Red Rose and other supermarket teas

This holiday season I drank tea prepared from Red Rose tea bags. The tea was smooth when served with milk yet the brisk notes associated with Indian black teas was apparent. In a review of supermarket teas by Cook's Illustrated in 2007 (July/August), Red Rose loose tea scored well earning a third place spot among "best teas with milk." What teas did you drink to celebrate the year's end?

Teapot in a Tempest

Image: Defiance of the Patriots book cover via Yale Univ. Press (source)

Teapot in a Tempest is the subtitle of the introduction to Benjamin L. Carp's Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America (2010).  Reading Ana Dane's post about the Boston Tea Party in 1773 reminded of this book.  I attended a book talk held at Harney & Sons SoHo but took poor notes.  Here is a description from the publisher, Yale University Press:

On the evening of December 16, 1773, a group of disguised Bostonians boarded three merchant ships and dumped more than forty-six tons of tea into Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party, as it later came to be known, was an audacious and revolutionary act. It set the stage for war and cemented certain values in the American psyche that many still cherish today. But why did the Tea Party happen? Whom did it involve? What did it mean? The answers to these questions are far from straightforward.

In this thrilling new book, Benjamin L. Carp tells the full story of the Tea Party—exploding myths, exploring the unique city life of Boston, and setting this extraordinary event in a global context for the first time. Bringing vividly to life the diverse array of people and places that the Tea Party brought together—from Chinese tea-pickers to English businessmen, Native American tribes, sugar plantation slaves, and Boston’s ladies of leisure—Carp illuminates how a determined group shook the foundations of a mighty empire, and what this has meant for Americans since. As he reveals many little-known historical facts and considers the Tea Party’s uncertain legacy, he presents a compelling and expansive history of an iconic event in America’s tempestuous past.

First colony loses a century-old tea company

I had not known about Bencheley Tea before seeing several canisters in a display beside the register at a local grocery store.  PR Newswire reported that the company is "renowned for its high quality teas with varieties that range from exotic, including Bencheley® "French Vanilla" and "Cherry Almond" to more traditional blends like Bencheley® "English Breakfast" and "Earl Grey" teas."  Bencheley Tea was purchased by White Coffee Company on December 1, 2011 and executive vice president of the White Coffee Corporation Jonathan White stated that "Bencheley has a loyal following and an excellent reputation in the specialty tea industry."  (You can read the entire press release at White Coffee Corporation Acquires Bencheley Tea from First Colony Coffee & Tea Company.)

White Coffee Company is based in Long Island City, NY and was started in 1939.  Bencheley Tea is a product of First Colony Coffee & Tea Company of Norfolk, VA (formerly the James G. Gill Company) which was founded in 1902.  First Colony Coffee & Tea Company sold its coffee brand to White Coffee Company in August 2011.  The First Colony Coffee website consists of only a single page with a message from the company's president of which the first half is excerpted below:

It is with great sadness we announce that First Colony Coffee & Tea Company has moved to undergo a corporate restructure.

As a result of the restructure effective immediately all sales, manufacturing and shipping operations have been ceased at our Norfolk, VA. facility. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

From our beginnings in 1902 as the James G. Gill Company, and later the First Colony Coffee and Tea Company, it has truly been both an honor and a privilege to partner with and serve our customers. We would also like to thank the entire First Colony employee family, past and present, for their 110 years of dedicated craftsmanship allowing us to deliver the finest coffees and teas to our loyal customers.

Bruce Grembowitz
President
First Colony Coffee and Tea Company

Sad.

Birthday tea

The 5 & 10¢ store. Poster for the Works Progress Administration shows various items that can be purchased at a five and ten cent store: a ring, checkers board, scarf, notebook, tie, gift box, pan, cactus, handkerchief, photoframe, calendar, birthday card, scissors, tea set, and pitcher. Silkscreen print by the NYC Federal Art Project, between 1936 and 1941.  (By …trialsanderrors (The nickel and dime store, WPA poster, ca. 1941) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons).

I celebrated a birthday this month and surprisingly did not think about treating myself to tea on the day.  Here's hoping to next year so I can celebrate it with tea.  How have you incorporated tea into your birthday or other special occasion?

Recipe: Chai-spiced tea cookies

As soon as I read the ingredient list for the chai-spiced shortbread cookies by Anissa Shea published in Sunset magazine I knew I would bake them.  I also knew my son would want a cookie so I did not include the English Breakfast leaves. The resulting batch of nine* cookies are delicious.  Malty, spicy, buttery.  I will eat a few with tea tomorrow.

