapot and the leaves before use to enable the tea to release all its flavour". Aie! Who wants a steaming cup of tannin?
Betjeman and Barton was also disappointing. A tiny shop filled with all manner of kitsch "English" tea accessories such as flowery tea cosys and mugs. I confess I wasn't inspired to try their tea since the selection was mostly the usual "ye old merchant" tea with some first flush Darjeelings thrown in. However, I did find a replacement for my favourite Japanese tea pot that broke 3 years ago which pleased me no end. The staff were nice too.

Walking around Place de la Madeleine in the rain wasn't completely unrewarding because Fauchon is selling a tea that made me stop in my tracks with an inelegant cry of "quoi?".
In their beautifully slick, hot pink and dark grey shop are huge stacks of Thé Mai 68.
Is it not the height of irony that the French equivalent of Fortum and Mason's is selling a tea celebrating an anarchist/Maoist uprising against capitalism and authority?
I can't wait for Harrods to start selling tea commemorating the Miners' Strike.

Anyways, I had to have it.

I was absolutely ready to turn my nose up and was quite put out that the tea of the revolution is drinkable. Who would have thought it! A whole leaf green tea flavoured with rose, grapefruit and exotic fruits. I didn't feel like the flavours were just there to disguise an inferior grade of tea. In fact, the green is very distinct and complements the strength of the fruit flavours. However, the scent of the dry tea is overwhelmingly fruity and it was only after a few days that I realised what the infusion reminded me of. It smells exactly like hot exotic fruit squash like Kia-Ora or Capri Sun. My collegue suggested, less diplomatically, that it smells like when an overexcited child at a party throws up on you. I disagree but I see what he means.

Tea in Paris: Part 1

2008-05-27T22:18:00.015+01:00

Paris. Oh, glory days!

It is a truth universally acknowledged (in Britain) that the French cannot make a cup of tea. The very worst that can happen (to the British) after a long journey through Parisian streets is to be served a cup of warm water with a Liptons tea bag perched elegantly on the saucer. The urge to shake the waiter and show him how to boil water, to pour it over a tea bag and only to remove it when the water has coloured a dark chocolate brown strikes the British most forcibly when holidaying in Europe.

So, the fact that the past week has been a veritable heaven of tea drinking is something I have had to elucidate to friends, family and many curious onlookers. What can the French teach us about tea? Well, the short answer is everything. Let me explain…

My first forays into tea drinking (of the non-CTC type) lead me very quickly to reading about the history European tea trading with Asia. That the French figured early and persistently in this trade was perhaps not surprising, but that companies such as Mariage Frères still existed and continue their trade, was. Some internet searches revealed that French people talk about tea with the same reverence as wine and that most serious tea companies have outposts in Paris and Brussels but not London.

So, despite the fact that it is very, very easy to have a bad cup of tea in France, if it is also very easy to have the best cup of tea of your life. As long as you steer clear of anywhere that claims to be a "Salon de Thé" (this is Lipton's tea bag territory, have a coffee instead), and try some of the places listed in Tea in the City: Paris or Le Thé à Paris (available from newsagents in Paris) you'll be kept very happy whether you want tea and scones or to sample something from the biggest collection of tea outside China.
The simple fact is that the French know how to live and in the words of Christine Barbaste, "the French palate is both demanding and unfaithful - they want quality and diversity" and over time they have been quietly developing a superlative tea culture.

One of the best resources for tea is Le Palais des Thés. They are a huge company with shops all over the world (except, sigh, London). They also run a tea school - L' École Des Thés. It took me a year to finally register for the first half of their intensive course but I finally did it and it was worth the wait. More to follow....

The Magic Filter

2008-02-26T02:03:00.007Z

I got a magic filter on semi-impulse after I started my new job. I hoped it would be a way of facilitating tea making while at work. I had already experimented with a teapot, paper filters and variations on metal strainers with limited success. Ultimately, you need a proper work surface and a sink to hand to avoid the mess and inevitable drips that seem to materialise whenever making tea in cramped quarters. Having neither, I was hoping the magic filter would mean I wouldn’t have to resort to the infamy of PG Tips for eight hours of the day.

A magic filter is basically a cup with filter mechanism under it. You fill the cup with leaves and water and leave to brew. When the time is up, balance the filter over your tea cup. Pressing the mug into the bottom of the filter releases the lock and the tea streams out into your cup. Take away the mug and the stream stops instantly. Rather nifty.

