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November 28, 2004
Tung Ting Jade Oolong
Name: Tung Ting Jade Oolong
Kathy's Rating: 8.5/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: Taiwan
Price: $14/2 oz.
Tea form: Rolled loose oolong leaves
What they say: The best of Taiwanese semi-fermented teas, this jade colored oolong is grown on the slopes of the Tung Ting Mountains. Gentle and remarkably smooth in flavor, with a flowery undertone. Good for multiple infusions.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over leaves and infuse for 3-5 minutes.
Review: I'll admit that I'm a big fan of oolong teas. It's the only type of tea that I drink in gradations, meaning different steep levels. This is because oolong tea has the most wonderful way of starting out with a simple one-note taste, and gradually increasing in complexity and body. No other type of tea - white, green, and black - have been quite like oolong. This Tung Ting Jade Oolong tea is no exception to the simple to complex pattern of oolongs. What is different about this oolong though, is that it starts out on with a more full-bodied taste than the Monkey Picked Oolong I reviewed earlier. However, this oolong is less strong than TenRen's First Grade Oolong, which I also reviewed. Overall, this is a good oolong tea, and is just right for an intermediate oolong tea drinker.
Posted by Kathy at 05:44 PM | Permalink
Monkey Picked Oolong
Name: Monkey Picked Oolong
Kathy's Rating: 9.0/10.0
Company: Teavana
Origin of tea: China
Price: $25/2 oz.
Tea form: Rolled loose oolong leaves
What they say: The ultimate oolong. When infused, the unbroken, evenly sized leaves gracefully unfurl to reveal the most complex oolong bouquet available. Its legendary name refers to Buddhist monks who trained monkeys to harvest the youngest leaves from the top of the wild tea trees. Presently the term “Monkey Picked” refers to the highest quality of oolong available. Made from the youngest tea leaves, this tea is perfect for multiple infusions. True tea connoisseurs dedicate a Yixing teapot exclusively for brewing this exceptional oolong.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over leaves and infuse for 3-5 minutes.
Review: Since this is advertised to be the 'ultimate oolong', I set my bar high for Monkey Picked Oolong. It would be good to note that the term 'Monkey Picked' is not exclusive to Teavana, and is used in the oolong tea world to refer to a specific method of tea making method. When drinking oolong, I like to make a large pot and drink the tea in various steep stages. There's a big difference between each of oolong tea's subsequent cups. Monkey Picked Oolong has a delicate taste, which never really becomes more bold, even as the tea steeps longer. This is interesting, because many oolongs are much more full-bodied. I did enjoy this oolong, and would recommend it for new oolong tea drinkers especially, because of the more mild taste. This is a great oolong for the times when simplicity is desired.
Posted by Kathy at 04:55 PM | Permalink
November 23, 2004
Tuscarora Mill Restaurant, Leesburg, Virginia
I recently went to Tuscarora Mill Restaurant - dubbed 'Tuskie's' by regulars - for the second time. The last time we went, it was for lunch on a Saturday. I remembered liking the food, so I thought it would be neat to go for dinner. Tuscarora Mill Restaurant is tucked away in a fairly large crafts and arts type of shopping area. However, the restaurant is quite spacious.
I ordered a seared ahi tuna appetizer, which was delicious. I'm actually impressed that although Tuscarora calls itself an American restaurant, there's definitely a lot of Asian-inspired touches to the cuisine. This works in my favor, because I grew up with Asian cooking.
For the entree, I ordered the Pan Roasted Long Island Duck. I didn't know that Long Island was known for duck, but I've always liked duck, and was willing to give it a try. I also picked an Australian shiraz to go with the duck. The verdict? The duck was excellent - not too greasy, and the skin was well-prepared. Whether you agree with me or not, I always use the perfectly seasoned and roasted NYC and Vancouver Chinatown-style ducks to compare to any other roasted ducks. I'm happy to say that Tuscarora's roast duck was pretty close to Chinatown's. I thought the shiraz would be a perfect match - bear with me, I'm not a wine connoisseur - but perhaps a different red wine would have been a better pick. It's not like the shiraz was bad or anything - it was acceptable. I just remember that there was this one Syrah that went perfectly with a Provence-style honey roast duck I made once. I think Syrah and Shiraz are just different regional names for the same wine.
