Weigh to go again

I wrote about Teavana's Weight To Go! Pu-erh Tea in February but we tried it iced this week and wow, it might be even better cold than hot.

Smile inwardly while convincing your taste buds they are enjoying a forbidden treat. Fresh mint, ripe strawberries and crisp apples provide a burst of refreshment in this rare diet blend of Oolong and Pu-erh teas. The combination of two diet teas, Oolong and Pu-erh, provides a potent jump start to your weight loss plans.

Mom and I both prefer our plain teas hot (or cold) and the more flavored, fruity teas cold so we were surprised when we liked Weight to Go! hot. (Since we have come to that realization we have marked our fruity teas with a "C" for cold.) I got to thinking about the mint in Weight to Go! and thought that might be refreshing in Phoenix's heat so I pulled it out and gave it a go. Maybe it was the mint but the fruitiness wasn't overwhelming. It's a winner - cold or hot.

A beady eye

In case you haven't noticed, I love Asian culture. It started as a love affair with all things Japanese as a child and it morphed into a love for Chinese thanks to my Taiwanese roommate in college. (Her mom, who owned a tea shop in Taipei, first introduced me to oolong in a serious way.)

I also learned to play Mah Jongg with Amy and the other students of the Chinese Students Association at Northern Arizona University. I haven't played it since, although I am looking for partners. So I was tickled when I spotted Mah Jongg bracelets online several years ago.

Being a crafty sort, I decided to try my hand at it and a beading addiction was born. I've purchased bracelets and taken them apart and restrung them. I've gotten beads and made my own. I even got a drill press and started drilling my own tiles - never from a complete set but from broken sets or tiles I've purchased online.

So here are a very few of my recent efforts.

Click on any photo to see it larger.

Blog, take 3

Sadly, I seem to have killed both of my previous blogs, Ooh-la-long, and Episcayune, when I deleted what I thought was an unused e-mail. Oops. So I have created yet another spot for me to post my random musings.

What will appear here?

Heaven only knows.

www.oolongtea.org

Wow, I'm impressed. Apparently oolong has its own official webpage now. "Official site of Oolong tea, supported by Fujian Province in China." I wonder who its spokesperson is. Maybe I should apply?

My mom and I have heard from several baristas lately that oolong is the new green tea - and the tea of the future. We can only hope.

How now Bao Zhong?

Mom and I tried a wonderful new tea last night, Rishi's Bao Zhong.

Bao Zhong is lightly oxidized oolong that exhibits characteristics of green tea and oolong tea. The long, twisted emerald colored tealeaves provide a fresh, clear green and delicate infusion with fresh flowery notes of lilac and lily. Bao Zhong is a Taiwanese specialty oolong with wide appeal.

Wow, is it good. Both mom and I were itchy last night and I think we both wanted to bathe in this. Not only does it smell heavenly but the taste is to die for. We'll be ordering more of this pronto.

On another note, Mom and I recently got a second batch of a favorite local oolong tea. When we opened it we both thought the scent (dry and brewed) and taste were wildly different. We found the remains of our first bag and compared it. Yup, wildly different.

We called the store who said they had changed nothing but to please bring both bags in for a comparative tea cupping. We did and after cupping both they agreed there was a difference in the vanilla. Apparently no one else has mentioned the difference so I guess we have either educated or spoiled palates. They're investigating to see if they changed vanilla suppliers.

And finally, I love dachhunds. "That's nice," you think, "but what has that to do with oolong tea?" Everything, when it's a dachshund rescue group called Oolong Dachshund Rescue, Inc. I am so getting one of their shirts!

Do the Bossa Nova

I know it's been a month since I last posted, but this tea is so good you'll want to dance while drinking it. I was in Tea Gschwendner Saturday while getting a couple of items for a silent auction tea basket when I spotted their Bossa Nova. I'd seen it online before but the store doesn't put it with their other oolongs so I'd always forgotten about it when in their Scottsdale location.

Creamy hazelnut and vanilla give warm rhythm to this customer favorite.

