Friday, November 23, 2018

Irish Breakfast from Camellia Tea Room




Type: Black
Flavor: Bold w/Slight fruity flavor
Appearance: Lots of medium size leaves
Leaf Color: Dark Brown
Temp: Best if brewed at 195-200F for 3 mins
Amount: 1 tea tsp per cup
Aroma: Bold and Dark
Depth: Very Dark
Quality: High

This is in my top two favorite teas. Irish Breakfast Tea is dark and hearty. When you drink it, it has a slight fruity undertone. I like to serve this tea with some cream and sugar. Irish Breakfast tea definitely differs from English Breakfast. English Breakfast has a more bitter taste from the tannins... while Irish Breakfast is rounder and smooth. But, like English breakfast, if you over steep it, it can become bitter from the release of too much tannins. 

My mom purchased this tea from Camellia Tea Room in Benicia, CA. It's a  delightful little tea room that serves afternoon teas and lunch. Camellia Tea Room carries a large selection of loose leaf tea, as well as tea accessories. This Irish Breakfast tea went perfectly with their homemade scones, Devon cream and strawberry jam. 

Tea Review: PG Tips by PG Tips



Type: Black
Flavor: Bold and Earthy
Appearance: In a pyramid shaped tea bag
Leaf Color: Dark Brown
Temp: Best if brewed at 200-208F for 2-3 mins
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: Earthy and bold
Depth: Very Dark
Quality: High

This is my top favorite tea. I drink at least 3 cups of this a day. PG Tips originated in the 1930's. It's one of the most popular teas in Britain. 

Because of their pyramid shape, the tea steeps more evenly. It gives more room for the tea to infuse. 

The taste is fantastic. It's dark and bold... It goes well with a splash of milk and some sugar. I use sugar cubes.. but if I want it low calorie, I use stevia. You can find this at certain grocery stores... They usually only come with 60-80 tea bags for $6. I get my PG Tips in bulk for about $20 off Amazon. I get 480 tea bags, because it comes in a set of two(with each containing 240 bags). They get their teas from Ceylon.  

Tea Review: Island Mango Peach by Lipton



Type: Herbal
Flavor: Floral
Appearance: In a tea bag
Leaf Color: No leaves
Temp: Best if brewed at 185F 
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: Floral and Sweet
Depth: Light
Quality: Medium


This is a nice white tea from Lipton. This is a mix of white tea and tropical hints from the mango, and sweet hints from the peaches. 

This tea is in pyramid shaped sachets, and costs about $4 at your local grocery store. There are 18 tea bags. It does contain a trace amount of Potassium... so it's nice to drink when you're feeling 'under the weather'. 

Tea Review: Green Tea w/ Citrus by Pure Leaf



Type: Green
Flavor: Citrus
Appearance: In a tea bag, 
Leaf Color: Dark green, with brown tints
Temp: Best if brewed at 185F 
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: lemony and citrus
Depth: Light
Quality: High

"Pure Leaf Iced Green Tea with Citrus uses mildly smoky, single-origin Indonesian green tea blended with bold bursts of natural citrus flavors and real pieces of oranges. The rolled green tea leaves with real orange pieces and blades of lemongrass and rose hips deliver an extraordinarily refreshing iced green tea with a tart citrus flavor."

This tea can be found at your local grocery store for about $4. Since it's a green tea, be sure to use a lower temperature to steep. If you go any higher than 185F, it can get bitter. There's 16 pyramid shaped sachets of tea in each container. 

Tea Review: Youthberry by Teavana




Type: White
Flavor: Fruity with Berry notes
Appearance: Loose leaf quality tea in Sachets
Leaf Color: Dark green
Temp: Best if brewed at 175F for 2 mins
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: Floral and Sweet. Very strong.
Depth: Medium
Quality: High


This is a wonderful tea from Teavana. This tea has a fruity scent, with a tropical twist. There's mango, hibiscus, orange, and rose petals blended throughout the tea. It's got a slight punch of caffeine, but not too much to give you the jitters.

I absolutely adore this tea. It's got a nice strong, sweet taste. It's very enticing and is a great tea to start with, if you're new to tea. 

You can find this tea at your local grocery store for about $5.50. It comes with 15 pyramid shaped sachets.   

Tea Review: Palm Beach Punch From Tiesta Tea


Type: Herbal
Flavor: Floral and fruity
Appearance: Lots of different pieces of herbs and spices
Leaf Color: No leaves
Temp: Best if brewed at 200F for 5 mins
Amount: 1.5 teaspoons
Aroma: Fruity and Sweet
Depth: Medium
Quality: High

  • This is another lovely tea. It has a nice fruity taste and aroma. This pairs nicely with a sweet dessert. 

