Ok, I lied ? This post will not be about mint tea, but perhaps the next one!
Anyways, on Sunday I went to a free tea tasting at Cha Guan with Paw and OfIceandAshes. It is located at 5756 Monkland on the corner of Wilson.
We were greeted with cute brown gift bags filled with goodies from them and their sponsors (rasberry flowers to put in tea, a free sachet of a dill/garlicy sauce from epicure selections, moroccan oil, coupons and pretty postcards).
We also had the option of signing up for the tea appreciation club (Paw and I noted that while we are clearly tea appreciators, this just made it official) and to enter a draw to win a tea set. So we did both.
Among one of the first things we tried was their iced tea. They have 5 flavors now available for 'take out': Magnolia red iced tea, jasmine green, mint and lemongrass, fresh strawberries red and fresh lychee red.
Paw and I tried the fresh strawberry and OfIceandAshes tried the Mint and Lemongrass, which I also sipped.
I absolutely loved the strawberry iced tea. Probably one of the best iced teas I've ever tried. They had the perfect amount of sweetness and was equally refreshing. The Mint and Lemongrass one - the only way I can describe it: it's like pouring coldness down your esophagus. Good stuff...but I prefer the strawberry.
They had 12 teas out for people to try. Of these I think I tried 10...based on the health benefits we wanted to receive (which I discovered were historically documented). They used 3 of those teas for a tea demonstration - this was also quite cool :D It tempted me to join one of their workshops ( there are 2 - one which teaches you how to serve the top 10 chinese teas with information about their history/origins. The other uses the three teas used in the demonstration, but varies in terms of the grade of tea).
Here are the teas:
Fu Ann Bai Yu Ya (White tea) for anxiety relief
Bai Mu Dan (White tea) for Detoxification
Tai Ping Hao Hui (Green) High vitamin C content
Jian Tan Qiao She (Green) Prevents cardiovascular illness
Ping Shui Zhu Cha (Green) Eliminates bad cholesterol
Lin Hao Luo Hao (Green) Prevents cardiovascular illness
Anxi Ti Guan Yi (Green Wulong) Heals colds and eliminates bad cholestorol
Yu Shan Wulong Cha (Wulong) Heals colds and prevents cardiovascular illness
Osmanthus (Wulong) Helps to prevent cancer
Jin Hao Din Hong (Red) Helps to regulate the digestive system
Bada Shan Sheng Cha (Puerh) Increases energy, burns body fat
Ker Yi Xing Shou Cha (Puerh) Helps to regulate the digestive system
Most of them were really good. :)
It was particularly interesting to try the Bada Shan which I think was the "Green puerh" tea (I might be wrong and I switched the two up). Anyways, it has a REALLY different flavor from cooked puerh. A bit more sour and grassy tasting. He did say that there are only certain types of green puerh you can have because you have to thoroughly wash it and only after a certain number of infusions can you drink it.
I stumbled upon the green tea that tastes like corn on the cob again! Except it wasn't japanese. I guess they're somehow related (the two teas, since they taste similarly).
In anycase, I would definitely like to go back. The place is small and cute. They also have a glass wall that has water flowing down :) Not the type of place you'd bring 10 people to (not enough space). But definitely a quiet afternoon with 4...some nice tea and they do have some dessert which I have yet to try.
As for their prices - they are quiet pricy...of course depending on the tea. But some of their extremely premium teas are 40$/100 grams. So, I'm gonna wait till I'm rich to buy that :P maybe they'll just let me sample.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Camelia Sinensis!
As mentioned, I will include places where one can drink and/or buy tea.
One place which fits both profiles is Camelia Sinensis. The Tea Place (where one can sit down and enjoy tea) is located on 351 Emery, on the corner of St Denis (well not exactly on the corner, but close enough). It faces the cinema.
Next to it is a little boutique where you can buy their tea. In addition, there's another boutique located at Jean Talon Market - 7010 Casgrain. I haven't really ventured into the Market one, just because I tend to go to Camelia Sinensis to sit down and drink tea.
What's great is that it's small/quaint (back room newly renovated by the way) and they have an enourmous selection of tea to choose from. I often have difficulty picking one (though I accidently chose the same one on 3 different occasions because I had forgotten the name of the tea. Then I tasted it and was like oh...I've had this before). In addition, you have to choice of have the tea served in its "traditional" manner rather than just in a teapot. So it's a generally fun experience all around.
The teas I've tasted:
Kabusecha Kawase (a green tea from Japan): This is the one I had 3 times. My first impression was that it smelled like corn on the cob and was bright yellow-green. It definitely had a very grassy taste...but not overwhelmingly so. I definitely like it.
