Happy Easter!
We had a lovely Easter celebration last Sunday and decided to end our special day with tea and goodies. Of course! We enjoyed green tea from China, vegan apple cider donuts, tiny frosted vegan cupcakes, and cashew-based Snickerdoodle and Vanilla ice cream.
We used the beautiful Lenox Tuscany pattern dishes that had been my Mom’s, special gifts from my Dad to her each holiday.
The elegant silver flatware was Holmes & Edwards Lovely Lady, given to Mom by Dad in their first year of marriage.
Here you see little Honey, our 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, enjoying Vanilla ice cream. Honey always enjoys tea time with her family. After all, she is English!
The bunnies on the table are Lindt dark chocolate. The gold bunnies add to the Easter decorations of the dining room before the holiday. Once Easter arrives, the chocolate bunnies are happily eaten. Even vegans eat chocolate bunnies!
Loose Tea vs. Tea Bags
I buy both. Why choose? Some wonderful tea is only available in one way so I buy it that way.
Using tea bags is easy and requires only fresh boiling water and a lovely mug or cup. But commercially packaged tea bags really are good only for one cup, not a mug. So if I’m drinking from a larger mug, I use two tea bags.
Does reusing tea bags make a great cup of tea? – No. I’ve tried. No matter how many tea bags I reused, the tea came out weak. I have not had success with reusing tea bags, even when using up to 6 in a mug (yes, I have done this). So the tea made from reused tea bags was really not worth drinking.
Using loose tea usually gives a stronger, more rich flavor. I use a tea spoon (I have special tea spoons) and use a full one for a cup of tea and two tea spoons for a mug. Can I reuse loose tea to make a great cup of tea? – I’ve tried that, too. Yes. But I add a little more leaves in the pot or cup, just to make up for any lost flavor.
My daughter Emily prefers using loose tea because she is very concerned about “sustainability”; that is, she believes in the importance of keeping our environment healthy and reducing the amount of waste that we make. A tea bag has a small bit of tea, usually more like dust than actual leaves, wrapped in a paper or “silk” envelope, and often with a string and a tag with letters printed in ink. When I use loose tea to make my many cups of tea, I produce much less waste, and drink more flavorful tea, too!
The Celestial Seasonings tea company in Boulder, Colorado does not use strings and tags on their tea bags because of their concern for excess waste. Our family visited the Celestial Seasoning tea factory many years ago and still talk about their Mint Room. One step into the Mint Room cleared our sinuses and the overpowering scent drove us out of the room within seconds. Quite an experience!
Steeping Time
Because I like strong, flavorful tea, I always let the tea steep for one minute longer than the suggested time. My personal preference. After steeping, then I slowly dunk the tea bag or tea ball in the mug about 30 times. Why 30? It seems to add more flavor.
I realize that not everyone likes strong tea, as illustrated by the following story lovingly related about my Mom:
My Mom liked the tea bag to steep in her mug for about 30 seconds. Then she’d pull it out. Done. I’d say to her, “Mom, that’s not long enough. That gives you only color but not flavor.” She’d reply, “That’s how I like my tea.”
And that’s one of the many lovely traits of tea. We each can make it to our satisfaction.
For our next tea party conversation, please comment…
How do you like to buy your teas, loose or in tea bags? Or both like me? How long do you let your tea steep? Longer than suggested or shorter like Mom preferred?
And, as always, please let us know when you are drinking a favorite cup of tea. Let us know what you’re drinking. And please tell us if you’re having a nibble with your tea, too!