Brewing Tea: a lesson on how to buy and brew loose leaf tea.

 

Buying Tea
The best part about purchasing loose leaf tea is that you buy it out of a can.  You can sniff the tea before you buy to get a good idea if you will like it.  You then get to chose exactly how much of it you would like - all the way down to 1 ounce.  This allows you to try a lot of new teas without emptying your wallet at the counter.


These are my favorite places to buy tea:
Fava Tea Company
1656 N. Casaloma Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
http://www.favatea.com/
(they will be moving in November to 706 N. Casaloma Drive)

Teavana
Mall of America
128 W Market
Bloomington, MN 55425
http://www.teavana.com/
(Teavana has many other locations around the country)

Once you have your tea you will need to steep it.  You should start with cold tap water (water heaters can sometimes add contaminates that will cause the flavor to change in your tea.)  Heat your water to a rolling boil.  At this point you will either add your tea or wait for the water to cool slightly.  The package your tea is put in should state the temperature and steep time.  If it doesn't, here is a start.  It is not super important that the water is exact.  For instance if you are making a white tea, let the water settle for 30 seconds and you will have approximately 180 degrees.  For green tea wait 60 seconds.

Tea:    Water Temperature:    Steep Time:
Green Tea    160 degrees    1-3 minutes
White Tea    180 degrees    4-8 minutes
Oolong Tea    190 degrees    1-8 minutes
Black Tea    Rolling Boil    3-5 minutes
Herbal    Rolling Boil    5-8 minutes
 
While the water is boiling you should prepare your tea.  You will usually want 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water.  It is important to remember that if you want a stronger cup of tea that you should add more leaves instead of letting the tea steep longer.  Over steeping the tea will drastically change the taste.

Here are various ways of steeping the tea:

Traditional Tea Pot
Every tea drinker should have one of these.  It is ideal for serving one or many.  I will use the tea kettle to not only heat my water for morning tea but use the extra in my oatmeal!  This method is more timely but you really get to experience the process this way.


Paper Filters
This allows you to make your own bags of tea.  Just remember to leave room for the leaves to expand.  This could be used in a tea pot or in a single cup.






Strainers
These come in a lot of different variations.  Some are called infusers which are open top strainers that sit on top of a tea pot or cup.  There are also some that are "egg" style or balls.  These are either on chains or have handles.  Again, they can be used in a tea pot or cup.  I prefer to use these rather than paper filters because these are reusable. 

IngenuiTEA tea pot
This pot is made by Adagio Teas and is one of the most convenient ways to make tea.  All you do is fill the pot with water, pop it in the microwave to get the water boiling, add your tea and when it's done steeping you place the pot on top of your cup and the tea strains through mesh in the bottom into your cup!  It is even dishwasher safe.



Press
This is usually used for coffee but can also work for tea.  You pour your water and your tea into the same chamber and when it is done steeping you press the mesh disc down and all the pieces are pushed to the bottom and you are left with your tea.  This is considered a "dirty" method because you will get more leaves in your tea than you would with other methods, but it tastes just as good.  Bodum makes my favorite presses, including this traveling press. 

My favorite tea accessory brands are Bodum and Adagio.  Bodum can be found at Target while Adagio is usually found at places that sell loose leaf tea.

Review: Paciugo Gelato & Caffe

Paciugo Gelato & Caffe
Mall of America
392 West Market
Bloomington, MN 55425
http://www.paciugo.com/

Cuisine: Gelato
Dress: Casual
Cost: $3-$6

I had recently heard a lot about Paciugo through all my food following on Twitter and decided that I really needed to get there.  It hasn’t been at the Mall of America for more than a month and it is already quite popular. 

It is a very open store right on the corner – it doesn’t even have any walls.  Once you’re in the mall it is easy to find, but getting to the mall isn’t always the easiest of tasks.

The first thing that happens is you are greeted by very happy (obviously sugar high) employees that encourage you to taste test any of the flavors you want!  No worries about sample abuse.

All of the Gelato is made fresh on a daily basis and the flavors are constantly changing.  Once you decide on your flavors (That’s right, its plural) they pack the gelato into your cup.  I went with Mocha, Café Hazelnut and Amaretto and they were so good together!  I didn’t get to try their drink menu but they have a nice and simple coffee selection along with some blended drinks.

