Steeped Tea + Peaches and Cream

About a week ago I grew tired of never having anything to do. It was tough sitting around drinking tea all day (okay, not really) and I decided to find something to do with all of my free time. That was when I recalled going to a quarter auction and being introduced to the company Steeped Tea. It was like a dream come true! I, a lost tea lover, had found something that thrust two of my most loved things together - money and tea! 

That being said, I quickly signed up!

About three days later I received my starter kit in the mail - it was filled with new teas that I had yet to try! And now, three days after this, I am trying my teas! 

The first one? Peaches and Cream. 

The instructions read to scoop out two teaspoons worth of the loose leaf and steep it for five minutes. The pre-steeped leaves are long and relatively wide compared to the usual needle rolled leaves. In fact, the leaves did not appear to have been rolled at all. Whole leaves and petals were found upon closer inspection. They are dark green but also have the light, cream-coloured petals of pomegranate and sunflower blossoms. The leaves smelled strongly of peaches with undertones of a subtle creamy-ness. It would, undoubtedly, go undetected by most. After having boiled my water I proceeded to pour it over the tea. As the leaves steeped in the water, for approximately five minutes (as per the package instructions) the scent of peaches appeared to have begun to die down. It was certainly not overwhelming and there was, again, that subtle creaminess to the scent. The post-steeped liquor appeared to be a sphene-like colour, a pale yellow bordering on jade.  

The taste of the tea was subtle, however, underwhelming. Expectant of a strong peach-like taste I was met only with a tongue-tingle to remind me of the tea's name. For something that smelled so pleasantly the taste did not translate over to the liquor. In fact, even less so in the after taste. I suppose you'd compare it to a delicate perfume that wears off within two seconds of wearing it. I had hoped for something more. However, it would still be a good tea for warming up on a cold day - or for someone who doesn't much care for strong tastes. (As someone who often likes to over-steep, I suppose this just isn't my cuppa'). 

Rating? 3/5 tea leaves.

Korean Sejak

Hello again fellow tea drinkers. 

Yesterday, I went to the mall with a friend of mine (again) and ended up buying some more tea (again). This time, the tea is called Korean Sejak. Now, I did a little digging around for some information about this tea and I found out that it is one of three Korean teas (I didn't even know Korea produced teas - more on this in a minute). The teas are in order of grades. Ujeon/Woojeon is the highest grade, Sejak/Saejak is the second highest grade while Joongjak/Jungjak is third. And keeping this in mind, (and the fact that I didn't know Korea produced teas), I found out that Korean tea is actually pretty rare (even in Korea). I guess it's not as popular as Japanese and Chinese teas in their respective countries. It also explains why the tea is pretty expensive. Though, I'm always pretty strict with spending money on teas I ended up spending 5 dollars for a third a cup of tea. Which is pretty damn expensive. (Nowhere near as expensive as Matcha, but still expensive). 

So! On with describing the tea, yes?

what remains of the liquor

The tea leaves are quite ordinary, they look very similar to Sencha in colour (a dark green) but are otherwise long, thin and curled. As mentioned, they are dark green and have a rich green-tea and grass-like smell. It was rich but it wasn't very strong (does that make sense?). 

unfurled tea leaves

When steeped, the liquor produced is a lovely pale citrine yellow. If you over steep it, it almost becomes jade green in colour. The unfurled leaves are a relatively light green (the remnants (left) in the teapot give off a strong seaweed smell. While steeping, the tea itself gives off a relatively light seaweed-y aroma. It's not unbearable. Actually, I find it quite pleasant and awareness-inducing. 
The taste of the tea itself is what really sells the tea (in my opinion). The taste is relatively similar to the Genmaicha, but since the Sejak doesn't have any toasted rice, it's quite different. The Sejak's taste is light and refreshing, a smooth drink for any cold day (or summer day, I suppose). It doesn't leave much to be remembered by which is why I believe it to be a drink that anyone could drink more than one or two cups of. 

Overall, I love this tea! It's certainly one that I'll be keeping a good stock of. I recommend this for those of you who enjoy the taste of Sencha or if you need a refreshing drink on summer days. (This tea tastes good cold, as well!)

