Day 21: Lime Gelato

Hello tea lovers!

Brooke is heading home to Halifax today so I am all by my lonesome for today’s tea (hopefully I can make it interesting for you!) So without further adieu let’s get to it!

Tea: Lime Gelato

Description: Remember the summer you spent in Italy? Sipping espresso on the terrace, catching a ride on the back of a stranger’s Vespa, and of course, trying your first taste of tart, creamy lime gelato. With its fresh, fruity aroma and smooth flavour, this deliciously creamy mix of fruit and green tea will bring you right back. Try it iced. On a terrace. While the moon hits your eye.

Ingredients: Apple, Sencha green tea, pineapple, lemongrass, artificial creamy lime yogurt flavouring

Steeping Instructions: 1.25 tsp, 85°C, 3-4 minutes

Stacey: It smells like lime creamisicle.

*sip*

Stacey: Mmm. I tend to not like lime desserts, but this is really nice! The lime is very subtle. Quite the tasty treat! It’s so odd just thinking to myself. Maybe I should talk out loud?

Stacey: I really this tea! *looks around at empty apartment.*

*text received from MK*

MK: Brooke wants me to text you in depth about the tea. So I woke up as groggily as humanly possible.
Stacey: Oh thank god! 
MK: Last night I dreamed a favourite band was attacking a tea farm.
Stacey: Oh?
MK: Anyway, I wandered downstairs and found that no one was home. Feeling slightly abandoned, I opened the window and saw that it was Lime Gelato. I struggled to get it open but when I finally did I thought, “oh no, lemongrass”. But I smelled it and was quite impressed. I also tried to pour the water into one cup and then into another but the first cup had floaties (I then cursed the person who didn’t clean the cup).  It better be good after this struggle.
Stacey: I think you’ll like it!

*sip*

MK: Hmm, I think it lives up to its name. My brother said it smells like lime pudding (does such a thing exist?). First bit of the sip is creamy, but then the lime hits the back of your tongue. I don’t know if I would drink it everyday but I like it.
Stacey: Agreed! I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of flavours, there’s apple and pineapple in there!
MK: Oh, apple?! I would never have known! They seem to throw that into everything…makes me suspicious because sometimes you can really taste it and other times you can’t. So what exactly do they do to these apples, why the difference?
Stacey: Yeah, DAVIDsTEA is quite sneaky…
MK: I think I’m impressed when a tea is creamy without the cream.
Stacey: Yeah…I wonder how they do it…
MK: Me too. Secretssss! However, I doubt I’m going to be mixing my own tea concoctions any time soon, so DAVIDsTEA can keep their secrets. Although, I wonder how someone even gets on that career path…

While MK and I were wondering about DAVIDsTEA’s secrets, Brooke was able to sit down with family Halifax to review the tea:

Brooke: What does it smell like Mom?
Cathy: Well, I wouldn’t say I smell lime if I didn’t know that’s what was in it! Did I tell you that I like my teas cooler? I don’t like them hot at all, I can suck it right back when it’s cooler. Don’t say suck!
Brooke: Dad, do you want to try?
Stewart: No, no, I’ll pass.
Cathy: Oh! But you like main squeeze and this is citrusy! And it only steeped for 4 minutes!
Stewart: Alright, okay. Oh, that’s pleasant and refreshing! I like the tanic tang of a black tea so I’m not being drawn to this one though.
Brooke: You guys are talking too fast!

Tea Vibes

Stacey: This is quite a tasty treat. I am pleasantly surprised the line was lovely and saddle. And yeah really free but also works as a heart. To you I was really would be bad. Yeah everything electrical.

Well folks, although I thought I would be all on my own today, turns out lime gelato really brings people together. What did you all think?

Until next tea,
Stacey (and MK) and Brooke (and Cathy and Stewart)

a basket full of puppies just for kicks! Because puppies!

 

Day 18: Buddha’s Blend

Hi readers!