This place was amazing and I can’t wait to go back and try a new combination.  Paciugo might actually be replacing Cold Stone for me.

Drinks for the Holidays

 

Now that the holidays are just around the corner you are going to start seeing fun new drinks pop up everywhere.  Here is a list of drinks that you can't miss out on.

Eggnog Latte
If you don't like Eggnog you are crazy.  The Eggnog Latte is what I look forward to every year - I get the elastic waistband just for it!  Some say that spiked nog is the way to go.  I say they're wrong.  I usually cut my nog with a little bit of skim milk and so do many coffee shops.  This way you can still have great taste and feel less guilty about having a couple every day.  All you have to do is ask and the coffee shop can usually do it either way.  (Except at Starbucks where they refuse to let you have just eggnog because they're mean.)  No matter what though it still tastes amazing.  I would also suggest not adding any flavor shots because the eggnog itself has a lot of flavor and goes really well with espresso.  If you still think you need flavors added, go for something nutty like hazelnut or amaretto.

Peppermint Tea
Nothing warms you up quicker than a cup of tea.  Peppermint does such a good job putting you in the Christmas spirit too.  This is usually found as an herbal tea but can also be found as an added flavor to black teas.  It tastes best as an herbal tea because that is what it naturally is but then it has less caffeine.

Caramel Apple Cider
This might fall outside the caffeinated realm but it is still within the coffee shop realm.  Hot Apple Cider has always been a holiday staple and frequently spiked for the adults.  Next time add a little caramel instead and you have liquid sugar sweetness.  The spice and sweet work so well together!  My favorite comes from Mugby Junction (Winona, MN) where they add chai mix to their apple juice and use Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce (not syrup).

Pumpkin Pie Latte
I'm pretty sure that pumpkin tastes good no matter what you do with it.  The best if definitely in a latte though.  It's so smooth and caffeinated!  Of course you should be sure to top it off with whipped cream and a little nutmeg too.  Be sure to resist the urge you will feel to stick your face into the pumpkin and whipped cream goodness, because people will look at you funny and you'll probably burn your face.

Apple Pie Black Tea
This is one example of a tea that is much better when its loose leaf.  If it is a bagged tea it's just going to be flavored whereas  in loose leaf you will get your black tea leaves with pieces of actual apples along with all the spices.  This tea will make you feel all warm and fuzzy without having to go through the work of baking a pie!


Peppermint White Mocha
A lot of people like some peppermint in their latte but until you try it in your white mocha you ain't tried nothing yet!  The sweetness of the white chocolate goes so well with the spice and cool taste of peppermint.  My favorite variation is the Ho Ho Mint Mocha at Caribou where they put pieces of broken candy canes on top of the whipped cream.

Be sure to check these out this season because many of them are only carried through the holidays!

Coffee Beans: From the soil to the roaster

I'm very passionate about coffee and find everything about it interesting, including where coffee comes from.  No, there is not a coffee stork.  Coffee usually originates in countries nearest to the equator in mountainous regions like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kenya.  These are the best places to grow Arabica beans.

Arabica vs. Robusta *ding ding ding*
In one corner, we have Arabica boasting it's rich flavors, but complicated harvesting.  In the other corner we have Robusta boasting it's simple harvesting, but as Corby Kummer said in The Joy of Coffee, "The chief flavor attribute of Robusta… is that of a brown paper bag."  Looks like the coffee shop is going to chose the Arabica beans!  But don't worry Robusta, I'm sure you'll find your way into a can on a grocery store shelf.

To illustrate how coffee beans go from soil to roaster we will look to a model plantation in Costa Rica called La Minta which is owned and operated by Bill McAlpin.

Here the coffee trees look like bushes because they are kept so small.  This makes them easier to pick and easier to keep shaded by larger trees.  All of the picking is done by hand because the beans do not all ripen at the same pace.  The workers will only pick ripe ones and come back a day or two later for the others.  The beans are actually the seed of the cherries that are found on the tree.

