B-tea Kombucha, Clarity

https://btkombucha.com/

Ingredients

Pilsner Laden Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Japanese Bancha Green Tea, Organic Lemon Balm, Kombucha (Medusomyces Gisevi) Live Culture

I got this kombucha at World Market.  It is super good. I was surprised to find it on the shelves and not in the refrigerated section.  I decided to try it.  It is really good.

It has a sweetness to it.  I thought that there was apple in it, but I could not find it in the ingredients.  This is really good and a good price for Kombucha.

Sure House, Golden Milk Latte with Oat Milk

I was pleased to use another Christmas gift card.  I stayed away from the snacks- but man, do they look good!!  I stuck with the Golden Milk Latte.

My favorite is the Golden Milk Latte, no honey but maple syrup, and no milk, but oat milk.

https://www.surehousecoffee.com/

Ohio Tea Company, Raspberry Matcha

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Raspberry-Matcha_p_624.html

Unlike green tea made with whole leaves or leaf parts, matcha's leaf powder is finely ground and doesn't need to be strained after steeping. The vibrant green powder blends into hot water and you drink the entire beverage

Shade grown green tea (Samidori cultivar)- Orgin -Uiji, Kyoto, Japan

I am not a big fan of the taste of matcha, but I do love the health benefits. This raspberry matcha has a fruitiness that does help with grassy flavor.  I have found that adding this matcha to my protein shakes really is not that bad, I can drink it and actually enjoy it.

"What are the Health Benefits of Matcha Tea?

One serving of matcha tea is the nutritional equivalent of 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea
When you drink matcha you ingest the entire leaf and receive 100% of the nutrients of the leaf   
Matcha powdered green tea has 137 times more antioxidants than regularly brewed green tea."

https://matchasource.com/health-benefits-of-matcha-tea/

Some health benefits:

High in antioxidants 
Protects the Liver
Boosts metabolism 
Burns calories naturally
Helps prevent Cancer
Protects the Heart
Calms the mind 
Relaxes the body
Boosts mood 
Helps with Focus
Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

Draw Backs, May cause:

May cause stomach upset
Can cause constipation
Other side effects are common with overuse
Caffeine may cause insomnia

There are all kinds of recipes out there, try googling them.  Check out this website too, https://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/matcha-recipes-matcha-latte/  or this one https://www.justonecookbook.com/matcha-recipes/

Ohio Tea Company, Peace out Papaya

I have been enjoying our tea at work. I bought several teas that I had never tried before, one was Peace Out Papaya, a green tea.

I have never been a fan of green tea, but this one is so amazing. This is a great sweet tea.  What I like most is that it doesn't have that grassy, earthy taste.

This is a green tea, so you don't want to get the water too hot.  And you also, do not want to steep the tea too long.  When making tea if you make it right, it makes all the difference!

Water temp 180, steep 3-4 minutes, 1 tsp.

I usually get 2 cups out of the one serving

Sencha, mango and papaya pieces, natural flavor, calendula

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Peace-Out-Papaya_p_740.html

This is a really good green tea!

birthday present, Chinese Kung Fu tea set

"The gongfu tea ceremony or kung fu tea ceremony (Chinese: 工夫茶 or 功夫茶), is a kind of Chinese tea ceremony, involving the ritual preparation and presentation of tea. It is probably based on the tea preparation approaches originated in Fujian and the Chaoshan area of eastern Guangdong. The term literally means "making tea with skill".  Today, the approach is used popularly by tea shops carrying tea of Chinese origins, and by tea connoisseurs as a way to maximize the taste of a tea selection, especially a finer one."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongfu_tea_ceremony

I like to experience different tea ceremonies and unique ways to drink  tea.  When I was in CO I had a really neat tea experience.   With friends we had a Chinese tea ceremony. It was so fun, I decided I want to find a set and have my friends over and serve tea that way.

I found a set on line.  It had been around $85, but it was returned and was on sale for around $50.  My aunt Joyce gave it to me for my birthday!!

