Crispy radishes served with sweet, creamy butter and crunchy fleur de sel.
A simple springtime pleasure in France.
Photo du Jour - Pass the Butter and the Fleur de Sel
Crispy radishes served with sweet, creamy butter and crunchy fleur de sel.
A simple springtime pleasure in France.
2008 Miyabi Shincha
Origin: Uji prefecture, Japan
Year: 2008
Vendor: O-Cha (Product page)
Price: $27.95 (110g)
This tea comes courtesy of Chip, a fellow TeaChat member. I know a few people who consider this to be the king of sencha, so I had high expectations of this tea. And, fortunately enough, my expectations were mostly met. :)
This is a great tea. It has good flavor; it does not have the most intense flavor ever, but it is clean and refined. There is a light sweetness, and a pleasant cooling aftertaste. Chip mentioned tasting a slight roasty/nutty flavor, and I think I agree. Whether or not it's just in my head or not, though, I can't say. :) In my experience it isn't a particularly vegetal tea, but there is some grassiness. Also, it's pretty easy to brew, as long as you pay attention. Much easier than the Yukata Midori (or the Hatsumi, so I hear), anyway.
It is expensive, though. Compared to O-Cha's Kirameki it's a steal, but that's not saying much. Actually, having tried Miyabi, I can't really recommend Kirameki anymore. It's more expensive than Miyabi, and not nearly as good (in my opinion).
Taken from http://teanerd.blogspot.com/
Year: 2008
Vendor: O-Cha (Product page)
Price: $27.95 (110g)
This tea comes courtesy of Chip, a fellow TeaChat member. I know a few people who consider this to be the king of sencha, so I had high expectations of this tea. And, fortunately enough, my expectations were mostly met. :)
This is a great tea. It has good flavor; it does not have the most intense flavor ever, but it is clean and refined. There is a light sweetness, and a pleasant cooling aftertaste. Chip mentioned tasting a slight roasty/nutty flavor, and I think I agree. Whether or not it's just in my head or not, though, I can't say. :) In my experience it isn't a particularly vegetal tea, but there is some grassiness. Also, it's pretty easy to brew, as long as you pay attention. Much easier than the Yukata Midori (or the Hatsumi, so I hear), anyway.
It is expensive, though. Compared to O-Cha's Kirameki it's a steal, but that's not saying much. Actually, having tried Miyabi, I can't really recommend Kirameki anymore. It's more expensive than Miyabi, and not nearly as good (in my opinion).
Taken from http://teanerd.blogspot.com/
Open day at Teapot Island
There will be an open day at Sue Blazye's Teapot Island on Saturday 22nd of April everyone is welcome. Gary Seymour, Roger and Julia Michell will be there. I hope to be there too.
You can find Teapot Island here...
Hampstead Lane, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent. ME18 6HG
Telephone: 01622 814541
Full directions
Taken from http://teapotsteapotsteapots.blogspot.com/
Korean Style Tea Table
This table is a Korean original by ceramic artist Kim Kyoung Soo. Its rustic, natural, and earthy feel is what characterizes Korean ceramics. Its colour adds to this feel with one side of the table exhibiting rusty brown under a spackling of black blotches which slowly fades into and intertwines with smaller dark green spots over a lighter green as one's view moves toward the other end of the table. Beautiful.
The perforated center plate is made up of earthy mate reddish clay with the edges exhibiting a burnt-in glossy black finish. The two side holes make it easily removable by just inserting your two index fingers and lifting thereby disclosing the beauty of the inside walls and floor. Underneath this table hides the wonderful calligraphy of the artist.
This table really comes alive when you place a tea pot on it. When one's yixing pot is placed on top, the rusty browns standout, pulling at and complimenting the pot. When one's ceramic grey, white cloud, Kim Kyoung Soo pot is placed in the same position the dark black patterning jumps out (not shown).
Due to the ceramic materials that this table is made of, it can really hold heat for a long time. This can be advantageous when brewing dark teas. Also, it should last a life time so there is no need to replace it every year.
Peace
Taken from http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/
A Community Serves
It took a visitor and his family from a town seventy-five miles away to come up with a plan. On a journey to the area in the 1960's, they saw a mountain bluebird flit by. Knowing that they were becoming scarce and needed a place to nest, the gentleman fashioned a nest out of a discarded gallon can and fastened it to a fence post. They discovered that soon a bluebird pair took up residence! At home again, he made nine bluebird houses and the following spring drove back to the community, asking permission of the farmer's to place birdhouses on their fence posts. For three decades this family continued their gift of love to nature's blue treasures by creating and maintaining bluebird houses. The idea caught on and the local community joined them in their efforts. There have been up to 2500 bird boxes in use, willingly crafted and cared for by volunteer residents, farmers, and school children. What a labor of love! And what a wonderful way to entreat children to observe nature and God's little gifts!
It was a wonderful day! Tomorrow I will share more --- of old houses, deserted cemeteries, and a tail-gate picnic. I'll see you then!
It was a wonderful day! Tomorrow I will share more --- of old houses, deserted cemeteries, and a tail-gate picnic. I'll see you then!
Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!
Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/
Black-Owned Tea Businesses Build Community
Urban Tea Loft (Chandler, Ariz.)
CEO: Glynis Legrand
Years in business: 1 ½
Products: More than 100 loose-leaf teas, foods with and without tea as an ingredient, tea cocktails, tea soaps and lotions
Purpose: To get people to try and enjoy tea in many forms
How she got started: A former Fortune 25 company manager, Legrand started a journey into tea when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She attended The World Tea Expo to learn more about tea for her own health and decided she belonged in the industry.
Community impact: Legrand said African Americans make up a very small percentage of the local population, but a sizeable percentage of her clients, thanks to word of mouth and events like “Soul Food Saturdays.”
Landmarks: Awards from Phoenix Magazine, participation in the 2008 Super Bowl celebrity-gifting lounge, board membership at The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Goals: To set up Internet sales and expand to additional locations
Glynis was just one of the five African American tea business owners profiled in this article. Read more on black-owned tea businesses on World Tea News.
Taken from http://veetea.blogspot.com/
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
My friend, Gwen in Ohio, stitched this pretty
St. Patrick's Day tea towel for me.
May your day be awesome!
Don't forget to wear some green
or you'll be pinched!
Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!
Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/
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