It comes in unbleached bags, and the color of the brew is a very delicate light green-tan-yellow all at once. It does smell like a Christmas tree, but without the other spicy extras that are tossed into your average seasonal scented candle. There is nothing overpowering about this tisane – it’s simply the clean, bright scent of a the crisp, dry air on a January morning on the Cascade Crest. A lemony overtone creeps through, and it takes me back to my favorite forest campsite in the same way that my first pu’erh did. I think it would go well with a dab of honey, too.

Juniper Ridge is a West Coast company that harvests its organic ingredients in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, doing their best to harvest in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly manner. 10% of their profits go toward defending the western wilderness. They offer soaps, incense, sachets, as well as tea, and host hiking trips and other outdoor events for the public that revolve around what they term as “wildcrafting.” You can read all about it (complete with photos) in their blog! Definitely worth checking out.

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I caved in, and tried the Numi Ruby Chai this week, and though I was really positive that I’d be disappointed, I am happy to report that I was utterly wrong. The rooibos does not overpower the spice with its nutty, vanilly essence. It just provides a solid, smooth foundation. The spice blend is perfect of sweetness and bite. With a dollop of cream and a packet of raw sugar, I almost have a replica of a caffeinated version, and the taste and aroma give me the psychological boost that I need – without the headache. And even though the Tearoom serves it in the bagged format, I can satisfy the snob in me, as it can be found loose on several retail sites.

I’m anxious to get back to a point where I can enjoy a good oolong or assam again. We have a Gongfu Girl author event planned for early June, and I’m determined to get in on that hot tea action. (Pun probably intended.)

* * *

I’ll take a moment during this brief post to make a little announcement: You might have noticed that we have a new Gongfu Girl, Kathryn. She had been posting notes about her tea experience in another Web community, and I invited her to join us here. I’m so glad she accepted!

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This one has less hibiscus and much more lemon – and it’s certainly not listed in the ingredients, some combination of herbs gave me a vague impression of black pepper. It might have been the licorice and lemon, and I suspect the cloves may have helped, too. There is still a hint of sweetness underneath it all.

Not exactly what I’m going for when I order Wu Wei, but it’s still a very interesting blend, and should be tried if you’re in the mood for a bit of a bite from an herbal tea. It feels like something I’ll reach for when I’m kicking a cold.

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I’ve been able to drink several dark teas following a suggestion by Jamie and Cat in my last post, and infusing tea for 30 seconds, discarding the brew (or giving it to whoever’s nearby), and then brewing again. I tried this with Green Tea with Orange Spice by Republic of Tea, a couple different oolongs from the Teacup, and my favorite triumph: Pu’erh Special from the Teacup.

Each time, I was impressed. The flavor wasn’t too surprising since I’ve been playing with multiple brews for a while now, but NOT getting that jittery, hyped up feeling afterwards was rather remarkable. I’m sure it doesn’t decaffeinate completely, but the estimate of 80-90% loss feels fairly accurate, and I was able to have tea as a companion again.

I try to have tea gatherings in the early afternoon because of the caffeine content, but perhaps this would be a good method when I have the opportunity to host gongfu events in the evening. Yes, I like this plan…

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Since we go in the late evening, we tend to pick hojicha and wu wei over more stimulating varieties. Their wu wei is very lemony and soothing for all of those throat-irritating bugs that are going around this winter. I also made the startling discovery that strong hojicha with a generous spoonful of agave tastes a heck of a lot like Sugar Smacks. Dig em!

They also have a wonderful selection of teapots, cups, and accessories. This is the first place I’ve been to that has had gongfu strainers readily available. They sometimes don’t have a lot of pieces with each pattern, but over the course of two visits, I found enough to make a nice little set. There are new cup sets out every time I go in, and they’re often priced at 2 sets for $6. At that price, I couldn’t resist!

