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Recently I had the time to make a visit to one of my favourite tea places, The Tea Centre in Sydney's Glasshouse.
I decided on the devonshire tea which features a tea of your choice from their huge range of teas plus a divine fresh scone (a very large fresh scone too!), strawberry jam and double cream...YUM!
I chose to try their Darjeeling Makaibari FTGFOP (Organic). Makaibari is a tea plantation in the hills of India and it makes some delicious teas. The letters in the name of the tea indicate the grade; in this case Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe! There's a mouthful. This is the finest grade of tea and I am reliably informed by wikipedia that it also stands for "Far Too Good For Ordinary People". I can't say I agree.
Anyway, before diving into my delicious scone I took a deep whiff of the liquid gold. It smelled smoky. It also smelled strongly of cooked tomatos with a hint of fresh bread. Perfect for a cool winters day!
I took a quick slurp to increase the flavour and it exploded in delicious savoury tomato and pepper flavours.
I am always partial to tea with milk and sugar so I added a little of both. The tomato flavour remained but now it had a soft sweetness. The peppery flavours were dampened by the milk becoming a smooth woody taste.
It was like the taste of a lounge fireplace, with a beautiful roaring wood fire, a good book and a mohair blanket. I daydreamed awhile before remembering my scone was getting cold.
Mmm....now to get lost in the creamy, crumbly scone...
Showing posts with label The Tea Centre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Tea Centre. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Oooooo-long!
I have only recently been treated to my first cup of oolong tea.
I have to admit, I wasn't even sure what oolong tea was but I now regret the many years I spent bypassing it in favour of other teas.
Oolong is not a mix of green and black tea or something else altogether. It is in fact somewhere between green and black tea. Confused?
What makes the difference between green, black and oolong teas is purely oxidisation. Green tea is only oxidised very slightly whereas black tea is left to oxidise for a long time, hence it ends up black. So all tea starts off green and then it is how long it oxidises that determines its type. Oolong tea is oxidised longer than green tea but not as long as black tea.
So that's the science bit, now for the taste and smell.
I tried the Formosa Dung Ti Oolong from The Tea Centre. It smelled smokey and chocolatey, rich and deep.
The taste was very different to the smell. It was soft and tasted subtly of fruit and grass.
The smell was reminiscent of black tea but the taste more like green tea. It was perfectly balanced and deliciously different.
The look of the tea was also different. Each tiny tea leaf was carefully rolled up so that it unfurled in the hot water. Not just a delicious taste, but also a relaxing sight to watch as it brews.
In future I won't wait s-oolong to try out new teas!
Formosa Dung Ti:
I have to admit, I wasn't even sure what oolong tea was but I now regret the many years I spent bypassing it in favour of other teas.
Oolong is not a mix of green and black tea or something else altogether. It is in fact somewhere between green and black tea. Confused?
What makes the difference between green, black and oolong teas is purely oxidisation. Green tea is only oxidised very slightly whereas black tea is left to oxidise for a long time, hence it ends up black. So all tea starts off green and then it is how long it oxidises that determines its type. Oolong tea is oxidised longer than green tea but not as long as black tea.
So that's the science bit, now for the taste and smell.
I tried the Formosa Dung Ti Oolong from The Tea Centre. It smelled smokey and chocolatey, rich and deep.
The taste was very different to the smell. It was soft and tasted subtly of fruit and grass.
The smell was reminiscent of black tea but the taste more like green tea. It was perfectly balanced and deliciously different.
The look of the tea was also different. Each tiny tea leaf was carefully rolled up so that it unfurled in the hot water. Not just a delicious taste, but also a relaxing sight to watch as it brews.
In future I won't wait s-oolong to try out new teas!
Formosa Dung Ti:
Silver Needles
Do you want all the fantastic health benefits of a cup of tea but find black tea too strong and green tea to bitter?
China Silver Needles Yin Zhen from The Tea Centre ("Silver Needles"), is an extremely delicate white tea. It is the tiny ends of the new tea leaves very gently plucked off the plants (usually by women as they have a softer touch). It is a rather exclusive tea but for an even more exclusive version, try the China Silver Needles Jun Shan from The Tea Centre. It is the finest quality and most delicate white tea on the planet. Only picked on two days each year, it is often called the Emperor's Tea.
As I'm too poor to justify the China Silver Needles Jun Shan, I have tried the Yin Zhen version.
Silver Needles barely colours the water but the smell is beautifully fresh and very subtle. Rather like the fresh smell after rain when the earth steps, thoroughly washed clean, out of the shower.
It tastes very slightly of green tea but is exceptionally smooth. Not a hint of bitterness or acid. It is extremely refreshing and I imagine it would be a fantasic drink for summer, either hot or iced. Everything about this tea is calming but bright.
