Tea: Novel Chai
Jun. 29th, 2022 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hrjI first heard about Bingley's Teas through Catherine Lundoff, as the shop is local for her. Catherine got them to do a special blend "Novel Chai" as a promotional item for Queen of Swords Press (which, of course, is the publisher of The Language of Roses). This ingredients list for Novel Chai is simple: Assam black tea, cardamom, lemon grass. I love cardamom flavor in things, and am fond of chai-type spice blends (which have some thematic connections with some of the medieval European spice blends I love).
I wanted a fairly robust flavor today to go with the orange-cherry scones (Montmorency cherries from the last of this year's crop, sugar-preserved Seville orange zest from my orangerie)
212F, 5+ minutes (I don't tend to time the black teas, since I leave the leaves in the pot anyway.) Sugar added, which helps to cut the bitterness.
Like most of the chai-type blends, the spicy aroma is very strong and attractive in the unbrewed blend. A bit more overpowered by the tea aroma in the cup. As chais go, this one is relatively mild. A good pairing for the scones as the flavors don't fight. A tea for drinking rather than sipping.
# # #
The heat has broken a little and should be in the mid 20sC through the weekend. Not that I'll be here to enjoy it, as I'll be off in San Mateo for BayCon. If you're there, find me and say hi! (Always looking for people to share meals with.) I"m part of an indie/small-press consortium in the dealers room, where I'll be selling my books and a selection of Queen of Swords titles. I'll also have the special promotional Language of Roses coloring books! It may be a convenient place to find me, in addition to the panels I'll be on.
I wanted a fairly robust flavor today to go with the orange-cherry scones (Montmorency cherries from the last of this year's crop, sugar-preserved Seville orange zest from my orangerie)
212F, 5+ minutes (I don't tend to time the black teas, since I leave the leaves in the pot anyway.) Sugar added, which helps to cut the bitterness.
Like most of the chai-type blends, the spicy aroma is very strong and attractive in the unbrewed blend. A bit more overpowered by the tea aroma in the cup. As chais go, this one is relatively mild. A good pairing for the scones as the flavors don't fight. A tea for drinking rather than sipping.
# # #
The heat has broken a little and should be in the mid 20sC through the weekend. Not that I'll be here to enjoy it, as I'll be off in San Mateo for BayCon. If you're there, find me and say hi! (Always looking for people to share meals with.) I"m part of an indie/small-press consortium in the dealers room, where I'll be selling my books and a selection of Queen of Swords titles. I'll also have the special promotional Language of Roses coloring books! It may be a convenient place to find me, in addition to the panels I'll be on.
