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May 20, 2011
May 17, 2011
Nettle Pesto
Nettle (Urtica dioica) is by far my favorite herb and I drink a cup of nettle/dandelion tea first thing every morning. Not only is nettle rich in vitamins and minerals (calcium and iron), it is also a great herb to support the detoxification process of your liver.
While nettle is mostly recommended as a tea or tincture, there are many ways this herb can be used in your kitchen, for example as a replacement for any leafy green vegetables in your favorite recipes.
An easy and tasty way to prepare nettle is the following pesto recipe which I found in an herbal magazine.
Ingredients:
6 cups (125g) fresh nettle (blanched in boiling water for 1 minute) – or dried nettle
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped,
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan, asiago or romano cheese
1/3 cup virgin olive oil, salt, pepper
Place the nettle, pine nuts, parmesan and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend the mixture until it is smooth. Then gradually add the olive oil until it is well distributed.
This pesto is great with your favorite pasta or on grilled chicken breast.!
Pesto will keep for up to one month in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
The Art of Cupping
Just like wine connoisseurs, tea aficionados appreciate the differences in flavor and aroma of the over 3000 different tea varieties.
While some tea-drinkers prefer the consistency of a blend, such as English Breakfast, others enjoy the fluctuations in character of a single origin tea, which is influenced by seasonal changes, early or late harvest, elevation and soil quality.
Regardless of our preference, the tea quality is very important and experienced tea tasters spent countless hours evaluating the leave style, aroma and taste of teas. What the “nose” is to the perfume industry, the “tea taster” is to the tea industry.
Tea tasting, or cupping, is a very structured process during which the quality of the dry and infused leaf is examined, as well as the color and aroma of the liquor and finally the taste of the infusion.
- For the cupping process, the leaves are placed in a container and lined up in a long row on the tasting bench. The taster weighs a specific amount of each tea and puts it in a special small brewing vessel. Sometimes this is a lidded mug (Gaiwan) or a small porcelain teapot. The brewing vessels are always white so that the color of the infusion is easier to assess.
- Boiling water for black teas, and slightly cooler water for green and white teas, is poured over the leaves which are than allowed to steep for 3-6 minutes depending on the varietal.
- After the steeping, the infusion is poured into tasting bowls and the infused leave is collected on the lid of the brewing mug.
- Like a wine taster, the tea taster slurps the tea into his mouth which is quite a noisy affair, but necessary because the tea needs to hit all taste buds to unfold its character.
Tea tasters taste hundreds of samples of different teas from different estates regions and seasons every day. In fact, it takes a long time to become a professional in this art. At least five years of training are needed before becoming a tea master, however even after many decades of tasting, these tea masters will tell you that they are still learning and honing their skills.
While we won’t offer tea master training, if you are interested in learning about the many nuances in aroma and flavor of orthodox teas, sign up for our popular TEA 101 tasting – It is a journey into the world of tea, that will introduce you to the art of cupping tea!
May 10, 2011
Tea Profile: Gyokuro
Gyokuro is produced near Kyoto, Japan, around the famous tea-growing town of Uji. Literally translated, gyokuro means “pearl (or jade) dew and it is considered of Japan’s most highly prized teas.
Production
Gyokuro is a very high-quality tea that is processed in an unusual way. In early spring, as the first growth ofthe season is about to begin, Gyokuro is shaded under marsh-reed screens or cloth covers for three weeks.
The deprivation of sunlight increases the tea’s chlorophyll content while mellowing and sweetening the flavor of this steamed green tea. Only the precious top leaves are ultimately used in the making of Gyokuro. Due to the special handling, Gyokuro tea is quite expensive but well worth the extra cost.
Taste
The dark green leaves of a Gyokuro brew up pale green with a surprisingly vibrant aroma anda smooth, sweetly vegetal note. This tea is less bitter than many of its green tea cousins.
Preparation
In order to obtain the best quality, it is recommended to use a water temperature of only 165 degrees and steep the leaves for a minute or less. To get to the 165 degrees, simply allow the boiling water to cool for about 1-2 minutes before pouring it over the leaves.
Enjoy!
May 3, 2011
Accidental Tea Inventions
It may come as a surprise but both the tea bag and iced tea were not the result of diligent research, but rather the product of serendipitous circumstances – both having their roots here in the U.S.
Tea Bag
It was the American tea merchant, Thomas Sullivan, who is credited with the invention of the tea bag. Thomas lived in New York at the turn of the 20th century. In order to increase sales, he sent his customers generous samples of his teas. Since it was costing him quite a bit of money to do this, he came up with the idea to filling small silk bags with single servings of tea. His customers not only liked this new way of sampling tea, but started to place orders for the silk sachets. He may not have intended it, but Thomas Sullivan created a whole new way to prepare tea – a way that would be adopted not only in the United States but in Europe as well.
Iced Tea
Iced tea is the most popular way of drinking tea here in the United States. About 80% of all tea consumed her is iced, but we would have missed out this refreshing beverage, had it not been for a hot summer day in 1904. It was the year of the St. Louis World Fair, where tea merchant Richard Bleychynden was promoting the latest teas – black teas from India. Since temperatures were soaring, he did not have much luck enticing passersby to try his samples. Realizing that a cool refreshing drink, might be more popular, he poured his freshly made tea over ice and served it in glasses….and the rest, as they see, is history!
