Tea Foundations

I’m thrilled to announce that George Brown College has rebooted its in-person tea program starting with Tea Foundations.

And I’ll be your guide!

This is also a prerequisite for the Advanced Tea Program (Tea Sommelier), which we are also planning to restart.

Look at the beautiful space we have above The Chefs’ House, St. James Campus, Centre of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, 215 King St. E., Toronto

Join me for this dive into the universe of tea, starting with “Intro to Tea”,

Wednesday nights, 6.30- 10 pm, May 10 – June 14, 2023

The post A New Teaching Adventure! first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

On Tuesday, September 14, 8.30pm,  Soo will be chatting with me about my tea universe – lots of potential for liveliness!

Visit  Soocha Tea for link to registration.

During registration, an optional donation can be made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Hope you can attend!

The post Soocha Tea and Me, Tuesday, September 14, 8.30pm first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

Saturday February 1st, 1.30pm

The 8th Annual Toronto Tea Festival takes place over 2 days, Saturday February 1st and Sunday 2nd, at Toronto’s Reference Library, in the Appel Studio.

I’m happy to announce that I will be speaking on Saturday Feb.1st at 1.30pm. Topic – Botany of the Tea Plant. I’ve really enjoyed researching this project. A bit of a deep dive for me, but I’m learning so much! My plan is to distill this knowledge into a concise 30 minute story!

New this year!

I will be a guest at the festival table both Saturday and Sunday from 3.30pm to 5pm, with copies of The Tea Book available for purchase and signing.

Sommelier Tasting Session

On Sunday February 2nd, 10.30am – 12.30pm, The Tea Guild of Canada has organized a tasting with sommeliers (sorry, sold out). I will be presenting 2 green teas.

* If you are a tea lover and find yourself in the Toronto area, the festival is not to be missed. Your ticket includes all educational sessions, presentations and a fabulous tea marketplace. Best to buy your tickets online to avoid a lineup at the door.

See you there!!!

The post Upcoming talk: Toronto Tea Festival first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

An Extraordinary Experience

I have just experienced an adventurous evening of tea and chocolate pairing at Soma Chocolatemaker, in downtown Toronto, organized by The Tea Guild of Canada.

We were met by Soma’s guide Samantha. As she lead us through the tasting of each morsel, she explained its place of origin and the close relationship the chocolatier had with their farm sources, confirming for me that specialty chocolate sourcing has parallels to direct-sourced fine tea.

Curiously, some of the chocolate samples were made in the form of tasting bars. These rectangular strips had a thumb depression at one end. Samantha suggested we rub this impression with our thumbs to warm up the chocolate, then sniff it and then crack the bar in half next to our ear. A nice crack is an indication that the chocolate has an even distribution of cocoa fats.

A few examples of our tasting:

Milk Old School  

A roughly ground Chuoa cacao in a log shaped roll. This chocolate had plenty of texture but still smooth on the palate with a little satisfying hit of dairy.

Paired with Puttabong 1st flush Darjeeling from Camellia Sinensis Tea House. Perhaps the chocolate was a bit overpowering for the tea, but each sip was refreshing and as Darjeeling tends to do, it set the world to rights.

Tien Giang Vietnam

(70% cacao) from small holder growers in the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam.

Paired with Long Jing green tea from Tao Tea Leaf. I was surprised at how well these two stars intermingled, especially considering that one of them was green tea! I expected competition for my palate’s attention, but Tien Giang’s cherry and hazelnut flavours lived harmoniously with the familiar chestnut and buttery texture of Long Jing.

Bergamot Orange Truffle

This oblong shaped truffle was made with Mr. Freddie Salazar’s Ecuadorian chocolate. It was followed by a tasting sample of the same farm’s 70% cacao.

Both were paired with Tao Tea Leaf’s Tie Guan Yin (Anxi old style). This Oolong has a slight roast, but that familiar TGY fragrance was still forefront. The Bergamot truffle had presence, and it was suggested that we could just enjoy this one on its own, but the pairing was pleasant. I will just interject here, that our minds were skewed to the chocolate. The tea was secondary, so anytime the pairing performed well it was a double fantasy!

We enjoyed this tasting bar with Balhyocha from Soocha Tea. Korean black tea lovers will recognize strong hints of chocolate which makes it a no brainer for this paring, but is a treat to drink on its own. The pairing was exquisite and the chocolate had a melting texture that definitely engaged the pleasure centres of my brain!

