Blog Archives
Drink Me: Tea Embassy, Secret Garden
Another tea I picked up in my last Tea Embassy order was their Secret Garden blend.
From the website, Secret Garden contains Pai Mu Tan, Darjeeling and Chinese green teas, sencha, dragonwell, gunpowder, jasmine jade pearls, candied mango bits, candied pineapple bits, orange peels, strawberry bits, red currants, sour cherry bits and apricot bits.
Secret Garden is available at $6.50 per ounce in 1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 8oz and 1lb packages.
When I first opened the package, I got the overwhelming tropical scent of the mango and pineapple. As it brewed I also detected the cherry and strawberry scents. The tea itself was light and fruity. The blend didn’t taste strongly of any of the actual teas: I didn’t get a black tea feel from it, and the green tea was very light and not grassy. Overall, it was a really nice light fruity blend. I think it would be fantastic iced and I really enjoyed it.
Drink Me: Tea Runners, Moonlight Jasmine
Whoops! I fell off the tea bandwagon there for a few Fridays, but I’m endeavoring to catch up.
Another lovely selection in my last Tea Runners box was Moonlight Jasmine courtesy of Rishi Tea.
From the website, Moonlight Jasmine contains green tea and jasmine blossoms.
It is available in a variety of sizes: Teaser for $2.00, a Quarter Pound for $45.00 and 250g for $80.00.
As I’ve said before, I LOVE Jasmine tea. In general I’m not a huge fan of florals, but something about Jasmine gets me every time. I was delighted to try this one from the moment I opened the package until the last sip. The green tea was smooth and fresh tasting, not grassy at all. And the Jasmine was almost like an afternote – I got the taste mostly as I was swallowing. It wasn’t as strong as some teas I’ve tried, but it was light and perfect. I plan on brewing a large pitcher of it iced to keep me going through the summer and I’ll definitely be ordering more of this one!
The Corner of Knit & Tea: Episode 138, RIBBIT
Welcome to episode 138! Today I have a few FO’s, a few WIPS and one RIBBIT that’s driving me crazy.
Please come and join the Ravelry group.
You can also find me on Ravelry as Fluffyk, Twitter, Instagram as Fluffykira, and in my shop The Corner of Knit & Tea.
Tea:
- Rishi Tea, Moonlight Jasmine
Knitting:
- Finished: Vanilla Socks in Opal Best Friends (Attachment 8863)
- Finished: Impish by Kathryn Folkerth, Squoosh Fiberarts Ultra Worsted in Pucker Patch
- In progress: Buccaneer by Justyna Lorkowska, O-Wool O-Wash in Barn Owl and a gradient on Iachos from A Hundred Ravens.
- In progress: Union Square Socks by Mina Philipp, Another Crafty Girl Strong Sock in Ponkie Brewster
Spinning:
- Finished: Southern Cross Fibre South African Superfine Merino in Boil and Bubble
- On deck: Wound Up Fiber Arts Organic Polwarth in Cupid
Extras:
- I am currently hosting a Sock KAL (knit or crochet) from May 1 to June 30. Come visit the group thread for details.
Drink me: Shang Tea, Jasmine White Tea Classic
Many months ago I wrote about a wonderful local Chinese tea shop, Shang Tea. This time I decided that I wanted to sample their Jasmine White Tea Classic.
From the site, Jasmine White Tea Classic is quality white tea infused 4-5 times with jasmine blooms. Not everyone is a jasmine fan, but I really like it.
Jasmine White Tea Classic is available in a variety of sizes: sample for $4.00, 2oz for $16.00, 4oz for $30.00, 8oz for $58.00 and 1lb for $115.00.
When I opened the package, all I got was fragrant jasmine. The smell always makes me think of hot summer nights. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been near blooming jasmine, but it certainly conjures up that feeling for me. This was the perfect blend of tea with jasmine – I got the flowery aroma and a bit of the taste, but it wasn’t overly strong. It really was in the perfect proportions.
Drink Me: Argo Teas, Jasmine Green Tea
The next blend included in the Argo Teas sampler was Jasmine Green Tea.
From the website, the blend is green tea with jasmine blossoms.
The tea is available in a 4.4oz canister for $14.95.
There’s something about jasmine tea that I’ve always liked. I don’t know whether it’s the fragrance that makes me think of hot summer nights or if there’s just something exotic about it, but I really like it. When I opened the package I could immediately smell the jasmine and that stayed throughout the brewing process. The tea was a light green with that lush jasmine taste. I added a bit of sugar and it was delicious. I also think I would like it iced, though I understand that might not be for everyone.
Drink Me: Capital Teas, White Cosmo Organic
The final tea I ordered from Capital Teas was the White Cosmo Organic.
From the website, the blend contains: organic white tea, organic rosehips, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, organic schizandra berries, organic strawberries, organic and hibiscus flowers, natural lychee and plum flavors, and organic white tea with jasmine.
It comes in a variety of sizes: 2oz for $16.00, 4oz for $32.00, 8oz for $60.80, 1lb for $115.20 and 2lbs for $217.60.
Based on the description of the ingredients I expected to really like this tea, but my first impression when I opened the bag to take the photographs was that it was overly flowery. When I opened it a second time to make a cup, I got more of the hibiscus and fruity smell. Once brewed the tea was mild, with a bit of a tangy hibiscus/berry taste. Overall, it was ok but it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be.
Drink Me: Teavana, Peachberry Jasmine Sutra
Another tea I added to my last order from Teavana is the Peachberry Jasmine Sutra. Since I love both peaches and jasmine tea I hoped this would be a winner.
From the label, Peachberry Jasmine Sutra contains Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls green tea, green rooibos, hibiscus flowers, apple pieces, rosehip peels, peach pieces, kiwi pieces, strawberry pieces and marigold petals.
The tea is available in multiples of 2oz for $9.98 per 2oz.
When I first opened the package I smelled sweet peach, with a hint of jasmine underneath. Once brewed, the jasmine overshadowed the other scents. The taste was a pleasant mix of the two. The tea wasn’t as sweet as I had hoped – it’s definitely a bit more tart, but the jasmine was very nice. And neither here nor there, but I’m fascinated with the jasmine pearls!
Drink Me: David’s Tea, Silk Dragon Jasmine
I admit I’ve always had a fondness for jasmine green teas. I don’t know if it stems from my love of Chinese food with my family, but add a little jasmine and I’m pouring myself a cup. So when I was placing an order with David’s Tea, I decided to try their Silk Dragon Jasmine.
From the website, the blend contains organic Chinese green tea from Jianxi Province that is naturally scented with jasmine flowers.
It is available in the following sizes: 50g for $7.50, 100g + free tin for $15, 250g + free tin for $37.50 and 500g + free tin for $75.
When I first opened this tea all I smelled was the heady scent of the jasmine blooms. I generally don’t like flowery teas, but there is something about jasmine that I find very soothing. Once brewed I didn’t get as much of the jasmine scent. The tea once brewed lost most of the jasmine smell, which was replaced by a more earthy green tea smell. I enjoyed the tea, but in this case I have to say that the first jasmine aroma might have been even more enticing than the taste. I’m going to have to sample this one again to decide if it makes the “re-order” list, but I’m glad I tried it.
