Book Review: The Tea Book by Linda Gaylard

The Tea Book
Author: Linda Gaylard
(Fellow Torontonian and blogger on the site http://theteastylist.com/)

The Tea Book is a basic introduction to tea and tissanes (herbal/fruit infusions) with lots and lots of recipes for hot and cold teas and tea cocktails.  When I first picked up the book, it was thinner than other books I have and I was curious as to whether there would be enough info in the book given there were also more tea recipes than other books about tea.

A pleasant read, Linda does a good job at highlighting important points and summarizing key information.  It's a good intro to tea; the history, customs, growing regions, and brewing.  Definitely enough info for beginners and those with a general interest in tea but, did lack on depth if you already know the basics or are looking for more detailed info on a type or region of tea.  (Her website actually has more depth of info like this Jasmine tea post where she traveled to Fuzhou or some interesting tidbits of tea history.)  The book does have a little more info on tissanes than other books so would also be of interest to those that would like to learn a bit more about this area. 

I actually read this a couple of months ago but was holding back on posting a review because I wanted to try a couple of recipes.  Unfortunately, I didn't try the recipes due to lack of time and a few that I wanted to try required one or two ingredients that I just didn't have on hand at the time. I'm also more of a straight tea drinker when I'm home. If I do get around to trying the ones I did note down, I'll be sure to update.  There were several interesting ones and Linda does have a recipe for taro bubble tea made from fresh taro for all the bubble tea lovers!  Oh, also if you like chai tea, there's one in there that looks promising....


What I liked...

- Lots of recipes for tea beverages!  Most tea books have recipes for tea infused foods but this one is all about mixing beverages....有很多泡茶放發
- Not as "dry" to read as some other books, with some good visuals....圖片還好
- Great for beginners...適合初學茶的朋友

Example of the visuals and easy to read formatting

Overall, I'd still recommend this book for beginners or tea enthusiasts that want a load of tea beverage recipes.  If you're a tea book collector, this would also be a good resource because of it's easy to read format and you could always refer back to the recipes if the occasion arises.

Infuse Cafe - A Brewing Revolution?

Hmmm, reverse atmospheric infusion?  Vacuums?  I really need to brush up on my sciences!  Infuse Cafe has been open for about 8 weeks and they are trying to get the word out that their tea brewing technique (R.A.I.N.) produces a more flavourful tea. 

 

I had walked by before but only when my friend sent me an event by Toronto Commons did I decide to make an effort to visit this cafe. (Here is the next event in Oct.) Infuse serves organic teas (specifically Rishi teas) and a few coffee beverages.  They are not in the business of adding ingredients such as tapioca to their drinks so don't mistake this for a bubbletea place.  Hot, cold, and milk teas are available as well as some shakes like the matcha one that I was really tempted to get.  But, selection is limited.

 

First impression is that it was pretty good.  I ordered an iced Jasmine Green Tea with half sugar.  They suggested full as it could be bitter due to the strength of the tea but I usually drink my teas straight (at home) or with half sugar (when I'm out), so insisted on the half.  It wasn't bitter and half worked for me.  Liked that they are willing to make recommendations though. 

My second visit I got a hot tea, the Jade Cloud.  The aroma is like dragonwell tea but the flavour is not as "grassy".  It's quite flavourful though.  There was a small amount of bitterness to it but not a bad type of bitter.  Overall, okay, but I liked the Jasmine Green better.

The Bkon Brewing Machine that is used, brews tea and also works for coffee.  I'm not sure if the taste is that much better with this brewing technique, but I'd be interested in seeing a side by side comparison of regular brewing and brewing by R.A.I.N. However, if it tastes good, does it matter? Maybe the question I'd like to ask is, do you get more antioxidants out of the leaf? Since they mention the "deeper layer of soluble material is extracted" in phase 2 of the technique, they are referring to the flavour but does this mean antioxidants too? That would be really something!  Or actually, as my mind starts going off on a tangent...if the tea is more flavourful, offering single estate ceylon teas (from differing tea gardens) for example could be interesting.   Maybe you can really taste the nuances of each? Anyway, tea geek, I know. 
 