Pièce de Résistance

Da Hong Pao was this chocolate’s date for the evening and they certainly enjoyed each other’s company!

All tea’d out, there was just one little morsel left to try – a fruit bar that would normally be considered white chocolate, but because it contained no dairy, was not allowed that category. This thin bar was made of plums, warm spice and Okinawa black sugar. It was like a refined, silky version of Chinese preserved plum.

The Shop

I’m lucky that I live in mid-town Toronto just a short streetcar ride away from the shop. I’m also the same distance from their new Brock St. Cacao Bean Lab. Oh yes! I’ll be visiting.

The post A Sensual Feast of Tea And Chocolate first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

Cancer Hates Tea  

There are many reasons to attend World Tea Expo, but I’m finding that as I grow into the industry, I’m just as interested in tea people as product.

Maria Uspenski introduced herself to me a few years ago, after The Tea Book was published. She was warm and enthusiastic. One of those rare humans who seems to glow from within. She had long been associated with the expo. Her company, The Tea Spot is a sponsor of the trade show and her inventive blends, well-engineered Steepware®, and dedication to customer care are well-known. Some years she hosts a yoga session in the morning before the conference begins. At The Tea Spot, ten percent of every sale made is donated in-kind to cancer and community wellness programs. What drives this kind of commitment?

I had the opportunity to sit with Maria and chat about her story. Just outside the expo hall and surrounded by its din and noise, we plunked ourselves down in two comfy chairs and as we reflected on her experiences, the conversation seemed to have a noise cancelling effect. Ironically there was no tea.

As with many other tea industry people, Maria left a former career to pursue tea, but there was a pivotal life event that brought about the shift in her attention.

She grew up in a Russian family that enjoyed a cup of classic black tea every night. It was a matriarchal household where both her mother and grandmother had an influence on those around them. They believed that Maria could do anything. Indeed, she pursued many avenues – a dancer, an engineer, an athlete, and owner of a successful tech firm. It was during the tech career over 16 years ago, that she was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer.

The news left her numb – she was a single mom with two young daughters – this couldn’t be happening to her. She followed recommended chemo treatments and felt overwhelmed with the daunting task of becoming well again. She was determined to understand what was happening to her body, to deconstruct the uninvited guest. This led her to further research the ways in which she could improve her chances of success with the treatments and then continue to stay cancer-free for as long as possible.

“Not tea for the love of tea, but tea for the love of life.“

She discovered medical studies and articles that discussed the benefits of green tea as it related to cancer. Maria explains, “One of the studies that I found most compelling, although it had to do with breast cancer and not the cancer that I had, was regarding an environmentally induced cancer – a study of the women who were in the vicinity of Hiroshima after the bombing and those who weren’t taken out by the first effects of the bomb. There were some pretty tight correlations between the better (green) tea drinkers and those who fared the best.”

Maria started to drink green tea even though the chemo made everything taste metallic. She says, “At this time it was not tea for the love of tea, but tea for the love of life.” She added, “For about 10 years I drank green tea and didn’t like it, but two summers ago something shifted and I thought wow, I can’t wait to have my green tea today! Now I absolutely love Japanese greens.”

After plunging into and researching medical studies on tea and its effect on cancer, Maria was convinced that tea could be part of a plan of treatment for others. The idea for a tea business started to hatch.

By the time The Tea Spot was up and running, Maria had visited countries of origin and learned to understand and love tea for its culture, flavour, terroir and taste. After establishing and building a successful tea business, she could turn her attention to sharing her experience and knowledge of the disease that devastates so many in North America and globally. What better way to do this than by writing a book?

“Cancer Hates Tea” – No really, it does.

It may seem strange to describe a book about cancer as amusing, but Cancer Hates Tea is truly an enjoyable read. Uspenski uses an engaging and convincing approach to the subject. She employs the “uninvited guest” analogy to demonstrate how cancer’s aim is to create chaos by hijacking our body’s ordered systems. She then goes on to illustrate how the corrective effects of tea, constrain cancer’s persistent attempts to take over. Drinking tea pisses cancer off! Even the illustrations are not what we expect to see – they are charming and maybe even a bit whimsical –  the product of the talented hand of Hope Larsen, a staff member at The Tea Spot.

Maria’s passion and sense of humour is present throughout, bringing you closer to tea by making it a natural, tasty and positive experience. If she has a manifesto it is to demonstrate to people how easy it is to incorporate this simple beverage into their lives – 5 cups a day. Beginning with Chapter 1 “Cancer 101  – How it Works” and concluding with “Sip on This, Cancer”, it’s hard to imagine how any reader could avoid becoming a convert to tea. I even found myself considering that maybe I should be drinking more green tea!?

