special tea

One of our stops in Seattle (see yesterday's post)

was The Vital Leaf tea shop

It's a tasting room where you can 

enjoy sampling all sorts of teas that

you might not ordinarily try.

The first question the host will ask is:

"what is your favorite type of tea to drink?"

(I said black)

... and then they proceed to show you the best way to brew it ...

 the idea is to start out with what you already know and like

and learn how to improve it by a better brewing technique.

For instance,

with black tea,

she said that traditionally the hot water is run through the tea first to warm it and wash it,

then it is steeped - only briefly - about 1 minute.

The teas I tasted: 

lychee black, coconut green, dragon well, 

siberian rose and osmanthus, jasmine pearl, and hibiscus.

I think my favorite was the coconut green tea.

Oh my goodness .....

yum!

***

For more yummy tea, please visit the "Tea on Tuesday" blogs listed in my sidebar