Finally got around to brewing one of my Christmas teas! I would have gotten to it sooner, but for me every tea has its day. I always wanted to try toasted green tea, they say that it has a hinted taste of toasted brown rice. Little did I know I actually did have some before, and drinking this brought back that memory. It was actually when I was flying to Honolulu with the very same friend that gave me this tea. I remember it being the first drink I purchased once we landed and got settled in on the Island. I wasn’t happy with it then, mainly because the brew tasted really really strong. The scent of the tea found its way to my nose, and next thing I knew I was keeping a close watch on the brew to make sure it didn’t over-steep. This is definitely not a tea you would want to begin preparing and then forget about, as it can become bitter fairly quickly making even a long over-brewed black tea seem more tame by comparison.
When prepared properly this is really good though. I made some to go along side stir fry the other night instead of Oolong. If anything this kinda tastes like a stronger Oolong with a hint of toasted rice, and even seems to have chocolatey, almost caramel like undertones. Interestingly enough due to the roasting process it has a lower caffeine rating compared to regular green tea which is commonly steamed instead. That’s ok, the flavor alone pretty much powered me for the entire day. I made two full brews of it the entire afternoon to give you an idea of how much I liked it. I’ve even discovered the existence of Hojicha powder, though I haven’t ordered any yet. I want to experiment with this Christmas gift first, maybe even try and make my own lattes with it. I feel like it would taste good mixed with some milk and certain sweeteners.