* I halved the recipe because I did not have two cups of butter nor did I have fennel seeds.

Tea Review: Boston Tea Company Dragonwell

Dragonwell or Longjing tea  is grown in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.  The flat appearance of the leaf is a defining characteristic of this tea.  Dragonwell is a popular green tea and it is one of my favorites.  I like the multiple flavors available in each sip - nutty, creamy (butter), sweet, astringent.

Boston Tea Company's Dragonwell is dominated by nutty and astringent flavors.  The absence of creamy and sweet notes might have occurred from damage during  shipping.  I received four samples from Boston Tea Company and the leaves in the Dragonwell pouch appeared crushed.  On the other hand, there are several varieties of Dragonwell and perhaps this type is not characterized by sweetness or a buttery mouthfeel.

Here are the company's tasting notes for this tea:

Give your tummy some TLC! Considered a digestive aid and named for the village of Dragonwell, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang where it is produced, this superior tea is regarded as one of the finest Chinese green teas. Its flat, jade green leaves yield a mellow, aromatic brew that leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste for a refreshing cup anytime of day! Treat your belly well with Dragonwell!

Although I associate green teas with spring, the strong nut and astringent qualities of Boston Tea Company's Dragonwell make it an ideal winter beverage.  Again, thank you to Caitlyn Scheuermann for providing us with generous samples of tea.

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Read our review of Irish Breakfast by Boston Tea Company.

Broome Street Tea History

Broome Street, according to a poster we spotted in the window of a Soho luxury apartment building, was named for tea importer Henry Broome. Coincidentally, this area of NYC houses several tea houses now: Harney & Sons SoHo at 433 Broome; In Pursuit of Tea around the corner at 33 Crosby; and Ten Ren at 178 Lafayette. Read our blog post about places to buy and to drink tea in Soho!

In a volume of history of American commerce between 1795 and 1895 edited by Chauncey Mitchell Depew, I learned that Broome & Platt "were among the first to engage in" tea trade with Canton, China after the Revolution.  Also, John Jacob Astor was a tea trader, one of the "two largest East India merchants".

Tea Review: Boston Tea Company Irish Breakfast

Our samples from Boston Tea Company arrived just in time for the cooler weather.  We received three black teas (Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, and Ceylon Symphony) and one green tea (Dragonwell).  We have tried all three blacks and the Irish Breakfast is the subject of this review.

The official tasting notes for this tea are:

A blend of full-bodied, robust Assam Tea with high notes of high-grown Ceylon tea brews a deep red liquor that is hearty, malty and rich in flavor.

We found it brisk yet smooth, and nutty.  It does not lose any of its flavors with the addition of milk.  Also, it complements a variety of foods.  We have drunk it with a breakfast of cereal, fruit, and yogurt.  My favorite time to drink this tea is in the afternoon, accompanied by something made from chocolate.

Finally, it is quite curious that the Boston Tea Company is located in Hackensack, NJ.  Although Hackensack does not have a tea history to speak of, a "tea party" took place in Greenwich, NJ on December 12, 1774.  Tea en route to Philadelphia was stolen and burned to protest the Townshend Act of 1767.

Our thanks to Caitlyn Scheuermann for providing us with generous samples of tea.  Stay tuned for more reviews.

Celebrating our life

For a recent special occasion, Rotea thoughtfully gave me a cup
warmer, a "Fiesta" mug, and a tea straw.

The warmer is inspired and works well: I can drink hot tea after going
off to cater to youngster. And the straw is a great teaware: I can
directly steep tea in a cup without straining the liquid. I mostly do
so with mild teas or with tisanes.

Tea Review: Ito En Shiso Sencha at Kaffe 1668

I ordered a Shiso Sencha from Tribeca's Kaffe 1668 this summer.

Shiso Sencha, according to Ito En, is an "excellent summer cooler".  I agree, however the tea did not yield its "umeboshi (pickled plum)" flavor perhaps because of the type of cup used to steep it.  I do like For Life's Curve Tall Tea Mug Infuser with Lid, though for a black tea.

Pour le thé

We are big fans of Mille-feuille's pastries.  We especially like the madeleine, macarons, and the savory cheese brioche.  The bakery recommends you eat the following items with tea:

Madeleine
Financier
Citron Cake
Walnut Cake
Chocolate Chunk Brownie
Hazelnut Brownie

However, it does not offer a pairing menu. Rotea prepared loose leaf Irish Breakfast this morning (purchased from Porto Rico Imports) and I enjoyed my cup with milk and a handful of almonds which made me think that Irish Breakfast and other malty black teas would pair well with the financier.  The financier is a teacake baked with almond flour.   