Anyhow, Todd ordered the buffalo steak special, which he paired with a merlot. That turned out to be a good decision, because the buffalo and merlot went together like bread and butter. Yum. Yes, he let me try some of his entree and wine.
All of this was topped by a wonderful selection of desserts. I picked the trio of creme brulees - vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry. I think creme brulees are my weakness. Vanilla was very good and the chocolate was very rich, but the raspberry is hands down the winner. I wonder if I can just get an extra large portion of the raspberry the next time I go there? I think it'll be pretty soon that I go back there.
Posted by Kathy at 10:09 PM | Permalink
November 15, 2004
Lapsang Souchong
Name: Lapsang Souchong
Kathy's Rating: 1.0/10.0
Company: Twinings Teas
Origin of tea: Fujian, China
Price: ~$2.39/25 tea bags
Tea form: Minced smoked black tea in tea bags
What they say: A golden tea with a very distinctive smoky character. Ideal when relaxing in the afternoon, or in the evening after dinner.
Preparation method: Pour boiling water over the tea bag and steep for 3-5 minutes.
Review: This is the first Lapsang Souchong I've tried, so I did some research on how this tea is produced. This is a black tea that was traditionally laid out on bamboo trays with small openings and smoked with pine wood. Because of the bold smoky flavor, this is considered a man's tea. Whatever. I was very skeptical because I thought the tea bag smelled like tar, which isn't exactly the most enticing smell. However, I was relieved when tasting the tea that the bark is worse than the bite, so to speak, although the bark is truly horrific. The tea did dry my throat out though, so I had to follow up with drinking some water. I can't say I really enjoyed this tea or anything, so I'll just chalk it up as being an interesting experience and worth at least one try. As a tea drinking friend of mine remarked to me: "Lapsang Souchong was the vilest tea I have ever had!". Now that I've tried Lapsang Souchong, I will be on the lookout for other brands of Lapsang Souchong to try in the future - but only because I'm curious as to whether it's Twining's fault, or if all Lapsang Souchong is truly this bad.
Posted by Kathy at 08:19 PM | Permalink
November 14, 2004
PanAsia Green Tea
Name: PanAsia Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: Japan and China
Price: ~$3.50/5 sachets (.27oz)
Tea form: Loose bancha green tea and chrysanthemum in silken sachets
What they say: A delightful blend of Japanese Bancha and big white chrysanthemum flowers from China create a light, clean tasting delight.
Preparation method: Use slightly below boiling water and pour over sachet. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: This tea is an interesting blend of Japanese bancha - coarse tea - and chrysanthemum flowers. I have had just bancha tea or just chrysanthemum tea before, but not both in the same infusion. The taste of the green tea is much stronger than the chrysanthemum - I could barely taste the chrysanthemum notes. The overall taste is like drinking a light green tea, which is very good if you're in a contemplative mood or just want to relax. I think this tea would be even better if the chrysanthemum taste was stronger (by adding more chrysanthemum flowers, not by adding flavoring), which is why this tea was not rated higher than its current 6.5/10.0.
Posted by Kathy at 09:43 PM | Permalink
November 13, 2004
Visiting New Air and Space Museum Wing
This afternoon, Todd and I made a trip to the Dulles Airport annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. On November 1, 2004, a new space hangar wing had just opened, and this was our first time visiting that new wing. I was surprised at how many exhibits there were. Before the new wing opened, I could see the Space Shuttle Enterprise in the hangar, but couldn't walk into the area.
