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Hello my lovely readers!

Thanks for reading my little blog about tea!
I've just moved to a new format.
You can find me at teawithpolly.wordpress.com from now on.
Hope to see you there!
Thanks!

R

Organic Jasmine Green Tea

Organic Jasmine Green Tea by Tao Tea Leaf

It's not easy being green! Poor green....it's so overlooked and overshadowed these days by fancier, flashier, trendier teas. But there's something friendly and reliable about green. It's always there in the background...unassuming, natural, steady...a known entity.

Enter Jasmine. This seductive, mysterious perfume wraps the humble green in a veil of romance and elegance befitting an emperor's garden. I expect the gardens of Paradise to smell like this. This tea and this jasmine remind me of this poem (attributed to Coleridge):

What if you slept ...

What if you slept 

And what if 

In your sleep 

You dreamed 

And what if 

In your dream 

You went to heaven 

And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower 

And what if 

When you awoke 

You had that flower in you hand 

Ah, what then? 

So, picture that. And add moonlight. That's what this tea smells like.

This Organic Jasmine Green Tea by Tao Tea Leaf is simply beautiful. Simply. Beautiful. The green tea is smooth, clean, and fresh...with a slightly grassy finish, and the jasmine is full and heady. No shrinking violet, this! It is pure, perfume-y, and oh so elegant! 

Winter grey getting to you yet? This tea brings a touch of green, a touch of perfume, and a touch of romance to the endless Canadian winter. It's so easy being green!

This tea comes from Tao Tea Leaf.

Organic Cinnamon Rooibos Chai

organic cinnamon rooibos chai by DAVIDs TEA

Look at that! Looooook at thaaaatt!!! Do you see that gorgeous deep rich red? This is fire. Red hot embers. It glows.

This tea with a too long name claims that it "enhances your ability to concentrate". Do I need that? Well, I'm sitting here writing a blog about organic cinnamon rooibos chai instead of writing a paper about online formative assessment, and before that I was reading a juicy expose about Scientology, and before that I was washing the dishes, and before that, I was searching for a replacement drill battery,and....well....concentration is in short supply around here.

So, I`m not a huge fan of chai these days. I went through a chai craze a couple of years ago, and I think I got all chai-ed out. The cinnamon was always too strong. I don't like the 'hot' spicy taste too much. But I`m enchanted with the fiery red rooibos and the promise of 'enhanced concentration', so I'm gonna give it a go!

Opening the tin, it smells like Christmas. The combination of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges always smells like Christmas to me. I should have had this one a month ago when the Christmas lights and stockings were up!

Brewed, the tea is a deep glowing red and smells like cinnamon hearts. There we go...Christmas AND Valentine's Day all in one!

The taste is WOW! Nice! It's a sweet cinnamon and orange, without the fire! It's a very pleasant cinnamon...not too hot. This could be the perfect chai! I think the orange balances it beautifully. I can't believe this cinnamon! It tastes so good, and isn't burning my tongue! This is delightful!

Ohhh... I'd better go now...time to get back to work... I feel some concentration coming on.

This rooibos (which isn't really tea, by the way) is available at DAVIDs TEA.

Dulce and Banana

dulce and banana by DAVIDs TEA

Oh how I pity you poor, poor monkeys who will never know the warm, happy glow that comes from this tea. It came to me quite a while ago...a reject from  my mother's pantry purge. But alas! It has been discontinued! So I'm going to tell you all about it, knowing full-well that you won't be able to get your paws on any. So sorry for your loss....  I'm sure you're jealous...  na-na-na-na-na-naaaaaa....

This rooibos is an herbal mix, with chamomile, lemongrass, lavender, and CARAMELIZED BANANA! OMG! How delicious is that?! When you open the bag, it smells like warm buttered toast. It smells like banana bread. It smells like graham crackers. It smells like shortbread cookies. It smells like butterscotch!