Sencha Kyoto + Rosehip Tea

I found this endearing tea at the farmer’s market this evening. Though I am not sure if this tea goes by another name or not. It was the mention of Sencha that caught my eye. Sencha refers to Japanese ryokucha (green tea), it is steamed and harvested in the early summer. It is rich, clean and carries a refreshing green aroma. Those who are not fans of green tea may even say that it has a brothy texture or an earthen taste. Now, onto more about the tea tasting:

A loose leaf green tea with added rosehip, this tea offers a silken courtesan-beckoning fragrance (pre-steeping). Post-steeped, this tea offers a full bodied aroma that translates over to its liquor; a pale and gorgeous emerald green liquor is produced when this tea is steeped for approximately 7 minutes. Steeped for longer than 7 minutes (approximately 30 minutes) the liquor changes from emerald (characteristic of green teas) to amber (probable influence from the rosehips). Despite this, the flavours are very similar to the first however the taste of rosehip is slightly stronger. I must admit, the scent of this tea is divine! One can only hope that it smells as lovely as it tastes. I have often been disappointed in floral teas as they are either overwhelmingly earthy-tasting or they have no flavour at all (coloured water may be pretty but it does nothing for the tongue).

A taste of this tea greets you with the smooth taste of rosehips (a flavour I've come to adore!). Much like a normal green tea there are still hints of - shall we say - leafy-ness. Its taste is perfect, however, for those who love a non-assaulting flavour. Thus I recommend this tea for thsoe of you who enjoy a subtle yet full-bodied flavour that doesn't overwhelm the tongue. If you're a fan of rosehips and green teas this is definitely worth a try.

Unfortunately, my camera has decided to malfunction so I won't be able to provide pictures. However, I assure you, this tea is worth a shot! 

Vanilla Orchid Oolong Tea

At around 7pm today I wound up at the tea store with twenty dollars in my pocket. A few moments later, I come out with a fiver left and a couple of teas in hand. I headed home immediately afterwards, eager for a taste. Before I begin discussing my tasting ventures, however, it is important that you know I am not a professional tea taster. I do, also, have a penchant for smooth floral tasting teas. However, I will try to remain as impartial as possible while discussing the tea and all that it has to offer. 






Allow me, now, to continue. Upon my arrival back home I set the kettle to boil and shook out a tablespoon and a quarter of what is called Vanilla Orchid Oolong Tea (a premium Huang Jin Gui with hints of vanilla). It is a curled, full-leaf tea with a smooth scent of floral vanilla that results, once steeped, in a beautiful amber liquor. It has an incredibly smooth, creamy taste with hints of floral undertone. I can assure you that the taste of this tea lingers reminiscently on the tongue urging you to have another cup.

The tea's pre-steeped form is as you see to the left of the paragraph, it smells wondrous. Its aroma is nothing like the harsh scent you may associate with vanilla extract. To the right is the image of the post-steeping of the tea leaves. Unfurled, these tea leaves have soaked in boiling water for approximately 7 minutes in order to produce the gorgeous amber liquid I have previously mentioned (I advise any tea drinker to use a tight mesh steeper if you'd rather not swallow pieces of tea leaf). I, personally, make use of a double glass walled mug and infuser duo to make my tea. The wall of the infuser is made of tight mesh in order to prevent large leaf particles from collecting at the bottom of the cup. The lid of this mug doubles as a coaster in order to take out the used tea leaves. It's very convenient. I'm sure, if you're interested, that you could find one at any local tea store (nowadays). 

If you're interested in getting to know a bit more: a brief history of the Oolong Tea:

Oolong Tea as we know it today is the result of a long evolution, originating during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907)  in the Beiyun region of Phoenix Mountain (Fenghuanshang) in Fujian Province. It was first known as Beiyun Tea and because of its fine quality and unique flavour, it was the first tea to be made a tribute tea, in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the tribute custom, tea regions were selected by the Emperor to produce tea to be offered as a gift to the royal court, which was a great honour and good for business.
In time, government officials, monks and scholars began visiting and emigrating to the Fujian area and were surprised with the strong “earth-stone” taste of the teas from the Wuyi Mountain region, so different from the un-fermented Green Tea which was the only tea that existed in China to that point. These teas came to be known as Wuyi or Cliff Tea. Hearing of this wonderful new tea, the Emperor sent a sample of an un-fermented compressed Green Tea cake to Wuyi and asked for tribute tea. What he received was Dragon Phoenix Compressed Tea which was made from a mold which imprinted the tea cake with the design of a dragon and a phoenix. This tea became very famous as a result.
The fame of Wuyi teas spread far and wide and continued to be designated as a tribute tea throughout the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644 - 1911).
In 1725, tea producers in the Anxi region of Fujian adapted the methods of making   traditional Wuyi Tea and improved the technology to develop a new tea - Oolong. In 1796, Oolong Tea was introduced to the Northern Fujian region and to Taiwan, where today, each region is well known for their distinctive Oolong Teas. 

In case you're still curious, you can find more interesting information about the Oolong Tea (how it's made, health benefits, etc.) at The Chinese Tea Shop.