reunify around one sort of black tea blend

You know I can't let German Reunification Day go by without at least touching on it a little bit, right?  Those of you who read this blog even semi-regularly must've expected some mention of this one. Although I posted this a day early, the actual date of commemoration is 3 October.

Not only is it a very important historical moment, but I have the day off tomorrow.  


'Wait, you always have the day off.  Are you even employed?', I hear you asking.

Definitely employed.  I'm so gainfully employed that I'm already relishing the wild and limitless impending celebrations.  Celebrations that every last German will be participating in with enthusiasm and fervour.  Well, maybe not.

Actually not at all.  Many Germans I talk to say they can't imagine a Germany still divided.  But that doesn't mean these Germans are actually celebrating reunification.  They're speechless when they hear surveys cited where some former East Germans even say that they wish they could go back to the time of the Berlin Wall.

The response to this from the people who've been paying a Solidaritätszuschlag, which is a tax levied on many West Germans to help ease the transition of East Germany to a modern economy, is that it'd be nice to let those unhappy with the present situation go back to the old ways (if you really want to know more about this Solidarity surcharge, look at this Wikipedia article on Taxation in Germany).

But I'm getting far too deep into history and/or politics for a teablog.  My obvious question is:

What tea does one drink for German Reunification Day?

I refer you to my middle of the road blend post from the summer.  The perfect tea for both East and West Germany is an Ostfriesen Blend.  No matter what one thinks about the politics or the Solidarity surcharge, all can agree that this sort of blend is something Germans can be proud of.

the 'best tea'?

Was asked by a friend today what the 'best tea' was. What a question, eh? But I love a good debate. And blog comments. In case I've been unclear in the past, I really really like blog comments. So here's my not-so-humble answer. I wonder how the rest of you might respond.

Many teabloggers focus on green and/or Oolong tea, but as much as I like them, I've focused more on black tea. Most tea sellers in Germany make their own unique Ostfriesen Blend that is often a mix of strong, malty Assam and a Chinese Keemun (and maybe an Indian Nilgiri). If I had to choose my favourite non-single estate tea, it'd be one of those specialty blends.

But if it's brands we're talking about, the tastiest and most consistent tea I've found is 'Yorkshire Gold' made by Taylors of Harrogate. But that's only if we're talking about black tea blends.

I'd say the best non-green/Oolong tea, in my opinion, is still a single estate Darjeeling (to be truly accurate, most 'black' Darjeeling is really only 90% oxidised, so it's actually Oolong). I like stronger tea, so I enjoy second as well as first flush Darjeeling.

But the best brand? If you're buying from a seller that can tell you on which estate a Darjeeling was grown, then the likelihood is that it'll be better than something labeled simply as 'Darjeeling'. The estimation is that 40,000 tonnes of Darjeeling are sold worldwide, while only 10,000 tonnes are grown. Logically, one isn't always entirely sure that purchased Darjeeling was actually grown there.

Again, I'm very grateful for the question. Clearly the answer you'll get is entirely objective. I like thinking about how to make loose-leaf tea drinking more attractive. If I were a tea snob, it'd be the worst way of going about the whole thing.

What about you other tea obsessives? When someone asks you what the 'best tea' is, what might you say? I know on the face of it, it's an impossible question. But please jump in and claim your stake on this issue.

Did I mention that blog comments are encouraged?

middle of the road blend

Am up in the mountains this week, so I thought there wouldn't be much to blog about. Man, was I wrong. Got a ton of traffic and some very positive responses from my German teabloggers post from a few days ago. Better than that, I've connected with tea lovers closer to home. The thought of meeting some of these German teabloggers is much more feasible than some of the ones who're farther away. We'll see. They're certainly passionate, these local/regional tea enthusiasts.



Brought some books on tea with me, but I can't put down David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, so there's no tea literature for me to review till now.

To continue on my German tea theme this week, I've happened upon some very unassuming supermarket tea that I was very curious to try. I talked about my ridiculous desire to find decent, inexpensive supermarket tea a few weeks ago in drinking while unwell.

As much as I love tea shops and rare tea, I'm always on the hunt for an excellent tea that is economical. It's probably a mix of the Holy Grail and a fool's errand, but there you have it.

I've written about blending black tea in general and blends from Ostfriesland in particular here: You can have any colour you want...as long as it's black. This is a well-known tea in Germany, and probably considered pretty questionable to tea snobs.

But like I say, I'm on a quest to find quality tea at bargain prices. Wish I could say this was such a tea. It's certainly not a bad tea, but I have to try their tea in the higher price range. Strange as it may sound, I might use this tea as a blend with another tea.

To be fair, there is a freshness to the taste. It's neither too dark nor completely flavourless. It's exactly what one might expect of a middle of the road black tea blend. And the price really is remarkable.

The little statue in the photo above is clearly drinking something a bit stronger than tea. Welcome to Upper Bavaria.

Oh, one other thing. At this point in my reading, there've been two fleeting references to tea in Infinite Jest. I've seriously considered blogging about each of them, but thought it'd only irritate whoever's still reading. But I'm desperately searching for any reason to talk about this book and tea. You've been warned.

Rock Sugar before you pour

Had a client in my office yesterday and served a tea that I've talked about before, but is not one I love. It's a simple Ceylon mixed with dried roses and pieces of peach, and I serve it primarily because some people really like scented/flavoured tea. The rose/peach Ceylon was a hit, as it often is, and I'd like to defend it a bit. Despite the fact that I like pure tea, I know this sort of thing makes tea more palatable for some.

The other thing I rarely add to my tea is any sort of sugar, but several years ago I was invited to a friend's for tea and as a result changed my sugar policy. The friend was originally from Ostfriesland, which is a region between Hamburg and the Netherlands. Every country has a region that is the butt of their jokes. In Canada, it's people from Newfoundland. In Texas it's Aggies (people who went to Texas A & M University). Well, in Germany, it's Ostfriesland. Tons of jokes about these people.

But the thing is that the most avowed tea drinkers are from Ostfriesland. If you're ever in Northern Germany and have the chance to buy an Ostfriesen Blend, definitely go for it. Fantastic blends of black tea. Some of the best I've had.

But the thing is, they serve tea with what the Germans call Kandis, which I'd call Rock Sugar. I'm not saying I always drink tea with Rock Sugar, but every once in a while, especially when the afternoon tea is really strong, I'll put a few pieces in the bottom of my cup before I pour the tea in. Which is exactly what I did with the rose/peach Ceylon.

Not something I'd enjoy everyday, but was a nice change. The spice of life and all that.