Once brewed, it is a warm golden colour, and it smells so sweet and yummy, I can't wait for it to cool enough to drink! The smell of caramel and bananas is intoxicating! Like catnip for monkeys! Ohhhhh, yes...that explains everything... I AM a monkey!! I mean, horoscope-wise. So, all my monkey friends...this one's for you!

The first sip is warm, velvety, mildly sweet, and buttery. You can taste the chamomile before the banana, and it is comfortable and soothing. The exotic banana after-taste makes me smile. It's such a happy tea!

This would be a nice dessert tea, or a calming bedtime tea. Or a mid-afternoon, chillin' out, R&R kind of tea. Since you won't find it anywhere, you'll have to come on over to the monkey-house and enjoy a cup with me!

This tea was available from DAVIDs TEA.

La La Lemon

It's Sunday morning and I have a long day of writing ahead of me. As usual, I find this prospect less than thrilling. Looking in the "magic tea cupboard" to find something inspiring, I find this DAVIDs TEA called "La La Lemon" which claims "When you're drinking the smoothest, most lemony-citrus black tea on earth, just about anything is possible." Yup! That's what I need! A whole lotta "anything is possible"!

la la lemon from DAVIDs TEA

First of all, the name reminds me of this gem from 1971: 

Hey, if Ernie and Bert have written a song about it, it can't be too bad!

I open the tin and take a little sniff...

WHOAH!!!!! LEMOOOOOONNNNNN!!

We're talking nuclear lemon!! This is waaaaaayyyyyyyyy past normal on the Lemon Scale!

This could be good! Perhaps it will electrify my brain with super lemony lemon power and I will write 3000 words and finish my stupid paper!!

It smells better once steeped. It's surprisingly pleasant, rather than nuclear. It's a la la lovely rich black tea with a la la luscious lemon aftertaste. No acid, no bitterness. It's smooth, as promised.

I definitely think this will get me through the day. It's fresh, crisp, rich, and surprising! The perfect combination to make anything possible! OK, everybody.... La la la la la with meeeeeeeeee!!!!

This organic tea comes from DAVIDs TEA and is part of "the fair trade collection".

Silver Needles

Is this thick grey fog in the air, or in my mind?

Foggy Head

 The weather and my brain are in perfect sync...one bleeding into the other like a muddy watercolour painting. The research paper is a muddle. The writing at a standstill. No way forward. Fog....

What I need is clarity. A way through. A piercing light to burn away the haze and reveal the hidden path.

Silver Needles!

Silver Needles from Tsaa Tea Shop

This exquisite white tea is the purest thing I know. The cleanest, clearest, simplest, most elegant tea on earth is the one that will help me find the centre.

Silver Needles was once reserved for Emperors. Harvested by hand, only two days per year, this fuzzy tea looks like spiders' legs, but don't let that fool you. It is beautiful.

It's not like other teas. I can't describe the smell. It's almost not there. It's almost floral.....violets? It's almost vanilla. It's almost honey. It's almost sweet grass. It's almost perfumed smoke. You must inhale deeply to find the absolutely subtle aroma. This delicate tea needs to be steeped at a lower temperature to avoid cooking the leaves, and you must steep it a little longer than other teas. It reveals itself slowly and softly....a whisper.

The magic is in the drinking. Single words come to mind. Pure. Clean. Clear. Sweet. Light. Pure. Did I already say Pure? It tastes like Purity.

If you've tried Tetley's White Tea in a tin, (dusty, powdery, and bitter), you really owe it to yourself to try this heavenly alternative. It costs a bit more, but it's so worth it!

The fog is lifting....

This Silver Needles comes from Tsaa Tea Shop but DAVIDs TEA also has a fine one. It is also known as Bai Hao Yin Zhen.

Yunnan Gold Superior

Yunnan Gold Superior by Tsaa Tea Shop

Pure Gold!
I've been dying to try this beautiful, rich, golden coloured tea which looks like it's full of ancient magic.
The Golden Fleece, the Golden Apple, the Golden Ball lost down the well...
A ring of gold, a mountain of gold, a sea of gold!
The Golden Goose, Goldilocks, the gold at the end of the rainbow!

