2202 gnirpS

pis © Copyright 2020

FOLLOW US::

Tea.Association.of.Canada

CanadaTea

CanadaTea

61 eussI

sip

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-FRANÇOIS

DESAULNIERS TEA FOR YOUR GARDEN YIXING TEA POTS MICROGROUND TEA REIMAGINING AFTERNOON TEA

w e r C w e r B #

Editor: Shabnam Weber THAC President

Assistant Editor: Adi Baker, THAC Communication & Programs Coordinator

If you would like more

information on advertising or

would like to submit an article

idea, email us at [email protected].

sip is published four times a year

by the Tea & Herbal Association of

Canada. www.tea.ca

© Copyright 2022

FOLLOW US::

Tea.Association.of.Canada

CanadaTea

CanadaTea

srotubirtnoc

Karen Donnelly is a certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional and

has

been

an

afternoon

tea

event

planner,

speaker

and

teacher for over 20 years. She is the owner of Greenhalgh Tea and

manager

of

the

Orchard

Tea

Room

at

Rose

Hip

Barn,

Thornton, PA.

Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hope Blooms is a youth driven registered

charity

marginalized

and

social

communities

in

enterprise.

It

actualizing

engages

their

full

youth

in

potential,

becoming positive agents of change in their communities, and building

bright

futures

through

experiential

education.

They

create innovative youth-driven impact in food security, social inclusion, education, and environmental stewardship.

Theresa Lemieux is a certified TAC Tea Sommelier® and a food blogger

at

The

Everything

Kitchen.ca,

where

she

cooks

and

bakes with tea. She writes about all aspects of tea, including health, food pairings and culinary uses for tea. Her private teatasting seminars are conducted online and in-person. Theresa firmly believes that there is room for a cup of tea in everyone’s day.

The 1st Tea Culture Week in Brazil's objective is to promote tea culture

and

history

within

Brazil.

The

event

takes

place

from

August 1-7, 2022, offering hybrid tea-related activities to the general public. Directly involved in the organization are eight representatives

of

the

group:

Adriana

Ferreira,

Claudia

Sant'Anna, Daniela Folquitto, Daniela Pirozzi, Elizeth Rodrigues da Silva van der Vorst, Ligia Gabbi, Luciana Maira, who work under the mentorship of Yuri Hayashi, founder of the School.

Natalia Nahon is a certified TAC tea sommelier and freelance journalist who’s passionate about tea, and writes about fashion and beauty in different publications. She’s currently working on creating blends in the hopes to open her own tea brand.

Pheinixx Paul is a licensed TAC Tea Sommelier® with a long history

steeped

in

tea

culture,

appreciation

and

experience

working with Canadian brands as a brand designer, visual thinker and

communicator.

The

13-birds

blog

@13birdsstuff

is

the

manifestation of Pheinixx's passion for art, tea and words on a journey to imagine cool stuff + things.

In this Issue

Letter from the President

Reimagining Afternoon Tea

An Interview with Jean-François

Desaulniers

1st Tea Culture Week in Brazil A Short Lived Getaway

Tea for Your Garden Very, Very Fine Indeed Yixing Tea Pots: A Moment in Time

Breakfast:

Overnight Oats with Earl Grey Rooibos Berry Compote Hoji-Cha Tahini Banana Porridge Manila's Rising Sun Pu-erh Bacon Mushroom Frittata HopeBlooms: Plant a Seed, Harvest a

Chocolate Chai Banana Bread Dream & more... Cheers to 70 Years: Queen's Platinum

Jubilee

m o r f

e th

t n e d i s e r p

We celebrate a new year in the west on

For the world of tea as well, Spring brings

January 1st and set new intentions for the

with it new possibilities, new flushes and

year ahead. But my background is Persian,

new flavours. I know we all get caught up

and for us, the first day of Spring is new

in our favourite teas, but maybe this year

year.

you'll

push

yourself

out

of

your

comfort

zone and try something you haven't tried I'm not suggesting of course that we turn

before. Set new intentions and new goals,

things upside down and change new years.

try a different tea from the Spring harvest.

But it truly does make more sense to set

Who knows, you may even love it.

fresh intentions in the spring, when new life blooms fighting

around through

us.

To

the

look

soil

at

and

the

bulbs

setting

our

own goals with all that hope and optimism surrounding us.

LIVE

T DU Hé

SOFA

SUMMIT

BOIRE

05 21 2022

E T K A*

DRIN *

INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Jean-François

Desaulniers Jean-François raised

in

Desaulniers

Montreal,

hospitality Camellia

and

Canada.

wine,

Sinensis

was

he

Tea

born

After

has

and

studying

worked

Lounge

for

(Montreal,

Quebec), Soif Bar à vin (Gatineau, Quebec) and Bellota Wine Bar (Melbourne, Australia).

In 2019 he won the Mixology category of Tea Masters Cup Canada.

In

the

pursuit

of

tea,

he

has

visited

China,

Taiwan and Japan, and today you can find him

in

Quebec

workshops

for

offering people

tea in

education the

and

hospitality

industry.

What's your first memory involving tea? I’m

riding

my

bicycle

in

the

streets

of

Montreal during spring 2015 — I’m going to Camellia Sinensis tea lounge for work. It’s a sunny day, a little windy, and the lilacs are budding

and

full

of

flowers.

From

that

moment, the smell of lilacs always reminded me

of

Taiwan

a —

high and

everyday life.

altitude tea

green

became

a

wulong colour

from in

my

What does a typical workday in the tea industry consist of for you? Being a seasonal worker, I always have a foot in the

industry

through

sporadic

events

and

one

foot in other projects (or in the outdoors).

However, a day usually starts with a meditation, the

selection

of

a

musical

ambiance

and

the

proper tea that matches that music (as well as the weather, the inner feeling of the moment, etc).

Some

kind

of

tea

pairing

with

the

particularity of the moment.

How much tea do you drink in a day? A

lot

(around

1-1.5

liters

a

day)

maybe

too

much, but less than before. I try to limit myself to 1 teapot and 1 gaiwan a day. After that limit, I feel appreciation decrease. I tend to drink less quantity but better quality.

What are you seeing in the market that excites you for tea? I’m under the impression that we’ve reached a through

Blais (musician - pianist). Those three gave me

education in Montreal. Even if pure loose leaf

so much through what they’ve written, said or

tea is still marginal and there is a lot of work to

played. Depending on the energy of the person,

do, more and more people are eager to learn

I would go for (1) a good Sheng Puer, with high

more about tea and pay for quality loose leaf.

Qi and good longevity (2) a really good quality

critical

number

of

enthusiasts

wulong That’s

exciting

because

it

opens

incredible

from

aromatics

Wuyi

and

with

touch

of

nice

tropical

toastiness

(3)

fruit an

possibilities (tea and cheese pairing, tea and

excellent Feng Huang (Dancong) with precision

chocolate

and balance between aromatics and bitterness

pairing,

tea

and

food

pairing,

tea

or (4) a high quality sencha with tons of umami

cocktails, cooking with tea etc).

on the first infusion and sharp bitterness on the

If you could drink tea with anyone - living or dead - who would it be and what tea would you serve?

subsequent one.

But generally speaking, I would say anyone with reasonable

I

would

say

Sylvain

Tesson

(writer)

Seguin (painter, writer) or Jean-Michel

or

Marc

to

high

appreciation

of

what

we

bring on the table is always good company for a cup of tea.

If you weren't in tea, what would you be doing?

How do you take your tea? Most

If

I

wasn’t

business...

in

tea,

I

meaning

would I

be

would

in

most

the

often,

in

a

gaiwan

(or

another

small

wine

vessel), and listening to music. It’s the best way

probably

in my perspective to understand the different

always be a bit tipsy. I could say tea saved my

components.

relationship with wine on a long-term scale.

What is the most interesting and unique experience you've had in your tea career?

What's your favourite fact about tea that surprises people?

The Sakurai Tea experience in Tokyo. This is a Everything (white, yellow, green, wulong, black,

high-end

aged)

terms of atmosphere, service and precision in

comes

from

the

same

bush,

the

same

experience,

the

tastes,

textures,

mouth

possibilities

feelings,

of

emotions,

add

a

little

supplement

for

a

during

in

experience there, I was asked if I was eager to

unlimited

point

best

gave

almost

some

far

every

to

At

by

leaf. But the co-evolution of humankind and tea birth

detail.

but

higher

my

quality

pairing. I tend to say tea is not only a drink, it’s

gyokuro. I say yes and that was one of the best

a world by itself.

decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

r th " a E er t t i B " ta i l k c o C

Jean-François

Desaulniers

presents

us

with

this

festive

cocktail

that offers a perfect balance between fruity, pleasantly acidic, a subtle bite of bitter and the rich earthy tones of aged tea.

Ingredients: 3 oz of Pu Er Sheng 2009 Badashan* chilled (recommend an 8hr cold infusion of 2.5g per 250ml water.

If you don’t have

time a hot infusion cooled on ice works).

¾

oz cranberry juice

2 oz kombucha Rise Hibiscus and Rose

½

oz Campari**

1 to 2 drops of fleur d’oranger

Preparation: Mix

all

ingredients

and

serve

on

ice

in

a

10oz

‘Highball’

glass.

Garnish with zeste of grapefruit or a slice of orange.

*JFD recommends the Pu Er Sheng 2009 Badashan for aromatic balance. Or, you could substitute with another Pu er with a strong earthy character.

