Product Overview
Chocolate Orange
Loose - Flavored Black Tea
CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Spanish orange highlighted with lascivious Belgian white chocolate notes.
Ingredients: Black tea, Orange + Cocoa pieces, Lemon balm leaves, Safflower, Calendula + Marigold + Sunflower petals, Natural flavors(organic compliant).
INGREDIENTS FROM: Sri Lanka / Kenya / India / Turkey / Egypt / France / China / Poland
REGION(S): Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva / Nandi Highlands / Nilgiri / Anatolya / Nile Delta River / Provence / Yunnan / Gdansk
GROWING ALTITUDES: 4000 - 8500 feet above sea level
GRADE(S): OP (Orange Pekoe)
MANUFACTURE TYPE(S): Orthodox (Traditional leafy)
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: High
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Medium
KOSHER: Yes
VEGETARIAN: Yes
VEGAN: Yes
ARTISANAL NOTES: Small batch blended and packed in Canada.
INFUSION: Bright and coppery
INFORMATION:
Perhaps Lucy Van Pelt, Charlie Brown's friend in the legendary comic strip Peanuts, put it best when she said, "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." Chocolate, it's one of those things that I suppose we all could live without, but the question is then, why would we want to? As Lucy's quote would suggest, whether you bite, nip, sip, gnaw, or chew your chocolate, there is a wonderful sense of oneness with the universe, a wholeness of being that only chocolate can produce. Over the years, our insatiable desire for chocolate has led to many thousands of variations and methods for producing new ways to enjoy it.
Perhaps Lucy Van Pelt, Charlie Brown's friend in the legendary comic strip Peanuts, put it best when she said, "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." Chocolate, it's one of those things that I suppose we all could live without, but the question is then, why would we want to? As Lucy's quote would suggest, whether you bite, nip, sip, gnaw, or chew your chocolate, there is a wonderful sense of oneness with the universe, a wholeness of being that only chocolate can produce. Over the years, our insatiable desire for chocolate has led to many thousands of variations and methods for producing new ways to enjoy it.
One of the more interesting of these is the chocolate orange. First created in England around 1930, this wonderful treat is produced by infusing pure rich chocolate with the essential oil of fresh oranges. The resulting flavor is divine - rich and chocolatey with taste bud tingling undertones of orange.
Well, we decided to do our part in the development of new methods of chocolate enjoyment by infusing our high grown Ceylon tea with this intoxicating flavor combination. I'm sure you'll agree that once the aromas of this tea reach your nose you will feel a sense of completion, a sense of peace, a sense that all is well. Be good to yourself, brew a pot today!
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.
Thirdly. we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat 'soft ' and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.
STEEPING TIME
| TEA CUP | 8oz (237ml) | 10oz (296ml) | 12oz (355ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1.5 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 2-3 min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| MEDIUM | 4-5 min | 4-5 min | 4-5 min |
| STRONG | 6-7 min | 6-7 min | 6-7 min |
| Blue Monkey Tea recommends 4-5 min | |||
| TEA POT | 18oz (532ml) | 36oz (1064ml) | 48oz (1419ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 2 heaping teaspoons of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 4 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 6 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 2-3 min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| MEDIUM | 4-5 min | 4-5 min | 4-5 min |
| STRONG | 6-7 min | 6-7 min | 6-7 min |
| Blue Monkey Tea recommends 4-5 min | |||
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS:
| MILK | SUGAR | LEMON | MINT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OK | OK | NO | NO |
Ideal Brewing Temperature: 100ºC/212ºF
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.
(Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.
(Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY: We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend the use of our '1 Cup of Perfect Tea' measuring spoon for best results. Please contact Blue Monkey Tea to place an order.
ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.
