Day 6: Genmaicha

Hello readers!

If we’re going to keep up with each day’s post, we have to improvise. Today’s post comes from two separate locations: our downtown apartment and CHEO. Stacey and I take a break from our work to put on our kettles, pour our teas, and chat about the flavours over google hang outs. Hey, whatever works, amirite?

Tea: Genmaicha

Description: Watch Out, It’s Addictive

Some people call Genmaicha popcorn tea because it contains whole roasted grains of brown rice, some of which have popped. Others call it the Rice Krispie of green teas. Either way, genmaicha was originally drunk by poor Japanese who used the rice as a filler because they couldn’t afford enough tea leaves. It soon became all the rage. Today, everyone is addicted to its sweet, toasted rice flavour. (MK Kosher)

Ingredients: Japanese-style green tea, roasted rice.

Tea Instructions: 1 tsp, 74°C, 2-3 min

—

Brooke: Stacey, are you ready??
Stacey: Hey, just waiting for my water to cool off.
Brooke: I think there’s a piece of popcorn in mine… Does rice pop like corn?
Stacey: How long was I supposed to infuse this for? I haven’t set a timer…
Brooke: 2-3 minutes, very short time.
Stacey: Aw crap.

Brooke: Mmmm… I like it. I think I like it better than the other green we had last year- it’s a bit heavier. Ooh this could be an every day tea. Mmm!
Stacey: Mine’s too hot still. Nooo, I hope I didn’t screw this up. I want an everyday tea!!

Brooke: You know, I think this green tea would make Nourish Tea proud, even though there’s rice in it.
Stacey: Yeah, based on the ingredients–only two! that’s got to be a record for Davids tea.
Brooke: No stevia or artificial flavouring, yay!
Stacey: I like it! Perfect mid-afternoon pick me up. Doesn’t make me crave sushi immediately after sipping it.
Brooke: That’s right! The other one just had us thinking about maki rolls but this has me working harder to study endocrinology!
Stacey: This tea is nice- I just want to sit back and relax with it.
Brooke: Mhmm but it’s motivating me, too. A little sip and right back to learning about pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide!

—

Tea vibes:

Stacey:  This a nice woody and earthy tea that is pure and exactly what I wanted. It will put that spring in your step without the gimmick. If you’re a fan of green teas, you’ve got to give this one a try. 4/5

Brooke: I’d say this tea is really nice and mellow. The rice gives it a fullness that otherwise would be missing from a totally ‘pure’ green, so it fills you up nicely. Great tea to keep you going and to give you reason to believe in yourself (what?). 4/5

There we are, and look! Already a quarter done our 24 Days of Tea! Are you impressed? I know we are. Now get back to work!

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey

Stay alert! Stay safe.

Day 5: Stormy Night

Hey readers! Day 5 comes to you in true Brooke and Stacey fashion:

After a busy day and two hours in a cold hockey rink, I came home to find Brooke chatting on the phone. As not to disturb I mimed drinking tea, to which she gave me the nod. After her call, she hurried out to see what was behind door #5. And what do we have? Stormy Night! Ohh boy!

Tea: Stormy Night

Tea Description: As good as it gets

It was three o’clock in the afternoon on a rainy Friday. David was hungry. He needed a nap, a shave, and a hot meal. What he had was a kettle, a pack of matches, and a bag of black tea. So he grabbed some ingredients and threw them in the water. Chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla – this drink was a real piece of work. He lifted his cup, took a drink and then another. It was hotter than an inferno and smoother than silk. It was good. Almost too good.

Ingredients: Ingredients: Organic: Black tea, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla. With natural vanilla flavouring*.

Steeping steps: 4-6 minutes, 1.25 tsp, piping hot water

—

Tea is prepped, and our apartment is still making the transition from Fall to Winter. Our little scarecrow by the front door now sports a Santa cap and the wreath of fall leaves and berries now has a gingerbread candle in its middle. We’re well on our way.