** for an alcohol-free version , simply replace the Campari with a few drops of orange bitters.

Image by camellia-sinensis.com

Tea for Your Garden REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, REPLENISH, RESTORE By Karen Donnelly Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

Rallies,

conferences,

and

marches

the first Earth Day April 22, 1970.

marked Fifty-two

Can

using

re-steeped

tea

for

watering

or

spraying plants work as a natural and safe

years later, the importance of sustainability,

fertilizer?

organic gardening, and eating what’s grown

goodness?

Didn’t

we

just

drink

out

all

that

locally are still considered part of the basic principles in helping to care for our earth.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves contain lots of nitrogen

along

with is

needed

potassium.

in our everyday routines.

growth and there is more of this in tea leaves

could easily add reuse, replenish, and restore

than in most fertilizers.

to this daily practice.

the proper development of roots.

Whether it’s word of

for

and

We strive to include the practice of recycling As tea drinkers, we

Nitrogen

phosphorus,

leafy

Phosphorus helps in Potassium

mouth (“My roses just thrive!) or found in the

helps in plant growth and stress tolerance.

“Many Ways to Use Your Tea Leaves” books,

However, there is much debate over whether

we are told “don’t throw away your tea, just

raking spent tea leaves into the garden soil

toss it in the garden.”

or using them as mulch around the bottom of

spent

tea

leaves

So easy – but are

added

directly

to

the

garden or around the plants really effective?

the

plants

is

really

effective.

The

first

problem is the same as the human one when

we discuss the properties of tea – what kind

Here

of tea are we using, how strong, how much,

shrubs, vegetables, and herbs you might have

how often? The one thing we know for sure is

in your garden.

that

tea

makes

a

great

addition

are

just

a

few

acid

Outdoor:

Bleeding

Hearts,

Azalea/Rhododendron, What tea can directly affect is the Ph of the

Holly,

Dogwood,

Irises,

leaves or steeped tea. Knowing what Ph level

Broccoli,

Onions,

Spinach,

your plants will thrive in is very important. It is

Parsley,

Thyme,

Basil,

part

Oregano

soil’s

health

and

Hydrangea,

Gardenia,

Roses,

the

Tomatoes,

Pachysandra,

Blue

soil when used in large amounts, whether as

creating

flowers,

to

composting. More on that later.

of

loving

Potatoes,

Ferns,

Cabbage,

Winter

Sage,

Squash,

Rosemary,

balance. The measurement of Ph is from 014. Below 7 is acidic, above is alkaline, and 7

Indoor:

is neutral. It is harder for your plants to get

Violets, Ferns (except Maidenhair)

the nutrients it needs and to promote healthy

If you’re a green tea lover, your plants that

microbes

prefer a Ph of above 7 will thank you.

when

alkaline. below

Even

their

difference. maintain

the a

happy Testing

the

PH

Ph

point level is

Instant-read

test

are

too or

acid

two

can

easy

level

plants. kits

is

too

above

make

and

or

or

all

the

helps

you

that’s

best

for

probes

and

at-home

inexpensive

line and in nurseries.

and

available

your

on-

It’s also important to

Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis, African

Here are a few plants that prefer an alkaline soil.

Outdoor: Pink

Sunflowers,

Hydrangeas,

Poppies, Geraniums,

Dahlias,

Chrysanthemums,

Foxglove,

Chives,

know that the Ph changes with the type of

Tarragon

black tea 5-5.5, green tea 7-10, and herbal, 6-7. A good illustration is using

Indoor:

Marigolds,

Lemon

Daisies,

Day

Mint,

Lilies,

Marjoram,

tea:

Maidenhair Fern, Boston Ivy

black tea. Black tea is high in tannins and tannins lower the soil Ph. Acid loving plants

We

love

acid

leaves or teabags a day ready for a new life!

loving plants might not need daily servings of

Use those tea leaves as part of the building

tea directly applied around their base. After

blocks

Ph testing, you might find that a handful of

compost.

tea

this,

the

leaves

rest,

not

around

so

your

much.

Even

roses

at

tea

drinkers

needed

have

in

at

least

making

1-2

good,

cups

of

healthy

the

beginning of the season and halfway through

Composting

is

the

is just the amount they need. If your soil is

the breakdown of organic material into the

particularly alkaline, tea might be just right

wonderful,

added weekly or more.

ingredient of soil.

dark,

process

nutrient

of

speeding

rich,

up

organic

When shovels of compost

are

added

and

helps

to it

heavy

drain

clay

soil,

water.

In

it

lightens

sand,

it

it

helps

hold the water; and in loam enriches it and helps

add

used

up

micronutrients

back

in.

Compost is not a fertilizer, but what’s called a soil amendment. Its primary role is not to feed the plants, but to improve the soil so that plants can nourish themselves.

Whether

you

have

a

Victory

Garden,

rose

bushes in the front of the house, or big pots of herbs on the deck, you can compost. a

place

where

you

can

create

a

compost

heap, ideally by a water supply. gardens,

some

tumblers,

or

gardeners

build

use

3-sided

Find

For large

rotating

stalls

to

bin

collect

organic material and start the compost.

A

quick web search yields a surprising number of

ready-made

apartments) Choose

a

bins

to

in

make

size

all

this

and

sizes job

style

(even

even

you

for

easier.

can

easily

handle and for the size of your garden.

The

formula

parts

for

brown

straw,

composting

organic

leaves)

and

material

(weeds,

clippings,

tea

soil.

is

material 1

part

(wood

green

kitchen

leaves)

roughly

chips,

organic

waste,

layered

2-3

with

grass garden

Keep the pile damp, and each week,

turn it with a shovel or pitchfork to aerate it. The center should get warm, letting you know decomposition

is

happening.

The

nitrogen

and tannin in the tea accelerates this. Not warm?

It’s

important

to

make

sure

the

compost is kept damp. The microbes doing the

work

of

decomposition

need

water.

Some gardeners will throw tarps over open heaps during hot summer months. I used to use

old

blankets.

It

will

take

months to complete the process. complicated

and

it’s

very

about

4-6

It’s not

satisfying.

You

have helped reduce waste and enriched your garden’s soil.

A few things to remember about what you compost:

No meat, dairy, bones. These items attract

unwanted critters.

Use tea leaves, not the bags. The bags may not

break down, especially if there is some plastic in

production. Just cut the bag open and empty out

the tea leaves. Some gardeners feel the paper

bag does breakdown or is useful in mulching. The string, staple, and tag is removed before using.

Keep the compost heap damp while it does its

work. The outside may seem dry, the inside should

be damp. The weekly turning helps distribute the

moisture.

The end result should be dark, crumbly, and

They do like sun and good drainage but seem

sweet smelling like good earth.

to

have

better

flavour

with

slower

growth.

Keep them pruned by pinching off the new Once

the

garden

compost

in

planting.

the

is

spring

Throughout

ready,

add

before the

to

you

season,

your

top

culinary

are

growing

nice

dense

work

quickly. You can use these daily pinches for cups of tea. As you get to mid-season, you

herbs

compost

tea

for

drying

for

use

enough

when

the

leaves

growing

to

start

season

is

herbs in “Growing Your Own Herbal Tea” Sip,

not

Issue 4 (page. 10-11).

vegetables,

just

or

getting

Although they have a Ph preference, they are as

the

for

start

over. You will find tips on drying and storing

fussy

use

a

once.

as

use,

encourages

plant and keeps the herbs from flowering too

will you

This

start

compost into the soil.

If

growth.

shrubs,

flowers

when it comes to having a nutrient rich soil.

Compost Tea – Steeped or Brewed

Secondly, the bubbles work to draw out even more of the nutrients. Some bubblers float,

Many gardeners make compost tea to help

so start by taping them to the bottom of the

their gardens thrive.

bucket.

“tea”

Yes, you are making a

steeping

by

is

ready,

add

the

steeped compost tea is easy and there are

days. The water will be brown and pleasant

no

smelling, ready to use.

fast

rules

water.

water

stocking full of compost and let it run for 1-2

and

in

the

Making

hard

it

When

on

how

to

do

it.

Personal preference, experience, and time restrictions will guide you.

The simplest way

Not

a

gardener?I

bet

you

have

friends

or

to add 3-4 handfuls of finished compost to a

neighbours that are and would be happy to

large

help you recycle your discarded tea leaves.

bucket

and

fill

with

water.

Stir,

releasing the nutrients into the water.

Then

If

you

don’t

have

start

base

that are looking for clean, organic materials

plants.

This

method

is

great

when you have a limited supply of compost.

community

to

composting,

your

out

space

add the bucket contents directly around the of

check

a

gardens

for their compost heaps.

Letting the compost steep for several hours

References:

to a day helps release more nutrients.

History.Com Editors. “This Day in History: The First Earth Day”

History.com. November 24, 2009, updated April 20 2021

If

the

tea

is

to

be

used

for

indoor

plants,

then its easier to use if the tea is strained. This can be done simply by straining through a

screen

start

or

that

by

can

making be

a

“tea

bag”

at

the

Add

a

few

removed.

Lombardo, Lisa. (2021) Organic Gardening for Beginners, an

Eco-Friendly Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs.

Rockridge Press, Emeryville, CA.

Lugo, Catherine. (2018) 50 Things to Know About Home

Composting. CZYK Publishing.

handfuls

of

compost

to

the

center

of

square of burlap or a cut up old sheet. off

and

add

your

teabag

to

the

a Tie

bucket

of

Childs, Jim.

“Compost Tea” Garden Gate, May 28, 2021,

www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/how-to/water-

feed/compost-tea/

water.

Let

it

steep

overnight.

The

tea

is Prasennjit. “Are Tea Leaves and Tea Bags Good for The

then ready to water your plants.