Ingredients:
Oolong tea from China
Hazelnut brittle*
Mullein blossoms
Flavor

*Contains nuts and lactose

One heaping teaspoon (3 g) per 8oz cup of filtered, boiling water. Allow to brew 2 min.

It's a fascinating tea. What I smell and what I taste when I'm drinking it are two different things. It's a very rich, complicated tea. My mom actually thought it was "kind of weak" (!) but warmed to it as she sipped. We'll be getting this again soon.

Way to go Teavana!

Okay, I'll admit I was dubious when I first sniffed this new tea at Teavana. (I know, I know, it seems like all I do is write about Teavana lately.) Called Weight To Go, it smells very fruity sweet. My first impression wasn't helped when the salesperson enthused that she, "loves this tea! It's so sweet it doesn't need any sweetening." Oh dear.

Smile inwardly while convincing your taste buds they are enjoying a forbidden treat. Fresh mint, ripe strawberries and crisp apples provide a burst of refreshment in this rare diet blend of Oolong and Pu-erh teas. The combination of two diet teas, Oolong and Pu-erh, provides a potent jump start to your weight loss plans.

Well, I'm glad I tried it because it was to die for. It's not sugary sweet, but it is fruity sweet. However, the addition of rosehips and the mint leaves balance it well. I have to admit I can't taste the oolong or the Pu-erh (an aged tea known for its earthiness) teas so it tastes more like a tisane.

It's called Weight To Go since some people claim that oolong and pu-erh teas help with weight loss. Sadly, that hasn't been true for me. However, my skin doesn't itch so the oolong has helped my skin. I can live with that.

Crouching tiger, hidden Wood Dragon

While Mom and I are mourning the closing of Scottsdale's Souvia tea shop, we did accidentally discover a new joy last week while out shopping for my new iPhone.

We were enjoying a delicious lunch at Biltmore Fashion Park's True Food Kitchen and were delighted to find a new-to-us oolong on their tea menu: Wood Dragon Oolong by In the Pursuit of Tea.

This is one of the most popular teas in Taiwan, enjoyed in many restaurants and homes. It is a twig tea with a strong roasted flavor. This is a result of an extra firing after the tea is made. The farmer who grows this tea comes from a family of tea-growing artisans. They hand-process the tea differently depending on the weather and the final result they are looking to attain.

We ordered it and, wow. It's not much to look at since it's very twiggy and you'd expect the flavor to be unimpressive but it was deep and rich. It was also good for several brewings. (We were amused to find the manager thought it was "very expensive" since it's only $11 per quarter pound.) It's currently out of stock at In Pursuit of Tea but we'll be ordering some as soon as it's back.

(And I used my new iPhone Teavana app to time it while it was brewing at our table.)

No joy in Teaville

I was crushed to learn today that my favorite Scottsdale tea shop is closing at the end of the month:

Souvia Tea will be relocating our Scottsdale store. The existng Scottsdale location will close permanently on Dec. 31st, 2009 at 3 p.m. The process to select a new location is expected to take 12-18 months. We very much appreciate all of your business during the last three years but there were just not enough of great customers like you. We also want to thank the great staff that worked with us over the last three years.

We hope you'll continue to shop for tea at our Phoenix location (15414 7th St) or online at www.souviatea.com.

Where will I get my Lemon Basil Oolong now? Where will Mom get her Grey Duchess? I know we can order them online but the shop is more fun and the Phoenix store is so far from us. I hope I can get frequent driver miles....

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout . . .

Just my cup of tea!

I really do need a new cell phone and have been debating between an iPhone ("My name is Greta and I'm a Mac user") or a Droid. This new app from iPhone and Teavana may have tipped the tea scale for me:

Make the perfect cup of tea with our Perfect Tea Touch app! It features everything you need to blend and steep your favorite teas including a musical tea timer.