There were neat displays of rocket engines, space suits, a actual scale prototype of the Mars Pathfinder lander and the Sojourner vehicle, and even Anita, the first spider in zero-G. Anita was preserved, of course.
Definitely worth going to see, if you are in the Dulles airport area.
Posted by Kathy at 04:31 PM | Permalink
November 11, 2004
Activist Author Iris Chang Found Dead
I was shocked to read via SFGate that author Iris Chang - perhaps most well-known for her powerfully emotional book The Rape of Nanking - was found dead Tuesday. I have talked about Chang and her documentary on war crimes committed by the Japanese against the Chinese in an earlier weblog entry.
I still remember flipping through a copy of The Rape of Nanking at Border's bookstore and feeling outraged at the atrocities committed against the tens of thousands of innocent and helpless women and children in Nanking. What kind of monsters would be able to follow through with those actions? You'd really have to see the pictures in the book to understand what I'm talking about. I'll admit that those images were so repulsive that they stick in my mind to this day. In fact, I wish I never saw them. Honestly, those images made the photographs from Abu Ghraib look like minor offenses - not that I am not also horrified at the treatment of the prisoners there.
Such is the furious passion that Iris Chang was able to evoke in her readers. Chang's death is especially sad because Asian Americans are still considered the passive race in this country. There are very few Asian Americans with the talent to put history into words, and are willing to spend time and energy advocating for justice. Clearly this needs to change.
Posted by Kathy at 08:04 PM | Permalink
November 09, 2004
Organic Darjeeling
Name: Organic Darjeeling
Kathy's Rating: 8.0/10.0
Company: Hampstead Tea & Coffee Company
Origin of tea: India
Price: ~$11/125g (4.38oz)
Tea form: Loose biodynamically grown black tea leaves
What they say: Our signature biodynamic and fairtrade Darjeeling leaf tea is a favourite for its clean, satisfying taste. It has a rich, smokey flavour with a delightful, mellow aroma. Enjoy the distinctive flavour on its own or add a splash of milk. The tea is harvested from the Makaibari tea estate in India, one of only a few owner-managed estates still in existence. The leaves are picked in the autumn when the sun is mild, imparting a gentle flavour. No artificial inputs are used at any point during farming or production. The entire system emphasises environmental responsibility.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: I picked this tea up from Whole Foods Market thinking that I've never tried biodynamically grown tea before. Would the taste be better? Since I'm new to Darjeeling, I only had one other Darjeeling to compare against this one. The other Darjeeling I've tried - Twinings - I didn't like too much. See my review on it for more details. Makaibari Estate's biodynamic Darjeeling is another story. I thought this tea was so pure, clear, and non-bitter in taste that I wanted to send some to a friend who recommended that I try Darjeeling in the first place. I realize that there are probably those out there who would suggest to me that comparing Twinings tea bags against loose leaf tea is hardly a fair comparison. I will continue to acquire and taste difference Darjeelings because I agree with that sentiment. However, this tea so impressed me that I'm reluctant to drink any other Darjeeling.
Posted by Kathy at 07:58 PM | Permalink
November 08, 2004
Organic Earl Grey Tea
Name: Organic Earl Grey Tea
Kathy's Rating: 9.0/10.0
Company: Hampstead Tea & Coffee Company
Origin of tea: India
Price: ~$11/125g (4.38oz)
Tea form: Loose biodynamically grown black tea with bergamot oil
What they say: Our biodynamic and fairtrade Earl Grey tea is a refreshing alternative to the heavier versions on the market today. We have recreated the original formula of Earl Grey, a tea created for the second Earl of Grey after a successful diplomatic mission. Our Earl Grey uses the natural oil of the bergamot fruit, imparting a distinct but not overpowering flavour. The base tea is harvested from the Makaibari tea estate in India, one of only a few owner-managed estates still in existence. No artificial inputs are used at any point during farming or production. The entire system emphasizes environmental responsibility.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea. Steep for 3 minutes.