My friends won’t be surprised when they see the set, because they know my penchant for the color blue. I absolutely adore the pattern and the blend of colors. I think I will return for more cup sets and the matching gaiwan. Since they didn’t have more cup sets in this pattern, I picked up 4 plain white porcelain sets in order to accomodate more guests at my table.

It’s also worth noting that they carry tiny little padded zipper cases that hold a small gaiwan, about 6 cups, and a pair of tongs. It’s really the perfect travel gongfu set, and it’s compact enough that I’d love to take it backpacking. The matcha kits caught my eye – very generously large, glazed bowls in lovely, deep colors. The price is higher than some matcha kits at $75, but they’re quite beautiful. Also spotted – several pu’erh cakes that smelled great.

And just for fun, you get a picture of our tortie, Gaz, who decided to hang out in the same sunbeam that I used to light up the set while I was taking pictures. It’s really nice to have a little sunshine after the crazy late-winter weather we’ve had.

Teahouse Kuan Yin is at 1911 N. 45th Street in Wallingford, in the heart of the little shopping district there. I wrote about it last June when it changed hands, and I’m happy to report that the previous owner, James Labe, still acts as taster and buyer for this establishment.

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This may pass, and I may be able to sip the sweet extractions of the camellia sinensis once again, but for now I am forced to pass on it. As the founder of a tea blog, this is incredibly frustrating. So I am writing this to beg you all for suggestions for my poor, deprived, tea-loving tastebuds! Vanilla rooibos and hojicha are high on my list, but I don’t want them to become tiresome over time.

I seem to be okay with occasional green jasmines and oolongs, as long as I don’t overdo it. I’m avoiding blacks and – oh, it’s so hard to admit – even pu’erhs. What’s your favorite low-to-no-caf tea or tisane? Is it available in the Seattle area or online?

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But the beige packet (my favorite) said ‘Hiotoko,” and looking that up in a search engine leads to a lot of interesting things that have nothing to do with tea. Takuro had also mentioned the word “houjicha,” but for some reason I never looked it up!

My confusion was finally over when we hosted a gongfu demonstration party at my house about a week ago. The other two GG authors were in attendance, and a few of the guests brought their own tea as well, including a packet of “hoji cha” from Uwajimaya, our local Japanese market.

As soon as we opened the foil seal, I knew I’d found what I was looking for. Here’s Wikipedia’s description:

Hōjicha is set apart from other Japanese green teas because it is roasted over charcoal. The tea is fired at high temperature, altering the leaf colour tints from green to reddish-brown. The process was first performed in Kyoto, Japan in the 1920s and its popularity persists today. The roasted flavours are extracted and predominate this blend. Hōjicha is made from Bancha (番茶, “common tea”), tea from the last harvest of the season and considered a somewhat lower grade of green tea than sencha, and Kukicha, tea made from the twigs of the tea plant rather than the leaves.

Hōjicha infusions have a light- to reddish-brown appearance, and are less astringent due to losing catechin during the high temperature roasting process. The roasting replaces the vegetative tones of standard green tea with a toasty, slightly caramel-like flavour. As both Bancha and Kukicha are low in caffeine, Hōjicha is a popular tea to drink before going to sleep.

Even though this isn’t a premium tea, it still brings me a lot of joy. Its toasty aroma and almost savory flavor make it very comforting. It would complement the smell of campfire and the breeze through the pines on camping and backpacking trips. The lack of caffeine makes it a good choice when I’m feeling particularly sensitive, as well as being on my rather short list of before-bedtime teas. I don’t care if I’m slumming with the fannings and stems – I am unashamed of my love for hojicha.

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Evening in Missoula: One of our most popular blends. A delightful, swirling collage of herbal flavors with just a hint of wintergreen. Chamomile, rosehips, raspberry leaf, papaya leaf, peppermint, spearmint, strawberry leaf, vanilla, passionflower, red clover, star anise, wild cherry bark, damiana, horsetail, hyssop, lemon peel, wintergreen, and lavender.

