I love tea. Growing up with a tea drinking mother I assumed all tea was fantastic. I was in for a rude awakening the first time I had tea in college. It turns out Mom made her tea with a mixture of teas. She made blends of tea for flavor, color, and taste. Three of her favorite teas are:
- Twinnings Darjeeling tea for color
- Sadaf Cardamon tea for flavor
- Sadaf Early Grey for flavor
Considered the most refined of teas, Darjeeling comes from the Indian Himalayas near Nepal. To be called Darjeeling, the tea not only has to be grown but also processed in the center.
She typically mixes 2 of the three different above.
- Thus you could mix equal parts Darjeeling and Cardamon tea.
- Or you could mix equal parts Darjeeling and Ear Grey tea.
- Or you could mix equal parts Earl Grey and Cardamon tea.
To make the tea bring water to boil in a kettle then let cool slightly to a temperature of about 185o Farenheit (88o Celsius). You will need about one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup of water. This is just an estimate. Pour the water over the tea in a teapot. Steep for about 3 minutes. Once steeped, pour the tea through a strainer.
Note: If you you heat the tea to too high a temperature or for too long, it can become harsh.
If you choose to make the darjeeling and earl grey combination you can add flavorings such as 2-3 piece of cardomen to the tea or 1-2 teaspoons orange blossom per pot. You could also use the flavorings with Twinnings English breakfast.
Supplies and equipment used are below. If you are in need of or are interested in a particular item, there is an embedded link in each picture below to make it convenient for you to click on the item and get.
Teas…
Flavorings..
Kitchen equipment…I have had the tea kettle below for almost 20 years. When your water is ready it sounds as though there is a train in your house, which is great to remind you have water on the stove lest you forget, as I have in the past.
Enjoyment…
Teacup with lid and strainer…
Feature image: Steeping tea from my wonderful friend Mahin.
