I was feeling brave a couple of visits to the grocery store ago and I picked up about a tablespoon of this. It promptly caused my pantry to smell like I had been frying meat in it, so I stuffed the little plastic bag it came in into an unlabeled tin. And promptly forgot I had it (or blocked it out).
But last night I remembered and thought I’d try it this morning. Once I took the plastic bag out of the tin the house started smelling like bacon. Or ham. On fire. Once I got the leaf into water, though, the meat smell went away and it turned into pretty much burning wood. As I poured the tea out, I got a hint of a sweet smell – maybe maple – and I really really hope it was from this tea. The tea’s actually pretty light in color. For how this smells I was expecting something black as tar… And eeevil.
Hmm. This isn’t nearly as bad as I was fearing based on the smell. I makes me think of when you stand downwind from a campfire all night and the next morning your clothes (and hair and skin and everything) still smells like the campfire. It has that same taste. You know, if you were to eat those clothes. And there is a little sweetness to it! As it starts to cool, I’m getting a honey-smoked-ham type taste from it. Or maple smoked.
I made the husband try some and he compared it to Liquid Smoke and said that he feels like he’d smell like a smoker if he drank a lot of that (smoker as in device used to smoke meats, not one who smokes cigarettes). So yeah, he’s not a fan.
Honestly, I’m probably not a huge fan either simply because I am not a fan of drinking my ham. Not a big meat fan in general, actually. However, if I were looking for an easier replacement for fried ham in the mornings, this would get my vote. I do enjoy the smoothness of this (which is surprising) and the sweetness (because I am a big sweet fan). So I think I’m going to come down on the side of good tea, not for me.
I think I’m going to see if I can get my dad to try this next time I see him. If anyone would like smoked meat tea, I think it’d be him!
I bought some of this for the Other Half the other day, since he’s a black tea drinker. I’m just waiting for him to open the packet. g
Mmmmm, meat tea! I bet chocolate + lapsang souchong tastes like chocolate-covered bacon!
I love it how you threw it somewhere secret and safe and away from everything else because of its noxious fumes! Hahaha! I heart smoked meats, so that’s probably why I would like this. And gunpowder, its little cousin in smokey crime.
You’d probably like this one! It actually seems like a good tea, just not something I can see wanting to drink too often. The second steep was nice, too – pretty consistent. But dude, it SMELLS. And need a 100% air tight tin for a home. Because it SMELLS.
but does it smell? :)
Absolutely no scent whatsoever! ;)
The smell gets me every time.
@teaplz, chocolate covered bacon? Come on USA, do we really have to put EVERYTHING into chocolate? Really?
I looooove chocolate-covered bacon. I have to say it. I’ve also had saffron and chorizo on crusty bread with a warm dark chocolate spread at the best tapas place in NYC (Tia Pol). Sweet + savory is pretty awesome. And I’m teeny-tiny (90 pounds) so the fat content is not an issue.
Dip it in chocolate or deep fry it! OR BOTH!
Teeny little teaplz. I put you in my pocket, k?
I also heart chocolate and bacon together. It’s so good! (And I’m trying out the new italics function for the first time.)
And so healthy too… ;)
Yeah, I know. That’s why I rarely have it. Besides, how often are you out and the restaurant has chocolate and bacon on the menu. I’m certainly not making it at home. =)
I actually did make candied (but not chocolate) bacon earlier this year…for crumbling onto salads. It was good that way, but just not the sort of thing I want to keep in my house, at the end of the day. Vosges makes bacon-and-chocolate bars, for the curious.
I think I might be the only person who honestly hates bacon. I totally have added chocolate to a bunch of savory dishes, like when I used to eat chicken and such. But bacon is just bleh, why ruin the chocolate?
I can think of more unhealthy things, like deep fried lard balls. “This is why you’re fat” is an awesome/ gross site.
Mmm. Bacon. Bacon is goooooood. Well, if it is crispy. If it is like my college food service company used to make it? NASTY.
To be fair, I have yet to hear of a college food service that does anything well.
Actually the Food Training Caffeteria on my campus is quite good. The cooking students make some really neat (and tasty!) soups and entrees, and their desserts are incredible. The only thing they need is good tea (they only have Lipton tea bags).