Plants? How to Use Them in the Garden” Gardening-

abc.com/tea-leaves-for-gardening/

There

is

brewing

a

more

that

involved

takes

this

method

called

method

a

step

with Tea Leaves”

further by actively aerating the compost tea. You will need aquarium bubblers for the size of

your

Hammond, Aaron. “Tea Leaves in Your Garden: Composting

container

packaging);

(info

access

to

will

an

be

outlet;

on a

the large

container/bucket for the water; a sock or old

April 25, 2013.

www.eliteabar.com/blogs/culture/7764429-tea-leaves-in-

your-garden-composting-with-tea-leaves.

Planet Natural. “It’s More Than Dirt!” March 5, 2022 Planet

Natural Research

Center.www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/soil-

science/what-is-compost/

nylon stocking; and compost.

Bubblers are

simply air tubes attached at one end to air stones

that

release

the

bubbles

and

the

Searle, Lucy. “Using Tea Leaves in the Garden” March 16,

2021. www.homesandgardens.com/advice/using-tea-leaves-

in-the-garden.com

other end to a power box, easily found in pet shops

and

online.

The

bubblers

do

two

SF Gate Contributor. “Is There Any Good to Adding Tea

Leaves to a Garden?” October 22, 2020.

things. several

First, hours

by

aerating

before

the

brewing,

water

much

chlorine in the water will be cleared.

of

for

www.Homeguides.sfgate.com

the Jordon, Aisha. “How to Use Tea Leaves in Your Garden (and

When You Shouldn’t)” May 20, 2021. www.LifeHacker.com

VERY,

VERY FINE

INDEED by Theresa Lemieux Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

Have you tried microground tea yet? If you

have,

use,

you

delivers

know

that

intense

it’s

easy

to

and

is

flavour,

incredibly versatile. If you haven’t tried it yet, this is your chance to get ahead of

the

trend.

Microground

tea

isn’t

commonly used or even known all that well—yet. here

in

But

I’m

Canada,

willing

to

bet

microground

that

tea

is

going to be the next big thing.

What

is

it?

Microground

tea—also

known as tea powder, superfine latte blend, same

and thing

tea as

espresso—is instant

tea

not

the

(which

is

made from brewed tea). Also, it’s not always tea.

Like

matcha,

microground

tea

is

a

superfine powder, meant for dissolving into

liquid,

powder.

like Like

you

would

cocoa

cocoa powder,

microground tea is often made in milk, and is easiest made into a paste first. It makes for a much quicker tea latte than steeping extra strong tea to add

to

your

milk.

Nor

is

it

as

not

as

messy

as

involve

ingredients

other

than

tea.

“Hammer

extracting tea bags from a simmering pot. And

mills are used for spices with high oil content

it

like

such as cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Milling

is

machines (similar to grinders) are used for black

makes

matcha

for or

a

much

cocoa,

stronger the

cup,

actual

since,

tea

leaf

dispersed into your liquid base of choice.

teas,

green

teas

and

ingredients

with

low

moisture and oil content. The ingredients then For a little more detail, I asked Dave O’Conner

undergo a thorough sifting process.”

of Genuine Tea how matcha is made. The dried leaf

is

slowly

stone

specifications

matcha

10-16

(A

microns.

metre,

also

ground

to

Japanese

The use of the term matcha to refer to drinks

-

made

specifications

micron

represented

is

one as

around

millionth

1/1000

of

mm

a or

with

botanicals

rather

than

tea

has

always been a bugbear for true-tea lovers. And it

can

feel

a

touch

painstaking

matcha, which is a highly cherished, traditional

There

are

other

subtle

differences, though.

goes

into

the

4

microns.

that

to

1/25,000 of an inch.) Real matcha is ground to -16

effort

disrespectful

making

Japanese delicacy. But this imprecise use of the word

has

been

a

handy

shortcut

to

the

Real matcha does not require sifting, as Marina

consumer’s imagination. It has been borrowed

Porter

to create products like red matcha (hibiscus),

supple,

of

Sloane

Tea

shade-grown

points

out,

leaves

are

since

the

deveined

pink

matcha

(dragonfruit)

and

blue

matcha

before being ground into tencha. But a product

(butterfly pea flower). But those same products,

like microground masala chai will necessarily

referred to as microground teas, are just as

easy for tea lovers to understand. And easily avoids the casual cultural appropriation.

Is it any less inaccurate to refer to powdered plants other

than

Camellia

sinensis

as

microground

tea?

Technically, no, but it’s long been common parlance.

“It

stems

from

referring tea

as

to

the

any

“tea”.

fact

hot

For

that

we

beverage

example,

are

that

accustomed

we

consume

peppermint

tea

to like

is

not

technically tea, but we consume it as a hot beverage and so we often refer to it as “peppermint tea”. If you take our Blonde Chai, it features ingredients that in non-ground form, would be very similar to our Ginger Turmeric tea,” according to Johanna Martin, Director of Marketing for Tealish.

And indeed, Blonde Chai, also known as a Golden Milk latte or Tumeric Golden Latte, is one of the original non-tea making

microground some

teas.

innovative

Tea

blends.

vendors While

the

are

also

dominant

microground teas are a classic Earl Grey or masala chai,

there

available

are

now.

some Tea

very

tempting

Squared

offers

new

tea

lattes

Vanilla-Almond

Matcha Latte, Decadent Chocolate Chai Matcha and everyone’s

seasonal

favourite,

Pumpkin

Spice

Chai

Latte. Frank Weber, owner of Tea Squared, offers both unsweetened and sweetened microground tea blends to

allow

for

personal

choice.

“Let

the

consumer

decide.”

At Sloane, they take the same approach. “When we created our microground teas, it was important to us that we ensure the authenticity of its true flavour. Tea lattes made

[

in

coffeeshops]

syrups

adjusted.

We

completely forefront.”

and

the

made

sugar Both

are

sweetness

sure

free

often

so

that

our

that

companies

sell

the

made level

from cannot

microground flavour

their

pre-

teas

is

be was

at

direct

the to

consumers and to restaurants. But many coffee shops make

a

tea

latte

with

an

intensely

sweet

syrup,

meaning that the flavour of the tea is in competition with sugar to dominate your taste buds.

For Sameer Mohamed of Fahrenheit Coffee,

microground beverages, with focus on plant-

the use of microground teas makes his tea

powered benefits as adaptogenic herbs and

lattes stand out among the crowd. “They are

nootropics become more and more popular.”

unique. Not many shops do ground-tea chai or London Fogs. It also allows us to create

The

great latte art in the beverages.” It’s also a

intersection with microground tea. Landish is

product that requires little tea knowledge to

a

make: just whisk and stir. So whether you are

powders and powdered greens along with a

skilled

line of latte mixes. Their Lion’s Mane Matcha

artisans,

like

the

staff

at

Fahrenheit

wellness

Canadian

Mix

market

has

company

mingles

already

that

offers

protein

Latte

microground makes a more hearty, flavourful

with matcha, water lentils and coconut milk

drink.

powder.

Maca

Mane

an

Coffee, or want to make a tea latte at home,

The

Lion’s

found

Mate

mushrooms

Beet

Latte

Mix

contains organic yerba mate extract, organic Frank

agrees

that

it’s

a

product

that

fermented

maca

root,

cordyceps

mushroom

deserves a more prominent place in coffee

and “upcycled” beetroot. There is no tea in

shops—and in restaurants. “It’s a great item

the Reishi Chaga Chai Latte Mix, but there is

for coffee shops,” he says, “but it’s still not

a good dose of ashwagandha root, which is

something

often used as a healing “tea,” and appealing

that

restauranteurs

are

capitalizing on. Just like in the early days of

for

loose-leaf

tea,

it

awareness.

But

they

took are

those

avoid

caffeine.

If

build

Canadian tea companies wish to keep pace,

starting

to

catch

they may wish to make a few more blends that feature such nutrient-dense plants and

Katrin

in

the

Distillery

District

is

now

carrying a chocolate chai from Tea Squared, which can be had with a shot of rum for a big finale to dinner. “If the consumer is the same

person,

why

wouldn’t

you

be

able

to

sell them that product in a restaurant after dinner? Especially when so many restaurants don’t

have

the

great

offerings

when

it

comes to tea.”

At

to

to

fungi.

still

prefer

time

on.”

El

who

Tealish

on

Peppermint

Roncesvalles

Matcha

in

Green

Toronto,

Tea

is

a

their local

favourite from winter into spring, especially when

made

with

honey

and

steamed

milk.

“Our Turmeric Chai Black Tea powder makes an amazing chai latte but is also perfect in a protein

packed

smoothie,”

says

Johanna

Martin, Director of Marketing.

What

does

she

see

for

the

future?

predict you'll be seeing a lot more herbal

“We

Why is Canada braced to be a great host-

Beetroot and butterfly pea powder are both

nation

The

use to colour pie dough, for those who want

weather. We drink more hot tea. In the US,

to avoid the chemicals in artificial dyes. (It’s

iced tea is so much more common, except in

also much less work than massaging a fat-

the northern part of the country. And while in

soluble dye into the butter, lard or vegetable

theory you can pop some microground into a

shorting.)

glass

brown

nicer in a tea cake than loose tea leaves; the

water is not pleasant to behold, and the tea

flavour is more even, and there are no chewy

will

or

for

of

this

water,

eventually

glass

up-and-coming

(like

however,

the

settle

matcha is

resulting

a

at

or

fine

the

murky

bottom

cocoa). place

trend?

A

to

of

the

smoothie, add

bitter

And

microground

leaves

lodged

tea

in

is

your

so

much

tender,

buttery crumb.

some

microground tea, as is hot chocolate. There

Microgorund

are fewer treats as lovely on a cold day as

flavour. In the past, I made my Banana Chai

an

the

Cheesecake recipe with pan-toasted, hand-

intensity of the tea meets that of the cocoa

ground spices and tea leaves. Now I just add

powder. And if you’re in a rush, a protein-

microground masala chai. Shortcut, anyone?

enhanced tea latte works well as breakfast.

