Flavoured Tea or Non Flavoured Tea - Lapsang Souchong

Greetings! Today we start a three part series on Flavoured and un or non Flavoured tea. There are a lot of strong emotions surrounding this topic...just ask your tea-purist friend and they will gladly, I am certain, impart their opinion on the topic of their favorite tea.

Well, to help clear some of the mystery about flavoured teas, and how they seemingly have gotten such a bad wrap over the years (not so much now, since flavoured teas are all the rage...we happily carry loose leaf flavoured teas in our Shoppe!) we will investigate, and see some of the types of teas, how they are graded, and how they are "treated." Read on, and stop back over the next few postings as we carry on for three posts on Flavoured or non Flavoured Teas.

Today, we are talking about the Grand-daddy of teas....Lapsang Souchong!

Lapsang Souchong is a black tea (check out our post next week where we will talk about the "color" of the tea and how the teas are graded). From the Fijan Province in China, this tea has a famously smoky aroma. As a matter of fact, in some restaurants, you can order a Lapsang Souchong and it comes to you with a "Tea Fog"...smoke rising from the glass of tea. Quite exciting.

Fijan Province in China

While this tea is being "finished" it is given extra drying time over a smokey pine fire. The smoking takes place while the leaves are withering and then again, when the leaves are either being rolled, or right after they are rolled and as they are oxidizing. At all times, the pine fire is made smokey with fresh pine wood, adding to the fragrance of the tea.

Now the question: would Lapsang Souchong have it's smokey flavour without being "flavoured"? Is Lapsang Souchong considered a flavoured tea? Talk amoung yourselves for the week, and stop back next week when we look at tea grading and flavouring.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tea on a stick - Whirl Ease Tea in five flavours

It is all about simple - simple things for summer, and simple things to make life easier. Enter our latest product - tea on a stick known as Whirl Ease. From Strawberry Hill Confectionery in Massachusetts, these sticks have lightly sweetened tea on the end of the stick, ready to swirl into a hot cup of water. The best part about it is what these tea sticks are NOT - GMO free, Gluten free, Kosher and then, what they ARE - Certified Organic, with real cane sugar.

Simply uncover the Whirl Ease, and swirl them around in your cup of hot water. In just moments, and without much fuss, you will have a lightly sweetened tea that is organic, with mild flavours that enhance the tea. Each Whirl Ease makes about 15 ounces of tea. If your cup is small (like a classic china cup - 4 ounces) you can use the Whirl Ease for two or more cups.

If you cup is a mug and up to 15 ounces, it makes a great mug of tea! Hot water and a few moments of whirling in the water...viola!

Fancy That is happily now carrying:

Green tea with Mango

White tea with Cranberry

Black tea with Lemon

Black tea with Pomegranate

and our very favorite out of all the flavours, and only when organic peaches are in season...

Black tea with Peach.

We have the Whirl Ease (tea on a stick) displayed in personal sized tea pots to help you make your choice of flavours. If you are not local to our Tea Boutique and would like Whirl Ease, you can order by calling toll free 1-888-323-2832 and we can ship anywhere in the Continental USA. Even IF you are in Walpole, and you want to order, you can by calling toll free 1-888-323-2832. Thanks for stopping by! We hope to see you again soon.

Goji Berries and Gunpowder - all in time for the 4th Celebrations

Fancy That has added four new loose teas to our collection bringing the total to 12 choices of loose tea sold in 1/2 ounce tins so you can sample the tea without being married to 4 ounces (especially if it is a flavour you care not to enjoy again!). The four new additions include goji berry (more about that flavour in a minute), Irish Morning, Cherry Vanilla and Sweet Sin.

Lets start with Sweet Sin! A Rooibos flavoured blend, this tea also has raspberries, real Bourbon vanilla crowns, and rose petals to make for a great basket of tasty, ripe fruits in your cup.

Now, along with the Vanilla line of thought, is Cherry Vanilla. A fruit tea blend, this tea captures your eye instantly with its color nuances of rose petals, cherry pieces, elderberries, beetroot pieces, and vanilla pieces. The taste of freshly picked cherries add to the bouquet of vanilla and other fruits for a mellow, creamy cup of tea.

Creamy? Try Irish Morning. This extraordinary blend of strong black tea with an intense lacing of rum flavour pep you up! A hint of soft, sweet cream flavour, white coconut shreds, green wild strawberry leaves and orange-red safflower make the color combination of this tea reminiscent of the Irish national flag...and the taste is a perfect taste for the early riser, or one who rises just in time for elevenses.

Our fourth flavour added is just in time for the Fourth of July celebrations here in the USA. This black and green tea blend is decorated with shining goji berries (pronounced go-gee) and golden rose buds. "Gun Salutes" of Gunpowder (tea that is rolled into little pellets like gunpowder - there is no actual gunpowder in this tea :)) and the flavour combos of the goji berry, pomegranate and orange make this tea a fireworks of taste.

Stop by our Shoppe to get our new flavour tea Fridays from 11am - 3pm, Saturday or Sunday from noon to 5pm. If you don't live locally but would like to try these or other tea flavours, we can ship them to you anywhere in the Continental USA. (and yes! we take PayPal!). Call toll free 1-888-323-2TEA to place your order. Thanks for stopping by! We hope to see you again soon. And Happy 4th of July - Independence Day!