i do not drink coffee
i adore mocha
but hate coffee straight up
plus the big jolt of caffeine
would send my heart into
a dangerous overdrive.
i'm a tea drinker and
and as dull as it may seem
my favorite brew is Earl Grey
but not any ordinary Earl Grey
and sometimes i spike it with
a flower or two
which, dear reader, leads us into a story:
years ago
when i first heard on the radio about
the health benefits of green tea
i searched in vain for one that i might like
from all the usual local outlets
then again
on the radio
i heard about the Harney Family of Master Tea Blenders
who had a Tasting Room
in the beautiful hills in Western Connecticut. [they have recently moved just
over the border into Millerton, NY.]
my sister and i quickly planned an outing
to Harney's in search of a green tea
that we could enjoy and not simply ingest
as something-that-tastes-not-so-great-but-is-good-for-me.
It was a beautiful drive through the autumn landscape
far enough away from the mega-metropolis
but close enough that each of the smallest villages
have a well-stocked deli
and in the case of one very small hamlet
the Harney's tea room where
the staff encouraged us to sample any and all
of their teas.
i was surprised and disappointed to learn
after sampling at least a dozen
that i do not like green tea.
i know, i know
what's wrong with me
do i have no zen a'tall in my soul?
apparently not if it is measured by one's
affinity for green tea.
but the trip was not a total loss
the fabulous discovery of the day
was Harney's "Earl Grey Supreme"
yes, i admit it
with dozens and dozens of teas
arrayed before me in their beautiful shop
paneled in warm, honey-gold wood
and after sipping a variety of brews
i walked away still devoted to my Earl Grey.
but Harney's is no ordinary EG
i've never tasted any that come close to the
marvelous flavor of their brew.
Here is what they say:
"For the connoisseur of Earl Grey tea, we offer Earl Grey Supreme, which uses a higher grade of teas along with the addition of Ceylon Vintage Silver Tips."
to this day, i nearly swoon when i open
a fresh packet of this tea
(i buy it as loose leaves)
the gorgeous aroma of bergamot
both soothes and invigorates
which
by the way
for those of you in the states who
like a certain unnamed, former NYTimes garden columnist who
failed to do her homework
think it is flavored with the wildflower called bergamot and/or monarda
the bergamot used in the tea is the essential oil from
the orange-like citrus, Citrus aurantium sub. bergamia
sometimes referred to as Chinese bitter orange
okay
fast forward several more years with
me spending many happy hours
pouring over the Harney catalog of teas
that comes comes at least 4 times a year.
the gardener and passionate lover of lavender in me
wrestled with the doubting Thomasina side of
my personality each time i read the herb tea
section of the catalog:
"French Super-Blue Lavender: This traditional herbal
has a dark-blue color and intense floral flavor. It is prized by Brigitte, Mike's French wife, so Mike makes sure it is great."
my curiosity was peeked
but i resisted
i had been disappointed more than once
by herbal teas and such (if one must adore chai
i truly am in danger of being too far on this side of zen)
but finally i gave in last year
and when the little black tin arrived
stuffed with fat purple lavender buds
full of perfect essence of lavender
i immediately put the kettle on the stove.
the aroma escaping from the hot, grey-tinged-with-purple liquid
was enough to erase those years of thinking
"surely it will be too floral for my taste"
turns out that drinking lavender pleases
and eases my mind
makes me smile inside and out
just as much as kneeling in the
garden brushing up against the plants.
Mike knows his French lavenders as well
as he does his China blacks and Japanese greens.
FYI: The lavender essence in these buds is so intense
a tiny bit goes a very long way.
now
to the rest of the story:
when i brew a single cup i use a terrific little
brew basket that fits perfectly in my mug or cup
that i bought during my first
visit to Harney's Tea Room.
one day after enjoying a cup of lavender
i forgot to empty the basket
before i came back into the kitchen to brew
my afternoon cup of EG and
in a hurry
without knowing it
i spooned the EG tea leaves into the basket
over the previously brewed lavender buds.
when i poured in the hot water and smelled the
combination of aromas i realized what i had done
and for a fleeting instant considered it a faux pas
a mistake
but the blend of tea, citrus and lavender was delicious
and now i will often
purposely mix the two.
Do visit Harney's web site (be sure to check out their "Art Teas" which are next on
my list of tea sampling have-to's)
and if you can
make the trip to their shop
i guarantee that you will feel as home as i do.
Epilogue:
again, on the radio
i heard Mr. John Harney, the patriarch of the family
extolling the virtues of white tea and commenting
that it may have even greater health benefits than green
and some say more palatable to those of us who do not enjoy
the astringency of green.
i immediately ordered a tin of their Winter White Earl Grey...
i tell you
the golden liquid is gorgeous and
the taste...?
fabulous
In the spring, summer and fall i add a small clutch of fresh mint leaves to the glass