Review: I picked this tea up from Whole Foods Market thinking that I've never tried biodynamically grown tea before. Would the taste be better? Black leaf Earl Grey tea is a good control case for me because I've tried many, many different brands of black leaf Earl Grey teas - probably between fifteen and twenty brands. Like most people, I'm definitely for avoiding pesticides whenever possible. Hampstead's - or more accurately Makaibari Estate's - black leaf Earl Grey tea is superb. It is the best black leaf Earl Grey tea I've ever had. The taste of bergamot is rich, but not cloying as some bergamot essences in other brands of bleak leaf Earl Grey can be. This tea never produced bitter tones. Down to the last sip, the clarity of the aftertaste impressed me. If you like black leaf Earl Grey teas, then this tea should be your standard.
Posted by Kathy at 08:57 PM | Permalink
November 05, 2004
Darjeeling Tea
Name: Darjeeling Tea
Kathy's Rating: 4.5/10.0
Company: Twinings of London
Origin of tea: India
Price: $2.39/25 bags (50g/1.8oz)
Tea form: Darjeeling black tea in tea bags
What they say: A tea from the Darjeeling region of India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Darjeeling is valued for its fine, delicate flavour and aroma and is considered the 'champagne' of teas.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea bag. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Review: I specifically bought and reviewed this tea because a friend of mine asked if I'd do a review of a Darjeeling tea. Just reading the description on the box describing Darjeeling as the champagne of teas, I was a bit wary. In my experience, Oolong tea takes that honor. I decided to put that thought aside though, and give this tea a shot. I think in some ways, Darjeeling is similar to breakfast blends. They are both robust. However, Darjeeling's undertones are more delicate, whereas the breakfast blends tend to buzz. Although I don't dislike this tea, it didn't exactly excite me either. I think it's because I can't quite think of the right occasion to drink it. If I'm feeling chilled, I would want something a bit more robust. In a more exploratory mode, I'd want something more exotic. Perhaps I need to buy more brands of Darjeeling and try them before I get a sense for where it belongs in my list. It could be that there are better purveyors of Darjeeling than Twinings of London out there.
Posted by Kathy at 09:58 PM | Permalink
Ceylon Breakfast Tea
Name: Ceylon Breakfast Tea
Kathy's Rating: 4.0/10.0
Company: Twinings of London
Origin of tea: Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Price: $2.39/25 bags (50g/1.8oz)
Tea form: Ceylon black tea in tea bags
What they say: A blend of fine teas grown on the hillsides of Ceylon producing a rich liquor with superb flavour.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea bag. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Review: Ceylon Breakfast Tea is a stiff blend that turns water the color of dark coffee. I made a mental note to follow up with brushing my teeth so they don't get permanently stained. My dentist is very quick to point out tea stains, so I don't want to go there. Anyhow, I like breakfast blend black teas when I feel cold, for some reason. It's probably the same reason why denizens of cold climes like Russia and Finland are partial to vodka. In fact, I was in Finland just a few months ago walking around when it started pouring. We made it to a cafe, but were soaked and cold. I ordered a breakfast tea, and that really made the chills go away. I find it difficult to drink this tea if I'm not feeling cold or if I have to focus on getting a sit-down task accomplished. Teas are completely different from coffees, but if there were any teas that could be made 'honorary' coffees, this tea would be it, due to its extreme robustness.
Posted by Kathy at 09:32 PM | Permalink
November 04, 2004
Star Wars Episode III Trailer
I watched a short trailer for the long-awaited Star Wars Episode III today. Just so you know, I thought the trailer for Episode II was the corniest thing I'd ever seen.
Amidala: Ani? You've grown!
Anakin: So have you. I mean, more beautiful, that is.
Oh goodness. Definitely a cringe moment. I'm actually relieved that Episode III's trailer didn't look corny at all.