Brooke: Ooh I love the smell of the spices in this one!
Stacey: Mhm! I like that it’s just simple! Chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut. That’s all you need. I like that the cinnamon floats on top, too.
Brooke: Yeah, no infuser could catch all the ground cinnamon in this mix.
Stacey: *sigh*
Brooke: ?
Stacey: I just was thinking of how nice this is to do. And I want my hands and feet to be warm. Maybe I’ll go put on comfy socks. (And I also came back with a big woolly blanket. Bad idea…definitely gave myself a big shock when I turned on the TV)
Stacey: Damn these socks! I can’t decide what I like about this tea so much! Is it the chocolate? The cinnamon? I love it all!  And it’s kind of a good alternative to hot chocolate, too.
Brooke: It’s not rich like chocolate, you don’t get weighed down like you would with a mocha or a hot chocolate. Its cinnamon flavour also keeps it rather light.
Stacey: And it’s doing wonders to warm me up.
Brooke: Not those staticky socks?
Stacey: It’s a combination! Ooh let’s have some Christmas songs. Also, this would be perfect for the canal. And hey, if the weather keeps up we’ll be on it sooner than you think!
Brooke: Yep, wow, this tea is such a keeper. I’m glad we have more of it in our kitchen.

Tea vibes:

Stacey: It’s one of my favourites from DavidsTea, it gets a 4.5/5. You can get your chocolate fix without the sugar.

Brooke: I agree, roomie. A touch of cinnamon and soft hints of coconut, this is such a delicate and yet filling brew. 4/5

Sometimes it’s the simple things that are truly the best. Stormy Night is one of those things. Oh. and chatting over tea with your roommate, of course.

Until next tea,
Stacey and Brooke

Beware the static shock!

Day 4: Forever Nuts

Here we are at Day #4! Look at us go, being on time. That really won’t last… But for now- enjoy! This is how Day #4 started off:

Brooke: Tea?

Stacey: Yes!!

Brooke: WOO! FOREVER NUTS!

Stacey: Awesome! Can we just link to last year’s post…?

Brooke: NO WAY! That’s not fair. We have to see what we want to say about it this time around!

Stacey: Oooh fine!

Tea:Forever Nuts

Tea Description: For almond lovers

It looks all normal when it’s loose. But steep it and you’ll see that it’s nuts. Within seconds, this tempting jumble of almond slices and chunks, apple bits and cinnamon bark starts turning a crazy shade of pink. Why? Because it contains a hint of beetroot. That’s what gives this rich almond tea its earthy depth and its all-natural signature colour. Deliciously nutty, decidedly addictive. Caffeine-free.

Tea Ingredients: Apple, almonds, cinnamon, beetroot and artificial flavouring.

Tea Instructions: 1.5tsp, 98C, 5 minutes.

—

Stacey: I forgot it was pink! : )

*sip*

Brooke: Hmm… It seems more sour than I remember.

Stacey: Yeah, a little bit, but… hm… Now that you mention it… yeah!

-quiet typing noises as we both work on presentations-

Brooke: …Still say it’s sour!

Stacey: But it’s so nutty! I always like forever nuts; it’s just one of those teas that isn’t too sweet from davidstea. It’s just… nutty and awesome. I always really like the pink colouring- it’s so unexpected!

Brooke: That’s from the beet root! I remember!

Stacey: That’s probably the sour you’re tasting? Maybe we steeped it for too long today.

Brooke: Oops!

Stacey: I like that it’s an herbal tea, too. Sometimes you just want to have a tea before bed and this is perfect for that.

Brooke: Yeah. I usually LOVE this tea! I feel kind of ‘meh’ about it today, though.

Stacey: It could be that our pallet changed ever since our Nourish Tea experience. This is supposed to be a “pure” tea but after Nourish Tea’s simple teas, this probably tastes differently to us.

Brooke: I would say that this tastes best at the end. It’s not quite what I remembered but good none the less. Oh NO! Apples again?? WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

Stacey: I’ll get the Benadryl…

Tea vibes

Brooke: This tea is definitely worth a try if you’ve never had it. Nuts, beets, and floral tones keep your mouth guessing as to what flavour takes centre stage. I’ll always accept a warm mug of this any day (with an allergy pill, too, just to be safe)! Its pink glow adds a nice touch.  3.5/5

Stacey: This has always been one of my favourite teas because it’s one of those fruity teas that isn’t too sweet.  This is definitely a regular tea, you could have it any day of the week. The smell is amazing. I really like how well the nutty and fruit combination works well. Hooray! 4/5

Well, hm! Seems quite different from our post last year  where we went on about cinammon and almonds and Mariah Carey. Ah how times have changed.

