Once-upon-a-time at Tao of Tea

A few years ago, during a holiday in Portland, Oregon, I drank tea at the original Tao of Tea Teahouse.



The wooden seat was comfortable and the staff, customers, and shop decorations provided social and visual interest. The notes from that tasting have been misplaced but I remember enjoying the tea, the sweet, and the warm interior of the teahouse.

Earl Grey flavor is derived from an orange

Bergamot oil gives Earl Grey its distinctive flavor and taste. I was surprised to learn that the oil is derived from a fruit, the bergamot orange. This orange is related to the Seville orange; I have tasted the Seville orange, shown above, and it was is bitter. See a photo of the bergamot orange here.

Tea set at Anthropologie

Anthropologie: an unusual place to find a tea set, but nevertheless, that is where I photographed the set shown below. I was running errands in San Francisco and the window display caught my attention.

Sip tea in downtown Los Angeles

The downtown Los Angeles teahouse, siptea, was featured in today's Sunday Times. I was smitten by the photograph of the "handmade porcelain cups" with lids. The Web site claims the teahouse is a combination of art and science; certainly the web design is very artistic. The art of tea includes the tea cup, the tea pot, the ritual/ceremony, and steeping time, while the science of tea includes the steeping time, the water temperature, the tea amount and the type of water. The latter is interesting. Siptea uses spring or filtered water and discourages the use of distilled water. Two more interesting facts about siptea: the teahouse has a two-page menu of food ("nourish") and tea and coffee ("sip") and was founded by Laura Stewart who "at age 12,...started working at a bakery in New Hampshire."

Warming your teapot

One way to warm your teapot is to pour a small amount of hot water into it before steeping the tea. This method is useful prior to steeping. To keep your teapot warm while it holds your liquid tea, consider a cozy. A woolen cozy by Ruth Cross was featured in today's Times "Shopping With" column.


Image: Ruth Cross

Takashimaya teapots

A The Takashimaya porcelain and wood teapot by Stefanie Hering, for sale at Takashimaya, was spotted in the Times Shopping With column. View some of the company's other teapots Takashimaya stocks:

• Ceramic teapot (Alice Goldsmith)
  
• Iron teapot (Uko Morita)
  
• Glass teapot

Iyemon Cha, roasted and original

Coming to a store near you, or so we were told, Iyemon Cha. We sampled the roasted and original versions at a weekend street fair. I strongly prefer the nutty, rice flavor of the roasted Iyemon. Iyemon is not made from rice; it is a green tea. The original tea was bitter and astringent.

Tea of the morning: Melange de Chamonix

A cold, damp, foggy Bay Area morning. In addition to wearing woolen slipper socks, I brewed a cup of tea whose taste reminds me of a fresh slice of Jamaican rum cake. Melange de Chamonix, ordered from Upton Tea Imports, is composed of India black tea, cocoa, cardamom pods, and cinnamon.

Harney & Sons Pomegranate Oolong

A forgotten tea time. No notes to be found. Only photographs, pardon. From the Harney & Sons website:

The extra large leaves of Ti Quan Yin Oolong are deliciously infused with tangy pomegranate to create this inspiring blend.

Aside: The Chocolate Flavored Black Tea is delicious; it's my current morning tea.

Numi Tea Garden: Red Mellow Bush Rooibos and a light feast

The weather and the economic crisis has managed to chill me. Needing warmth I brewed a cup of bagged Numi Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green Tea. Today's Science Times reported on the role of "cold" social perceptions and "sensations of warmth or coldness." I picked up the Gunpowder Green and a bag of Monkey King Jasmine Green from the Numi Tea Garden in Oakland California. The Gunpowder is vibrantly grassy!



With two friends, I enjoyed a "light feast" and tea after a morning and afternoon of touring marshes and creeks in Oakland and Alameda, California. I ordered Red Mellow Bush Rooibos. Rooibos was recommended for the Muhammara, a red pepper and walnut nut dip with pomegranate molasses. The rooibos complemented the other food as well: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and Monkey Matcha Tea, Ruby Chai Chocolate Tea, and Meyer Lemon Lavender tea cookies.

One of us ordered an iced tea and the other, Fields of Gold Lemongrass.









Always a fan of tea services, I could not resist taping the preparation of the Rooibos. The Numi Tea Garden is most easily accessed by car but you can bike there via Jack London Square/5th Avenue/Embarcadero. *** The video is too large to post here.

Previous visit to Numi Tea Garden: Dong Ding at Numi Tea Garden Open House

I heart the glass tea thermos

Photo: Amazon

Read Cinnabar's review of the tea thermos on Gongfu Girl.

Herbal infusions at Café Leila

After a 45-minute walk, at a mostly brisk pace, I wanted refreshment instead of stimulation, so I ordered an infusion at Café Leila on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. I met two friends for a lunch tea. WLA also ordered an infusion, the Fire Ginseng made with Korean red ginseng roots. My infusion sounded more promising that it tasted. I ordered the Jamaican Red Bush. I did not detect the roiboos, the second listed ingredient. WLA thought ginseng would be close in flavor to ginger; it is not. She described her infusion as “more herbal in flavor” and felt it would be a “good flushing tea.” W. thinks the infusion could be improved by boosting the cinnamon, black pepper, and orange zest flavors. (CC ordered a coffee.)






Fire Ginseng

Unlike my experience with the infusion, I was very satisfied with my lunch. The salad was generous and fresh tasting. The lemon-vanilla cake was moist with well balanced flavors. I heartily recommend the cake.