Smell! This is sweet golden hay....golden grass...golden dreams!

But all that glitters is not gold! This is actually a black tea, and it steeps quickly. The first taste is too strong and bitter for me. I have to divide it into another cup and add more water. The second try is golden! It is smooth and rich, with a hint of fresh, clean grass...like new tatami, or a woven basket. The aftertaste is delightfully sweet and grainy...like golden corn, or toasted rice. This could be a new favourite when I want a beautifully clean, no-nonsense black tea. It would be nice with a little squeeze of lemon.

One might even believe that this is the straw which Rumpelstiltskin spun into gold...


This tea is from Tsaa Tea Shop.

Strawberry Coconut Pu'erh

Pick me up! Perk me up! Wake me up! Shake me up! I need something to put some sparkle in my day! Something pink and glittery would be nice. I'm hoping this Strawberry Coconut Pu'erh will do the trick!

Strawberry Coconut Pu'erh

No glitter, but it does smell pink! Out of the jar, it smells like strawberry and chocolate...like Neopolitan Ice-cream. Like a milkshake in a tall soda-fountain glass. Like youth! I think I'll drink it in my Easter-chick mug for extra happiness.

Steeped, it's a deep caramel colour. The first sip is mild, and a little sweet. There isn't any obvious strawberry, or coconut flavour. It just tastes like a nice mellow, sweet tea.... (disappointed...no glitter!).

AAAHHHHHH...There it is!! It's in the aftertaste! OK... that's not a bad thing. It's unexpected, but unmistakable....strawberry. I can't find the coconut, but maybe that's working behind the scenes to temper the fruit and give it some smoothness. This isn't a powerful tea. It feels like a warm, fuzzy pink blanket. Or bunny slippers. Soft, and girly. "Strawberry Shortcake" rather than "Powerpuff Girls".

This tea came from Bulk Barn.

Coconut Oolong

It is with profound sorrow that I announce.... the last of my Coconut Oolong by Tsaa Tea Shop.

Coconut Oolong by Tsaa Tea Shop

This tea is sublime. It is a warm hug from a dear friend. It is a magic carpet ride through the clouds. It is a lullaby that sings you to sleep. It is world peace. It is pure bliss.

I fell in love with it at last year's Toronto Tea Festival. I stupidly bought a very small sample packet and then had to carefully ration it to make it last as long as possible. I've been using it sparingly... kind of like your grandmother's fine china that is 'too good' for everyday use.

This is the last of it. The end. Enough for one cup. I almost wanted to lick the bag, just to get every last particle. Weird because I'm not even a fan of coconut!

Opening the bag, it smells like toasted marshmallows...and coconut. The smell alone gives me a buzz. What do they put in this stuff?!

The first sip is smooth, nutty, and sweet. It's like drinking warm silk, if that were possible. I take my time sipping this one...It makes my brain hum, and every muscle, nerve, and sinew instantly go all loosey-goosey!

Luckily, the Toronto Tea Festival 2014 is coming up soon! I intend to seek out Tsaa Tea Shop...hunt them down and buy this priceless gem in the largest, most industrial size available! **Note to Tsaa...Bring Lots!!

Green & Fruity

green & fruity by DAVIDs TEA

Green & Fruity....take me away!!!

In my mind, there is a picture of 'The Jungle'. Highly influenced by Saturday morning cartoons and Indiana Jones movies, this jungle features that humid air echo-y sound, green ferns and banana trees with water dripping off the leaves, the sounds of exotic birds ringing through the trees, and maybe a waterfall surrounded by brilliant red and orange flowers....you know the one.

This tea smells like that.

Out of the tin, this Rooibos from DAVIDs TEA smells like mouth-watering papaya, mango, peach and the colour lime green (do colours smell? Yes...this tea smells like lime green). Steeped, it's the colour of sunrise.

The first sip is a mild, mellow peachy taste, without the cloying acid of other fruit teas. It has a mellow undertone like....vanilla...cream...marshmallow... but clean. Refreshing, clean, and exotic.

