A Matcha Made In…

August 18, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 3 Comments

Isn’t it funny how you start reading or hearing about a topic, and then images, visual cues, or stories about that topic seem to become drawn to you? Well this happened to me this week with Matcha.

I’m always willing to learn more about the different forms of tea, the health benefits, the origins of my favorites, and so much more. But, for whatever reason, I was inspired to read about Matcha, and then I started getting signs everywhere. It’s as if I was being naturally pulled to write about it this week.

As I find myself in the massive tea aisle of my local supermarket, of course the first kind of tea that sticks out is from a company I had never heard of. And this leads us to Matcha Love. The two cans I purchased look so charming don’t they? These adorable 5 oz. cans are just what the tea universe ordered! I just want to put them both in my pocket for safekeeping. Actually I can!

How did the Sweetened and Unsweetened compare? For one, they were both magnificent. These are works of art. The only difference with them is that the former has cane sugar added. And wow does the sugar taste natural.

I poured both into glasses to get a visual comparison. How gorgeous are these?

I chose to drink both at room temperature and I’m glad I did. I wanted to get more of a sipping experience and opposed to it being chilled. I think it would taste awesome either way.

With the unsweetened one, I did get more of an authentic green tea tasting experience. It was like all the great teas I’ve had heated from a traditional kettle. I got a very smoky flavor on top of that. I didn’t want to get carried away but I could have had a few more of these.

The company who came up with this gem is ITO EN, based out of Japan. And within their website they have a tremendous section dedicated to Green Tea and all the positive benefits of it.

Speaking of benefits, I felt so good after drinking my Matcha Love cans. It might have been because it was my first time or maybe there was something so powerful to them, that could be too good for words.

The teas were only $1.59. That’s a bargain for what I was getting.

I felt energized but also a sense of calm instantaneously. I felt as if life was so perfect at that moment and everything is going right with the world. It’s a natural high that I would like to exhibit more often.

The organization is only 15 years old but I wish I had heard of them sooner. Their website has a lot to navigate and tons of information, and once again I’m glad there is an area for community and social awareness.

There is so much to process and they have so many varieties to choose from that I will need to revisit this great company. Thankfully everything about them seems user-friendly and genuine, that I will be happy to do so.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Peach Pals

August 11, 2015Ideen Barimani fruit, Maryland, Tea 13 Comments

This one is going to be fun. There’s also going to be a record number of pictures. We’re looking at around 25.

Over the weekend I attended the Peach Festival at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm in Parkville, MD. This was my first time attending the festival but not my first time visiting the farm.

Fortunately or unfortunately, my first exposure to the farm was around the holidays last year. It was only by virtue of driving nearby and seeing signs for it that I stumbled upon this happy place. And it’s a happy place. It feels like Christmas even when it isn’t. And in a way, I’m grateful my first visit around one of the more positive times of the year.

So by default, this was my first Peach Festival.

The event and the farm itself is geared more towards a family friendly vibe. The store inside acts as a regular market but it’s all farm fresh and local, which is wonderful! Within the store there is a bakery and ice cream shop as well. It has all the stuff that makes you feel good.

The festival itself got crowded very early and rather abruptly. The sights and sounds will try to be conveyed via pictures.

Of course I got a few peaches. I’m not overstating this when I say they were incredible. We are in the heart of the peach season. And this is one of the best fruit indulging experiences I’ve had in a long while. Which leads us to the all-important question. What tea goes with a peach?

Fortunately, after doing a bit of research, I recall the Maryland Tea Sampler from Eastern Shore Tea.

My previous post on the sampler can be found here.

If you check out this list, there’s some obvious choices of tea with peach as the focal ingredient, but my feeling wasn’t to do a peach with the same flavored tea. I’m glad I went with my gut.

Included in the sampler is the Baltimore Clipper Tea, which is simply a mix of Black and Green Tea. How can you go wrong with that? It was something to behold. This was truly a tea sipping experience. I could honestly say I was having cup of two amazing flavors. And I could taste both.

The joy of brewing this tea was just as exciting as when I drank it.

I hope that you can see the evolution of the brewing process here. Can you see the steam in the last picture from the right? Breathtaking. I can literally see the color go from green to a more greenish to black combination. I was mesmerized. I hadn’t seen anything quite like it.

My peach tasted even more amazing because the tea opened up some new flavors, via eating and the sipping itself. And the tea had some new flavors shine through. What those flavors were I cannot begin to describe. Maybe it’s one of those things that needs to be kept mysterious and leave me intrigued.