In terms of atmosphere, there is a good amount of seating, but it doesn't have that cafe feel yet.  This might change over time.  I did notice some artwork on the walk and if you go to their website, they do mention that they are trying to work with local artists and kinda act like a "gallery" where you can purchase the pieces and proceeds go all to the artist.  This concept is not new, but I find it great that they do this!  It'll be nice to see it more apparent when you're in the shop.

Service is super nice and they really seem customer service oriented.  They offer a discount for students and if you work in the area, which is nice. Not sure if that‘s just an opening special but their prices are average compared to other tea shops.  And, they are on vicinity rewards which also is a plus!  Would recommend trying them out if you're in the area.
 

 

Infuse Cafe

354 Yonge Street (Yonge & Elm)
Toronto, ON, M5B 1S5

http://www.infusecafe.ca/

(Soon to open at Yonge and Shepherd) 

High Tea at the Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel - Lobby Lounge
188 University Ave
Toronto, ON M5H 0A3
647-788-8888
http://www.shangri-la.com/toronto/shangrila/

Luxury afternoon tea at one of the poshest hotels in Toronto is an indulgence for the little girl inside as much as it is for the woman who is in need of a little relaxation. 

My partner had treated me to a wonderful afternoon at the Shangri-La Hotel Lobby Lounge where I had my pick of tea and a tower of little finger foods and desserts.  Shangri-La has the largest selection of tea offerred at any of the afternoon tea places I've been to and now also the most priciest with teas ranging from $15-$70 per pot!  (The $70 pot is temomicha tea which is a hand-rolled Japanese tea, but it is still a little too pricey for me to indulge in!) Afternoon tea includes any $15 pot and the additional cost of higher priced teas should you select it, is added on top.  I had a Wuyi Rock Oolong tea while my partner had an iced apple herbal tea.  Both were good and it was actually a very large pot of tea!

We sat on a plush sofa which was great while we chatted, but a little awkward while eating. I enjoyed lounging but I guess if I wore a dress it might be a little awkward.

There was a little girl with her mom having afternoon tea there too.  The little girl was wearing a pretty sun dress and her hair up in a bun.  As she sipped on her drink from the tea cups offered I thought of the day when I'd share this experience with my little girl.  I get quite excited right before I'm going for afternoon tea/high tea in anticipation of the selection of desserts and savory offerings. I think it's because I get to pretend for a moment that I'm a little girl again and able to indulge in such an elegant experience.

Wuyi Rock Oolong

I did not have to have my teapot refilled with water, the pot was just so huge!  The leaves are just left in the water though so they stay steeping which I always find a shame.  Luckily, the tea leaves did not get bitter...hmmm, when I think about this, this is uncharacteristic of oolong tea which you can usually steep multiple times...

Anyway, all the teas can be iced which is a great service to offer. I personally like my tea hot but it's a great option to have. The apple herbal tea was well made iced, no sugar was needed.  When my partner's glass was done, they also offerred to make another glass as there was still tea in the pot.

And now, for the food...the scones were good, not the best, but it was nice that they were warm.  You receive 2 per person and a little pot of clotted cream and berry preserve.  I did eat one an hour later and it was still soft so a definite plus!
 

Sandwiches were quite good overall.  The curry lobster roll was probably the best in appearance and taste, yum!  However, the cucumber apple sandwich was actual sans apple which was a surprise.  It also didn't have much flavour.

Four different savory mini sandwiches

Lobster and chive with curried mayo on briocche was our favourite of the savories

Desserts were probably the best part of the set and what was offered were desserts that do take a little more skill to prepare.  The negative is we didn't get one per person, however they were easily sharable.  The ginger and cherry verrine was the only dessert that there were two.

Front view of the dessert tier

I think my favourite ended up be this one, the hazelnut financier entremet.  The flavours went well together and it was moist and creamy.  It doesn't look as fancy as the other two, but I enjoyed the hazelnut cream quite a bit.

