One thing teaheads love almost as much as tea is tea accoutrements, all the little doodads and helpers and tea making paraphernalia that money can buy. Some tea people specialize in Chinese or Japanese accoutrements, some in Yixing clay or Korean ceramics, but most have an eclectic array of helpers, like timers and infusers of every size and style you can imagine.
I finally purchased an item that I have had my eye on for a very long time. You see, most of the accoutrements are not actually NECESSARY. They can be very helpful and a lot of fun. This one will be helpful. I am sure of it. Also fun, because I will be playing with tea when I use it!
When you are trying to get the very most out of your tea and you have purchased some really fine quality leaf, you want it to taste the very best. But some leaf almost defies measurement. Sometimes silver needle can be too long to rest in your teaspoon. Shou mei can be so large and fluffy that guessing what amount it takes to weigh 2.25 grams can be daunting, and again, it refuses to behave itself in a teaspoon. Loosely pressed puerh and iron cake puerh can be hard to gauge.
I tried measuring tea on my kitchen scale, but it wasn’t sensitive enough and I had to keep piling leaves on before the scale even knew tea was there. That’s when I decided to order the Upton Tea Company scale.
The scale arrived very quickly and was very well packed. I ordered the calibration weight as well, because why have a scale if you don’t know if it is accurate?
The scale was so easy to use, right out of the box. It has a nice little case and feels like it will last. It has a tare feature, naturally, and was easy to check and calibrate. It would fit in most pockets so it isn’t going to be a space hog and is very portable.
In addition to weighing in grams, pennyweight(dwt), and ounces, Upton had it programmed with a cupweight mode, meaning you place the amount of leaf you have or wish to use on the scale and it tells you how many cups of tea you can make with that amount of leaf. That is a great feature when you are determined to do a sipdown or when you just want to know which capacity teapot to pull out.
Is it necessary? No. Is it going to be helpful when I am reviewing a new tea like a super fluffy white or a very compact puerh, or when I have guests and I want to get the proportions right the FIRST time? Absolutely!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Where to Buy: Upton Tea
Description
The tremendous range of leaf styles in loose leaf teas makes measuring by volume imprecise. Our digital pocket tea scale solves this problem in a unique way, by introducing a special ‘Cupweight’ mode. In this mode, the scale displays the precise number of cups that a portion of tea will yield, based on the industry standard of 2 1/4 grams per 6-ounce cup. Note that this scale will also weigh in grams, ounces and pennyweight (dwt mode). One year limited warranty. Each scale is precisely calibrated at the factory.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sanctuary Candle/Bellocq Tea Atelier -ashmanra
For many tea lovers, tea is so much more than just a beverage. Tea becomes a comfort, a joy, a means of sharing special moments, a way to quiet the noise of life, a way of making friends, a glimpse into another culture.
Tea ceremonies from other countries may be studied and practiced. Special tea times are set aside to focus the mind on the fullest enjoyment of the beverage and the rituals that go with preparing it, alone or with friends.
Gong fu sessions have become an important part of our household. While we do not do this every week, it is a treasured time of quiet and relaxation with our favorite beverage.
To prepare for our special tea times, we play soothing music, usually traditional Asian music, turn the lights off, and light candles. Everything begins to slow down. Water is heated, cups are chosen, the tray is placed on the floor, and we settle ourselves around the tray.
When I saw the brass sanctuary candle on Bellocq’s website, I knew I was going to try to get it one day. I am very budget conscious, though, and will not frivolously spend large sums, except when quality dictates worth. Everything I have ever purchased from Bellocq has been high quality and I have not regretted a single one of them. I decided to watch for a sale. (I may have picked up some tea in that order since there was a sale on. That’s just being smart!)
I always feel special when a box from Bellocq arrives. Their signature yellow tissue paper cushions your goods in a fabulously strong reusable box. Even their labels are artistic. Everything arrives looking like a thoughtful gift.
As for the Sanctuary Candle, was it worth it? Every penny. This is very thick brass, with lovely proportions and beautiful, useful design. The brass cylinder stores the candles, and when you are ready to use them, you take off the lid and flip it over to serve as the candleholder.
This is a really heavy gauge of brass and I think it would be pretty indestructible. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. I fully expect to own it for the rest of my life and pass it down to my children. Seriously.
They say the candle should burn for about one hour, and I can almost perfectly time our tea sessions by it. I have never seen any dripping wax – it burns that cleanly. I have taken no special measures to protect the flame, yet it burns brightly and cleanly. I do not have to trim the wick mid-burn, because it is well-sized for the diameter of the candle. These things count!
When tea time is done, the lid that holds the candle goes back on and the Sanctuary Candle is placed back on the mantel to lend its warm, golden glow until our next tea session.
Now that I have experienced the Sanctuary Candle, I will be watching for another sale to try their long-burning tea scented candles in brass containers. I can hardly wait to see all the ways we think of to re-use the empty brass holders!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Bellocq Tea Atelier
Description
Eighteen hand-dipped ivory tapers, presented in a brass vessel expertly crafted by Bellocq metal artisans, to adorn the armchair traveler’s moments of sanctuary, and to illuminate journeys of ritual and light. Each slender taper fits into the underside of the brass container with elegance and serenity.
