Boston Tea Campaign: The Best Time to Drink Darjeeling

Check out this great new blog post by Boston Tea Campaign!

Boston Tea Campaign: How Tea Can Improve Your Productivity

Check out this great new post at Boston Tea Campaign

https://www.bostonteacampaign.com

Christmas Tea Gifts

Tea makes a great gift! 

Here is how I made tea gifts for under $35

Labels: $2.00 from Michaels 

Jars: $1.99 each from Michaels

Tea: $21 in bulk from http://www.teacampaign.ca

(a seriously amazing deal!) 

Tea & Coffee Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a coffee known for it's fruity flavors and floral aromas. This particular Ethiopian Yirgacheffee from The Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co has a very sweet, fruity aroma. I could smell these coffee beans all day. It is important not to over-brew this coffee. The fruity flavors can be lost as a result of over-brewing. 

To start, I made a pour-over with the beans. For this I ground 2 Tbs. I poured only a little water over the grounds to begin, letting them bloom for a minute. I then poured the rest of my water, letting the coffee brew for a few minutes. The pour-over tasted great! It is a very citrusy, acidic brew. Despite the acidic flavors, it leaves no un-pleasant after-taste. It is full-bodied and fresh. 

Though this coffee isn't thought of as the best option for espresso, I decided to make a latte. I used a hint of maple syrup in my latte and absolutely loved it. The coffee is just strong enough to cut through the milk and maple syrup. It isn't the best for latte art since it isn't as dark as most espresso beans. Despite this, the flavor is on point. 

Overall, this is a great coffee! Fresh and flavorful. I plan on making some iced coffee with it next. 

You can purchase this coffee here: 

http://www.tea-and-coffee.com/ethiopian-yirgacheffe

The Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co.

I had the pleasure of trying some delicious tea from www.tea-and-coffee.com. 
This company has a wide variety of high quality tea and coffee.

Below are photos of their Blood Orange Black Tea and Dictamo of Crete -bother were delicious! The Blood Orange Black is the perfect breakfast tea. The Dictamo of Crete is great for stomach aches.

Keep an eye out for my review of these teas on http://www.teaviews.com
I will also be reviewing their coffee soon!

What is Darjeeling?

I was recently discussing tea with a friend. I mentioned how I really liked this first-flush darjeeling and she replied with "What is darjeeling? And what does first-flush mean?"
I realized I know many people who don't even know what darjeeling is.

"It's a Chinese tea that grows in India with flavors of French grapes and Himalayan mountain air."

(http://drinks.seriouseats.com)

Let's start with some facts

Origin: West Bengal, India 

Name: Darjeeling is named after the district in which it was first grown - the Darjeeling District 

Leaves: small-leaved Chinese variety (Camellia sinensis) 

Distinctive Features: Delicate, fruity, and muscatel 

There are 4 main kinds of Darjeeling that are referred to as flushes. Each flush is picked during a certain season or month. The earlier the Darjeeling is harvested, the lighter, more delicate the flavors. 

First Flush

-harvested Mid-March

- gentle and light

Second Flush

-harvested in June

-full-bodied and muscatel 

Monsoon Flush

-harvested during rainy season

-bold and mature

Autumnal Flush 

 -harvested in autumn

-full-bodied and spicy 

Though Darjeeling is rolled and oxidized like black tea, the oxidization process tends to be shorter. Being less oxidized than other teas, Darjeeling has some very delicate and fruity notes. Many say this fruity aroma reminds them of grapes. This distinct feature makes Darjeeling stand out as the Champagne of Teas. 

Darjeeling contains antioxidants and is said to help prevent 

-cancer

-obesity 

-ulcers 

-cell damage

Darjeeling is also said to promote

-heart health

-dental health

-skin health 

-bone density 

In Conclusion....

Darjeeling is a Chinese tea grown in India. Darjeeling can be light  like a green tea or more full-bodied like a black tea, depending on the season in which it is picked. Darjeeling stands out due to it's grape-like aroma and floral, muscatel flavors. It also has an impressive list of health benefits. 

Teacampaign First-Flush Darjeeling

If you're looking for some good Darjeeling -Teacampaign is a great place to start. This company focusses solely on high-quality Darjeeling. I have done a lot with this company and highly recommend it. I'm an especially big fan of their First-Flush that is featured in the photos below.