What type of tea(s) would you serve with each of the recommended pastries?

Carry On, the Tea & Sympathy store

Carry On is the name of Tea & Sympathy's store.  Interestingly, a popular meaning of the idiom "carry on" is to be noisy and rude which is not what one associates with tea time, especially British tea.

Anyway, a few weeks ago we walked to Tea & Sympathy but there was no room for our carriage (we made this assessment and not the shop).  Instead of a proper, sit-down service, we opted for iced tea to go from the store which is full of bagged black teas, biscuits, tea pots and cups, and more.

Tea Review: Teariffic ginger black milk tea

Sweet, spicy, creamy yet refreshing. The ginger contributed warmth and balanced the milk.

Tea Review: East Wind Tea Nokcha

Steeped for 2 minutes with 160•F water: nutty and caramel sweet.

Huang Jian Lin's Pi Lo Chun for Adagio Teas

This post was originally posted on August 9 but was removed and reposted on August 15 to coincide with the publication of other reviews of Adagio's Roots Campaign and Pi Lo Chun by participating members of the Association of Tea Bloggers.

About three weeks I received an email from the Association of Tea Bloggers (ATB) seeking participation in Adagio Teas' Roots Campaign.  The Roots Campaign allows tea drinkers to learn more about the farmers that grow the teas they drink.  The featured farmer of this round is Huang Jian Lin of Dongting, Jiangsu.  I agreed to participate and received a generous two ounces of Pi Lo Chun last week.

Preparation 1: Steep 1 (30 seconds)

Since then I have brewed the tea several times.  In the first preparation I found that the best liquor was produced after the second steep (= 60s) in my gaiwan.  My empty cup smelled like butterscotch.  Rotea tasted hay.  I detected a cream note.  The first steep of this preparation was 30 seconds while the third one was 90 seconds.  I used 180 degree F as recommended by the notes on the packet.  I felt this temperature was too hot.

I prepared the tea a second time in a ceramic pot with a sieve, again using the 180 degree F water as well as the 2 minute brewing time.  The third time I prepared the tea, I again used a gaiwan but with 170 degree F water and steeped the tea for 2 minutes.  This latter preparation yielded good liquor, too.

In preparing this post, I read Huang Jian Lin's profile and he recommends preparing the tea in a glass container though his temperature recommendation is 14 degrees hotter than that recommended by Adagio (90 degrees C = 194 degrees F).

Pi luo [sic] chun is very tender. Do not use boiling water with 100 degrees centigrade. Better use the water with 90 degrees centigrade. Second, use glass cup to brew the tea. Do not use teapot with lid. Because pi luo chun needs more air for brewing. While waiting for the tea to be cool down, you can enjoy the beautiful green soup with pleasant aroma from the glass cup.

I followed Jian Lin's advice about a glass vessel and brewed a heaping teaspoon in 180 degree F water, leaving the leaves in the cup (pictured above). The taste and smell changed dramatically over the course of our breakfast, from butterscotch nose and hay and cream flavors to dried fruit (Rotea thinks cherry) and seaweed nose and burnt toast and smoky (according to Rotea) flavors.  I wonder what we will detect the next time we prepare Pi Luo Chun.

From the Roots Campaign profile of Jian Lin, we learned that he starts picking tea leaves at 8 a.m.  Guess what?  We drink our morning tea at 8 a.m.!  (Yes, we know there is a 12-hour time difference.)

Read what other ATB members have to say about Adagio's Roots Campaign and Jian Lin's Pi Lo Chun:

Black Dragon Tea Bar
Gongfu Girl
Walker Tea Review
LeafJoy
The Tea Enthusiasts’s Scrapbook
Tea For Today
Tea Pages
teaspoons & petals
That Pour Girl

Administrativa: Adagio Roots Campaign, farmer Huang Jian Lin, and Pi Lo Chun tea

You might have noticed that our post about the Adagio Roots Campaign, farmer Huang Jian Lin, and Pi Lo Chun tea has been removed.  The post will return on August 15, 2011 at 7 a.m. (EST) to coincide with the publication of other reviews of the tea in the Association of Tea Bloggers carnival.

