Cinnamon French Toast Yunnan Pearls

A VERY SPECIAL VIT (Very Important Tea)!
Our Special Five Year Anniversary Tea!

This year, I wanted to do something really special for our fifth anniversary – and here it is! I got a hold of some beautiful Yunnan Black Pearls – these pearls are big – one pearl is enough for one cup (although if you want a stronger brew, you might want to use a little less water than usual!) Then I added essence to the pearls to create a smooth blend of tea & french toast flavors, complete with a drizzle of maple syrup!

This blend really is a sublime taste of both tea & french toast – there is a smooth balance of the two flavors. The french toast has a note of sweet Sri Lankan cinnamon & a kiss of maple syrup. The black tea is remarkably smooth – I am not picking up on any astringency to this – just smooth, satisfying black tea & french toast. It’s like breakfast in a teacup!

But unlike a plate of french toast, this is VEGAN. It’s also gluten-free & allergen-free!

This tea is not going to hang around forever & since I don’t usually keep pearls in stock, this one won’t be on the reblend list anytime soon. That is to say – grab a pouch of this tea while it’s here, ‘cause when it’s gone, it’ll be gone for a while! Gluten-free, allergen-free & VEGAN.

A Taster Pouch contains 4 pearls plus some cinnamon chips.

ingredients: black tea, organic cinnamon & organic natural flavors

please note: some of the labels were printed before it was noticed that we forgot to include the “organic” for the cinnamon & natural flavors.

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This is really good! Yeah, I know, I say that a lot! I mean it every time I say it – but I gotta admit – I’ve really been looking forward to this blend. It’s my first time working with the pearls, and based on this flavor – it probably won’t be my last!

As I mention in the above description, it really is a really harmonious combination of tea and french toast. The tea doesn’t overwhelm nor does it get overwhelmed here. I get that smooth, rich flavor of a quality Yunnan black tea along with the notes of cinnamon, french toast & maple syrup.

It is important to allow this tea to cool a bit before you drink it – the flavors develop with the cooling time. I also find that a wee amount of sugar will enhance the overall experience – it brings out the flavors just a bit. It’s still really tasty without the sugar, but it becomes a different experience with the addition of the sugar – so if you can afford those few calories, it’s a recommended addition.

here’s how I brew it:

to brew: I use 1 pearl plus a couple of the cinnamon chips per 8 ounces of near boiling water. (Yeah, you should use less water this time, because it helps to concentrate the flavor just a bit more.) I heat the water to 205°F – as usual with my black teas – and then I allow it to steep for 4 minutes. strain & allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. enjoy!

The pearls can be infused a second time for another cup – be sure to add at least 30 seconds for the resteep (I recommend 1 full additional minute for the resteep.)

I didn’t test this as a cold-brew – to be honest, when it comes to teas like a pancake breakfast tea or this – a french toast tea – I generally only hot-brew those teas because I think they just – simply taste better as a hot beverage.