scandalous tea

I have mentioned a few times my fondness for Opera.  Any chance to attend, view or take part in the many opportunities provided I am there.

I have my favorite composers, performers and arias. The emotional response to viewing can range from utter glee to extreme sadness prompted by the beauty of the composer composition, performers vocal rendition or demonstrative representation of the scene.

There is only one diva that has ever brought me to tears. I remember it well and have since attended each performance anticipating the joy of this recurrence. Alas, this has only happened once.

Similarly, it reminds me of enjoyment of the leaf, there are those special cups that, unsurpassed in pleasure, I seek every time I sip, though they are rare and committed to memory ever propelling me to the next cup.

Somewhat unplanned, this week began with Opera and a few cups of tea. Yes, the tea is always there though my Opera focus generally begins in the fall season.

Last evening I was invited to attend a presentation given by food historian, Francine Segan, I mentioned Francine in one of my last posts. She gives fascinating lectures on food and history.

The focus of this talk, “For Opera Lovers”, a subject which intrigued me, for as many times as I have seen operatic renditions I barely noticed the presence of food, although throughout, there are many displays of elaborate party, dinner and toasting scenes, I associated this with a recounting of the storyline.

Francine showed clips from several opera references to food and brought out many historical tidbits either from the performance or written in by the composers to make social or personal commentary. Much of this information is contained in her book “Opera Lover’s Cookbook” a treasure trove of recipes, and opera notes along with photos from the various operas.

Francine also offered a sampling of one of these Renaissance recipes for our delight, “Falstaff’s Fig and Prosciutto Penne*”(sans Prosciutto), delicious and a recipe that I will add to my list of favorites.

Tea was also served, an iced “Jasmine Splendor” from The Tea Lovers Archives, to complete a lovely opera intermission. A most memorable cup, thanks Darlene.

The culinary experience ended with offerings of a variety of chocolates.

The book has a few references to tea, both in the Gilbert & Sullivan section and section on Russian composers, highlighting the Russian tea experience of sweetening tea with a jam accompaniment.

She also explained Entr’acte where operatic sections provided the audience a time to eat or focus on conversation or games.

As with her previous presentation, “The Art Of Dining: The Table At Downton Abbey”, I now have another perspective when watching these performances.

As I said to Francine when I was leaving “I will never look at Opera in the same way again”.

As mentioned, my week began with Opera & Tea as I was given a special surprise gift on Mother’s Day. My daughter presented me with the DVD, “Tea a Mirror of Soul” composed/conducted by Tan Dun.

I was totally unaware there was an Opera focused on Tea.  The Opera, sung in English had its World Premiere Performance in Tokyo, in 2002 and has most recently been shown at the Vancouver Opera

While watching, I envisioned a tea opera gathering serving tea and watching opera. This, on my list of possible future events. The gift an unexpected treat and something I will treasure.

Thank you my lovely daughter and thank you Francine for the wonderful Opera experience.

 

Recently, with influence from a studied teaware collector, Darlene Meyers-Perry, The Tea Enthusiasts Scrapbook, I have begun looking at teaware differently.

Yes, I have previously examined pieces I like, own and on occasion, buy. With this new focus, I am appreciating the history and creation a bit more.

To the point where I attended a lecture on Wedgwood, Majolica, which went on for one and a half hours, and I remained captivated by the recounting of the fashion influences of these Wedgwood pottery creations.

Unfortunately, this post is not about Wedgwood, I’ll leave that to Darlene.  This post is about the lovely gift she presented me with at our meeting.

My friend is quite aware I collect snack/luncheon sets. I became enamored with this type of serving piece because, as a “creator of unique tea experiences” this eliminated the need for having a cup, saucer and a separate plate for tea sandwiches. My keep it simple practice, results in less weight in the load. So there is a practical element to my collecting.

At our meeting she gifted me with a lovely circa 1948-1955 Harker, Pate sur Pate, snack/luncheon plate. The color blue/grey is my color, I have nothing in my collection like it, she said, and she was right on target.

Harker Pottery, established by Benjamin Harker, Sr. in 1840, passed on to his sons and existed until 1972.

“Pate sur pate used a colored glaze like Cameoware. The shape of the ware, called Royal Gadroon, has a raised pie-crust edge. After dipping in the colored glaze the edge was wiped clean to produce a decorative border of white.”*

Along with this vintage treasure was a sampling of tea. This came about from a request I made last Sunday.