China Silver Needles Yin Zhen from The Tea Centre ("Silver Needles"), is an extremely delicate white tea. It is the tiny ends of the new tea leaves very gently plucked off the plants (usually by women as they have a softer touch). It is a rather exclusive tea but for an even more exclusive version, try the China Silver Needles Jun Shan from The Tea Centre. It is the finest quality and most delicate white tea on the planet. Only picked on two days each year, it is often called the Emperor's Tea.
As I'm too poor to justify the China Silver Needles Jun Shan, I have tried the Yin Zhen version.
Silver Needles barely colours the water but the smell is beautifully fresh and very subtle. Rather like the fresh smell after rain when the earth steps, thoroughly washed clean, out of the shower.
It tastes very slightly of green tea but is exceptionally smooth. Not a hint of bitterness or acid. It is extremely refreshing and I imagine it would be a fantasic drink for summer, either hot or iced. Everything about this tea is calming but bright.
I highly recommend a good quality white tea. It is so different from black, green and oolong teas that even those that don't care for the taste of tea will find it to their liking. My own mother who would like to drink tea for the health benefits but cannot stand the taste of traditional teas, loves white tea, particularly when it is flavoured with fruit.
China Silver Needles Yin Zhen:
China Silver Needles Jun Shan:
Friday, October 30, 2009
I want Kandy
Black tea has always been my favourite tea! Regardless of all the new-fangled types and blends that come along, a plain whole leaf black tea is the classic.
The Tea Centre has a lovely, relatively inexpensive black tea that is just lovely: Ceylon Kandy OP.
So what's in a name?
Ceylon: obviously, the tea is from Sri Lanka;
Kandy: no idea, but is sounds tasty; and
OP: this stands for "Orange Pekoe". Yes, I know that Orange Pekoe is a tea type in its own right but orange pekoe actually refers to a tea made using the full unbroken black tea leaf. Blended teas like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast are not made using full tea leaves, rather broken leaves, so they are not orange pekoe tea.
So, in front of me is a lovely cup of Kandy. It is without sugar or milk. It smells very strong. Like rich tomato bolognase, like chocolate and hot chips. It's a whole meal in one small cup and yet the smells seem fitting and right together.
The taste is slightly smoky but full-bodied. Like a red wine. The flavour is like tomatos and rich lasagne. It is delicious but not sweet. It is a heavenly savoury taste, unexpected in a cup of tea.
There is no bitterness, bite or acid. It is smooth and aromatic.
I don't think I need dinner now. Or maybe some lasagne would hit the spot....
The Tea Centre has a lovely, relatively inexpensive black tea that is just lovely: Ceylon Kandy OP.
So what's in a name?
Ceylon: obviously, the tea is from Sri Lanka;
Kandy: no idea, but is sounds tasty; and
OP: this stands for "Orange Pekoe". Yes, I know that Orange Pekoe is a tea type in its own right but orange pekoe actually refers to a tea made using the full unbroken black tea leaf. Blended teas like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast are not made using full tea leaves, rather broken leaves, so they are not orange pekoe tea.
So, in front of me is a lovely cup of Kandy. It is without sugar or milk. It smells very strong. Like rich tomato bolognase, like chocolate and hot chips. It's a whole meal in one small cup and yet the smells seem fitting and right together.
The taste is slightly smoky but full-bodied. Like a red wine. The flavour is like tomatos and rich lasagne. It is delicious but not sweet. It is a heavenly savoury taste, unexpected in a cup of tea.
There is no bitterness, bite or acid. It is smooth and aromatic.
I don't think I need dinner now. Or maybe some lasagne would hit the spot....
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Floral Magic
I had seen those balls of woven tea leaves many times but never tried one. Today I did.
It was a Jasmine Peach Buddha Ball from The Tea Centre. The shop assistant had regaled me with tales of the ball opening to a beautiful flower in the heat of the water and I was quite excited.
I filled my glass teapot with hot filtered water and let it cool a little. The ball was made of green tea leaves with a pink section on the top. As green teas should be brewed using water about 70 degress celcius, I let the pot sit for a little to cool.
I then popped in my ball and sat back to watch the show. First the little pink section perked up and became spiky. It became clear that this was in fact a little pick flower blooming atop the ball, brought to life by the water. Gorgeous!
Then the ball began to expand and each little tea leaf swelled and detach from the underside of the ball. The tiny hairs on each tea leaf looked very soft and downy under the water. So it looked rather like a tarantula with a pink floral hair piece than a giant tea flower but it was rather beautiful anyway and quite fun to watch unfurl.