Features:

• Tea timer with specific instructions for Teavana teas or generic tea instructions.
• Tea blender tool that suggests other teas to blend with your favorites. Great way to discover new tastes!
• Detailed information on Teavana teas including ingredients, steeping instructions and health benefits.
• Mark your favorite Teavana teas for quick access anytime.
• Store locator that finds the Teavana stores nearest you.
• Tea timer is a visual and musical delight offering unique sounds depending on which type of tea you’re steeping.
• Share your favorite tea blends on Facebook, Twitter or via email with friends.

Become a tea expert with our Perfect Tea Touch app. It has all the tea-making expertise you need right at your fingertips. And it makes discovering delicious new tea blends easy and fun!

Not only is this a perfect app for me to have but what is the very first image you see when you open this page? Oolong teas on an iPhone, including my beloved Jasmine Oolong!

Purple Bamboo reigns!

Mom and I tried a wonderful new oolong last night that is unlike any we've had before: Purple Bamboo. We took advantage of a great sale last week to order another pound (yes, pound) of our favorite Citron Oolong from Rishi. While ordering it we decided to try a new oolong they were raving about:

"Purple Bamboo is one of the most interesting and unique teas we tasted on our recent trip to China. It is an experimental type of oolong tea made with a white tea bush varietal growing on one of our organic-in-conversion farms in Northern Fujian. It has nuances of many different teas yet stands out as one of a kind. The processing of this tea has similarities to Taiwanese Bai Hao Oolong and Fuding Gong Mei White tea. The dry leaf shows a unique and colorful style with a silvery, white, dark green and tippy appearance. One serving of Purple Bamboo can be infused many times and offers deep, complex fruity flavors and floral aromas. The rich mouth feel and upfront and lingering aroma suggests Darjeeling Muscatel, Lilac, Gardenia, Pit Fruit, Grape and Hops."

Oh my! Did it ever live up to our expectations. It only comes in a 50 gram bag (1.7636981 ounces for $8) and while it smelled pleasant upon opening, it didn't come to life until we brewed it. That's when it began our sensory overload. As we began sipping it we were stunned by its complexity and richness. I felt like a cat rolling in catnip.

We used six rounded teaspoons in our 32-ounce pot instead of the recommended "2-3 tablespoons per 5-6 ounces of water" but it was still rich and lasted through four brewings. We'll be getting more of this!

Of all the gall - or lack thereof

Three days after I last posted I had my gallbladder out. Thankfully it was laparoscopic but I still had to deal with the aftereffects of major abdominal surgery. My two days in the hospital were spent staring at my box of Revolution's Dragon Eye Oolong. Water tasted good but not much else did. I think I finally got two cups down while I was hospitalized.

However, since I was still trying to clear up my eczema I was (partially) motivated to start drinking oolong again once I got home. My mom got to do double duty as my own private-duty nurse and tea-brewer. It's a good thing she likes oolong too! (She even bribed my taste buds with my favorite Jasmine Oolong.)

While it's impossible to list all the oolongs I drank in the past five weeks I did discover a few things. Teavana's Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea is a new favorite.

This tea was made famous by Queen Elizabeth for being exceptionally beautiful in appearance and having the most exquisite taste of any Oolong tea. This rare Formosan Oolong lives up to its reputation with a sweet and even-bodied cup that is a feast for the senses. Known as 'Champagne Formosa,' this Taiwanese tea starts with a floral aroma and gives you a naturally sweet fruit and honey taste. Perfect anytime of the day.

Teavana also "improved" their Six Summits Oolong Tea so it now includes raspberries. I was not happy with this announcement since I love the old version. I tried the new blend with trepidation and have to admit I like it - although I can't say there is a huge difference.

Mom and I went to The Urban Tea Loft in Chandler and tried to get more of their delicious Lemon Ginger Oolong but they only had a few ounces left - so we bought it all. Our server was startled when we ordered a pound (we really like this one!) but assured us they'd call when more arrived. I mentioned that I love their store but their site needs to list their tea menu - not just their food menu. She thought that was a good idea and said that would be added soon.

