20 September 2004
Mighty Leaf
Tea is the best. It's natural and healthy, it's cheaper than coffee, and it comes in many varieties. Even the fanciest teas are pretty economical compared to other beverages. My staple teas come from Peet's, but once in a while I buy something else for variety. Today I received this exciting order from Mighty Leaf:
- Earl Gold
This is their special version of my favorite, Earl Grey. The twist seems to be Chinese black tea instead of Darjeeling. It's yummy and different, but I think I prefer traditional Earl Grey.
- Earl Green
Another variation on Earl Grey, this one with green tea instead of black. I bought it because I'm making an effort to drink less black tea and more green tea, since black tea has tannins whereas green tea has antioxidants. This tea doesn't taste exactly like proper Earl Grey, but as green tea goes, it's really yummy! And it provides just enough caffeine for a fix.
- African Nectar
This is a rooibos blend with fruity-tasting flowers. I first tasted this at the Clay Theater (if only every movie theater offered good tea!). It's very nice when one wants something hot and tasty without caffeine.
- Chrysanthemum
I ordered this one purely out of curiosity, as it's apparently popular in China. I was surprised to open it and find that it's literally a bag of dried flowers. No leafy stuff, just flowers (though I guess the sepals are kinda leafy). But sure enough, it makes a light and tasty brew. I'm guessing this one would make a nice iced tea, though I haven't tried it that way yet.
A bit of tea trivia: Teabags generally contain the lowest grade of tea, called "fannings". This is why teabags are usually opaque: to prevent you from inspecting the contents, thus allowing the tea company to sneak their crappiest product into your kitchen. Fannings are basically the dust of crushed tea leaves, left over after the whole leaves and the larger broken pieces have been sieved out. This is why you will notice my face contorting to reflect unmitigated loathing when I order tea and am presented with Lipton, the bastard stepchild of the tea industry.
Mighty Leaf, however, uses silky translucent mesh teabags so you can see the whole-leaf tea inside. If you must buy teabags, I recommend Mighty Leaf. (I still prefer to buy loose tea, though, instead of paying extra for lots of little bags that I'll only throw away.)