I made a pot that first night to share with everyone in my household. The wintergreen and chamomile spring to life in the aroma. Drinking it brought back a familiar sensation. I had my finger on all the other notes, but when my housemate said “bubble gum,” I suddenly couldn’t rid myself of the thought.

He paused for a moment and then said, “Not bubble gum itself. More like the taste of kissing someone who has been chewing bubble gum!” And he didn’t mean that in a bad way! He is my favorite person with whom to enjoy food and drink, because he always finds the most expressive and clear way of describing sensations. And no one present would disagree with him.

I love this tea. It’s been one of my favorite before-bed treats – and totally guilt free because it’s decaf and naturally sweet. Kind of like that one beautiful spring evening I spent in Missoula back in 1991…

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We went from 80 degrees in sunny Arizona to cold, stormy weather, and I waited for a late bus with wet hair and no hat this morning, and got splashed by a bus driving through puddles by the sidewalk. On top of that, I’ve been unable to try out the rest of the new tea I bought because it’s all caffeinated, and my migraines are back with a vengeance. I feel like I need another vacation already.

Luckily for me, several friends of mine have visited Turkey in the last year, and each one of them has contributed to my tea habit with strange and exotic brews from the banks of the Bosphorus. The latest sampling came to my desk this morning, right when I needed it most.

The one I chose for this afternoon was the popular apple tea. I’d had an instant powdered version of this sweet, fruity brew before, and it is highly recommended if sugar isn’t a deterrant.

Today’s loose “tea” looked more like diced and dehydrated apples, and I wondered if they were edible like that, but I can’t bring myself to eat a piece. I can’t really tell if there is anything else mixed in. I dumped them straight into the pot instead of using my mesh basket, though I instantly regretted that, as the apple pieces clogged up the spout of my teapot, and cleaning it at work is going to be an adventure.

I let it steep for a couple minutes and filtered it into my cup, and was actually surprised. It has a wonderful apple aroma and taste, and needs absolutely no added sugar to make it palatable, or to make it resemble the instant kind I’d had before. It isn’t too reminiscent of apple juice or cider, either. Definitely pleasing to the part of me that wants to drink tea, while catering to the part of me that can’t handle caffeine right now. I don’t even have to mention how comforting it is in this weather, either.

The flavor is robust, and it gets a big thumbs up as-is, but I can imagine adding a cinnamon stick to the pot for a post-holiday-dinner treat.

Through a Turkish-English translation problem, my friend also brought me a bag of dried cherry tea instead of rose, but she compensated me with a bag of rose tea from her last trip to China. This improved my day by leaps and bounds, especially since I can enjoy new teas all week without any concerns about caffeine.

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Vivace also features about six to eight kinds of loose tea (I’m sorry I can’t find any information on the brand anywhere), and I’ve always had good luck just picking one at random. Last weekend my husband and I took a short stroll down the street for the last time as residents of Capitol Hill. He ordered a latte, and I ordered the Wu Wei. It was a dense herbal tea with strong hints of lemongrass and some kind of flower – maybe hibiscus. A quick Google search tells me that my tongue doesn’t lie. It contains hibiscus, clove, lavender, licorice, sweetleaf, and lemon balm. It’s bold, rich, and complex for a tisane. Recommended, but don’t let it steep too long, or the flower gets a little bitter.

Before I got started today, I stopped in at the Tearoom in the University of Washington Medical Center where they serve Xanadu teas. The chai is my second favorite of all chais (the first being from Travelers Tea Co., a little Indian store at 601 Pine, famed for its authentic masala chai recipe). I always add a bit of half and half and a packet or two of raw sugar, though its very drinkable alone, as it has a small amount of sugar crystals included in the mix. Old habits die hard, and I still like my chai with everything in it. Very spicy, but it doesn’t attack like Morning Glory, which is just too much for me.

I’ve just found a bus that will take me from our new house to several tea shops. So I might have the chance to do a little more exploring… once I find that box with the tea kettle in it.

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