Who doesn't love Bacon (tea, that is....)

In the very beginning of the month, I featured a small yet unique trend in tea - that of "manly teas" and the marketing of tea to men , called "Real Men Drink Tea".  I love a catchy concept as much as the next person, and it was a lot of fun to write about.  In so doing, it led me to purchase some Bacon Tea from Man Teas - after all, bacon makes everything taste better, right? Seeing as I love crazy blends, this kind of tea madness has my name written all over it!


My favorite part about having this tea was asking my guy friends, "Hey, would you like to try this Bacon Tea I just got the other day?" and each one in their own flourished way exclaimed "But of course!!!!"  My favorite reaction was from my friend, Dave who rolled his eyes and said, "as if you need to ask...I mean..it's BACON!"

Smoky Bacon Tea
from Man Teas
Lapsang Souchong, Bacon Bits and Bacon Flavoring

The Quick Review: Yes, this smells like bacon.  However, and I'm not alone on this....the smokiness from the Lapsang overpowers the bacony taste that I was hoping for.  Now, as I LIKE Lapsang all is not lost.

Because then....

Then I tried some more manly accoutrement to accompany my Bacon Tea experiment and I found that a shot of Scotch or Brandy was indeed more hearty (though, I like them in any black tea).  And my favorite way to enjoy this tea was with a nice cigar.  Yes, few teas can stand up to the robust flavor of a finely rolled cigar, but I believe the Bacon Tea scores 2 extra points for being cigar-worthy.

I don't think it gets manlier than that....and I certainly had a fun time with this one. Perhaps I'll try their Beer Tea when it becomes available again!

Need Chai NOW? Try Tipu's Instant Chai

Admittedly, when I received the sample of Tipu's Instant Chai, I was immediately curious and yet, a tad skeptical.  The idea of instant tea is certainly my kind of tea madness, and the promise that this instant chai blend was 100% natural and had no chemical additives did sweeten the curiosity.  Being on the go as often as I am, the premise of ‘instant’ tea is a big bonus. 

The instructions are to add a teaspoon of mix to a cup of water and/or milk and stir.  In the name of a more in-depth review, and for the fun of experimenting with an Instant Chai, I made 3 cups - one with milk & water, one with just water, and one with with just milk.  Below is my review of Tipu’s Instant Chai.

My first attempt was to follow the instructions, which call for both water and milk.  This creamy brewed concoction is both peppery and sweet.  It reminds me of Oregon Chai, only as there are no chemicals or synthetic materials, I can taste the difference.  Tipu's uses real ingredients.

My 2nd attempt was to make it with 100% boiling water, which I often do with chai blends - to enjoy it as a straight tea, no frothy creaminess. Perhaps I added too much instant tea mix to the hot water because it tasted like burnt coffee.  I tried it again, using less mix, which tasted only slightly more platable, but still like dark coffee - and it was grainier in just water than when I had added milk.  For those making the switch from coffee to tea – this would certainly do it for you.

Then I tried it a 3rd time with 100% milk, as the package suggests.  It tasted like a hot chocolate, without the chocolate.  When prepared this way, it was more like a dessert drink than a chai tea – but then that is a matter of taste. Not my favorite way, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from having fun with it.

This product easily lends itself to cooking and baking.  The ease of dissolving Tipu's Instant Chai into any hot liquid makes it a natural companion to preparing food.  Chocolate chai or chai latte cupcakes sound too good to pass up.  Don't be surprised if next month I report having tried my hand at baking! 

All in all, I find Tipu’s Instant Chai to be a great product.  It travels easily, without surrendering the richness of the tea or the allure of the spiciness that makes me want to drink chai tea.  They do apparently have a Slow Brew (or non-powdered) form, which from my reading suggests that their company knows a thing or two about how chai is done.  The true question is: would you buy this product – and my answer is yes.

BONUS:  Get 15% off your entire order from Tipu's Chai by using code: CHAILOVE

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by the company.

Little Yellow Tea Pot reviews Adagio's Sweet Potato Tea

  Madam Potts would like to introduce you all to her friend the Little Yellow Tea Pot.
"Little Yellow" has brewed lots of tea and as such has lots to say. 
After all, wouldn't you like to know how YOUR teapot feels about the tea it brews?