This book was long overdue in a world that still doesn’t understand what cancer is. It’s a book that I am glad to have on my shelf. I wish the medical community had known about cancer and tea when my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. She was resourceful in her determination to live and managed to keep on for 30 years, at a time when treatments were not very focused or refined.

Maria’s new trajectory is to work with integrative oncologists. She says, “Cancer is individual rather than being an umbrella disease. It’s important to take control and ownership of it even if all you can do is drink 5 cups of tea a day.”

We finished our visit by chatting about the tea industry and how ‘zen’ it is and that people share and are relatively uncompetitive. Speaking of competitions, Maria and I both won World Tea Awards in 2017. She won for Best Tea Health Advocate and The Tea Book won Best Tea Publication. Thrilling for both of us!

Maria Uspenski will be at World Tea Expo again with The Tea Spot, Booth 625.

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The post Portrait: Maria Uspenski first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

Anatomy of a Painting

The 1715 oil painting, Two Ladies and an Officer at Tea, (above) has often been used to cite the prominent place that tea held in elite society of the early 1700’s. For tea social history enthusiasts, it is a quintessential image, one of the earliest to depict the partaking of tea in the western world. It is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s vast collection.

While researching for a talk I gave on history of tea ware 5 years ago, I used this painting to illustrate the upper class perspective on tea in that era. On the slide caption, I credited the artist as Nicolaes Verkolje, Dutch (1673-1746). When I updated my talk this January for the Toronto Tea Festival, I noticed that the V & A had revised their details about the painting, now stating that the artist was ‘unknown’. They mention that the painting was formerly attributed to Verkolje, but on further examination, it was believed to be British. The red coat on the officer was possibly a clue.

Within those 5 intervening years, the museum had also improved the digital upload quality of the painting’s photo and I started to notice many details that I had previously overlooked. Let me lead you in a closer look.

At the outset, it can be said that whoever painted and whoever were the subjects, this portrait was commissioned to display not only the wealth of its sitters, but also their undeniable awareness of the fashions of the day. They could afford these amusements and wanted their circle of friends to admire that about them. The portrait contains many indicators of their affluence.

The Clothes

Some of you will know that before I switched careers to become a tea sommelier, I spent over 20 years working in the fashion industry, styling and adorning clients for their big moments on camera and on the red carpet. Whenever I have a chance to find a connection between the subject of tea and costume/fashion I feel quite giddy.

The Frelange

It might be that the confusion around the provenance of this portrait is related to the women’s clothing. It all looks quite European, particularly the head pieces. The ‘Frelange’, was a trend of the day, the way fascinators have occupied the heads of wedding guests and afternoon tea fanatics for a few decades. Made popular in France, one can see extreme examples of this trend, with hair piled absurdly high, supported by wire framework. The silk ribbons were part of the Frelange gear and were referred to as ‘Fontange’. Twisted and ruched, they were as decorative as icing on a cake. The 2 female subjects have chosen a more subdued version of the Frelange, but it still would have required the assistance of a skilled personal maid. Their hair was probably powdered to look more grey.

The Mantua

Sounding ever so Spanish, but likely derived from the french “manteau”, the mantua was an au courant style of dress at the time of the sitting. Popular for several decades, it eventually evolved into a caricature of itself with huge rectangular crinolines and tight stomachers. The version in this portrait was relaxed, but it did have a long train with a fringed hem (see the cat snuggling up to the fringe). There is a blue version and a green version of the mantua, both constructed of sumptuous Chinese silk. Fortunately for the lady on the left, Scheele’s Green, an arsenic-based dye, had not yet been invented. It is likely that copper or vegetable dyes provided the bottle green hue. Gold threads were woven through the body of the mantua to display wealth and to reflect the soft light of beeswax candles which lit the interiors in the evenings.

The Peruke

Wigs were a status symbol in the 18th century. The trend though, began a hundred years earlier when syphilis was rampant throughout Europe and men suffered hair loss and open sores as a result. The “peruke” or periwig, hid these embarrassing symptoms and became a social necessity, establishing a brisk trade for wig makers. A wig such as the one above would have cost at least half a year’s wages for the average Londoner.