Loose leaf tea inventory

Image: Drawing of a branch, leaves, and blossoms of a tea tree via Library of Congress (source)

A friend recently asked us how much tea we drink each day.  I replied, "Two cups," while Rotea said "one."  I used to drink several cups a tea per day but with a youngster it is hard to find to the time to properly steep and to drink several infusions or even a few cups of tea. We told ourselves that we should do what we used to - steep loose leaf tea in the morning and for me, in the afternoon, tea. We were tempted to purchase new tea but when we inventoried our tea cupboard we realized that would be foolish.  We have a lot of tea at home.  Here is our loose leaf tea inventory by type:

Herbal
East Wind Tea Company Sobacha

White
Sun's Organic Garden White Peony (organic)

Green
East Wind Nokcha
Tea-Treff Sencha Fuku
Harney & Sons Sencha Scent of Mountains
Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company Matcha
The Tao of Tea Lincang Maofeng
Tao of Tea Sencha

Oolong
China Kwaiflower
East Wind White Tip
Harney & Sons Li Shan
Oolong (unknown)
Sun's JinXuan
Sun's Four Season Spring
Sullivan Street Wuyi
Tao of Tea Black Dragon

Black
Andees Darjeeling (organic)
Darjeeling (unknown)
Boh Seri Songket black tea (with cinnamon)
Jing Chai
Tao of Tea Kali Cha
Twinings Assam
Zawadi Jambo! Pure Black Tea

Puer
Tao of Tea Golden Puer

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Can you tell our tea preferences?!

Tea in the Landscape Supermarket

van Bergen Kolpa Architecten's proposal in the Glimpses of New York and Amsterdam in 2040 exhibit at the Center for Architecture in New York City includes tea production!  The architecture firm proposes to convert the Dutch polders - former "icons" of that country's food production - into a Landscape Supermarket.  Tea, vegetable and seed oil, coffee, cacao, rice, fruits, and vegetables will be grown and animals will be raised for fish, meat, and poultry.

West Village tea strolling

Did you read the inaugural post in the West Village tea stroll series?  It's a review of the matcha latte at Bosie Tea Parlor.  We wrote about visits to Sullivan Street and Grounded and it is likely that we will visit these tea shops again during our tea stroll.  On our list are The Meaning of Tea, Tea & Sympathy, and The Tea Set.

Where do you drink and buy tea in the West Village (of Manhattan)?

p.s. We did not include Sanctuary T in our All the tea in Soho series.  Check out Sara S.'s review at Tea Happiness.

West Village tea stroll

Our West Village tea stroll will be conducted one tea shop at a time.  First up is the Bosie Tea Parlor on Morton Street.  We read about Bosie on Amy Edding's blog for WNYC.  Ms. Eddings raved about the parlor's steamed matcha with almond milk.  Here is her description:

It was warm and soothing and creamy ... all the qualities I love about coffee, and have missed while drinking herbal teas.

Well, of course we had to order this drink on our first visit!  It was refreshing, made with matcha, almond milk, and surprise, coconut water.  It was creamy, a bit like "liquid ice cream" as it was described to us by owner Nicky.  Rotea found a bit heavy on the almond milk.

I shall return to sample the loose leaf tea menu.

Summer fruit green tea

Image: Flavorcrest peaches by Patrick Tregenza (source)

Over the last few days, I have been exchanging tweets with @teaandpetals about preparing iced peach-infused green tea.  Well, Whole Foods published a recipe for Honeydew Green Tea in its May/June/July 2011 circular which sounds delicious and the recipe would work for peach and other summer fruits.

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Here's the recipe, slightly edited:

4 cups (1-2") chunks honeydew melon (about 1 1/4 lbs), plus more for garnish
1 (64 oz) bottle 365 Everyday Value Organic Unsweetened Green Tea, divided
1 3"-piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup 365 Everyday Value Organic Wildflower Honey, plus more to taste
1 bunch mint, for garnish

Put honeydew, 2 cups of the tea and ginger into a blender and puree until smooth and frothy.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve, discard any remaining pulp and transfer honeydew-tea mixture to a large pitcher.  Stir in remaining tea and honey, chill and serve over ice, garnished with honeydew and mint.  Serves 8-10.

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I will modify this recipe by adding slices of peach and minced ginger to iced matcha (or Sencha Scent of Mountains) and then blending the ingredients.  To the blend, I will add agave syrup or my tea honey from Savannah to taste.  Stay tuned for a review!

What have you been steeping lately?