Back view of the dessert tier (R: Brown butter hazelnut financier, praline cream, cassis gelee)

 The ginger and cherry verrine was also very well made.  Ginger curd was yummy and the preserved cherries went nicely with it.   

The peppermint milk chocolate entremet was creamy and had just the right amount of sweetness.  I don't prefer pepperment chocolate but it still impressed me.

There were little rice crisp balls mixed in with the mousse.

The tropical bombe was quite well done with a myriad of tropical flavours that really bursted. More on the sweet side rather than tart as I was expecting.

The lobby lounge decor is quite nice and relaxing, with a faux fire place (strange in the summer but still nice) and large black and white paintings that resembled both mountains and robed dancers.  We had gone on a weekday so it wasn't too busy and the noise level was quite good.

Seating next to ours

Service was attentive and although there is only a 1.5 hour sitting time, we weren't rushed.  It may have been because it was a weekday, but nonetheless, it should be noted.  I do think that the sitting time should be 2 hours but I guess they say 1.5 and people will slowly make their way out by the 2 hour mark .

Overall, I think Shangri-La Hotel is one of the top afternoon spots in Toronto.  A lovely experience, I think I could have stayed a little longer but we were full and I was happy and it was just enough of a little break.  

Ryerson Farmer's Market - Cute Little Market

Last Wednesday I went to the Ryerson Farmers Market and came across several interesting booths.  The market is not that big but has a variety of items including fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, and several artisanal food purveyors.

I picked up some kale at the Rye's Home Grown stand which sells produce grown on the top of their engineering building which was a nice surprise.  Hmmm, would love to walk through it one day, it apparently supplies food to different food operations within the university.

 

 

I also stopped at a tea stand, Genuine Tea (pictured above).  Initially I just thought it was new tea company offering the same teas as most others but upon talking to Sarah, one of the co-founders, I found out that they have spent several years in Taiwan and source their oolong teas directly from tea plantations in Taiwan.  This definitely made me perk up my ears as I‘m a big fan of Taiwanese oolong teas. 

 

 

They offer a couple of iced teas already brewed but can make a cup of tea with your choice of tea leaves.  It was way too hot to have a hot tea, otherwise I would have tried a cup of their Oriental Beauty oolong tea!  Next time...but, if you're interested in learning more about them, check out their website here.

Some other stands include Brixton Grill, selling vegan bbq items and dairy free ice creams.  I was going to get a cup of kombucha but the line was a bit long. 

 

Mini sugar donuts...

 

And empanadas...

   

 

There are also a few tables and chairs (with umbrellas) set up so you can eat your meal or desserts a little more comfortably.  If you're in the area on Wednesdays (11am - 3pm), it's definitely worth a visit!

David's Tea Update - Ahhh, they have a flip top!

I recently did a review of their carry travel mug and was quite impressed with it.  But, 2 things that I noted as potential negatives of the carry travel mug were addressed in their new travel mug (at least I think it's new).  I previously noted that you required both hands to open and drink as campared to flip-top versions that you can do with one hand AND the 16oz size might be too big for some if they want to carry it in their bag.  I guess others before me thought the same! :)

 

Now, upon visiting a David's Tea recently, they have a flip-top version and it's slightly smaller at 14oz!  Definitely more handy I would say.  The only negative I see is the strainer might be too small to brew oolong tea.  Right now, my oolong leaves unfurl and fill the entire strainer of the carry travel mug.  This 14oz migh actually be too small for ball-shaped oolong tea.  I think I'll go with that and just be happy with my current one.  (Ahhh, so hard to avoid the grass is always greener mentality, lol!)

Besides the new travel mug, the reason I went into David's Tea was to try an iced tea.  I originally wanted to go to Chatime but the lineup was at least 20 people long!  Didn't have time for that, so headed to David's Tea since it was something I've wanted to try.