Posted by Kathy at 09:19 PM | Permalink
Winter White Earl Grey White Tea
Name: Winter White Earl Grey White Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.0/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$3.50/5 sachets (.27oz)
Tea form: Loose mutan white tea in silken sachets
What they say: A new tea that combines beautiful Chinese Mutan White tea with lemony natural Bergamot. Have you been following all the press on the health benefits of white tea?
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over sachet. Steep for 5 minutes.
Review: I'm partial to Earl Grey teas, but I've never tried a white tea infused with bergamot before. Most Earl Grey teas use black tea leaves infused with bergamot. Since black teas tend to have more bitter undertones - not to mention caffeine levels, I figured this tea would taste like a regular Earl Grey without the bitterness and buzz. I was definitely right on that guess. This was a fun tea to drink, and the next time I just want to sit down and relax with a cup of tea on a lazy weekend afternoon, this tea will come to mind. This tea merited a fairly high rating (7.0/10.0), but it just didn't sing enough to me to rate higher.
Posted by Kathy at 09:05 PM | Permalink
Wedding Tea
Name: Wedding Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$5/5 sachets (11.2g/.4oz)
Tea form: Loose white mutan tea and rose petals in silken sachets
What they say: Wedding Tea is an elegant and beautiful blend of flavors. Mutan White tea is infused with a hint of lemon-vanilla, and then pink rosebuds are added, to represent the bloom of new love. Our wedding tea comes in silken tea sachets, so the presentation of the tea is as elegant as the occasion it represents.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over sachet. Steep for 5 minutes.
Review: This tea is very strongly infused with vanilla. Despite the advertised claims of hints of lemon, I was not able to tell that this tea has citrus undertones at all. The overall taste is very mellow, and very pleasant. Almost like I'm eating creme brulee. I'm not kidding, there really is a strong vanilla-caramel taste to the tea. Even though the leaf is classified as a white tea, this tea doesn't taste like a white tea because of the vanilla. In fact, it's like drinking a black tea - without the bitterness. I loved this tea, and can't wait to brew another cup. This is one tea that I'll be ordering more of. My one complaint is that I wish it wasn't called "Wedding Tea". The name seems kind of tacky to me, and honestly, this spectacular tea blend deserves a lot better than a tacky name. How about "Rose Pearl Mutan White Tea"? Oh, well, if I forget about the name, I can totally enjoy this tea. I think I'm going to go brew myself another cup of this now.
Posted by Kathy at 08:45 PM | Permalink
November 03, 2004
Wild Sweet Orange Herbal Infusion
Name: Wild Sweet Orange Herbal Infusion
Kathy's Rating: 2.0/10.0
Company: Tazo
Origin of tea: Eastern Europe, Guatemala, Oregon, China
Price: ~$4/20 bags (44g/1.5oz)
Tea form: Crushed herbal leaves, flowers, fruits, and spices in tea bags
What they say: Tazo Wild Sweet Orange begins with the rich taste of blackberry leaves from Easten Europe, blended with lemongrass from Guatemala, spearmint from Oregon and the spicy taste of Chinese ginger. Natural orange essence imparts a delicious citrus flavor. Mumbled chantings give it incredible juju.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes.
Review: I'm going to start by stating that I'm not partial to citrus-based herbal teas. I saw the word 'sweet' in the tea moniker, and thought I would give it a shot. Unfortunately, all that this particular experience has further reinforced in me is 'stay away from citrus herbal teas'. To paraphrase a famous Wendy's Hamburger commercial - "Where's the sweet?" Drinking Wild Sweet Orange reminded me of the vitamin C tablets I sometimes take when I feel a cold coming on. Not an auspicious omen. Go figure, one of the ingredients in this tea is citric acid - vitamin C. Another component of this tea is rose hips, which you guessed it, my vitamin C tablets contain. What is up with this? If I want to take vitamin C, I'll just swallow it quickly and wash it down with water. Why take it in hot liquid agonizing sip by sip form? As for juju, I'd say that mumbled chantings will make it go down more easily. Just maybe. Unless you love sour teas, don't bother with this one.