Well it’s a stormy one out there in Halifax. My flight was turbulent as I made my way home for the holidays, so a good warm tea after picking up our Christmas tree was JUST what the momma and daughter duo ordered. Mugs up and zen out to Buddha’s Blend, friends!

Tea: Buddha’s Blend

Description: Heaven Can’t Wait

We don’t like to brag, but we’re pretty sure we just found the key to achieving nirvana. It’s easier than you might think – you’re actually just a cup away. You start with a fresh, delicate mix of white and green tea. Then you sprinkle in a few jasmine pearls for their sweet, floral perfume. Next, you add the unexpected fruity aroma of some beautiful white hibiscus blossoms. Finally? You sit back, relax and take a sip. Heavenly…

Ingredients: White tea, green tea, jasmine pearls, white hibiscus blossoms, articifial flavouring.

Instructions: 1 tsp, 82°C, 3-4 min

—

Mom was worried she wouldn’t make a good substitute for Stace.

Cathy: Okay, I’m not Stacey. I’m not Stacey, I’m not a tea maaker… dee dee deeee!

Brooke: Did you just sing that last part?

Cathy: I’m prone to siiinging… unexpected tea songs! Deee dum dum.

Brooke: It’s good to be home.

Cathy: You said this has jasmine in it like that green tea? Doesn’t smell nearly as grassy. Smells good!

*sip*

Brooke: Did you just take a sip?

Cathy: I did.

Brooke: And?

Cathy: … I didn’t have a thought!

Brooke: Hm.

Cathy: Okay, let’s see. It’s more about the smell, I think. It’s pleasant, it’s not sour. I don’t know the real difference between white and green tea, I just like herbals, that’s what this reminds me of. I don’t particularly like black teas, you see. I want to know what you think now!

Brooke: I really taste the base leaves more than the extra flavours… I taste the green tea leaves and not so much the jasmine. It seems… just a bit dull!

Cathy:  You are so refined! I like it and I will drink it. It isn’t a crazy tea. Although, I do like that you can smell it and taste it and get lots from it at the same time.

Brooke: Yeah, and the dullness is kind of good- you don’t want the flavours to overpower you with a ‘zen’ tea after all.

Cathy: Yeah, it’s relaxing!

Brooke: White teas are steeped for less time, too, compared to black due to the leaves being so delicate. That may be it.

Cathy: Wow, Superstore is selling lobster for $5.88/lb!

Brooke: Soo pleased to be home. Seriously.

Tea vibes:

Cathy: I don’t know Brookie, I like this tea! It tastes just as good as it cools. 3.5/5

Brooke: This as an odd fruity hint from the hibiscus that I really enjoy, though I do think for a ‘flashy’ DAVIDsTEA, it’s not my favourite. It certainly zen’d me out as I watched little birdies dancing on the snow covered trees outside (oh, so poetic). It was nice, but since white teas are expensive and it didn’t thrill me, I wouldn’t need to buy it. Loved sharing it my ma, though! : ) 3.5/5

No Stace in this one, but she’ll be back tomorrow for a google chat. For now, we will continue to zen out (but might switch to rum and eggnog…)

Until next tea,

Brooke (and Cathy)

“He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.”

Goji Pop

Hi readers!

It’s a beautiful snowy morning and Stacey and I are getting ready to sit down and watch Grey’s together. What to do while it loads? Grab another tea from the set, of course! Woohoo!

This time we got Goji pop… Taste buds, prepare yourselves for a sweet ride.

Tea: Goji pop

Ingredients: Apple pieces, goji berries, hibiscus blossoms, rosehip peel, honeydew melon cubes, marigold petals.

DAVIDsTEA description: Spring eternal

Legend has it that Li Ching-Yun was born in China in 1677 and died 256 years later in New York. His secret? Goji berries. Your secret? This hot pink tea filled with sweet, sweet goji berries, vitamin-C-rich rosehip, citrusy lemon oil, apple, melon, marigold and hibiscus. It’s probably the most delicious longevity formula ever. Which is key, since you’ll be popping it for the next two centuries. Caffeine-free.

