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Tea for my evening bus ride:
gingerbread tea from Tealuxe (0 Brattle Street, Cambridge)
Description from Tealuxe:
Ceylon Black tea flavored with bits of ginger, cinnamon, and orange.
This tea, while good, was not anything I have not tasted before. It reminded me of different masala chai I have tried. Perhaps it was the bits of ginger and cinnamon that gave me this sense. This is my first experience with Ceylon, or Sri Lankan, black tea, and I can say that I could not make out any distinguishing characteristics; I will have to try different varieties of Ceylon tea, perhaps one that has not been flavored. Steeping time on this blend was a scant two minutes. I added whole milk and honey. Next time I am craving chai I will reach for this cuppa, because it tastes similar and it’s cheaper.
Dinner tea:
green oolong from Dado Tea (50 Church Street, Cambridge)
I thought it was about time I tried a green oolong. This was a much milder flavor that what I have experienced with other oolongs; however, I am not overly familiar with floral oolongs. The leaves were full like the body of this tea. Dado offers premium quality tea at excellent prices ($2.25-2.50/16 oz.). Now that it is warming up here in New England, I will have to start experimenting with their iced teas, but I will be staying away from their iced chai. While their hot chai is top notch, the iced chai tastes too water laden.
Lunch tea:
tra que chai from Tealuxe (0 Brattle Street, Cambridge)
Description from Tealuxe’s web site:
The principal ingredient in this Chai is cinnamon imported from Vietnam A blend of nutmeg, clove and black teas round out this brew. Usually served with 1/3 steamed milk.
Cinnamon strong. It was really hard to make out any of the other flavors in this tea other than the cinnamon. I am learning that I do not like cinnamon in my beverages. I asked for masala chai, but they were out.
I drank my chai with an almond biscotti: muy excelente.
Today, Jason and I visited Whittard of Chelsea on Newbury Street in Boston. We found that they were offering tastings, so Jason and I gladly drank what they provided us: cinnamon chai and organic rooibos. Neither one of us were very impressed by the rooibos. I felt that it had a very weak impression of a tea. (i.e. It was a rather bland tea.) But I didn’t mind the chai. I was not so wowed by it that I bought a bag, but I did not think it was the worst thing I had ever tried. My curiosity was piqued by the smelling of chocolate chai. Have any of you tried this chai? Jason and I mostly went to Whittard to look for a decaffeinated black tea for Jason’s grandmother for her birthday, which is not until August but I like to get an early start. I was not overly impressed by the selection at the store, but the customer service was excellent. Like I say/said in a previous post, I think I will just stick with Upton Tea Imports and other online tea stores.
Lunch tea:
pumpkin spice chai from Tealuxe (0 Brattle Street, Cambridge)
Made with one-third steamed whole milk
Description:
An enticing new chai flavored with pumpkin, vanilla and spicey herbs with a black tea base. The pumpkin is perfectly suited for steamed milk and honey.
Delicious! I am a chai fan, so it is no surprise that I like this combination. Very different flavor than what you get from Starbucks. I didn’t let my tea steep for the full five minutes: I was in a bit of a hurry. So it could have been a bolder taste. You really taste the tea in this version versus the creamy variety offered by the Seattle company.