At our regularly scheduled Tea Geek “Tea Salon” the tea for discussion was Ali Shan wulong, many of us were not drinking the suggested tea, (I opted for a Lemongrass Herbal blend in honor of Cinco De Mayo).

Darlene was drinking and raving about an Old Tie Quan Yin from Taiwan she was drinking, given to her a few years ago and recently found in her “save for later” stash.

She spoke about the blackness of the leaves and the deep roasted flavor, a taste my palate leans towards. She held them up to the computer screen and that was my opportunity to suggest she bring some with her to our next “tea in the city” adventure.

Of course, I offered to exchange some recent acquisitions of my own, supplied from the Tea Geek himself, that came as a benefit to Tea Geek membership. Note, along with the tea samples, I also received a three page description of the tea, history and pertinent information about the samples, information Darlene enjoys immensely.

The Old Tie Quan Yin is everything Darlene described, heavily roasted, the flavor, leans towards a pu-erh experience. Strength of character in body, heavy roast, nutty, woody notes with very slight astringency. The rolled leaves black and beautiful with a sheen on the coat. Just looking at each rolled leaf, I was mesmerized, as they resembled a dark semi-precious stone (my jewelry focus never too far away).

The color of the brewed liquor, a rich lush red, and beautiful. This is truly a special treat, has earned a place in my “special stash” grouping, where it may continue to age and change in the process, if I don’t drink it all tonight. Although, this may just not happen, because looking at the leaves after the second infusion it looks as if there is more to come from this batch.

*http://home.lightspeed.net/~ccolbert2/harkhist.htm

Oh, and by the way, we do discuss the suggested tea at the “Tea Salon”.

 

 

 

My friend, artist Michele Brody, is on an incredible journey. She is creating a tea house in Taiwan. Sending her well wishes and safe journey.

Read about her work in progress Michele Brody.

Cups up to Michele.

 

A few days ago my dear friend at The Tea Lovers Archives wrote a post about an unexpected day of tea finds in Manhattan.

I was so interested in her finds, being a native New Yorker I sometimes believe I have seen and done it all. Typical of New York it is impossible to make such a grandiose statement. New York is ever changing and I have bypassed many gems thinking the certain places would not interest me.

My friends’ journey was just one such case in point. Let’s begin with the wonderful day we recreated.

We met late afternoon at an arranged spot with a short distance to our destinations.

On my way I happened to pass a new little shop near 57^th street that offered one of my many weaknesses, cupcakes. These mini bites were right up my alley though I dared not dabble as we had definitive plans to have an assortment of treats on our days journey.

Note I will stop by at another time to sample these sweet bites.

After getting to the correct bus stop we were on our way first stop Leo Kaplan LTD, Scott Jacobson Gallery to see an incredible ceramics and teapot collection. These pieces are works of art that are so special and come with hefty price tags. Truly collector’s items by master potters like Wedgwood and Whieldon.  Each teapot reflects a story as many of these seemed to have been commissioned indicated by either dates or scenes.

 

This piece is spectacular, and one of my favorites created by Thomas Whieldon, Whieldon was known for making the Tortoiseshell Ware. He produced this product by applying the copper and manganese compounds to a cream-coloured earthenware in order to stain it. Almost immediately after staining the piece would be coated with a clear glaze so as to maintain its solid texture.*

Another item of interest was this Wedgewood Basalt Rum Kettle, circa 1790 England.

The next stop was off to Radiance Tea Shop to their new east side 50^st street location. I had to stop by and record the lovely Tulips along the way at Park Avenue.

The new Radiance location, slightly smaller that the west side shop, is lovely.  We arrived late afternoon so we basically had a full run of the café.

I always appreciate that this teashop has lots of tea books for sale and of course I picked up two for my library that have been on my wish list. I justified this purchase by recording I saved shipping charges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW do I spy a copy of our own TeaPages offering on the table “A Tea Reader” 

I ordered the aged pu-erh for my tea choice. I had reviewed the menu I knew the sticky pork buns would have a sweet base so I wanted a strong tea to stand up to my meal. I followed this appetizer with Fried Mushrooms which were delicious.

 

 

We sat and chatted relaxed and restored, so much so we both mentioned if there was a chaise lounge nearby we would be tempted to lie back read our new books and gently fall asleep. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

We reluctantly got ready to go off to our next destination Macarons.