And

Earl

Grey

hot

chocolate

where

just

tea

also

offers

imagine…Earl

Grey

a

quick

hit

of

Cheesecake.

Can you taste it already? There

are

product,

culinary

too.

embraced

by

uses

for

Microground pastry

this

teas

chefs,

adaptable are

joyfully

sometimes

their flavour, sometimes for their colour.

for

Don’t

forget

Butterfly

pea

cocktails flower

and

mocktails!

microground

is

often

used to colour drinks blue or purple. Not as

visually

appealing,

microground

Earl

Grey

My favourite way to use microground tea is

makes a thick, heavy simple syrup for a tasty

to

tea-twist on a White Russian, especially with

below. I make my cheesecake in jars with a

Canadian

sous

vodka;

I

call

it

an

Earl

Gray

in

add

it

to

vide

crème

device,

although

tea.

can add microground Earl Grey to your own

Not the prettiest looking concoction to have

recipe, although I challenge you to find one

in your fridge, I’ll admit, but it is delightfully

better

easy,

was given to me by the incredibly talented

and

perks

up

my

with

bagged

morning

yoghurt

as

well, especially when adorned with chopped

than

this.

The

in

the

provided

potent

made

it

I’ve

recipe

instructions

when

making

the

Niagara. The Earl Grey simple syrup far more than

for

brulée—see

original

oven.

crème

You

brulée

chef Brent Leitch.

kumquats raw or roasted.

Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

If using the oven, fill the kettle and set it to boil. Set ramekins into a shallow tray and fill. When the water is boiled, place the tray in the

Special equipment:

oven. then fill the tray with water until it comes

Kitchen torch

halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for

sous vide device

40

mason jars, 125 or 250 ml

middle.

minutes

Cool

OR

or

mason

until

jars

(Or

in

pop

just

an

barely

ice

them

set

bath

in

the

until

outside

in

fully

ramekins

chilled.

chilly

shallow rimmed baking tray

November!) At this point, they will keep for a few days.

Ingredients:

When

ready

serve,

top

sprinkle

Blow-torch

3g salt (1/4 tsp)

Let

10g microground Earl Grey tea (2 tsp)

adding garnishes. Serve immediately.

top

topping

a

until

set

for

thin

the

90g sugar

the

with

remove

160g egg yolk (approximately 11 yolks)

the

the

to

layer

deeply two

lid of

and

sugar.

caramelized.

minutes

before

600 ml 35% cream

Notes:

1 vanilla pod, optional

If you don't have a kitchen torch, maple syrup

Sugar for topping, as needed

with a few flakes of sea salt makes a lovely

Directions:

topping.

Or

heat

If using an oven, heat to 150°C (300°F).

with a splash of orange liqueur.

Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt.

If you’re nervous about using a blow torch, it

cream

gently tea

in

and

a

small

seeds

out,

possibly

pot

with

just requires a little practice.

scraped

from

Warning:

Use

of

a

syrup

non-kitchen

in

Grey

marmalade

thinned

simple

Earl

bath to 80°C (176°F).

microground

or

some

microground

Heat

tea

up

If using a sous vide machine, heat your water

orange

thinned

torch

out

can

vanilla pod, if using. Heat to 70°C (158°F).

shatter the glass jars.

Slowly temper cream into egg mixture.

Chocolate Earl Grey Crème Brûlée: Add 20g

Use a fine mesh sieve to strain mixture into a

or 4 tsp natural cocoa powder to the cream

large

measuring

mason

jars,

cup,

stopping

then

slowly

approximately

pour

into

with the microground tea. The combination is

1cm

from

divine! The tea lends the cocoa and cream a

the top. Seal

jars

malted flavour. Chocolate sauce with makes a fingertip

tight.

Carefully

place

into

the water bath using tongs. Cook for 1 hour.

wonderful

topping.

Top

with

grated

orange

zest to candied orange peel for a little colour.

YIXING TEAPOTS: A MOMENT IN TIME by Natalia Nahon

Tea is a fascinating world. That’s something you probably

Certified TAC

already

Tea Sommelier® Professional

complexities of a seemingly simple industry. An industry

know.

As

tea

lovers,

we

are

well

aware

of

the

that is also not very well known by outsiders.

These rather unknown complexities seep into a broader universe

that

surrounds

tea

itself.

Like

the

planets

that

orbit around the Sun, teapots are part of the tea system and a world of their own.

Yixing teapots are a big part of this world that revolves around tea, and can be looked at through many different lenses. They can be a design reference, a piece of history, or just a great vessel to steep a delicious cup of tea.

But what makes them so unique? And why are we still so enchanted by them?

Yixing teapots have been around for a long

Something

time.

of

They

specifically

were to

the

brew

first

tea,

vessel

and

made

became

very

the

of

value

Ming

believed

especially

Dynasty

the

like

atmosphere

which

he

tea

was

tranquil.

The

“tea savoring atmosphere” was as important

Ming

as the savouring itself because it allowed for

sold

compressed

in

full

integration

and

–

drunk

was

natural

in

Quan

Their popularity was not random. Prior to the tea

be

Zhu

members

popular during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Dynasty,

should

for

tea bricks, and also ground into powder for

a

between

nature

and

consumption.

humans, creating a high degree of harmony between the two.

This way of preparing tea was more difficult and

expensive.

Transitioning

from

Tea’s naturalistic period, that extended into

compressed tea to loose leaves made for a

the

simple

tea-drinking

design

meant

developing

experience, new

which

brewing

also

methods.

Qing

Dynasty,

and

Rapidly

was

material

of

becoming

reflected the

the

Yixing

on

the

teapots.

favourite

brewing

Innovation during this time allowed tea to be

vessel among scholars at the time. Their

accessible to the masses and not only to the

popularity extended to Europe, they arrived

rich.

to the continent in the 17th century alongside the first tea shipment.

The exuberance and elitism that was once so inherent to tea, due to different factors, but

Four centuries later, they remain one of the

mostly its preparation and consumption, was

most desired teapots by tea aficionados. But

now gone. This new approach to brewing tea

they

mirrors

family

the

naturalistic

ideals

that

were

also

represent

heirloom

a

valuable

that’s

piece

passed

of

through

prominent during this time. The now desired

generations, and in modern times, they have

simplicity,

even been the subject of different scientific

utensils

which

for

removed

making

tea,

all

non-essential

permitted

a

more

integral experience between the tea drinker

studies

and

scholar

papers

due

to

their

popularity and performance.

and its surroundings. There

are

a

lot

of

reasons

why

their

relevance has endured, and the main one is the

material

it’s

made

from.

Yixing

purple-

sand clay or zisha has existed since Neolithic times, and its use has been traced back to the

Song

Dynasty

(960-1279).

It

is

found

in

Yixing, a city located in the Jiangsu province in China. Their rich clay deposits along with the

outstanding

inhabitants,

led

pottery Yixing

mastery to

be

of

their

named

the

“Pottery Capital.”

Unlike other materials that are used to make teapots

and

properties

that

pottery,

zisha

enhance

the

has

specific

flavour

of

the

tea. One of which is its mineral content, and another, the porosity of the clay.

Yixing clay has a high iron content, is rich in

Keeping high heated temperatures is a great

quartz,

asset

that

know,

not

other

mica,

kaolin,

minerals.

maintain

the

and

These

hematite

among

components

infusion’s

help

temperature

for

some all

might

teas

frown

are

upon.

created

As

equal

you and

therefore not all of them are steeped at the

longer and gives the teapot a rough texture

same

that’s responsible for its durability.

of

temperature.

this

teapot

However,

also

lies

the

within

greatness its

hidden

qualities that might not seem too obvious at They also give the clay a breathable quality. The

pores

compounds

absorb and

the

natural

tea’s oils

first glance.

aroma

that

are

Yixing

teapots

released when it is in contact with hot water.

standards,

After

become

continued

accumulate

use,

like

these

compounds

sediments

on

the

will

teapot

are

small

especially

accustomed

for

nowadays to

Western

that

particularly

we’ve bigger

beverage sizes. And yet, they prevent over-

walls, enhancing the flavours and aromas of

steeping.

Using

this

teapot

will

not

only

the next brew.

prevent your tea from cooling down quickly, it will also prevent it from creating bitterness

The

particularity

of

this

clay

is

that

its

and

undesirable

flavors

that

happen

when

porosity doesn’t only absorb the aromas and

leaves are left to steep on larger pots for too

flavours, a quality that can be found in other

long. As a result, a hot and fresh cup of tea

porous

will always be in order.

materials,

but

it

also

releases

them

when the process is repeated. Along with the heat,

the

aroma

gives

an

extra

and

layer

flavour of

intensification

complexity

to

infusion that no other vessel can provide.

the

Improved brewing techniques were reflected in its design as well. A handmade yixing has a well fitted lid that creates an almost

perfectly retained

sealed by

the

chamber material

where

and

heat

can’t

is

escape

be inconsistent, resulting in different flavours “masking” each other.

through the lid. More There

is

a

big

difference

between

a

handmade,

or

in

performance

half

hand-made

delicate

teas

like

white,

yellow

and

lighter greens are not meant to be steeped in

high

temperatures

them, it’s better to use a yixing that is flat-

on

the

design

want

example, a machine-made lid will rattle and

so that it will conduct the heat and allow it

they usually have a shiny surface that doesn’t

to

match the rough texture that’s typical of this

partially oxidized teas like black, pu-erh and

rich clay.

oolong are the best fit for this teapot.

