Quick thought: Black Darjeeling - lemon - honey - JOY!
Tea: Lady Grey
I’ve had this tea for a few weeks now, and I’m convinced at this point that it’s my favourite. I got it at first because I was looking up bits of information about Earl Grey and the wikipedia site was talking about how ‘Lady Grey’ was a Twinings blend based on Earl Grey, but with lavender infused in it.
And this was why I picked it up off the shelf. That and it was my first loose-leaf tea. And it gave me an excuse to buy a tea strainer, which I didn’t previously have. Why did I specifically want a tea strainer, you ask, when I could easily just use a tea bag like everybody else? Because Emilie Autumn, that’s why.
In her work, there is often a theme - or subtheme (if that’s even a word) of tea; you can find Basil’s Brew in the Asylum Emporium. Anyhoo, a couple of weeks ago, she released her new album: Fight Like A Girl (which is amazing, by the way) and she held a tea party for Plague Rats (her fans) in Chicago. Needless to say, I couldn’t go - but there were pictures, and aside from tiny sandwiches, tartlets and teacakes, there were tea strainers.
And, lets be honest, tea doesn’t grow in teabags, does it? So I needed a tea strainer and Lady Grey was my excuse to buy one (£2 from Sainsbury’s - not promoting anything - just saying where I got it from)
And now that I’ve driven you all off with my pontification about tea strainers and the magnificence that is Emilie Autumn, the Profile:
Tea: Lady Grey
Price: £2.00 for 125g of loose leaf tea (or you can get 50 teabags for £2.49)
Description: I think I’d say that this is my favourite because it’s light without being watery, which is what I don’t like so much about green tea. Like Earl Grey, it does have a citric flavour and smell to it that I do find appealing, although I’d say that it’s actually stronger - probably because it’s served primarily with lemon whereas I’ve mostly been drinking Earl Grey with milk. Actually, according to the Twinings website, there’s added hints of orange and lemon in this blend…Hmm. I do like it, although I reckon that it’s mostly because I’ve been using my tea strainer. I think once I get over my love affair with that, I might be a bit more ambivalent about Lady Grey…
Directions: I lost the box. Sorry. Basically, use freshly drawn boiled water. Use one teaspoon per cup (and if you’re using a teapot, an extra one for the pot). Pour the water while it’s still boiling. Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes. Ah, now, I remember that the box said that it was best with a slice of lemon, but the website says that it’s best with a splash of milk. I’ll add an extra post that tells you how that one goes…
Rating: 8/10 like I said, it’s my favourite; it’s light without being watery; it’s lemony - sweet if you add some honey or sugar - I like it without milk (which is good for people who are lactose intolerant, maybe…) Also, I’d say that it’s a tea that you can have in the morning (well, late morning - elevenses most probably) finally! Add to all this the fact that I can use my tea strainer…basically, I think it’s fair to say that this tea makes me very happy.
Ok, give me forty-five minutes; I’ll go and get a lemon (and milk, and nail varnish remover and envelopes and post that letter) and I’ll come back and do that profile for Lady Grey…
I haven’t tried Earl Grey with lemon before, so I thought I’d describe it in a nutshell; it’s delicious - the natural lemoniness (I may need to trademark this word because I really rather like it) which I’ve found is the result of oil extracted from the rind the bergamot orange, is really brought out by the lemon. It is quite tart, though, so I’d recommend adding a teaspoon of sugar. Either that, or I’ve been told that honey is a lovely alternative to sugar (thank you, Elaine :D ).
I have bought TEA! … and a lemon.
Darjeeling (loose leaf - because I felt like it and it was cheaper than tea bags)
Ceylon (again, loose leaf - see above for reasons)
Lady Grey (loose leaf -because that was all they had)
Green Tea with cranberry (because a friend of mine - and their dad - recommended it to me.) (They didn’t have loose leaf)
The posting of these teas will start tomorrow with Darjeeling.
Also, because the boxes of some of these teas (e.g. Earl Grey, Lady Grey etc) say that they can be served with lemon, I have bought a lemon. I shall be posting mini descriptions of these teas served with lemon - I figure you guys won’t want any more than that.