16oz iced tea - Organic roasted gyokuro. They make any of their teas iced which is a big draw for many.

Most people would get something fruity or something like their Chocolate Macaroon but I decided to go for an iced Gyokuro.  For tea purest, I'm sure my selection to be iced would receive disappointing head shakes and they would stop reading altogether.  This is because fine green teas are best drunk hot so the nuances can come out.  Although this is true, if the iced tea is brewed hot first, the flavour profile should still come out to a certain extent.  Oolong teas is where each brew might be different so an iced version is less likely to show the nuances.  So anyway, I opted for Gyokuro because I noticed that they had a Roasted Gyokuro which I've never had before.  All hot and iced teas are $3.25 a cup (16oz).

Taste
Expected of a green tea, the grassiness came through with some buttery notes.  But, also quite a bit of bitterness was there too. Gyokuro tea, because it is shaded during part of it's growth, normally produces a umami taste; but that didn't come through. I couldn't taste the roasted quality of the tea either and maybe it was because I had it iced.  However, I've had iced roasted teas from Taiwan and that roasted quality does come out...maybe the roasting is actually very light and is only detected if it was had hot? Maybe the temperature of the water was not right?  Anyway, the taste is indeed that of strong Japanese green tea but the specific roasted and umami quality was not there.  Maybe I'll make my way there some other day and try it hot to compare.

Sugar options include agave, cane sugar, and sweetener. 

The staff will add sugar for you but it is usually a very low amount (which is good).  I actually had to ask for more which was new for me, usually I'm asking for less! 

Service
Very pleasant and eager to assist. 

Overall, I like the fact that you can choose to ice any of their teas, especially great for the summer.  Icing tea that doesn't have any other ingredients but the tea leaves also reminds me of tea shops in Taiwan...yes, yes...more about Taiwan.  Most people would get a drink that is just iced tea of some sort whether it is green, jasmine, oolong, or red/black and have their preferred level of sugar added to it.  This was incredibly inexpensive and something I miss!  For David's Tea to ice any of their teas, it does give the customer the option to try the tea and also to have something flavoured without as many calories of traditional drinks.

  

Iced Tea Candy

I found this new tea flavoured candy at T & T Supermarket.  I'm generally not a fan of hard candies, but when it's tea flavoured I'm more interested. So, I gave it a go.

Quick run-down:

• Brand: Bali's Best (also makes coffee candy which I've seen before)
• Hard candy
• Made with tea extracts
• Indonesian tea, from the Java region

The one I purchased was Classic Iced Tea but the other flavours were Green Tea Latte and Citrus Green Tea.  Whole green tea leaves are apparently used to make the green tea candies which was interesting to note and I was tempted to get the green tea latte as that would be the drink I'd choose, but classic iced tea in a candy was a little different.  Indonesian black tea is supposed to be similar to Assam or Ceylon tea rather than Chinese black tea (although I don't think I've had loose leaf Indonesian tea yet), so I expected it to be like the iced tea we know in North America. 

Taste:  Good tea flavour and tastes slightly lemon-y.  More Ceylon tea flavour then citrus.  Some black teas can naturally have more citrus notes to it and it's possible that the tea used has this flavour profile (but I wonder if it can be detected in extracts).  I remember doing a tea tasting using various estate teas and they produced different iced tea flavours without the addition of lemon (i.e. Court Lodge FBOP had citrus notes compared to Kenmare FBOP...and yes, I had to look at my past notes for the names).

Sweetness level is good, not too sweet where you only taste sugar.

But, if you're looking for a strong tea taste, especially if you're used to drinking your tea strong, you won't find the candy as good.

Ingredients: glucose syrup (tapioca), cane sugar, tea extract, natural tea flavor, salt.
I inquired about the tea leaves and it is primarily made from black tea leaves.  They also note on their packaging that they are "all natural".

Price at T&T was $2.99 for 42 pieces.

Overall: This is a pretty good tasting tea candy.  Yes, I'd purchase again and I'd definitely try the other flavours!