The Doke Tea Estate

The tea plant is native to India, but the Indian tea industry began when thousands of tea seeds were smuggled out of China in the 1840’s. Today, India is the second largest tea producer in the world (still trailing China). There are four officially-designated “traditional” tea growing regions in India – Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgri, Kangra, and one officially-designated “non-traditional” tea growing region – Bihar. Last spring I spent three weeks wandering around northern and eastern India, searching for great teas. This is the fun part of my job. Firing ovens at the Doke Tea Estate

I had the honor of visiting one of the smallest tea gardens in India: the Doke Tea Estate in Bihar.  There I was able to taste hand-made teas which were just a couple of days off the bush. [caption id="attachment_828" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Family and friends of Rajiv Lochan plucking tea leaves 

The Doke Tea Estate is one of the newest and smallest tea gardens in India.  Begun 26 years ago by Rajiv Lochan (a life-long tea expert, who managed many of Darjeeling’s most famous tea estates), Doke began with just 25 acres on the banks of the Doke River in the state of Bihar.  All the teas are hand-processed in very small batches, supervised by Rajiv’s daughter, Dolly Lochan, using family and local villagers to help. Dolly Lochan (right) processing tea leaves with fellow family members

TeaSource is proud to offer the hand processed Black Fusion and Green Diamond from the Doke Tea Estate in our stores and on our website.  Driven by passion and a generation-spanning love of tea, this tea estate is producing some of the most unique and special teas coming out of India.  We look forward to welcoming more of these teas at TeaSource! -Bill Waddington Owner, TeaSource

Hand-processed leaves of Black Fusion

 

View Post About Steeped in Generations: The Doke Tea Estate

Shop Ms. Zhang's tea collection HERE.

I don’t think of myself as a tea master, I’m just a long-time student of tea. But I get to hang out with tea masters. For three days this month I got to be with Ms. Zhang Liumie, who is a co-founder of Yiqingyuan Tea LTD, Changsha China, and a tea scientist respected throughout China.   Ms. Zhang and her daughter (aka charming translator) were in the Twin Cities for three days this month to share some new teas, talk opportunities, and teach about Dark Tea. We had a great visit and had a chance to taste a bunch of new teas and show Ms Z and Joy what tea stores in the U.S. are like. We started by visiting the TeaSource in Eden Prairie, MN and Ms. Z asked if she could try something she had never had before. To me this is a sign of a really smart person, someone who looks to experience something new and unfamiliar.   So we shared a pot of Ceylon Burning Sun from the Lumbini Estate. Ms Z and Joy were very impressed. The next day we talked a lot about Dark Tea. Then I invited Ms Z and Joy to help us evaluate about 30 Indian teas we had just received from this year’s harvest. This was kind of fun because, despite her brilliance Ms Z. wasn’t that familiar with Indian teas.   But it was still a learning experience, cupping teas with her. Ms Z and I getting ready to cup and evaluate around 30 very fresh Indian teas. She really makes me think I have to re-evalutate the TeaSource dress code A whole lot of slurping going on; with Michael and Joy in the background.[/caption]   The real highlight of their visit was a 30 minute Livestream broadcast by Ms. Z and Joy, talking about Dark Tea. How often do folks get the chance to listen, learn, and interact with the person who actually made the tea they are drinking? We opened this presentation to folks in the Twin Cities region to participate; so folks could actually listen to a tea master, they could taste (real-time) some very cool unique dark teas, and also so Ms. Z had someone to talk to (Livestreaming by yourself is not as easy as it seems).

Getting ready to do the Livestream; Ms Z, Joy, Sarah C, and me. I had only given Ms Z about 2 days notice she was doing this presentation. Talk about grace under pressure

Here we go !!![/caption]   Just a reminder to everyone; this Livestream broadcast should be available in the Livestream archives through mid-August 2014. And please remember we try to do at least one of these Livestream events every month, and they’re interactive.

Ms Z tearing into a log of 100 Taels tea. This is a compressed tea that is hand-wrapped with bamboo and then left to age.

Everyone was learning a lot and tasting a lot of teas. I’ve known Ms Z and Joy for around six years. Joy has spent Christmas with my family. Lovely, kind, and smart people. Ms Z reminds of Michelle Yeoh (the female lead in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-with a dash of Margaret Thatcher thrown in). I am very glad to have her as a friend and teacher.

