Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
store chain) held the grand opening of its world headquarters here in
my hometown. They cleverly combined their offices into an amazing
downtown high-rise along with the largest grocery in the city. You
actually park in a maze of underground parking garage, and ride special
escalators up to the store level with your shopping cart. The store
even includes a clothing section, a cafe where you can buy freshly made
pizzas and salads, and a huge bakery. It's like an amazing shopping
mall, but everything is organic.

Needless to say, I'd been excited about the tea possibilities since
before the gigantic store opened. The other grocery stores in the area
carry a few good brands like Stash or Republic of Tea, but no one has a
good selection of imported loose teas. So last night when I went in
(amidst news crews and throngs of people) you can imagine my delight
when I saw an entire kiosk toward the back of the store under a large
sign "Fine teas."

The store had staff trained specifically to work with customers
interested in fine teas. The girl who helped me had been to Japan and
was very knowledgeable about all the teas they had available. Most
exciting was the extensive array of tiny little glass dishes, each
filled with a sample of tea and marked with a name card telling where
the tea had come from and giving a brief description of its flavors.
You could see, touch and smell each tea before you decided to try it.

I bought three different varieties on the advice of the salesperson. I
chose Jade Fire, an organic green tea, Imperial Republic Orchid Oolong,
and Silver Rain, a white tea that looked very different from the
others. I only bought a small amount of each, just in the interest of
trying new flavors.

Last night when I got home, I brewed up a cup of the Orchid Oolong.
This was the one that smelled best from the samples they'd had out at
the store (it had a heady fruity aroma), and as I found out at
checkout, it was the most expensive ($9.37 per ounce!). I put a
teaspoon of the leaves in my Republic of Tea brew basket and boiled
water in my tea kettle, then let it cool a bit, as the recommended
temperature was 185 F. Then, I steeped. I knew from reading posts in
this group that the leaves would unfurl, but I was amazed at how such a
small amount of tea could expand into such perfect whole leaves. The
scent as it was steeping changed from floral to fruity as the flavors
developed. The color was crystal clear, a very light golden amber. Upon
first sip, I absolutely fell in love, which is exactly what I was
afraid of... I cannot afford to love a $9.37-an-ounce tea! But it was
delicious. I am no experienced taster by any means, but it seemed to
have notes of apple, and of course, orchid. I resteeped for a second
cup, and noticed no discernable loss in flavor with the extra minute of
steep time.

So... that is my first loose tea experience. I fell in love.

Does anyone have any tips for brewing either the Jade Fire green tea or
the Silver Rain?

On 4 Mar 2005 07:04:21 -0800, "A. E. Baxter" >
wrote:

>afraid of... I cannot afford to love a $9.37-an-ounce tea! But it was

I Googled the tea and found it for about $4 an ounce
--
Douglas

Clever, clever! And a relief.

You're better off paying $1/oz for some Pi Lo Chun and going to your
florist and buying some discount fragrant petals and making your own
version of whatever.

Jim

A. E. Baxter wrote:
> Last night when I got home, I brewed up a cup of the Orchid Oolong.
> This was the one that smelled best from the samples they'd had out at
> the store (it had a heady fruity aroma), and as I found out at
> checkout, it was the most expensive ($9.37 per ounce!). I put a
> teaspoon of the leaves in my Republic of Tea brew basket and boiled
> water in my tea kettle, then let it cool a bit, as the recommended
> temperature was 185 F. Then, I steeped. I knew from reading posts in
> this group that the leaves would unfurl, but I was amazed at how such
a
> small amount of tea could expand into such perfect whole leaves. The
> scent as it was steeping changed from floral to fruity as the flavors
> developed. The color was crystal clear, a very light golden amber.
Upon
> first sip, I absolutely fell in love, which is exactly what I was
> afraid of... I cannot afford to love a $9.37-an-ounce tea! But it was
> delicious. I am no experienced taster by any means, but it seemed to
> have notes of apple, and of course, orchid. I resteeped for a second
> cup, and noticed no discernable loss in flavor with the extra minute
of
> steep time.

congratulations! loose leaf is the best, although yes it's frequently more
expensive. Try drinking loose leaf for awhile and then go back to tea bags
and you'll be shocked at how bitter, harsh and... just unrefined the taste
of bagged teas is..




