• 05Feb

    From Rainforest Alliance Certified Tea Gardens in Sri Lanka to My Cup

    While winter in the nation’s capital has proven to be exceptionally exciting this year, one calming elixir that always seems to soothe the soul is a cup of hot tea. Although having a large cold brew and focusing on every detail in life may be alluring, it’s important to take a step back every so often and just unwind with a simple yet satisfying brewed tea. That is what I have been doing for several days now, with the help of Jaf Tea. The 75-year-old Rainforest Alliance certified tea company sent me a box of some of their premium teas to taste and enjoy for this review.

    The design of the box itself was sleek and premium. The tea bags were all wrapped in their own individual paper and foil packages. The selection included English Breakfast, Ceylon Earl Grey, Black Tea, Green Tea, Green Tea with Soursop & Banana, Green Tea with Strawberry & Kiwi, Chamomile Tea, and Cool Peppermint Tea. With 80 packets of tea, this box has a wide and plentiful selection of unique takes on some classic hot flavors while still offering a solid traditional basis of tea.

    For this review, I brewed a cup of English Breakfast, the normal Green Tea, and the Black Tea. Each tea bag had instructions on the proper temperature and steeping instructions for Jaf’s optimal cup of tea. I tried each tea on its own with no additives, but then opted to add sugar to the green tea and sugar and milk to my cuppa English.

    The English Tea was the most robust of the bunch. It has a base of black tea flavor with added notes of aged citrus, specifically bergamot. This tea is bold and potent to say the least. The English Tea really does add a whole new dimension to breakfast since and can be a bit overpowering. The addition of milk and sugar help mellow out the tea’s flavor and make it a smoother drink.

    The Green was a much needed milder tasting tea. It was naturally sweet, with only some light bitterness on the backend of my sips. The matcha flavor was present and tasted very floral without any harsh chlorophyllic notes which often accompany lower quality green teas.

    The final tea I tried was the fruity Black Tea. This tea reminded me of the milder and sweeter English breakfast. It was naturally syrupy tasting and didn’t require any additional sugar. The brew was lighter than the other two teas and had some of the least amount of color. While not the most memorable, this tea was still sippable and pleasant albeit a bit weak.

    Overall, the teas offered by Jaf tea exceeded my expectations and were a delightful boost for my early morning and afternoon.

    -ARM

    Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Products Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
  • 08Dec

    Organic Thai Curry Kits Spice up Your Kitchen

    Thai is one of our favorite cuisines, so we jumped at the chance to review Verve Culture’s Thai for Two Organic Curry Kits. The curry kits are imported from Thailand, gluten-free, and vegan, and come in Penang, green, and red varieties.

    • Red Curry with Broccoli & Bell Peppers.
    • Green Curry with Wild Salmon, Zucchini & Bell Peppers

    Included in each are the following organic packets: curry paste, curry seasonings, coconut milk, and dried herbs. You follow step-by-step directions, which include adding 7-10 ounces of uncooked protein and 7-10 ounces of uncooked vegetables. The recipes were well described and not difficult. You are told to use 50 to 100% of the curry paste packet depending on desired spice level, and that the dried herbs (kaffir lime leaves, chili peppers, etc.) are not meant to be consumed directly (since they just flavor the sauce).

    We made the green curry with wild salmon, a small zucchini, and a small orange bell pepper. The curry went extremely well with the wild salmon. We used 100% of the curry paste packet for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (high for my dining partner).

    For the Penang, we went with organic chicken breast from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, an orange bell pepper, and fresh carrots. Visually, it contained orange vegetables with an orange sauce, so a different color bell pepper may have been a better idea. Scallions were added for a bit of color. 75% of the curry paste packet was used for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (ok for me, but still a little high for my dining partner).

    • Penang Curry with Carrots & Bell Peppers.
    • Thai 4 TWO
      Thai Curry Kits.

    We used a small red bell pepper, and Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op broccoli and chicken breast with the red curry kit. 50% of the curry paste packet was used for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (about right for my dining partner).

    We definitely enjoyed all three curry varieties, since the direct from Thailand ingredients give them an authentic flavor, but our favorite was the green curry (with wild salmon), even at the 100% spice level. The kits are good for two people, but we had some leftovers of the Pinang and red varieties since we used an extra 1/4 cup of water and a pound of chicken each.

    Verve Culture makes two other Thai kits: Tom Kha Soup and Pad Thai. For a limited time, there is a coupon code for your holiday gift-giving needs. Order 5 flavors of Thai for Two Cooking Kits with the code THAI4TWO.

    Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op‘s CSA boxes can be picked up at various sites in the DC area, including the Mosaic District’s MOM’s Organic Market.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Home Cooking, Ingredients, Products, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

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