The pickers bring in their cherries to be weighed, and get paid according to how many ripe berries the bring in.  The pickers are given a fair wage that makes many boarding countries jealous.  McAlpin also gives a variety of benefits to his employees including free vegetables from the La Minta plantation.

After the pickers have all turned in their cherries, the cherries are bagged and loaded onto trucks and  are taken 25 miles down a winding road to the processing mill.  If the truck driver loses any beans he will be charged accordingly.  That is why the drivers drive so slowly and don't finish until nearly midnight.

The cherries will begin to ferment quickly - which will give the beans an undesirable flavor - so everyone must keep working through the night.  Since these cherries are high quality, they will go through a "wet" process for cleaning. In this process the cherries stay in constant contact with water using a carefully planned Rube Goldberg machine.

After the washing is complete the cherries no longer have their skin and are left with the pulp and the bean.  They are then dried on a patio for 1-3 weeks and are constantly raked so they dry evenly.  Sometimes however, they are dried in a mechanical drum for 2-3 days.  After drying, the beans resemble a pistachio with their light brown shell and green bean within. 

When an order comes in for the beans, they are put through a final sorting.  The beans are not polished but have a matte finish.  A group of women sort through every single bean since there is no machine that can detect the color and ripeness of a bean.  After sorting, the beans are shipped by boat and only take about 3 weeks to get to the roaster.

An interesting side note to all of this is that any bean that isn't perfect isn't thrown out but instead sold to Costa Ricans.  Many coffee producing countries serve the worst coffee because all the good stuff is shipped out of the country.

The whole process needs many skilled workers and is timed perfectly.  Arabica beans are given the most care and have the best flavor.  Robusta beans are grown in full sun, picked and sorted mechanically, and are rarely fair-trade.  When you know all that goes into the process, it is not hard to see why a cup of coffee at a shop costs more than a cup brewed from a can at the grocery store.

For a more detailed explanation I would highly recommend you read The Joy of Coffee.

Information for this article taken from The Joy of Coffee, Corby Kummer, 2003, Pages 5-21

Black Sheep Coffee Cafe

Black Sheep Coffee Cafe
705 Southview Boulevard
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
http://www.blacksheepcoffeecafe.com

Cuisine: Coffee, bakery, deli
Attire: Casual
Cost of Drinks: $3
Cost of Food: $6

This weekend I was finally able to make my way to the Black Sheep Coffee Cafe.  I had heard from a fellow Mugby Barista that this was a fantastic coffee shop.  I even heard rumors that they make authentic cappuccinos - and as you know I love and appreciate an authentic cappuccino.

Before I even walked through the door I knew I was going to like this place.  It's in a quiet neighborhood on the corner near a few other small shops.  I love being able to support neighborhood shops.  Especially when they sell me caffeine.

The cafe has an eastern/colonial flair to it.  At least that is how I feel when I see white paneling with muted colors on the wall.  There was even a large fireplace that made me thing of Holiday Inn.  Not the chain hotel, but the movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  My point is that it's not your typical cafe from the moment you walk in.  It is very relaxing and quiet.  You don't hear baristas yelling orders or even hipster music.  All you get is this beautiful sun coming in through the completely glass Northern wall - I liked that the North wall was glass because you don't have to worry about direct sunlight... ever.

The coffee menu was fantastic.  Although I didn't need it because I knew I needed the cappuccino.  Their food menu was pretty good too.  Since we were hungry for lunch we stuck to sandwiches.  There was also soup available but that was about it for lunch food.  Black Sheep did however have a good variety of baked goods such as scones and muffins for breakfast.  They also had some bars that looked amazing!

I knew I was in the right place when I was told the cappuccino only came in one size.  It was a five ounce cappuccino and it was absolutely to die for!  The foam was perfect and really was 1/3 of the drink.  They even served the drink with a spoon - a traditional way of enjoying a cappuccino in Europe.  To top it all off they even gave me some latte art.  I'm a sucker for such a thing because I can't do it myself. 

Our sandwich was also pretty good.  We chose the BLT with ham and turkey on a croissant.  The sandwich was flavorful and I love anything on a croissant.  Not all of the ingredients were very fresh though.  The bread tasted like it was getting towards the end of the batch and the lettuce had some spots on it (I'm picky about my lettuce.)  It's tough to judge a coffee shop's food but anything that is served should be good and match the high quality of the drinks that are served. 

