Kombucha (Green Ginger Tea From TAZO and Dragon Well From Far Leaves Tea)

I seem to have made it my mission to explore the many facets of tea life. In keeping with this mission, in the past week I have attempted to create Kombucha: a fermented tea drink. I wanted to made a green tea Kombucha, because most of the Kombucha I have tried was made from black tea. Since I generally prefer green tea I was wondering if I would prefer a green Kombucha. The conclusion is I do. I just sampled the Kombucha after a week of fermentation and it is absolutely delightful. It is light, bubbly, and the ginger gives it a pleasant zing. I greatly anticipate making more Kombucha with a variety of teas in the future.

Tea Is My Friend! (Rose Chai From Wissotzky Tea)

For the past two weeks I have be on a quest to find Rose Water. It is particularly illusive in my current living situation, but I desperately wanted it so I could make Iranian Cupcakes. I contemplated using vanilla extract instead but it just didn't seem like an acceptable alternative. I also considered making rose water, but I didn't know where to buy organic roses. (They would have had to be organic because I feel like the pesticides used on flowers that aren't meant for eating combined with cupcakes are not a good match.) Then I came to the realization that Rose Water is just water with some essence of rose and that is essentially what my Rose Chai tea is. Suffice it to say I used the Rose Chai and the cupcakes were delectable. The taste of the black tea that the chai is made with was apparent in the cupcakes, but in a pleasant manner.

Thai Tea (From Country Cheese Coffee Market)

There are mornings when I get out of bed solely because I know I can have Thai Tea. That may sound dramatic but I struggle with transitioning between being unconscious and conscious in general. In addition I really like my bed. (The gnome featured above is another factor that contributes to my waking up. He has such a stern expression I feel like he is judging me for being tired.)

Overall I am rather fond of Thai Tea. I like putting my tea ball into the water and seeing that pop of orange. I now know that this effect is the product of the dye that Thai Tea is usually made with, but it is still lovely. The downside is that this effect is occasionally disconserting, due to the fact that I usually judge if my tea has steeped enough by examining its color. (This is why I have so many white cups.) I acquired my Thai Tea after I came to the realization that I was spending a large amount of my income on Thai Ice Tea drinks. These differ from the Thai Tea I make now by the addition of large quantities of condensed milk, which is splendid, but a bit to rich for my morning tea.