"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
> store chain) held the grand opening of its world headquarters here in
> my hometown. They cleverly combined their offices into an amazing
> downtown high-rise along with the largest grocery in the city. You
> actually park in a maze of underground parking garage, and ride special
> escalators up to the store level with your shopping cart. The store
> even includes a clothing section, a cafe where you can buy freshly made
> pizzas and salads, and a huge bakery. It's like an amazing shopping
> mall, but everything is organic.
>
> Needless to say, I'd been excited about the tea possibilities since
> before the gigantic store opened. The other grocery stores in the area
> carry a few good brands like Stash or Republic of Tea, but no one has a
> good selection of imported loose teas. So last night when I went in
> (amidst news crews and throngs of people) you can imagine my delight
> when I saw an entire kiosk toward the back of the store under a large
> sign "Fine teas."
>
> The store had staff trained specifically to work with customers
> interested in fine teas. The girl who helped me had been to Japan and
> was very knowledgeable about all the teas they had available. Most
> exciting was the extensive array of tiny little glass dishes, each
> filled with a sample of tea and marked with a name card telling where
> the tea had come from and giving a brief description of its flavors.
> You could see, touch and smell each tea before you decided to try it.
>
> I bought three different varieties on the advice of the salesperson. I
> chose Jade Fire, an organic green tea, Imperial Republic Orchid Oolong,
> and Silver Rain, a white tea that looked very different from the
> others. I only bought a small amount of each, just in the interest of
> trying new flavors.
>
> Last night when I got home, I brewed up a cup of the Orchid Oolong.
> This was the one that smelled best from the samples they'd had out at
> the store (it had a heady fruity aroma), and as I found out at
> checkout, it was the most expensive ($9.37 per ounce!). I put a
> teaspoon of the leaves in my Republic of Tea brew basket and boiled
> water in my tea kettle, then let it cool a bit, as the recommended
> temperature was 185 F. Then, I steeped. I knew from reading posts in
> this group that the leaves would unfurl, but I was amazed at how such a
> small amount of tea could expand into such perfect whole leaves. The
> scent as it was steeping changed from floral to fruity as the flavors
> developed. The color was crystal clear, a very light golden amber. Upon
> first sip, I absolutely fell in love, which is exactly what I was
> afraid of... I cannot afford to love a $9.37-an-ounce tea! But it was
> delicious. I am no experienced taster by any means, but it seemed to
> have notes of apple, and of course, orchid. I resteeped for a second
> cup, and noticed no discernable loss in flavor with the extra minute of
> steep time.
>
> So... that is my first loose tea experience. I fell in love.
>
> Does anyone have any tips for brewing either the Jade Fire green tea or
> the Silver Rain?
>

congratulations! loose leaf is the best, although yes it's frequently more
expensive. Try drinking loose leaf for awhile and then go back to tea bags
and you'll be shocked at how bitter, harsh and... just unrefined the taste
of bagged teas is..