All in all it was a great experience.  I love the ambiance, the staff and the drinks.  I can't wait to go back and try another espresso drink of some sort.  I think this time I'll pair it with a chocolate bar!

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink Bagged Tea

Tea Bags are teas that are sold in prepackaged paper envelopes.  The tea bags are convenient, but not preferred.  The tea bags contain what are called ‘fannings’ or the dust of higher quality teas.  Many flavors in tea are found in the oils of the tea leaves.  When these leaves are broken the oils evaporate and the flavor in your tea is less vibrant.  The small size of the tea bag doesn’t allow for proper steeping.  Leafs will usually expand while seeping and bag don’t allow that.  You also have little control over quantity of tea to use per serving.

Pyramid Tea Bags are a tetrahedron shape and of slightly higher quality.  They are more likely to contain full leaves and allow for expansion during steeping.  This is a good middle ground since you get higher quality with more convenience.  You still however have little control over quantity.

Loose Leaf Teas are the highest quality teas you can buy.  They are stored in canisters and sold by measuring the desired amount.  They can also be stored in a zip-lock pouch of some sort.  These teas have fully intact leaves and flowers creating a very bold flavor.  The tea is brewed using various methods:
•    You can bag it on your own using a larger paper bag (leaving plenty of room of course)
•    A tea ball (or egg) in a mug or teapot
•    A strainer that fits inside a mug or teapot
•    A French Press
When using loose tea you lose convenience but gain flavor.  I find making my tea to be a calming ritual.  It is also more eco friendly because the canisters used for storage are reusable along with a strainer or tea ball and the paper used is completely degradable.  You are given complete control over how strong you want your tea to be, without over or under steeping.  Generally you would use 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water, but with loose leaves you are given control over how potent you want your drink.

I wasn't always a loose leaf tea fan however.  Tazo Tea used to be my favorite brand.  It is a bagged tea (pretty good quality, for a bagged tea) that is not only sold at stores but also at Starbucks.  I always had the Hibiscus because it’s fruity.  I later discovered loose leaf tea and of course had to try the Hibiscus.  The difference was incredible.  The sweetness was brought down a bit and replaced with bold, rich flavors!  I’ll never go back to bagged tea.  Well, the only time I go back to bagged tea is when I'm sick - because I can't taste anything anyways!

My favorite places to get tea:
Fava Tea Company (they will be moving in November to 706 N. Casaloma Drive)
1656 N. Casaloma Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
http://www.favatea.com/

 Adagio
http://www.adagio.com/

Teavana
128 W Market
Bloomington, MN 55425
http://www.teavana.com/
(Teavana has many other locations around the country)

Cappuccino and the art of steamed milk

A Cappuccino is my absolute favorite espresso drink.  I’m not talking about your Venti half-caff skim-milk extra-hot caramel cappuccino from Starbucks.  I’m talking about a real, smooth, foamy, delicious Italian Cappuccino.

A Cappuccino starts with the cup.  I know this sounds weird but it really is very important.  Five to eight ounces is best.  The cup will be ⅓ espresso, ⅓ steamed milk and ⅓ foam.  Note that there is no flavor added.  If your cup is too big you’re not going to get the correct distribution.

Next is the espresso.  A smooth, less acidic espresso is best.  It will mix well with the milk and create a soothing flavor that I can’t get enough of.  Many chain coffee shops will use a more bitter espresso, so the best place to look is a small hole-in-the-wall café.  The espresso – one or two shots – is poured into the cup while the milk is steamed. 

I consider the milk to be the most important step.  You should use 2% milk because it will give you the best foam and nice rich flavor.  If you want really creamy you can use whole milk which is delicious as long as you don’t get grossed out by all the fat.  Skim milk is okay to use but you will be missing out on a lot of flavor.  Rice and Soy milk are right out because nothing is harder than trying to get decent foam from non-dairy milk.