Bearded man drinking tea beside samovar (source)

We have been drinking tea, lots of it, but have no pictures or prose to share with you.  Here is a list of the tea being steeped in our house:

• Sullivan Street Grade 30 matcha for iced matcha and iced matcha lattes (with milk and agave syrup)
• Japanese Green Tea Sencha tea bags (Ujinotsuyuseicha Co.)
• Sullivan Street Wuyi
• The Tao of Tea Black Dragon Oolong
• Twinings Assam
• BOH Seri Songket Cinnamon flavoured tea
• Lipton tea bags
• Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger herbal tea

Iced matcha, shaken not stirred

I have found my summer, post-yoga tea!  It is the iced matcha served at the Tea Shop, In Pursuit of Tea's outlet on Crosby Street in New York City.

The matcha was bright and creamy, like a goat brie.  I hope to recreate this refreshing drink at home but I need matcha and a chashaku (spoon).  Any matcha recommendations?

Three Oolongs and a White Peony

We have lots of new tea to drink, four to be exact.  One, Tie Guan Yin in a lovely red box filled with individual sealed packets of oolong.  Two, organic White Peony.  Three, Four Season Spring Oolong, and Jin Xuan Oolong.

The White Peony and oolong three and four were purchased at Sun's Organic Garden, a tea and herbal shop, on Bayard Street in Chinatown NYC.  The buds on the White Peony are quite hairy and the liquor coats the mouth nicely.  The shop owner was gracious, too.  Visit Sun's in person or on its Facebook page.

Staging with a carafe of green tea

Image: Bedroom setting, Crate & Barrel catalog, April 2011

A new post in our occasional series on the use of tea to style magazines and other media (aka tea styling).

Nothing completes a bedroom with bamboo in the window and "low-emission engineered wood" furniture than a carafe of green tea.  What type of green tea?  Is it cold-infused?  Or is it a sun tea?

Previous posts in the Tea Styling series
It's all about the antioxidants
Damask, a romantic setting for tea
Glossy tea settings
Staging with tea

All the tea in Soho (Manhattan)

Soho is best known for its clothing boutiques, but it is also home to several tea shops.  At 33 Crosby Street you will find In Pursuit of Tea's pop-up shop, open since summer 2010. We wrote about their Tea & Cheese tasting last fall.  Notice the "Ñ" in the shop window to the left of the tea shop?  That's the site of pop-up The Matcha Box according to Grub Street New York.

I really like the In Pursuit of Tea shop.  It's very cozy but gets great light through a large window.  The server is personable and knowledgeable.  Last summer I really enjoyed their cold infused teas.

Also on Crosby, at No. 79, is the Crosby Street Hotel which offers a traditional afternoon tea. We wrote about the hotel's tea service in August 2010.

Long established in Millerton, NY, Harney and Sons moved to Soho last fall; their large and airy shop is at 433 Broome Street.

Image: Ten Ren Tea, Mott Street location

Chinatown's Ten Ren Tea has a small outlet at 178 Lafayette Street which is technically Chinatown but I've included it here because this particular location is north of Canal.

Finally, Kelley and Ping at 127 Greene Street offers Thai Iced Tea and a tea of the day.

Stay tuned for our Greenwich/West Village tea round-up.  In the meantime, if we have missed your favorite tea service in Soho, please share them in the comment section.

Royal wedding tea

I could not wake up before my usual wake-up time of 6 a.m. to watch the beginning of the wedding.  My wake-up is not by choice!  Anyway, I watched the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave the church and later wave from the balcony of the palace.  About an hour after the wave, I toasted the occasion with a cherry scone and a cup of Twinings Assam set on a royal wedding tea towel brought back from London from my mother-in-law.  Did you celebrate the royal wedding, and how?

Tea for baby, part 2

When your child does not like to drink plain water what are your options as a parent?  Mine have been whole milk diluted with water, water with a splash of pure juice, and plain water.  I still offer the latter!

Afternoon tea (two girls having a tea party with their dolls in a garden), ca. 1900 (source)

It has been a warm week in the city with plenty of outdoor play and thus greater than normal thirstiness.  Fortunately for me, I read Bigelow Tea Blog's take on jello known as FruiTEA Wigglers.  Instead of "wigglers," I prepared iced herbal tea.  I could not find any of Bigelow's herbal teas at my favorite grocer so I purchased Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger.  Well, I have enjoyed this drink this week, but my child has not.  Too tangy perhaps?

Have you read Tea for baby (part 1)? How about Gardening for herbal infusions?

Gardening for herbal infusions

A story about growing and drinking herbs in the April 2011 issue of Sunset magazine is the subject of our latest post in the occasional series on tea styling.

