Orzo

Tea Information:
Lupicia company loose leaf tisane ‘Orzo 9301’
(Tea is technically only from the camellia sinensis plant)
Purchase: Here
Steepster Link: http://steepster.com/teas/lupicia/22109-orzo

Steep Information:
Boiling water
27 minutes, I forgot it
4tsp
kati loose tea system 12oz

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: barley, carob, roast
Steeped Tea Smell: barley, roast, coffee
Liquor: Color dark opaque black
Flavor: Bitter, roast, sweet finish. Definitely reminds me of coffee.
Body: Full
Aftertaste: Bitter
Post-Steep Additives: cream and sugar, reduces the bitterness

You absolutely could have told me this was cream and sugar in a cheap coffee and I would have believed you.

https://amazonv.blogspot.com/2021/01/lupicia-company-loose-leaf-tisane-orzo.html

This one is so good. It brews up a beautiful dark brown, almost black. The scent and the flavour are toasty and delicious.

We picked up some when we visited California this last summer, then we got back and I ended up ordering four more packages. I love it cold brewed and hot. There is just no downside to this tea.

Wow does this ever brew up dark, and taste like coffee. I shouldn’t be surprised though, because the other version of it that I’ve tried had a similar flavour. Although this is quite drinkable straight, since it’s not astringent like coffee, I think it would be much better made into a latte… so I may do that either with this mug, or with the re-steep. Glad this was a 3-way split, because I prefer the honey version of this I’ve had previously.

(Fast-forward about an hour, during which time I failed to actually post this note.)

Ended up adding some skim milk and maple syrup to this, and the result is super yum. It’s just so strongly flavoured, lattes make a lot of sense.

Interesting!
Random thoughts:
-I had to check the packaging 3 times to make sure this was not caffenated.
-It really reminds me of a roasty coffee
-It’s so thick and dark I can’t help but wonder if it’ll turn my teeth black. Not brown; black.
-It’s unique and interesting. It takes a little getting used to but I can see how this would be a nice alternative to rooibos and honeybush teas in the evening!

nice…. I figured i really should try the original orzo, since i started with the caramel/honey one. I’ll also have to make sure i steal a cup of Kittenna’s strawberry orzo before she picks up her teas. :) I think i prefer soba from H&S for a normal cup of wheat sort of tea. However, the caramel/honey version of this is like a creamy cup of coffee for me and i love it. Normal orzo sits somehwere in between the two. I still love this cup, but it’s a little one dimensional…it’s like there’s something missing to push it over the edge to a wonderful cup of warm yum. still though? i’ll enjoy all of the rest of my cups…

I was at Lupicia looking for soba-cha (buckwheat “tea”) or some similar non-caffeinated, roasted drink when I discovered this delightfully packaged Orzo product imported from Italy. Having had barley tea (mugi-cha in Japanese), I was expecting a similar taste.

To my surprise this Orzo was incredibly strong and difficult to drink. The dried form looks like coarsely-ground coffee. When brewed, the grounds turn into a thick sludge that clogged up my infuser, and the resulting drink is dark and murky.

The flavor is like mugi-cha but magnified and with an unpleasant texture. I won’t be trying this again.