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This was given to me as a gift once in a clear plastic bag with no details as to origins of any kind. I wasn’t expecting grandness and it is indeed pretty mainstream. It could have been a whole lot worse. Just had a sort of craving for green tea last night and it’s lasted into this morning.
I don’t really care much for mint flavours on their own. My colleagues drink this mint/liquorice root concoction that they claim is delicious. I disagree. You don’t even get the two flavours at the same time. First it’s minty mint and then the liquorice root doesn’t come through until you swallow, which to me seems like trying to have two different sorts of tisanes at the same time. Like they couldn’t decide if they wanted one or the other. But that’s not what I’m having now so I’ll shut up about it.
As mentioned I don’t really care much for mint. I have it so I can mix it into other stuff.
But then, on days like these where I’ve apparently eaten something or other that I shouldn’t have, it’s the only sort of tea or approximation of tea* that I can stomach. The very idea of anything else, even my normal favourites just make me go bleeeeargh!
So I’m having plain peppermint infusion now. I’m not enjoying it really, but it’s the only thing I want.
*Herbal infusions are of course NOT tea. Herbal infusions never HAVE been tea. Herbal infusions never WILL be tea. Herbal infusions have never even as much as seen a tea bush and are therefore no more tea than cocoa is coffee.
I feel the same way about mint, but I have a tin of spearmint for those days where my stomach can’t handle full on tea and then I usually mix it with a cream-flavored black. Mint is more medicinal than happy.
I reserve my Moroccan Mint for when I’m feeling frazzled and need to hit the refresh button. Or the wake-up button. Or hit both buttons frantically until I break the machine and then go cry in the corner. It’s not for everyone, though.
Mint by itself is kind of a one-hit wonder. Try mixing it with a green or black tea. You’ll still get a heady hit of freshness, but the tea will add a satisfying complexity.
Licorice root is better for coughs and sore throats I find, although apparently it’ll coat and soothe irritated digestive systems aswell.
Have you tried mixing in camomile with your peppermint?
Aug3zimm & Cynthia Carter: I’ll save those suggestions for later, when I’m feeling better. At the moment I can’t have tea primarily because I think my stomach would revolt against me, and secondarily because when I’m sick it just doesn’t taste good.
Takgoti: I’ve never had Moroccan Mint, but it pops up everywhere regularly. Maybe I should get around to trying it one of these days.
Jillian: I don’t have an chamomile at the moment, otherwise I’d totally try that. I’ve used liquorice root successfully before with sore throats, though. It might have been somewhat placebo, but as long as it works I don’t care if it’s psychosomatic or not. Just a small bit of parted lengthwise liquorice root in the cup, boiling water on and in combination with strepsils. That totally works.
This is normally one of those things that I only drink if I’m ill and real tea tastes weird, or to experimentally blend wtih other teas. Here is a different sort of tip for you. You know that cocoa powder for making hot cocoa? Just a spoonful in a cup, add boiling water, stir and you’ve got hot cocoa. Make a pot of peppermint herbal and use that to make your hot cocoa instead of regular boiling water. It’s very delicious, like drinking melted After Eight, except without the icky cream
My mom likes making this to fight something the Chinese call inflammation, translated literally it’s ‘going up in flames’. The body has a balance of five different elements, and certain foods (often spicy or fried) raises the fire element and upsets the system. Chrysanthemum is supposed to be a ‘cooling’ plant. I’m not sure how much scientific backing is in this, but I do know that homemade chrysanthemum tea is delicious. ♥ It’s just the flower heads and water brewed over low heat for a long time, simple. I had a cup this morning, chilled and with a bit of rock sugar.
One of the 5 rarest and most famous Wu Yi Oolongs and it’s easy to see why.
Online, it’s described as being the rarest, because the process requires such high skill that most people won’t even attempt to create it.
I don’t know what brand or what year this Oolong was harvested, but I will ask my friend who gave it to me.
(It’s pricey and rare, so he only spared me 3 grams of it, but that 3 grams was little enough to get upwards of 8 infusions, in a small Yi Xing teapot)
The complexity of this tea makes it hard to describe, but that’s also is what makes it such a treasure. Unlike most Wu Yi’s, the leaf is not a deep dark brown.
Dry Leaf:
This Bai Ji Guan was a medium brown, almost cherry like color with spots of olive green. A truly beautiful and distinct leaf, unlike any I’ve ever seen. The leaf style is typical Wu Yi, large curly, these were not particular long and wiry, but shorter and wider.
Dry leaf aroma: Smoky, hint of some kind of wild fruit.
After rinse aroma: Passion fruit, floral, soap-ish (good in this tea)
First infusion: 15 seconds. WOW. The flavor is incredible, it might have been even slightly over-steeped at 15s, but the initial fruitiness is unmistakable. Followed by a slight smokiness. And then comes the sweet finish, and what a lingering sweet finish. I noticed that 5 minutes after, it was still there and you only really realize it after you forget that it’s there-if that makes sense.
I won’t bore you guys with the details but I went on to steep this tea many times for my friends and each time, something unique, different, distinct and most of all, delicious.
We don’t currently carry this Oolong (but we do have 2 grades of Da Hong Pao) but we might in the future. So if you ever get your hands on some, savor it and treasure it…and send me a few grams ;)