Note, this is the cover photo for the tea on their website. Take it as you will. We were mystified.

–

We steeped our mugs with 1.5tsp of the loose leaf for 5 minutes with piping hot water then let them cool down. Whoa, the colour, guys. HOT PINK. HOT. PINK.  This made Stacey uneasy…

Stacey: It smells sweet. I’m worried. I tried their “Mamma Mia” and it was really sweet and tart and I didn’t like it…

*sip*

Stacey: Nah, not really sweet. Just.. a touch! It’s funny, I thought there’d be more apple flavour in there. I guess it tastes like goji. It gets a little sweeter as you go but it’s still not over powering. I’m okay drinking this.
Brooke: I…I…I don’t really like it! Whoa, I mean, I seriously dislike this one! …I think it would be better as an iced tea. Erm, ah! What does it make you think of?
Stacey: Stupid unicorn is in my head. Cotton candy, if that’s allowed. Pink and sugary!
Brooke: But it doesn’t TASTE like cotton candy.
Stacey: No, the taste reminds me of… a … like… berry pie, or something.
Brooke: I think of those kind of “real” fruitcicles you can get.
Stacey: Hmm, yeah, they don’t have them in goji. You could make them! DAVIDsTEA would pay you! Well, no, they’d just advertise you.

*sneeze*

Brooke: Don’t worry, Stace. You’re getting out of this dusty apartment soon enough!

–PAUSE—

Okay, so we didn’t really tell you this was coming… but Stacey and I are parting ways. But only for a month! Stacey just successfully defended her Master’s internship (yay!) and is heading home for Toronto to spend time with her family for the holidays. I jet off to Halifax for a couple of weeks in a few days, too. SO, we took a few teas, split them up, and promised to do some while we’re apart via skype/email/msn/icq/texting/snailmail/phone/shouting. We also agreed to have guest stars like our siblings, parents, and friends. Once we get back together in January we’ll finish off the box-set as a team.

–RESUME–

Stacey: I don’t mind this tea! It’s nice. To me, it’s not too sweet. I’m completely happy with this one.  Though I probably wouldn’t drink it every day. I will not be like that 2000 year old guy.
Brooke: 200.
Stacey: Right.
Brooke: Neither will I. I don’t know if I’m even going to finish this cup. Urp!
Stacey: Whoa, that’s a first! You really don’t like it, eh? Well, for the sweet teas, there has to be a specific balance. DAVIDsTEA usually does a good job with this. This one’s okay, for me.

Tea Vibes:

Brooke: Yep, it’s a first for tea time, but I do not like this one. It’s much too sweet and bitter for me. The berry flavour has never been a favourite of mine for a hot drink. It reminds me of candy… and warm candy is weird. I would be interested in trying this as an iced tea in the summer;  I can see myself enjoying the sweetness with a fresh chill to the glass… but I’m not going to live to be 200 drinking this brew. Whew! 4.5/10

Stacey:  First, I really like the loose leaf and fruit pieces in the tea–you could probably just munch on those. Second, I surprisingly like the flavour! I know I had a Tetley goji berry tea that I really didn’t like… but this is great! If I want something sweet and am in the mood, I’d go for this one. You don’t get the sweetness the whole time… just at the very end, and it’s just a hint. This gets 6.5/10; it’s nice, but it’s not like “whoa, this tea!” it’s more like “okay, this tea”. [what?]

Ah, and so ends our last Tea Time together for 2012. We watched our show, said our farewells, and Stacey was off to catch her train. As for the tea, if you’ve always dreamed of a sweet unicorn ride covered in rainbows and sunshine, this one’s for you. Unless you’re me. Then don’t drink it.

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey