If a tea can be said to capture a moment in time, then Summertime Chai by Piper & Leaf could be the tea-song of our move to a hotter and more humid place.
The chai blend is of Nilgiri, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, dill seed, oregano, clove, and black pepper. With the exception of dill seed, all these ingredients are autumnal, but prepared in concentrate and served chilled, Summertime Chai is perfect for the hottest days of summer. The tea is well-rounded, with no spice dominating the blend. The liquor is creamy without the addition of milk.
The humidity and temperature have dropped significantly. I can feel fall approaching in the chilly air of the mornings. I don't doubt that served hot, Summertime Chai will be a good sip on crisp fall days.
Family run Piper & Leaf is based in Huntsville, Alabama. Its tea blends are created "with as many local ingredients as possible, straight from the garden, farm, forest, and briar patch."
Stay tuned for a review of Monk's Meditation, also by Piper & Leaf.
Summertime Chai courtesy of Piper & Leaf. Thank you!
As a tea drinker, and I am sure this is true for you, I adore teaware, from bombillas to matcha whisks. Everyone has their favorites! This series showcases the favorite teaware of folks in the tea blogging community. Today's faves are from Cynthia Chovet, Tea Master & Manager of Stores at Palais des Thes USA.
I love the shape of this antique Art Deco cup and saucer, made by the Salem China company in the late 1930's! It's a pattern called Streamline and the gold bands are 22k, which makes it all the more precious. I found a large set of these while I was hunting at the fleamarket and think that the size and feel of the china is perfect for drinking tea! Not to mention, it's nice to get a little fancy occasionally!
This is my go-to filter, as most of the time I make tea by the cup. Simple to use and easy to clean, it has a fine enough screen to keep tea leaf dust out of my cup!
My husband brought this Chinese cup and lid from France when he moved to the United States. I adore the dragon motif and the lid is practical, keeping my tea warm when I get up from my desk!
I fell in love with this teapot the moment I saw it! This is Palais des Thes' Gray Natsume cast iron teapot, made by the famous Japanese designer, Hisanori Masuda. I love its purity of form and the fact that it's cast iron lined with enamel. It's perfect for when I entertain guests and coordinates well with other midcentury modern pieces that I have.
I should have saved some of my De Pelikaan Geurthee no 5 to prepare in the Kikkerland Ora Teapot! What's the connection? Kikkerland hosted the US launch of De Pelikaan teas on May 7. The tea that christened my Ora Teapot was Summertime Chai by Piper & Leaf based in Alabama. I steeped the loose leaves with hot water and served the hot tea from my Ora Teapot. You don't need to steep the tea in a separate pot either. The teapot has a wire infuser to prevent leaves from pouring into your cup. The double-walled design of the teapot and the tea cups kept our hands body temperature and the tea at sipping temperature. Th tea set works well with chilled beverages, too. Actually, the Ora teapot and cups are great transitional tea-ware from summer to fall.
I really like using this tea set! Thanks to Kikkerland, a Notes on Tea reader will win an Ora Teapot and a set of Ora Tea Cups. Enter below. Best of luck!
This giveaway is open to residents of the continental US. It ends on September 21, 2015 at 12:00 am EST. After being contacted, the winner has 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.
P.S. For the remaining Summertime Chai, I cooled the liquor slightly, flash chilled it in the freezer, then transferred it to the refrigerator. The Summertime Chai served very cold the next day was very fine! Stay tuned for a review.
This afternoon tea at The Lambs Club with Jee (her review) and Sara seems like such a long time ago. We went there in late July but I've moved since then (I'll be back, NYC) and my older child started Kindergarten, so a lot has happened in two months.
I made 3 + 1 selections. The egg salad sandwich was very good. I should have ordered more savories.
Tea at The Lambs Club was surprisingly presented in bags but fortunately the source is Palais des Thes. I chose the Long Jing Green which I steeped a few times in my cup. Jee and Sara each steeped their bag in the teapot.
The scones were warm and delicious! Two per person with clotted cream and jam. The presentation of the Tête de Moine (Swiss Cow’s Milk Cheese with House-Made Jam) was unique. Doesn't it look like a delicate mushroom? The Hazelnut Dacquoise was my "sweet tooth" choice.
