Tea 101 by Alton Brown from Good Eats

Maybe it's the geeky biologist in me, but I *love* the host of Good Eats, Alton Brown. I watched this video on another blog, The Ivy Keep, and want to share it with anyone and everyone who appreciates a good cuppa. He gives the skinny on Tea 101. And even though he gives props to Tazo tea bags, I'll forgive him since the episode is packed with good info. So sit back and enjoy a cup of tea while you watch. But don't blink or you'll miss something good. He even digresses to quickly explain superheating explosions that can occur when using the microwave - Scary! Now I digress. Enjoy...

Show Us Your Tea Spot!

We want to feature you & your favorite place to enjoy a cuppa tea. Send us a photo of your garden, kitchen nook, driver's seat of your car, or wherever you find solace with your tea.

We'll feature the photos here and our favorite 3 submissions will receive a free Tuffy Steeper & Tea Spot t-shirt.

Email your tea spot photo to info@theteaspot.com. In the body of the email please include your name & a short description of Your Tea Spot (50 words or less). We'll be collecting submissions throughout this month. Have fun with it!

Winter Nesting – After-dinner and Dessert Teas

Still deep into the winter season here in Colorado, we often find ourselves nesting at home rather than venturing into the city for dinner and drinks. Even after the holidays we're thinking up fun and healthy menus to entertain family and friends. The finale to many a winter gathering is often a beautiful sweet dessert. So what can you present as the perfect "closer" libation? Tea, of course – and with the vast variety of types and flavors tea offers, you can pick the perfect one! Desserts vary widely in taste and strength, some being very full-flavored, others being mild and refreshing. Most important in pairing a great tea for dessert is to match the strength of flavor.

I typically keep my tea pairing suggestions as broad as I can, but in this entry I will depart from that, in recommending specific teas from my company The Tea Spot, mostly because these are the teas I serve most often to my guests and have the most first-hand experience with in pairing with dessert.

With creamy desserts, like Crème Brulee or a Bread Pudding, it's great to pair something that will awaken in flavor, like our new ORGANIC NEW MOON DARJEELING, or if you're looking for something more delicate or almost caffeine-free, our MEDITATIVE MIND white tea blend with rosebuds and jasmine pearls.

For the sweetest of baked treats, try a strong black tea, such as our new ORGANIC BLUE MOUNTAIN NILGIRI, or a character-filled green, like the ORGANIC GREEN TWISTED SPEARS.

A classic with fruity desserts or chocolate with strong citrus tones is EARL OF GREY. If you're looking for a green, a perfect match here is our BOULDER BLUES, a blend of Sencha and Lung Ching with Strawberry and Rhubarb.

With lighter chocolate flavors, like a mousse, or meringues you can't go wrong with an oolong – our lilac-like overtones in the spring-picked, Taiwanese, VINTAGE OOLONG make it my personal favorite.

Some teas stand up beautifully as a dessert on their own. China black tea leaves have been flavored since around the time the Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368, and have become wildly popular in America and Europe in recent decades. The addition of natural essences and flavors create an exciting sensual and gastronomic experience, as both the tea and the scent are often enhanced in the marriage of the two. A favorite is our CRÈME CARAMEL with a well-defined, yet delicate caramel aroma, it's the classic dessert tea.

Holiday Gifting – Make your own Tea-infused Vodkas

My freezer is never without a bottle or two of chilling vodka. I’m not a regular drinker, and it may take me a year or two to get through it, but being of Russian descent, it’s something (along with pickles and herring) I feel compelled to have around for whenever a celebration might arise. Since it takes me so long to get through a bottle, and since I’m so intrigued by sourcing, blending, and cooking with teas, I started infusing little samples of vodkas with tea, herbs, fruits, flowers and spices. Here are some of the results – the good, the bad and the ugly - but some of the winners are truly exquisite. Get some nice bottles and package some up – it makes a welcome and unique gift! And of course, we’re not talking tea here… so drink responsibly!
To make infused vodka – pour 6 oz vodka into a mason jar and add 1 tsp tea leaves, herbs or spices. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Strain and pour into serving bottles. Chill well before serving. Finished product will keep in the freezer for at least 6 months. Generally, the black tea-infused vodkas and the Rooibos were the best.