And speaking of intrigue, I will leave you with some photos from this charming event. The ones with the animals are always my favorite.

I will be making frequent visits to Weber’s, so hopefully more posts to come.

Cider season is later but I’m still enjoying the Summer!

If you live anywhere close to this happy place, I strongly recommend a visit. I feel good every time I drive up and even more joyous when I leave. I know I have supported a local establishment that radiates a positive energy to everyone.

For more on Weber’s you can click here.

And for more on the Eastern Shore Tea you can click here via the Baltimore Coffee & Tea Company.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

It’s a Summer Fest!

August 4, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 3 Comments

I can’t go the whole Summer without taking about one of the greatest places on the planet.

Wawa has brought me happiness for so many years. And today I realized I hadn’t done their flavorful iced teas this season.

And I go here on a regular basis. And when I mean regular basis, I mean almost everyday. What’s the opposite of taking something for granted? Well hopefully that’s my relationship with Wawa. I love this place and I feel the love back.

And speaking of love it’s Hoagiefest. It’s one of the many and unlimited reasons I love this season. And it’s an event I always look forward to. And their hoagies have always resonated with me. Not only do they taste great but I always believe the soul and feeling behind is usually a good one. I just don’t mean the person fixing it up themselves. That’s one thing. But I also mean the spirit of the franchise itself.

So during this fiesta, the food and everything else takes on a life of its own.

In regards to the teas, I’ve always enjoyed their peach iced teas along with their half tea and half juice creations. During the indoor festival other items are sold at lower prices, including many cold drinks! So with that I grabbed a couple of others I’ve never had, for this review.

The diet raspberry tastes very light, hence being a diet drink. It’s a very refreshing and tasty beverage. This is not only for this year but I feel this can be drank all year round.

The blackberry is very sweet and since it’s a regular beverage is quite the dichotomy from the aforementioned diet raspberry. It’s a unique taste but maybe a bit too rich for me. The higher sugar content would likely steer me away from trying this again anytime soon. This wasn’t a favorite of mine. In the photo you can see it has a stronger shade or tint than the raspberry.

I am really digging the raspberry tea. And it paired well with a succulent oven-roasted turkey and swiss hoagie on their fresh baked whole wheat bread What a great complement to one another!

And from complements to compliments, I can’t praise Wawa enough. I will throw them all the superlatives and support that I can. They were just named the best convenience store in the United States.

One of the my great joys of these postings is when I see these companies show their support for the community. If

As of this writing, Hoagiefest runs for a couple of more weeks. If you’re fortunate to be in an area where there’s a store nearby, I’d definitely check it out!

For my previous post on their hot teas, click here.

I think I will write about a few more of their iced and bottle teas this Summer. They’re that meaningful and significant to me they deserve multiple posts.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

You Know My Steaz

July 28, 2015Ideen Barimani iced tea, Tea 7 Comments

I went on another adventure or scavenger hunt in search of another tea, cold or hot, to write about. And in keeping with this warm weather, I happily went with the former.

I had never heard of Steaz until earlier this week. And shame on me. But at the same time, this is what this blog and learning new things is all about. If it wasn’t for writing about one my favorite things, I may not have crossed paths with their products for a while. I probably saw them on grocery store shelves but were just a part of anything else in my view.

I am really digging these organic iced teas that these companies are concocting.

In traditional fashion I grabbed two cans that I wanted to try. And I did a taste test in the comfort of my home. I went with some different flavors for this incarnation.

I went with the Super Fruit and Blueberry Pomegranate. The links associated with both flavors are the same, but this website is so user-friendly, you should have no trouble finding your way.

And speaking of the same, they both taste very similar. If you gave me a blind taste test, I would say they were both fruit punch of a medley of some sort. I wouldn’t be able to get all the correct fruits for two respectively but I’d give it a shot.

With that being said, I liked both very much. After a couple sips each, I wasn’t in love with either right away. But with time they both grew on me. It might have been my palate or taste buds at the time. But I think the bigger picture is I am unfortunately used to drinking sweeter and artificial beverages in the Summer that I may not have been fully appreciating a natural and organic treat. That’s my educated guess on this.

In looking at the ingredients of both teas, I saw to a degree, that they are very similar. Had I been had? Ha, I don’t think that to be the case. Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to pour each can into a glass with ice to get a better feel for what I was working with.

