Tea Candy Showdown

The world of tea candy is a strange one, with its unfamiliar and undiscovered flavors. Sometimes these sweets fail to satisfy our taste buds, but every now and then, digging though the mountains of available matcha-stuff out there, you may find just that perfect gem, which will taste divine. As rare as it is in Europe, I managed to find some tea candy when passing though Warsaw and decided to do this showdown – Battle of the Tea Candy. Here is what I found, here are the contestants:

Kasugai Milk Matcha

This hard-candy has that characteristic flavor, surely familiar to all of you matcha ice cream enthusiasts. The combination of milk and matcha is hard to describe in words and trying it for the first time is an unexpected experience. These taste very sweet, a bit coconutty and they also have that hint of bitterness. I have to say I prefer these to matcha ice cream, but they are far from my favorite among these three. I do find the tea-picker lady on the package very cute though, I may buy this again just because of her.

Kasugai Oolong Tea Nodo Ame

Also a hard-candy product, the first one I’ve ever seen or tried with Oolong Tea extract. These are individually wrapped, semi-transparent rectangles and even do look quiet appetizing. They remind me a lot of Kopiko Coffee Candy, but when you put it in your mouth it kind of tastes like… Coca-Cola. Maybe not exactly, but that was my first impression. The flavor is minty, slightly medicinal, very sweet and nothing like matcha flavored things. If you really focus all your senses on that little rectangle you might just taste a hint of oolong tea. Trying this was interesting to say the least, generally I like it and it certainly ranks higher then the previous contestant.

Maison De Kukkia Matcha Choco Sand

After trying the Green Tea Crispy Rolls I thought that I’m never going to eat and matcha wafers or cookies ever again. But I prepared for the worst and dug in. These sweets are by far the biggest surprise for me, in a positive way. Between the very thin and crispy wafers there is a layer of matcha flavored creme. The cookies have a pleasant aroma of almonds and are delicate to eat. The flavor is balanced, not too sweet and you can hardly taste any bitterness in these. They were indeed an expensive treat, but I love them. It’s the first Japanese tea candy that doesn’t taste strange or makes me feel awkward. Along with Alpen Gold Like Green Tea Chocolate it makes it to the top of my “favorite tea candy list”.

Carcade Tea

If you want to bring back a great gift from Egypt, that would be a bag of Carcade Tea. This is where Carcade Tea is a part of culture and some of the best quality grades can be found. So what is this mysterious Carcade Tea?

Hidden under the more popular name of hibiscus tea, Carcade Tea is an infusion of tropical flowers growing on shrubs called Hibiscus Sabdariffa. The most characteristic thing about this beverage is the blood-red color, which comes from the flowers that have a strong, deep-red appearance. For this reason crushed hibiscus flowers are often added to fruit infusions, especially berry infusions, to give the tea a more saturated color. They also has a very specific aroma, similar to to the smell of Vitamic C. The tea itself is rather sour with earthy undertones and is most often enjoyed with sugar. Its recommended to brew Carcade Tea for a minimum of 5 min. in warm (not hot) water and leaving it in for 10 min. will produce even better results. Preparing a cold carcade drink is a healthier option, because it doesn’t kill off all the good substances in it.

Egypt in not the only place where Carcade Tea is recognized for its thirst-quenching and refreshing qualities. In various areas of Africa hibiscus flowers are commonly sold at markets and in the Caribbean Christmas is celebrated with a drink called Sorrel, where the flowers are a crucial ingredient.

Carcade Tea comes in different quality grades, from crushed into very small pieces to full flowers. The larger the flowers, the better liquor they produce – the flavor is richer and has more dimension to it, but most importantly they retain their useful properties. This red tea is rich in vitamins and micro elements, especially Vitamin C and when drunk on a regular basis it helps with vitamin deficiencies. Other benefits are a stronger immune system and reduced cholesterol level. Carcade Tea can help you feel more energized and lower your stress.

A New Christmas with Dammann

Dammann Freres has given their Christmas Collection a new look. The tins have now the shape of classic Dammann tins, however this time there is quite some bling bling involved, as they are decorated with rhinestones. But don’t worry, the festive colors are still present and the blends remain the same.

The black tea in the red tin has fruit bits and orange peels and is blended with caramel, maraschino and pineapple aromas, creating a sweet and fruity experience. The green tea comes from China and contains apple bits, orange peels, vanilla and spices – its final aroma is like a combination of marcipan and mint, making it more refreshing. Exciting, right? These are hight quality teas that are sure to enhance the spirit of Christmas this year. You can also compare to last year’s look here.

Tea in a Tube

Here is a product that I wanted to write about for quite some time, but I was a little sceptical about the quality. Now when I finally have the chance to hold the product in my hands and see it for myself, I became more then pleasantly surprised and impressed.

Thelicatessen is a brand which offeres their tea in brushed silver aluminum tubes. These are filled to the top with fragrant oolong tea from Taiwan. The teas in stock are only available in limited quantities, for a limited time – usually there is one tea available at a time, and the offer changes after a while. The tea is in fact gourmet, it’s very subtle and delicate and the leaves are tightly rolled into clumps that are even smaller then most oolongs.

If you like oolong tea or if you want to experiance something new, this is definatly the thing to try. The tubes are fabubous, they have a modern, clean design and they are perfect for refilling and travel, if you want to take a bit of your own tea with you. They are very light and won’t take up much of the oh so valuable kgs in your suitcase. These tea tubes make an elegant gift, especially for a guy. They have that whole masculine cigar feel going on. My three tubes arrived in an also elegant black cardboard box – I love the simplicity and the overall look and taste of this product.

100% Damn Fine Teas

A new discovery – funky and hip like Pop Art is the limited edition Damn Fine Teas. And they are indeed limited editions, you can even track the amount that left on their website. These selections seem like a less uptight and more relaxed take on tea, with is both very pleasing and fun to see.

Currently offered teas are loose leaf blacks and greens and they come in cute, colorful, 55 g (2 oz) tins. Teas like ‘Jackee Muntz’ and ‘Thomas Sampson’ are some of the things you may find among the selection. I’d like to sit back and watch the brand becoming more strange with every new limited edition. The teas are guaranteed to be ’100% Awesome’, so perhaps they are worth at least a look!

Month’s Reviews | November 2009

This month the following teas were reviewed in the Tea Colleciton

 

• Mozums Linden Flower Tea
• Canton Tea Co. Jasmine Tea
• Naturavita Sage Herbal Tea
• Shine Clump Tie Guan Yin

Warming Christmas Tea

You can buy many different Christmas Tea blends, but sometimes it’s just much nicer and more fun to make it yourself – and it’s also very easy! Christmas teas usually contain a lot of warming and aromatic spices, because these are the things that remind us of christmas most. However, there are no set rules of how much and what exact ingredients you should use – you are free to use your imagination and improvise.

Below you can find some suggestions on how to get started with your tea and some ideas for creating your own blend

Basic Ingredients

• Black tea (ceylon and assam work great, you can use other tea types, however black is the classic version)
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cardamon
• Sugar

Optional Ingredients

• Red wine or brandy
• Cranberry Juice
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon or orange zest
• Apple pieces

I don’t recommend adding all these ingredients listed above into your tea, you should try your way and see what works best, or what is most suiting for the current mood.

Usually you start with the basic ingredients – use a pan to bring water to a boil along with the ingredients, make sure the sugar dissolves completely. Change to medium heat and add remaining ingredients from the optional list. Cook for a while to bring out the aroma of the ingredients and then you’re ready to serve your home-made, hot Christmas Tea!

Teas bring the Christmas Spirit

Strong, warming aromas, sweet scents create a peculiar atmosphere in the air, Christmas Teas have indeed gained a solid position in the world of tea blends, with their distinguished character and a set of common ingredients. Today, Holiday blends are offered by many vendors and they make a great substitute for alcoholic beverages.

Christmas Teas can be easily recognized by a spicy aroma, often a mix of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and a citrus touch of orange or lemon peels. However, nowadays vendors are more keen on moving away from these traditional ingredients, and choose a more contemporary style to create unusual flavors that will still remind us of the Christmas spirit. Dammann Freres has a Christmas series which offers some exciting and innovative flavors using such ingredients as cherry blossoms, pineapple, caramel and ginger.

Other interesting offerings are Taylors of Harrogate  Spiced CHristmas Tea which is a blend of black Chinese teas with lemon and grange peels, cinnamon and safflower petals or Apsara Winter Tea – a black tea with raisins, apple pieces, red currants, safflower petals and cloves. One thing is for sure, the options are countless and finding a favorite shouldn’t be hard.

Unlike with Indian Chai Tea, Christmas Teas should be generally enjoyed without milk, but a spoon of honey could be a great addition to enhance the flavor and add some sweetness.

Other suggestions

Stash Tea White Christmas – white tea with peppermint and ginger

Stash Tea Christmas Morning – blend of First Flish Darjeeling, Assam, Keemun and Yunnan, Formosa Oolong and southern Indian teas, with addition of jasmine

Stash Tea Christmas Eve – herbal tea with hibiscus, orange peel, rosehips, lemongrass, peppermint, star anise, ginger and cinnamon

Adagio Christmas Tea – black Ceylon tea with cinnamon, cloves and orange peel

Mariage Freres Noel Teas – a fancy selection of white, black, red and green teas

Kusmi Christmas Tea – Chinese black tea with orange, almond, vanilla and spices

Kusmi Green Christmas Tea – green tea with orange, almond, vanilla and spices

Month’s Reviews | October 2009

This month the following teas were reviewed in the Tea Colleciton

• Haas & Haas Wien Mozart Tea
• Haas & Haas Wien Hexenmischung
• Ahmad Blackcurrant Black Tea

How to make matcha ice cream

Here is a video of how to make matcha ice cream. Just follow the instructions given by a dog and you’ll be on your way to creating a new, unique type of dessert. Watching this really makes me feel awkward, at the same time it’s kind of funny, but in the end nothing coming from Japan can surprise me anymore.