The Taiwanese love to snack, which is perfect for a culture that also enjoys sipping teas all day long. While the snacks range from sunflower seeds to sweet &/or savory little cakes filled with all sorts of beans, what I wanted to share in this blog post are actually tea snacks made with actual teas, like the tea-infused tea eggs pictured above. I like to pair tea snacks with teas I am in the mood for that day. For this blog post, I have chosen the fully roasted Yunnan Supreme FLT co-founder Donna Lo stuck into my suitcase before I left for Taiwan. Cold brewed fully roasted black teas that taste like sweet honey nectar with hints of caramel are all the...
The combination of a bite-sized starch + protein as a satisfying meal is prevalent throughout the world. From Eastern Europe's pierogi, Italian ravioli, to Argentina's empanada, baked, boiled, or fried, freshly made dough with flavorful fillings has been the the go-to of many stomach-filling, nutritious meals. The Chinese version is called dumplings, with the Taiwanese version in particular made with amazingly flavorful pork fillings that ooze of delicious broth when bitten into. Paired with a delicious cup of earthy, smooth puer, the richness of the dumplings are mellowed out yet the flavor enhanced. Read on for details on the making of a dumpling below. Pictured below is the making of a specific type of dumpling...
Pineapple cake ( 鳳梨酥), a widely popular Taiwanese dessert, is as commonly enjoyed as a chocolate chip cookie is in America. The fragrant buttery crust, containing chewy pineapple jam filling, is a perfect tea snack. I like mine with a nice semi-oxidized Oolong, especially a "ripe" one that's been roasted longer or at a higher temperature like a Phoenix Orchid or Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess). I prefer the tea cold brewed on a hot summer day. Made with eggs, flour, butter, sugar, and pineapple jam, more modern versions have even replaced traditional flour with almond flour. Some makers add cheese to the batter to increase its flavor, while others have added ingredients like chocolate or matcha green tea powder to...
Most yogis know yoga and tea are two peas in a pod. The practice of preparing tea dates back for thousands of years and has been used to cure ailments, cultivate community and provide deep moments of mindfulness. Once you warm up your knowledge around teas you will quickly realize how each variety can provide unique healing properties. If you're looking for a way to anchor your practice with a tea ritual then read on to find out which teas are the best fit for your practice. Black Tea and Vinyasa Flow Fine black tea is the perfect match for a sweaty, powerful vinyasa flow class. Vinyasa is a term used to describe moving continuously through a sequence of poses. Often Vinyasa classes...
As a child growing up in Taiwan, I would often buy from a street vendor a Taiwanese rice ball (actually more the size of a small burrito) as my walk-and-eat breakfast on my way to school. These portable bites of goodness, made fresh upon order and then handed over in a plastic bag, would always keep my belly full and satisfied, ready for the day, to be enjoyed warm or cold. The classic beverage pairing of choice is the traditional breakfast beverage soy bean milk. But I personally enjoy washing it down with a nice cup of oolong tea, like the fragrant green oolong from Taiwan, Wenshan Baozhong, hand plucked and hand made, not unlike the delicious rice balls. Buy...