The other ones I don't remember exactly how they tasted, but here they are:
Pu-erh Yong Ming 2006, Shan Lin Shi (Wulong tea), Ali Shan M Chen (Wulong) and I've also tried one of their teas of the day, which also happened to be a Wulong.
In addition, they have a few desserts. The ones I tasted are really good - particularly the Sencha Green Tea glazed cheesecake. This is one of the best cheesecake's I've had actually - kind of melts in your mouth :P The pain du moment and their fruty cake are nice too.
If you just get tea, it'll set you back 5-9$. W/ dessert about 10-14$ :) But you can spend hours there and forget the time (until, of course, it closes).
Another great thing: they typically provide free masala chai for Nuit Blanche and you can stand around their outdoor heaters. Their masala chai is awesome!! (I usually take as many of their mini cups as I can).
That's it for now.
I think my next tea post will be concerning different types of mint tea/tisanes I have tasted...
One place which fits both profiles is Camelia Sinensis. The Tea Place (where one can sit down and enjoy tea) is located on 351 Emery, on the corner of St Denis (well not exactly on the corner, but close enough). It faces the cinema.
Next to it is a little boutique where you can buy their tea. In addition, there's another boutique located at Jean Talon Market - 7010 Casgrain. I haven't really ventured into the Market one, just because I tend to go to Camelia Sinensis to sit down and drink tea.
What's great is that it's small/quaint (back room newly renovated by the way) and they have an enourmous selection of tea to choose from. I often have difficulty picking one (though I accidently chose the same one on 3 different occasions because I had forgotten the name of the tea. Then I tasted it and was like oh...I've had this before). In addition, you have to choice of have the tea served in its "traditional" manner rather than just in a teapot. So it's a generally fun experience all around.
The teas I've tasted:
Kabusecha Kawase (a green tea from Japan): This is the one I had 3 times. My first impression was that it smelled like corn on the cob and was bright yellow-green. It definitely had a very grassy taste...but not overwhelmingly so. I definitely like it.
The other ones I don't remember exactly how they tasted, but here they are:
Pu-erh Yong Ming 2006, Shan Lin Shi (Wulong tea), Ali Shan M Chen (Wulong) and I've also tried one of their teas of the day, which also happened to be a Wulong.
In addition, they have a few desserts. The ones I tasted are really good - particularly the Sencha Green Tea glazed cheesecake. This is one of the best cheesecake's I've had actually - kind of melts in your mouth :P The pain du moment and their fruty cake are nice too.
If you just get tea, it'll set you back 5-9$. W/ dessert about 10-14$ :) But you can spend hours there and forget the time (until, of course, it closes).
Another great thing: they typically provide free masala chai for Nuit Blanche and you can stand around their outdoor heaters. Their masala chai is awesome!! (I usually take as many of their mini cups as I can).
That's it for now.
I think my next tea post will be concerning different types of mint tea/tisanes I have tasted...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tea Quiz and Lapsang Souchong
So I have this book at home that has a Tea Quiz in it for you to determine what type of tea "suits" you best :P I figured it might be fun to share:
1. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
a) Vanilla
b) Mint Chocolate Chip
c) Banana split with chocolate syrup, nuts, and cherries
2. What is your favorite dining experience?
a) Four-star restaurant
b) Fast-food
c) Backyard bbq
3. What is your favorite type of food?
a) Light salad and broiled salmon
b) Burgers and dogs
c) Spicy ethnic dishes
4. You have an unexpected day off from work. Would you be more likely to:
a) Visit a museum
b) Spend a day at the beach
c) Ride the roller coaster at an amusement park
5. Which beverage do you prefer to drink?
a) Wine
b) Beer
c) Coffee
Here's what the results say:
If most of your answers fell into the A category, you will probably enjoy a more sophisticated, refined tea, such as: jasmine pearl green tea, white tea, pu-erh tea
B, a heartier tea such as: Earl grey, black teas in general, roasted oolong tea
C, spicier, fun, more full bodied tea such as: Lapsang Souchong, Spicy Chai Black Teas, Fruit Flavored Teas
But of course, that doesn't mean that you don't like a mixture of all those teas :P
Now this leads me to my first tea review - Lapsang Souchong
It is a black tea, which means that its leaves have been oxidized longer than green, oolong or white teas (white being the least oxidized). It is from the Wuyi region, in the Fujian province of China. I had been curious about this tea for a while after reading about it in the aforementioned book. The problem is that I had only seen it in large containers and didn't want to buy one until I had tasted it. I didn't know much else about the tea other than that it existed and was "full bodied".
Last year, I went to visit Linda in Toronto and at Au Bon Pain, they happened to have it on their menu. So I tried it.
