Global Tea Time

This tea is described as Assam black tea and sultry spices. Chai, of course, is India. Granted, the word chai is widely used in many countries for tea. The description says that it is black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and other spices. When I brewed a cup and sniffed it, I thought it mainly smelled of cloves. I was also glad I left a little room at the top of the cup, because I knew I wanted some milk in it because the cloves were so strong. Milk adds a nice creaminess and cuts the flavor cloves to make a smooth cup of tea. I did do a second brewing on the same bag, and tried it plain. It definitely needs some milk. On the second brewing, I did get a hint of anice (and if you look at the bag, star anise is featured). Thankfully, a hint of that flavor could be ignored, but I don't like anise on its own. Overall, this is a very good tea for milk, and does have a spicy flavor.

Today's tea comes from "Jolly old England". I have no clue where that phrase came from, and I don't care to Google it. British tea is pretty well known, and from previous blog posts, you know that I had a version of it in Kenya. Well, more the Kenyan interpretation of British tea, but I do notice in British TV shows, the characters always refer to the tea being "well sugared", especially when given to someone who is under stress or doesn't feel well. Since it's me, there's no sugar in sight. While they are also know for liking a milky brew, I'm taking my tea straight this morning. Thanks to the internet, I know that some Brits take their tea that way, too. I used my covered tea cup to brew this one up. I know that many people are adamant that tea should be covered while it brews, so this seemed all too appropriate for today's tea. While it is not the ubiquitous PG Tips, it is a nice blend of black tea, perfect for waking up on a chill

Today's tea flavor was blended to evoke the flavors of Italy. Bergamot has long been a flavor name thrown around that meant nothing to me. It has long been associated with Earl Grey tea, but I've never seen it used anywhere else. I finally got around to googling it, and discovered that it is a lumpy citrus fruit. The description on the tea calls it bergamot orange. Google also indicates that there is bergamot herb, related to mint, and bergamot pears. I guess there's a reason why it has always been a little confusing to me as to exactly what bergamot is. When I opened the tea bag, it was clear what kind of bergamot was used. A light citrus scent wafted out of the bag, along with the scent of tea. The package describes it as being strong enough to handle milk, yet mild enough to be served alone. I took my tea straight up. Earl Grey may not like the name of this tea (who wants their aging to be pointed out?), but I enjoyed having a cup of it.

This tea blend represents Egypt. I never really thought about chamomile plants or where they grow. I actually did a little looking online and found a gardening blog that gave a nice overview. As you might ascertain from the picture on the tea bag, chamomile flowers look like daisies. While I'm not a huge fan of chamomile, it is said to help calm the stomach, so I brewed up a cup. I've tried other flavored chamomile teas. They have always been really cheap brands of bagged tea, and have been really bad. Basically a poor quality flavor over chamomile. This tea brand is more expensive, and frankly, you get what you pay for. Yes, it does smell of chamomile. The lemon flavor adds a nice brightness to the flavor and negates the chamomile gag factor. While it may not be my favorite tea, this is the best chamomile I've ever had, and I'm able to finish a cup of it with no problems. These tea blenders obviously know what they are doing, and it is a nice tea to drink with an u