So about a week ago I went on over to Adagio Teas and bought myself $130 worth of tea, most of it in samples. I just got them in today—all 28 varieties of tea plus a free sample of Lung Ching (Dragonwell). I can't comment on all the teas as I only tried five of them tonight, but I will say this: the canisters they come in are REALLY cool. I love them. The prices are very reasonable as well, especially since the Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl tea I had was, quite simply, some of the best tea I have ever, ever had. Seriously. This tea is amazing, and they're not paying me to say that or anything. I'll post a proper review once that post-orgasmic glow wears off (it's only been a couple hours), but I don't know if I'll be able to type straight with more of that stuff in me.
Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sweeteners
What kind of sweetener you use in your tea (if any) can be a very important decision. Generally, you only want a touch of sweetener in your tea to bring out the flavor and soften any bitterness that may be present. An exception to this is chai tea, as you may need somewhat more to bring out the flavor of all the spices.
Still, there are many sweeteners out there and they can greatly affect your beverage.
White sugar is, of course, the sweetener most people are familiar with. It doesn't really do anything to the flavor of your tea beyond making it sweeter. I avoid it, but only because it's refined and processed and all that crap most people don't care about.
Raw sugar will sweeten your tea just the same as white sugar, but it may add a faint molasses taste, and being that it's not processed as much, is marginally better for you than white sugar. Brown sugar is slightly less sweet because it isn't as dense, but it will definitely affect the flavor of your tea.
Honey is a popular sweetener given how much it rocks. It's much better for you than sugar, as it contains minerals, antioxidants, and has antibiotic properties. Raw honey is even better and may help alleviate one's pollen allergies. Once you get into honey, you'll find there are actually many different kinds of honey, but I'll go into that in a later article.
A less popular but totally awesome sweetener is agave nectar. I've seen it come in amber and light varieties—I've only tried the amber, and I love it. It's much runnier than honey, which means it dissolved a hell of a lot easier, and to boot it's also somewhat sweeter than sugar (while honey is slightly less sweet), meaning it takes less to reach your desired sweetness. It's also mostly fructose, which means it has an extremely low glycemic load (the lowest of all non-artificial sweeteners, I believe).
Corn syrup is no good. Avoid it. Molasses I have not tried, but I think it would be too strongly flavored to complement tea well.
Artificial sweeteners are crap and are bad for you. Avoid them.
Use Stevia if you don't want any calories (even though a tiny dollop of honey will only be 5-15 calories). Stevia is actually banned for use as a sweetener in the U.S., but is available as an "herbal supplement." I don't see how that follows, so I can only assume the sugar industry has been giving some government officials pretty sweet deals. Although be forewarned: Stevia's sweetness is a little different than that of sugar's. It's not bad, but it does take some getting used to, as it has a stronger and longer-lasting aftertaste than sugar.
And, of course, you can always just take your tea without any additives, although I prefer just a tiny touch of honey, agave nectar, or raw sugar. Just a small dot on a teaspoon is all.
Still, there are many sweeteners out there and they can greatly affect your beverage.
White sugar is, of course, the sweetener most people are familiar with. It doesn't really do anything to the flavor of your tea beyond making it sweeter. I avoid it, but only because it's refined and processed and all that crap most people don't care about.
Raw sugar will sweeten your tea just the same as white sugar, but it may add a faint molasses taste, and being that it's not processed as much, is marginally better for you than white sugar. Brown sugar is slightly less sweet because it isn't as dense, but it will definitely affect the flavor of your tea.
Honey is a popular sweetener given how much it rocks. It's much better for you than sugar, as it contains minerals, antioxidants, and has antibiotic properties. Raw honey is even better and may help alleviate one's pollen allergies. Once you get into honey, you'll find there are actually many different kinds of honey, but I'll go into that in a later article.
A less popular but totally awesome sweetener is agave nectar. I've seen it come in amber and light varieties—I've only tried the amber, and I love it. It's much runnier than honey, which means it dissolved a hell of a lot easier, and to boot it's also somewhat sweeter than sugar (while honey is slightly less sweet), meaning it takes less to reach your desired sweetness. It's also mostly fructose, which means it has an extremely low glycemic load (the lowest of all non-artificial sweeteners, I believe).
Corn syrup is no good. Avoid it. Molasses I have not tried, but I think it would be too strongly flavored to complement tea well.
Artificial sweeteners are crap and are bad for you. Avoid them.
Use Stevia if you don't want any calories (even though a tiny dollop of honey will only be 5-15 calories). Stevia is actually banned for use as a sweetener in the U.S., but is available as an "herbal supplement." I don't see how that follows, so I can only assume the sugar industry has been giving some government officials pretty sweet deals. Although be forewarned: Stevia's sweetness is a little different than that of sugar's. It's not bad, but it does take some getting used to, as it has a stronger and longer-lasting aftertaste than sugar.
And, of course, you can always just take your tea without any additives, although I prefer just a tiny touch of honey, agave nectar, or raw sugar. Just a small dot on a teaspoon is all.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tea Fights Crime
Tea Prevents Crime (in addition to tooth decay, cancer, hypertension, etc.)
A mother and her 6-month old girl escaped unhurt after she calmed down a knife-wielding robber with a glass of iced tea and a chat, Tokyo police said Wednesday.
Read the whole article here.
In movies you always see the woman throw a cup of hot coffee in the bad guy's face, but does it ever stop him? Nope. So apparently tea is better than coffee in this respect, too (and it's less wasteful).
Friday, August 8, 2008
What's so great about tea?
Everything, which is why I need a blog to cover it all.
First, a little about myself: I am a twenty-two year old male living in Juneau, Alaska who has been an avid tea drinker for a good six years. I drink about a half-gallon of green tea a day, which stands in stark contrast to my pre-tea days of imbibing large amounts of diabetes-inducing soda. I'm glad those days are behind me.
Specifically, this blog will cover everything about tea, from the health benefits of teas to the relative quality of different brands of teas to my personal reviews. And because of my rather unique geographic location, I will also post several articles on homemade teas and tisanes (such as ones made from fireweed, Alaskan blueberries, Devil's Club, and other indigenous plants and berries).
First, a little about myself: I am a twenty-two year old male living in Juneau, Alaska who has been an avid tea drinker for a good six years. I drink about a half-gallon of green tea a day, which stands in stark contrast to my pre-tea days of imbibing large amounts of diabetes-inducing soda. I'm glad those days are behind me.
Specifically, this blog will cover everything about tea, from the health benefits of teas to the relative quality of different brands of teas to my personal reviews. And because of my rather unique geographic location, I will also post several articles on homemade teas and tisanes (such as ones made from fireweed, Alaskan blueberries, Devil's Club, and other indigenous plants and berries).
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