And we were having, maybe, too much fun.

I guess you call this a mother-daughter routine. Everyone was really having a good time; it’s so much fun to learn from people who really know what they are talking about.

A couple of the teas we tasted, 100 Taels tea (in the background) and our Fu cha brick (in the foreground).

This is our Hei Cha dark tea cubes, from 2011 (remember all Dark teas get better as they age), and this really impressed Ms Z. The golden flowers were very prominent and the flavor was very smooth and meadow-y. Ms. Z commented that it was better than the Hei Cha she had back in China, which is ironic since I had bought this from her in 2011. So I sent her home with some. That felt good.

Joy, me, Ms Z, and Michael  

 

A lot of people assume the coolest part of my job is playing with tea all day (and that is definitely very cool). But the absolute best part of my job is all the people I’ve met along the tea road. -Bill

View Post About Hanging out with a Rock Star!

Dark tea is unique because it is the only deliberately aged tea that undergoes a secondary fermentation process. Because of this additional step, it contains an active micro-organism called Golden Flowers (Eurotium Cristatum). This micro-organism is present specifically in Dark tea made in Anhua County, Hunan Province, China. Golden Flowers is actually visible in some Dark teas and looks like tiny yellow flecks. If you want to experience Golden Flowers up close and personal, check out our Fu Cha brick.

Puer, which is a sub-category of Dark tea, contains a different micro-organism called Asper Nigellus. This is due to variation in growing conditions, soil, and geography. Golden Flowers is a relatively new discovery, having just been identified in the last 30 years. To this day, the process of making Dark tea is a closely guarded secret. Here are some quick facts about Anhua Dark tea for all you biochemistry buffs out there:

• Significant polyphenol content
• Significant L-Theanine content
• Significant thearubigin & theaflavin content
• Significant polysaccharide compounds

Dark tea is a critical source of minerals and nutrients to people in many areas of China. Over the past several years TeaSource has had the opportunity to work with Ms. Zhang Liumei, tea scientist and co-founder of Yiqingyuan Tea company in Hunan Province. Ms. Zhang created one of our most popular and unique teas, Dark Rose, which is pressed into a small heart shape. She describes it as “a spa in a cup” and she’s right. It’s a perfect introduction to this fascinating category of tea.

View Post About Get Your Dark On

CON was very fun this year, lots of good costumes, theme rooms, and theme cocktails! TeaSource provided tea for the convention and I gave a Geek Tea Presentation. We had 100 people in the room, but there were another 50+ outside that wanted to get in. (We brought them tea samples!) People asked lots of great questions, took home some fantastic prizes, and sipped some great classic British-style blends.

Geek Tea Presentation and Tasting

Here is a list of the teas we tried and the ones we gave away loose leaf samples of.  

Teas we sipped:
East India Blend- For Arthur Dent From Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (because he references the E. India Co.)
Scottish Breakfast- For the 10^th Doctor from Doctor Who  (because David Tenant is Scottish and also the best Dr.)
Lapsang Souchong- For Sherlock Holmes (because it’s the best tea for Brilliant deductions)  

Teas we gave out samples of:
TeaSource Spice- For Jessica from Dune (The Spice must flow!) (P.S. I am named after this character and will probably dress up as her for next year’s CON! Does anyone have a stillsuit I can borrow?)
Pi Lo Chun, Supreme- For Princess Leia from Star Wars (because the leaf is curled up into a little ball- like her hair)
Milk Oolong- For Princess Buttercup from the Princess Bride (Milk…butter…yup)
Green Dragon Oolong- For Danerys Targarian from Game of Thrones (She has Dragons and one is green)
Strong Assam- For Professor Snape from Harry Potter (because Prof. Snape is awesome…assam)
Earl Grey White Tip- For Captain Jean luc Picard from Star Trek (Earl Grey, Hot…tea of the 24^th century)
White Tip Silver Needles- For Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings (elegant, floral, silver, just like a she-elf)

Me and a loyal TeaSource customer, Nick

Can't wait for next year's event!

Until then,
Jess Hanley
TeaSource Manager

View Post About Geeking Out: CONvergence

From its history in Japanese tea culture to its production and preparation, discover what matcha is and how to make it at home with traditional utensils.