By the time this portrait was painted, wigs were a fashion rather than an attempt to hide a disease. They were made of a combination of horse hair, human and goat hair and dusted with aromatic powders. They would be taken periodically to the wig maker for cleaning and de-lousing. The formality of wig wearing lasted through the century, eventually going out of fashion after the French revolution.

The Tea Ware

Jingdezhen Porcelain

The Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangsu Province, China, produced massive amounts of blue and white porcelain for export to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries (Qing dynasty). Porcelain was often used for ballast on ships that carried lighter weight luxury goods such as silk and tea.

The elusive recipe for porcelain had only just been discovered at the Meissen factory in Germany in 1710, but the “arcanum” was fiercely guarded and it would be decades before porcelain factories were established in England.

Blue and white porcelain was regarded as a treasure – translucent, delicate but durable, able to take hot liquids without cracking – and brought out for occasions such as this. The little tea bowls had no handles and sat in deep saucers. Tea was sometimes sipped from the saucer. Notice the waste water bowl  – it appears to have a crackle glaze, but actually you are looking at the cracked glaze of the painting itself.

There are sugar bowls on the table. Even though tea was expensive and highly treasured, it probably tasted a bit funky, having travelled in damp cargo holds of ships, on a trip that could last over 8 months. The taste would be improved with the addition of sugar, which was marketed and promoted by British sugar plantations in the West Indies.

Yixing teapot

It was pretty neat to spot a Yixing 宜興 teapot sitting near the hostess on the tea table. These tiny teapots have been part of tea culture since the 16th century (early Qing dynasty). They are also sometimes referred to as Zisha 紫砂, meaning purple sand, referencing the brownish/purple colour of the clay which is found only in the Yixing area of Jiangsu Province. The clay is highly plastic and can be formed into teaware by hand building. It is fired and burnished, but left unglazed. This pot is quite small in size, holding enough loose leaves for several rounds of serving.

The Tea

All the tea consumed was from China. Tea cultivation in India wouldn’t begin for another 140 years. Teas under lock and key in the tea chests of the privileged had unusual names that are mostly unfamiliar to us today. They are likely bastardizations of the Amoy dialect (Fukien/Fujian Province) used by the local tea traders and mispronounced by the English buyers.

• Hyson (green, higher quality)
• Singlo (low grade green)
• Twankay (green, lower quality)
• Bohea (wuyi black)
• Congou (black)
• Souchong (black)

The Subjects

Look Even Closer

When I examined this picture 5 years ago, I noticed madame pinching a bit of tea from a small box. Because the picture quality was low, I wasn’t able to see the detail. This time, with improved resolution, it jumped out at me – madame was in fact pinching snuff!

Snuff consists of finely ground, scented tobacco leaves. It is sniffed through the nose from the back of the hand or between thumb and forefinger or with a small implement. The user would have experienced a “buzz” from the nicotine. Snuff was at the height of fashion when this portrait was painted. Queen Anne (1702 – 1714) had a room built in her palace just to house her collection of snuff. It seems there were no social restrictions on women partaking of this addictive habit.

This may be the only painting of this era that shows tea and snuff being enjoyed at the same time. Madame’s pinch may simply have been an affectation contrived by the artist, but it may also have been a symbolic gesture to illustrate the respect of husband to wife via the sharing of snuff. 1715 was early in the Age of Enlightenment, when women were questioning their position in society – it was clear that they still had no rights to property, etc., but this little gesture could have been a sign – or am I reading too much into it??

What is clear to me now is that this portrait was a big event for the sitters – they wore their finest attire, had their hair done, got their wig cleaned, wore pearls, got out the good china, unlocked the tea chest, endured hours of sitting and enjoyed a little snuff. Not exactly a moment frozen in time, but rather a lifestyle on display, staged and tweaked to perfection.

The post A Closer Look: Taking Tea in 1715… first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

We traveled back to northern Ontario a few weeks ago. The last time we visited, it was springtime and I wrote about that season in an earlier post. The wilderness was awake with nesting birds and budding trees. It’s now autumn and the colours of the landscape have changed. Sunsets seem brighter, the wind cooler and the air is damper. This year, the wind off the lake was very strong, making it difficult to canoe except in those rare hours when the water was calm. The fall season does have its advantages. Once a few overnight frosts have occurred, the biting insects go to ground allowing bug-free hikes in the forest.

The wet forest floor is ripe with mushrooms at this time of year. I could only admire and photograph as I didn’t know which ones were edible.