Stay tuned for Day #5 tomorrow! : )

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey

Forever nutty,  forever together! ❤

Day 2: Alpine Punch

After a late night of bouldering (indoor rock climbing without the ropes- we’re wild!), we settled in for Day #2 of DAVIDsTEA’s 24 Days of Tea. Are you excited?

Stacey: ALPINE PUNCH!

Cheers ALL around on this one. André made some kind of a Sherpa comment, which confused me until Stacey confirmed that something similar to Sherpas were in this tea’s description. Here we go!

Tea: Alpine Punch

Tea Description:  High altitude taste

Have you heard of the barbegazi? According to Swiss lore, they are a group of furry little men that live high in the Alps. They are known for their long, icy beards and enormous feet, which they use to ski down hills and surf on avalanches. But how do they stay warm up in the frozen mountains all year round? We like to think it’s with a fortifying brew like this almond-scented rooibos, with apple, cinnamon, and ginger. If you see some very big footprints next time you’re out hiking, follow them to the barbegazi’s cave and see if they offer you a cup. Limited edition.

Tea Ingredients: Rooibos, coconut chips and rasps, apple pieces, cinnamon pieces, ginger bits, cardamom, black pepper, rose blossoms, almond flakes, artificial flavouring.

Tea Instructions: 1.5tsp, 98 degrees, 4-7 minutes. Perfection.

Stacey opted to shower as the tea boiled. Drinking tea with pjs on is a good way to go to bed, she said.

Stacey: Can I skimp out on the loose leaf?

Brooke: NO YOU MAY NOT.

Stacey:  GOSH DARNIT BROOKE WHY DO YOU MAKE IT COMPLICATED. Oooh! There’s a just little bit left!

Brooke: André, what you remember about your previous Alpine Punch experiences?

André: Well, considering I had some last night, I remember it being delicious, wonderful, and tasting like winter.  I remember it has the happiest smell.

The kettle blew its whistle and André ran off to pour the water in to the teapot.

Oh man, Stacey and I are excited to be doing these reviews again. We missed having late night teas together and we missed our lovely readers.

André brought out our mugs just as Stacey was coming out in her pjs.

Stacey: TEA! But… I want to go to bed.

THEN Stacey nearly flashed us with a hole in her pjs. “Oh no, don’t write that! But seriously, do you see it? Is it okay if I still wear them right now? Cause… okay. Good.”

Brooke: Ooooh this tea smells delicious! Cinnamon, coconut, almond oh my!

Stace: I really need to get another container of this. We had TWO containers of this last year and we finished it.

André: Me too!

Stacey: Hands down…

André: …Best tea ever.

Stacey: Really sad it’s just a winter tea.

Brooke: Why are we even reviewing this tea if we all agree that we totally love it?

André: It’s like you said- it’s a gulper. Wait for it to cool down and gulp it.

Stacey: I’m trying to remember the first time I ever had this tea- honestly the description got me. It’s one of the only rooibos teas I enjoy. It’s jam packed full of amazing  flavours that just go so well together. The almond is delicious.

André: You know, the thing is,  I forget what I was gonna say.

Stacey: Welcome to our tea blog, André. 

André: It IS a very winter tea, couldn’t have it in warm weather, though it would make a very nice iced tea. But I really associate this tea with snow.

Stacey: It’s reminiscent of our last tea blog experience. Put in a thermos on any winter day and it would be golden.

André: I agree- it actually DOES make me want to be a Sherpa.

Tea vibes:

André: Put it in your mouth and enjoy.

Stacey: Buy this tea. What’s our rating system? 5/5, done.

André: Boom.

Stacey: Bow to the tea.

André: Touch down.

Stacey: I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

—

And there you have it! Alpine Punch- it’s a keeper! Those subtle hints of ginger and cardamom keep this tea from being too sweet while the coconut and almond rounds it out perfectly. Wait, there was apple in there? Ack! Get the Benadryl!

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey (and André)

Give me an S! Give me a Tea!