View Post About Demystifying Matcha

Spring feels like the perfect time of year to host afternoon tea. The temperatures have risen, the sun shines brighter, gardens and flowers are in bloom, and homes have undergone their yearly spring cleaning.  People are out and about, ready to converse and connect again.

A few of us at TeaSource had the pleasure of spending a day together planning an afternoon tea of our own! We enjoyed preparing food, drinking tea, taking photos, and of course, eating!  We wanted to share our recipes and ideas with you so that you could host a party of your own, be it for Mother’s Day, a birthday party, or just because!

Jess Jellings, a former TeaSource employee and cook extraordinaire, is the mastermind behind all of the recipes you see here. THEY ARE DELICIOUS. There isn’t enough space here to gush about her creativity and skills in the kitchen. Gretchen Pruett, our fabulous photographer, captured the beauty and simplicity of the finished products before they disappeared into our mouths. Bon appétit!

Menu

Finger Sandwiches… cucumber, radish, and sriracha butter smoked turkey, pesto, and goat cheese

Salad… grilled shrimp in endive with ham and cheddar scones

Desserts… bread pudding bites with matcha glaze

Petit Fours… spiced chocolate PB & J roasted chestnut with cinnamon

Beverages... Scottish breakfast, organic Minnesota N’Ice iced tea Jasmine & Champagne cocktails

 

 

 

 

Cucumber, Radish and Sriracha Butter Finger Sandwiches
Makes 1 dozen

6 slices bread
1 english cucumber, sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
Sriracha butter (see below)

Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread. Layer cucumbers and radishes on three slices of bread, top with remaining three slices. Cut the crusts off each sandwich and cut into four finger sandwiches.

For the Sriracha Butter:
1 stick butter, softened
2-3 tablespoons sriracha (depends on your taste)

Using a fork or beater, mix the butter and sriracha until well combined. If you have any left over, try it on popcorn, it’s fabulous.

Mini Bread Puddings with Matcha Glaze
Makes 2 dozen minis (or one 9x9 baking dish)

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups bread, cubed

Glaze:
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered matcha
1-2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 24-mini muffin tin (or 9x9 baking dish) by greasing with butter or non-stick spray. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, butter, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the mini muffin pan, until each well is about half full (no need to be crazy here, just make sure the egg mixture is evenly distributed). If using a baking dish, add egg mixture to prepared dish. Divide the bread cubes between each well and push down slightly to soak up the egg mixture. Let sit about 30 minutes, pressing occasionally.

If using a baking dish, add the bread and let sit about 30 minutes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until set and golden. Combine the powdered sugar, matcha and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. You want the glaze to fall in a thick ribbon, add the additional milk, if needed. Drizzle over the bread puddings and serve warm.

Roasted Chestnut Petit Fours
Makes 4 dozen (or one 9x13 cake, depending on how you wish to serve)
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup malted milk powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons Roasted Chestnut Tea, ground fine
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup hot Roasted Chestnut  Tea, brewed double strength
½ cup roasted walnuts, for garnish
Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk well to combine. Stir in the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk for two minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated. Using a spoon, slowly stir in the hot tea. DO NOT OVERMIX, batter should appear very thin. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you wanted to make a cake, let cool completely before adding frosting and walnuts. If you want to make petit fours, let the cake cool completely and freeze for 1-2 hours to make it easier to cut into 1x1 squares.  Pipe a small floret onto each petit four and top with a walnut half. Chill until ready to serve.

Frosting:
1 stick softened butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix in a large bowl using an electric mixer, about 2 minutes until fluffy.

 

Jasmine & Champagne cocktails

1 part cold brewed Jasmine, chilled
1 part Champagne, chilled

Fill a champagne flute halfway with Jasmine, then top off the glass with champagne.  Adjust to your personal taste. Cheers! Cold brew iced tea instructions here.        

We paired Scottish Breakfast, Organic and Minnesota N’Ice with our afternoon tea.  However, a floral green like Cherry Blossom Green, a straight green like Huang Shan Mao Feng, or an herbal such as Scarlet O'Peara would also compliment this spread nicely.

More recipes can also be found here. Enjoy!

View Post About Afternoon Tea