10.28.09
Five favorite teas to fall for
posted by Tracy Monson | 11 comments
Fall is my favorite time of year. Senses become stimulated and saturated with deeper, richer colors and flavors, and new sounds and fresher-feeling air begins to envelop us. Baking and braising feels new again: home and heart-warming breads, braised stews and meats, and colorful, spicy soups return to my repertoire. This homecoming prompts a return to many favorite tea pairings. Here are my Top 5 for Fall:
Yunnan Goldtips: So luxurious, premium-quality “gold” Yunnan has natural affinities with many rich foods, but during the Fall, my favorite picks are any deeply colored squash, sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and chocolate. One of our cooks developed a slow-roasted butternut squash crepe with bacon, and it seems to cry out for the peppery, malty notes of the Yunnan. To me, this velvety, full-bodied tea is often the perfect complement to pumpkin bread, roasted sweet potatoes, braised shortribs, or a chocolate pot de creme.
Irish Breakfast: There’s nothing like a hot bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal with some diced apples, cinnamon, and flaxseed on the first cool Fall day! I love the way the maltiness of the Assam picks up the creaminess of the oatmeal and how the Ceylon in this tea offers just the right amount of brightness and astringency to cleanse the mouth of proteins between bites and after the last bite is taken. This classic tea is also great with pumpkin or oat scones, banana bread, and even popcorn (yes, popcorn) on cold, wet nights.
Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao oolong): One of the first oolongs I reach for when the mercury dips. Honey, spice, light florals, and hints of earth are characteristics of the Oriental Beauty we have. We love this tea with baklava, roasted mushrooms and mushroom soups, braised tofu, and red lentil curries. It was also fab with some soft pumpkin cookies I made recently.
Rooibos: No, it’s not really a tea, but it has a deep, hearty body, with a lightly sweet finish. It seems to be made for bright sunny days filled with buckwheat caramel-apple crepes. We often like to poach apples in rooibos and apple cider, and then sweeten the reduction with a bit of maple syrup. For a soothing, hot beverage, simmer some apple cider and rooibos for about 15 minutes, strain, and enjoy. Swirl in some good caramel sauce - if you’ve got it - for another layer of flavor and sweetness.
Houjicha: Admittedly, houjicha is pretty much my favorite tea year round, but when the air gets nippy and I feel like soaking in the changing leaf colors midday, I often reach for the toasty, mild nuttiness of houjicha. It’s light and cleansing, but somehow feels more substantial than a sencha or gyokuro if I’m looking for a green tea. I love this with a light snack of senbe (rice crackers), onigiri (riceballs), buckwheat crepes, smoked salmon, or even banana bread.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Tracy,
OK now you make me really want to come into the store (for the 3rd time in October and since I’m in Dayton 50 miles away that’s saying something) JUST to try the new butternut squash crepes with the Yunnan Goldtips…umm, love the goldtips on its own merits, I can just imagine what that will be like paired with your crepes. Maybe I’ll see you next week?
On another note, thanks a bunch for helping me with the recent tea party that I hosted at the parish where I live in Dayton. The ladies LOVED the teas that I selected, two of which came from Essencha with of all things the only other guy there (except for the pastor who only drinks black teas) really enjoyed your Pumpkin Spice tisane (sorry as you said it isn’t technichally a tea but it does taste great-naturally sweet and definitely reminiscent of what Autumn should taste like). I can see in the near future a run down to the shop just to fill a few “requests for orders” from those at the tea party.
People, the word is getting out there. Drink what you like but please be open to trying new and exciting hopefully WHOLE leaf teas from whatever source you choose to purchase them. Right now it’s back to my earl grey hot before I have to ice it
As always blessings to you all,
Fr. Patrick
October 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I’d like the Irish Breakfast because I eat a lot of oatmeal. I’d like the Oriental Beauty even more. But my favorite tea is Puerh and it’s a good Autumn tea, especially when it has earthy flavors. It can taste just like the Fall season forest-floor sights and smells.
October 29th, 2009 at 4:49 am
where is darjeeling muscatel???
October 31st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I love Lapsang Souchong in the fall. It has a lovely smokey flavor that makes me think of fireplaces and leaves burning. It’s also good for marinating meats or cooking vegetables so that you can get a nice smokey flavor to them without having to barbecue,
I also love chai in cold weather, either green or black.
For herbals in winter, I like ones with ginger. I also love Celestial Seasoning’s Bengal Spice. Yes, it isn’t a true tea and it comes in teabags, but it tastes great when you don’t want to have the caffeine from drinking chai.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 am
You just inspired me to go roast my sencha and make a hot pot of houjicha. I really miss the selection at your tea house, and the company. Even though I’m in south-east Asia I have to get friends to bring me tea. My roommate got me the sencha from Seattle and my girlfriend came back from India and Singapore with four types of tea. In fact, my mom might be stopping in to your place soon to get me something before she comes visit me in late December. I don’t suppose you ship to Vietnam
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
Fr. Patrick, so glad your tea was a success! You know you can call/email anytime if you need anything. Looking forward to seeing you again soon; thank you so much for your support–it’s a blessing!
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Wonderful description of pu-erh, Jason! I couldn’t agree more. Gonna go infuse a cup now and stare at all those leaves that need raking and that are starting to take on that fragrance in my backyard…
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
Ankit, I wanted to keep the number to a round 5, but yes, the Darjeeling Muscatel is up there! In fact, we served it with our vegan dinner last week for the dessert course (apples & buckwheat crepes). It was a surprisingly wonderful match, lots of oohs and aaaaahs abounded!
Margaret, I probably should’ve said top 10 teas!
It’s so hard to pick! Lapsang is wonderful, warming, comforting too. Love it while watching a soccer game as the weather starts to turn.
Thanks for all your comments!
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
Sergey, I’d be happy to send you some tea, but it’d may get opened by customs and ruined. Of course, if I do make it over there for a visit, I’ll bring you some.
Thanks for keeping us all up to date w/ your blog–we all miss you bunches and you’re doing a great job with it! It’s not looking like you’ll be coming back anytime soon, so we’re gonna have to visit you if we’ll ever see you again (good call, mom!). Stay well!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Tracy,
) tried a tea that I really wasn’t lookiing forward to tasting. It was a flavored black, the vanilla cream which to my surprise I actually really enjoyed it, especially with the crepes! I’m not usually one who is much for flavored blacks (sometimes iced) and I probably should have taken your suggestion but I’m glad that I was wiling to try it and it actually worked quite well.
I did come into the store yesterday and I’m glad to say that I’d HIGHLY recommend the Butternut Squash Buckwhest Crepes, an excellent lunch! I, however, wanting to fill up my passport (I only have one more tea left so Tracy better start thinking about what that will mean as I think I’m the first to do it
Thanks again for all the help with the tea party, about 20 new “converts” to the wonderful world of WHOLE leaf teas and they no longer think that tea only comes from the grocery store in pre-boxed little bags of fannings! While I was at the store, I filled a couple of “requests” by purchasing some of those teas from Essencha that were featured. GREAT time and good way to evangelize (about more than just one thing).
Tracy, as always keep blogging, keep offering those great teas at the store and I’ll keep coming in.
Blessings to all,
Fr. Patrick
November 16th, 2009 at 5:09 am
My favourite is darjeeling muscatel.
A light tea having a soft taste, and the most delicate aroma. Producing such teas is always a challenge for the planter. Only the right combination of ideal weather conditions and careful processing in the factory results in small batches of tea qualifying to be called Muscatel. Muscatel is the “Best of the Best”.