So far, it has worked pretty well though I have given up making oolongs or Darjeelings. Their qualities were simply not in evidence when preparing the tea in such a slapdash method. Even the cheaper grades were wasted as I couldn’t regulate water temperature or timing very well. This is the fault of my other equipment (and lack of) rather than the tea filter itself.
Robust black teas such as Assam, Black Pearls, and a Lavender Earl Grey however stand up very well to the challenge of poor water quality and 100oC water. It’s certainly a fresher, more flavourful brew than that made with PG Tips.
Green teas also worked quite well, though a generic green leaf tea allows you to brew up something tasty quickly without feeling like your wasting something precious. I wouldn’t suggest bringing your stash of Gyokuro to work.
All in all, a great gadget that makes a cup of tea equal to materials you present it with.

You can buy them online from Nothing But Tea. I bought mine from Ringtons in Canterbury. Ringtons now make their own brand version called a Teafuser. Their website has a video of one in action.

Tea in Paris

2007-10-07T22:56:00.011+01:00

In an effort to clear my mind of all sorts unnecessary clutter (both romantic and work related) I took a short trip to Paris and Switzerland. From a tea perspective, it was a very fruitful journey. Firstly, I was able to gage the usefulness of my new magic tea filter whilst on the road and secondly, I could browse the selection of tea books in delightful French bookshops. I ended up buying a sinful number which is bliss for me, but havoc for my bank account.

I found a copy of the Palais des Thes's tea tasting guide (available in English) and a lovely looking book on green tea. I have only have time to flick through them for now, but I have felt weak just contemplating them.
I was also able to visit some tea shops in Paris. Not as many as I would have liked since my days in Paris unfortunately coincided with Sunday/Monday/Tuesday - days that stores are often closed (grrrr!). I'll take better notes on my next trip in May, but for now, here are some highlights.
A walk around the Latin Quarter between the Sorbonne and the Boulevard St. Germain revealed several tea boutiques offering fresh cups of tea while staff talked you through their vast selections. La Route du Thé (14, Rue Lapécède) and Thés de Chine (20, Boulevard St. Germain) were particularly good when I was there.

One of my favourite tea experiences while in Paris was visiting the Mariage Frères tea shop/tea room/tea museum extravaganza (35, Rue du Bourg-Tibourg, in the Marais). The Mariage Family's involvement in European tea imports began in the 1660s and solidified in 1854 when they founded the Mariage Frères tea company. The tea shop is still in the same wood panelled building and is a veritable treasure house, selling over 450 teas. Each tea can be sampled in the tea room in which waiters in white serve from between palms fronds. It would be colonial-kitsch if it wasn't so professionally executed; one tea guide to Paris describes the experience as "seeing life in sepia for a few hours".
I wasn't crazy about all the teas I sampled, but the Tea of the Solitary Poets was a lovely blend of Darjeeling and oolong and a big hit with my work colleagues.

Another true happy hour was spent in The Palais des Thés (64, Rue Vielle-du-Temple, conveniently on the street parallel to Mariage Frères.) I could have listened to the staff member who served me for hours. The language and the terms he used to describe his teas were most usually associated with high discussions of wine or cheese. (Two other things I hold in very high regard.) I bought an oolong called Himalayan Jade from the Jun Chiyabari plantation in Nepal which I'm getting to know at the moment - it's quite spicy and woody.

I have booked myself onto their tea course for May, so I'll be back in the city then so please send me any recommendations and I'll go check them out!

Tea, 1 Paternoster Square

2007-07-15T23:52:00.001+01:00

Tea is the only place in London serving brewed tea for takeaway. Situated in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, its customer base is mostly city workers who shun a morning latte in favour of a cup of Silver Needles.
They have only been open two months but having heard lots of interesting things already, Tammy and I made a pilgrimage last week to check it out. I was expecting a busy counter café churning out rushed brews. In fact it is a very roomy restaurant with an outside area populated by City traders elegantly sipping oolongs. They use magic filters and lots of timers to brew their tea, which seems to me a brilliant way of making good tea as available as coffee is.
The staff were relaxed and helpful and their cake selection was wonderful (always a plus for me). I had some Keemun Gong Fu that was well prepared and tasted fresh and sweet.
This is from the website:

"We have created an environment for our customers to take time out to sit, enjoy, relax, reflect, chat, don’t chat, read the papers, drink tea, and eat cake. However, we are also realists and understand that life in the 21st century is not always as time friendly as we would like; mobile phones, Blackberry, a hectic work schedule all conspire to put huge pressure on our valuable time. That is why all of our teas are available to takeaway with the emphasis on convenience as well as quality.
Our secret is simple and boils down to basic physics; we use more tea leaves to reduce the time that it takes to infuse the leaves thus providing you with a perfect cup of tea while ensuring that you still make your 8.30 meeting."