Material: ceramic

1 Tea tray with drain - brewing tray, or a deep, flat bottom porcelain plate to hold spills (spills are typical)

strainer, a tea strainer sometimes built into the tea pitchers

1 teapot:  Tea pots are used to brew and pour tea, and you may use a tea pot or a traditional Gaiwan to brew your tea. 



1 big tea cup with lid: - brewing vessel, Yixing teapot, porcelain teapot, or a covered bowl Gaiwan

2  Pinming tea cups (fish cups):  are what you pour the brewed tea into from your fair cup to actually drink the brewed tea from, the western equivalent would be the teacup, although Pinming cups are much smaller, shallow and thin. Remember, brewing tea Gongfu style is about fully enjoying every aspect of the tea to the fullest.

6 Fragrance Smelling Cups : used for smelling the fragrance of tea, especially for oolong tea. The appearance of aroma cup is taller and more slender than tasting cup. Usually, one aroma cup should be matched with a tasting cup which of the same material and color. The fragrance smelling cup is intended to capture the aroma and essence of the brewed tea, and is matched with the Pinming cups.


10 Tasting Cups
A smelling cup enables to appreciate all tea fragrances.
A testing cup enables to fully appreciate tea flavors.






1 tea bowl: used as the receptacle for used tea leaves and refuse water




Tea Tools- 
Tea ceremony sets are an additional set of tools to allow you to have a Gongfu (and other) tea ceremonies. Tea ceremony sets in China are also known as Junzi Liujiantao and normally contain a:  
Tea Vase - used to hold your utensils such as your tea tweezer, tea pin, tea funnel, tea spoon and tea scoop.
set of Tea Scoop  - used to take dry teas out from tea bag or tin into your Gaiwan or teapot.
Tea Digger Spoon - used to transfer tea leaves from the tea holder to your tea pot or your Gaiwan
Tea Funnel - Tea Funnel is a cylindrical funnel used to direct the flow of tea into Yixing teapot, and also used to prevent the tea from overflowing.
Tea Tweezer - a tool for picking the tea cup to protect your fingers from heat, or taking tea leaves out from Yixing teapot.
Tea Pin - for clearing the small tea leaves which blocking the filter holes in Yixing teapots, so that the water can go to the spout smoothly.
-tea knife or tea pick for clearing the teapot spout and separating leaves from tea cakes

a calligraphy-style brush with a wooden handle, which is used to spread the wasted tea evenly over the tea tray to ensure no part dries out and the tea "stain" is spread evenly to ensure a pleasing color to the tray 

1 Tea Canister - tea holder, tea leaf holder for weighing and dispensing, or a wooden tea spoon to measure the amount of tea leaves required 

1 Tea Towel- tea towel or tea cloth, usually dark colored. The tea towel is a small but very necessary part of the tea ceremony as it is used to clean up any spills, and water or tea stains, and is usually made from either cotton or linen cloth.  Often the tea towel will match the tea set, however you may use your own cloth as a tea towel if you prefer.

1 Tea Pitcher - tea pitcher (chahai), or any matching size decanting vessel, used to ensure the consistency of the flavor of the tea 

Tea Pet - A tea pet, usually made from the same clay as a Yixing teapot, is fun to have. One kind of "tea pet" is a "tea boy." Prior to the tea ceremony, he is soaked in cold water. Hot water poured over him during the tea ceremony will make him "pee." Traditionally these 'pets' are classical Chinese figurines, such as a Dragon, Lion Turtle, or Toad, and are used as a receptacle over which the wasted tea is poured, usually to develop a patina  (I switched out the tea pet that they sent, they were boys and girls peeing, I switched to this little girl, I like to think of her praying)

             

A jade Budha also came with this set, but I tossed him.  I did not want to have that in my home.

 

One piece came broken.  I tried to glue it back together....it's holding for now.

Whose coming for tea?????