There are a few other physical elements that

However,

indicate

recommendations

this

even

further,

but

the

most

it’s

a

bit

and

with

bottommed,

down

shaped

experiment

and material that is used to make them. For

cool

round

to

of

differences

spotted

you

periods

time.

be

if

long

yixing, from a machine-made one. And these can

So

for

faster.

important are

to

thin-walled

Using

fully

remember

great,

but

the

or

that most

obvious telltale sign is its price. I know this is

important thing is that you use your teapot

something we hear a lot in many industries,

and experiment with it. Yixing teapots should

but

mirror your own personal preferences. After

in

this

case

getting

a

cheaper

one

doesn’t mean you are getting a bargain.

all, they are the only vessel that can work as a flavour time machine.

Lesser that

quality

are

replicas

non-food

could

grade

use

and

materials

potentially

hazardous. They also defeat the purpose of buying

one,

as

the

clay

that

was

used

to

make them will be far too light or simply not provide

any

of

the

aforementioned

References: Yixing Clay Tea Pots : https://verdanttea.com/yixing-clay-

tea-pot-introduction

The Development History Of The Chinese Tea Ceremony -

Ming Dynast: https://www.umiteasets.com/blogs/umi-tea-

sets-blog/the-development-history-of-the-chinese-tea-

properties.

ceremony-ming-

dynasty#:~:text=Before%20the%20Ming%20Dynasty%2C%20

Even so, unless you inherit a well-seasoned Yixing

teapot,

flavour

is

And

with

by

the

using

that,

only it

one

way

over

to

and

of

the

is

what

build

over

most

up

again.

common

Chinese,Tea'%20are%20both%20Hake%20teas.

Tea notes - Daoist Tea book by Ming Dynasty: https://liu-

tea-art.com/2019/10/28/ming-dynasty-tea-book-partial/ A Quick Guide to Yixing Teapots:

https://senchateabar.com/blogs/blog/yixing-

questions

that

arises

types

of

teas

can be steeped in it?

teapot#:~:text=Yixing%20clay%20was%20first%20mined,bec ame%20famous%20among%20everyday%20individuals.

The Short Story of Yixing teapots:

There is a lot of information about this topic that

goes

beyond

tea

types.

Some

of

https://www.authenticyixing.com/history/

the

more conventional recommendations are to

Introduction to Yixing Zisha Clay Pots:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-I9oGLslOo

reserve one teapot for a specific tea type or flavour profile. The reasoning behind this, is

The Yixing Teapot – History And Customs:

https://www.chineseantiques.co.uk/the-yixing-teapot-

that when you mix teas, you are creating an undesirable

effect

in

future

brews

as

the

taste that slips into the pores of the pot will

history-and-customs/

TEA SOMMELIER COURSES

WHAT IS A

TEA SOMMELIER?

A

trained

who

has

Herbal

and

knowledgeable

successfully

Association

examination,

as

a

tea

completed

of

professional

the

Canada’s

result,

is

well

Tea

and

certification versed

on

all

aspects of tea as it affects the consumer. He or she will have a thorough understanding of tea and its

history,

processing

methods

and

preparation

and will be able to interact easily with anyone on the

subject

based

on

of

tea

their

and

needs

in

make an

recommendations

approachable

and

easy manner.

WHERE ARE

COURSES OFFERED? Students can take the program in person through Tea

&

Herbal

Association

of

Canada

(Toronto

&

Vancouver), through Cambridge Tea Academy (UK). As

well,

courses

are

available

online

through

the

Academy of Tea, L’École Française du Thé et des Tisanes in French, ProTea Academy in Italian and Escuela Mexicana de Té in Spanish.

LEARN MORE AT

TEASOMMELIER.COM

at

c s

TEA 101: Introduction to Tea

TEA 102: Regions Of The World

This course will provide an introduction

Students

will

on the history of the origin of tea. You

principal

tea-growing

will learn how to differentiate the types

world.

Develop

of

understanding of tea – its evolution and

as

well

as

the

tea

grading

standards used in the industry.

its

influence

on

in

detail

regions

a

of

the the

fundamental

culture

and

world

events.

TEA 103: Tea Sensory Development

TEA 104: Tea Types

This course covers how we taste – what

This course will cover the types of teas

do we rely on – what errors should we

produced in different regions/countries

be

in

aware

of.

The

tea

taster’s

the

world.

Tasting

and

style

vocabulary will be covered as well as

comparisons will be a major component

tastings

of this section.

of

various

products

such

as

chocolate, water, etc. to identify and fully understand the science of taste.

TEA 105: From The Bush To The Cup

TEA 106: Preparation, Consumption & Health

This course is designed to introduce the student

to

advanced

processing

practices

cultivation used

and

in

the

production of tea

This

course

provides

the

current

information available as it relates to tea consumption.

Use

the

skills

gained

in

previous classes to prepare the perfect cup of tea.

TEA 107: Menu Design, Food Pairing & Cooking With Tea Explore

the

various

nuances

TEA 108: The Business of Tea of

using

tea as an ingredient – cooking, baking,

Learn

cocktails

make up the tea industry – commodity

etc.

In

this

course,

you

will

about

and

the

various

auctions,

layers

packers

that

understand the principals behind using

trader

and

tea beyond its traditional uses as well

retailers. Who are they, what do they do

as how to pair tea with food and create

and what are the challenges faced in

the perfect tea menu.

each sector.

TEA SOMMELIER COURSES

tea

examine

t s a f k a e r b B Y

S H A B N A M

W E B E R

Oats always sound old fashioned to me. No surprise really, as

they are after all, the

oldest grains we know, tracing their history back to the Egyptians. But there's a reason a

grain

that's

been

around

that

long,

remains a favourite.

I love oats because of its versatility. Cold overnight oats, warm stovetop oats or oats sprinkled

over

my

yogurt,

I

know

I'll

be

satiated for the morning and have started my day off right.

STAO

Overnight Cinnamon Earl Grey

Oats with Rooibos Berry Compote What you'll need:

1/3

cup

What you'll do:

prepared

Earl

Grey

tea

(strongly brewed) 1/3

cup

oats

-

Combine ingredients for overnight oats in a bowl. Pour into a sealable container, cover

any

kind

you

prefer

and refrigerate overnight.

except steel cut 1/3 cup milk of your choice

FOR TOPPING:

1/3 tsp cinnamon 1/3 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in pot over medium

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

heat. Allow mixture to cook until liquid has reduced and berries are soft.

TO TOP: Serve 1 cup berries (combine some favourites or choose just one) 1 /2 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 1/4

cup

brewed)

prepared

Rooibos

(strongly

oats.

berrycompote

warm

or

cold

over

Hoji-Cha Tahini Banana Porridge What you'll need:

300 ml brewed Hoji-Cha 1 tbsp tahini 150 ml milk of your choice 1 cup oats 1/2 tsp cinnamon banana

What you'll do:

Mix

tahini

brewed

in

Hoji

a

small

Cha.

bowl

with

Combine

1

tbsp

oats,

milk,

tahini mixture, brewed tea and cinnamon in a pot. Cut in banana and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat when oats have become creamy and thickened.

Serve with chopped bananas and nuts (if desired).

EGGS

Eggs have had a good for you, bad for you, good for you again kind of run over the years. The truth is, eggs are truly good for you. They're a great source of protein and vitamins - yes both the yolks and the whites. They can

ofcourse

breakfast, they're

a

but

be I

a

quick

must

admit

weekend

choice

for

me as the next two recipes will show.

What you'll do:

3 tsp Pu-Ehr tea

Make ahead:

1/2 cup heavy cream

Place tea with heavy cream and milk in a

1/3 cup milk

saucepan

10 eggs

Remove from heat and allow to steep for 15

6 slices thick bacon, chopped

minutes. Strain out tea leaves.

and

bring

to

a

gentle

simmer.

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 cup mushrooms chopped

Preheat oven to 400F.

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 1

cup

cheese,

jarlsberg)

grated

(cheedar

or

In

a

bowl

whisk

eggs

with

infused

cream/milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a heavy, oven proof skillet, fry bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet onto a plate and drain all but 2tbsp of oil. Add onions to hot skillet

and

mushrooms

fry

until

and

translucent.

rosemary.

Cook

Add until

mushrooms are golden and softened. Add back

in

onions.

shredded

Add

cheese.

in

Allow

egg to

mixture cook

on

and the

stove for 4 minutes - do not stir. Gently place

skillet

in

oven

and

minutes or until eggs are set.

cook

for

30

PU-EHR BACON

MUSHROOM FRITTATA

What you'll need:

What you'll need:

1/2 cup steeped Lapsang Souchong tea 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 6 large eggs salt and pepper, to taste 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped

What you'll do:

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil. Add chopped bell pepper and onion and cook until

onion

steeped

becomes

tea,

paprika,

translucent. chili

Add

powder

and

tomatoes. Break down the tomatoes in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the temperature and allow sauce to simmer gently allowing all the flavours to combine and for your liquid to reduce and sauce has thickened

a

thick

you

but

little.

You

also

don't

want

don't

need

the

sauce

it

too

want

the

sauce to be runny. Make

small

nests

in

with

your

spoon crack the eggs into each nest. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. Garnish with chopped parsley.

LAPSANG SHAKSHUKA

Of course no breakfast is complete without a cup, or better yet, pot of tea. I think the type you choose depends a lot on what you grew up with. Although I enjoy all categories of tea at different times of day, my go to morning choice is always black.

You could add a new element to your breakfast routine and match the recipes here with the tea they're infused with. That truly is the easiest and most effective tea and food pairing you could make.

