There are advantages and disadvantages to using compressed tea.  I have found that, when brewed, compressed tea is significantly stronger than loose leaf or bag tea.  I’ve also found that it is possible to get a pot out of a single compressed brick/bowl when the same amount of loose leaf would barely produce a weak cup.  On the down side, compressed tea tends to also have a more bitter or even earthier after taste.  I only drink my compressed teas after medical treatments that leave me feeling nauseated.  I have found that in my particular case, the strength of the compressed tea tends to diminish the nausea.  Compressed tea is definitely not for the faint of heart.  In fact, I suspect that it may actually contain significantly higher amounts of caffeine.

However, I have no scientific evidence to support that the tea does anything at all – only my own observations.  Of course, dear reader, you should consult your own doctor before using any sort of home remedies – even tea – to treat illness.  But, in my experience, compressed black tea had become indispensable on days when I receive IV infusions for lupus/rheumatoid arthritis.

Tea bricks can be any shape, though most that I’ve seen are, well, brick shaped! This is an oval brick with a lovely horse relief. Tea bricks always seem to have some kind of beautiful decoration on them.

This is compressed tea in a shape known as a “bird’s nest”.

The first tea party presented a unique challenge because my companion doesn’t like or eat sweets so the normal repast of gooey, sweet treats and cakes was not an option. My solution? A Savory Tea Party.

We dined on cheese and spinach filled puff pastries, tzatziki sauce with fresh french bread for dipping, toast with jam and butter, pickles and a selection of both green tea and the sugar plum spice tea from Celestial Seasonings. The tea party was a great success. I served the food and drink as a buffet and we reclined in the living room to chat. I used simple, seasonal table cloths and a single Christmas stocking as a table ornament.

The second tea party was special because it was held at a tea shop rather than at home. I wasn’t sure how this would work out but it was a delightful, quick and fairly stress free way of meeting for tea.

The benefit of meeting at a tea shop was that all the food was pre-made. And, it afforded customers to choose their own food to suit. We chose a tea shop that offered it’s tea in porcelain dishware rather than the eco-disaster paper cups from places like Starbucks. We also chose a place known for serving seasonal teas – not just a coffee shop that only serves generic teas like Lipton or Stash. This tea party was also a delightful success. There was no set-up, no clean-up and it was very inexpensive. The only stress was finding parking because we met right around 6:30pm and had to make our way to the tea shop through rush hour traffic. Still, it was worth the savings to the pocketbook and stress levels.

I highly recommend trying to find ways accommodate the schedules and tastes of your tea party companions. It makes the tea party experience much more delightful. I should also note that the Savory Tea Party was served for a man. This was the first tea party I had hosted for a male guest. I was pleasantly surprised at his warm and receptive approach to the tea – especially after he found a few things he liked to eat! So don’t shy away from inviting a male friend out for a tea party, ladies! Tea time is not just for little girls in funny hats and frilly frocks any more!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and a magnificent 2011!

This week’s upcoming articles will be:

Jan. 5 – Tea for Two, Twice!
Jan. 10 – Book Review: The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura

Check back soon!

Sugar Plum Spice by Celestial Seasonings

The Blendmaster’s notes say that the Caffeine Free “Herbal Tea” (aka tisane) is a “celebratory blend [that] combines juicy purple plums and aromatic spices like ginger and cardamon with tart hibiscus, floral chamomile, and just a hint of sweetness. Every sip is a journey to the Land of the Sweets in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, where the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy presides over a flavorful assortment of sensory delights.”

I think the reference to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, is a bit over the top and is more reflective of a Blendmaster trying to write something inventive for the side of the box.

Nevertheless, this tisane does artfully combine plums, ginger, cardamon, hibiscus and chamomile to render an aromatic and delectable drink. I recommend combining this tisane with vanilla or nut based hearty treats like  Shortbread, Madeleines, persimmon cookies, almond cookies or oatmeal/walnut cookies. Thick banana bread with butter, pumpkin pie/cheesecake, pecan pie or carrot cake would also pair nicely with the Sugar Plum Spice tisane.

Although I encourage you to try this drink with whatever suits your holiday fancy, I would suggest that it would likely not pair well with desserts that are very sweet (like pineapple upside-down cake), fruity (fruit tarts), or are cinnamon-based (like gingerbread). This tisane is already very sweet, fruity and spicy. Pairing it with desserts that also share these qualities might be overpowering to your tastebuds.

“TEABAG is a charity in aid of The Education And Book Appeal for Ghana. The work carried out by the charity aims to improve the education of young people in Ghana by providing basic equipment, books and educational facilities.

TEABAG operates in various locations not only in education but also helping with medical care and encouraging the communities we work in, to take more responsibility for the environment in which they live.”

Check out this worthy organization and find a away to help!

This clip is from 1941. It emphasizes good tea making techniques and explains how to make tea to serve large groups!

This clip is from a British gentleman who wants to help preserve the British art of making a nice cup of tea in America.

Although production is down, some producers such as those in Kenya see a silver lining. Kenya’s other agriculture exports to Europe were down last year. The smaller tea harvests around the world will cause the price for tea to go up increasing Kenyan profits for tea crops.

These issues and more are set to be discussed at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair August 12-14. The tea fair will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. (http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkteafair-en/)

So, while the horrors of hoarding is a hot topic for the afternoon talk shows right now, perhaps hoarding a bit of tea while prices are down might be a good idea!

For more information:

India: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tea-prices-to-go-up-says-mcleod-russel/627588/

China: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/love-of-a-good-cuppa-is-spreading-even-as-chinese-tea-prices-soar-2049490.html

Kenya: http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/High%20coffee%20and%20tea%20prices%20to%20boost%20Kenyas%20forex%20earnings/-/539552/975206/-/1leco1/-/