Posted by Kathy at 11:06 PM | Permalink
Yellow and Blue Herbal Infusion
Name: Yellow and Blue Herbal Infusion
Kathy's Rating: 4.5/10.0
Company: Harney & Sons Teas
Origin of tea: Unknown
Price: ~$3.50/3 sachets (4.5g/.16oz)
Tea form: Loose chamomile, lavender, and cornflowers in silken sachets
What they say: A floral rapture. This is a great blend of chamomile, lavender and corn flowers.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over sachet. Steep for 5 minutes.
Review: I came across Harney & Sons Tea while searching for tea merchants through Froogle. Harney & Sons' website was really nicely designed, and I was looking for something herbal to try. So, I ordered a bunch of teas in small quantities from them. I suppose the name of this blend, 'Yellow and Blue' is derived from chamomile flowers being yellow (and white), and lavender flowers being blue. I have no idea what cornflowers look like, but they may also be blue in hue. When I popped open the beautifully made tin containing the sachets, an overwhelming scent of chamomile wafted upwards. Uh-oh. I'm not a huge fan of chamomile tea. But, I decided to try it out anyways, because the worst that can happen is that I give it a bad review, right? Well, anyway, I was surprised that this tea tastes more strongly of lavender, even though it smells more like chamomile. This is good, because I like lavender. I have no idea where the cornflower part is. Between the strong lavender taste followed by the chamomile aftertaste, I couldn't taste anything else. Is there a purely cornflower tea out there? I need to sample that to know what cornflower tastes like. My final verdict: this is a good tea for me, as long as I keep taking sips so that the chamomile aftertaste doesn't linger. Perhaps I'll purchase a pure lavender tea next time instead. Of course, if you're a fan of chamomile, I'm betting that you'll enjoy this tea.
Posted by Kathy at 09:43 PM | Permalink
Bouquet of Flowers Tea
Name: Bouquet of Flowers Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Kousmichoff Tea
Origin of tea: France
Price: ~$12/125g (4.4oz)
Tea form: Loose black tea blend with natural flavoring
What they say: From Kousmichoff & Sons, founded in 1867 in St. Petersburg and revived in 1920 in Paris. Bouquet of Flowers features a blend of China, India and Ceylon teas with natural scents of lemon, bergamot, orange, lime and mandarin orange.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea. Steep for 4-6 minutes.
Review: This is a full-bodied black tea with strong aromas of sweet citrus - not the sour citrus taste of herbal citrus teas. If you're a person who likes to get some caffeine in the morning, this would be a good breakfast tea for you. Just let the tea steep for a bit longer than 4-6 minutes to get a stronger flavor and more caffeine. I like this tea because it is vastly different from the Chinese and Japanese teas I usually drink. It feels like a special occasion, "there needs to be pastries served with the tea" kind of tea, but I digress. It stands fine on its own. One thing I've noticed with this tea: the leaves are very finely chopped, so make sure you are using a strainer or infuser of some type so that you're not sipping bits of the tea. Dilligent readers will notice that this review is very similar to my review of Prince Vladimir Tea, also from Kousmichoff Tea. The ingredients are almost exactly the same, except Bouquet of Flowers contains more citrus components, and no vanilla flavoring. Overall, Bouquet of Flowers is more mild in taste than Prince Vladimir. Unfortunately, like Price Vladimir tea, Bouquet of Flowers is flavored tea. Flavoring is a way to cut production costs of tea making - one that I disapprove of in a tea that is marketed for upscale grocers. That's why this tea was rated a 6.5/10.0. I expect more out of an upscale (more expensive) tea.