Oolong-infused vodka – OK, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts. Seems like a silly compromise of two great products.

Red Rocks Vodka – Rooibos infused. Smooth, sleek and awesomely RED.

Darjeeling Vodka – same result as with the Oolong – not really worth the mix!

White Tea Vodka – Um… no. You’ll taste too much of it trying to find the flavor.

Green Tea Vodka – Pretty good, but use twice the amount of tea leaves as recommended, to try to make the overall drink smoother.

Very Black Vodka – my personal favorite! Infused with Pu-erh or Bolder Breakfast You’d never know you weren’t sipping a tiny tea cup of very very black tea!

Lemon Balm Vodka – OK, but haven’t figured out how to make it smooth – a bit rough going down.

Rose Bud Vodka – I’m the only one who drank this - but I thought it made a great chocolate martini. (Everyone else thought it smelled too much like bath lotion).

Peppercorn Vodka – Strong. Not many fans.

Honey Peppercorn Vodka – doesn’t make it much better.

Basil Vodka – very nice. And the leaves look so nice in the bottle.

Mint Vodka – I made 3 different kinds, and again, not many takers!

Oregano Vodka – Also rough, albeit the leaves look very pretty in there…

Rooibos – supercharged but caffeine-free!

The history of herbs and spices is far more ancient than that of tea. Herbal teas should not be called “teas” at all, as they are not made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. They are, strictly speaking, herbal infusions, and naturally 100% caffeine-free. Many host a variety of health benefits, and some will offer a sensational gourmet experience in aromatherapy and taste. But, so many people refer to them as “herbal teas” in the states that we have jumped on that bandwagon and now do the same…

Which brings me to my all-time favorite herbal tea – RED tea, aka South African Rooibos, Bush tea (no relation to our 40th or 42nd President), and Redbush tea. Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss), is grown only in the Cedarburg mountain area outside Capetown in South Africa. Its needle-like leaves are well suited to its arid home. It is harvested manually during the summer, at which point it is still green. Oxidation is essential in order to enhance the flavor of the tea and this turns the tea leaves bright red.

Rooibos is one of today’s hottest trends in the tea industry. This faintly sweet red tea is unique because it contains health benefits while being naturally caffeine free and low in tannin, thus allowing iron absorption. Rooibos contains almost no tannins, but has many replenishing minerals including iron, potassium, copper, alpha-hydroxy and zinc. It is rich in antioxidants, the substances that combat free radicals in the body. It works as an anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen. Rooibos tea has also been shown to soothe the body's reaction to allergies and rashes. At an herbal store, you'll probably find Rooibos under the name "Herbal Allergy tea" due to this natural allergy-fighting quality. Its anti-spasmodic agents can relieve stomach pains and cramps.

Rooibos tea not only acts as your personal helping hand in fighting allergies and ailments, it is also perfectly suited for growing babies, young children, active teenagers, parents and grandparents alike... My recommendation for children is to brew it hot, ice it, and blend with a bit of cranberry juice. You don't need much cran. Being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it can be used as a natural supplement. It also makes a great thirst quencher iced.

And lastly, Rooibos is a most versatile and remarkable tea for pairing with meals. In particular for strong cuisines, such as Italian and Mexican, that don’t come from a traditional tea region, Rooibos pairs smoothly and deliciously, hot or iced. Personally, I enjoy this healthful infusion with a splash of foamed milk or cream – and it’s the first drink I go for anytime I need a calming brew. Images of The Ladies’ No. 1 Detective Agency (by Zimbabwean-born author Alexander McCall Smith) protagonist Precious Ramotswe, the only female P.I. in Botswana, sharing a cup of bush tea with a friend or client while working a case, shine through and linger with me long after I’ve finished my cup of RED ROCKS tea…

Pairing tea with breakfast - a healthy way to toast the day!