The tea itself became slightly peach-coloured. It smelled very soft and delicate. The flavour had only the most subtle hint of peach. If you didn't know it was supposed to taste of peach this may have been lost altogether. Otherwise it was a lovely, very smooth, green tea. More subtle than a straight green tea with a delicate and refined taste.
While I can't say it tasted more amazing than a beautiful green tea with a hint of peach, the ritual of brewing it and the visual beauty of the flower and the tea leaves coming to life made the overall experience very enjoyable and more than just the usual cuppa.
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It was a Jasmine Peach Buddha Ball from The Tea Centre. The shop assistant had regaled me with tales of the ball opening to a beautiful flower in the heat of the water and I was quite excited.
I filled my glass teapot with hot filtered water and let it cool a little. The ball was made of green tea leaves with a pink section on the top. As green teas should be brewed using water about 70 degress celcius, I let the pot sit for a little to cool.
I then popped in my ball and sat back to watch the show. First the little pink section perked up and became spiky. It became clear that this was in fact a little pick flower blooming atop the ball, brought to life by the water. Gorgeous!
Then the ball began to expand and each little tea leaf swelled and detach from the underside of the ball. The tiny hairs on each tea leaf looked very soft and downy under the water. So it looked rather like a tarantula with a pink floral hair piece than a giant tea flower but it was rather beautiful anyway and quite fun to watch unfurl.
The tea itself became slightly peach-coloured. It smelled very soft and delicate. The flavour had only the most subtle hint of peach. If you didn't know it was supposed to taste of peach this may have been lost altogether. Otherwise it was a lovely, very smooth, green tea. More subtle than a straight green tea with a delicate and refined taste.
While I can't say it tasted more amazing than a beautiful green tea with a hint of peach, the ritual of brewing it and the visual beauty of the flower and the tea leaves coming to life made the overall experience very enjoyable and more than just the usual cuppa.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Stockholm Syndrome
Ok, so I know that Stockholm Syndrome traditionally relates to a person becoming enamoured of their captor due to lengthy captivity but I don't see why the same thing doesn't relate to the fantastic Stockholm Blend at The Tea Centre.
It was Friday afternoon and after a heavy week, my boss had allowed the team to head off home at 3pm. My problem: I had left my keys at home so I had to wait until my fiance arrived home to let me in.
Anyway, I decided to spend the afternoon at The Tea Centre with a pot of Stockholm Blend. It is a blend of black tea, orange peel, safflower, calendula blossom, rose petals, vanilla pieces and apricot. It smells spicy and strongly of vanilla and apricots.
It tastes smooth, without a hint of bitterness despite the orange peel. It is fruity, the same way you might describe in a red wine.
Yes, I did fall for my captor, if you count a divine black tea blend. Well, it was rather captivating!
It was Friday afternoon and after a heavy week, my boss had allowed the team to head off home at 3pm. My problem: I had left my keys at home so I had to wait until my fiance arrived home to let me in.
Anyway, I decided to spend the afternoon at The Tea Centre with a pot of Stockholm Blend. It is a blend of black tea, orange peel, safflower, calendula blossom, rose petals, vanilla pieces and apricot. It smells spicy and strongly of vanilla and apricots.
It tastes smooth, without a hint of bitterness despite the orange peel. It is fruity, the same way you might describe in a red wine.
Yes, I did fall for my captor, if you count a divine black tea blend. Well, it was rather captivating!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tea for Spring
It is 17 days into spring and it is 30 degrees celcius!
Chatting with the barista at my in-house cafe, we got to talking about hot beverages and warmer weather. I mentioned that hot drinks in summer are a fantastic way to keep cool. She looked incredulous.
The logic is that everything you drink regardless of the temperature eventually has to be matched to your body temperature, so the closer the temperature of your drink to your body temperature, the less energy your body has to use to heat or cool it and therefore your body generates less heat.
But if you don't believe me, you are welcome to drink your tea iced.
My tea picks for spring:
Chatting with the barista at my in-house cafe, we got to talking about hot beverages and warmer weather. I mentioned that hot drinks in summer are a fantastic way to keep cool. She looked incredulous.
The logic is that everything you drink regardless of the temperature eventually has to be matched to your body temperature, so the closer the temperature of your drink to your body temperature, the less energy your body has to use to heat or cool it and therefore your body generates less heat.
But if you don't believe me, you are welcome to drink your tea iced.
My tea picks for spring:
- T2 - Gorgeous Geisha - Green tea with strawberries;
- Madame Flavour - White Tea and Rose
- The Tea Centre - Honeybush Country Berry - Honeybush, strawberry leaves, raspberry and elder blossoms (also great iced).
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