Apparently they are looking at opening more tea stores and my fingers are crossed it’ll be in Portobello Road.

Dust

2007-07-06T21:56:00.000+01:00

As I've been telling friends and colleagues about this blog the most common reaction has been one of bemusement.
So, I felt I should demonstrate the difference between what is found in a teabag, and what i've been brewing lately. On the left are leaves of a Taiwanese oolong called Wenshan Baozhong (clear, fruity and delicious) and on the right is the contents of a teabag of English Breakfast tea(muddy and astringent) made up of the crumbs of leaves.

Tasting by Dina Cheney

2007-06-28T23:17:00.000+01:00

I could barely sit still with excitement when I first found this book thinking I had finally found a book that would talk me through the basics of tasting and serve as a manual for my own explorations. To an extent I found what I was looking for.
Dina Cheney, a cookery writer and tasting host, writes about wine, chocolate, cheese, honey, tea, extra virgin olive oil, cured meats, balsamic vinegar, apples, and beer.

The basic premise of the book is to serve as a guide to hosting a tasting event with friends (the American title of the book is Tasting Club) so there is an emphasis on how to organise a tasting with sample menus and recipes for accompaniments.
Each chapter follows roughly the same format: Know your Subject, Choose your Accompaniments, Menu, Recipes, Organise your Tasting, Learn you Palate, Tasting Grid, Glossary.

Reading a chapter on something I knew nothing about such as balsamic vinegar or apples, I found it incredibly interesting and I felt the familiar excitement of being introduced to something new. However, when I was reading her chapter on tea I encountered problems.

Some of the information comes across as a bit light - It is necessary to tell us that our tea bowls should be "ideally matching" or that the tea tasting should be located near the kitchen "that way, you won't have to run back and forth with the teapot".
She goes on to say about tea grading that "since leaf characteristics don't always correlate to quality, you can pretty much ignore these designations; they're extremely confusing, even for tea aficionados."
I would like to hear what others think about that statement, because I have never heard that before. Similarly, in her tea chart she lists teas such as Keemun, Darjeeling and Assam and also a tea called Formosa: ("Opt for Fancy, Fanciest or Extra Choice Grades"). Does she mean Oolong?

Also, her information about water goes against what I've read in other books. She recommends heating the water to boiling point for black and oolong teas, and then letting it cool for about 5 minutes for green, yellow and white teas. I feel like this is basic information at best.
I have been astounded by the lengths some tea experts go to explain the importance of water temperature in brewing tea. I wouldn’t expect that level of detail in this book, but to a little more exactness would have been welcome.
Similarly, it is dismaying to see a note of less than 50 words on how to prepare matcha when when countless fat volumes have been devoted solely to the subtleties of the Japanese tea ceremony.

As a book on tea, I am doubtful of its value to established tea tasters. However, as a primer on tasting and in particular as a guide to hosting a tasting evening it is worth getting because the author writes with real enthusiasm and a keen interest.

I'm still on the look out for a book about tea tasting that covers the principles of tasting as well as the principles of tasting tea in particular and includes some serious notes on different varieties. While wine tasters are spoilt for choice on this subject, tea tasters are not.
I still feel the best way forward is to adapt information from wine tasting books. The first few chapters of Jancis Robinson’s Wine Tasting Workbook are particularly useful since she offers lucid information about the mechanics of tasting. Chloe Doutre Roussel’s book The Chocolate Connoisseur is also very informative about the discipline of taking tasting notes.

BBC Tea Programme

2007-06-24T16:44:00.000+01:00

This week's Radio 4 Food Programme is about tea! Download from here until next Sunday.