"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
> store chain) held the grand opening of its world headquarters here in
> my hometown. They cleverly combined their offices into an amazing
> downtown high-rise along with the largest grocery in the city. You
> actually park in a maze of underground parking garage, and ride special
> escalators up to the store level with your shopping cart. The store
> even includes a clothing section, a cafe where you can buy freshly made
> pizzas and salads, and a huge bakery. It's like an amazing shopping
> mall, but everything is organic.
>
> Needless to say, I'd been excited about the tea possibilities since
> before the gigantic store opened. The other grocery stores in the area
> carry a few good brands like Stash or Republic of Tea, but no one has a
> good selection of imported loose teas. So last night when I went in
> (amidst news crews and throngs of people) you can imagine my delight
> when I saw an entire kiosk toward the back of the store under a large
> sign "Fine teas."
>
> The store had staff trained specifically to work with customers
> interested in fine teas. The girl who helped me had been to Japan and
> was very knowledgeable about all the teas they had available. Most
> exciting was the extensive array of tiny little glass dishes, each
> filled with a sample of tea and marked with a name card telling where
> the tea had come from and giving a brief description of its flavors.
> You could see, touch and smell each tea before you decided to try it.
>
> I bought three different varieties on the advice of the salesperson. I
> chose Jade Fire, an organic green tea, Imperial Republic Orchid Oolong,
> and Silver Rain, a white tea that looked very different from the
> others. I only bought a small amount of each, just in the interest of
> trying new flavors.
>
> Last night when I got home, I brewed up a cup of the Orchid Oolong.
> This was the one that smelled best from the samples they'd had out at
> the store (it had a heady fruity aroma), and as I found out at
> checkout, it was the most expensive ($9.37 per ounce!). I put a
> teaspoon of the leaves in my Republic of Tea brew basket and boiled
> water in my tea kettle, then let it cool a bit, as the recommended
> temperature was 185 F. Then, I steeped. I knew from reading posts in
> this group that the leaves would unfurl, but I was amazed at how such a
> small amount of tea could expand into such perfect whole leaves. The
> scent as it was steeping changed from floral to fruity as the flavors
> developed. The color was crystal clear, a very light golden amber. Upon
> first sip, I absolutely fell in love, which is exactly what I was
> afraid of... I cannot afford to love a $9.37-an-ounce tea! But it was
> delicious. I am no experienced taster by any means, but it seemed to
> have notes of apple, and of course, orchid. I resteeped for a second
> cup, and noticed no discernable loss in flavor with the extra minute of
> steep time.
>
> So... that is my first loose tea experience. I fell in love.
>
> Does anyone have any tips for brewing either the Jade Fire green tea or
> the Silver Rain?
>

"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in news:1109948661.446694.317640
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

> Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
> store chain)

What does that (certified) mean? Who issues this certification?

Me thinks it's nothing but advertising hype. That word (organic) can mean
anything the company wants it to mean.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in news:1109948661.446694.317640
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

> Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
> store chain)

What does that (certified) mean? Who issues this certification?

Me thinks it's nothing but advertising hype. That word (organic) can mean
anything the company wants it to mean.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 22:47:55 -0000
Larry Weil > wrote:

> "A. E. Baxter" > wrote in
> news:1109948661.446694.317640 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
> > store chain)
>
> What does that (certified) mean? Who issues this certification?
>
> Me thinks it's nothing but advertising hype. That word (organic) can
> mean anything the company wants it to mean.


"organic" is a vastly misused word. All your solid food is carbon based,
I certify it.

Eric Jorgensen wrote:
> On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 22:47:55 -0000
> Larry Weil > wrote:
>
>
>>"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in
>>news:1109948661.446694.317640 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>
>>>Yesterday, Whole Foods (the nation's first certified organic grocery
>>>store chain)
>>
>>What does that (certified) mean? Who issues this certification?
>>
>>Me thinks it's nothing but advertising hype. That word (organic) can
>>mean anything the company wants it to mean.
>
>
>
> "organic" is a vastly misused word. All your solid food is carbon based,
> I certify it.

I think you are putting the cart before the horse. The first definition
of organic in my dictionary is, "Of, relating to, or derived from living
organisms." Used in chemistry, it dates back to the 19th century, when
it was believed that organic compounds could only be synthesised in
living organisms through, "the force of life." (Wikipedia)

To your point, I believe the department of agriculture has defined the
word organic, as related to food, to be crops grown without the aid of
chemical fertilisers or pesticides. They have a set of rules to define
what is considered certified organic food. There has been some
controversey recently about allowing GMOs into the category, but I think
they've backpedalled on that. This has created a lot of hype which
calls into question some foods misleadingly labeled as organic when the
term does not rightfully apply. At any rate, a store such as Whole
Foods does certainly advertise, but the quality of their food is also
noticably better than any supermarket to which I've been. It is more
than just advertising hype.