At first blush both drinks look very similar. But as you look closer the Blueberry Pomegranate does have a darker tint to it. And yes it does have a little more power than the Super Fruit, which I did not expect at all. I expected the Super Fruit to hit me like that comic book hero you may have heard about. All kidding aside, I enjoyed both very much. And I would love to try more of there selections in the future. They have plenty of them.

And best of all, they are a Fair Trade ingredients so I know I am drinking something that represents good. And hopefully I am bringing my good energy from this purchase back into the world. And my other favorite part of researching these organizations is their role in helping the community or communitea if you will!

And information on where to buy their products can be found here.

I felt good drinking their stand-out iced teas and look forward to more in the future. I felt so good trying them out that it made this post that much more easy to write.

More to come!

Best,

Ideen

Thankful for this Turkey

July 21, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 4 Comments

I’m thankful for a lot of things. And I should be thankful for more. A little early for Thanksgiving I know. And this is not a play on words or any puns intended.

And I am thankful and grateful for finding things to talk about each week.

I was at my local supermarket headed towards the tea aisle, but before I could make it, I spotted the featured items display by the registers. They had a few cold teas in the fridge, but the one that stood out the most was from Turkey Hill.

Their ice creams and juices were always a staple in our house growing up but with time and experiences we move onto other food and beverage interests.

Well it’s nice to be reunited!

I had no idea they made Organic Iced Tea, let along so many other awesome looking products.

I picked up two and I’ll get it out-of-the-way, I loved them both very much! If I drank these blindly I wouldn’t have thought they were organic. I would just think they tasted great.

First up is the Organic Green Tea with a touch of honey. And a touch of honey is spot on. It’s not overpowering that you forget this is a green tea. They got this just right. This was a pleasure to sip and would be enjoyable on a hot Summer’s day or any time of year. And with just a few ingredients, you know you’re getting something pure.

And then we have the Peach Organic Black Tea. It’s hard to pick a favorite. I honestly loved them both so much. There’s a lot more peach here than there’s honey in the aforementioned green, but it’s wonderful. Peach is one of my favorite fruits and to combine it with one of my favorite beverages is majestic.

Another point of note, I had no idea they were so close to home. Turkey Hill’s main headquarters are an hour or so north of us in the Baltimore area, in Lancaster County, PA. Anyone up for a road trip?

If you can’t find their products in your nearby store, you can order from them here.

And just like wine, they have food pairing suggestions for their iced teas, which are done in a very user-friendly and approachable way.

I am sold! I can’t wait to try and embrace more of their products. I feel good perusing their site and supporting a company near me.

In addition to a couple of other organic selections I haven’t had the opportunity to try, they have an extensive iced tea collection. And I hope to review those as well in the future.

I will be thankful to do so.

Best,

Ideen

Merry Christmas in July

July 14, 2015Ideen Barimani Christmas, Tea 8 Comments

What better way to celebrate two of my favorite things, Summer and Christmas, by incorporating a tea that represents the positive attributes of two wonderful times of the year, and so much more.

The Peppermint Tea from Wegmans was a joy to sip. And speaking of feeling like Christmas, Wegmans is just that. I always feel like a kid in a candy shoppe when visiting any one of their stores near me or in my travels. But it’s more than just that. It’s a place of wonders, imagination, and happiness.

With just one ingredient, they stand by their motto, Just Tea. I like it. It pulls no punches and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It’s by no means the best tea I’ve ever had. But it doesn’t need to be. It’s a comforting drink to be enjoyed heated or chilled.

In the spirit of the holidays, I chose to have it boiled. And even on a warm Summer’s night, it was a pleasure to have. It was so palatable, I served myself a second cup.

Throughout this process, the color of the tea changed rapidly and looked gorgeous. You know you’re getting something good. And I had to take a photo a few minutes after, because the tint just kept getting stronger. I’m loving this.

Tis the season to be happy! And hopefully that means all year round. The holiday cup has made its triumphant return! It’s a nice reminder of feeling good and what’s important in life. It’s on what the inside that counts but positive images such as these only heighten the experience.

If I only had some holiday treats to go with it. Well not to look too far ahead, but those times will be here before we know it. And all the goodies have since been long gone or way past their expiration date. The latter would not be a good idea!

In the true spirit of the season, it’s all about indulgence and abundance, so enjoy all the photos I have provided!

I wish I could try all these teas! Maybe I will…

Happy Holidays!