AET

SFAOL

Breakfast

loafs

are

my

go

to.

They're easy to make and ready to grab in the morning. There are great sweet breakfast loaf options

and

delicious

savoury

ones as well.

If

loafs

aren't

your

thing,

you

could take any of these recipes and pour it into a muffin pan instead.

In

case

you

need

to

make your morning even easier!

What you'll need:

What you'll do:

3 tsp or 2 teabags Chai tea

MAKE AHEAD:

2 to 3 medium bananas - overripe

Combine

1/3 cup butter

melt. Remove from heat and allow tea to steep

1/2 tsp baking soda

for 8 minutes. Strain out tea.

tea

and

butter

in

a

saucepan

and

1 pinch salt 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 4 x 8-

1 large egg, beaten

inch loaf pan.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour

In a mixing bowl, mash banana until smooth.

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir melted butter into mashed bananas. Add in baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg,

vanilla

and

chocolate

chips.

Mix

in

the

flour.

CHOCOLATE CHAI

BANANA

BREAD

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake

for

50

minutes

to

1

hour,

or

until

a

toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let

cool

in

the

pan

for

a

few

minutes.

Then

remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren't crumbly.)

What you'll do:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl sift together matcha, flour, baking

soda,

baking

powder,

and

salt.

In

a

stand mixer combine butter and sugar and beat until

creamy

1-2

minutes.

Add

in

the

eggs,

vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and sour cream and mix until combined. Add in the flour and mix until fully combined. Spread the batter evenly into your loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until

golden

brown

and

toothpick

inserted

comes clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

GINGER LEMON GLAZE:

What you'll need:

1 tbsp Matcha 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder pinch of salt 1/2 cup butter softened 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla Juice of one lemon zest from one lemon 1/3 cup sour cream Lemon Glaze: 1

tbsp

or

1

teabag

Lemon

Ginger

herbal tea 1 cup powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup milk (you will only use a few tablespoons)

MATCHA GINGER

LEMON LOAF

MAKE AHEAD: Combine tea with milk in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.

Allow to

steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea and allow to chill.

In a small bowl add the powdered sugar, lemon juice

and

milk.

Add

in

the

steeped

milk

1

tablespoon at a time until it reaches creamy and slightly runny consistency. Spread on top of cooled bread.

Cheers to 70 Years! By Adi Baker

2022 is Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum

and

Jubilee,

in

throughout the year, the majority of

the

the Diamond Jubilee festivities will be

Commonwealth.

held over four days from June 2 – 5,

reign

marking

of

segamI AP/eriW AP/gniK bocaJ :tiderC otohP

Realms

the and

her

United the

70th

year

Kingdom,

there

Looking back through previous British

2022.

monarchs,

learning

celebrate

she this

is

the

specific

first

to

jubilee.

The

If

will

you

more

be

are

about

celebrations

interested the

variety

in of

events visit royal.uk/platinumjubilee.

next closest was Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years, 216 days (1837–

With

many

1901).

tea,

and

Majesty, While

the

exact

anniversary

coronation was February 6th,

of

her

facts.

strong in

here

associations

celebration are

some

of

with Her

interesting

Queen

Elizabeth

enjoyed

her

first

II

would

cup

of

have tea

in

Canada during her visit, as princess, in 1921 and as the Queen in 1957.

Official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II before the start of her 1959 tour of the U.S. and Canada as Queen of Canada.

T h e re

is

a

va

er ma after h E li z a b

eth",

ri e t a l

of

tea

ro s e s

ll e d It is c a je s t y .

"Quee

E li z a b Queen

n

of

se" eth Ro

These roses get their name from the way that they smell - like a freshly opened package of black tea.

named

uee the "Q

E n g la n

d"

or

n

"The

The

Royal

historically

Collection important

Trust

is

artifacts

responsible across

for

numerous

royal properties. From utilitarian items to works of

art,

the

trust

preserves

and

curates

the

collections that tell the story of royal history.

Miniature Twinings Tea crate in the Royal Collection. It was made for Queen Mary's dollhouse (1924). It measures 4.3 x 5.2 x 4.5 cm. st al Collection Tru Photo Credit: Roy

host

s

ra seve

l

gard

en

f ce o Pala e h r t the ce o at ear Pala o th ry y m e v a ld s E h e g h n re ucki ts a all at B even ies t . Sm r e a s p e blic h u T p se. the hou of ith rood t w y and l e o e H s m e h wic may is en sand tea r Que e g e n hat h t t fi g , in kies show coo Thus s, e . k d a e c erv re s ea a t e ll. rs or a cou tor f c e n con eat a gr Que

en

Afternoon tea is a fo rmal occasion. When invited it is expected that guests dre ss in semi-formal attire.

&

INFUSIONS Whether pursuing a career in the retail or hospitality industry or enhancing your enjoyment of tea, this program looks at the historical origin of herbs and spices as they are used in tea. HI-101: INTRODUCTION TO HERBS & INFUSIONS (4 WEEK COURSE) HI-102: HERBAL PROCESSING & COMMON HERBS IN TEA (5 WEEK COURSE)

REGISTER AT TEA.CA

ONLINE COURSES

HERBS

Located Blooms and

in is

Halifax,

a

social

youth

Nova

driven

enterprise.

Scotia,

registered

It

engages

Hope charity

youth

in

Within

the

context

of

long-term

impact

for

generational change, youth join Hope Blooms at the age of 5, and graduate when they are

marginalized communities in actualizing their

18

full

yearly renewed scholarship from 100% of the

potential,

change

in

bright

their

inclusion,

create in

stewardship.

Since

building

experiential youth-

security,

social

and

environmental

dressing they

gave

which

social

time

they

enterprise

$36,000

in

receive

sales.

a

Last

scholarships

to

their graduating youth!

Hope

Blooms

has

found

that

when

people

provided a space for youth in Halifax’s inner

the communities in which they live, the social

city to grow their own food and provide food

determinants

gardens

impacted;

collaboratively the-grid

culinary

kitchen

training,

celebrations, enterprises

place.

an

250

and

and

hot

and

and

food

youth

dressing,

cocoa)

of

health

particularly

are

directly

education,

food

off-

security, social inclusion, and social support

a

networks. They have created a social impact

where

environment where people, regardless of age

suppers,

or socio-economic status, can work together

operate hub

community the

(salad

families;

award-winning

greenhouse;

commercial

scrubs,

build

Blooms

year

at

come together to create a positive impact in

over

Hope

salad

old

has

for

2008,

of

innovative

food

education,

agents

and

through

They

impact

positive

communities,

futures

education. driven

becoming

years

lead

social

teas,

body

production

takes

to

build

capacity,

employment community.

while

friendship, giving

inclusion, back

to

and the

s l r i G a e T e h T

After seeing a story about the Hope Bloom's "Tea

Girls"

on

Global

News,

THAC

had

a

chance to speak to the organization to learn more about this amazing initiative.

Who are the "Tea Girls"? Our tea girls are some of our Hope Blooms participants. They start at Hope Blooms while they are in grade 4 amd stay until grade 12. After years in the garden and learning about leadership,

changemaking,

and

businesses

(they all have to start little businesses for the summer in the first levels). They go to level 3: Starting their own Social Enterprise. The tea girls are 5 social entrepreneurs in grade 7. They

make

decisions,

all

the

as

design

well

the

and

marketing

production

and

packaging of the tea!

Why did you fundraiser?

choose

tea

for

your

What is special about your tea blends? All

the

three It’s not a fundraiser, it is a social enterprise. They

do

this

products

year-round

in

local

and

farmers

already

have

markets

and

boutiques. The social entrepreneurs give part of their profits back to the community where they grew up, the Uniacke Square. Right now the

funds

are

going

to

a

Music

Studio

for

kids in the community.

ingredients

times

hibiscus

the

coming

are

fair from

organic!

trade a

We

price

female

paid

for

led

our

farm

in

Senegal. We want to empower our girls by supporting

other

women.

We

get

our

blueberries from Nova Scotia organics, and we

dry

the

tea

in

our

Global

kitchen

for

social change. All the production is in house by our girls. There is a culture of love and care in our space, teaching them that work can be fun and that your growth can be your

We

always

try

to

use

ingredients

from

our

gardens for our products. Having lots of mint it made sense to do a blend of dry mint with blueberries.

One

of

the

families

from

community growth if you decide so. Sharing tea, food and laughs is as important as work ethic and setting up goals.

the

community is from Senegal, they connected us with family members who own a Hibiscus farm. That’s how the Happy Hibiscus started.

Learn more at hopeblooms.ca

RE-IMAGINING AFTERNOON TEA By Pheinixx Paul Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

I

adore

Afternoon

Tea.

The

ritual,

the

that

every

single

person

can

enjoy

tea

in

laughter punctuated with clinking porcelain,

their own way, so let us bring that thinking to

the challenge of working through ornate pots

Afternoon Tea and turn the tradition into a

of steaming tea - pure bliss.

way to expose more people to tea that is not stuffy, vintage, or covered in whimsy.

Anna,

the

Duchess

of

Bedford

started

this

tradition as a mid-afternoon repast. It grew

There are 3 key ways in which to re-invent

into

afternoon tea and make it our own; the food,

a

luxury

time of

of

pausing

refreshments valued

social

and

the

connection day

friends

experience.

enjoy

became

food,

a

the experience, and of course the tea.

muchSo forget everything you think Afternoon Tea

replicated with florals, stacks of quaint china

'must' be, and instead use your imagination

and dainty cakes - which is all wonderful…

to build around what you love, what you are

but must it only be this one thing? We can

interested

honour

Your

creating

a

intent time

appreciation

for

of

for

Afternoon

the

is

the

Now

to

and

Afternoon

social

food

and

Tea

Tea

connection tea

without

-

of

and this

practice remaining frozen in time. We know

in

or

Afternoon

what

you

Tea

can

want be

to

as

explore. goth,

as

sporty, as chic or as sexy as you can imagine.