Also, last I checked, salt is both solid and a food, but contains no
carbon. Just a nit.

Steve

Steve Hay > wrote in
news:vt7Wd.55708$EL5.30776@trnddc05:


> I think you are putting the cart before the horse. The first
> definition of organic in my dictionary is, "Of, relating to,
or derived from living organisms." >

By that definion, all tea is organic.

> Also, last I checked, salt is both solid and a food, but
contains no carbon. Just a nit.

Is salt really a food? Since it has no nutrition, I would not
consider it a food, though it is edible in small quatities. Not
everything that's edible is a food, IMO.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

Steve Hay > wrote in
news:vt7Wd.55708$EL5.30776@trnddc05:


> I think you are putting the cart before the horse. The first
> definition of organic in my dictionary is, "Of, relating to,
or derived from living organisms." >

By that definion, all tea is organic.

> Also, last I checked, salt is both solid and a food, but
contains no carbon. Just a nit.

Is salt really a food? Since it has no nutrition, I would not
consider it a food, though it is edible in small quatities. Not
everything that's edible is a food, IMO.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 20:25:48 -0000
Larry Weil > wrote:

> Steve Hay > wrote in
> news:vt7Wd.55708$EL5.30776@trnddc05:
>
>
> > I think you are putting the cart before the horse. The first
> > definition of organic in my dictionary is, "Of, relating to,
> or derived from living organisms." >
>
> By that definion, all tea is organic.
>
> > Also, last I checked, salt is both solid and a food, but
> contains no carbon. Just a nit.
>
> Is salt really a food? Since it has no nutrition, I would not
> consider it a food, though it is edible in small quatities. Not
> everything that's edible is a food, IMO.


It's a mineral, and a required part of the human diet. If you don't
obtain enough in your diet, your electrolytes go all out of whack and this
is bad for your heart and brain.

Of course, in western culture, the problem is hardly ever too little
salt - except in the sense that iodized granulated table salt has fallen
out of fashion. We're not getting nearly enough iodine in our diet - about
half what we were in the 70's - and this causes numerous health issues. Of
course, if you eat anything that comes from the sea at least once a week,
you're probably getting plenty.

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 20:25:48 -0000
Larry Weil > wrote:

> Steve Hay > wrote in
> news:vt7Wd.55708$EL5.30776@trnddc05:
>
>
> > I think you are putting the cart before the horse. The first
> > definition of organic in my dictionary is, "Of, relating to,
> or derived from living organisms." >
>
> By that definion, all tea is organic.
>
> > Also, last I checked, salt is both solid and a food, but
> contains no carbon. Just a nit.
>
> Is salt really a food? Since it has no nutrition, I would not
> consider it a food, though it is edible in small quatities. Not
> everything that's edible is a food, IMO.


It's a mineral, and a required part of the human diet. If you don't
obtain enough in your diet, your electrolytes go all out of whack and this
is bad for your heart and brain.

Of course, in western culture, the problem is hardly ever too little
salt - except in the sense that iodized granulated table salt has fallen
out of fashion. We're not getting nearly enough iodine in our diet - about
half what we were in the 70's - and this causes numerous health issues. Of
course, if you eat anything that comes from the sea at least once a week,
you're probably getting plenty.

"A. E. Baxter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
<snip>
> Most
> exciting was the extensive array of tiny little glass dishes, each
> filled with a sample of tea and marked with a name card telling where
> the tea had come from and giving a brief description of its flavors.
> You could see, touch and smell each tea before you decided to try it.

That's great.

> I knew from reading posts in
> this group that the leaves would unfurl, but I was amazed at how such a
> small amount of tea could expand into such perfect whole leaves.

Awesome to watch, isn't it? I suggest that you get yourself a strainer and a
glass teapot/jelly jar/whatever so that you may enjoy the show to the max.

> So... that is my first loose tea experience. I fell in love.

Welcome to the addiction!

--
~~Bluesea~~
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