On a lazy Sunday morning, staring out the window at the  flying snow, this tea is the perfect escape. It takes me away from all this winter grey, into that colour-drenched, hot, humid, luscious jungle in my mind. Gorgeous!

This tea is available from DAVIDs TEA, and is a part of  "the fair trade collection".

P.S. I've been to the jungle and it was nothing like this. The only thing I could smell was the mosquito repellent which I had to apply by the bucketful.....but let's not spoil the illusion.

Zen

zen by TAZO

I always keep a pitcher of cold tea in the fridge. I don't drink pop or juice, so tea is my all-day go-to drink. I fill the pitcher every morning and guzzle it all day, while trying to pretend that it's the awesome bottled cold teas in Japan! If they can bottle and sell billions of gallons of UNSWEETENED cold tea every year, WHY THE HECK CAN'T WE???

I don't use the 'finest' teas for this. These are usually 'supermarket' teas, or fruit teas, or teas that I don't like very much and want to get rid of quickly. It's the tea equivalent of 'plonk'.

Today's cold brew is Tazo's "zen" which labels itself as "A harmonious blend of green tea with lemongrass & spearmint".  Upon opening the bags the zesty lemon smell instantly jolts you into a higher awareness! I don't find it particularly soothing. Once steeped (I fill the pitcher with cold water and stick it in the fridge), the tea is a light golden colour and smells like lemon. The taste is a little more subtle though, as the spearmint tempers the citrus, giving it a cool, lemony-summery-breezy feel. It instantly takes me back to childhood summer days, lying in a grassy field of dandelions, and watching the fluff drift up into the sunshine. Therein lies the 'zen', I guess.

Light, cool, lemony, breezy, sunny...a much needed spot of sunshine on a frigid Canadian winter's day.

This boxed green tea is available in most supermarkets and at tazo.com

Da Hong Pao

Da Hong Pao from Tao Tea Leaf

Well, now you've done it! Started a new blog. Not like you have a gigantic paper to write or anything....

So, here it is....my new blog about TEA! Why on earth would I, at this moment, decide to start a new blog about anything, let alone tea?!

P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. 

That's why!

And... I love tea. I mean... I LOVE TEA! No cappucino for me! No pumpkin spice latte! Pop, Diet Pop, Cocoa, Coffee, Espresso, Nescafe, Starbucks, Timmies, Folgers and Juan Valdez....Who needs em?! Just gotta have tea!

Here's the deal. There are currently 55 different kinds of tea in my cupboard! I don't even know how that happened! About 30 of them I've never tried. Every time I try a new tea, I'm going to write about it. If you like tea, you can follow along. If you don't care, I don't care either. This club is for tea-lovers only.

First post: 

Tao Tea Leaf's  Da Hong Pao (also known as 'Big Red Robe' according to Wikipedia) is an Oolong with attitude! I was in the midst of analyzing some particularly boring data for my excruciatingly boring research project when I felt I could use a swift kick in the butt to get myself going! Usually when I need a mid afternoon burst of energy, I brew up some "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.", or a nice strong chai. But today I really needed something STRONG! This little sample has been sitting in the cupboard for a while, and I've been a little intimidated by it. I expected it to be STRONG, and that's not usually what I want.

Upon opening it, I knew it would work. Now I'm no 'tea sommelier' (although it sounds like a delicious career), so I'm just going to tell you my uneducated impressions right from the gut.

This tea smells strong, dark, musky, woody, and dirrrrrrty! It smells like the black earth that hides deep under the roots of thousand year old oak trees. Exactly what I needed! The strength and endurance of an oak tree....

The taste was dark and earthy, rusty and musty, with that classic Oolong oxidization. And I mean that in the best way. I wanted the power of the earth. I got it. Two cups got me through my data and I felt like a warrior!

This tea comes from Tao Tea Leaf  in Toronto. I purchased the sample from http://teafestivaltoronto.com/

I am not a paid sales rep. I just love tea and want to talk about it.