Many of us love to start our day with tea. Just tea! The variety of choices here is as wide as the world of tea… many people like to start their day with a green or an Oolong tea, but there are others of us who prefer to hit the morning hours with a nice strong pot of Pu’erh, Assam, or Breakfast Blend. Some of this choice has to do with flavor preferences, but it also has to do with just how much astringency we can deal with first thing. As many times as I’ve tried to kick off my early morning yoga with a green tea ritual, it’s just not something my stomach is prepared to do before having something to eat.Pu’erh, on the other hand, feels like a warm velvet blanket to me.

The traditional breakfast teas and blends are made of black teas. With pronounced tannins and a strong finish, they’re excellent with full-flavored traditional breakfast foods. And of course, getting one’s mind kick-started with a nice black tea is often helpful…

With lighter breakfast foods, such as a continental breakfast of rolls, fruit, cereal and toast, the standards are Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Kenyan and Nilgiri black teas. For a more robust breakfast that might include eggs, meats and cheese, you can pair easily with the above-mentioned favorites. Or, you can choose to go with even stronger or scented teas as well – Scottish or Irish Breakfast Blends, Earl Grey, and Pu-erh can all stand their own to even the strongest tasting cheeses. My personal favorite with bacon and eggs is a Green Pu-erh…. In fact, I’ll drink this tea just to remind me of eggs and bacon when I can’t have those.

And lastly, we would be remiss if we failed to mention one of Pu‘erh’s better-known features, as an excellent hangover cure, making it the beverage of choice for an otherwise painfully slow morning! Pu’erh is very smooth in taste, and even darker than black tea. It has been shown to cut through grease (and cholesterol), help digestion, warm you, help produce saliva and shake thirst, dispel the effects of alcohol, and refresh your mind. For those reasons, when we developed our own “Bolder Breakfast” blend, Pu’erh tea was chosen as the central ingredient.

Pairing Tea with Food - and Introduction

Pairing tea with food is an adventure in flavors. It is also a great way to get to know the variety in the world of tea. Tea provides an extensive range of tastes, similar to that of wine, but without the associated alcohol.

Tea drinking practices are analogous to wine drinking practices, in that we change drinks at a non-alcohol meal (such as breakfast) in the same way we switch between an aperitif and white or red wine at a meal later on in the day. Many people start their mornings with a glass of juice or lemon water, and then switch to coffee or tea. Today’s tea drinkers are getting so sophisticated that many drink more than one type of tea during the day. This is, of course, in part because there are so many different varieties of tea available. The most discerning tea drinkers sometimes ask for two or three different teas at one meal.

People have discovered that a stronger, smokier tea is better with cheese or eggs, whereas a lighter or green or white tea is usually superior with pastries. It’s exactly like learning that red or white wine goes better with some foods than others. For instance, last weekend, we served iced oolong (re-steeped after infusing the rice) with a hand-rolled sushi dinner. It was exquisite… after years of serving only Japanese green teas with sushi, it was a delightful accidental discovery –the oolong was able to accent up and complement the wide diversity of flavors far better than a straight green tea does. Also, serving an iced beverage at this summer evening party was definitely the way to go!

Even though we don’t often give it much consideration, we pair tea with food every day. Some people may start the day timidly, with a weak cup of black tea and dry toast, and others might start the day boldly with a strong mug of black tea and a well-buttered roll. Tea has evolved for thousands of years along with regional cuisine to be the drink that goes along with meals. It is no surprise, therefore that it pairs well with foods! Like a small mid-course or palate cleanser, tea also works as a flavor bridge from one course to the next. As more people adopt tea into their daily ritual, they discover that by pairing certain teas with specific foods, not only is the flavor of the food enhanced, but the quality of the tea is highlighted. Experiment and enjoy – you’ll find that when paired with the appropriate dish, tea helps to complete the flavor journey of that dish!