Teapot framed in studio window

On the way to complete several errands, I noticed this teapot in the picture window of a photography studio on Durant Street in Berkeley, Calif.

Tea service at the Boston Harbor Hotel

Thinking about my friend L.'s move to Singapore for a two-year post-doc calls to mind two tea services at Intrigue Cafe at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The most recent tea was shared with family; my mother, husband, and a brother-in-law and L.'s parents. Like the first time we had tea at the hotel, our table was covered with rose petals, pictured below. L. and I shook with giggles the first time we saw the petal-covered table. We knew we had to return.



Of the tea services at Boston hotels - the Ritz on the Public Garden, the Four Seasons also on the Public Garden, and the Boston Harbor Hotel - our favorite is the Boston Harbor Hotel. The cafe is relaxed yet elegant and the view is wonderful: the water, people walking along the pier, and various watercraft coming and going from the dock.



The tea is well-prepared; hot and with beautiful accouterments. Most recently I ordered an oolong. The first time at the hotel, I think I ordered an assam. The hotel's tea tray is spectacular, generous, and delicious; three tiers of breads, savories, and sweets. Our group of seven ordered two tea trays, one of which is pictured full (above) and almost empty (below).



The savories were the most popular items followed by the sweets and then the breads. I was seated in the center of the table and was able to eat from both trays. My sweet tooth was satisfied. I will miss L., especially our tea adventures, but look forward to new ones in Singapore!

Topiary tea service, Beijing

One of the plant art workspieces in the Olympic Topiary Gardens, Beijing
Photo: Life in the Fast Lane

Jumble sale tea set

Thanks to my friend U. who shared this photograph. She purchased the tea set, above, from "a village jumble sale, all for 1.75 pounds."

Teacups at the Peabody Essex Museum

Handleless teacup and saucer
Chumash (tribe) artist
pre 1821, plant fiber


Tea set
Jabez Baldwin
circa 1815, silver and wood

Fourth of July

Float, Farms-Prides 4th of July

Tea service at Japanese-style "meido kafue"

Photo: Stephanie Diani, New York Times

Three teas from Premium Steap

My first experience with Premium Steap was at its Philadelphia tea store last summer. I bought two ounces of Black with Apple Caramel tea which I judiciously brewed because it was so delicious. It was ideal at anytime of day; it was an especially great dessert tea. When my husband traveled to Philadelphia this spring I asked him to buy me some more of the tea.



Black with Apple Caramel was not available in the store (it is now available online), but Black (India) Flavored Caramel was in store and it is just as delicious. The black tea was one of three that my husband purchased on recommendation from tea purveyor Peggy Stephens. According to my husband, Peggy was surprised that an East Bay-er would purchase tea from Philly because the East Bay is well-known for its teas.



The two other Steap teas are Green (China) Snow Buds and Green (China) Flavored Papaya-Pineapple. The green snow buds has an incredibly floral bouquet though the taste is one of a premium green tea. The flavored green also has a floral bouquet and this is imparted to the brew. Peggy suggested this tea as an iced brew which would have been perfect for earlier this week when Berkeley's daily temperatures were quite high. A cool front is moving in which is a good thing for fires south of the East Bay. I am drinking the flavored green on ice as I write this post and it is refreshing despite the cooler weather.



If you are in Philadelphia, I recommend a visit to Premium Steap (aka Wayne Tea Salon) at 111 S. 18th Street. Otherwise, you can purchase the teas online.

Teapot displays and exhibitions

For its showing of the documentary "All in This Tea," the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum in Berkeley organized a small window display of teapots, including the ones shown below.



The Denver Art Museum exhibit "Design After 1900" features four teapots, show below. From left to right, Emisfera Teapot (1985) by Gabriele De Vicchi; Principessa Teapot from Turadot Service (1990-91) by Constantino Dardi; Teapot (with coffeepot and tray, 1980-83) by Robert Venturi (an architect!); and Teapot, Sugar Bowl, and Creamer (circa 1900) by Maurice Dufrene.



The teapots at the de Young Museum are part of the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection. Unlike the teapots at Hearst and Denver, the teapots at the de Young are not functional. Each teapot was created with a political, social, or environmental message. For example, the Bird Teapot by Jason Walker, pictured below, is a commentary on the impacts of energy consumption and on birds (note that the bluebird has swallowed an incandescent light bulb).


Homeless, 1990, Ann Agee; Bird Teapot, Jason Walker


Soldier II (Bottle), 1930, George Walker; Hitler Idaho, 2003, Charles Krafft


Picasso/ Warhol Teapot, 2002, Noi Volkov; Teapot, 1997, Tom Rippon


Whirlwind Unguarded Love, 1997, Sugei Isvpov; Orlando, 2003, Irina Zaytceva


World Trade Center 1996, 2002, David Regan; Zoomorphic Teapot, 1993, Michael Lucero

Silk Roads's Pu-Erh

I steeped my last cake of Silk Roads's Pu-erh. A mini-cake purchased at Whole Foods Berkeley. Pu-erh cakes are a fascinating form of tea to steep. The compact, hard ball of leaves disintegrates into a mush of undifferentiated leaves. My pu-erh is of high qulity provenance. Silk Roads Teas was formed by David Lee Hoffman, famous tea purveyor and subject of the Les Blank documentary, All in This Tea.



Almost immediately after pouring water over leaves, trails of red liquid flowed from the tea basket. I over-steeped by two minutes yielding a very dark red tea, but the taste was not at all bitter. It was robust and earthy. At $5 for two small cakes I am not sure I will purchase this tea again, but I recommend it.