Foraging

Having access to the forest at this time of year also allows me to forage for leaves and berries that make a distinctive northern tisane. I found Juniper berries (which ripen every two years), Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), Bearberry leaves (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), also sometimes known as Kinnikinnick, wild Raspberry leaves and wild Bog Cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos).

Northern Blend

If you live north of the 45th parallel of latitude you’ll find these leaves/berries in Mixed or Boreal Forests. In the U.S., the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and northern Michigan probably have a similar flora. I’m sure most can be found in northern Europe as well, Bearberry being the most obscure. It does apparently grow in northern Europe and at high altitudes in southern Europe as far south as Italy and Greece. If you can’t find any of these berries or leaves, Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Quebec has a pretty good facsimile blend called La Boreale and available online.

After the leaves and berries were dried (I did keep the Cranberries fresh), I set about making a “Northern Blend”. The title of this post Tea in the Great Canadian...I suppose isn’t technically correct as this is a “tisane” and completely non-Camellia sinensis, but we’ll let that pass for today.

To make the blend, I used equal amounts (approx. 3 tsps) of Raspberry, Bearberry and Wintergreen leaves, approx. 6 Juniper berries and 8 fresh wild Cranberries. I crushed all in a mortar and pestle (you could used the back of a spoon and a cutting board). Boiling water was added and the blend was infused for 5 to 6 minutes.

I was thrilled that all the elements in the blend were so compatible. Wintergreen’s minty freshness was offset slightly by Juniper’s resiny flavours. Both the Raspberry and Bearberry leaves added a warm grassiness and the Cranberries gave the blend a pink hue and hint of fruitiness.

The blend, like all herbal tisanes has some lovely side benefits – calming, aiding digestion, pain relief, but  I would be happy to drink it just for the flavour. Next year I will harvest enough to set aside for my winter supply. Important note on foraging – avoid over harvesting or you may not find any the following year! Remember that the local deer, bears and other creatures rely on these herbs for food.

Cabin Life

The Guelph Stove Co. wood stove is a leftover from the days when these log cabins were part of a hunting and fishing lodge. It’s really just an accessory now, but it is in good working order. We had to forage for wood in the forest. There were lots of dead falls – birch, oak and maple – nice hardwoods that burned slowly and were not pitchy. Some were damp from the rain, but soon dried out from the heat of the stovetop. There’s nothing quite like the warmth and aroma of glowing wood coals.

Goodnight until next spring

The post Tea in the Great Canadian Wilderness: Autumn Edition first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

Whenever I taste a tea that is new to me, I embrace the opportunity to take a little detour and stroll into unfamiliar territory. I’m sure this pursuit of tea knowledge is the reason that many of us stay engaged in the industry.

I first tried Winter Oolongs a few years ago and while I enjoyed them, I had no frame of reference for what might make them special. When I recently tasted a few from Tillerman Tea, I conjured up what I now know is a fantacized vision – a frozen landscape of tea bushes touched by frost. While Winter Oolong is the name given to Taiwanese Oolong teas produced from the last harvest of the season, this doesn’t really occur in what we in the western world might consider winter conditions. While these Oolongs may not be harvested in blustery weather, they arrive on the market at a time when many of us need a bit of a tonic.

Since they are not that well known to most tea drinkers, I set out to ask Tillerman Tea owner, David Campbell, a series of questions about the winter harvest and how the season plays into the character of the tea.

David is a fellow Canadian who lives in Napa, California. He was recently in town for The Toronto Tea Festival. A life-long enthusiast of tea and all it encompasses, he was pleased when his former career in the wine industry took him frequently to Taiwan where he was able to explore the region’s unique teas and terroir. He made loyal connections with some of Taiwan’s small batch tea farmers and started Tillerman Tea in 2007. He specializes in Taiwan Oolong teas and usually has a dozen or so on offer, all from recent harvests.

(I’ve interspersed pictures of 3 Tillerman Tea Winter Oolongs throughout the interview with notes in the captions on dry leaf, wet leaf and liquor. All are lightly oxidized 15%-23% and multiple infusions are possible with all.)

 Q & A

Is the harvesting of Winter Oolong connected to the lunar calendar or to temperatures?

There is no real connection to the lunar calendar except insofar as the lunar calendar determines when the seasons begin. The mid-autumn festival, for example, is on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar year, generally later September but sometimes early October, when what we call autumn is really just beginning. The harvest can begin in early September and finish in mid-November. The timing is weather related but not strictly tied to temperature.

How cold does it get during harvest time?