  • Ingredients:
  • + apple pieces
  • + hibiscus
  • + carrots
  • + orange slices
  • + lemongrass
  • + eucalyptus
  • + beetroot
  • + natural flavors
  • + sweet blackberry leaves

Tea Cup: Perfect Pansy




This is my teacup, 'Perfect Pansy.' This is a handmade, hand painted teacup. I got this at a specialty thrift store. This store only carries teacups and other fine china. 

'Perfect Pansy' is cream colored, with yellow and purple pansies. It also has some leaves behind the pansies. This teacup has a unique gold border and some gold accents. 

This teacup was made in '53, and has the name 'Montgomery' etched into the bottom. I got it for $4. The saucer is pretty delicate and has some cracks, so it's hard to wash.

Tea Cup: Royal Dora




This is my next teacup that I named, 'Royal Dora.' I named it 'Royal Dora' because I got it from my Grandmother, Dora after she passed. It's a Royal Vale, fine bone china teacup and is rather old. Probably from the 60's. 

The saucer and teacup doesn't match... The saucer has a pearl-like shine to it, and is decorated with white and pink roses. It also has an interesting decorative border. 

The teacup is white with a delicate blush colored rose, and green leaves. It has a golden rim. 

You can find Royal Vale teacups on Ebay, for very reasonable prices. I'm not sure how much this cup is worth. 

Tea Cup: Purple Majesty





Here's my teacup, 'Purple Majesty'. This teacup is white, with purple flowers and green foliage. This one is not fine bone china, but is still fairly delicate. 

I purchased this tea cup from a thrift store for $2.50. I tend to find great deals on teacups when I go to thrift stores. You can find so many treasures when you go to your local thrift store. 

Tea Cup: Gold George




Here's my teacup, 'Gold George.' I have no idea why I named it 'Gold George'... It's just the first name that popped into my head! 

This teacup is from the collection, 'Classique d'Or' and I believe it's from the 80's. 

Gold George is a circular teacup, with a squared off edge. It is decorated with gold trims, and has fine ribbed ridges. This is my favorite teacup... I enjoy it's simple beauty. I purchased this from a thrift store for $4.50.  

Tea Cup: Blue Beauty




Here's my teacup that I call 'Blue Beauty.' It's made from fine bone china, and is very delicate. Blue Beauty is decorated with lovely blue flowers, and has fine gold trims. 

I found this teacup at a local thrift store, and I paid about $2.50. I would say it's roughly from the 80's. I definitely drink a lot of tea out of this cup! It's one of the larger fine bone teacups I have. 

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Tea Review: Jasmine Tulsi from Organic India



Type: Herbal
Flavor: Floral
Appearance: In a tea bag
Leaf Color: No leaves
Temp: Best if brewed at 185F 
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: Floral and Sweet
Depth: Light
Quality: High

Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is an outstanding ingredient. This Tulsi tea from Organic India is very calming and eases tense muscles. Whenever I'm feeling anxious or strained, I go for a cup of Tulsi tea. You definitely taste and smell the basil and jasmine. It's a lovely combination. 

Naturally caffeine free and certified organic, this is the tea to purchase and enjoy! I bought this at Whole Foods for about $7. You can also order this tea online at Amazon.com. 

Tea Review: Citrus Sunburst from Tiesta Tea





Type: Herbal
Flavor: Fruity
Appearance: Orange, Yellow, pieces of Fruit
Leaf Color: No leaves
Temp: Best if brewed at 195-200F 
Amount: 1 tsp per cup
Aroma: Fruity
Depth: Medium/ High
Quality: High

Citrus Sunburst is another tea from Tiesta Teas. You can observe the dried fruit pieces, and smell the fruity and pleasant scent. You can taste the orange and citrus notes all throughout the tea. The aroma fills the surrounding area, and the taste is powerful and robust. 

I love that you can see the large morsels of oranges, and other various dried fruits. This tea claims to boost your immunity. So,  I would assume, that if you're feeling 'under the weather,' try a cup of this tea! If you add a little honey, this may be helpful with allergies. 

You can purchase this tea for $3.50 an ounce at your local Safeway. Or you can order online and Amazon.com. 

