Tea Nerds

 This is from Jan 25, 2020 on the facebook group, Tea Nerds. Should you want to clean your porcelain teaware, the following are some good suggestions that came from the group today. Thank you to everyone who participated on that thread!   Some teapots should never be cleaned, i.e. clay (unglazed). Also, do not try to do your friends a favor and clean their teapot without their permission because some people WANT the tannins on them as it adds to the flavor in their tea (much like they do in the clay pots).   I like this video as it’s food safe and just requires a rinse afterwards to be ready for your next tea. 1 TB of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and 1 TB of citric acid to a liter of warm water. Let the teaware sit in the solution and then wipe with a soft sponge and brush for the spouts.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW3oMtdT8nU&feature=emb_logo   Magic Eraser can work. Do be careful though as it can be abrasive and potentially scratch your te...

 I copied this from an email from Simple Loose Leaf tea.  Regardless of what company wrote it, it's good advice. How to brew a decent cup of tea First, let's talk about what is likely wrong with your tea/tea brewing right now. You're using bad tea that won't have a lot of flavor or is very old.  I put this first because everyone is going to expect a tea company to put this first and then say "Buy our tea because..."  But honestly this is the least of the issues.  If you can fix the other issues, you'll get a decent cup of tea out of any tea. Amount of tea you're using.  Bagged tea or loose tea, using the right amount for your cup/tea pot size is very important.  If your tea is weak and you're using a large tea pot or mug, this might be the culprit. Brew length is the 3rd issue that is most common.  Herbal teas in particular tend to need 5+ minutes to brew well.  And a lot of green and black teas really only need 1 to 2 minutes for ...

 I grabbed this from a Bird and Blend blog.  Since they tend to take things down out of season (I get it!), I didn't want to lose this so I copied it here.  This link is their blog post though! Serves: 1 SPICED PUMPKIN LATTE INGREDIENTS: 2  Perfect Tea Spoons  of Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea * 300ml hot water 100ml almond/ oat/ dairy milk Ground nutmeg 1 shot of Honey (or your favourite vegan syrup) *You can also use Pumpkin Sticky Chai too!  HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOT SPICED LATTE: 1. Brew your  Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea  in the hot water for no more than 4 minutes; you don't want to over-brew the black tea leaves as they will become bitter. 2. Add 2 tsp of honey to 100ml of milk, gently heat and foam! 3. Add your milk to your tea, stirring as you go and ensuring you get a nice big dollop of frothy milk on the top.  4. Sprinkle with nutmeg or your choice of topping. 5. Enjoy! ALTERNATIVELY IF YOU LIKE AN ICED SPI...

 I decided yesterday that today was the day that I get into my collection of chai and start drinking them.  First up was a sample that I received from Bird and Blend from the UK.  Banana Bread Chai didn't leave my mouth watering, even though I do love banana bread.  This is a rooibos base, instead of the usual black tea used for chai.   I read the instructions and also the reviews on their site for more information.  I brewed it at 205* F for 3 minutes.  Then I added some honey and frothed creamy oat milk and I tasted it.  Now I must say that I always try a new tea "naked", that is to say there are no added ingredients so I can get a good feel for the base tea.  This tea didn't do much for me plain.  Add the honey and creamy oat milk though and it's a different story... *MIND BLOWN* The next time I order from across the ocean, I hope this is available because I want more. YUM!     "The blissful smell of banana bread coo...