Best,

Ideen

Happy Trails

July 7, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 2 Comments

I took a nice bike ride recently on the Northern Central Railroad Trail or NCR for short. It was an enjoyable ride that goes over 20 miles into Pennsylvania. There’s a few pot of golds at the end of this rainbow.

I’ve made the several hours ride to the Rail Trail Cafe before, so this was gold I expected to find. But this ride never gets old and I always look forward to grabbing a beverage, a snack, and a few minutes to enjoy the view. This time I look a lot longer, took some pictures, and then appreciated my surroundings.

The staff here is top-notch. They’ve always been so friendly and welcoming. There is a very folksy and small town vibe here and in the surrounding neighborhood. Even though they probably get outsiders on bikers, on a daily basis, they seem appreciative of everyone that pays a visit. It’s a good area to regroup, relax, and recuperate.

It was a warm Summers day and that means a cold, refreshing tea. And it was needed.

And speaking of gold, what kind of teas did I happen to see in their refrigerated beverage section? Well none other than Gold Peak Tea.

I’ve seen their drinks everywhere, including many restaurants, adjacent to the soft drink machines. As this is a beverage many establishments use as an alternative to sodas.

Their brand is not one I’ve had frequently and if I have I may have had it by default because I wasn’t in the mood for soda. This is not a dig at them, but just a statement.

I grabbed the Diet Tea from the fridge and as a snack I ordered a homemade Rice Krispies Treat. It was fuel need for the bike ride back. The treat was fantastic.

The tea was satisfying but I wasn’t wowed by it. I don’t think it had anything to do with it having zero calories and added sodium. I just thought it did the job and nothing more. That doesn’t mean that you won’t like it or that their other flavors aren’t any better.

It’s going to be warm for a while and I will absolutely try some of their other flavors again.

I took my time enjoying the riders and pedestrians go by. And to my pleasant surprise, a train passed through as well!

I will be back soon as I love riding through here. I leave you with some photos of this peaceful experience.

Stay healthy.

Best,

Ideen

Enjoying the View

June 30, 2015Ideen Barimani New Orleans, Tea 3 Comments

I visited New Orleans recently and of course I’m going to seek out places to drink tea. Now if you’re reading this, and you live in this beautiful city, or have visited, you may think there’s some obvious choices. Well I’m not always about the obvious.

After a gorgeous day of sightseeing and wandering, I come upon a charming coffee shop, Pulp & Grind. How I ended up in the Warehouse District, I don’t know. But that’s the fun of visiting a city with little to no planning. I discovered a gem of a spot.

Of course I was in the mood for tea. There’s never a bad time for a cup. And it was a bit humid out, so a little refresher was in order.

Since I’d never been there before, I took a little more time perusing their menu items on the big board. I’ve had Wheatgrass shots before and getting one here was the perfect way to rejuvenate me and get my day doing again. I wish I had taken a picture.

In researching their shop, I see they’ve only been open a few months. They had some fruit and pastries on display, but I didn’t have the biggest appetite.

I was in New Orleans and all I’ve been doing is eating some amazing dishes. So all I could take was a piece of small chocolate at the register with my cup.

So I got the White Jasmine. I’m going to believe it’s either a tea that is sent to them or from some magical place. Well I’d really like to believe the latter. The city itself is magical and full of a unique energy I have never felt before.

The tea was just fine. It wasn’t anything special or blew me away. But for where I was, I didn’t care. I sat and enjoyed my snack and hot cup, and enjoyed the view outside. I wasn’t in the touristy part, near Bourbon or Frenchmen Street. That would take place before and after this tea break. But aside from these few photos, I just sat and admired the scenery for at least a good 30 minutes.

The tea soothed me, the view outside soothed me, and being in a vibrant and amazing city soothed me.

I will add the staff and locals inside were very nice, all smiled, and said hello. It’s not something I’m used to. I’m usually very friendly but it’s not always reciprocated. A friendly response make everything look, taste, smell, and feel better.

And I felt so good.

All The Best,

Ideen

Father’s Day Special

June 23, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 1 Comment

I hope everyone enjoyed their Father’s Day. This post is a tribute to my dad and one of his favorite teas. As I’ve stated before, he’s the main reason I have a passion for all things tea.

Ahmad Tea is a very popular tea all over the world and for good reason. They have a multitude of varieties and flavors. It’s too much to process quite honestly. There’s so many that I could do a separate blog on just them. There’s also so many that they have a separate USA website.

Over many visits with my pops, we’ve indulged on many a tea and many a flavor. In particular the Ceylon Tea has been the drink of choice. And it’s got some pop. Pun intended.

