3011 Tasting Notes
Since I started fooling around with Tulsi this spring, it’s turned into a full-blown love affair. After a long search for an herbal remedy that actually unkinks the knots in my neck after a just-shoot-me stressful day, I think I have truly found my cure.
(Just-shoot-me + oops I forgot to take my blood pressure medicine = you could pour what’s left of me into a thimble.)
Which got me prowling around for pharmacological info to figure out why this works so well when other herbals don’t … boy, this stuff will cure whatever ails ya because it’s:
An immuno-modulator that balances and improves the immune response of the body in fighting antigens (disease causing agents such as bacteria, viruses, microbes, allergens etc.) and maintaining health
I won’t get radiation poisoning either.
So here’s to good health, a better day tomorrow, and not glowing in the dark.
Straight up this morning; a good, sharp, coppery basic. Teases you awake instead of bulldozing you awake. A little milk would likely tone it down from a C sharp to a B flat but I don’t need toning at the moment.
One cup away from an empty package of this one, but I enjoyed it immensely. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was rocking gently in the patio glider, temps were in the lowish 70’s, had a good book in my lap, and the lawn was finally mowed.
Love this one because it is truly fruity and not tart. Probably won’t shop for an equivalent until spring, but I hope I can find one.
A new one, since I had a lovely leisurely hour to enjoy it.
Had to refer back to the Encyclopedia Upton-ica to remember its origins—it’s a Nepali tea. Pretty cool, because I just finished writing some kids’ curriculum about Nepal.
This is definitely a Darjeeling-style tea. Lots of light greeny-gold tips in the dry leaf, a very white-wine personality—that is, if you’re drinking it with a mouthful of melba toast. Dries your mouth a little, but not much.
Sandalwood, as in the description, I don’t get, but it does have a really fruity, spicy scent.
Took a second steep well—even when I got sidetracked and left it easily 10 minutes. Still not bitter.
Nice for afternoons and, as my friend Dr. Cooper would say, pre-venings.
Trying to make my peace with this one before the sample runs out. This attempt involved a little sweetening with maple syrup—well, if you can call Mrs. Butterworth’s real maple syrup ;) Hey, it was all I had…
…which means that the not-very-strong blackcurrant became merely a holding mechanism for the syrup.
It was such a lovely, crisp, apple-peel fresh-air sort of evening, it didn’t matter what I was sipping. I sat out in the back yard and smelled fall and felt bountiful for a while.
I have a theory that nearly all of the single-estate tea samples I got from Upton will be excellent mix-and-matchers. Didn’t have quite enough for a full pot this morning, so I spiked it with some Assam Gold from Tea Merchant. Can’t tell where one starts and the other leaves off … smooth and weighty, a little sweet fruit tang at the end.
Perfect for a cool and sunny morning.
Just need something sweet, warm, and familiar to clutch. This particular bundle comes from the bulk bin at local Fox Farm.
Counting on it to help unclench a little after a pretty harrowing thunderstorm. Nothing like watching your spouse and son turn gray when the storm sirens activate. Big limbs down in the backyard, half a tree through a neighbor’s roof, but we are safe. Thanking God for safety through this first wave. More fun to come.
You have heard everything I have to say about my beloved PG Tips looseleaf (dark, strong, punchy) so I wandered onto their website to see if I could find a postworthy tidbit. Here’s one:
http://www.pgtips.co.uk/newrange/
New varieties. A STRONG blend of PG Tips, as if the original won’t boot you out the door in the morning. Anybody seen these in your locality in the US? (We’re lucky to have the conventional type available.)
I will keep an eye out for it, and will ask Gav to look in Ireland. He just sent some Marks and Spencer breakfast tea and I know it comes in grades like that. I think I have the strong, but it really doesn’t taste that strong to me, maybe it does just refer to the caffeine.
Can’t say that I have seen them in the groceries I frequent, but I’ll check my local British Import shop, British Isles in Houston.
Might check with Brits store in Lawrence
Looking at the Brits website, it doesn’t look like they carry the Strong One. Though since it is new, they might have it in a few months…
Oh, and if you ever want anything from the Brits store, I’d be happy for an excuse to go over to Lawrence and send you something from my trip. :)
I have a friend who tells me how cool Brits is. Our recreational travels generally point us south instead of north, but I’m thinking I may need to re-think that ;)
If you get up this way, definitely let me know! :)
Just got a message from Gav asking if we want any tea from Ireland. I asked him to keep an eye out for this one at the grocery. If he finds it, he will bring it to me the third week of October.
I am grateful for comfortably priced, decent-but-not-phenomenal bagged teas. Some days you just don’t want to think. This works.
The clock turned to face the wall is bright enough at night without becoming a human nightlight. Think I’ll go fix a cup of homegrown myself.
I need to try tulsi. I could use some unknotting.
I never knew about Tulsi until I started dating my current girlfriend. She’s Indian and this plant is revered by Hindus. Often given to the dying, it hold both spiritual and medicinal benefits.
Glad to read about your love affair with it!
I think I’m gonna grow Tulsi in my balcony garden next year. Hmmm…
I need some more tulsi teas! Basil is my favorite..
I guess the best way to describe the effect (on me, at least; we’re all wired differently) is that when I have a revved-up stress-induced jet fuel adrenaline surge going on that I can’t pull back on, it takes the heat out of it. Make sense?
I was drinking tulsi for awhile, but then it started becoming the new rooibos (showing up trendily everywhere) , & I went into an irritable avoidance pattern. I suppose I should give it a 2nd chance, maybe it will help with my allergies…