I've always liked Celestial Seasonings as a brand myself, for the same reason, and also, I will confess, I enjoy their packaging. The art and text on their boxes has long been a source of amusement/occupation for me.
About two years ago, a friend gifted me with a canister of Monkey King Tea--which I suspect is a jasmine-green mix, by the smell. I've brewed it sparingly, because I enjoy the smell so much.
That's the reason I keep coming back to chai, as well--in store-bought tea bags or boxes of Oregon Chai, it smells delicious.
The closest I've gotten to quality tea, however, is my belief that the Oolong served at my local Mongolian Barbeque (a sort of make-your-own-bowl-and-we'll-stir-fry-it-for-you place), is excellent. It's probably not quality tea, but my familiy enjoys it muchly.
When I have a plot of land (or, I suppose, a window planter) of my own, making my own tea sounds...well, also delicious. The difficult part would probably be waiting for leaves to dry--I used to grab a leaf or two of the lemonbalm that grew in our backyard to chew on from time to time!
Chocolate Mint, eh? I can't say I'm too suprised that someone's created such a variety of mint, although I must wonder how. I can't imagine the chocolate flavor carrying over very obviously into tea, but I'll admit I'm curious to see what it would taste like brewed. What other 'bizarre' mints are out there?
You could grow mint in a window planter... I'm not sure if it works as a houseplant, but it might. When the plants begin to flower in late summer or autumn, you cut them off at the base, wash them, and hang them upside-down to dry in a shady part of the kitchen, maybe inside a cupboard. Makes the kitchen smell nice, too. Once you're satisfied that they're completely dry, you strip off the leaves and keep them in a jar. I can't remember, but I think we left them to dry for a month or two, but it's possible you'd only have to wait a few days. The mint plants all grow back again the next spring.
There are some very weird varieties of mint out there. http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/gilbert/mint.htm describes taste-testing a few, such as pineapple and bergamot mint. The one that flourished most in my yard is lemon-mint, which does smell and taste recognizeably like lemon. You'd have to check with your garden stores to see what kinds are available or likely to thrive in your area.
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therithere
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Date: 2006-04-10 08:49 pm (UTC)About two years ago, a friend gifted me with a canister of Monkey King Tea--which I suspect is a jasmine-green mix, by the smell. I've brewed it sparingly, because I enjoy the smell so much.
That's the reason I keep coming back to chai, as well--in store-bought tea bags or boxes of Oregon Chai, it smells delicious.
The closest I've gotten to quality tea, however, is my belief that the Oolong served at my local Mongolian Barbeque (a sort of make-your-own-bowl-and-we'll-stir-fry-it-for-you place), is excellent. It's probably not quality tea, but my familiy enjoys it muchly.
When I have a plot of land (or, I suppose, a window planter) of my own, making my own tea sounds...well, also delicious. The difficult part would probably be waiting for leaves to dry--I used to grab a leaf or two of the lemonbalm that grew in our backyard to chew on from time to time!
Chocolate Mint, eh? I can't say I'm too suprised that someone's created such a variety of mint, although I must wonder how. I can't imagine the chocolate flavor carrying over very obviously into tea, but I'll admit I'm curious to see what it would taste like brewed. What other 'bizarre' mints are out there?
no subject
Date: 2006-04-11 03:02 am (UTC)There are some very weird varieties of mint out there. http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/gilbert/mint.htm describes taste-testing a few, such as pineapple and bergamot mint. The one that flourished most in my yard is lemon-mint, which does smell and taste recognizeably like lemon. You'd have to check with your garden stores to see what kinds are available or likely to thrive in your area.