So I enjoy a good Macaron every now and then though I certainly was not prepared for the awesome finds at this shop. These morsels pack a punch of flavor much more than any I have ever had. I even remarked to my friend The matcha macaron was not laced with matcha but loaded.

I had to take a box home as the box had my name on it (figuratively speaking).

Our last destination and the impetuous for our meeting was to attend a talk and tasting at the 92nd Street Y, given by Francine Segan food historian. The description below is from her website and will require a future blog post of it’s own.

The Art of Dining: The Table At Downton Abbey
Talk & Tasting
Thursday, April 25
7:00 – 8:30 PM
An amusing ramp thru this fascinating time period when high society was at its peak. A time of calling cards, horse drawn coaches, high tea, cotillions, lawn parties, formal dinners… a time when even picnics were served on fine china.
Discover the sorts of foods, elaborate etiquette, and enchanting entertainments enjoyed then. Francine’s vivid descriptions of formal dinner parties, cotillions, and elegant picnics will transport you back in time. Learn the 19th century meanings of giving a lady a tulip instead a rose; discover the most popular toasts of the 1890s: and when it was proper to remove your gloves or tip your hat.

Highlights of the talk include:

•  Trivia contest on the uses for now-obsolete objects from the era
•  Tasting of a popular 19th century tidbits
•  Handouts of unique recipes of the era
•  Demonstrations on creating 19th century garnished

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Whieldon

Another delightful day, Thanks Darlene!

 

Yesterday began with gaping spaces on my calendar. One might imagine that this might be cause for concern although for me those empty spaces signify that my day will be spent playing catch up with all the backlog work I have to do which involves sitting at my computer.

The items I note on my daily record are business meetings, events or some mundane task I must accomplish out of doors aka laundry.

Oops, as I scroll down to the evening there is one glowing notation “Golden Fleece Feast Fest” 9:00pm.  Well now that’s something to look forward to.  That will become the highlight of a very uneventful day, or so I thought.

The morning began with answering e-mails, following up on correspondence for future events. Search, research, research, search and finally buying a ticket for the upcoming World Tea Expo trip. Then calls to coordinate plans for travel, followed by ordering product and equipment for two events scheduled before the trip and one directly afterwards.

All was proceeding at pace which would allot me time for this evenings event, then like a bolt of lightning a distraction causing me to stop in my tracks.

It is so interesting, how I walk most days in the state of grace and strength only to be brought to the reality that a mere statement can uncover my sensitive vulnerability.

Disturbing, it placed me in a state of disbelief and despair.  I no longer wanted to join my community in a fest as I was embarrassed and disillusioned and all the negative voices proceeded to envelop my being.

Over the many years of working in the corporate world one develops self-protecting strategies in order to get through times like these.

I never imagined that I would have to pull this tactic out of the old corporate box in my new reinvented self though I am so happy it was there when I needed it along with a strong cup of Assam.

My method: examine the issue, get a clear perspective, address the issue, allow myself to wallow in my mood for a certain period of time then pick myself up and go on with my day.

At 7:00pm I began getting prepared for the “Golden Fleece Feast Fest” I set up my makeshift communication, as my desktop has not been cooperating lately. I then decided to make this event a special one for me as I needed a boost. I began pulling out tablecloths and teapots and setting up arrangements that I thought would enhance the presentation of this special tea.

My first choice was a display that would be more of an ethnic flair but changed midstream as my mood was in need of a more comforting setting. You know, the type you experience at your favorite traditional tea service.

Twitter was ablaze with suggestions from the various participants along with discussions of attire and food pairing. One of my dear friends questioned who would be supplying the macarons and of course I knew that would be me, knowing I had some stashed in my kitchen.

I decorated my table to my satisfaction and by 8:30pm I was ready to get started brewing the tea.  I had also checked online for brewing instructions.  Many of the instructions recommend the use of a gaiwan.  Since I wanted to save some of this beauty for another sitting, I opted for, as Lazy Literatus stated to, “stick with a Western approach”, which my selection was to brew it in my tea thermos which would keep the tea warm and also give me the opportunity to do several infusions without much hassle.

Golden Fleece, a black tea, definitely lives up to its name, as the colors of the leaves are truly golden enhanced with tiny fuzzy hairs attached to each bud.  The long golden buds have the look of elegance. Upon opening the pouch I was immediately smitten by the scent of honey, so inviting. Many times when I whiff a tea prior to tasting, the aroma is very different from what I initially smell. Not so with Golden Fleece, brewing only enhanced the honey aroma.