Sweet Potato Black Tea from Adagio Tea

Rating

Water temperature: 212° F

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Tea type: Black

Scents, flavorings, etc.:Sweet Potato, Cinnamon, Nutmeg

Aroma, dry: Mostly black tea, hint of sweet potato

Aroma in the cup, plain: Black tea, sweet potato

Taste, plain:Some edge, slight bitterness, faint sweet potato

Aroma in the cup, enhanced: Sweet potato stronger, black tea

Taste, enhanced: Sweet potato stronger, black tea

 2nd Infusion: Strong as first

 Chilled: Not recommended

Comments:

Having loved Adagio’s Cranberry Black Tea and Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, we were prepared to be bowled over once again. Sorry to say that we weren’t. Of course, we weren’t disappointed either. This tea is still tasty, just not as enthralling as the other two teas.

The first issue is that this tea, unlike the others, isn’t palatable plain. Nor do we envision drinking it chilled. A truly fine tea will be one or the other. This tea must be enhanced with milk and sweetener to take away the edge of the black tea and bring out the sweet potato flavor (almost taking on a chai quality). It scores well in the multiple infusion category, however, with the second infusion being as strong as the first - great for anyone trying to get the most out of their tea dollars.

The scent dry is mostly the black tea. Hubby thought he detected a hint of nutmeg and compared the aroma to a slice of toast with jam. Neither of us could detect a sweet potato fragrance. I thought there was a bit of cinnamon scent.

We tried the tea plain, as we do with all samples. This tea has a definite edge, a bitterness that clings to the tongue long after we swallowed. Enhancing the tea with milk and sweetener took that edge away and added another dimension: a stronger taste of sweet potato. Hubby thought the aftertaste had a milkshake quality, lingering on the palate. After the second cupful, I agreed. We don’t see this as a year-round tea, more appropriate for the Winter holidays.

Pairing of teas with foods, just like pairing wines, is a growing area of tea-dom. I can add my little tidbit to that volume of knowledge online: this tea does NOT go with the meatloaf, gravy, mashed potatoes, peas, and sliced tomato we had for lunch. I had to set my cup aside, eat lunch, rinse my palate with a little water and a few drops of lemon, and then finish the tea. Experiment with a few foods on your own or earmark this tea for your quiet tea moment - just you and the mug.

Disclaimer:  The teas reviewed here were provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are strictly objective.

© 2009 A.C. Cargill photos and text

The Spicy Dorito Tea Challenge

For those of us who drink tea on a daily basis, it's only natural to find complimentary teas for the different things we eat as a matter of course. Not every meal however is going to be Asian fusion cuisine or some fine dining dish worthy of a high quality tea to match. Like every other single American, sometimes I need a tea that will go with something as basic as a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. (a stronger straight black tea such as an English Breakfast or even Lapsang does the trick for me!)

It wasn't too long ago that this same trend, pairing an upscale drink with low-grade food, hit the wine scene. Despite the connoisseur status of knowledge one might have about wine, the question still echoed, but does it go with pizza? What first either bemused or possible ruffled the educated wine drinker, the concept of "but does it go with pizza?", has now become a marketing tactic. Even the NYTimes is not beneath reporting the finer points of wine and pizza choices.

So when a discussion of junk food cravings turned into a plan to get together after a friend of mine joked, "I'll bring the Doritos if you bring the tea", I knew that I would be exploring a new aspect of tea pairings never researched before. What tea goes with not only Doritos, but SPICY DORITOS. Apparently this stuff comes in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Degree Burning Spice Flavors -- and apparently Pepsi came out with a limited time cross-promotional soda called Cease Fire -- to "cool the burn" left by these fiery hot chips!

So what tea goes with chips so spicy you really only need to 'eat just one'?

What I came up with was a sweet & spicy black tea. Prior to eating the chips, there was a natural sweetness with an underlying warmth to the strong black tea base. But as you ate the 1st or 2nd Degree Doritos, I think the tea actually intensified the spice! Really, it was difficult to tell the affect of the tea or anything afterward, due to the long-lingering tingling of fire that coated the inside of my mouth.

If you ask my friend Steve, I don't think he'd claim that the mad blend that I created is a remedy to or partner with Doritos (spicy or otherwise) -- but it did spawn a rather enjoyable excuse to get together and drink tea!

Perhaps this calls for more field research and a government grant?....and more tea parties!