This was probably the WORST tea i've ever tried. It smells like smoked fish and tastes like you're drinking pureed smoked fish. I like smoked fish, but in its actual solid form. Wiki says Lapsang is distinctive from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour
So there you have it. If you like drinking smoked fish, you will probably enjoy this tea. For me, it was a rather nasty experience and I drank it as quickly as possible so as to be done with it and never drink it again.
I give Lapsang Souchong
out of 5
1. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
a) Vanilla
b) Mint Chocolate Chip
c) Banana split with chocolate syrup, nuts, and cherries
2. What is your favorite dining experience?
a) Four-star restaurant
b) Fast-food
c) Backyard bbq
3. What is your favorite type of food?
a) Light salad and broiled salmon
b) Burgers and dogs
c) Spicy ethnic dishes
4. You have an unexpected day off from work. Would you be more likely to:
a) Visit a museum
b) Spend a day at the beach
c) Ride the roller coaster at an amusement park
5. Which beverage do you prefer to drink?
a) Wine
b) Beer
c) Coffee
Here's what the results say:
If most of your answers fell into the A category, you will probably enjoy a more sophisticated, refined tea, such as: jasmine pearl green tea, white tea, pu-erh tea
B, a heartier tea such as: Earl grey, black teas in general, roasted oolong tea
C, spicier, fun, more full bodied tea such as: Lapsang Souchong, Spicy Chai Black Teas, Fruit Flavored Teas
But of course, that doesn't mean that you don't like a mixture of all those teas :P
Now this leads me to my first tea review - Lapsang Souchong
It is a black tea, which means that its leaves have been oxidized longer than green, oolong or white teas (white being the least oxidized). It is from the Wuyi region, in the Fujian province of China. I had been curious about this tea for a while after reading about it in the aforementioned book. The problem is that I had only seen it in large containers and didn't want to buy one until I had tasted it. I didn't know much else about the tea other than that it existed and was "full bodied".
Last year, I went to visit Linda in Toronto and at Au Bon Pain, they happened to have it on their menu. So I tried it.
This was probably the WORST tea i've ever tried. It smells like smoked fish and tastes like you're drinking pureed smoked fish. I like smoked fish, but in its actual solid form. Wiki says Lapsang is distinctive from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour
So there you have it. If you like drinking smoked fish, you will probably enjoy this tea. For me, it was a rather nasty experience and I drank it as quickly as possible so as to be done with it and never drink it again.
I give Lapsang Souchong
out of 5
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tasty Hot Water
Apart from water, Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. For a hot beverage to be a Tea it has to come from the Camellia Sinesis plant - everything else is some other form of herbal hot beverage, which we typically call a Tisane.
For those that know me, they know I enjoy tea quite a bit. It is definitely the beverage I consume most after water. I have not always been a tea freak though. Up until I was 17, I mostly drank Earl Grey with sugar and milk, like my parents. I had tried a few other bagged teas (Lady grey and green), but had never really explored all the different types of tea. One of my friends at the time was quite a fan of tea and drank it all the time. Whilst hanging out with them more often, I ended up drinking more tea as well, and that's probably how my tea fascination began.
I had toyed with the idea of making reviews about teas I've tried for a while, thanks to a suggestion from Paw. Since my classes are over, I figured this would be the opportune time to start my blog about Tea. For the purposes of this blog, I'm going to include Tisanes as well, because I do like them.
Generally, I'd like to review teas I've tasted, include some of their uses/benefits if applicable, where you can get them, ones I want to try and particular steeping methods if any. I'll also include posts about some good places to get tea or just to drink tea. If there's anything else I can think of that's tea related, I'll probably post that too.
If you're here, it's probably because you like tea, and so I hope you enjoy it. :)
For those that know me, they know I enjoy tea quite a bit. It is definitely the beverage I consume most after water. I have not always been a tea freak though. Up until I was 17, I mostly drank Earl Grey with sugar and milk, like my parents. I had tried a few other bagged teas (Lady grey and green), but had never really explored all the different types of tea. One of my friends at the time was quite a fan of tea and drank it all the time. Whilst hanging out with them more often, I ended up drinking more tea as well, and that's probably how my tea fascination began.
I had toyed with the idea of making reviews about teas I've tried for a while, thanks to a suggestion from Paw. Since my classes are over, I figured this would be the opportune time to start my blog about Tea. For the purposes of this blog, I'm going to include Tisanes as well, because I do like them.
Generally, I'd like to review teas I've tasted, include some of their uses/benefits if applicable, where you can get them, ones I want to try and particular steeping methods if any. I'll also include posts about some good places to get tea or just to drink tea. If there's anything else I can think of that's tea related, I'll probably post that too.
If you're here, it's probably because you like tea, and so I hope you enjoy it. :)
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