I chose to brew it at 195 degrees and steeped for 3 to 4 minutes. I reasoned I was using only a teaspoon of tea per my 8oz thermos and added a minute to the steep time for a stronger flavor.

The flavor is incredibly smooth, and rich and surprisingly keeps the honey notes through the sip. The color was deeply golden with an amber hue.

The macaron choices were butternut, caramel and pistachio (the pistachio was my least favorite with this tea choice)

Having overcome my previously somber mood I got into the swing of things as our Fest began. We talked tea, brewing, compared methods to tastes and of course discussed so many other things concerning our tea world.

Three infusions later I realized the hours had wiled away. I had such an enjoyable time. We discussed how we could do this again sometime in the future and I believe Rachel is drafting a plan as I type.

There is nothing like good tea and good friends to remind me there may be temporary distractions that can be disconcerting, taking time out for tea will always put things in perspective.

 

(Dian Hong, Yunnan Province, sample courtesy of Rachel Carter, I Heart Teas,)

You can read more about this tea  and event from the participants at

I Heart Teas, Tea For Me Please, Lazy_Literatus, Cups Of Tea With Jackie, The Tea Lovers Archives

Hope you can join us next time as we share tea and conversation.

As my readers are aware I take many unexpected trips when the opportunity arises. One such trip noted here was to a place I had never been and was eager to visit.

It was even more of a hoot when one of my twitter tea friends sent out this tweet a few days before I was set to leave.

I have visited the Philly-Baltimore-Washington corridors many times as the proximity to New York makes for a quick jaunt and presents me with the opportunity to enjoy regional foods that each place is noted for.

One cannot make a drive through in Philadelphia, PA. without having cheesesteak or Baltimore, MD. for crab cakes, well Annapolis, that is in close range of the two offers seafood at its best.

Although as a quasi NYC foodie I make my way through the respective towns eating and tasting the culinary offerings my main focus is always Tea.

Most of the sit down restaurants offer tea from bag offerings although I found three locals that offered loose leaf tea and within walking distance of each other.

This makes for a happy tea enthusiast.

Upon arrival at the hotel I inquired about one tea establishment it seemed that the bellman was not familiar with Afternoon Tea and could not provide information about any tea focused eateries, so off we went to explore on our own.

Our first stop, The Spice & Tea Exchange a fairly new enterprise to my surprise unlike other venues I have visited where both spice and tea are sold.

I was happy to see the clear separation and airtight packaging for both the spice and tea.

It has always distressed me when I enter a dual offering establishment where the tea is left to absorb the scent of the spice rendering the tea, in my opinion, useless.

The layout had clear boundaries and the packaging and display was inviting.

Hubby also was impressed by the many offerings he took the opportunity to purchase some assorted sugars for my collection.

Walking down the main street I couldn’t help feeling under-dressed for the number of persons in uniform passing us by. It also amazes me how impressive it is to see the clean crisp look of the naval corps both male and female.

Our next adventure finding Capital Teas, we walked and walked, looked on the map, programmed GPS and still had a difficult time locating this teashop.

The streets are somewhat like a maze with some blocks cut off so abruptly it seems as if they are hiding behind corridors.

We solicited the help of a local and finally reached our destination.

The proprietor Joyce greeted us warmly and my Hubby struck up conversation while I looked over the store. The loose-leaf offerings were many and the display of tea ware lovely. One piece, which I would have liked to bring home, was a Buddha Tea pot. I resisted as not to hear Hubby say “You have too much tea ware”.

Though he did treat me to the featured “Organic Cherry Blossom Rose” a blend of Sencha, Kyoto Cherries, and Roses that I will try soon. After a nice chat and a few photos later we were off to find dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our walk back past the Church Circle I noticed a 18^th  century Georgian building with outdoor seating complete with teapot and flower decorations on the tables.

I stopped to take photos only to discover I had found the tea establishment I had been in search of, Reynolds Tavern.

The story goes just a few days earlier one of my tea friends Julia from Bingley’s Tea Ltd., had mentioned on Facebook she would be supplying her line of tea to this establishment so it became part of my mission to have afternoon tea there and enjoy one of her offerings.

I so enjoy supporting my tea sisters.

I rushed up the steps and went in to reserve space for Afternoon Tea for tomorrow, a change to relax and just take time to enjoy.