Posted by Kathy at 07:43 PM | Permalink
Chai Organic Spiced Black Tea
Name: Chai Organic Spiced Black Tea
Kathy's Rating: 5.5/10.0
Company: Tazo
Origin of tea: India and Ceylon
Price: ~$5/20 bags (52g/1.8oz)
Tea form: Crushed black tea leaves and various spices in tea bags
What they say: Organic Tazo Chai is an aromatic, sensual experience that comes from many exotic parts of the world. Rich Indian and Ceylon black teas are combined with spicy, sweet cinnamon, Madagascar cloves, and other spices from the Malabar Coast of India.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes.
Review: This is an extremely robust chai blend. I'm a big fan of chai, and will confess to drinking it most mornings for breakfast. However, the chai I drink is a concentrate sweetened with honey, which I blend with soymilk in an approximate 40:60 chai:soymilk ratio, depending on how much caffeine I need. This chai tea that I tried today is a bit overwhelming for me. Although I usually like my tea on the strong side, Tazo organic chai tea has black pepper as one of the ingredients. Yes, you read that correctly. Black pepper. Oh, and if that's not spicy enough, there's also ginger root and cinnamon bark. Whew! I'm definitely not a wimp when it comes to eating spicy foods, but I'm not sure I like my tea spicy. I did appreciate the cardamom and cloves that were also part of the mix. I could smell the cardamom in the tea bags from five feet away - I'm not kidding. I'd say if Tazo left out or reduced the black pepper, this would be just about perfect. Actually, if you're the type of tea drinker who likes to add sugar and milk, which I rarely do, this tea could come out pretty nicely.
Posted by Kathy at 06:33 PM | Permalink
November 02, 2004
Election Day 2004
I went out to vote today. Since I'm a big supporter of voting privacy, I'm not going to tell you who I voted for. I will, however, share some thoughts on my experience today.
First of all, I appreciate the efforts of volunteer election judges who were working at my polling place today. For the most part, the judges did the best they could to smooth the process of voting. However, there were definitely some issues with speed of processing at the sign-in/registration tables. There were two lines, 'A-R' and 'S-Z'. Since I'm Kathy Wang, I was in the 'S-Z' line. This line did not move nearly as quickly as the other line. In fact, I'd say it moved so slowly that I saw about a hundred different people pass by me in the other line. When I got to the registration table an hour later, there were these two little old ladies there. Isn't there some form of efficiency management in place? Couldn't they have swapped one of the ladies with another person at a faster table so that the total speed of processing goes up? We geeks call this 'load-balancing'.
So, I finally get to the voting station and cast my ballot. By the way, although this isn't my first time voting, I still feel this awesome sense of purpose as I cast my votes. I think that's really cool. My precinct used paper ballots, and before you start thinking that I live in a podunk town or something because we're not using electronic, touch-screen computers, here are a couple of articles written by security experts about why the paper system is still better.
Anyhow, I walked over to the reader machine after I filled out the ballot, and the election worker who was standing next to the machine - presumably to ensure that the machine and/or ballots are not tampered with - decided that he needed to take a break. That's not such an amazing thing, except that no one replaced him to watch the machine! I was just dumbstruck, but sent my ballot throught the reader. Who knows, if I wanted to, I could have put in two paper ballots while there was no one watching the reader machine. Not good.
Next, I headed to work, and heard some disturbing things from other people. Apparently, there are some other precincts that did use electronic touch-screen type vote casting machines. Well, it turns out that some people couldn't figure it out. For example, at the conclusion of the voting process, the computer returns a screen saying something like 'If you're done, touch the big red box'. I'm just paraphrasing here, I didn't actually see the screen. Well, some people left their voting booth without touching that red box on the screen. So, I guess if the next person wanted to, could they have hit a 'Back' button and changed the previous voter's votes? Just wondering if this could have happened. This way to fix this problem, I think, would be to print out some form of a receipt - I think at least some of Nevada's booths do this - so that the voter knows that their vote process is over. So, much like an ATM transaction, if you didn't get a receipt, something's wrong.
Hopefully, this election will not be the mess that the 2000 elections were. I'll probably be up until midnight to see what happens with the election results, but I'm not holding my breath that there will be a definite winner by the end of today.