Across the street from The Lambs Club is the Belasco Theatre. Hedwig & the Angry Inch was and is (until Sept. 13) on stage there. On the building facade was a poster with the play's star, Taye Diggs. He has such a beautifully expressive face! I would have liked to have tea a la carte at The Lambs Club then see Taye Diggs perform.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch image source: http://www.hedwigbroadway.com/rebuild/images/home_hero_tdiggs.jpg.
Notes on Tea will be based in the DC Metro Area this year, specifically Arlington, VA. I have a tea bucket list generated from word of mouth, what I've seen on my walkabouts, and internet searches.
Ching Ching Cha was recommended to me by Theresa Wong of T Shop. Several customers and friends told her about this Georgetown tea house. Ching Ching Cha offers...tea lunch, afternoon tea (not British style), and a tasting luncheon!
ching ching CHA is a Chinese teahouse in Georgetown, Washington DC established in 1998.
CHA is the Chinese word for tea, and Ching Ching is the founder of the tea house.
A lofty tearoom that feels a world away. A tranquil, lovely space made serene with beautiful rosewood tables and chairs, platform seating with fluffy cushions, and walls that disappear into overhead skylights. ching ching CHA is a calming, soothing and authentic setting making this an ideal place to enjoy the classic tea ritual.
Lady Camellia is also based on Georgetown. The tea room serves afternoon tea.
Afternoon tea has always been something that Debby and Han have enjoyed, but they struggled to find a welcoming and accessible tea room in the D.C. area to take part in this leisure. After 2 years of having successfully managed Macaron Bee, The power couple felt ready to expand their brand and share their dream.
Around the world, each community holds its unique way of enjoying tea, and here at Lady Camellia we aspire to be the locale that serves as a middle ground where cultures and traditions can intertwine. That’s what Lady Camellia is all about; a pastry and tea room where family and friends can gather to relax, reconnect, and take a break from their busy lives; a place where everyone can come together to enjoy savories and pastries, as well as complement their treats with the finest teas and tisanes. A place to celebrate life.
DC hotel afternoon teas are on my list, too. Willard Intercontinental, The Jefferson Hotel, The Empress Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, among others.
I will check out a couple of chain tea stores. One is Capital Teas, at Barracks Row Tea Bar & Boutique or in the Mosaic District. The other is Peet's Coffee & Tea. Peet's was founded in Berkeley, and I've got a soft spot for that city. I've also been to the original location. There is store in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington.
Two other Arlington tea places on my list are House of Steep and Northside Social. I learned of House of Steep from Instagrammer steepthoughts. House of Steep also offers foot soaks. Is that weird?
Northside Social was recommended to Rotea. One day, we refreshed ourselves there midway of a long, steamy walkabout. Northside Social offers Rishi Tea teas and the list is really impressive. Also, they bake daily muffins, scones, brownies, cookies, pies, and tarts. On another, a had a coconut pecan cookie and a hot Jamaica red rooibos tea.
Please leave your recommendations in the comments!
Image source information: First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, Prince Harry of Wales, and Jill Biden help military children create Mother's Day cards and other crafts in the State Dining Room of the White House on 9 May 2013. The children presented the gifts to their mothers during the Joining Forces Military Mother's Day Tea in the East Room. Photo by Lawrence Jackson. Accessed at Wikimedia Commons.
Metro UK has a list of 10 countries that "all tea lovers should have on their travel bucket list." The list includes Russia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Morocco, Malaysia, India, Japan, China, Kenya, and England. Canada is not on the list but as I mentioned in my review of afternoon tea at The Urban Tea Merchant, Vancouver is a great tea city. I wasn't in full "tea tourist" mode when visiting Vancouver but I partook of a few things and I have my list for next time.
Amoda Tea. I reviewed the company's Discovery Box offerings here (Sock It To Me by Indie Tea) and here (Autumn Masala by Nepali Tea and Heavenly Cream by Sloane Tea). I met Tegan Woo & co at Food Cart Fest at the Olympic Village. The matcha raspberry lemonade was very good!
Before heading to Whistler, we went to Granville Island and the Granville Island Public Market. I purchased a creamy, earthy matcha latter from the Granville Island Tea Company. In Whistler, in addition to the teas in my Jetsetter Tea Set from Silver Needle Tea Co., I enjoyed a refreshing masala chai latte made to order at the Whistler Tea House.