Creativi-tea in a cup

I found some mugs I had to share with you! First of all, as a tea-drinking journalist, printer, and webpage designer I adore these Pantone tea mugs:

"The perfect choice for the urban sophisticate, design aficionado or color fiend, these clever mugs feature PANTONE's smoothest shades in differing tones of brown to suit your tea strength and tastes.

These fine china mugs are glazed with a pattern resembling the iconic PANTONE Color Chip and code from strong Ceylon to gentle Earl Grey, mild Oolong and pale Silver Needle."

I'm going to get a set of these for work.

I also like these Tea-Talk mugs:

What do you need today? Some creativi‑tea? Tranquili‑tea? Simplici‑tea? Sinceri‑tea? Sereni‑tea? Or prosperi‑tea? Each 12‑oz. ceramic mug features a clever definition on its colorful interior. Like "Creativi‑tea: Having more creative ability while drinking tea." And "Sinceri‑tea: The quality of being open and truthful while drinking tea." Each arrives in a clever "tea bag" gift package.

Tea-hydrated

I found proof this weekend that drinking oolong has helped my nummular eczema. As I mentioned in my last blog, I had the flu and nausea forced me to cut back considerably on my oolong drinking capacity. What happened this weekend? I got my first flare-up of eczema since January - ouch! So now when I'm not drinking oolong by the gallon in an attempt to rehydrate my poor red, itchy skin, I am trying not to scratch said poor red, itchy skin.

Among the many teas I recall consuming this weekend:

• TeaGschwendner's China Oolong Kwai Flower - 525
• Souvia's Lemon Basil Oolong
• Rishi's Citron Oolong
• Teavana's Jasmine Oolong Tea
• bottled Leng Pao Cha - Oolong Tea
• Teavana's (discontinued) Tung Ting Jade Oolong

I'm seriously considering steeping myself in an oolong bath tonight!

Flu-long

I have been "lucky" enough to have the flu (or flu-like symptoms) for more than a week now. And while I was lucky enough to have my own personal registered nurse (aka Mom) waiting on me hand and foot, our tea preferences quickly became apparent as she tried to pour me cup after cup of oolong tea.

Mom likes strong dark tea while I like lighter, more delicate teas. In an effort to keep me drinking lots of fluids she made what are to her comfort teas. I like strong teas such as Formosa when I'm healthy but the scent of them while I was sick nearly pushed me over the edge on more than one occasion. So she started diluting it with hot water - only to watch in amazement as I added even more water.

So she started making some of my favorites but even they were too strong for me and had to be diluted. (I note that she never made my favorite Jasmine Oolong!) Apparently the scent of tea is very important to me - and even more so when I'm sick.

On the bright side, we received (most) of our Harney & Sons order while I was sick at home:

• Pomegranate Oolong (they sent us Dragon Pearl Jasmine by mistake)
• Ginger's Oolong (nice, but I doubt we'll reorder it)
• Wuyi Yancha Oolong (the best Wuyi oolong I've had!)
• Fenghuang Shuixian (good but I'll have to retry it when my palate returns)
• Wenshan Baozhong (ditto)
• Li Shan Oolong (ditto)
• Ali San Oolong (ditto)

Well, I'm off to the doctor's office again!

Java anyone?

This morning I decided to try an oolong I haven't had in several months: Tea Gschwendner's Tangerine Vanilla Yogurt - 995.

"The rewarding zing of tangy tangerines are balanced by a sweet creamy (?) and blended with a full bodied and smooth Oolong Tea."

Once I sipped it this morning I was reminded why I haven't had it more often - it is strong! I ended up adding hot water so it was approximately one part tea to two parts hot water.

That was just the first cup. The second was very tasty. Tangerine Vanilla Yogurt contains "semi-fermented tea from Java, orange peel, orange blossoms, (and) flavor" so I'm not sure why it's so strong. Is it the Java oolong or the "flavor"?

As far as I can tell there is no added milk or yogurt so those with lactose intolerance should be able to drink it. Just be warned - it's a strong cup of Java!

Lemons and basil and oolong! Oh my!