1ST TEA CULTURE WEEK IN BRAZIL By Organizers of the 1st Tea Culture Week in Brazil

It is difficult to imagine that a country with a

tea culture and giving the value of a natural

tropical climate like Brazil, known for having

and healthy gastronomic product.

one of the largest coastal areas in the world, for its carnival, football and “caipirinha”, has

Camellia sinensis

a connection with Camellia sinensis. Yes, this

together

is a reality.

country was the first outside Asia to cultivate

of

more

and

Brazil

than

two

have

a

history

centuries.

The

the species. Tea arrived in Brazil in 1812 by The

multi-cultural

Brazil,

many

years

ago,

ships coming directly from the Port of Macau

received tea and welcomed it, establishing a

in

strong

Camellia

community

around

the

beverage.

China.

Seedlings

sinensis

plant

and

seeds

arrived

of

the

along

with

Creating international ties, generating jobs,

Chinese labor specialized in cultivation. The

attracting people who are passionate about

boats that brought the tea, initially arrived

on the northern coast of Brazil, but their final

At this time, Torazo Okamoto, brought seeds

destination was the Botanical Garden in Rio

of

de Janeiro, where the culture was intended

assamica. The variety adapted very well to

to develop.

the

the

Indian

variety

climatic

Camellia sinensis

conditions

of

the

var.

region,

Registro in the State of São Paulo, where a Approximately

ten

years

after

its

arrival

in

Brazil, through the hands of the botanist and

large part of the Japanese immigrants had settled.

religious Friar Leandro Sacramento, Director of the Botanical Garden, the management of

The

the

beyond

plants

began.

It

started

with

a

small

tea

community rural

in

Brazil

properties

their

In

despite the request by Dom Pedro I (emperor

community

has

of Brazil) for a manual on tea cultivation, the

emergence of new tea houses, specialty tea

culture of tea was not established. This only

shops,

happened around 1935, after the abolition of

tea enthusiasts and tea courses. It is worth

slavery,

Japanese

emphasizing that in 2013 the first official tea

immigrants to Brazil, which raised interest in

teaching institution, the Embahú Tea School

tea production again.

(Escola

with

the

arrival

of

de

Chá

been

five

its

cultivatd.

tea

last

where

grown

production for processing the beverage and

new

the

has

growing

specialists

Embahú),

and

was

years,

the

through

the

sommeliers,

founded

by

Yuri Hayashi and Claudio Brisighello.

Cover of the document written by Friar Leandro do Sacramento.

Engraving by German painter Johann Moritz Rugendas, which is part of the book "A Picturesque Journey through Brazil" (1835), portrayed the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro with the plantation of tea and Chinese in its cultivation.

Simultaneously,

with

this

boom

in

the

tea

market, we have also witnessed the growth of

a

tea

community

motivating

a

on

social

significant

translated into an increasing number of tea importers establishing themselves in Brazil.

networks,

increase

in

tea

Importing Specialty Teas

connoisseurs and consumers.

Data

from

survey

the

Euromonitor

(August/2021)

consumption

of

tea

International

indicate

and

that

infusions

in

the Brazil

grew by 25% between 2013 and 2020 almost double the world average of 13%. Proving the vast interest of Brazilians in the drink and a promising market.

Added to this growth, it is important to note that

Brazilians

traditionally

consume

large

amounts of coffee and herbal teas (tisanes), but

in

relation

to

the

consumption

of

Camellia sinensis, the annual consumption in Brazil is around 10 cups. It is equivalent to approximately

15

grams

of

tea,

well

below

the 730 grams per capita in Chile and much less than the average of 2.2 kilograms per capita

in

Brazilian

Ireland,

market

indicating

has

that

considerable

the

growth

this

global

economy,

varieties

of

teas,

from different parts of the world, are taking over the shelves of Brazilian specialized tea

potential. According

“In

to

a

recent

publication

carried

stores

and

online

Consumers

which are also based on product innovations

and after the pandemic, we see a significant

and

increase

segments, driven

with

mainly

the

by

into

new

popularity

the

consumer

of

Millennials

tea

being

(1981-1997)

Given

this

scenario,

the

tea

consumer

market

has

shown an increased potential that has been

tea

sales,

demand

Therefore, role.

and Baby Boomers (1946-1964).

of

becoming

platforms.

out by FAO, there are new growth markets,

diversification

are

commerce

the

They

of

great

discerning

responding

health

importers

bear

more

and

play

an

of

their

products

keeping

up

with

new

and

market

a

lifestyle. important

responsibility

choices

to

in

the

suppliers,

trends

and

updating themselves within the international

Tea cultivation nowadays, shown in Tea Route in Registro - São Paulo State- Brazil

logistics,"

says

Elizeth

R.S.

van

der

Vorst,

Certified TAC Tea Sommelier®, tea business

which appears in our cup, generating infinite sensory experiences.

consultant and founder of “Amigos do Chá”, professional

in

foreign

trade

and

other

retails areas for about 40 years.

There

is

valuable

material

from

our

collaborators from the world of tea, such as Dan

When she started her activities in the sector

Bolton,

Aravinda

Anantharaman,

Peter

G.W.Keen (in memory) and many others.

of specialty teas, in 1994, there was no real tea market.

I

could

mainly She

says-

"It

was

a

challenging

not the

finish

without

president

thanking

Shabnam

THAC,

Weber,

Adi

and

Baker and Tina Mc Donald who contributed

extensive journey, requiring a lot of passion,

to the enrichment of my learning in the tea

studies,

industry. I am very proud to be a member of

determination,

commitment

and

seriousness. We keep an eye on each change and

trends

demand

in

for

the

sector

activities

and

in

the

our

this Association”.

growing

community.

There is still a lot to be done.

Elizeth cannot fail to mention her great and special

tea

friend,

Yuri

Hayashi,

mentor

of

the "1st Brazilian tea culture week" project. We have a dream to spread more tea culture

She

around Brazil. Projects always go on. There

founder

are

immense

being the main instructor of the institution. In

country, with almost 216 million inhabitants.

2007, she started her studies in the area and

People are learning new ways to drink tea.

her

many

possibilities

in

this

is

a

Researcher,

of

work

the

in

Tea

"Escola

de

education

Specialist Chá®

began

and

Embahú,

in

2013,

becoming a market reference for its quality With

all

humility,

a

of teaching and exclusive dedication to the

drop in this ocean, contributing to an ethical

topic. Encouraging the development of tea

entrepreneurship in the tea market, importing

in the country, created the Rota do Chá em

and distributing high quality products.

Registro

and

Brazilian

Teas.

I believe each culture may have its own ritual

Shizuoka

Tea

and

ceremony,

I

feel

which

being

She

Study

Cultural is

a

Contest

graduate

Program

in

Best

of

the

Japan

and

has a degree in Tea Art in China, in addition to being a founding partner of abChá and

Nevertheless,

Special

simplest

are

the

quite

its

of

in

complicated or difficult to adopt in our lives. in

some

fulfilled

form,

a

cup

of

tea is a cup of friendship. Tea is the cup that

Member

Association, Japan.

serves as a channel to connect us.

With this philosophy and because caring for disseminating tea culture, in 2019, we have created

a

content

website

called

www.teafriends.com.br,

which

was

exclusively to honour this entire tea universe, - from the tealeaf until the cup. “Teafriends” it is a way to give our respect for tea and people

along

the

entire

supply

chain.

They

are catalysts of this magical transformation,

of

Yuri Hayashi

the

World

Green

Tea

August 1 - 7, 2022

We are driven by the same ideals: Ethical Entrepreneurship at Tea Market.

An idea, a movement: 1st tea culture week in Brazil

For

the

event,

initiative

and

was

born

professionals

market

and

by

who

community

the

through want

in

group

tea a

Brazil,

lovers

growing

conceived

called

"Ethical

will

be

week,

Chá®

Embahú

and

the

tea

de

consultant

and

importer Amigos do Chá®. Directly involved

a

complete

and

Blends)

coordinated

carried

out

Regional

online,

events,

in

on

a

main

the

other

hand, may be online or in person, according

entrepreneurial

Escola

sinensis

schedule.

to

from

form

by all regions of Brazil. The national activities

Enterpreneurship at Tea Market", formed by students

will

schedule of activities aimed at special tea (Camellia

This

we

each

state's

schedule.

Throughout

offer

tea-related

activities,

we

classes,

exhibitions,

tastings,

the with

performances,

lectures, workshops and much more!

in the organization are eight representatives of

the

group:

Adriana

Ferreira,

Claudia

No prior knowledge about tea is required for

Sant'Anna, Daniela Folquitto, Daniela Pirozzi,

participation;

Elizeth

precisely

Rodrigues

da

Silva

van

der

Vorst,

to

the

purpose

demystify

tea

the

to

the

is

general

public,

the

consumption and on the various aspects of

of

Yuri

Hayashi,

founder

of

the School.

tea

culture

week

in

Brazil,

aims

to

their

it

will

be

an

knowledge

consumption in the country.

hybrid

to

strengthen

country. The event takes place from August offering

are

and

those

2022,

who

opportunity

promote the culture and history of tea in our

1-7,

information

on

this culture. For those who are already tea lovers,

1st

quality

event

Ligia Gabbi, Luciana Maira, who work under mentorship

presenting

of

dedicated

to

deepen

ties

with

growing

tea

tea-related

activities to the general public.

