Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Cuppa tea?



I love jasmine tea. These are jasmine pearls, little individual tea leaves rolled up with jasmine petals. I brew jasmine tea every day and chill it in a pitcher for iced tea. It is a singularly refreshing and deeply pleasant experience for me.

I take a small handful of these pearls and toss them into about a quart of water that's been heated to about 150-175 degrees or thereabouts, give or take, and removed from heat. I cover the container and let it steep for four minutes. No more, no less.

Then I strain it into a pitcher full of water and toss the used pearls. They say you can re-use them, but I find that second-time pearls tend to give off a little more bitterness than I like.

I love coffee, especially with real cream and no sugar, and I will confess to enjoying a lovely fruity glass of Barefoot Moscato occasionally before bed. But if I had to choose one beverage to drink exclusively for the rest of my life, it would be iced jasmine tea.

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