The milk should be hand steamed.  When steamed by hand the Barista will be able to move the pitcher as the milk steams giving you the best foam possible.  The best foam is actually not foam at all until it sits.  When steamed properly the foam mixes with the milk evenly and should look like meringue because it is very smooth and has no bubbles.  When milk is steamed by setting down the pitcher on the bar you just get hot milk with big bubbles on top.  In this video you get a good sense of the milk expanding and creating the need for the steam pitcher to be moved down.  You want the most air possible in the milk for a good cappuccino.

The milk should be about 140º or 160º at most.  You will probably want to tell a barista if you want your drink below 160º.  For some reason most Americans think their drink needs to be at least 180º!  I can only assume this is because of years of bad coffee creating the need to burn your taste buds so you can’t actually taste how bad your drink is.

Finally, the milk is poured into the cup.  The milk should not be stirred at any point nor should it be held back with a spoon.  The milk will mix itself with the espresso and after sitting for a few seconds you can see the foam and milk start to separate.  A sprinkling of shaved chocolate or cinnamon is always a good touch.  Europeans will actually enjoy their Cappuccino by using a teaspoon instead of drinking from the cup.  No matter how you drink it, you’re going to enjoy it. 

There is a documentary about a woman's journey to find the perfect Cappuccino in America and how difficult the journey is.  She is definitely extreme, but I have to say I agree with her for the most part.  Don't worry, I'll save my Starbucks rant for another day.  Here is a trailer for the documentary.  It is called The Perfect Cappuccino.

Caffeine and I – an Affair to Remember

Caffeine and I – an Affair to Remember

I'm not addicted to caffeine. I could stop drinking whenever I want to. I just don't want to.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved pop. My parents had to keep me to a one-a-day regimen because I really like the stuff. I especially like Coke. Coke is amazing! It goes with everything! You can even add, lime, cherry, vanilla or coconut to spice it up a bit. Or if you really want to spice it up, add some Captain. Once I started drinking alcohol, this became my drink of choice. The best part was that I never got caffeine headaches from drinking pop.

While most people were starting to get into coffee, I added energy drinks. This is partially due to water skiing at 5:00 AM before work on Fridays. The shock of cold water was enough to wake you up in the morning, but it was the energy drink that kept you going through the day. This was early in the Energy Drink days so the pickings were slim. I was partial to Monster because it tastes like Skittles. Red Bull of course is always a good way to go. Now I stick to Java Monster mocha flavored.

Finally one summer in college I had to bite-the-bullet and learn to love coffee. I picked up a summer job working at the local coffee shop – Mugby Junction. It wasn’t until then that I discovered there was more to coffee than Folgers and Starbucks. Mugby Junction made real coffee. All of the coffee was more Fair Trade than Fair Trade Certified coffees. Everything was created by hand instead of by automated machines. All the ingredients were fresh. It was a whole new experience for me and I jumped in head first! There is always something new to try with coffee; a new flavoring, a new method, a new combination, etc. These are my personal favorites which highlights how you can make a drink your very own.
• Small Cappuccino
• Medium Skim Milk Latte with Raw Sugar
• Small Americano with Amaretto and a little cool tap water (never ice)

Unfortunately every fairy tale has a bad guy. My Darth Vader is caffeine withdrawal. Up until this point I never understood why people got headaches from not getting their caffeine. I NEEDED my coffee by noon or there would be hell to pay. I would drink in the morning, I would drink at work and I would even drink late into the night. Luckily I have yet to have a problem falling asleep after taking an espresso shot.

I brought this up at work one day and one of the owners, Carew Halleck, mentioned that although tea has caffeine it isn't as harsh or addictive. So I started drinking the tea that we served at Mugby Junction. This was great! I could start my day with a coffee still, but then switch to tea later in the day and didn't have to worry about a crash. I could even go a few days without any caffeine! It was amazing. I started looking into tea more closely and have discovered that there is so much out there. All I ever knew about was Lipton. I found Fava Tea in Appleton and began my new obsession with loose leaf tea.

I recently read an article in National Geographic which states that when staying hydrated you are not strictly bound to water. University of Connecticut exercise physiologist Douglas Casa says, “The body’s need to keep fluid trumps the small influence caffeine might have on losing fluid.” So when you are thirsty, drink! Click here for article.

As Mugby Junction would say, “Drink to the Lees!”