Therefore, for the event to be successful, we will count on the support and participation

With

online

services

in

community the

education

content

establishments,

will

different

offer

the

activities,

segments

and

that

special

of all those who believe in the Brazilian tea

sector’s

market. Any collaboration will be welcome.

made

make

up

up

of the

Our

contact

will

be

via

[email protected]

stores,

participate in the activities, the event profile

cafes,

tea

emporiums,

specialists,

tea

markets,

sommeliers,

tea

blenders and lovers of the area.

on

more

confirmed goal

is

than so

to

share

content

all

we

its

companies

joined

and

Camellia

importance want

to

already

voluntarily,

experiences

about

Recognizing history,

far,

100

in

our

quality sinensis.

the

aiming

promising market.

to

the

@semanadocha

event

and

by

and

our

encourage

consolidate

is

through

those

channels

that

we

will

disclose all the latest event information and news to the conference program. It will be our first tea culture week, but we wish a second, a third, a fourth.....

country's the

production and consumption of this ancient beverage,

is

follow

website www.brazilianteaweek.com.br It

With

Instagram

to

for

those

houses,

want

and

Brazilian tea market: Importers and suppliers, tea

who

email

this

very

We have no limits. We are all warriors and defenders of Camellia sinensis!

A SHORT LIVED GETAWAY Indi Khanna's life has been tea. He has lived and breathed tea for 45 years. To say he is a fascinating treasure trove of stories, would be a gross understatement. Indi has been writing his thoughts and memories for the past few months, and we thought we would share one with you. If you don't know Indi Khanna, make sure you visit Tea'N'Teas, explore not only his stories but also the beautiful teas of the Tea Studio (teanteas.com and teastudio.info).

This yarn is well after the time when I relocated from Assam to

Dubai.

That

move,

a

sea

change

for

me,

was

what

enabled me to spread my wings and widen my horizon leaving behind that extremely focused ‘pipe vision’ which, being

the

very

nature

of

that

profession,

is

what

any

planter develops without any effort and comes naturally to one working long years on a tea estate in a 100% teacentric area. Three years into that relocation and with me branching out on my own, my fledgling Tea business kept me

literally

and

almost

constantly

hopping

from

one

country to the other, for my family and I ending up in Sri Lanka

which,

for

the

next

five

years,

became

our

final

‘permanent abode out of India’.

Following

that

delightful

and

business-wise

very

fruitful

period of stay in SL, with it having always been obvious to us that at some point in time we’d eventually move back to India, when that did happen it was with absolutely NO advance planning in that direction.

A spur of the moment decision (which is my

water bodies, each one located in the upper

very nature and has always been the way I

reaches of these beautiful hills stocked with

function)

simply

coincidences finding

around

which

ourselves

travelled

led

over

in

the

a

series

of

rainbow trout introduced to these waters by

with

us

the Scottish planters (bless their souls) back

Having

in the day, meant that I could now also go

roaming

back to trekking and angling, activities which

culminated the

extensively

all

into

Nilgiris.

and

world,

after now

almost

two

I have always been crazy about and which,

decades since that twist of fate transplanted

perforce, I had ended up having to press the

us here, we know that there simply could not

pause button on when I relocated to Dubai.

have been any better outcome than for us to drop

anchor

and

to

settle

down

in

the

Having pulled out my fishing gear which had

Nilgiris. The finality manifesting itself in the

been gathering dust for almost two decades,

very name of our house – “Thikana” which, for

the

those to whom this would not mean anything,

obtain permission from the Tamil Nadu Forest

literally translates into ‘final destination’.

Department

only

other

basic

to

requirement

enter

their

was

to

beautifully

preserved and very well protected areas in The Nilgiris, besides presenting me with the

the upper reaches. The forests being almost

opportunity

jealously

passion

get

immersed

my

guarded

by

the

department,

teas which has culminated in the setting up

one, has always been something of an uphill

of the unique Tea Studio, also opened up to

climb. The next step was to link up with at

me the great outdoors and the dozen or so

least

water bodies (both lakes and rivulets) which

asked

nature has bestowed these hills with. While

despite the fact that we are almost literally

there

a

much

stand-alone

in

obtaining that permission ever since the first

so

producing

fully

specialty

is

of

to

more

which

adds

to

the

a

couple

around,

stone’s

of I

throw

like-minded

was

rather

away

to

folk.

Having

surprised

these

that

amazing

charm of this place, in very simplistic terms I

outdoors, that there were not more than a

had coincidently ended up with having killed

handful of people who shared my fervour.

more than two birds with one stone. These

All arrangements having been taken care of, fishing

forays

bodies

to

one

became

or

quite

the

a

other

regular

water

feature.

lunch,

we

eventually late

in

interchanged

converge

the

again

evening.

at

day

dam

long,

having

particular

out

face which we both knew to be a very fruitful

overnight or else make a day trip to be back

spot we had consciously left that for the last.

either

camp

around

by

studiously

we’d

casting

the

to

Subject to who was accompanying on which trip,

avoided

All

directions

the

dam

home by late evening. The The

overnighters

being

a

tale

in

itself,

I’ll

light

casting

was

out

fading

from

of

unusually strong tug on my rod which started

when I too asked the question which, in case

bending over. This could mean either of two

one

oft

things, that I had a good sized trout at the

repeated by anglers worldwide – ‘did you see

end of my line, or else something which every

the one that got away?’

angler

is

not

alone,

is

probably

one

the

most

hates,

that

my

I

was

trip

about

in,

I

This

being

reeling

rocks

when

standing

yarn

while

pile

rapidly

leave it to another day to ramble on about. particular

on,

a

quite

tackle

felt

had

an

got

snagged in some rocks or a branch of one of This particular one was on a day trip to the

the

Mukurthy

when

most

Dam

easily

which,

in

accessible

accessibility,

I

always

the

Nilgiris,

water

body.

enjoyed

is

the

Besides

fishing

there

many the

trees

which

dam

was

had

got

submerged

constructed

decades

ago. Putting some more pressure on my line, a

little

way

I

saw

catch.

A

Lahari,

a

retired

sized

surge

consummate angler and one whom, from the

Ten minutes of an intense tug-o-war with my

time we planted ourselves in the Nilgiris, has

adversary thrashing around wildly and pulling

become

hard at my line, I reeled him in very close to

and

very

one

regular

good

and

steadfast

friend

whom,

regardless

of

the

where I was standing to be able to see that I

fishing

related

squabbles

we

get

had hooked myself a ‘monster’, albeit a little one!

Having got to the catchment quite early, as is the standard practice amongst anglers so one

is

not

disturbing

the

other

and

having agreed that we’d both wend our way back to the dam around 2 o’clock for a quick bite,

Rana

and

I

headed

off

in

opposite

directions. Walking along the edge of water of

this

huge

intervals, inlet,

a

thrives

with

into, I’ve been on very many trips.

that

angler

of

on and which literally hooks folk to this sport.

a

every

that

a

to

what

then

be

consider

is

And

adrenal,

I

which

bite!

back

a

whom

officer

good

dive

and

gentleman

army

Rana

then

a

again into the water tugging hard at my line.

Brig

and

like

always been the most productive in terms of was

out

looked

largish

me

shoot

what

because for me personally the Mukurthy has

Accompanying

trout

out

I

lake

headed

small

casting towards

waterfall,

out

at

one

which

I

regular

particular

had

visited

many a time before. Back at the dam face after a long walk, post our hurried sandwich

Since the

I

stupidly

trout

was

have

about

no a

landing

foot

net,

away

when

from

the

looked like the same fellow popped out of the water three more times to, at the end of

edge I flipped him out of the water for the

the

fish to land on those pile of rocks. With the

surface. It was MY fish and it had just died

fish

on me.

continuing

to

struggle

violently

not

third

leap,

lie

inert

floating

on

the

allowing me to get my hand on it, I did the next best thing and stamped down hard on

There was no way that I would let it end at

the writhing body. So hard that some blood

that.

spurted out on to my calves. In the bargain

plunged into the icy cold water, ignoring the

this fighter managed to slither into a gap in

thought

the

immediately

rocks,

jerked

hard

and

broke

my

line

Stripping

down

that

to

my

my

birthday

crown

shrunk

to

suit

jewels

almost

I

had

nothingness,

before swimming away without so much as a

swam out to where my victim was drifting on

backward

the surface. Reaching the spot, much in the

glance.

devastated

To

say

would

that

be

I

a

was major

manner

of

a

life-saver,

I

swam

back

in

a

understatement. The only consolation being

breast stroke keeping the fellow between my

that Rana, standing not more than ten feet

arms

away

ahead.

from

me,

actually

witnessed

the

full

and

pushing

How

can

drama and then said ‘that was a really big

describe

that

one

retrieved

my

that

you’ve

satisfaction

of

just

later

lost’

not

giving

having

to

me

the

try

and

convince him.

myself

as

him I

sheer catch.

best

I

along

ever

as

even

satisfaction Back

could

on and

I

moved

begin of

shore, after

the

having I

dried

getting

dressed took out my tape to measure my 16

″

beauty which weighed in at a little over 2 Despondent and with dusk having set in I sat

Lbs.

down to thread another swivel at the end of

Satisfaction

my line when looking across the water about

sat

50 yards away both Rana and I saw a fish

swivel and the spoon embedded in its mouth.

jump out. Since I was standing closer to the

And the beauty of it all – not having to boast

spot than Rana he told me to start casting in

to

that

away!’

direction.

Before

I

could

finish

attaching the spoon to the swivel, what

with

down

all

and

compounded

and

gutted

sundry

manifold

the

about

fish

‘The

to

one

when find

that

I

my

got