Image: grow and drink herbs, Sunset, April 2011

My herb garden is currently limited to just sown oregano seeds.  Oregano is not featured in the Sunset article but in Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants by National Geographic (2008) notes that oregano can be steeped and "was considered useful as a mold digestive stimulant...."  My garden is a north facing windowsill so I should stick with "easy" herbs like mint and lemongrass. Oregano is a harder herb to grown indoors but not as difficult as basil and sage, for example.

I have some dried California grown lavender.  Can a dried herb be fashioned into a tisane?

Previous posts in the Tea Styling series
Damask, a romantic setting for tea
Glossy tea settings
Staging with tea

$25 Tea Lessons

Yesterday I purchased Li Shan (Lishan) Oolong (Taiwan) from a reputable tea merchant.  It was a whimsical purchase; I entered the tea shop to view the interior design.  I was offered a cup of tea (Sencha) and asked what type of tea I was looking to purchase.  I told the staff that I like Japanese greens (currently drinking a Gyokuro from Sullivan Street) and that Ro-tea likes dark, heavily oxidized oolongs.

I was offered to smell two Japanese greens and two oolongs.  I was pleased with the Scent of Mountain and purchased 2 ounces.  When I smelled the oolongs, neither smelled heavily roasted but I did not feel comfortable questioning the expertise of the staff.  I asked for a description of each and still neither sounded like the oolongs preferred by Ro-tea.  Finally I asked which was the darker, more roasted of the two, and the staff pointed to the Lishan Oolong.  I purchased 2 ounces, the minimum amount.

My jaw dropped -- figuratively -- at the register.  The oolong cost approximately $25 for 2 ounces or $140 per pound!

Image: Li Shan, third 1-minute steep, dry leaves, wet leaves

We steeped the oolong this morning.  It was an excellent; smooth and complex with layers of flowers, honey, cream, and conifers.  The nose was floral, maybe lilac or hyacinth.  However, it is a green oolong, not a highly roasted oolong.

I should have known that Lishan would not produce bold, dark, toasted flavors.  Lishan is a high mountain oolong. Lishan translates to pear mountain and is grown , specifically from Jade Mountain in the Taichung County of Taiwan. Lishan is lightly oxidized to maintain its floral characteristics.  I should have asked for a Tie Guan Yin or even a Dong Ding for its nutty flavor.

Lessons: trust my nose, ask questions, bring a list, keep learning about tea.

Tea Review: Sullivan Street Gyokuro

First, our prayers for Japanese citizens worldwide.


It has been a long time since I have shared a tea review.  Luckily for me, I walked by Sullivan Street tea & spice company on its opening day on March 20.  I purchased 1 ounce of Gyokuro and 3 ounces of Wuyi.  I spoke with the owner (who with his sister owns Grounded Organic Coffee & Tea House on Jane Street in the West Village) who told me that he sources his teas from vendors at the major tea trade shows.  (Here's our photo of the tea menu at Grounded.)

Sullivan Street is a really cool concept.  The company offers teas, spices, and potted herbs.  It is bright with natural light from large windows and open with an uncluttered layout.

Available teas are packed in small glass jars so that you can smell them before purchasing them.  I wanted to buy a Japanese green and an oolong.  The first of each I smelled was the one I bought.  The Wuyi was priced at $3 per ounce while the Gyokuro was priced at $9 per ounce.  According to the Gyokuro wiki page, it "is one of the most expensive types of sencha available in Japan."  Also, unlike other teas, Gyokuro tea plants are shaded in the spring.

1 teaspoon, dry

1 teaspoon, post-rinse

Here is my review of the Gyokuro.  I rinsed 1 teaspoon with 160-degree F water which revealed a ripe avocado aroma.  (I conducted a web search after preparing the tea and many sites stated that this type of green tea should be steeped at lower temperatures than other greens.)

10s steep

At 10s, the tea tasted creamy smooth while at 20s some astringency had developed.  Our experience contrasts with Rishi-Tea's notes on Gyokuro that this tea is "without bitterness or astringency."  At 40s, the tea smelled like a broken stem with the astringency at the end -- no longer at the beginning -- of the sip.  The tea began to coat my tongue at 80s but I could no longer detect individual flavors.

20s steep

wet leaves at 80s

I enjoyed preparing and drinking this tea and look forward to experimenting with the remainder of it.  In particular, I will follow the instructions given for Gyokuro preparation on the Maiko website.