Upon entering I spied her tea line prominently displayed on a shelf in the entryway smiles and joy.

A young man approached and placed my reservation in the guest book and I was set and about to leave when a voice from behind said “Excuse me did I hear you speak at the World Tea East last year?” Ok guys and gals you know this was not a question I ever expect to hear. I turned around in shock and answered affirmed. Apparently the proprietor Wes and his wife Marilyn Burge had attended my presentation. This exchange made the day even more rewarding.

That evening we dined at a restaurant was noted for both their crab cakes as well as their steamed crabs Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn. We had an hour wait and entertaining Hubby for this time was no easy feat his mantra “I hope this is worth it”.

Once inside we were seated immediately and the service great. The food was wonderful exactly what we wanted.

The evening ended with one last cup of tea.

My main focus the following day was my Afternoon Tea at Reynolds Tavern. I dressed appropriately donning a dress perfect for a Sunday afternoon. When I arrived I was seated immediately near a window overlooking the circle.

The interior decorated in 18^th century style with photos of various Presidents adorning the walls. Each table graced with flowers and white linen.

The lovely waitress Heather came over for my order. She explained there were additional new teas available and handed me a menu of Jane Austen Teas. She recommended the Sweet Jane as one which pair well with the Afternoon Tea selection and I eagerly went with her recommendation.

The serve ware began appearing on my table along with my personal Blue teapot. Heather instructed that after 2 minutes I should take out the infuser and place it on the plate as she would collect it shortly. After following the instruction I poured my first cup of the day, that first sip of Sweet Jane was exactly what I needed It was a perfect fit for the environment lightly floral on top a solid core.

The afternoon tea consisted of a warm scone orange cranberry my favorite out of the three offerings on the menu.

The second tier held an assortment of sandwiches and two savory tarts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last tier an assortment of sweets.

I lingered and languished in the joy of the afternoon tea the peace serenity and mind rest of the moment. I enjoyed every bite and each morsel was better than the last.

As sat and observed and listened to the interesting conversations around me all steeped in tea, so pleasant.

Too soon it was over and time to begin life anew. I stopped to chat with Mr. Burge, Wes as I exited I complemented him on such a wonderful experience. We spoke about how the afternoon tea came to be it seemed the previous owner Jill Petit could not find a place to have proper English Tea service and decided to establish one here. In addition another bit of trivia when the establishment was named a tea café the men would drop off their wives for tea and then go around the corner for food at another establishment even though there was a tavern downstairs. They decided to reinstate the original name and the men started returning, which was very apparent whilst I was there I observed a complementary mix of both men and women.

We also discussed the upcoming Jane Austin Event which is sure to be a success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our nice chat I left to go back to the hotel and catch up on some reading and enjoy the suns rays.

Hubby called to let me know I had been invited to join him and his associates for dinner so off I went to dress again.

The restaurant, Middletown Tavern another 18^th century tavern. Part of it’s decor in the dining room hall is a display of herbs and it is said these played an important part of life in early America. They were prized for their culinary seasonings as well as being valued for their fragrance and beauty. “Fashionable ladies of Annapolis always carried a “tussy mussy”, or a little pouch of fragrant herbs, to cover their noses when they encountered some of the odors of the City.” This is so understandable in a city where fishing was a main industry.

At dinner we spoke of many things and of course tea was part of the conversation.  By the way I brought my own tea to dinner as seen in the photo and was able to share additional sample packets with the guests. I always enjoy giving mini tea 101 to a captive audience. One of the members of the group was from England and tea was very much a part of his life. I was glad I was able to direct him to Capital Teas were he could explore the loose leaf tea he so enjoyed.

The one tea aspect I did not see much of was tea ware, as luck would have it Hubby was given a piece of memorabilia for duty of course it has become part of my collection.

All in all another wonderful tea trip. Thanks for reading

 

At this years venue I was on the other side of the table. A lot of work and focus.

I had the honor of representing I Heart Teas the awesome bath and body product line.

 

If you have not tried Rachel’s’ products they are a must!

It was fun meeting people and identifying their needs and just chatting about products, tea and inspiration.

Here are just a few photos of the display and A Gift Of Tea product offerings.

These products are also available online at The World’s Special Tea

A special Thank You goes out to my daughters without their help this experience would have been disastrous.

 

I have been to the C&T Festival since the start and have always given my support to this show.

This year as many of you know was my first time participating as an exhibitor.