Created from a blend of high-quality waxes, including beeswax, and a pure cotton wick,the Sanctuary Candles are long burning, drip and smoke resistant. Packaged in our elegant peacock blue candle box.
Burn time per taper: 1 hour
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Are you having your 5 A DAY ? What better way to have your first fruit portion of the day is there than to try our Strawberry Matcha Tea. Our Matcha Tea is blended with the best hand picked European Strawberries. It’s time to get those buiscuits out to fuse with our 100% Pure Matcha Tea with a blend of the freshest Aroma of strawberries.
Learn more about this Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! Strawberries! Is there any fruit that says “summertime” more beautifully than strawberries?
Strawberries always remind me of my gramma, because she lived very close to one of those strawberry stands that was located right at the foot of the strawberry field – where you could go and pick your own strawberries, or you could go the easy route and simply buy a big flat of strawberries that had been picked that very morning. So, when strawberry season arrived – and in Southern California, strawberry season is noticeably longer than here in the Pacific Northwest (rain causes the strawberries on the vine to rot, and we’re kind of known for our rain up here in the Pacific Northwest) – and all throughout the season, I could always count on having some fresh strawberry shortcake for dessert whenever I visited gramma’s house for dinner. YUM!
So, while strawberries are not my favorite fruit, they are certainly up there in the top five (probably more like the top three), and they do hold a very special place in my memories because of my gramma.
In case you’re wondering, my favorite fruit is tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. Hey, Red Leaf Teas … how about a TOMATO flavored Matcha?
Anyway, after reading the many positive reviews about this Strawberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, I decided I needed to try it. The specifications for this matcha was similar to the specifications for the others that I’ve ordered from Red Leaf Tea: Starter Matcha and the distinctive level of flavoring. And yet again, I find that the distinctive level of flavoring is just perfect for me. Of course, I really don’t have anything to compare it to, but I just know that I’m loving what I’m tasting, and that’s good enough for me.
The strawberry essence was evident from the moment I opened the pouch. I could smell it, even without holding my nose over the pouch and inhaling. I’ve learned from past errors in judgement that it is not a good idea to inhale a pile of Matcha… the powder is super fine and will either get sucked up into your nostrils (not fun) or might get blown all over the place and you’d not only have a mess to clean up but also a lot of wasted Matcha. Matcha is for drinking, not for scattering all over the kitchen counter!
I sifted the Matcha … and here’s another thing that I’ve noticed about Red Leaf Tea versus other flavored Matcha that I’ve tried – you CAN and therefore SHOULD sift the flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea. In the past, with other flavored Matcha from other sources, I found that there were little bits of flavor particles which wouldn’t make their way through the fine mesh of the strainer, and therefore would affect the flavor of the Matcha. I don’t know what kind of flavor that Red Leaf Tea uses to flavor their Matcha, but it would seem that it is ground as fine as the Matcha itself, and therefore does not inadvertently get “sifted out” when you sift the Matcha. And sifting does absolutely improve the end result. So … I recommend sifting this Matcha!
After measuring and sifting the Matcha, I added the hot water and began whisking. It whisked up nice and frothy. And YUM! This is so deliciously strawberry. Strawberry from the very first sip. And what’s even nicer is that the strawberry flavor develops as I sip … so the last sip offers an even stronger strawberry flavor than the first sip did.
Of course, I can taste the buttery, vegetative taste of the Matcha too. It goes along very nicely with the strawberry flavor. The strawberry is sweet and juicy tasting, and the Matcha offers a nice, earthy contrast. Sweet and delicious – and no chalkiness or even any gritty aftertaste or texture. Just smooth, creamy goodness!
This is actually my second time drinking this Matcha – yesterday, we were near the tail end of a heat wave here in the Pacific Northwest. I know it was the tail end because today, it’s not so hot! Yesterday, had you told me that the heat was almost over, I would have not believed you. It felt like it was never ending! It was so miserably hot. And yes, I have read the studies that claim that hot liquids help cool the body, but, I was so uncomfortable that the thought of drinking anything hot was just as unbearable as the heat was.
So after whisking up the Matcha, I decided that even though I serve Matcha cooler than I serve most other hot teas, I didn’t want hot Matcha, I wanted something cold and frosty. So, I poured the Matcha into my blender, added some ice cubes, milk and a little bit more of the Matcha powder and blended it until it was all smooth. And let me just say that this was so incredible! Strawberries and cream! Delicious and oh so cool! It was so refreshing.
And I was tempted to make another today, but I decided to try this the way Matcha “should” be consumed, so I drank it hot and loved it that way too. It’s hard to say which way I liked it best – I enjoyed the additional creamy element from the milk as well as the frosty cool taste of the “matcha milkshake” that I made, but it is absolutely heavenly served “properly” in a chawan, whisked up to a frothy, creamy, delicious hot drink.
I don’t know if this is my favorite Matcha that I’ve tried so far from Red Leaf Tea (the Caramel Matcha was pretty darned amazing too!) but it’s right up there. Amazingly good!
