Good article about tea in today’s NY Times:

Flying to a remote corner of India and braving the long drive into the Himalayas may seem like an awful lot of effort for a good cup of tea, but Darjeeling tea isn’t simply good. It’s about the best in the world…

Link: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/travel/14Tea.html
PDF: nytimes_high_tea_indian_style_14oct07.pdf

We have a lovely new first flush darjeeling on the shelves from Rohini Estates and I’ve been drinking it for about a week now. I’ve been brewing it in a 16 oz pot with about two level teaspoons of tea with water at about 185 F for 5 minutes on the first steep and 4 minutes on the second steep.

The tea leaves are in pieces about the length of a staple and vary widely in color from whitish green to black and are lightly twisted.

Rohini is at an elevation of between 2500 and 5000 feet and is a relatively newly restored plantation with most of the plantings done since 1996.

The tew brews up a light golden brown color with a lightly fruity/floral aroma and a light clean taste with very low tannins and a nice lingering soft flavor.

For serious tea geeks, how about a tea-themed dinner?

“From tea-smoked salmon fillet, to herb-tea infused rice dishes, to green-tea flavored ice-cream or sorbet, premium teas are really a secret weapon to adding phenomenal flavor and depth to a variety of dishes,” said Thomas Griffiths, Certified Master Chef, professor in nutrition and culinary arts at the CIA.

Lipton-sponsored recipes included.

Ari hooked us up with some new Japanese green teas from Rishi (thanks, Ari!). Yesterday we brewed up the Kukicha, and it was delicious! Tasting notes coming soon, in the meantime enjoy the copy:

“Kuki” means twin in Japanese, and kukicha is one of the most popular types of green tea. Twigs from green tea contain polysaccharides that lend a sweet flavor and smooth mouthfeel to our blend. Rishi’s unique kukicha blend is infused with matcha which is prized for its high content of antioxidant polyphenols and the amino acid L-theanine, a natural anti-stress agent and nervous system relaxant found in tea.

A blend of deep steamed first flush fukamushi sencha tea leaves and twigs from he distinctly flavored Yabukita tea bushes of the Makinohara lowlands. Infused with matcha, this unique blend has a bright emerald infusion with a complex floral aroma, creamy body and sweet flavor.