On Having an Amateur Palate

2007-06-19T23:32:00.000+01:00

Today I tried to do my first formalised tasting, setting out my three oolongs, cups, some notes, advice from various websites and a pile of books to refer to in the kitchen. My hope was that after some elegant sips and taking some shatteringly perceptive notes, I would retire to the laptop to publish my opinions to general acclaim. Did I expect light to shine down from heaven as I swirled tea in my mouth? Probably.
Not surprisingly, it didn't go as planned.

Having set out a tasting notes sheet, with spaces for "dry leaf appearance" and "wet leaf smell" etc... I prepared a very lovely Phoenix Oolong from Ming Cha. I had tried the tea before and I knew I liked it, and so I thought I would have lots to tastes to describe in my notebook. I felt ready with all sorts of professional sounding words like "woody", "malty" and my favourite tea word, "brisk".
In the event however, I sipped and came up completely blank. I sipped again, sniffed the tea some more. Nothing. I sipped once more, swirled, thought, and sipped again. I knew I was tasting something delicious, but just as I was trying to find the words, the taste would disappear leaving me groping for vocabulary and experience I just don't have. This experience of tasting was so ephemeral and my inability to communicate what I was tasting, even to myself, was very frustrating.

After thirty minutes the kitchen table was a mess, my notebook was mostly empty except for comments like "nice" and "mmm...biscuity". My best note of the evening was a hesitant "citrusy(?)". Not so much light beaming down from heaven, rather a small candle flickering uncertainly in the next room.

Eventually I gave up, realising that I was unlikely to get very far on my talent as it stood and so I went upstairs to soothe myself by reading teablogs by people who know what they are doing.

Having spent my life so far studying literature and then working with books, I can talk about books for hours and feel confident enough to defend my opinions, or to accept when I'm wrong.

Tea is a whole other matter. Though every tea person I have had the good fortune to meet has been incredibly kind and supportive of my efforts, I'm finding it difficult to be patient with myself.

Tea: Aromas and Flavours Around the World by Lydia Gautier

2007-06-08T23:47:00.000+01:00

Firstly, this is a beautiful book. Even you had no interest in tea, you would be seduced by the quality of Jean-Francois Mallet's photographs. In fact, I sometimes found it hard to concentrate on the text since the images were so distracting. Indeed, who needs to read about the effects of tea on the assimilation of iron when you can lose yourself in the endless greens of a Malaysian tea plantation?

The text however is seductive in its own way, providing a wealth of concrete, technical information often lacking in books about tea in English. It is useful to remember Lydia Gautier is a founder of Paris's Ecole du Thé and is an agricultural engineer so her interest in tea is as far from the "afternoon tea and scones brigade" as can be. She writes about tea as others would about wine. She writes in the foreward that "my relationship with tea began some years ago once my palate had become educated to the taste of wine. I then discovered a richness and variety of aromatic qualities in tea comparable with those to be found in great wine types."
Throughout the book she uses terms such as "grand cru" and "terroir" to describe and class different teas.
Coupled with a wealth of quite specialist information (you get the composition of a fresh tea leaf and the chemical composition of theine) the book can be enjoyed on two levels; as a beautiful cookery/travel book, or as a tea tasting manual.

The book is divided into five parts. The first, A History of Tea, explores where tea originated and how different traditions have developed around the world. Much of this information is available elsewhere and Gautier doesn't make any controversial statements or assumptions. It is in part two, Alchemy of Tea, that the text develops as Gautier's background becomes apparent as she explores issues of climate, altitude, latitude and soil in some detail.

You'll still need to go to wine books for the real detail on terroir and its effects, but Gautier outlines the main points. (Incidentally, July's edition of Decanter magazine has an excellent article on terroir and brings up many of the controversies about the concept.)

Part three, Tea Tasting, is my favourite section. Gautier writes with true passion about experiencing the aromas and flavours of tea, and assumes the reader shares that passion.

"The flavour of tea is a complex perception obtained by combining the taste sensations perceived on the tongue (taste), the aromas perceived via the olfactory and thermal sensations perceived in the mouth (touch). All this sensory information reaches the brain without our really being able to distinguish it, which is what makes the tasting experience so magical."

Unsurprisingly, she has collaborated with Chloe Doutre-Roussel, known for her book "The Chocolate Connoisseur". They form part of a group of people taking very seriously issues of taste and the "fight for quality" in France and abroad. This is tea tasting as gastronomy.
It is in this section that you'll also find the characteristics described of 32 teas Gautier considers "grand cru" and images of a tea taster in action.
Part four, the Subtle Affinities of Tea, describes how the flavours of tea can be married with other foods and Gautier presents several recipes that use tea to enhance a dish.
Its fascinating reading (and looking) and I think well worth the hefty price tag.