Posted by Kathy at 10:19 PM | Permalink
Bushmen's Brew Honeybush Herbal Teasan
Name: Bushmen's Brew Honeybush Herbal Teasan
Kathy's Rating: 6.0/10.0
Company: Numi Tea
Origin of tea: South Africa
Price: ~$5/20 bags (1.68oz)
Tea form: Crushed honeybush leaves in tea bags
What they say: For hundreds of years, the Khoi and San peoples of Southern Africa hand gathered this plant from the mountainous regions of their homelands. This honey scented flowering bush creates an enticing rich brew with sweet honey over-tones. Rich in anti-oxidants, phytoestrogens and essential minerals, this new, organic African herbal is both delicious and healthy. One sip and the secret touches your soul.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea bag. Steep for 4-6 minutes.
Review: This is an organically grown and caffeine free tea. I thought this tea would be similar in taste to rooibos tea, but I was wrong. Honeybush tea tastes nothing like rooibos, even though they both have hints of honey. Honeybush is very, very mild, despite the fact that I let it steep for six minutes. It's almost like I've prepared hot water, and added a bit of honey, but not really enough to sweeten the water. At the same time, there's an earthy taste to honeybush tea. I can't decide if I like it or not, so I'll just say that it can be pleasing, but not entirely satisfying.
Posted by Kathy at 09:58 PM | Permalink
November 01, 2004
Prince Vladimir Tea
Name: Prince Vladimir Tea
Kathy's Rating: 6.5/10.0
Company: Kousmichoff Tea
Origin of tea: France
Price: ~$13/125g (4.4oz)
Tea form: Loose black tea blend with natural flavoring
What they say: From Kousmichoff & Sons, founded in 1867 in St. Petersburg and revived in 1920 in Paris. Prince Vladimir is a spciy blend of Ceylon, China and India teas with a strong citrus flavor and vanilla undertones.
Preparation method: Boil water and pour over tea. Steep for 4-6 minutes.
Review: This is a full-bodied black tea with strong aromas of sweet citrus - not the sour citrus taste of herbal citrus teas. If you're a person who likes to get some caffeine in the morning, this would be a good breakfast tea for you. Just let the tea steep for a bit longer than 4-6 minutes to get a stronger flavor and more caffeine. I like this tea because it is vastly different from the Chinese and Japanese teas I usually drink. It feels like a special occasion, "there needs to be pastries served with the tea" kind of tea, but I digress. It stands fine on its own. One thing I've noticed with this tea: the leaves are very finely chopped, so make sure you are using a strainer or infuser of some type so that you're not sipping bits of the tea. The site I linked to is Dean and Deluca, which does charge a bit more for its products. You can probably find the same tea for a couple of bucks less elsewhere. The one thing I dislike about this tea is the use of 'natural flavoring'. Whether natural or artificial, flavoring should be avoided. Instead, the tea leaves should be processed with as much real bits of fruit and florals to achieve whatever the specified taste should be. In other words, the tea leaves should be allowed over a period of time, to absorb the flavoring of the real bits of fruits and florals mixed into it. To me, flavoring the tea by other means is a cop out of the proper way to scent the tea. Natural and artificial flavoring is more acceptable when producing budget teas, but this particular tea is clearly being marketed for upscale gourmet chains (Dean and Deluca's, for one). So, sadly, I can't bring myself to rate this tea higher than 6.5/10.0.
Posted by Kathy at 08:51 PM | Permalink
Cute Superdeformed Transformers
I am a big Transformers fan. I remember seeing Transformers The Movie when it came out in the theatres, and crying when Optimus Prime died. Hey, I was a kid back then. Of course, my brother and I owned several Transformers figures. My favorite was Tracks.
Well, I was prowling around on Google, and found this comics site, which was quite amusing. Check it out. It's a parody of Transformers, drawn in a anime-like superdeformed style.
Posted by Kathy at 08:19 PM | Permalink