Tuesday Teacup - Tea Pigs Chilli Chai

This week I have been drinking Tea Pigs Chilli Chai. This tea is a full bodied assam with beautiful exotic spices and a warm chilli tickle at the end. I didn't really know what to expect from chilli chai, but I am a huge chilli fiend so I just had to try it. 

I drank this tea black to start with, the cardamon and cinnamon were the pioneers trekking out of this tea onto my taste bugs. The chilli was very mild at the end like a warm cuddle. The second cup I had with milk and I think this was my favourite. I also found that if I left the tea temple in whilst I drank the tea it had much more of a chilli punch *yum*. This tea is definitely one to try if you want something a little bit warm and exotic to brighten up a dreary day. 

Hope your week is rocking <3

xkx

Tuesday Teacup - Lapsang Souchong.

Lapsang Souchong is a tea with a very distinctive flavour, I like to think of it as the cowboy of the tea world because it is bold, smokey and untameable. I have to admit to you that I am not a massive fan of this tea, I do like it occasionally but I find the flavour just too much. Ed, on the other hand, loves this tea. Lapsang Souchong is made from the leaves a few steps down from the bud, it gains its unique flavour from the drying process. Usually tea is air dried but this is smoked above pine wood fires, pretty special huh?

I used an infuser to brew this tea, a teaspoon of leaves is more than adequate to make a tasty cup. I bring the water to the boil, leave for a little while to cool then I pour the water into a cup with the infuser. I brew this tea for about 2-3 minutes, I find that this makes quite a robust tasting drink, just taste as you go to find the right strength for you. I would strongly advice not putting milk with Lapsang, would you bathe a cowboy in milk?

This tea embodies everything that I love about tea culture, it just makes me feel so special. When I buy good quality tea I can just imagine all the care that has gone into getting this simple pleasure into my cup. And it can be reasonable cheap as well, I bought a 100g of Lapsang for £3.99! Which will easily last a month, having a couple of cups a day. 

Hope you enjoyed meeting Lapsang Souchong. What teas have you been drinking lately?

xkx  

Tuesday Teacup - Cosy Cuppa.

The weather has been so unpleasant this past week, Ed and I were hoping to get away in Doris (our VW T25 campervan) over Easter but it really isn't looking good at the moment. So to try and keep the faith that we will be Easter camping, we have been having our afternoon tea in our campervan mugs. My mum made me the tea cosy, I think it is possibly the cutest tea cosy in the whole world! Our chosen afternoon tea is loose leaf Gold Yorkshire Tea. This is a black tea that is super comforting and it is the perfect way to warm up and relax after a long days hard work.

I take my black tea with milk, no sugar. I sometimes have sugar if I am feeling like I want a nurturing treat. Having a cup of this tea with the perfect amount of milk is the perfect way to gather my thoughts, unwind and warm up. How do you like your tea best?xkx