I woke up this morning craving Souvia's Lemon Basil Oolong. Yum! The package is at home but it's one of my all-time oolong favorites. As I recall its ingredients are oolong, basil and lemon granules. If Souvia ever stops carrying it (please don't Kerstin!) I'll try making my own but using Penzey's Minced Californian Lemon Peel instead of the lemon granules, which losses its lemon flavor quickly. Thankfully a friend of mine is an herb farmer so I can experiment with his wonderful fresh basils, too.

Quali-tea

At our Convention this weekend my parents got an interesting book, The Better World Shopping Guide, by Ellis Jones. The book and its companion website, Better World Shopper, ranks things according to five criteria:

1. Human rights
2. The environment
3. Animal protection
4. Community involvement
5. Social justice

Of the many companies, products and categories it lists, tea is one of them! Many of the teas in this chart I have tried but some are new to me. The book has some other teas listed also.

At a quick glance of the online listing, I have tried these oolong teas:

• Choice
• Numi
• Republic of Tea (I love their Wuyi Oolong)
• Tazo (see yesterday's blog)
• Twinings
• Stash
• Bigelow

According to them, I need to try:

• Tao of Tea
• Honest Tea (great oolong name but sweetened)

I hope this helps you in your search for quali-tea!

Meanwhile last night I continued my Teavana rut by buying their new Toasted Nut Brulee Oolong Tea, which is a oolong/rooibos blend. It's naturally sweet, nutty and very tasty. I might add some Formosa oolong next time though to make it a bit more oolongish.

This morning I wanted one of my favorites, Rishi tea's Citron Oolong. "A signature Rishi blend of high-grown jasmine scented oolong tea cured with rare blossoms, aromatic herbs and succulent citrus fruit designed to refresh and rejuvenate." Mom loves it too and doesn't mind the jasmine since the citrus balances it out so we're both happy.

Jasmine in my mind

I have survived yet another convention - woo hoo! Armed with Revolution's Dragon Eye Oolong Tea I had plenty of good tea to drink. The hotel had Tazo teabags but Tazo doesn't appear to do any straight oolongs - only blends such as its Montage or holiday Joy blends which combine green black and oolong teas. Good but not what my skin needs.

The first thing I did when I got home Saturday (well, second - I collapsed on the couch first) was to make my "comfort tea" of Teavana's Jasmine Oolong Tea. Jasmine tea has always been a favorite of mine so I was thrilled when I discovered Teavana's oolong blend. Apparently my mom is getting sick of it though so I have to use it sparingly. (Insert eye-roll here.)

Yesterday we enjoyed some of Teavana's Six Summits which is another favorite blend. However, I have noticed that the "improved" blend online now has raspberries in it. I haven't tried that yet so I'm not sure how I feel about it.

This morning Mom chose Teavana's Utopian Jewel Oolong Tea. It's a good blend but very fruity so when I make it I blend it with some Formosa Oolong to make it a tea instead of a tisane which is what it tastes like to me otherwise.

Hmm, we seem to need to get out of our Teavana rut....

Oodles of Oolong

Ay yi yi, what a week! Our Diocesan Convention starts tomorrow (I am armed and ready with Revolution's Dragon Eye Oolong Tea) and I've been swamped with work. Wouldn't you know it but I pulled the muscles in my lower back and could barely move earlier this week. And then my 6-year-old daughter got a fever and cough. But while I haven't been able to blog I have been able to drink tea - oodles of oolong to be exact.

These stand out among the many that I've had this week:

• Amber Dragon from The Urban Tea Loft (why can't they list their teas?!)
• Sumatra Oolong Barisan - 860 from Tea Gschwender
• Formosa Superior Choice - 625 from Tea Gschwender
• Maracuya Passion Oolong Tea from Teavana (my daughter loves this one!)

I placed a first-time order today from Harney & Sons for their:

• Pomegranate Oolong
• Ginger's Oolong
• Wuyi Yancha Oolong
• Fenghuang Shuixian
• Wenshan Baozhong
• Li Shan Oolong
• Ali San Oolong

I'll keep you posted when I get them!