There’s another layer to this. As you can read, the Ceylon comes in three grades, in loose and bagged format.

This package contained the red band. If you look closely, you can see the orange tint in the leaves. I think that’s a nice touch. It adds a little flavor aroma that makes this tea go down smooth, with a little bitter taste at the end. But I think it’s just right.

For more on their story you can click on this link. What always makes me feel good is reading about the charities these tea companies are actively involved in. It makes me want to do more and play my part. And it feels great to support them.

We enjoyed our feast with some delicious Iranian food. We had some ghormeh sabzi, which is a traditional dish from our country. And we finished it off with some incredible pasties, which included baklava and other charming sweets!

In honor of him and the holiday, I treated myself to another cup. My dad, having the sense of humor that he has, packed me some tea in a medicine bottle. I appreciate the recycling and comical aspect of it all.

Back by popular demand, the Tovolo is back! For the inaugural post on this thing of beauty, click here.

As always, I love the prepping, infusing, and steeping process. So the photos of this journey are shown below. Can you see the orange and red leaves in the infuser? Magnificent!

If you look close at the picture below, you can see a bubble on the left hand side. That sequence was going on for a few minutes. Very cool.

And how great is that color? The red-orange hue really shows. That’s a work of art right there.

I enjoyed this masterful beverage with one of my dad’s favorite treats, dried figs.

I can’t wait to enjoy another cup and meal with you again. Here’s to you pop!

Cheers,

Ideen

Honest Tea Is The…

June 16, 2015Ideen Barimani Tea 1 Comment

Did you get the play on words? I wasn’t aware of the double meaning until today. And it’s always been in plain sight. I’ve been drinking Honest Tea, here and there for a number of years. A fun fact is that it’s based not far away from where I grew up, in Bethesda, MD.

As the weather shifts to hotter and more humid, the posts will also shift to cooler options, which will include bottled and iced teas. Without hesitation I wanted to write about this Maryland based company as my first foray away from the stove, hot water, pots, kettles, and all the fun instruments I’ve been using recently.

It was a sunny day, very hot and hazy, and aside from drinking lots of ice cold water, I had a yearning for some naturally flavored goodness. So I got the inspiration to write about a cold tea when I made it to my grocers aisle.

I missed National Iced Tea Day last week, so I’m making up for it as much as I can today.

As you can see, the amount of bottles is endless. So I grabbed a couple in hopes they would turn out great. I chilled them in the refrigerator after purchase, so I could fully appreciate their hopefully refreshing tastes.

So how’d it go? Well fun is one way of looking at it!

First up is the Peach Oo-La-Long Tea. The name is entertaining and really resonates with me. It’ll be on my mind for a while. That’s a great way to sell you brand. The tea itself for me was solid. Oolong is not a tea I’ve had often nor have I ever been a major fan. This will take some growing. My taste and experience for it has been seldom. After drinking this that could change. It wasn’t my favorite chilled tea but we all have our particular tastes.

The peach puree and agave flavors are dynamite. I really like agave. And it’s an interesting alternative to honey, which I love almost more than anything on his planet. So I was happy to try something different.

Next is the Mango White. This I could drink endless bottles of. The flavors come alive here. I adore white tea and I adore mango. And throw in the agave syrup once again and we have a winner. Perfection. Having this chilled on a hot Summers day is a visual I’d like to repeat. What a joy this is.

And the profound quotes, proverbs and messages under every lid is a wonderful touch.

There’s a lot going on with this company. And their website is loaded with information. It’s a lot to take in but I included links where I could. More on their products can be found here.

My favorite parts of all revolve around helping the community and there’s plenty to read about. I love this stuff! It makes me want to do more.

Being Fair Trade Certified and USDA Organic is always something I look for in a product and if the intent is good then I feel good about what I’m supporting. It’s my symbolic gesture of saying thank you and it’s me saying I’d like to do my part as well in helping others.

I know I only glossed over Honest Tea’s items, but I could go on. Instead, I will revisit them later this Summer and hopefully talk more of their amazing teas, flavors, and messages of good.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Tea Is Fun

An inspirational and emotional tea blog.

Author Archives: Ideen Barimani

A Matcha Made In…

Peach Pals

It’s a Summer Fest!

You Know My Steaz

Thankful for this Turkey

Merry Christmas in July

Happy Trails

Enjoying the View

Father’s Day Special

Honest Tea Is The…

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