Tea in India

Today's daily photo on bing.com is an aerial view of a tea plantation in India. Gorgeous and green, and really gives a tea lover the idea of what a tea plantation looks like.

Teavana Youthberry and Wild Orange Blossom blend

 

An iced tea made from a blend of Teavana Youthberry and Wild Orange Blossom teas was served at the parlor's Labor Day picnic. Light, fruity,the blend made a nice tea to accompany the frogmore stew. In fact, it was so good, the party attendants drank it all before supper was even done. A nice, cool summer tea perfect for Indian summer.

Barry's Tea Gold Blend

Today in the parlor we sampled Barry's Tea, a hearty, strong blend from Ireland. It's full bodied, with a slight tannin aftertaste. It's a perfect way to start the day.

Choice English Breakfast

Choice Tea is organic and free trade, which is reason enough to drink it. It's also delicious--full bodied, smooth, just enough tannin and caffeine. And if that doesn't make you feel good, that whole roganica nd free trade thing will.

We served Choice English Breakfast with mini cheese souffles and turkey bacon this weekend. Last week's offering was the vegetable quiche pictured here with Tazo Awake.

Blackberry Cobbler

Today in the cubicle, we were delighted by Homer's homemade blackberry cobbler. Redolent of sweet lushness, swinging our legs over the side of the porch, and firefly hunting on dusky summer nights, it was perfectly paired with Tazo Awake.

Tea and Caffeine

Straight from the mouth of the Tea Maestro himself:

"The major modifier for tea drinkers is the presence of L-theanine. This amazing amino acid has a relaxing effect brought about by increased alpha-brain-wave frequency, long associated with a relaxed but alert state of consciousness. That's why tea has been used for centuries in meditation."

Bruce Richardson, 2011 "The Buzz: About Tea and Caffeine." Tea Time 8(4):16.

Blueberry Buckle

Today we are serving a blueberry buckle in the parlor, a recipe courtesy of the July/August 2011 issue of Tea Time magazine. The treat buckled upon transfer to a plate (we were a little too eager for blueberry delight in the parlor this morning), and did not look nearly as picturesque as in the photo displayed in the magazine. However, it tasted delicious, so no one was concerned with photo worthiness. Yorkshire tea in a blueberry mug from Maine was the perfect accompaniment.