Tea Review: Fruity Pebbles from Tiesta Tea



Type: Green
Flavor: Fruity and vegetal
Appearance: Green/light brown
Leaf Color: Green
Temp: Best if brewed at 175F 
Amount: 1 tsp per cup
Aroma: Earthy, Fruity, and Vegetal
Depth: Light/Medium
Quality: High

Fruity Pebbles is a flavored green tea from Tiesta Teas. The interesting thing about this tea, is that the after taste, does have the flavor of fruity pebbles! Fruity Pebbles is a nice, light tea that has a slightly vegetal taste, with a sweet fruit flavor. The label says that it is a Strawberry Pineapple Green tea. 

When it comes to Caffeine, it's medium. It also claims to be a 'slenderizer' and helps you with weight. I have not yet tried it as a weight-loss tea. 

It costs $2.50 per ounce. Make sure you steep for about 1-3 minutes. any longer can make the tea bitter and unpalatable. You can see delicate flower petals, and dehydrated fruit pieces. I unquestionably propose this tea. 

Tea Review: ZENDO Dieter's Tea boy Tadin


Type: Herbal
Flavor: Robust, Dark
Appearance: In a tea bag
Leaf Color: Dark brown.
Temp: Best if brewed at 195-200F 
Amount: 1 tea bag per cup
Aroma: Earthy and robust
Depth: Deep
Quality: Medium

ZENDO is a marvelous tea for those on a diet. This herbal tea is best, in my opinion, served with a sweetener. It has a very dark and hardy flavor. When I'm dieting, I always reach for this tea. It helps clean out your system, and is a great accompaniment to your diet. 

It does have a rather interesting flavor... I would say, that it is not everyone's cup of tea! ;) 

I found this at Safeway for about $3. You can find it at most grocery stores. 

Tea Review: Black Tea with Peach by Pure Leaf

Type: Black
Flavor: Fruity
Appearance: In a Sachet
Leaf Color: Dark brown.
Temp: Best if brewed at 195-200F 
Amount: 1 sachet per cup
Aroma: Earthy and Fruity
Depth: Medium
Quality: High

I've seen a documentary on Pure Leaf teas, and they really care about their products. This particular tea can be served hot or cold, and sweetened or unsweetened. Pure Leaf provides us with high quality teas, in sachets. The triangular sachets allow the tea to expand, and doesn't hinder its brewing process. 

The flavor is fruity and has a nice punch of peach. As it brews, you can smell the peach from many feet away! I got this container of tea bags for about $4.50 at Safeway. You can find it at most grocery stores. 

Pure Leaf is very obsessed with sustainability. They use hydro-electric power and use tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates. They use tea from India, Indonesia, and Kenya. 

Here's the documentary:  https://youtu.be/5BvtRK9ufW4

Tea Review: Blueberry Slim Life by Yogi

Type: Green
Flavor: fruity, light
Appearance: In a tea bag
Leaf Color: No leaves visible 
Temp: Best if brewed at 175F
Amount: 1 bag per cup
Aroma: Fruity
Depth: Light
Quality: High

The Blueberry Slim Life is a great tea from Yogi. Yogi provides its consumers with high quality teas, in convenient tea bags. It claims to energize and support a dieting program. My opinion is.. it does!!! If I drink a couple cups of this tea, it helps clean out my system. The one thing I like about this tea, is that it doesn't upset my stomach. Lots of teas that claim to help with your diet, often cause stomach pains or other uncomfortable side effects. You can pick up this tea from most grocery stores. I found this one at Safeway. I paid about $4 for this box. 

This tea definitely tastes like blueberry. It is a great dessert tea, and tastes fantastic with honey or agave. The tea has a slight purple color to it, after it has steeped. 
This tea was a delight! 

Tea Review: Ginger Sweet Peach Tiesta Teas

Type: Herbal
Flavor: Fruity, Citrus
Appearance: Lots of fruit chunks, yellow and orange
Leaf Color: No leaves
Temp: Best if brewed at 200F 
Amount: 2 tsp per cup.
Aroma: fruity
Depth: Medium/Dark
Quality: High

I adore this tea! It has a nice peach-y aroma and flavor. You get a slight hint of ginger. It doesn't overwhelm the tea. This tea can be served with sweetener, or just by itself. The dried fruit in this tea makes it just sweet enough, so you don't have to use honey, stevia, agave, etc etc. Tiesta Tea is a fantastic tea maker! Their loose leaf teas are of high quality, and their prices are affordable. It's very important that teas are affordable, because that way.. everyone can enjoy them!! I purchased this tea for about $2.50-3.00 an ounce. You can find this tea at your local Safeway, or online @Amazon.com