A brand new experience rewarding yet exhausting, I may, in the future write about the experience of exhibiting.

Taking on this new role I missed the opportunity, for the most part, of connecting with other vendors and scoping out new products.

I did take a quick tour before the show beganand I will share what I saw. I do not have lots of information about most products since I was much too busy in the booth to get out and do a thorough review.

I leave that to Tea For Me Please.

I am sure you will recognize some of the exhibitors products and if you have any questions I will answer them if I can.

This is a two part report and I am saving the best for last.

Look out for part two.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending a relaxing evening with a few tea friends at the chashama 461 gallery. Although it was a promoted event, the setting was so peaceful and intimate one could not help but relax, sit back and enjoy the performance.

Michele Brody, (Installation Artist) Sabine Heubusch, (Choreographer, Dancer) and Gary Glazner, (Founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project) were the perfect hosts for this very special evening.

Upon entering, Gary greeted us with a welcome and proceeded to ask us two questions about tea. He was collecting responses to construct a poem written by us all, to be read at the beginning of the performance.

The questions,

What do you think of when you think of tea?

How does tea make you feel?

My answers: Happiness, Floating

I will talk more about this as I continue.

Once inside we were able to explore Michele’s Art Installation and wonderful works.

The Tea House, the hanging collection of messages written on tea stained tea bags,

 

 

a few of her collection of improvisational drawings produced by sprouting flax seeds in hand made flax paper and drink cups of Genmaicha and Fu Man Chu.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked around conversing with old friends and being introduced to new acquaintances.

After our social interactions concluded the show began.

Gary sat center floor and read the poem, which began, to my dismay, with

What do I think of when I think of tea? Lipton.

I cringed in my seat as the words hit the air. This was going to be interesting as I considered the level of palates sitting beside me.

There were two references to Grandmothers in this poem as well as many references to tea misconceptions.

I resisted the urge to jump up and conduct a tea 101 class and settled myself with another sip of tea.

At the end of the onsite constructed poem, Gary positioned himself stage left, turned on the music (Haydn Op. 64, Yaman-Alaap, Gu Zheng Under The White Wind) and began to read several pieces from writings collected by Michele on her journey to collect tea thoughts, some which can be found in her book “Reflections In Tea”.

Sabine performed the dance with beauty and grace, a visual representation of the stories, her movements and interpretation of the words and leaf impressions.

With the combination of words, music and dance we were taken to different parts of the world shared the tea experiences of others and exposed to the wonderful effects tea has on life experiences.

At the end Both Michele and Sabine entered the teahouse and the lights dimmed suggesting the quiet reflection that occurs when taking tea whether alone or with others.

It was such a pleasure to be part of this experience.

Michele’s Teahouse will be on exhibit at the Coffee & Tea Festival, NYC, 69^th Regiment Armory, 68 Lexington Ave, Between East 25^th and 26^th Streets, Manhattan on March 23 & 24^th.

Her book and novelty tea stained items can be purchased at booth 35 at this event.

 

Ever have a cup of tea so memorable that you obsess about the brew?

Looking on your “packed to the brim” tea shelf choosing to brew teas you already own hoping this will satisfy your craving, though nothing comes close?

Well this was my recent experience after drinking Fu Man Chu by serendipiTea.

I had mentioned in a previous post that my week began packed with new tea experiences and each one was special and unique.

One tea I mentioned was the Fu Man Chu a blend of Organic Jasmine, Organic Pouchong, and Organic Pu-Erh.

Not fond of blends, this brew appealed to my earthy, earthy, woodsy, strength of brew palate and introduced a hint of jasmine into the picture.

My obsession in tow I stopped by serendipiTeas Booth at the International Restaurant Show this week.

It was so great to see Linda and her crew busy at the job at hand and taking the time for me to photograph them between assisting customers.

My purpose for stopping, besides the warm hello I knew I would receive and a good cup of tea as well, was to compliment Linda on such a wonderful blend.

As we talked she mentioned that it also is delicious Iced (sounds like a plan to me).

I sipped some of her sampled offerings of the day and we chatted about “all things tea”.

It is always a special time for me when I connect with someone, spend time with someone, who shares tea-passion.

As I was leaving I was handed a bit of this gem.

Thank You Linda and the universe for hearing my request.

On my ride home I was in glee anticipating my next cup.

Note it was even better than my memory.

You can find SerendipiTea here http://www.serendipitea.com/