In the high mountain areas it can get quite cold during the harvest. In lower lying gardens it generally is temperate. (photo was taken after harvest)

What is the window of time for the harvest?

The harvest can extend from late September through mid-November. Generally lower, warmer areas are harvested first and the high elevations, which are significantly cooler, are harvested later.

Is the manufacturing process different because of the cooler season?

No, the methods of manufacture are essentially the same for spring and winter teas.

How long have the plants been resting between harvests?

That depends. Whereas high mountain areas will generally have only two harvests per year (e.g. May and November), lower areas will often get three, four or even six harvests per year.

Cuifeng Gaoshan, Winter, 2017

Is there a geographic area that produces the best winter Oolongs?

Well, this is bound to get me into trouble with some of the growers with whom I work, but I would say that the most distinctive differences (not necessarily the best tea) between spring and winter teas are to be found at high elevations. This is because the seasonal variation in temperature tends to be greater. That said, global climate change is affecting tea areas throughout Taiwan and the differences between spring and winter are becoming less pronounced.

The final notes of these teas linger longer – is there a reason for that?

Winter harvests tend to be colder than spring ones, when the plant is coming out of a long rest period. The leaves are thicker and contain higher pectin levels. As a result, the tea is less aromatic but has a richer mouthfeel and a more persistent finish.

Can they be aged?

If they are high quality teas that are processed for ageing (given a roast,) yes, they can be.

Dong Ding Roasted Oolong, Winter, 2017

Are Winter Oolongs a relatively new idea to extend the harvesting season or have they been around for a while?

No, not at all. Winter tea has been produced since camellia sinensis was introduced to Taiwan. Although some plants arrived earlier, of course, the main influx began around 1810. Gao shan (High Mountain) teas really have been produced only since the 1980’s but winter production has been a part of the equation since the beginning.

As an Ontarian, I think of the obvious comparison to ice wine. Are there any similarities? – for example are more sugars present in the leaf in cooler temps?

Actually, it is not uncommon the find “frozen tea” in Taiwan – the aroma has a distinct green bean character. Winter tea, however, doesn’t have higher sugars but it does generally have higher pectin levels and thicker leaves. These influence the feel of the tea in the mouth.

Lishan Gaoshan Oolong, Winter 2017

Are there counterfeits? And if so, how can the buyer/consumer tell?

Counterfeit teas abound in the Taiwan tea trade and more tea is sold as Taiwanese than the country produces. The teas (often pretty good – one, whose non-Taiwanese nature was unknown to the judges – just won a competition in Lugu. It created quite a scandal when the truth came out.) This is a problem for consumers of both spring and winter tea. One obvious “red flag” is price. Taiwanese tea is expensive and if you find a deal that seems too good to be true it likely is. The best way to ensure getting true Taiwanese tea, however, is to know your sources; e.g. deal only with vendors who take the trouble to disclose the lineage of the tea you want to purchase. Get to know your vendors and deal with those you can trust.

                                 •   •   •

Here in the northern part of the northern half of the globe, the days are lengthening and light is finally coming back into our lives, but it is still winter. Winter Oolongs may just be the restorative antidote to cabin fever as we become impatient for spring. I’ve also tried some refreshing cold infusions of these teas – looks like they’ll be on my personal tea menu for many more months.

Visit Tillerman Tea for more detailed information about Taiwan’s tea terroir and the makers who craft the Oolongs featured in their catalogue. They offer free North American shipping on any order.

The post Taiwan’s Winter Oolongs first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

In its sixth year, and now one of the biggest consumer tea festivals in North America, The Toronto Tea Festival is preparing for a large crowd of tea fans – both novices and connoisseurs and everything in between. The weekend event will be taking place at Toronto’s Reference Library in the Appel Salon Saturday February 3rd and Sunday, 4th, from 10am – 5pm.

The Festival was founded by Tao Wu and his sister Mingzhu Gao, of Tao Tea Leaf in Toronto. The Tea Guild of Canada helps as a sponsor by supplying volunteer and logistics support.

VIP Evening

This year a VIP screening of The Tea Explorer is taking place on Friday evening, Feb. 2nd. This film documents Jeff Fuch’s tea explorations along the Ancient Tea Horse Road through the Himalayas. Fuchs and filmmaker Andrew Gregg will be on hand to answer questions. Bonus – Jeff will also be providing a tasting of beautiful Pu’er and other fine teas.