Other reviews of the books are here and here.

A Tea Lover's Companion by Jane Pettigrew

2007-06-06T23:52:00.000+01:00

This was the first book I bought when I first became interested in tea and as a first step in understanding the huge range of teas currently available it is invaluable. As well as discussing the history of tea and its manufacture and classification, the authors describe all the major and minor tea producing nations and provide a thorough guide to their main teas. The character of 80 teas are described in some detail, and brewing advice is provided along with colour photographs of both dry and wet leaves and their infusion.
An example of Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson engaging writing style can be seen in the following description of Jade Rings:
"These rings are made in Guanshan by meticulously hand-rolling silvery-white, green tea shoots into small rings. Character: When infused, the little rings open up to create a magnificent cup of tea. The flavour from these early spring buds is subtle, sweet and classic."
and of Longjing (Dragon Well or Lung Ching),
"This tea is named after the village where it grows in Zhejiang province. The best grade is made from one new bud and one new leaf; it is not rolled or shaped but left in its natural, neatly pointed form. Character: The buds point upwards while brewing and release a clear, light yellowy-green colour. The clean well-balanced aroma suggests freshly cut grass and toasted chestnuts. The flavour is mellow with a bittersweet-savoury finish."

My only criticism is that once you start tasting tea seriously and start exploring the 1000s of teas available you'll long for greater depth of information on a greater range of teas. However, it does pack a huge amount of information into less than 200 pages and I frequently refer to it whenever I need clarification on any point of history, manufacture or classification.

Jane Pettigrew runs a regular tea masterclass in London. Her new book "The Connoisseur's Guide to Tea: Discover the World's Most Exquisite Tea Leaves" was published in February 2007.

Bruce Richardson runs Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and the website lists many of his articles about tea.

Char, Winchester

2007-06-06T23:41:00.000+01:00

My first encounter with Winchester's wonderful tea and coffee shop Char was when I stumbled in by chance in February this year. I was astounded to find such a well-stocked shop in a market town. Their range includes 9 oolongs including Wuyi Great Red Cloak, a good selection of green teas, and a very thorough selection of black teas and single estate Darjeelings, Ceylons and Assams. They also stock Georgian teas. Their range of "connoisseur teas" including Snow Dragon, Dragon Well, Green Curve, Silver Needles, White Pearl, and Wenshan Boazhong.
Each tea is packaged in silver pouches with brief but evocative notes about the tea and brewing information but some more information about the estates the teas are sourced from would be welcome, as would dates on the 1st and 2nd flush Darjeelings.
The shop also stocks a range of tea-making accessories.

Char: Original Teas and Coffees
156 High Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9BA
Tel: 01962 868 760
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:30

Tea-Licious

2007-06-05T15:46:00.001+01:00

Nothing like coming back from a literary festival to two newly delivered parcels of tea on my doorstep.
I thought I would order some staples from Jing Tea having exhausted my budget for expensive teas for this month. I received packets of Moroccan mint, Earl Grey and their superb Jasmine Pearls. Even just opening up the bags is an experience since the fragrance of the teas is intoxicating.
At first, I considered their Earl Grey to be very good, but no better or worse than the Tea Palace's Earl Grey Blue Flowers. However, after further sips, I've decided it's actually pleasingly robust but with an engaging delicate flavour that is not immediately apparent. This subtlety definitely lifts it above an ordinary cuppa.
Their Jasmine Pearls, a favourite of the Guardian's Nikki Duffy, is something anyone who loves tea should have on their shelf to reach for in times of crisis, or for whenever a pause is needed in the day. Her description of a "deep but delicate flavour" is exactly right, and the tea never fails to astound me.
As yet, I haven't tried their Moroccan Mint but i suspect it will be a world away from the polo-flavoured dust you get in most tea bags.

White Plum

2007-06-03T00:27:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder of how beautiful tea leaves can be made to look. This is a tea called White Plum from Nothing But Tea. It's a very delicate tasting white tea with a smoky fragrance.

L'Ecole du The

2007-06-02T00:39:00.000+01:00

L'Ecole du The in Paris has sold out of all its courses, so i'll have to wait until September before I can get sipping with the Parisians. Oh, the frustration!