£69,000!!

This rare orange teapot made by Wedgwood in 1765 and decorated with messages "Success to Trade in America" and "No Stamp Act" was sold at auction in Derby for £69,000.
Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: "Something like this is maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an auctioneer.
"In all my years I can honestly say I have never been so excited. It's an amazing story.
"The reserve price had been set at £4,000 and I didn't really expect it to sell for much more than £5,000.
"The price kept going higher and higher and there just did not seem to be any letting up.
"When the final price reached £69,000, the whole crowd applauded."

Taken from http://teapotsteapotsteapots.blogspot.com/

TeaHub is launching Dong Ting Pi Lo Chun/Bi Luo Chun Tasting Set

Bi Luo Chun was originated from Dong Ting, Jiang Su. As the production technique spreaded across the country, places such as Yunnan, Taiwan started to produce their own version of Bi Luo Chun. Yunnan Bi Luo Chun are made of leaves of Yunnan large leaf tea trees and Taiwan Bi Luo Chun are made of leaves of Taiwan local tea trees. None of them are same to the original Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun tea trees. Not to mention the unique environment that gives Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun its unique floral and fruity aroma.

Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun has unique fine and delicate taste that can't be found in either Yunnan or Taiwan Bi Luo Chun. In order to introduce this Chinese delicacy to oversea tea loves, we teamed up with our Bi Luo Chun producer in Dong Ting to offer a tasting set starting this spring. More information regarding this tasting set can be found on our site.

www.teahub.com

Taken from http://teahub.blogspot.com/

Tea offerings at Illy airport coffee shops

On recent trips out of JFK and Boston Logan airports, I have purchased coffee at new Illy cafes and notice that the cafes stock Damman Frères, Tea.  Do you have any experience with this tea?

Taken from http://notesontea.blogspot.com/

Jasmine Dream Sorbet

If you read my blog you probably already know that I have a love affair with Tavalon’s Jasmine Dream tea. The last time I logged it on Steepster I asked if anyone had any recipes that used jasmine tea. One of my Steepster peeps came through with a whole list of them but the one that intrigued me the most was sorbet. This is the recipe I used:

• 
  
  3 cups water
  
  


• 
  
  2 1/2 tablespoons fine-quality jasmine tea leaves
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  
  

In a small saucepan bring water to a boil. Add tea leaves and remove pan from heat. Cover pan and steep tea 5 minutes. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved, and strain tea through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill tea, covered, until cold and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Sorbet may be made 1 week ahead.

I lack an ice cream maker for reasons unknown to me so I had to wing it once the mixture was made. My freezer doesn’t work so great which worked out because it kept it from getting totally solid. Once it was frozen I beat it into submission with an immersion blender. It definitely took some elbow grease but it came looking pretty close to sorbet. The taste….left a little to be desired. At first it tasted great but had this bitter aftertaste that I just couldn’t shake. I think I am on the right track though. Next time I’ll try less sugar and a cooler steeping temperature.

Taken from http://teaformeplease.blogspot.com/

Pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué

Après 1/2 heure je me suis dis "bon je vais sortir tout mon attirail Gong fu cha et me faire un super kif" et à ce moment là un énorme groupe genre 50 personnes déboule sur le sable. Aïe! j'aime pas trop le coté exibition donc je me tate qu'es ce que fais je change de plage, je reste?. La je les vois installer le groupe élécrogène, ramener les synthés et un mec dit "Alleluia mes frères". Oh mon dieu! c'était un groupe d'évangéliste! Et la je me suis dis: Guillaume prend tes tongs et ton Zhong. J'avais décidé de boire du thé, pas de l'eau bénite avec une ostille.
Bon je remballe, je change de plage: Pin de Galle toujours au Pradet.

A chaque fois que vais la bas, je suis impressionné par la vue que l'on a en arrivant. Une vue imprenable sur la mer très en hauteur, un peu comme si on était au bord d'une falaise. Et la, ouf, personne sur la plage à part quelques jeunes connaissant bien MarieJanne. Enfin, je me pose tranquille prend un bain et envoie la balle à Cookie. Il commence à faire nuit et j'ai toujours chaud, il n'y a pas beaucoup de vent...Pas les meilleurs conditions pour boire un thé mais bon.

Je passe un petit coup de tél. à ma chérie et la elle me rappelle que le petit Cook. n'a pas fais son rappel contre les moustiques et que c'est bof qu'il soit dehors longtemps. La j'hésite: Soit je rentre, soit je me fais enfin ce gong fu cha qui n'attend que moi! Finalement je suis rentré. Plutot que de stresser aux eventuelles piqures de moustiques pendant ma dégustation, j'ai préféré rentrer. Tout ca pour pas grand chose vous aller me dire... Je confirme en effet. Mais je serais peut etre un peu plus organisé la prochaine fois et maintenant que je suis rentré chez moi, je vais enfin me le faire ce gong fu cha!

thé théière vert noir tea

Taken from http://tamaryo.blogspot.com/

2001 Xiaguan Baoyan

I got this brick after reading the positive remarks put forth by Hobbes.

The leaf is rather crumbly, flaky, small, and over all, low quality. It's no surprise when the filter accumulates nearly a full gongfu sessions worth of sediment after only a couple steeps. The tea is a light-brown orangish-red. I can't smell much in the aroma besides a light-sweetness and an almost grainy bite. The taste comes out quite nice, although somewhat bland in the first steep. I can taste a mellowness surrounding a slightly complex flavor profile.


The second steep comes out a deep-red, a significant sign of aging. Although the aroma is subdued, hints of wood, tobacco and the mellow end of age are present. Most notable so far is a taste that is somewhere in between a tang and an astringent bite (acid). A very interesting taste, and very welcome. Noticeable calming/qi and a cooling effect in the mouth and nasal passages.


The leaves in the gaiwan change to resemble something like mush. More wet-stored flavors are released in later steeps, as well as a nice rush of qi. Also noted to be in more abundance in later steeps is a strong acidity (that tangy/astringent bite).


It's too bad Xiaguan didn't use better quality leaf, although, that could make it an entirely different tea. While I agree with Hobbes that this tea is in a very good stage, I think I'd enjoy it even more after a few more years. The acidity seems prevalent enough to stick around.

For a comparison of notes, please see posts by: Bill and Hobbes

Taken from http://thegreenteareview.blogspot.com/

Dooars row may hit ‘first flush’ tea

“Undoubtedly, the charged environment has created uneasiness among planters here. If the trouble continues for long, the next ‘first flush’ business
will be severely affected,” said Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) principal advisor NK Basu.

According to experts, tea bushes remain at the best metabolic state and yield the best quality tea between 18 and 32 degree Celsius in post-winter and pre-peak summer season. After the two- month long no-plucking winter season, the new batch of leaves, normally plucked in March, comes in heavy quantities. Known as ‘first flush’ produce, it brings in the highest price. Out of around 920 million kg all-India tea production, Dooars produces 145 million kg. But its higher price makes the industry highly sensitive to the ‘first flush’ output in Dooars like all other tea producing areas.

“The political crisis in Dooars is yet to touch our management activities. But, the growing rift between Gorkhas and the tribals, two major communities in our workforce, will badly impact the overall operation, including production in all Dooars gardens,” said a senior tea garden manager.

While the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha is demanding the tea-producing Dooars and Terai be included in their proposed Gorkhaland state, tribals, under Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad banner, are strongly against this. The ongoing tussle has already claimed two lives.

Source: The Economic Times

Taken from http://teanewsdarjeeling.blogspot.com/