Advance Your Tea Knowledge

The Toronto weather is often snowy and blustery outside the festival. The large glass windows of the salon seem to encase the satisfied crowd like hands around a restorative cup of warm tea.

I always look forward to connecting with tea lovers and sharing some knowledge. This year I’ll be speaking on Saturday Feb. 3rd. at 12.30pm. “Tea Essentials” will aim to demystify the world of high end loose leaf tea, providing info that will enable those wanting to move to new levels of tea love. I’ll have my award-winning The Tea Book on hand for purchase and signing after my talk and throughout the festival.

Pictorial Highlights of the Past Five Years:

Tickets

Tickets are available online or by phone.

* If you take your chance at the door, arrive early as only a limited amount of walk up tickets will be released for sale each morning.  Best to buy online! Tickets for the VIP screening of The Tea Explorer are only available online.

The post Sip & Discover: Toronto Tea Festival 2018 first appeared on The Tea Stylist.

There are still some good suggestions on the previous post (2013), but so much has happened in the tea world and my tea life that I thought it deserved an update.

curati.co

I’m often asked which teas I can recommend and where to buy them. “Where can I find fine quality tea that is fresh and that I can trust to be sourced directly?” Since I don’t sell tea, I provide names of vendors I trust, but inevitably people forget what I’ve told them or lose the paper they wrote it down on.

I’m thrilled to say that I can now direct everyone to curati.co. Earlier this year they invited me to recommend my favourites to feature in the tea category on their shop site. They also made some videos of ‘moi’ describing the teas and tea category in general.

It’s an expert driven concept, and I’m sharing “curator” title with some pretty illustrious chefs and culinary stars. Here’s how the concept is described on their site:

“What you’ll find on this site are collections of the best of the best of the best small-batch goods in the world, curated by experts, collected for you, the food-curious.”

Other categories – chocolate, olive oil, cocktail bitters, salt and pepper, Asian sauces, pickled goods, mustard and hot sauce.

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A Movable Tea

A large portion of my suggestions this time around relate to travelling with tea, whether in town or miles away. Tea lovers believe that having the tools to improve the ease of taking tea is essential as you move through your day, no matter where you are.

Bonavita’s Travel Kettle:

What’s the first thing we do once we’ve decided which tea to make? Put the kettle on of course! Bonavita makes a small lightweight .5 litre (2 cup) travel kettle that has an ‘on’ indicator, automatic shut off, tight-fitting lid and brushed stainless interior/exterior. I’ve used it on several journeys. This is for the giftee who falls into a morning gloom because they have to endure bad hotel tea. They now have the freedom to make their favourite tea while away from home! Make life even sweeter by tucking some fine tea sample packs into the kettle for their journey! Bonavita travel kettle is available as 110v on Amazon for $24.97 US or in dual voltage, from Harney and Sons, $54.95 US. (free shipping on orders over $50)

Timolino’s 17 oz Travette Tea Maker

I love the creamy colour of this versatile tea pot – like unsalted natural butter or my favourite Fiat colour. As you can see from the pic on the right, this thermal teapot comes with a removable nylon infuser which is nice and deep with ample room for leaves to steep. I say removable, because it’s nice to have the option to steep the leaves loose in the pot if desired. It has a non slip base which is a great advantage if your surface isn’t completely level. It doesn’t seal because it has a pour opening, so while it is fantastic for keeping tea warm while you are away from home, it won’t travel well in your back pack! The Timolino Travette, is also available in metallic red and stainless steel. Available from Tea Leafs for $34.00 US (free shipping on orders over $75)

FORLIFE Glass Lucidity Brew-in-Cup

Glass is really the best material for enjoying tea. See how gorgeous a richly coloured tea looks when the light shines through. While not double walled, this is still a versatile workplace vessel. The stainless infuser is cone-shaped, drawing the steeped tea down into the cup. The lid can be used to hold the infuser when it comes out of the cup. Available at ForLife $23.00 plus shipping (only within the US). Also available on Amazon for $22.79 US.

Teapots

Tiny Kyusu

I purchased this ‘lovely’ recently and have been enjoying it often. Sometimes I just look at it in wonder. I’ve placed the spoon next to it in the photo, so you get a sense of scale. It really is small, so it’s perfect for making Gyokuro, (high grade of Japanese green tea) and other teas to treasure and consume in small amounts. If cushioned well it would also be wonderful to take on a trip. Inside, is a wire mesh infusion band which eliminates the need to strain, but gives the leaves their own space. Available at In Pursuit of Tea for $28.70 US.

For Life ‘Dew’ Teapot

The overal look of this teapot is sleek but humble. It has beautiful form that doesn’t get in the way of function. If your giftee likes a good size mug of tea, this pot will perform nicely. It comes in two sizes: 14 oz and 32 oz. It has an oh so satiny finish, deep infuser, nice fitting lid and a choice of soft colours. Available at The Tea Table 14 oz. $30US and 32oz. $45US. Shipping to US and Canada

The Tea Book

The Tea Book, DK Publishing (Penguin Random House), by Linda Gaylard (me) is available at online booksellers Amazon.com, .co.uk,  .ca and  Chapters Indigo . Check out your local bookseller first to see if they have it. Suggested retail price. $24 CDN, $22 US.

Winner of the 2017 Best Tea Publication at World Tea Awards, The Tea Book is now available in 12 languages. There have been quite a few reviews of The Tea Book. Here are a few quotes:

• “Linda Gaylard’s The Tea Book is the kind of book I’ve been looking for a long time.” Scheherazade, SororiTea Sisters
• “The book provides an excellent foundation to explore the immense world of tea, and it is Gaylard’s ambition to provide an accessible introduction to tea for beginners and more seasoned drinkers.”, Drew Bednasek, Tea Explorer
• “Any loose-leaf tea-lover can keep busy and happy for months with the novel recipes that Gaylard introduces. The Tea Book is a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to step beyond the normal tea bag and to be innovative with loose-leaf tea.” Darin Cook, eatdrink.ca
• “A tea primer that masterfully unfolds the story of the tea plant, complete with a flavor wheel and the most comprehensive recipes for mixed tea beverages (both alcoholic and alcohol-free) that I’ve ever seen! Linda makes the world of tea beautiful, accessible and relevant in today’s fast-paced society.” Jen Piccotti, An International Tea Moment
• “Each page is beautifully laid out and there are tons of illustrations that make my tea-filled heart very happy.” Nicole Martin, Tea For Me Please

Bitters – The Tea Cocktail’s best complement

Teapot bitters anyone? I found this and others amidst a massive bitters collection at BYOB, a shop where you can get kitted out with every imaginable cocktail product. It was at this store that I found a wall of bitters whilst researching ingredients for cocktails for The Tea Book. There are dozens that would give a little extra something to any tea cocktail, but these four stand out for me. No respectable bitters company (and there are many) will divulge all the ingredients in their distillations, but some basics are listed. I’m happy to update that 3 of the bitters featured here are now available at curati.co. (I’ve linked the bitters to the site).

Teapots Bitters (Dr. Adam Elmegirab) has a base of black tea with spices resembling masala chai. Bittermen’s Xocolatl Mole, redolent with chocolate, is perfecto when added to cocktails containing ripe Pu’er or roasted Rock Oolong. Scrappy’s Celery Bitters adds a little green and herbal zip to the umami tea flavours in green tea, and lastly Scrappy’s Cardamom bitters will bring an exotic touch to Indian black teas or Chinese Hong Cha.

Below is a cocktail recipe that I created for you (using Teapot bitters), to celebrate the season. It’s a light cocktail, but you can make it stronger by adding more vodka.

干杯, Gan Bei, Bottoms Up!

Ingredients:

• juice of one mandarin orange
• 2 oz. vodka
• 5 drops Teapot bitters
• 2 crushed black cardamom pods (note: Black cardamom has a smoky flavour and is not similar to green cardamom. It’s available in Asian grocery stores)
• 1 clove, broken
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Seville orange marmalade
• 1/2 tsp. grated ginger root
• 1/2 cup strong black tea liquid (I used Tan Yang Gongfu and some Lapsang Souchong)
•  2 tsp Lemoncello

1. Let ingredients stand together for 1/2 hour in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice and shake for at least one minute
3. Strain into cocktail glasses and garnish with a twist of orange

Giving

Luv is a community of designers that is all about giving. 50% of net profits from the sale of each item on their website goes to a charity chosen from their list, which includes War Child, Feed the Children, Unicef, and more. They have a nice selection of custom designed gifts including jewellery, men’s accessories and items for the home. I spotted a few tea-related items designed by Beth Mueller. The vintage looking creamer on the left is listed as a vase, but would make a nice little pitcher for milk, $24 US. The cup/mug has a pretty graphic and would accommodate a nice size cuppa $32 US. The plate is for snacks – what else? $52 US.   

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